KSP1 Computer Building/Buying Megathread

[Camacha]

1. The pros are that you can get more performance (Usually anywhere between 5 and 20%) out of the same computer components than stock.

Some recent generations of Intel chips can do as much as 50% more than stock. Unfortunately, Ivy Bridge and Haswell seem a little less eager to be overclocked due to TIM begin used inside the chip, instead of the thing being soldered.

If you are careful, take a systematic approach and know when to quit, it is a very nice way to improve your performance.

[briansun1]

the tim thing in haswell isn't really the problem anymore.... it's really only on Ivy bridge

[MKSheppard]

So my laptop (Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 / 2.2 GHz, Mobile Intel GM45 Express, 4GB ram) isn't exactly doing KSP as fast as I'd like it with the latest version -- it now runs slow as heck, even with all the effects turned down.

I'd like to get a new laptop to run KSP at an acceptable frame rate -- but I'm not willing to pay premium prices -- this laptop I paid only $600-800 for and it's lasted me since 2008!

So what spec sheet would run the latest KSP at a reasonable frame rate with most of the graphic goodies turned on?

[Camacha]

So my laptop (Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 / 2.2 GHz, Mobile Intel GM45 Express, 4GB ram) isn't exactly doing KSP as fast as I'd like it with the latest version -- it now runs slow as heck, even with all the effects turned down.

I'd like to get a new laptop to run KSP at an acceptable frame rate -- but I'm not willing to pay premium prices -- this laptop I paid only $600-800 for and it's lasted me since 2008!

So what spec sheet would run the latest KSP at a reasonable frame rate with most of the graphic goodies turned on?

Let's start off by determining that a laptop is not ideal when it comes to gaming. Gaming, trivial as it might seem, is actually one of the harder consumer tasks one can do with a computer. Unfortunately, a lot of calculative power does not combine well with a small package. Powerful gaming laptops are hardly portable and portable laptops suffer when it comes to speed. Either way, a laptop is significantly more expensive than a similarly performing desktop computer.

If the desire is to play only KSP on the laptop, it is wise to check the specific demands KSP puts on the hardware. A processor that is as fast as possible (within budget) on a single core will help a lot. Mind you, this is not purely a GHz comparison, as some chips are capable of doing more work within the same amount of hertz' (significantly!). As KSP will not use more than two cores (Yes, two, as some stuff is offloaded to a second core. Just the physics are limited to one thread), a dual core computer will probably do. KSP is not graphic intensive, but you will need some video capability. A discrete GPU or APU is preferred over an on-board video chip. Finally, KSP is, as you will probably know, 32-bit. This means it cannot use more than 4 GB of memory. You can probably get away with 4 GB system memory, but having a little extra for Windows and other applications will not hurt. If 8 GB is affordable, why not? AMD APU's tend to like faster memory, which is something to remember when you happen to opt for one of those.

If you are going to play other games as well, everything changes, as those games have seperate needs and issues. A system that is suitable for KSP will be very suitable for pretty much all every day tasks, though.

the tim thing in haswell isn't really the problem anymore.... it's really only on Ivy bridge

I do not agree. The extensive experiments and overclocks done by various experienced overclockers have shown that Haswell proportionally still does not overclock as well as Sandy Bridge. TIM is inherently a less ideal solution than soldering, but it is obvious Intel is more interested in overall power reduction than in high end (and very small scale) performance. I can not say I blame them, as reduced power consumption is wat most of the market demands.

Edited November 5, 2013 by Camacha

[dudester28]

I would like to upgrade my aging computer to increase its performance in ksp and gaming overall. Do you have any recommendations for what components would cause the biggest performance boost based on my current system?

Here's the specs:

Running Windows Vista x64 based

Processor- AMD Phenom 8450 Triple-Core Processor, 2100 Mhz, 3 Core(s), 3 Logical Processor(s)

RAM- 4GB

Graphics- ATI Radeon HD 3200

Some comments I have received are that both the processor and graphics card are old and possibly leading to bottleneck, especially the graphics card. I don't think RAM is a problem (at least not on KSP).

What do you think/recommend?

[briansun1]

you need more ram and probable a new GPU

[Camacha]

Based on current information, I would advise to replace it pretty much all. Without more detailed information about these and other parts, it is hard to give sound advice on what to replace and what to keep.

What type of RAM do you have (DDR2, DDR3?) and what other parts do you run? Be as specific as possible

you need more ram

You do not for KSP. A processor upgrade would be much more helpful, as 2100 MHz on such a core is not plenty for KSP to work with.

