KSP1 Computer Building/Buying Megathread

[Camacha]

Massive overkill for normal mortals, but with a high do want factor:

Dual Intel Xeon Processor E5-2690 (3 GHz, 20 cores)

Up to 512 GB DDR3 RAM ECC memory

Dual Quadro or FirePro cards

1125W power supply

Note however that KSP would run faster on most modern homebuilt systems It is an incredibly well built system though and I like that.

[Aghanim]

Need urgent help with my other computer!

My other computer, the powerful one with GTX 660 Ti in it, have some problems. Sometime, when I turn it on, the fan starts up and it turns itself off again. After unplugging the power cable and reconnecting it again, it starts up normally. I suspect the PSU is going bad, I'm using Thermaltake LT-700

EDIT: I have tried it on my old computer and the PSU and the PC starts normally. But in the new computer, I have removed the graphics card and it still do the same weird thing, so its not because the PSU is underpowered

Edited July 13, 2014 by Aghanim

[42undead2]

Hi guys! I'm going to buy a prebuilt system in the future (Because I'm scared to crap of all the wires currently) and I just want to upgrade all the simple/most important bits. So what I plan on doing is replacing the not-so-wirey bits of it. What I currently have planned is replacing the Radeon 6450 with an EVGA 750Ti SC. I need help on the processor though. It currently has a 4350, but I don't know what would be best paired with the GPU I chose.

I have a limit of $275/200 Euro/£160 (Or there about) and it must be an AM3+ socket processor (That's what the 4350 uses? I'm not too savvy on AMD stuff.)

[Duke23]

The FX-4350 is already a pretty good processor, especially for its price. Personally I bought that one because of its higher clock per core compared to the 8350 (for gaming) but if you do a lot of media editing and conversions, or any true multithreaded task the 8350 should blow it out of the water. Of course there are higher clocked 8 core (AMD's fancy way of saying quad core with hyperthreading if we're being honest) Piledriver chips but IMO they don't provide the extra bang to justify the price increase, unless they've gone down. And yes they are AM3+ processors. Also keep in mind FX series processors are unlocked out of the box for easy over clocking provided you have a system capable of it, something you may want to consider.

But, if you do decide to go bigger and badder the 9370 should fall within your stated budget and give an increase over both the others in all CPU intensive tasks, multithreaded or not. (Assuming the processor is the bottleneck for the given task, although I'd imagine the graphics card would be in that setup for gaming even with the 4350). If you're going to go for the 9370 you may want something closer to a GTX 770 if I'm remembering my numbers correctly.

Also I would say please consider building your computer yourself unless you're just really not comfortable with it, you will save money especially if you're going to start upgrading it as soon as you unpack it, and you have control over part quality. Do some research of course but IMO if you can change the processor and graphics card, you can build the whole thing. Only confusing part is hooking up the hardware buttons and lights, and that should be documented. The rest is usually pretty self explanatory if you've worked on computers before.

Edited July 14, 2014 by Duke23

[Duke23]

Need urgent help with my other computer!

My other computer, the powerful one with GTX 660 Ti in it, have some problems. Sometime, when I turn it on, the fan starts up and it turns itself off again. After unplugging the power cable and reconnecting it again, it starts up normally. I suspect the PSU is going bad, I'm using Thermaltake LT-700

EDIT: I have tried it on my old computer and the PSU and the PC starts normally. But in the new computer, I have removed the graphics card and it still do the same weird thing, so its not because the PSU is underpowered

I fatfingered my phone and deleted my post, go me. As I was saying, lol... If you have access to a power supply tester it wouldn't hurt to make sure. But I think it's more likely that it's a funky connection somewhere. I would unplug and replug pretty much everything (any cards, SATA connectors, and especially clean and reseat the RAM because that's usually the culprit for behavior like that in my experience). Also it wouldn't hurt to check for any wires that may have been pinched and if there are any, perform the wiggle test... Hook a volt meter to it if applicable and wiggle to make sure the wire isn't broken in that spot. Maybe there's an easier way but that's what I'd do.

