Playing SH4 - at what specs?

[Type941]

I haven't played the game since it was released. Last I played was Sh3, which was a year ago. Now, my PC was already bit old for Sh3, but surely it's not gonna run Sh3 with my 1gig of ram and ATI 9500 pro. So new machine is long overdue anyway, hence the question. What do you guys run Sh4 on that runs things smoothly, at good frame rates, yet without blowing the bank? I don't want budget minimum spec, i like to enjoy the graphics, but don't wanna pay top of range. Whatever the game minimum and recommended specs are, what would YOU recommend that you found good enough?

With the uboat addon coming out soon, I think it's time to revist the good old days. :) Appreciate your replys! :ping:

[Gunfighter]

I haven't played the game since it was released. Last I played was Sh3, which was a year ago. Now, my PC was already bit old for Sh3, but surely it's not gonna run Sh3 with my 1gig of ram and ATI 9500 pro. So new machine is long overdue anyway, hence the question. What do you guys run Sh4 on that runs things smoothly, at good frame rates, yet without blowing the bank? I don't want budget minimum spec, i like to enjoy the graphics, but don't wanna pay top of range. Whatever the game minimum and recommended specs are, what would YOU recommend that you found good enough?

With the uboat addon coming out soon, I think it's time to revist the good old days. :) Appreciate your replys! :ping:
Hi visit the Tech Help thread theres loads of help there with some of the specs you'll need, but you need a beafy rig to run SH4 at full specs and welcome back:up:

[Rockin Robbins]

I'd go for an AMD processor, just because you can get a lesser bang which will still run SH4 awesomely, for a huge discount. I would buy an AM2 motherboard because they are cheap and the processors are cheaper than they are for my 939 board. I could have bought a faster processor for the same $150 I bought my Opteron 175 if I had the AM2 board.

Two gig of memory is the sweet spot. And there you win with the AM2 board because the DDR2 memory is a great price right now: under $100 for your two gig. I saw a special at Newegg for $49!

Graphics-wise I can tell you about nVidia, but I'm no expert on ATI. A 7600GT board is the minimum that will give you performance you would be happy with. The new 8600 board performs almost exactly the same as the 7600GT, so consider it also the absolute minimum you should consider. I know there's a logjam on the 8800GTs, but that really is the best value out there. When the new 9800GTX comes out it will be time to strike on the 8800GT. I just got a 7900GS and I can't see that it is a big improvement on the 7600GT. You can buy a 7600GT for around $75 now and you know the price will plummet when the new board comes out. It's a great time to be shopping for a graphics board!

If you've never seen Silent Hunter on an LCD at least 19" at its native resolution, you've never seen Silent Hunter. I do high res screenprints and take them to work so I can see what the LCD looks like and it's orgasmic!

One thing that doesn't get mentioned much is that using a sound card instead of on-board audio unloads your microprocessor and ups your fps.

I'll put in a plug for my favorite SH4 appliance:p, the Saitek Eclipse II keyboard. This thing types like no keyboard I've ever had, almost seems like thought control, but the Silent Hunter feature is that the keys are laser-cut and the keyboard LED backlight so you can use it in the dark. The experience of stalking a convoy in the dark with lights out and the keyboard glowing red (you can read the characters on the keys because of the laser cut design) is amazing. Your night vision comes into play and you can actually see twice as good as before. You'll pick out targets you never saw before. $39.95 Amazon.com.

Is that it?:88) No, but it's all I can think of. No reason to break the bank, but don't skimp to the point that you won't be happy with the equipment.:up:

[fatty]

Recently upgraded;

AMD X2 4600+
2gb DDR2-800
EVGA Geforce 8600 GT SSC
Onboard sound
160gb SATA2 harddrive
500 watt OCZ power supply

$495 CAD after rebate and shipped, recycled optical drives and case from old machine

Plays SH4 at 1280x1024 with every setting at maximum with no noticable stutters or lag. Not sure of exact FPS but it's perfect. Couldn't be happier.

[Rockin Robbins]

Recently upgraded;

AMD X2 4600+
2gb DDR2-800
EVGA Geforce 8600 GT SSC
Onboard sound
160gb SATA2 harddrive
500 watt OCZ power supply

$495 CAD after rebate and shipped, recycled optical drives and case from old machine

Plays SH4 at 1280x1024 with every setting at maximum with no noticable stutters or lag. Not sure of exact FPS but it's perfect. Couldn't be happier.

