KSP1 Computer Building/Buying Megathread

[_Aramchek_]

I have seen quite a few computers run KSP, but I have never seen one hit 60 fps. Perhaps that will change with the upcoming 1.1 update.

I just noticed this...what? lol

I only drop below 60 fps on big ships or instances of several larger ships being in physics range.

[ExaltedDuck]

Don't worry. I run KSP fine with my GTX 750 Ti, 8 gigs of RAM, and my Intel i7 4770 3.4 Ghz Quad core.

i5 2500K here, also with a 750 Ti and more RAM than a single 32 bit app can address, let alone use. Also all SSD. No platters. Game loads really fast, usually runs smoothly. Loading in crafts I've parked at KSP cause low fps spikes and high parts counts cause noticeable slow down, especially in atmospheric maneuvers. But it's usually totally playable.

[HeroHunter]

Ok, thanks a bunch guys. It's really helped!

[Rainbowtrout]

I have a slight dilemma.

Christmas is coming, and I thought I'd treat myself to a PC upgrade. Problem is, I have only a rough idea of what parts work with what parts. At the moment I have this prebuilt PC (Running windows 10, upgraded from 8.1). It was good for what I originally intended to play (KSP, Civ 5, EUIV, etc) but trying to run newer releases (GTA V) is a bit trickier. I'm on quite a tight budget, which doesn't help. Despite that, I've found what seems to be a decent set of upgrades.

Would this work with it?

Any other info is welcome

[Flymetothemun]

I know you're done, but I'd like to say that I run KSP perfectly fine on stock settings with 6 gigs of ram and a 1.9 GHz processor that doubles as a GPU (it's one of those new APU types you might see). Just for anybody who might stroll through here looking to see what it might take to run KSP.

[Kelderek]

[quote name='Rainbowtrout']I have a slight dilemma.

Christmas is coming, and I thought I'd treat myself to a PC upgrade. Problem is, I have only a rough idea of what parts work with what parts. At the moment I have [URL="http://www.adventcomputers.co.uk/product/advent-dt3411-desktop-pc"]this prebuilt PC (Running windows 10, upgraded from 8.1)[/URL]. It was good for what I originally intended to play (KSP, Civ 5, EUIV, etc) but trying to run newer releases (GTA V) is a bit trickier. I'm on quite a tight budget, which doesn't help. Despite that, I've found what [I]seems[/I] to be a decent set of upgrades.

Would this work with it?

Any other info is welcome :)[/QUOTE]

Personally, I am not a fan of doing small upgrades to any of my computers. It's just my experience that doing a really big upgrade less often gives me results that I prefer. So I am not really used to smaller budget computer purchases. That being said, there are a couple things you will want to keep in mind for your setup:

-- Will that graphics card fully support DirectX 12? This is something to research if you want to future-proof your PC better.

-- The video card you selected only has 2GB of memory. If part of your upgrade plan is to run at a higher resolution, then you may want a card with more memory. Sometimes for a given GPU you can find different amounts of video card memory from different manufacturers. Also consider comparing to AMD models for the same tier - from one tier to the next nVidia and AMD often flip flop which has the better GPU for that tier.

-- You may also want to upgrade your RAM memory. Depending on how old your current modules are they may be a lot slower than current DDR3 kits. I doubt a change will be required for you, but it may help with performance.

-- I recommend you read up reviews and articles on Tomshardware.com, it's my personal favorite for researching PC components, and it can help you make smarter selections. I'm not sure where you plan to make your purchase, but also read customer reviews if possible, they can help you to compare between things too.

[TonyC]

This build seems correct, however I suggest replacing the AMD CPU by an Intel one, they are more expensive but they are way better for KSP. Also your GPU is completely overpowered for KSP, but it's a really good bet if you are planning to play other games, so keep it ;)

[cantab]

Looks like it was a pretty nice budget gaming PC when you got it.

Pop the side off your current case and check a few things. The size motherboard it will take - I [I]strongly[/I] doubt it takes a full ATX board. The make and model of the power supply, so you can judge how decent it is. How big a graphics card will fit. And what spaces for fans it has.

You might also check if your current mobo has overclocking options, information I found seems a bit unclear.

Apart from the motherboard not fitting in the case that's not an unreasonable set of upgrades. But as far as my thinking goes:

The graphics card is the weak point. A 750 Ti would already be a huge step up and it's a great card capable of running just about anything at 1080p, but obviously pay more get more. I back Kelderek's view that it's not a card for higher resolution gaming.