[Camacha]

Need urgent help with my other computer!

My other computer, the powerful one with GTX 660 Ti in it, have some problems. Sometime, when I turn it on, the fan starts up and it turns itself off again. After unplugging the power cable and reconnecting it again, it starts up normally. I suspect the PSU is going bad, I'm using Thermaltake LT-700

EDIT: I have tried it on my old computer and the PSU and the PC starts normally. But in the new computer, I have removed the graphics card and it still do the same weird thing, so its not because the PSU is underpowered

I would start out by trying my suggestions here. The only way of dealing with a problem like this is eliminating possibilities one by one. It can be a bit of a pain, but is the only reliable method.

[Elthy]

@42undead2:

Buying a build PC and then upgrading it is the worst thing you can do, you pay money for sometging you scrap when you get it.

Building your own PC is very easy, you cant plug something in the wrong way, also there are lots of manuals on the internet. Also replacing the CPU and GPU is as "complicated" as building the whole PC on your own.

[Duke23]

I would start out by trying my suggestions here. The only way of dealing with a problem like this is eliminating possibilities one by one. It can be a bit of a pain, but is the only reliable method.

Can't argue with that of course. I just tend to jump straight for connections on things like that. I've seen so many computers that work fine until they don't and it'll be something simple like a little dust and heat expansion teaming up to give you a bad day.

By the way, not to jinx it or anything, I seem to be having better luck since I updated to the beta drivers for my GTX 760. Go figure. I get an occasional stutter in KSP but I'll take that over a crash. Granted, I haven't been playing as much as usual.

[Camacha]

Can't argue with that of course. I just tend to jump straight for connections on things like that. I've seen so many computers that work fine until they don't and it'll be something simple like a little dust and heat expansion teaming up to give you a bad day.

Checking cables and connectors is always worth a shot, you are quite right!

By the way, not to jinx it or anything, I seem to be having better luck since I updated to the beta drivers for my GTX 760. Go figure. I get an occasional stutter in KSP but I'll take that over a crash. Granted, I haven't been playing as much as usual.

I seem to have better luck too. After an exhaustive search and swapping out various parts I finally transplanted another PSU into the system. I still had problems. Then I tried some settings (most of which I tried before) and sure enough, the problems ceased. I will switch back to the old PSU somewhere this week and will see what happens.

Meanwhile I have installed most of my software again. It have had a good time trying to figure out what they do to my OS under the hood.

[andrew123]

Can't argue with that of course. I just tend to jump straight for connections on things like that. I've seen so many computers that work fine until they don't and it'll be something simple like a little dust and heat expansion teaming up to give you a bad day.

By the way, not to jinx it or anything, I seem to be having better luck since I updated to the beta drivers for my GTX 760. Go figure. I get an occasional stutter in KSP but I'll take that over a crash. Granted, I haven't been playing as much as usual.

I love the gtx 760! It's just that the acx cooler on mine eats up three slots.

Darn Rosewill. The challenger just sucks.

[Duke23]

I seem to have better luck too. After an exhaustive search and swapping out various parts I finally transplanted another PSU into the system. I still had problems. Then I tried some settings (most of which I tried before) and sure enough, the problems ceased. I will switch back to the old PSU somewhere this week and will see what happens.

Meanwhile I have installed most of my software again. It have had a good time trying to figure out what they do to my OS under the hood.

Sounds like a head scratcher, but at least you're having some luck now. Nothing is more irritating than something you've spent hundreds of dollars on just deciding to act stupid for no good reason

I love the gtx 760! It's just that the acx cooler on mine eats up three slots.

Darn Rosewill. The challenger just sucks.

Haha, they're just right aren't they? Every game I have runs at least 30fps on Ultra settings and 1080p, granted that probably won't be the case by the time GTAV comes out (the only title I'm actually looking forward to).

I have an NZXT Guardian 921, if this graphics card was any bigger it'd be inside my HDD bay.