And a super-nice system! You don't have to break the bank to play SH4 very well. Nice touch with the SSC card there!:up:

[seafarer]

I just honestly don't have the time nor inclination to build my own system completely from scratch. I started with a bargain basement stock ACER AMD 4800 - about $450USD on sale from Bestbuy. I then replaced the power supply, again with a on sale item from Bestbuy, picked up some extra Kingston RAM on sale at newegg.com and now a GeForce 8800GT card on ebay for less then $200. My whole system, including the Samsung LCD wide screen, was around $1100 USD when all was said and done (the Samsung was on sale for $219 USD when I picked it up). It plays SH4 just great.

[Rockin Robbins]

I just honestly don't have the time nor inclination to build my own system completely from scratch. I started with a bargain basement stock ACER AMD 4800 - about $450USD on sale from Bestbuy. I then replaced the power supply, again with a on sale item from Bestbuy, picked up some extra Kingston RAM on sale at newegg.com and now a GeForce 8800GT card on ebay for less then $200. My whole system, including the Samsung LCD wide screen, was around $1100 USD when all was said and done (the Samsung was on sale for $219 USD when I picked it up). It plays SH4 just great.
Only one thing: when you're starting out with a stock system you have to be sure that you know what's in the case so you can plan how much your modifications will cost. You did great! The $1,100 is a good price because you included the LCD! If you built from scratch you would come in about the same. Yours goes in the win column!:up:

[Elder-Pirate]

I'll put in a plug for my favorite SH4 appliance:p, the Saitek Eclipse II keyboard. This thing types like no keyboard I've ever had, almost seems like thought control, but the Silent Hunter feature is that the keys are laser-cut and the keyboard LED backlight so you can use it in the dark. The experience of stalking a convoy in the dark with lights out and the keyboard glowing red (you can read the characters on the keys because of the laser cut design) is amazing. Your night vision comes into play and you can actually see twice as good as before. You'll pick out targets you never saw before. $39.95 Amazon.com.



Dammit RR will you quit twisting my arm? ( it hurts :cry: )
Now I have to spend a few more bucks and get this keyboard.

[Zantham]

If you are going to go AMD be careful of the nasty bug in the Phenom CPU's. The fix for this bug can rob your system of up to 20% performance.

Right now for budget systems, AMD and Intel CPUs are basically the same price and same performance (excepting finding a good deal on one or the other). The difference is that the top of the line AMD CPU right now costs the same and performs the same as a mid-range Intel, and a $200 dollar Intel can overclock far beyond what a $200 AMD can, if you are willing to.

If you are building a high end system then there is no choice except Intel.

Preferably stick with XP as well. SH4 runs fine in Vista (if you are careful how/where you install it), but 2GB RAM goes a long ways in XP; and while 2GB is OK in Vista, you really need 4GB RAM (and a 64bit OS) to keep up.

[Type941]

wow guys, you are great with the tips, that's why I love this forum! :)

Trouble for me is i am not in US, so i can't really get so many things for so cheap price! But basic tips on the card, memory, and cpu are noted! :up:

I looked around here and many AMDs they offer is the 64 one. Is that too old? Honestly I'm good at PC building only when i actually do it - last time was in 2003 (and still using it!). So you can see I build ahead. a 1000 usd is just about the budget i had in mind too, but excluding the monitor.

[Type941]

well, after some thought, I have built myself a system which I would like to order, as its in my price range.

It is a normal sized desktop, with the following specs:
8800GT 512mb Ultradurable VGA
4Gig of Ram (2x2GB)
mobo: Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L s.775 ATX
500mb HDD (this is SATA!!)
CPU Intel Core2 Duo E8200 tray with 120x120PWM Arctic fan, TT cooler Blue Orb II
DVDRW LG 20x
550W PSU
9in1 plus ID card reader
WIFI, BT
Warranty for 3 years
20in LCD wide screen LG
All in all, it is 1400 USD.

I will use my current license of XP Home, current Logitech Keyboard and Mouse, may be later upgrade to the one you mentioned with backlit keys..

What do you guys think, this will be enough for SH4, right?

[AkbarGulag]

If there is an only small price difference between a 550w power supply and a 650w. then get the 650. Thats a great looking rig btw.

[seafarer]

Agreed, don't skimp on the power supply if a larger one is only a few more $$'s. And don't forget about cooling, and including all case fans in the power budget.

[AVGWarhawk]

I just honestly don't have the time nor inclination to build my own system completely from scratch. I started with a bargain basement stock ACER AMD 4800 - about $450USD on sale from Bestbuy. I then replaced the power supply, again with a on sale item from Bestbuy, picked up some extra Kingston RAM on sale at newegg.com and now a GeForce 8800GT card on ebay for less then $200. My whole system, including the Samsung LCD wide screen, was around $1100 USD when all was said and done (the Samsung was on sale for $219 USD when I picked it up). It plays SH4 just great.

