KSP1 Computer Building/Buying Megathread

[Alphasus]

46 minutes ago, Robotengineer said:

Quick question:

How much power is a 6700k OC'd CPU and GTX 1070 GPU build going to use? I would be air cooling and in it would be in an ATX case, if that matters. 

1070s are pretty much about 140-200W at peak load. My 970 at the same TDP does 170W, so I'll use 170. 6700Ks, even overclocked, never go above 200W alone. A 500W PSU is reasonable, as PSUs lose capacity over time. I estimate your whole build using about 400-450W at peak load. A 500 W reputable PSU should be fine.

[Endersmens]

Wow. I'm pretty excited about the results from Cinebench on this new computer, even without the GPU!

So, here are the cinebench results from the old laptop (i7 740qm, gt 330m, 4GB ddr3RAM) (Cinebench r15):
CPU (multicore): 287
CPU (single core): 66
OpenGL: 17.17fps

And here are the results from the new computer, using the onboard graphics cause I don't have a GPU yet (i5 6500, 16GB DDR4):
CPU (multicore): 543 (1.9x faster)
CPU (Single core): 151 (2.3x faster)
OpenGL: 40.30 fps (2.35x faster)

The OpenGL test surprised me the most, since I don't even have a GPU and it scored better than the laptop. (Although I'm not sure Cinebench actually used the 330m. Most programs ignore it and run on CPU alone)

 

 

[Endersmens]

To add to my last post, I was worried about temps on my new PC, but after downloading and running AIDA64 on my laptop...my i7-740qm runs at 85C at max, about 65C idle. GT330m runs at 60C idle. lol

[Alphasus]

5 hours ago, Endersmens said:

To add to my last post, I was worried about temps on my new PC, but after downloading and running AIDA64 on my laptop...my i7-740qm runs at 85C at max, about 65C idle. GT330m runs at 60C idle. lol

That's a laptop, so its likely to run much hotter. The 330M is just a little better than an iGPU of the 3000 CPUs. The 500 series iGPUs are pretty good. Also, my laptop:

Cinebench R15 Single Core-143 points

Cinebench R15 Multi Core-589 points

Cinebench R15 OpenGL-61.53 FPS

My desktop:

Cinebench R15 Single Core-139 points

Cinebench R15 Multi Core-696 points

Cinebench R15 OpenGL-116.32 FPS

Edited August 4, 2016 by Alphasus

[E-Rikkie]

didn't want to make a separate topic for this, but the new windows 10 update has "some issues", deleted partitions

http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2016/08/windows-10-anniversary-update-delete-partition

[UnionPacific1983WP]

My PC's specs are as follows, according to systemrequirementslab:

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3570K CPU @ 3.40GHz

Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950

RAM: 8.0 GB

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Enterprise Edition Service Pack 1 (build 7601), 64-bit

My computer is in the 93rd percentile when it comes to processing power and the 89th percentile when it comes to graphics.

 

Thanks to my brother-in-law for giving me that version of W7, and something special about it means that I don't get the annoying W10 notifications.

Edited August 8, 2016 by UnionPacific1983WP

[Alphasus]

On 8/7/2016 at 10:00 PM, UnionPacific1983WP said:

*snip*

Thanks to my brother-in-law for giving me that version of W7, and something special about it means that I don't get the annoying W10 notifications.

I think that's the fact that its Enterprise. That and the free upgrade is gone now.

[bigdad84]

Hey Guys! I just wanted to stop back in and leave a little post. About 15 pages ago I asked if the 12" MacBook would play KSP very well. I ended up getting my hands on one from eBay for half off and fired up KSP on it. With everything on half settings (which doesn't look too shabby at all) it plays the game very well. No slow down. No Nothing. Just perfect KSP. This is a 2015 model too. 2016 is better yet.

[Dfthu]

I'm not sure if this is the right place but I think it's close enough. My old Keyboard died and need a new one and wanted a new kewboard with color switching LEDs. Do you guys know any fairly cheap keyboards (~50 or less) that have the LEDs.

[magnemoe]

On 8.8.2016 at 4:00 AM, UnionPacific1983WP said:

My PC's specs are as follows, according to systemrequirementslab:

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3570K CPU @ 3.40GHz

Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950

RAM: 8.0 GB

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Enterprise Edition Service Pack 1 (build 7601), 64-bit

My computer is in the 93rd percentile when it comes to processing power and the 89th percentile when it comes to graphics.

Thanks to my brother-in-law for giving me that version of W7, and something special about it means that I don't get the annoying W10 notifications.

It might also be the old MSDN versions, they was made for testing on various OS and software however everybody abused to get cheap software so MS dropped it. 