----------

On another note, I'm excited because I'm about to buy a Dell Venue 8 Pro hopefully in the next few days (8 inch 32 bit Windows 8.1 tablet). It's a little light on hardware with a 1.33ghz quad core Atom and 2gb of RAM, but I basically want to replace my GTab3 8.0 with it so it will be perfect, and you can't beat it for a sub-$300 tablet. I don't need the GTab anymore because now I have a rooted S4 that I'm refusing to upgrade to KitKat, and no point buying the larger Surface Pro for more than twice as much just to get the extra power when I have a gaming PC at home. I was just reading up and some people have gotten some relatively modern games running on them (with tweaks or low settings of course) including KSP. Some even added a sheet of copper and some thermal paste to the innards that had a pretty big impact on dispersing the heat to avoid throttling. I also looked at a Lenovo Miix 2 and a Toshiba Encore (99% same specs), but the Dell has them both beat by a long shot in the looks department IMO, plus it has active stylus support. If iPads (groan) and Android tablets want to stay in the game with things like this becoming affordable they're gonna have to step it up.

Link

Edited July 16, 2014 by Duke23

[andrew123]

Sounds like a head scratcher, but at least you're having some luck now. Nothing is more irritating than something you've spent hundreds of dollars on just deciding to act stupid for no good reason

Haha, they're just right aren't they? Every game I have runs at least 30fps on Ultra settings and 1080p, granted that probably won't be the case by the time GTAV comes out (the only title I'm actually looking forward to).

I have an NZXT Guardian 921, if this graphics card was any bigger it'd be inside my HDD bay.

----------

On another note, I'm excited because I'm about to buy a Dell Venue 8 Pro hopefully in the next few days (8 inch 32 bit Windows 8.1 tablet). It's a little light on hardware with a 1.33ghz quad core Atom and 2gb of RAM, but I basically want to replace my GTab3 8.0 with it so it will be perfect, and you can't beat it for a sub-$300 tablet. I don't need the GTab anymore because now I have a rooted S4 that I'm refusing to upgrade to KitKat, and no point buying the larger Surface Pro for more than twice as much just to get the extra power when I have a gaming PC at home. I was just reading up and some people have gotten some relatively modern games running on them (with tweaks or low settings of course) including KSP. Some even added a sheet of copper and some thermal paste to the innards that had a pretty big impact on dispersing the heat to avoid throttling. I also looked at a Lenovo Miix 2 and a Toshiba Encore (99% same specs), but the Dell has them both beat by a long shot in the looks department IMO, plus it has active stylus support. If iPads (groan) and Android tablets want to stay in the game with things like this becoming affordable they're gonna have to step it up.

Link

I primarily use the gtx 760's CUDA function to accelerate my video editing in adobe premier pro (with some permission edits in the adobe file) and Sony Vegas Pro. Awesome little monster of a renderer.

Also, the gpu suffers quite a bit when running things at 1440p on my asus pb278q. I have also heard all of the good news about the atom's performance, but after owning a samsung nc-10, I can't stand risking another atom powered computer purchase.

[Duke23]

I primarily use the gtx 760's CUDA function to accelerate my video editing in adobe premier pro (with some permission edits in the adobe file) and Sony Vegas Pro. Awesome little monster of a renderer.

Also, the gpu suffers quite a bit when running things at 1440p on my asus pb278q. I have also heard all of the good news about the atom's performance, but after owning a samsung nc-10, I can't stand risking another atom powered computer purchase.

Ah, I've been meaning to try the video acceleration but I heard it can reduce quality a bit so I stick it out with my CPU whenever I do video editing so far. That and I usually use Handbrake for my final product and I haven't seen an option for that yet.

Apparently the Atoms are getting much better. I haven't seen a good side-by-side comparison yet but I've read that the older ones were about 15% of an equivalent i3 (I think it was i3? Maybe C2D back then) and the newer ones are around 60%. They definitely seem to hold their own especially when you consider the reduced power draw. From the videos I've seen of the V8P it appears to be pretty snappy unless you're doing something it wasn't designed for anyway like running modern games. I almost bought an HP netbook with one of the old N-series Atoms a while back and I'm glad I didn't after messing around with a similar one (Acer or Asus I can't remember) that my friend used to have.

