Battlefield rig

[Martine]

Before I will play BF3 I need to upgrade my computer (cuz it's worth it)
I mean when I play Crysis 2 I get good FPS (30+)-that is on low settings.

But here is the catch - It doesn't run smoothly, CPU load is constantly 100%....
CPU is a monster, GPU ain't that bad, what could be the problem?
It may be RAM?
I wanted to uprade GPU to GTX55Ti/GTX460/GTX560 (depending on the money), but I am thinking about it.
What should I upgrade to be prepared for BF3, because I hear it's a monster
System info is in the System Specs

 

[PHaS3]

Your 9600GT is the issue, but you do need a new CPU too... Especially if you go for something a little more high end in the graphics department, like a GTX570 or Radeon 6970 or 6950. My E8400 is overclocked to 3.83GHz, and it still bottlenecks my 5850... You should look at an i5 2500k, or wait and see what happens with AMD and Bulldozer.

 

[JrRacinFan]

Your 9600GT is the issue, but you do need a new CPU too... Especially if you go for something a little more high end in the graphics department, like a GTX570 or Radeon 6970 or 6950. My E8400 is overclocked to 3.83GHz, and it still bottlenecks my 5850... You should look at an i5 2500k, or wait and see what happens with AMD and Bulldozer.

Totally agree, although go ahead and get your new gpu first. Enjoy it and then decide on your cpu & mobo.

EDIT:

Looking at you mentioning a 460, get a 1GB non SE if you can and try to stray away from the 550Ti, getting it if only budget allows. Another card to look at if you need to save some cash, HD6790.

 

[Martine]

My E8400 is overclocked to 3.83GHz, and it still bottlenecks my 5850...

I would never think of that. I thought my RAM could bottleneck, but not processor, specialy OC like yours
Yeah, my comp is 3 years old so I should think about upgrading it as well
:shadedshu To think computers would last a little longer

 

[JrRacinFan]

I would never think of that. I thought my RAM could bottleneck, but not processor, specialy OC like yours
Yeah, my comp is 3 years old so I should think about upgrading it as well
:shadedshu To think gaming computers would last a little longer

Corrected a little...
Oh trust me your cpu is great, had a blast with my s775 setup as well. It's just unbeleivable that Sandy Bridge opens it up completely still blows my own mind away.

 

[T3RM1N4L D0GM4]

When I read thread like this, I pray my Q6600 + gtx460 will beh enough for bf3 (max detail @1280x1024 )

 

[Shihab]

:shadedshu To think computers would last a little longer

Only if you invested on the top products of that time. It *might* have added a couple of years to the expected life.

If you're tight on budget, get a Sandy Bridge i5 + a GTX 460. or a 560ti if you can push it.

If you can spare some buck, get a Sand Bridge i5/i7, +a GTX 570 or an HD6970.


You can always invest on high-end CPU/Motherboard now and a decent GPU. Then later SLI/Crossfire that GPU and not worry if you're CPU can handle it.

 

[Syuzeren]

something like a 2600k overclocked at 5Ghz with watercooling and a Mars 2 would hold for a while, or would it?

Recommended Spec for BF3 from the BF3 site:
CPU: Any Quadcore (you could go for a AMD quad, but then you need to upgrade in a year or two again, 2500k seems like the best choice)
GPU: High end DX11 GPU's (GTX460, HD6850 or better)
RAM: 4GB (hard to believe a game actually is going to use 4GB of RAM)

BTW: Windows XP isn't supported, for some odd reason...

 

[Crap Daddy]

When I read thread like this, I pray my Q6600 + gtx460 will beh enough for bf3 (max detail @1280x1024 )

It will not. Joking aside, it seems that all test runs made until now were done on one or two GTX580 so I assume on highest settings it will be real taxing. As for the OP, get a new GPU first, a 560Ti would be good, that C2D has still some life in it.

 

[Syuzeren]

As for the OP, get a new GPU first, a 560Ti would be good, that C2D has still some life in it.