Changing the motherboard may cause Windows licensing issues, usually "OEM" Windows is limited to the original board or a straight replacement. It's also a load of work and a hardware expense.

Depending on uses the Core i3 might be all the processor you need, fast i3's do really well in game benchmarks. But if you do want a CPU upgrade and you're willing to buy one second-hand then consider an Ivy Bridge i5 or i7. CeX are my usual supplier for second-hand computer and gaming stuff.

Your chosen PSU is reasonable. Depending on what your other parts are you might be able drop the wattage a notch to save some money, but don't buy cheap junk.

[briansun1]

[quote name='Camacha']Be sure to find out whether it is PCI or PCIe. That is relevant. Also make sure you can install the card without interfering with other cards, or obscuring airflow. If you block or limit a video card air intake, it will not like it very much.[/QUOTE]

It's a Mini PCIe. [URL="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131830"]Should have enough room too.[/URL]

[COLOR="silver"][SIZE=1]- - - Updated - - -[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[quote name='Rainbowtrout']I have a slight dilemma.

Christmas is coming, and I thought I'd treat myself to a PC upgrade. Problem is, I have only a rough idea of what parts work with what parts. At the moment I have [URL="http://www.adventcomputers.co.uk/product/advent-dt3411-desktop-pc"]this prebuilt PC (Running windows 10, upgraded from 8.1)[/URL]. It was good for what I originally intended to play (KSP, Civ 5, EUIV, etc) but trying to run newer releases (GTA V) is a bit trickier. I'm on quite a tight budget, which doesn't help. Despite that, I've found what [I]seems[/I] to be a decent set of upgrades.

Would this work with it?

Any other info is welcome :)[/QUOTE]

On top of what other people have mentioned I'd like to point out that you should get a new mobo since the one you have right now has a PCIe 2.0 slot while the upgraded GPU runs off of PCIe 3.0. Another things is you could probably drop the 2 fans.

[cantab]

[quote name='briansun1']On top of what other people have mentioned I'd like to point out that you should get a new mobo since the one you have right now has a PCIe 2.0 slot while the upgraded GPU runs off of PCIe 3.0. Another things is you could probably drop the 2 fans.[/QUOTE]I really wouldn't worry about that, there's still plenty enough bandwidth for any card on a ~£300 budget. Bear in mind it's common for SLI setups to use 8x/8x speed, and PCIe 3.0 x8 is the same as PCIe 2.0 x16 bandwidth wise.

[briansun1]

[quote name='cantab']I really wouldn't worry about that, there's still plenty enough bandwidth for any card on a ~£300 budget. Bear in mind it's common for SLI setups to use 8x/8x speed, and PCIe 3.0 x8 is the same as PCIe 2.0 x16 bandwidth wise.[/QUOTE]

I was just pointing it out as a possible thing to think about.

[_Aramchek_]

[quote name='MegaUZI']This build seems correct, however I suggest replacing the AMD CPU by an Intel one, they are more expensive but they are way better for KSP. Also your GPU is completely overpowered for KSP, but it's a really good bet if you are planning to play other games, so keep it ;)[/QUOTE]

It's a bit of myth that KSP won't fully leverage faster gpu's tbh. While a 750 will be able to max out details and run ok, I noticed a solid framerate increase going from a 560ti to a 670gtx, and then again when I went to a 970gtx.

So, no, no gpu is really "overkill" for KSP, however budget cards can and will run the game fairly well.

[Akard]

Hello everybody,

I am new to KSP and I would like your help on defining my next PC.
Requirements : A fanless PC that can run KSP.

Do something like the MSI Cubi N can do the trick ([url]http://www.msi.com/product/desktop/Cubi-N.html#hero-specification[/url]) ?

Thanks your for your advice.

[Elthy]

It may start, but you wont have fun on that. Its not a normal Intel CPU, but a very low power model. Why fanless? There are options that only use one almost unhearable fan, but completly passive requires very big (and expensive) coolers or weak hardware...

[cantab]

Completely fanless? That's gonna be tough. That ultra-mobile chip might run KSP but not especially well.

What are your size requirements? If it's not a major issue and you're OK with building your own, you could do a fanless desktop build, pairing a decent Intel CPU with a fanless PSU and a wisely-chosen case.

