Weegee

I second this-- is there a reason for this change in format? I preferred the previous format and would like to know, though I am glad the community is getting updated in some way each week.

I think uploading KSPTV highlights on YouTube is a good idea, but it should be on another channel. I would think most of the people subscribed to the current YouTube channel are there just for teasers and trailers, as that's all that has been there in the past. So, posting something a majority of the subscribers don't want is just a good way to get people annoyed, and possibly unsubscribe, missing out on game update information. Plus, the feel of the content is very different: trailers are polished with clear narratives, while livestreams are often more spontaneous and loosely directed. This is by no means a bad thing, but the two should be separate.

The R9 300 series is pretty pointless, unfortunately. They are (mostly) rebrands of the corresponding R9 200 series card. So, a 280 is about the same as a 380, which isn't really worth it. You'd see an improvement if you got a 290/290x, but I have a R9 270 as well and it works fine for me. SSDs are always nice, and SATA ones are getting cheaper, so that's not a bad buy.

I wouldn't recommend upgrading from a 4 core FX to a 8 core FX, as you will only see an improvement in highly multi-threaded workloads, which does not include gaming. Even in games that are multi-threaded, they usually don't benefit from more than 4 cores. As for the overclocking, they should overclock about the same with conventional cooling methods. Those world records are done by disabling 7 of the 8 cores and then cooling the CPU with liquid nitrogen or helium, so don't expect those kind of results. 4.5 Ghz is probably typical for either CPU, maybe higher if you get a good batch. Besides, AMD has said their new architecture will come out in 2016, and it'd be a bummer to upgrade to a CPU that is the same architecture with more cores, then have a new option come out less than a year later (if AMD can hold that deadline and deliver as promised, that is). To sum up, upgrading from a 4 to 8 core AMD will not help gaming. I'd save your money, and buy either an Intel when you have the money, or wait and see what comes out in 2016.

Agree 100%. The problem with that card is it might be enough for you now, but if you need more performance (which will happen), you'll have to spend more money than getting a better card in the first place. Plus, if you only play games on mid-low, you're missing out, especially since you could have bought a better card for not much more money. But hey, if you're fine with it I guess that's all the really matters. As for anti-static, just search "anti-static bracelet" or "anti-static wristband". All of them should be about the same. What you do is strap them to a wrist or ankle, and then you attach the clip to a ground, which prevents static buildup.

Should be pretty decent because KSP doesn't need a good GPU, but the GPU does leave something to be desired. See this review: (Slightly out of date, but the point is still the same. Saving up for a while for something like a R7 260x would've been a much better option.)

The case will have all the appropriate cables pre-installed and labeled, you just have to plug them into the correct spot on the motherboard. You can technically plug any fan into either, the labels just let you know what the fan will be called in software. However, you do want to plug the CPU fan into the one labeled CPU, because it has 4 pins. 4 pins means the fan's speed can be controlled by the motherboard (usually based on temperature), meaning it will be quieter at idle.

That's what I just explained-- the front panel header refers to where you plug in the LEDs and power/reset switch for the case (yellow on your board), the USB 3.0/2.0 on the case has its own connection (blue/red), and the audio jack has its own connection. Fans do connect directly, they are above and to the right of where the CPU goes on your board, labeled CPU_FAN1 and SYS_FAN1. The serial header is for older devices, you most likely won't need it.

The front panel header is referring to the cluster of pins used for drive access and power lights, as well as the power and reset switch. On the Newegg page, you can see it is along the bottom of the motherboard, in yellow. The USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports are also along the bottom (blue and red, respectively) and the audio is to the left of the purple cluster of pins (which is a legacy connector). But yes, the manufacturer of the PSU is important, if a PSU is shoddy and fails, it can take out a whole system. I would recommend upgrading the GPU if you can afford to, but it should run many games fine if you can't (though as it has been mentioned here, games tend to favor GPU performance nowadays).

What GPU are you using? That list doesn't have any, and you've said you'll be doing gaming, which most definitely requires one. If you can tell us how much you can afford to spend, you would definitely get a good recommendation. You also didn't include power supply in that list, nor does your case come with one (ones that come with cases are usually pretty bad though so that doesn't matter). Any power supply that's 500w and from a respected brand will do.

