KSP1 Computer Building/Buying Megathread

[Spaceception]

Just now, Alphasus said:

@SpaceceptionThat is a chromebook, and the cpu in your current laptop can turbo boost to be FAR faster than whatever the chromebook uses. It also only has 16Gb of storage. KSP is 4 GB or so at minimum, and Universe Sandbox is even larger. You don't have enough storage.

Oh, more hunting I guess.

[Alphasus]

ASUS(check this out)

2.7 ghz cpu

Integrated

1 tb hdd

8 gb ram 

Top end of budget

[Harry Rhodan]

1 minute ago, Spaceception said:

Oh, more hunting I guess.

I don't know if you realy need something ultra portable but you might want to look for some refurbished Thinkpad (T430, X230 or L430) or Latitude (e6430, e6330, e 6230 or e5430) from the Ivy Bridge generation.

[Spaceception]

Just now, Alphasus said:

ASUS(check this out)

2.7 ghz cpu

Integrated

1 tb hdd

8 gb ram 

Top end of budget

It looks really nice, but it's too expensive, what about this one? Very similar specs, but $200 cheaper and 2 GB less ram.

http://www.amazon.com/Acer-Aspire-15-6-Quad-Core-Laptop/dp/B00OY0JBLQ/ref=sr_1_19?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1457743937&sr=1-19&keywords=laptop+6gb+ram

Edited March 13, 2016 by Spaceception

[Alphasus]

That CPU is much slower than the i5.

http://www.amazon.com/Asus-15-6-inch-Laptop-i5-5200U-Windows/dp/B016NYZ6UA/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1457909248&sr=1-4&keywords=i5+laptop

That should cover you nicely. A tad out of price range, but it has a nice quick cpu.

[Spaceception]

Or this one? It has 8 GB of ram but for $250 less

http://www.amazon.com/HP-Probook-6460B-Notebook-Refurbished/dp/B010C50J6C/ref=sr_1_12?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1457909206&sr=1-12&keywords=laptop+8+gb+ram

[Alphasus]

7 minutes ago, Spaceception said:

Or this one? It has 8 GB of ram but for $250 less

http://www.amazon.com/HP-Probook-6460B-Notebook-Refurbished/dp/B010C50J6C/ref=sr_1_12?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1457909206&sr=1-12&keywords=laptop+8+gb+ram

That is a really low end i5, with less hdd space. That i5 is old,and performs about as well with benchmarks. But graphically, the integrated graphics is no good.

[Spaceception]

Just now, Alphasus said:

That is a really low end i5, with less hdd space. That i5 is old,and performs about as well with benchmarks. But graphically, the integrated graphics is no good.

Oh, how about this one?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ALDLZ8G/ref=psdc_565108_t1_B01ACDYL0E

It has 2 really good reviews.

Edited March 13, 2016 by Spaceception

[Spaceception]

I'm just going to get this one:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OD38V2E/ref=psdc_565108_t2_B00VUV0MG0

It has all of the specs for US2, and I can get KSP on another computer.

Edited March 13, 2016 by Spaceception

[Alphasus]

That's an extreme waste... And it doesn't meet minimum requirements. The video card is nowhere near powerful enough to run well. You should spring for the top of your budget with that i5 laptop.

1 hour ago, Spaceception said:

Oh, how about this one?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ALDLZ8G/ref=psdc_565108_t1_B01ACDYL0E

It has 2 really good reviews.

That apu is really weak in single core power, and it isn't good enough to keep up with the gpu.

[Harry Rhodan]

17 minutes ago, Spaceception said:

I'm just going to get this one:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OD38V2E/ref=psdc_565108_t2_B00VUV0MG0

It has all of the specs for US2, and I can get KSP on another computer.

Again: That's a Chromebook. It's running Chrome OS (a fancy version of Android) and not Windows.

[Spaceception]

Just now, Alphasus said:

That's an extreme waste... And it doesn't meet minimum requirements. The video card is nowhere near powerful enough to run well. You should spring for the top of your budget with that i5 laptop.