+1
Wait and see if Bulldozer has a CPU better then the 2500k.

 

[TheLaughingMan]

Well, I vote for a complete overhaul. You CPU is not great at all. They E8500 was great for its time, but almost every modern game runs between 2 to 4 threads based on what you give it in the CPU department. Your CPU is bottlenecking because you can only handle 2 threads. This leads to 100% use on both cores and no headroom for spikes in physics calculation, increased number of enemies, or anything else beyond you just walking around.

The GPU is still pretty good. No real need to toss it aside or sell it, though I would recommend that. You could technically use it for PhysX in like 3 games, but at least 2 of them would do better on your primary card alone if it is a 560 Ti or higher.

The mobo and RAM are not really an issue, but with a new processor comes a new socket. This requires you to switch to a new mobo and DDR3 RAM as a side effect.

There is no need to get a 2500K. They are great, but you seem to be a budget minded person. If you want to stick with Intel I say go for a i3 2120 (2 Cores/4 Threads). They're gaming performance is great for the money and comes in on par with Phenom II X6 processors in many cases. Pair it with a decent mobo ($100 to $145) and some 1600 MHz DDR3 ($45 to $50).

For the GPU they are right. An Nvidia 560Ti or AMD HD 6950 is the sweet spot for bang for your buck. Cards in the $150 to $250 range should all pair well with what I suggested.

 

[T3RM1N4L D0GM4]

It will not.

DAMN!

Gimme some bulldozer cpus plz!!

 

[Martine]

Question before we proceed, otherwise there is no point: AMD processors are gaming? I mean it's half the price of similar Intel processor??
...I was so attached to my Gigabyte Intal/Nvidia I've never looked at AMD:shadedshu

 

[Shihab]

Question before we proceed, otherwise there is no point: AMD processors are gaming? I mean it's half the price of similar Intel processor??
...I was so attached to my Gigabyte Intal/Nvidia I've never looked at AMD:shadedshu

For a budget gamer they are the best. For those who can pray the price, Intel's Sandy Bridge pwns.

Edit: Check this article for CPU recommendations for your money.
A note to be added, dunno about low end CPUs, but for high end ones, in benchmarks other than gaming, I've seen i7-920s beat Phenom II X6s. And those i7s were the previous generation.
Another thing to bear in mind, there aren't many games that utilize more than 2 cores atm. Some people hope that BF3 will be the game to set new standards. and looking at how the new Deus Ex eats CPU power, I think the future games will need more than a couple of cores to run smoothly.

 

[blu3flannel]

Question before we proceed, otherwise there is no point: AMD processors are gaming? I mean it's half the price of similar Intel processor??
...I was so attached to my Gigabyte Intal/Nvidia I've never looked at AMD:shadedshu

This nice little comparison shows that Intel quad cores are generally a fair margin faster than AMD quad cores. However, you have to consider the price difference.

 

[rfowler30]

battlefield 3 is going to be the crysis 1 of this year. itll have great scaling for multi gpus, its going to require a beefy system if there testing it with quad sli/crossfire and triple sli gpu setups. http://twitter.com/#!/repi/status/93254425308700672

 

[FreedomEclipse]

BTW: Windows XP isn't supported, for some odd reason...

how odd....

Neither does microsoft for that matter.

 

[Syuzeren]

battlefield 3 is going to be the crysis 1 of this year. itll have great scaling for multi gpus, its going to require a beefy system if there testing it with quad sli/crossfire and triple sli gpu setups. http://twitter.com/#!/repi/status/93254425308700672

Took me some time to realise that his pic was a gecko
Ofcourse they test quad SLI, why wouldn't they? they are supposed to be the biggest PC release of the year, for that they need quad SLI/crossfire support.
Still great to see they actually do that. DICE.
Activision would newer take the effort, to let the devs test and make it better.