[Starwaster]

Based on current information, I would advise to replace it pretty much all. Without more detailed information about these and other parts, it is hard to give sound advice on what to replace and what to keep.

What type of RAM do you have (DDR2, DDR3?) and what other parts do you run? Be as specific as possible

You do not for KSP. A processor upgrade would be much more helpful, as 2100 MHz on such a core is not plenty for KSP to work with.

Actually, another 4GB would help even if KSP can't use it directly. If he has only 4GB, then KSP and his operating system are competing for resources. 4GB for KSP + 4GB for his OS gives him some breathing room.

[Camacha]

Actually, another 4GB would help even if KSP can't use it directly. If he has only 4GB, then KSP and his operating system are competing for resources. 4GB for KSP + 4GB for his OS gives him some breathing room.

With a modern OS (Windows 7 or 8) you have a point. But even with those consuming ~1,6 GB RAM, you have plenty for KSP, unless you pile on the mods. A fast processor will do a lot more for your basic KSP experience, especially when compared to a Phenom (first generation) with a moderately low clock speed. If you can afford both, by all means, go for 8 GB. It is never a bad thing to have.

Edit: Windows 7 uses a lot less RAM, say around the 800 MB mark.

Edited November 11, 2013 by Camacha

[hotmailcompany52]

I just checked my list and my price skyrocketed from £800 to £1000!

So, I did some checking and found this: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646e31220v3 any good?

[Leonov]

I just checked my list and my price skyrocketed from £800 to £1000!

So, I did some checking and found this: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80646e31220v3 any good?

Xeon's are a reasonable exchange for the i3/i5/i7 series of CPUs. They are marketed for Servers and Workstations but still work good in systems.

[Camacha]

Xeon's are a reasonable exchange for the i3/i5/i7 series of CPUs. They are marketed for Servers and Workstations but still work good in systems.

They are virtually the same, bar some minor differences. Unless you are doing very specific things, you will never be able to tell any difference. Overclocking is not an option, but that is the same with a lot of i3/i5/i7's.

[Camacha]

Actually, another 4GB would help even if KSP can't use it directly. If he has only 4GB, then KSP and his operating system are competing for resources. 4GB for KSP + 4GB for his OS gives him some breathing room.

I just realised Windows 7 only uses ~700 MB, so you have quite some RAM to waste on KSP

[AI unit 101100]

I was thinking about building a little desktop that can play KSP and some other games (probably just minecraft and flash games). However, this is my first build, and i have no clue what to get. any recommendations?

[briansun1]

can you fill this out as best as you can?

• What are you planning to do with this compuer? Please be as specfic as possible.

• What is your budget?
  1. Does this include a copy of Windows?
  2. Does this include peripheals (a keyboard, monitor, mouse, speakers, etc.)?

  [*]Are you from the United States or a different country? Are you ordering from your own country or from across borders?

  1. Wherever you may be from, does the store that you are planning to order from have a website? It's okay if it isn't in English, we can manage.
  2. If you are from the United States, do you live nearby a Microcenter?

• Do you have any specific requests with the build?
  1. Do you plan on overclocking? If yes, do you have a specific goal in mind?
  2. Would you prefer the build to be particularly small?
  3. Would you prefer the build to be particularly quiet?
  4. In general, do you prefer this to be a computer that you can spend money on now and let it rest, or a box built for continuous upgrading?
  5. Do you ever plan on utilizing NVIDIA's SLI or AMD's CrossfireX technologies? These features, with a compatible motherboard, allow a user to link multiple identical graphic cards together for added performance. In real world terms, this lets you buy a second identical graphics card down the line as a relatively cheap and easy way to gain a fairly large boost in performance. However, this requires buying a SLI/CFX compatible motherboard and PSU now, which may result in slightly higher initial cost.

(OPTIONAL) Have you already looked at or considered any parts (it's okay if you haven't)? If so, please list your top 1-2 choices for each category. If you've only picked out a few of the below, just list those.

• CPU
• Motherboard
• RAM
• Graphics Card
• Power Supply
• Case
• Hard Drive
• Solid State Drive (optional)
• Mouse (if necessary)
• Keyboard (if necessary)
• Monitor (if necessary)
• Speakers/Headset (if necessary)

[AI unit 101100]

planning on using it for games (the most intensive probably being KSP)

about 500$

it doesn't include peripherals or an OS

i am from the unites states

yes, tigerdirect

there is no microcenter nearby

i really wouldn't want to overclock

i have no qualms with having a big case

i would like it to be kinda quiet, but coupled with my headphones and the game, i probably wouldn't be paying much attention

upgrades, please

i may utilize SLI/crossfirex in the future, but for now , i just don't think i have the money

sorry if it seems a bit messy.i just copied and pasted the thing, then put my answers over it.