Edited July 16, 2014 by Duke23

[Camacha]

Ah, I've been meaning to try the video acceleration but I heard it can reduce quality a bit so I stick it out with my CPU whenever I do video editing so far. That and I usually use Handbrake for my final product and I haven't seen an option for that yet.

I have been hearing a lot of dodgy stories about the render quality, a lot of people saying a lot of stuff they half know. However, whatever the case, for editing hardware acceleration is fine. It is considerably faster than CPU based editing and you could still do your final render with just the CPU. I just makes life a lot easier

[Duke23]

I have been hearing a lot of dodgy stories about the render quality, a lot of people saying a lot of stuff they half know. However, whatever the case, for editing hardware acceleration is fine. It is considerably faster than CPU based editing and you could still do your final render with just the CPU. I just makes life a lot easier

That's fair enough. Do you or Andrew have a recommendation for an editor that supports this stuff, or just the ones he already listed? I'm by no means an expert at video editing but I'm trying to learn some of it, I have been using VideoPad to meet my basic needs (waiting to get smacked lol). I either export "okay" x264 mp4 and upload it, or export a giant avi then run it through Handbrake with my customized settings that usually take a while.

[Camacha]

Do you or Andrew have a recommendation for an editor that supports this stuff, or just the ones he already listed?

I have some experience with Final Cut Pro, which is basically the same as Premiere Pro. I know Premiere Pro CC supports OpenCL acceleration (both AMD and Nvidia cards), while earlier versions (down to 5 I think) only do CUDA cards.

[Duke23]

I have some experience with Final Cut Pro, which is basically the same as Premiere Pro. I know Premiere Pro CC supports OpenCL acceleration (both AMD and Nvidia cards), while earlier versions (down to 5 I think) only do CUDA cards.

Unless I'm missing something Final Cut Pro is Mac only? The only Mac I have is a boat anchor. This stuff seems really expensive. But thanks, I'll look into it.

[andrew123]

Unless I'm missing something Final Cut Pro is Mac only? The only Mac I have is a boat anchor. This stuff seems really expensive. But thanks, I'll look into it.

I would recommend Premier Pro. I really like the workflow.

Also, using the gtx 760 requires a minor text edit in the config files for the adobe program. It's literally adding the name of our card.

[Camacha]

Unless I'm missing something Final Cut Pro is Mac only? The only Mac I have is a boat anchor. This stuff seems really expensive. But thanks, I'll look into it.

Yes, Final Cut Pro is for Mac. Not sure whether that is accelerated too, but Premiere Pro is. The programs were made by the same people, so the interfaces and basic idea is a lot alike. There are other programs that do hardware acceleration too, but I am not too sure about those as I am not too active on that front.

It is not cheap, no, but compared to other professional software it is actually not that bad. In those cases software can often cost more than the computer it runs on - even the expensive workstations. I think it is amazing that any average Joe can do very complex editing, designing or production on what is basically a normal computer. Only a couple of years ago you needed specialised and very expensive workstations to do a poor job.

It is truly a democratization of creativity - with one affordable computer you can do professional video editing and production, photo manipulation, music production, 3D rendering and so much more from the comfort of your home. It is not about your gear anymore, it is what you do with it.

Edited July 16, 2014 by Camacha

[andrew123]

Yes, Final Cut Pro is for Mac. Not sure whether that is accelerated too, but Premiere Pro is. The programs were made by the same people, so the interfaces and basic idea is a lot alike. There are other programs that do hardware acceleration too, but I am not too sure about those as I am not too active on that front.

It is not cheap, no, but compared to other professional software it is actually not that bad. In those cases software can often cost more than the computer it runs on - even the expensive workstations.