That apu is really weak in single core power, and it isn't good enough to keep up with the gpu.

I've been talking to my mom about prices, and the link above yours is the one I'm going to get, all other choices you gave me are too expensive.

Just now, Harry Rhodan said:

Again: That's a Chromebook. It's running Chrome OS (a fancy version of Android) and not Windows.

What's so bad about that?

[Alphasus]

7 minutes ago, Spaceception said:

I've been talking to my mom about prices, and the link above yours is the one I'm going to get, all other choices you gave me are too expensive.

What's so bad about that?

Chromebooks are reduced functionality laptops. They have almost no storage space, at most 10 GBs. Universe Sandbox 2 is 1 GB, and you would have 9 GBs left. Steam is also about 500 MBs, and you would have between 8 and 9 gbs left at best. But, chrome os clones everything. So that is actually 5-6 GBs left, and really only 3 GBs usable due to cloning. KSP cannot fit.

[KocLobster]

@Spaceception

I highly suggest taking his advice, and I would highly recommend against a chromebook for playing video games. It really can't be done, not to mention the graphics won't run KSP either. You will be very frustrated when you realize you have a laptop that doesn't support what you need 

[Spaceception]

Just now, KocLobster said:

@Spaceception

I highly suggest taking his advice, and I would highly recommend against a chromebook for playing video games. It really can't be done, not to mention the graphics won't run KSP either. You will be very frustrated when you realize you have a laptop that doesn't support what you need 

Alright, I'll look for a laptop at a similar price, but not a chromebook.

[cantab]

2 hours ago, KocLobster said:

How does that work exactly? If they have the exact same parts, how do they not have essentially the exact same performance? The performance would be the same, it's just the price would be a lot higher for that in a laptop than in a desktop.

Because they don't have the exact same parts! The marketing departments at Intel, AMD, and nVidia will freely give similar brand names and model numbers to some very different components in laptops and desktops. For example a GTX 960M is a significantly weaker graphics chip than a GTX 960, in fact the 960M is very similar to the desktop 750 Ti.

So you need to do your research to know what performance a laptop will actually get.

[Hobbes Novakoff]

5 hours ago, KocLobster said:

I agree with you completely, and you reminded me of some incredibly valid points... shat! I really need to rethink this, maybe I should just get a desktop; I could save a ton of money, I'd end up with an even more powerful computer (at less of a cost too), I would get the enjoyment of playing with hardware and building the system myself (I love doing this)...but I wouldn't be able to bring it with me anywhere, I would need to buy a desk & chair, I wouldn't be able to game on my bed laying down like I always do, and I'd be forced to bring my crappy laptop with me if I needed it outside of my house (which admittedly isn't very often).

I don't know what to even do now >.<

If you're spending a lot of money, you can easily make the desktop portable, though not usable on the go. You can go with a mini-ITX build in something like Corsair's Graphite Series 380T, which comes with carrying handles and such. You can also apparently squeeze a 240mm radiator in there, though I'm not sure how you'd handle the tubing. I've heard that ITX builds are a fun challenge for people who have a lot of experience.

[KocLobster]

43 minutes ago, Hobbes Novakoff said:

If you're spending a lot of money, you can easily make the desktop portable, though not usable on the go. You can go with a mini-ITX build in something like Corsair's Graphite Series 380T, which comes with carrying handles and such. You can also apparently squeeze a 240mm radiator in there, though I'm not sure how you'd handle the tubing. I've heard that ITX builds are a fun challenge for people who have a lot of experience.