 

[Martine]

I think I will first buy a GPU (probably GTX 460) and then... now you realy confused me
I don't know what to get, there are 2 builds
-->for those who have time
-attachment
-->for those who don't:
-AMD Phanom II X4
-am3+ MB (for later Bulldozer)
or
-Intel i3 2120 (2 cores 4 threads)
-a motherboard... I don't know
There is no difference in price

BUT I will wait for the bulldozer and see how close to 2500K is. I'll try to gather some money for a rig that would last me a few years, because I dont want to spend money on something that can't cope with games later on

BTW thanks all of you

 

[TheLaughingMan]

Save even more time.

You don't need the Bunker unless you go to LAN parties. So if you are not going to LAN parties, drop that money into getting a better GPU, faster RAM, and/or a bump in processor power. You should get at least 1600 MHz RAM. It doesn't cost that much extra and Sandy Bridge responds well to high speed memory. The faster the better. The AMD APU's are the same way.

 

[Crap Daddy]

Don't rush now and buy an Intel dual core that pretends to be quad or an AMD that's quad and performs as an Intel dual just because you don't have the money now. As I said that C2D is still a processor that can keep up for gaming. Your major problem now is the 9600. Make an effort and get a 560Ti, not a 460 since you will be keeping it for your new build when the time will come. You will double your framerates at higher settings, of course depending on the games. Wait and see what bulldozer will bring - although I'm skeptical that it will outperform Sandy Bridge for gaming purposes - and then decide for a long term upgrade.

 

[TheLaughingMan]

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Intel/Core_i3_540_530/10.html

First those are old games and the E8400 struggles keeping up with Phenom II X3. And an i3 2120 holds its own against Phenom II X6 1090T in gaming and does better in a lot of current games. So seriously, no your E8400 is not getting it done.

I agree you should wait and see what happens with Bulldozer and building a system now is kinda dumb. On the same note, upgrading your GPU will not help your system survive any longer. Battlefield 3 will eat your computer alive even with a 460.

P.S. Why is that card so expensive. It should only be like $130 USD.

 

[Black Haru]

something like a 2600k overclocked at 5Ghz with watercooling and a Mars 2 would hold for a while, or would it?

Recommended Spec for BF3 from the BF3 site:
CPU: Any Quadcore (you could go for a AMD quad, but then you need to upgrade in a year or two again, 2500k seems like the best choice)
GPU: High end DX11 GPU's (GTX460, HD6850 or better)
RAM: 4GB (hard to believe a game actually is going to use 4GB of RAM)

BTW: Windows XP isn't supported, for some odd reason...

I did not think that specs were released. just speculations, latest rumors claim that in order to max the game a (yet to be released) gtx595 will be reqired.


all gamescon test rigs were 2600k/SLI 580s (or cfX 6970s)


the reason XP is not supported is because there is no DX9 in BF3

 

[texaschainsaw01]

Before I will play BF3 I need to upgrade my computer (cuz it's worth it)
I mean when I play Crysis 2 I get good FPS (30+)-that is on low settings.

But here is the catch - It doesn't run smoothly, CPU load is constantly 100%....
CPU is a monster, GPU ain't that bad, what could be the problem?
It may be RAM?
I wanted to uprade GPU to GTX55Ti/GTX460/GTX560 (depending on the money), but I am thinking about it.
What should I upgrade to be prepared for BF3, because I hear it's a monster
System info is in the System Specs

firstly what is you budget for a new build
here in australia i can build a amd rig for 1500 bucks australian

amd 1100t oced
coolit cpu closed loop water cooling
g skill 8gig 160mhz ddr3 ram
dual hd6950 2gb
1tb hdd
900w psu
nzxt guardian

 

[Syuzeren]

I did not think that specs were released. just speculations, latest rumors claim that in order to max the game a (yet to be released) gtx595 will be reqired.


all gamescon test rigs were 2600k/SLI 580s (or cfX 6970s)


the reason XP is not supported is because there is no DX9 in BF3

Recommended are newer the specs to max it out, it is more what do i want to get a decent performance. In my opinion they need to make a Maxed out list, would help alot.