He could also go the hackintosh route, but I'm not sure about his hardware compatibility. It's wise to stick to one OS is you're job depends on your editing timeframe, although I don't make a living off of video editing.

[Camacha]

He could also go the hackintosh route

If you want to do that for fun, sure, why not. If you just want to do it for practical reasons I would advise to either buy a Mac or go for Windows. Building an running a Hackintosh can be a bit of pain - without any guarantees. If an update breaks your software no one is going to care.

If you want OSX you would better shell out and buy the real deal Or you could do something horrible like this. That's just wrong.

Edited July 16, 2014 by Camacha

[Duke23]

Virtual machine here I come! lol, kidding (I think) and I've never been much of a Mac guy, I much prefer Windows for my main machine and Linux for messing around. You are right, the price isn't bad in the grand scheme of things. But as a person who only does actual video editing rarely and shoddily for YouTube videos for fun, it's a bit much. I might just have to stick to VideoPad for now unless I just have money burning a hole in my pocket.

Camacha, what's your take on this Windows 8(.1) tablet phenomenon? Personally I keep thinking it's about time ever since the Surface Pro came out. Hoping this Dell I'm looking at will live up to my expectations of it -- the practicality of Windows, the portability / affordability of an Android tablet. Windows 8 only makes sense on a touchscreen, and a tablet is just hard for me to resist anyway. I've been fascinated with them ever since I got an HP TouchPad during the big fire sale and put CM10 on it. ETA: It has to be a step up over the netbooks of the last few years.

Haha, that skin pack is pretty good. More like something I'd do to a friend's computer just to confuse him.

Edited July 16, 2014 by Duke23

[Camacha]

Camacha, what's your take on this Windows 8(.1) tablet phenomenon? Personally I keep thinking it's about time ever since the Surface Pro came out. Hoping this Dell I'm looking at will live up to my expectations of it -- the practicality of Windows, the portability / affordability of an Android tablet.

I do not have much experience with Windows 8 tablets, but I do like what they did with the phone OS. People that have worked with the Pro versions of Windows tablets seem to be pretty fond of them. I would mainly be interested in the integration between tablet and computer, as I am not too sure it could replace a computer for me, and whether the heavier bulk of the Pro version means taking it along less or not.

I think I would personally look at an Android tablet if I would go that route, but that is mainly because I would probably treat it as a glorified media player rather than a flattish laptop. I never seriously considered buying a Windows 8 tablet before, but now that you mention ask about it I guess that deserves serious consideration too. I cannot think of a good reason why not - and a couple reasons for it.

Windows 8 only makes sense on a touchscreen, and a tablet is just hard for me to resist anyway. I've been fascinated with them ever since I got an HP TouchPad during the big fire sale and put CM10 on it.

Personally I am in love with Windows 8/8.1 on the desktop. Despite all the bad comments, I think it is the best OS Microsoft even made and arguably the best OS of all. I think the main problem is that people wanted to treat it as Windows 7 and then it is rather disappointing. As soon as you accept some things are working differently and you need to get used to those, everyhting is fine. People do not like change and Microsoft is a bit awkward when it comes to pitching new ideas to people to and that is where it all went wrong.

I really think it is a shame 8.1 is a step back from 8. I understand the next version is going to step even further back with the old start menu. I do understand Microsoft had to do something, but I feel it is sad that a good OS gets clipped because people cannot get used to a couple of new things. I would also hate to see the OS go the cloud route, as Microsoft just released a memo saying that they are moving that way. I really want full control over whether I do things local or not.

[Camacha]

Virtual machine here I come! lol, kidding (I think) and I've never been much of a Mac guy, I much prefer Windows for my main machine and Linux for messing around. You are right, the price isn't bad in the grand scheme of things. But as a person who only does actual video editing rarely and shoddily for YouTube videos for fun, it's a bit much. I might just have to stick to VideoPad for now unless I just have money burning a hole in my pocket.