If you also need something ultra-compact, then I think your best best is to search for "fanless NUC" and see what you can find. Look out for the more powerful "standard" laptop processors, they will run KSP rather well. Typically a model number ending in U is a standard laptop chip, while a model number starting with a letter is a tablet/ultra-mobile chip, but do look up the exact processor model number and some benchmarks.

[Red Iron Crown]

Another option is to go with a case that uses the body as a heatsink for ordinary desktop components, like [URL="http://www.streacom.com/products/chassis/"]Streacom's cases.[/URL] This will entail some compromise as you won't be able to use much of a GPU, the cases are expensive, and they're finicky to assemble.

A much better option would be to go with a case designed for quietness while still using fans, like the Fractal R4 or Coolermaster Silencio, paired with a large aftermarket heatsink. Way, way less costly and difficult to set up while still being quite quiet.

[Akard]

Thanks for your answers.
Why fanless ?
- First for the silence
- Second for the power consumption
I am casual gamer and I don't need a graphic card for every day work, just for two or three games.
That's why I thought of a fanless computer, to reduce to a maximum the specs and when I don't play and to boost only for games.
The dream would be something like the cubi on which I could plug an external GC to play :).
I don't mind building one.

[Spearka]

I have been considering upgrading the processor core on my desktop.

The problem is that I do not know how

[Elthy]

Without knowing anything about you PC we cant help.

@Akard: The specs of the PC arent determined by how often you want to play, but by what. Fans dont consume much power, its useless to try to save that if you want a PC that can run KSP. Also the oroblem with the cubi woulndt only be the GPU, izs CPU is to weak, too.

No PC this size will fill your requirements, because you can only choose two of the three: Small, Powerfull, Silent

[briansun1]

[quote name='Akard']Thanks for your answers.
Why fanless ?
- First for the silence
- Second for the power consumption
I am casual gamer and I don't need a graphic card for every day work, just for two or three games.
That's why I thought of a fanless computer, to reduce to a maximum the specs and when I don't play and to boost only for games.
The dream would be something like the cubi on which I could plug an external GC to play :).
I don't mind building one.[/QUOTE]

Silence is understandable, but they're going to be almost no difference between 1 fan and no fans. For example I have 2 120mm fans and 3 140mm fans and I can't really hear them especially when I'm doing something on the computer. The sound of my HDDs are actually louder then the fans. The majority of your power consumption will come from the GPU and CPU. And as Elthy said Small, Powerful, Silent choose 2.

[Joshwoo70]

here is my specs.. ( I cannot remember if I posted it on here instead of my site :/

i5-3570 CPU (intel) 3rd generation
Graphics card: GTX 650 Nvidia
Memory: 16GB
OS: Win X 64bit
Keyboard: AK-770i Armaggeddon
Mouse: GMX-9 Powerlogic
Disk space : 1TB hard drive Internal drive ( Games and stuff) ,250GB samsung ssd 850 PRO (OS) ,1TB external hard drive. (big files)
Able to:
run a minecraft client AND server side by side at the same time.
run KSP heavily modded.
Stream ready.
Able to play cities skylines.
Anno 2205.
might include other games that is playable.

Some advice... for those who want to get a new computer... and technically inclined ( able to fix up a computer and install windows) go for custom built. it will save your money instead of someone do it for you. Edited November 17, 2015 by Joshwoo69

[cantab]

Spearka, first is to find out what motherboard you have and what processors it takes, and whether they would be a worthwhile upgrade.

[Spearka]

[quote name='cantab']Spearka, first is to find out what motherboard you have and what processors it takes, and whether they would be a worthwhile upgrade.[/QUOTE]

I'm actually using an old P5QPL-AM ASUS motherboard. It does say it can fit Intel Core 2 Quad processors but I don't know if they fit i3 or i5 processors.

oh and I still use Vista :D

[Harry Rhodan]

[quote name='Spearka']I'm actually using an old P5QPL-AM ASUS motherboard. It does say it can fit Intel Core 2 Quad processors but I don't know if they fit i3 or i5 processors.[/QUOTE]

No. It's a socket 775 board with DDR2 RAM and hopelessly outdated. The newest CPUs for that board were released 2008 and they changed the sockets multiple times by now. You'd need to buy a new board and new RAM if you'd want to upgrade.

[Elthy]

Wow, you missed a whole RAM generation, we are at DDR4 since Skylake. I definetly recommed an upgrade, i assume a complete rebuild is needed after such a long time.