Well, if it drops in price within 14 days, you can return the game and buy it at the lower price, which is allowed by the new refund policy. However, you'd need to have played less than 2 hours so good luck with that That aside, my rule for steam sales is only buy things I've heard about/wanted before the sale, and only buy it if it's a considerable discount. It seems to have worked so far. Not sure what I'll get this year, not much since I have other things to save money for.

I myself recently got a Naos 7000 mouse, but they also make an ambidextrous mouse with the same specs called the Avior 7000. Mionix make good mice, but they are at the top of your budget. Here's the link: http://mionix.net/mice/avior-7000/

While that graphics card is definitely something that should be replaced, that CPU is just barely the minimum (being similar to a Core 2 Duo), so I would definitely recommend a new computer. You could re-use a few parts like RAM, hard drive and the case, but you'd need a new motherboard as the CPUs on that socket are very low performance, even if you want to stick with AMD. As for getting a new computer, I would definitely recommend building it yourself, unless you are worried about doing it right (though it really isn't that hard). But, if you don't have enough money for a new PC, getting a new graphics card is a step in the right direction, and it can be used in any future computers you buy. As for cleaning dust from a computer, turn it off, take it outside, and spray it with compressed air (from those disposable cans, or even a DataVac, which is more cost-effective in the long run). In fact, here's a video guide:

Do you mean upgrading the laptop? If that's what you mean, no. Laptops will only allow the drives and RAM to be upgraded. Anyway, I'm confused what you got this laptop for. Are you in particular need of a laptop, and that's why you bought it? The desktop you currently have will vastly outperform the laptop in CPU power, and you can only get marginal overclocking in a laptop. The graphics in the laptop are probably a bit better than the integrated one in the desktop (especially since it has dedicated RAM), but that's about it. Basically, what are you using a computer for these days? You said you have a desktop, but you got a laptop despite the desktop being fine. If you need the mobility of a laptop, this one will run KSP alright, but as people have said if you try to run something more graphically intensive you will not get amazing performance. Plus, that laptop is pretty old already, so it will be obsolete faster. If you are fine using a desktop, I would just pick up an R9 270X, as that graphics card will run just about everything just fine and is a great value.

Computer Name - None usually... the network name is Uberlöken though. Operating System - Windows 8.1 CPU - AMD Athlon 750k, 4.4Ghz Motherboard - ASUS F2A85-M Pro RAM - 2x4 Patriot Viper 3 DDR3 1600 GPU(s) - MSI Radeon R9 270 2GB, overclocked to 270x levels Optical Drive(s) - Yes HDD(s) - 0 (well, one in a dock for backups) SSD(s) - 1 x 480 GB Chassis - Antec GX500 PSU - Corsair CX600M CPU Cooler - Thermaltake T30 Additional Internal Components - Card Reader Kicking myself that I didn't get a Athlon 860k, as it is actually newer and slightly better (I though it was a stock-overclocked 750k at the time). I also could have gotten an Anniversery Pentium if I waited a bit (wasn't aware of it) but I'm not sure I would have gotten it anyway. Also got the 480 GB SSD for really cheap due to specific circumstances.

Upon closer examination I'm gonna hope this is a poorly executed April Fool's Joke. Still not happy.