I do the same thing as seafarer. The only difference is I purchase Emachines. That is all I have ever owned and they do just great. I then add power supply, RAM, and vid card. Off I go. I never had an issue with Emachine and will continue to buy them.

[Type941]

You guys seriously thinking that 550w is not enough? The next one is twice as pricey, at 650w. I can get cheaper 600w one too...

I thought that 550w is pretty huge, my previous one had 300w... If you say so, its of course not to late to change the order.

for cooling, i mentioned above the arctic fan and that Blue orb cpu fan. I reckon that should do it, no?

And you mention case fans - as in just extra fans piled inside just to move the air around? Is that really needed? :) u guys gonna make me get into 1500 figure now. :D

[AVGWarhawk]

You guys seriously thinking that 550w is not enough? The next one is twice as pricey, at 650w. I can get cheaper 600w one too...

I thought that 550w is pretty huge, my previous one had 300w... If you say so, its of course not to late to change the order.

for cooling, i mentioned above the arctic fan and that Blue orb cpu fan. I reckon that should do it, no?

And you mention case fans - as in just extra fans piled inside just to move the air around? Is that really needed? :) u guys gonna make me get into 1500 figure now. :D

Your PSU, IMHO, look at what amps your video card requires to run. For instance, my 7800 GS needs 18amps so I purchased a PSU that pushed 18 amps or better. I found a 400 watt supply that can do that. Sometimes you can find a 350 watt psu that can push the correct amps needed. As a rule of thumb, always go a bit higher in the watts and amps as the psu does not push the maximum output all the time and it allows for expanding things down the road. Also, the higher wattage psu have multiple connectors so each item in the computer can have it's own supply and not share with other items inside the computer.

[Rockin Robbins]

Just check the output amps on the +12 volts rail of that power supply. I'll bet it's fine for the 8800GT.....EVGA says minimum 400 watt, 22 amps on the +12 line.

Hey, how are we supposed to buy a graphics card now. Let's see I want an 8800 card. Which one, 8800GTX, GTS, GT or GS? Or how about an Ultra? Then you pick from standard, KO, SSC, Superclocked and Black Pearl, whatever that is. And you just wanna buy a graphics card.:o Too much stress making the choice! Good thing I'm set right now.

[tomoose]

I'm currently using an AMD 64 3700+ (2.4Ghz) with 2.5Gig of RAM and an nVidia GeForce 7800 GS (AGP slot as I don't have PCI-e) and SHIV runs extremely well. There is some slight "stuttering" when there's a lot of ship action but that type of thing is few and far between, overall it runs very smoothly.
My only disadvantage is that I can't make any movies (not enough 'umph' in the machine).

[Rockin Robbins]

I'm currently using an AMD 64 3700+ (2.4Ghz) with 2.5Gig of RAM and an nVidia GeForce 7800 GS (AGP slot as I don't have PCI-e) and SHIV runs extremely well. There is some slight "stuttering" when there's a lot of ship action but that type of thing is few and far between, overall it runs very smoothly.
My only disadvantage is that I can't make any movies (not enough 'umph' in the machine).

I just traded it for an Opteron 175. Zoom! Zoom! Big difference. I haven't tried making any movies or overclocking it yet. I'm having too much fun the way it is. Conventional wisdom says that changing processors is a minimal deal. the 3700+ was slow enough to make that assumption untrue. $150 at Newegg.

[AVGWarhawk]

Just check the output amps on the +12 volts rail of that power supply. I'll bet it's fine for the 8800GT.....EVGA says minimum 400 watt, 22 amps on the +12 line.


Yes, look at the +/-12 volt amp output. Attempt to purchase a PSU that has the amps your card needs. From what I understand the cards clock will reduce do to lack of amps required and the entire system can be unstable. I was running my 7800 on a 350 watt 10 amp psu and the FPS in game was all over the place. The increased 400 watt and amps stopped that. PSU is a very critical part of the entire computer system.

[seafarer]

You guys seriously thinking that 550w is not enough? The next one is twice as pricey, at 650w. I can get cheaper 600w one too...

I thought that 550w is pretty huge, my previous one had 300w... If you say so, its of course not to late to change the order.

for cooling, i mentioned above the arctic fan and that Blue orb cpu fan. I reckon that should do it, no?

And you mention case fans - as in just extra fans piled inside just to move the air around? Is that really needed? :) u guys gonna make me get into 1500 figure now. :D

I just know that some of the 8800GT's have been reported to run pretty hot (it's a lot of vid card to cool in a single slot format, regardless of which heat sink you have). My BFG gets very toasty near the front bottom corner (ie. the corner at the output end, towards the PCIe connector). Adding another case fan is pretty cheap for the added security. I have a rear case exhaust fan, a front case inlet fan, as well as the power supply exhaust fan, my cpu sink fan and the gpu sink fan. My 8800GT will still settle in at about 76C when gaming, but that's well within it's specs.