[Leonov]

-snip-

How about something like this?

The CPU will get you by for now.

Motherboard has plenty of features to keep you happy well into the future.

Cases are personal Preference, so change it if you want.

Plenty of Ram at a decent speed.

Hard drive is good, a little small but workable.

The R7 260X is pretty darn good for gaming across the board.

Power supply is Semi-Modular so Cable Routing will be easy, well above required power need.

And a optical drive if you need it, if you can boot your OS from a USB that will free up some of the budget.

[AI unit 101100]

seems nice! thanks.

[Bekiekutmoar]

I've visited this thread earlier but I've now reached the point that I want to actually focus on an appropiate GPU to buy for my system (Pentium i3 3,4 GHz, 8 GB RAM, Windows 7 64-bit). Main goal is to run KSP fairly well with screen resolution of at least 1024 x 768 and with fancy stuff like terrain scatter activated. The GTX650 seems like a good candidate, but the card has different versions like:

650 NVIDIA Gainward GTX650 Ti VGA/DVI/HDMI/GDDR5 2048MB (142 euro)

650 NVIDIA Palit GTX650 VGA/DVI/HDMI/GDDR5 2048MB (123 euro)

650 NVIDIA Gainward GTX650 VGA/DVI/HDMI/GDDR5 1024MB (102 euro) - I assume the relative low amount of memory of this GPU might impact gameplay ... ?

Any thoughts on this ... ? Thanks ... !

[minerman30]

Get the first one listed, the extra GDDR5 will do you good.

[Camacha]

How about something like this?

You might want to consider picking up a cheaper motherboard and go for a better CPU. Most people do not care about most motherboard features, but a robust processor can be a joy.

650 NVIDIA Gainward GTX650 Ti VGA/DVI/HDMI/GDDR5 2048MB (142 euro)

650 NVIDIA Palit GTX650 VGA/DVI/HDMI/GDDR5 2048MB (123 euro)

650 NVIDIA Gainward GTX650 VGA/DVI/HDMI/GDDR5 1024MB (102 euro) - I assume the relative low amount of memory of this GPU might impact gameplay ... ?

You want GDDR5, but all these cards have that. The first one is actually a Ti, which is a slightly more powerful chip than the other two have. How much you stand to gain from this is best seen in benchmarks.

For KSP you will not need a 2 GB card. I think 1 GB should be fine for most games are normal resolutions and settings, but if you can afford it, why not take the safe route? With the new consoles around the corner, games are bound to become more demanding.

Did you also check out the AMD alternatives? The new line up just came out and it is looking pretty good.

Get the first one listed, the extra GDDR5 will do you good.

Please note that card is significantly more expensive. Then again, it is a Ti.

Edited November 16, 2013 by Camacha

[Galacticruler]

MY modther bought an HP a few months back, and I recently found out why it is SO powerful:

1. AMD quad-core CPU(new-ish model) ~2.56Ghz

2. 8Gb DDR3 RAM

3. 1Tb HDD

4. ATI Radeon HD 6530

and I'm stuck on this dinosaur:

Javascript is disabled. View full album

Hers DID, however, cost $800 because she bought it pre-built and from a rental place.

if she'd've ordered those same parts used to build that thing, it would've cost a LOT less.

Edited November 16, 2013 by Galacticruler

[Bekiekutmoar]

@Camacha and Minerman30: thanks for the input. I think I've got an idea about what card I'll take, although I'll look into the AMD-alternatives too (didn't thought about that oddly) ...

[karolk]

I've always wondered if my Graphics card is my system's weakest part. CPU and RAM usage never get near the maximum when when multitasking but I think that my GPU just doesn't cut it.

------------

CPU

AMD Phenom II X4 955

Deneb 45nm Technology

RAM

6,00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 669MHz (9-9-9-24)

Motherboard

Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd. M68MT-S2P (Socket M2)

Graphics

ASUS PG221 (1680x1050@60Hz)

ATI Radeon HD 5670 (ATI AIB)

-------------

Fps killlers: particles and shadows.

Should I save up for a new GPU?

[hotmailcompany52]

You should save up for a low end Nivida graphics card cause that should do it.