Have you checked out some other packages? There seem to be quite some affordable options out there, some with hardware accelated options. If 720P is good enough for you it could even be free

[Duke23]

I do not have much experience with Windows 8 tablets, but I do like what they did with the phone OS. People that have worked with the Pro versions of Windows tablets seem to be pretty fond of them. I would mainly be interested in the integration between tablet and computer, as I am not too sure it could replace a computer for me, and whether the heavier bulk of the Pro version means taking it along less or not.

I think I would personally look at an Android tablet if I would go that route, but that is mainly because I would probably treat it as a glorified media player rather than a flattish laptop. I never seriously considered buying a Windows 8 tablet before, but now that you mention ask about it I guess that deserves serious consideration too. I cannot think of a good reason why not - and a couple reasons for it.

Integration? Some of them can use keyboard docks or mini-HDMI ports if that's what you mean and with an OTG cable you can hook pretty much whatever you need to it. As for the weight, my GTab3 weighs around 11oz, and the DV8P weighs around 14. I'd say it's worth the extra weight, speaking before I get my hands on one. I always thought the GTab was lighter than it looked so to speak. I like Android tablets but for the price I couldn't help myself from gravitating toward this, just because I "can" run full blown Windows programs. For the most part I will probably use it no differently than I used my Android tablets, but what about that one time when you're out and need to do something only a "computer" can do? I think that's what makes these stand out. I'll be able to do what I need to do without opening the app store and praying that someone wrote one that can do what I need or want. FTP programs, light graphics / sound / video editing, small games, making a bootable flash drive, etc. It could never replace a desktop or even a laptop, but it will make a darn good effort to get you by in a pinch.

Personally I am in love with Windows 8/8.1 on the desktop. Despite all the bad comments, I think it is the best OS Microsoft even made and arguably the best OS of all. I think the main problem is that people wanted to treat it as Windows 7 and then it is rather disappointing. As soon as you accept some things are working differently and you need to get used to those, everyhting is fine. People do not like change and Microsoft is a bit awkward when it comes to pitching new ideas to people to and that is where it all went wrong.

I really think it is a shame 8.1 is a step back from 8. I understand the next version is going to step even further back with the old start menu. I do understand Microsoft had to do something, but I feel it is sad that a good OS gets clipped because people cannot get used to a couple of new things. I would also hate to see the OS go the cloud route, as Microsoft just released a memo saying that they are moving that way. I really want full control over whether I do things local or not.

I'm not a fan of Metro on the desktop myself but it's perfect for touch. I think the OS itself is a step in the right direction, not including the cloud integration they're trying to push. I really liked the way the OS ran. It just felt quicker and less bloated, have better memory management, and I liked the new task manager and file copy dialog. I've said it before, I think there should be an option on your first boot to run "classic" (Windows 7 theme) mode or "regular" 8.x mode, for people who don't adjust to the new flavor well or just like the old look for a particular application, rather than dumb down the whole system. I haven't looked into the differences between 8 and 8.1 so I can't comment on that one yet, but I really hope they don't go the Chromebook route or anything crazy like that in the future. I'd have to disown Microsoft for that one... My computer must be fully functional offline. Sure cloud is nice for budget machines like the DV8P because it's cheaper for the manufacturers and therefore us to put less memory in them, but cloud can't replace a good old card slot and it's slow as molasses for anything that would actually warrant storing remotely (for me at least). Maybe I'm just paranoid but I don't like the idea of broadcasting the contents of my computer to the internet for some intrepid hacker to stumble upon.

Edit: I just read an overview of the 8.1 and its update, and from what I read I think it's a pretty good idea. It seems to allow the best of both worlds and keep the oldschool folks happier while not leaving out the new bits.

Have you checked out some other packages? There seem to be quite some affordable options out there, some with hardware accelated options. If 720P is good enough for you it could even be free

Thanks for that. As someone who is casual about video editing, free is speaking my language. And if I get good at it or need to do more I can always go the paid route that doesn't involve selling a kidney.

ETA: Well crap, now I found out about the Asus Vivotab Note 8, so I'm having a debate with myself on which to get.

Edited July 16, 2014 by Duke23