[limonikas]

Will this macbook run KSP with bunch of mods smooth or it will be lagging. I will be using my macbook for studying and play only KSP so does anyone knows ? Or somebody that is playing on macbook how ksp runs... Don't say about getting some notebook with windows.

[Elthy]

You will propably have problems with graphic mods, otherwise it will play fine. Although for that price you could get a cheaper macbook and a decent gaming PC...

[Alphasus]

1 hour ago, limonikas said:

Will this macbook run KSP with bunch of mods smooth or it will be lagging. I will be using my macbook for studying and play only KSP so does anyone knows ? Or somebody that is playing on macbook how ksp runs... Don't say about getting some notebook with windows.

Mine runs lots of mods very well. You should be fine. I use a desktop now, but before when I used it as a primary computer, I could handle, and still can handle(1.1) about 1000 parts in space before the game was unbearable in a stock install. Keep in mind that's a 15" though, not a 13". It ran about 20 mods and visual mods simultaneously.

[limonikas]

19 hours ago, Alphasus said:

Mine runs lots of mods very well. You should be fine. I use a desktop now, but before when I used it as a primary computer, I could handle, and still can handle(1.1) about 1000 parts in space before the game was unbearable in a stock install. Keep in mind that's a 15" though, not a 13". It ran about 20 mods and visual mods simultaneously.

Thanks a lot for the reply  

I thought it would be worse. Now I'm definitely going to look for buying MacBook

[Alphasus]

10 hours ago, limonikas said:

Thanks a lot for the reply  

I thought it would be worse. Now I'm definitely going to look for buying MacBook

I did consider unbearable to be 10-15 fps. My graphics settings were turned down a bit, but if you get one with a dedicated GPU you'll be fine.

Edited August 18, 2016 by Alphasus

[Vanamonde]

@limonikas, your question has been merged into the master thread for this sort of thing. 

[riocrokite]

I'm thinking about swapping xeon 1240v3 to 4790k (4.5oc) for about 25% better cpu power.

My questions:

1. Will this enable me running 20% more parts in ksp at the same fps (assuming good gpu)?

2. Does 5820k hexacore cpu have considerably better performance in ksp 1.1?

3. Might it give better performance in KSP in a few years?

edit: nevermind, I did DMagic test and got 25 fps with a 600-part rocket that was in the range of overclocked haswells so no need to change now

Edited August 19, 2016 by riocrokite

[worir4]

Does any one know if a RX 460 is a good upgrade from a R7 250? Just for 1080p gaming.

[Alphasus]

14 minutes ago, worir4 said:

Does any one know if a RX 460 is a good upgrade from a R7 250? Just for 1080p gaming.

An RX 460 should be <50% faster than an R7 250, as the R7 250 is <10% slower than a GTX 750 Ti, which is projected to be <35% slower than an RX 460. Of course, the 950 75W is an option.

Edited August 19, 2016 by Alphasus

[Elthy]

Dont take the 2Gb version, its memory limitation allready start to show and will be a big problem in ~2 years from now.

Edit: At least in germany the 950 isnt realy worth it. While a tiny bit faster, its more expensive and less efficient. Also its allready outdated and comes with only 2Gb Vram...

Edited August 19, 2016 by Elthy

[Alphasus]

58 minutes ago, Elthy said:

Dont take the 2Gb version, its memory limitation allready start to show and will be a big problem in ~2 years from now.

Edit: At least in germany the 950 isnt realy worth it. While a tiny bit faster, its more expensive and less efficient. Also its allready outdated and comes with only 2Gb Vram...

Less efficient? I said 950 75W, which is the same as the RX 460...

[fourfa]

Looks like this is the correct thread for this kind of thing, and it gets some traffic.  After ~1200 hours happily playing KSP on a Macbook Pro, I'd like to build a proper PC.  I really want to play with intense visual mods, maxed out resolution (2650x1600), fly big SSTOs in aero without unplayable slowdowns, and be able to do the full RSS/RO suite.  Looking to spend about $1k.  I have a Antec Sonata ATX case with a 1kW PS that's about 12 years old, with my WoW/Fallout 3 comp in it

(looking at newegg prices)

Skylake i7-6700K 4.0GHz $320, 1070 $430, motherboard ~$100, 16gb RAM ~$100

Questions about bang for the buck.  The CPU and GPU are both near the top of the line - should I also be looking at the next models down? Is there real improvement over a 1060 or 980 or 6600 or 4790?

Throw out some specs for SSD and memory - DDR4 2133 seems like the default, though I see options up to 3200.  Where's the good bang for buck here?