Maybe so, but the whole idea was to be able to use it on the go though, like at school. I can't lug around a desktop, monitor, keyboard, etc. that way, even if it is a smaller case

Edited March 14, 2016 by KocLobster

[Alphasus]

23 minutes ago, KocLobster said:

Maybe so, but the whole idea was to be able to use it on the go though, like at school. I can't lug around a desktop, monitor, keyboard, etc. that way, even if it is a smaller case

The monitor is the only issue there. What was your budget? $800 is a decent gaming laptop, and if you toss $800 at a desktop, you have a monster.(i5 6600k with gtx 960)

Edited March 14, 2016 by Alphasus

[KocLobster]

~$1800

[Alphasus]

6 minutes ago, KocLobster said:

~$1800

This could be fun:Laptop

Desktop:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($204.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i 57.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($42.34 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($61.38 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($64.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($88.00 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($53.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card  ($349.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Fractal Design Define S w/Window ATX Mid Tower Case  ($99.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1027.65
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-13 22:55 EDT-0400

Cool and quiet, with a nice GPU and beautiful case, that desktop is maxed out on RAM. You will need a new CPU before the RAM needs replacement. Laptop is nice and quick, able to perform nicely, but not perfectly. Monitor required: Cut the cooler and drop gpu down to a 960 if you need peripherals.

Edited March 14, 2016 by Alphasus

[KocLobster]

3 minutes ago, Alphasus said:

This could be fun:Laptop

Desktop:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($204.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-L9i 57.5 CFM CPU Cooler  ($42.34 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($61.38 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Kingston HyperX Fury Black 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($64.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Samsung 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($88.00 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($53.99 @ Newegg) 
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card  ($349.99 @ Newegg) 
Case: Fractal Design Define S w/Window ATX Mid Tower Case  ($99.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA GS 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($69.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1027.65
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-03-13 22:55 EDT-0400

You pretty much hit the nail right on the head. That's about exactly what I would of gone with in regards to parts. Admittedly, I have been out of the loop for some time, and it's been a solid 5+ years since I built anything. Why an i5 3.2GHz instead of an i7 3.2GHz? Is the GTX 970 with 4GB VRAM basically the top of the line graphics card? 4GB is pretty much all I could ever need right? Are there any significant differences between MSI and another manufacturer for graphics cards? How solid is that heatsink/fan? I assume it's more than enough for my needs? Besides that and thermal paste, is that all the cooling I will need? Obviously I'd need some fans for the case, but I mostly meant, I wouldn't need anything special, like liquid cooling, for this build?

I'm absolutely warming up to just going full boar and getting a desktop haha. I'd save a ton of money too, on a better performing machine.

[Alphasus]

5 minutes ago, KocLobster said:

You pretty much hit the nail right on the head. That's about exactly what I would of gone with in regards to parts. Admittedly, I have been out of the loop for some time, and it's been a solid 5+ years since I built anything. Why an i5 3.2GHz instead of an i7 3.2GHz? Is the GTX 970 with 4GB VRAM basically the top of the line graphics card? 4GB is pretty much all I could ever need right? Are there any significant differences between MSI and another manufacturer for graphics cards? How solid is that heatsink/fan? I assume it's more than enough for my needs? Besides that and thermal paste, is that all the cooling I will need? Obviously I'd need some fans for the case, but I mostly meant, I wouldn't need anything special, like liquid cooling, for this build?

I'm absolutely warming up to just going full boar and getting a desktop haha. I'd save a ton of money too, on a better performing machine.

That heatsink easily covers you. I have a slightly beefier one for my CPU's heat output, and you should never cross 60 degrees celsius with either. The i5 is because an i7 is nearly pointless now. Can you define why you need an i7? The 970 is a very futureproof GPU, and overkill for 1080p today. That case comes with fans, and the CPU cooler has nice thermal compound with it. Liquid cooling is not required. For the record, I use a 970 and a CPU with similar TDP. My cooler is beefier but louder, and is silent.

Keep in mind that an $800 dollar laptop is bundled there for on the go stuff.

Edited March 14, 2016 by Alphasus

[fredinno]

Hey, we need you back at the alt solar system PM thread, please, Spaceeption

We're making your planet.

[Elthy]

Calling the 970 futureproof is optimistic. Its 3,5 Gb of storage wont last that long anymore, and it gets obliterated in DX 12 by the R9 390 (similar performance in DX11), which has over twice the usable VRAM.