[Rockin Robbins]

In addition to my side 80mm fan I have a 120mm inlet on the front of the case and 120mm outlet fan on the back. My power supply also has two fans, one sucking air from inside and the other blowing it out the back. Fans are cheap, if they're lighted they look cool and the 120s don't make much noise at all. Computers need bling too.

76º is just fine for that 8800GT! I've blown my upgrade money for now, or I'd be searching one of those out. It would have been crippled connected to my old Athlon 64 3700+ though. That's OK, I knew I wasn't building a rocket ship.:yep: It runs SH4 fine!

[Type941]

Thanks for the replies guys, and here is a little update.
I have upgraded my psu to 650w as recommended. it was not cheap upgrade!

So, the burning question NOW is which OS!!

I am forced to chose between a 32 bit Vista-XP business which allows to switch between the two as you please. So one can be instaled, then upgraded to Vista, or XP insalled and upgraded to Vista if needed. Now this is pricey, 200 dollars.

Another choice is simpler and cheper - a 64 bit Vista Home Ultimate.
Third choice is similar in that but different OS - XP P 32bit.

SO... is going 32 bit a good idea or better go with longer outlook and take 64 bit? Is Vista Home a decent OS in 64 bit what will run SH4 without issues? My specs are good, so I hope it will be plenty ... adn the GPU is good too so it wont suck the memory so much.

Help me out with OS advise, i Have to order soon!!! I have may be a day or two left before the machine is ready. :)

[seafarer]

Unless you have more then 4GB RAM, AND have applications that will/can use more then 4GB RAM, there is no point to a 64-bit operating system.

64-bit OS does NOT = faster computing (at least not necessarily, and it can in fact mean a slower one under some circumstances, since 64-bit code has a higher overhead). All it does mean is a larger RAM address space.

[Type941]

but isnt it true that with 64bit OS things look much prettier? :)

I mean I read some things online, and concensus seems that 64 bit is a tad too early for pretty much every program outhere and is gonna take 3-4 years before it becomes the top choice for all.

SO, probably Im down to 32 bit 200dollar XP-Vista Business or 32 bit cheaper VIsta.

I saw that there was some gimmicking required to get the SH4 work with Vista, but seems nothing major-...

So for now it's most likely gonna be 32 bit Vista Home Premium. Anyone running it?

PS. I do (will) have 4GB of RAM. ;)

[walrusbomb]

buying a good powersupply is tricky... there are so many BAD ones. Bad != low price.

Uber Gaming PSU checklist:
1. at least 22Amperage on the +12V rail?
2. at least 80% efficiency?

also, you really need to lap your heatsinks before mounting!!!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=fZX7pY8Q9ro&feature=related

Get the best Heatsinks money can buy:
1. CPU, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835154001
2. GPU, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835109136

[seafarer]

I mean I read some things online, and concensus seems that 64 bit is a tad too early for pretty much every program outhere and is gonna take 3-4 years before it becomes the top choice for all.

But even a 64-bit program, unless it is doing something that needs more then 4GB RAM, is no better then a 32-bit version. Seriously, there is no point in a 64-bit version of MS-Office, or notepad, unless you are opening up files bigger then 4GB. A 64-bit version of Photoshop would be pointless for many users, although there are certainly some who would benefit from it as they work either with very large images or many images at once. For things like Apple's iMovie, a 64-bit version would be useful for rendering full length DVDs and such.

64-bit computing only makes sense if you have apps that need the extra RAM - that really is it. For any situation where 4GB RAM or less is good, 32-bit code will usually run faster, and it's fully capable of making the most of that amount of RAM.

SO, probably Im down to 32 bit 200dollar XP-Vista Business or 32 bit cheaper VIsta.

I saw that there was some gimmicking required to get the SH4 work with Vista, but seems nothing major-...

So for now it's most likely gonna be 32 bit Vista Home Premium. Anyone running it?

PS. I do (will) have 4GB of RAM. ;)

Simpliest thing to do is just be sure to install SH4 anywhere but the default "Programs" folder. Vista's UAC security layer will mess things up with the patches and mods if they try to write to that folder. Just have the installer put it in a folder of your choice (mine is in my user space, in a folder just named "games"). That will bypass Vista's UAC and you should have no problems.

[Type941]

I made up my mind for now about OS. I am getting Vista ultimate, 32bit, SP1. So hopefully all that is okey dokey. PC should be ready and I will go out today and purchase my SH4 - they seem to be so cheap, almost discounted... All the better!