Any gotchas to look out for in SSDs?  Looking to run windows, steam, KSP, and nothing else.

Edited August 19, 2016 by fourfa

[Alphasus]

1 hour ago, fourfa said:

Looks like this is the correct thread for this kind of thing, and it gets some traffic.  After ~1200 hours happily playing KSP on a Macbook Pro, I'd like to build a proper PC.  I really want to play with intense visual mods, maxed out resolution (2650x1600), fly big SSTOs in aero without unplayable slowdowns, and be able to do the full RSS/RO suite.  Looking to spend about $1k.  I have a Antec Sonata ATX case with a 1kW PS that's about 12 years old, with my WoW/Fallout 3 comp in it

(looking at newegg prices)

Skylake i7-6700K 4.0GHz $320, 1070 $430, motherboard ~$100, 16gb RAM ~$100

Questions about bang for the buck.  The CPU and GPU are both near the top of the line - should I also be looking at the next models down? Is there real improvement over a 1060 or 980 or 6600 or 4790?

A 1060 should be fine for your needs, and a 6600K is fine because KSP doesn't care much about hyper-threading. But, the 6700K does have ~10% better single core performance. I just don't think its worth $100.

Throw out some specs for SSD and memory - DDR4 2133 seems like the default, though I see options up to 3200.  Where's the good bang for buck here?

RAM speed doesn't matter unless you plan on using an integrated GPU or an AMD APU, which you aren't.

Any gotchas to look out for in SSDs?  Looking to run windows, steam, KSP, and nothing else.

Sandforce controllers are slow, buggy, and can erratically damage a computer. My brand preference is Samsung, I defer to Crucial because @Camacha and I have agreed to disagree.

OK, so: You want a 6600K for KSP. That's because a 6700K is a slight improvement over the 6600K. I also say that you should replace the PSU, and likely the case. Your choice, just my recommendation. You will need a CPU cooler with a 6600K. A 1060 is just fine for modern games at the moment if you don't plan on playing other games in 1200p. If you do, it should do well, but not perfectly(60 FPS average, and about 30 in the bottom 1% in anything that is graphically intensive, so not KSP).

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6600K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($219.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U14S 55.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($66.49 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: Asus Z170-E ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($119.98 @ Newegg) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($74.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Crucial MX200 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($148.14 @ NCIX US) 
Storage: Western Digital BLACK SERIES 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($69.00 @ B&H) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GAMING Video Card  ($249.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case: Fractal Design Define R5 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($99.99 @ NCIX US) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($79.49 @ SuperBiiz) 
Total: $1128.06
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-08-19 15:57 EDT-0400

The above is a build with a lot of extras that add amenities like silence, lots of space, and PSU reliability.It is also well suited to overclocking. I left you with lots of chaff that you could cut away above. Particulary, the large SSD, large HDD, great CPU cooler, insulated case, and 80+ Gold PSU. Most of that list is excessive, and its up to you to find out what's important to you. From the quote above, I don't think that you will need the 1 TB HDD. Remove that alone, and you're in price range. Below is a build that I stripped down and tried to maximize KSP performance with. It will be louder, and not overclockable with far less drive space.It isn't overclockable because temperatures will be higher than the above build, meaning that it will be harder to keep in safe temperature ranges.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($319.99 @ Newegg) 
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($24.99 @ Newegg) 
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z170-HD3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($82.87 @ OutletPC) 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory  ($74.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage: Crucial MX200 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($84.00 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GAMING Video Card  ($249.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Case: NZXT S340 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($64.69 @ SuperBiiz) 
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA G2 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($79.49 @ SuperBiiz) 
Total: $981.01
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-08-19 16:08 EDT-0400

Edited August 19, 2016 by Alphasus

[fourfa]

Amazing!  Thank you, I'll take some time to digest that.  Rationale for new PS is reliability?  is 12 years old just too much lifespan used up?  It hasn't been turned on since about 2008 or so

P.S. - have some rep

Edited August 19, 2016 by fourfa

[Alphasus]

10 minutes ago, fourfa said:

Amazing!  Thank you, I'll take some time to digest that.  Rationale for new PS is reliability?  is 12 years old just too much lifespan used up?  It hasn't been turned on since about 2008 or so

Power supplies do lose reliability and wattage over time as internal components die. That, and 1 kW of PSU at 80% efficiency will at minimum pull 200W from the wall if I remember correctly. You save about 150W during the use of a PC if you have a smaller(550W or so) PSU because at 550W and 90%, you pull 55W from the wall. That doesn't even account for actual power usage by PC components.

Edited August 19, 2016 by Alphasus