Alright, this is gonna be a long one... First of all (mainly because I was bored) I put together an Intel build. It features a i5-4690k and a R9 280x. However, I've also made a build with an AMD CPU, featuring a Athlon 860k (an APU with a broken GPU, better and cheaper than a 5800k, on par with a 7850k) and a R9 290x. The Intel build is a tiny bit over $800, while the AMD is under $700. The only major difference between the two is the Intel CPU is better, but because of the cost the GPU isn't as good. Looking at a benchmark database, (=2362&cmp[]=2284"]CPU Data, =51&cmp[]=2697"]GPU Data) the performance gap between CPUs is much higher than the GPUs. Now, for gaming (besides KSP and some others) the GPU is the most important. However, the CPU upgrade path in the future is practically non-existent on the AMD side of things (they are moving away from desktop APUs, and thus that socket in general), while the Intel side has one more generation left on the current socket. GPUs are much easier to upgrade in the future, as the hardware for them exists on both AMD and Intel boards. So, in conclusion, I would purchase the Intel build (or a modified version), because the CPU performance now is better, and the upgrade path in the future is much better than AMD. Now, as for explaining the Intel build: CPU: i5-4690k - The go to intel CPU, can't go wrong here. Only upgrade currently is an i7, but you have no need and they are expensive. Cooler: Hyper 212 EVO - About the same price as the other cooler you selected, but better. Also a go to. Motherboard: ASUS Z97-K/CSM - ASUS is a good brand. This board has the Z97 chipset, which allows good overclocking, and has everything else you will need. RAM: G.Skill NS Series - This RAM doesn't have a heat spreader, which is a requirement if you are using a Hyper 212, so the RAM fits. It is at a lower speed than the previous RAM, but there is a negligible performance difference. GPU: XFX 280x 3GB: Very similar to the 280, but a bit better. Also more expensive, but worth it I think. Case: Cooler Master Storm Enforcer - The case you picked. No problems with it that I can see. PSU: Corsair CSM 600W - Technically not needed, but the wattage came really close. This is only $5 more than the CSM 430W however, so definetely worth it. Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST - Also something you picked. An optical drive is an optical drive. Hope that wasn't too confusing... Let me know if you need more help, and if anyone sees something to correct me on please let me know!

I've had good experience with overclocking... My last PC had a Phenom II X2 565, which OC'd from 3.0 to 4.0. On my new PC, I have an Athlon 750k (which is basically an AMD APU whose GPU is fried), and it overclocked to 4.4 with my motherboard's auto-overclocking utility. I will look into the voltage, but it seems to be fine so far, and I've had no instability due to the overclock. My GPU (MSI R9 270) is also a good overclocker, straight out of the box it OC'd to 270x speeds.

I have an MSI R9 270, which I got for my new PC (upgraded from a 6670). This is the first card I've made an informed choice on, and I'm happy with it. I don't use or plan to use Linux (at least not in this card's lifetime), so that wasn't an issue. As for the MSI part: It was on sale The cooler is very good Because of said cooler, it can be OC'd to behave as a 270x with no fuss.

Correct, but they weren't... That's not the point. The things created as a byproduct of going to space certainly could have been invented by other means, but they weren't, and who knows when they would have been invented under other circumstances.

Yes. Much of the Mun is colored red, probably to denote that resources are located there, based on previous posts. They should probably make a color-blind friendly version.

Well, what do you do? KSP only uses 1 core so that doesn't effect KSP performance. Most games wont use more than 2 cores (if they even use 2) so if you only game cores aren't too big an issue. The Pentium probably is the way to go since it can be upgraded later. Oh, and you need to make an account on pcpartpicker to be able to send us a direct link-- the link you posted here is the generic blank one Actually, given $800, you could do better than the Pentium, and skip to an i5 most likely.

I put this build into pcpartpicker.com (which is a great site), and you have some headroom still, about $100. Definitely get second opinions from the forum, but here's what I changed. You might go for a 120GB SSD instead of 60GB, depending on what else is decided. PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QnKjhM Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/QnKjhM/by_merchant/ CPU: AMD Athlon X4 860K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor ($74.29 @ Amazon) Motherboard: MSI A78M-E35 Micro ATX FM2+ Motherboard ($56.99 @ SuperBiiz) Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($74.99 @ Amazon) Storage: Kingston SSDNow KC300 60GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($64.99 @ Adorama) Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($80.88 @ OutletPC) Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 270X 2GB TWIN FROZR Video Card ($154.99 @ Newegg) Case: Rosewill Line-M MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($41.99 @ Amazon) Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg) Total: $599.11 Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-01-27 12:25 EST-0500

If you want KSP to run well, make your own PC. Ask the guys in the Computer Building Megathread (stickied in this subforum). But, before telling you what to get, what will this computer be used for besides KSP? If you're accustomed to the Mac platform and do the type of things those are good for, go ahead with the iMac if you really want. But, for good performance I'd get the highest end one you can afford. But, in practice, prioritize what the computer needs to do for you. Are you doing more light stuff and the type of apps Macs run, or is it for gaming? If gaming is a primary consideration, by all means built your own PC.

Thanks for updating this! Looking forward to more