Question about my PC

[CaptainRamius]

Hey guys,
I've been working on a budget gaming PC build for under $500, and here is what I have : http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2BK2P6
I'll be running Windows 8 most likely. How good will this PC fare with ARMA 2 or 3? Will it be possible to run it on high or ultra? And FPS?
Thanks for all the help.

[Dowly]

I would go with Intel processor, if you're looking to get good fps in arma 2/3. The game(s) only use one core and Intel does that better.

[CaptainRamius]

I would go with Intel processor, if you're looking to get good fps in arma 2/3. The game(s) only use one core and Intel does that better.

On pcpartpicker, I can't pick the Intel as my CPU. If I could I would have used the Pentium (or any better one) but the best I can select is the AMD X4. It's not that I can't see the Intel Pentium as an option, it's that it is grayed out and I can't add it. Do you know why?

[Raptor1]

I would go with Intel processor, if you're looking to get good fps in arma 2/3. The game(s) only use one core and Intel does that better.

ArmA 3 does do multi-threading to some extent now but the single-core performance of Intel CPUs should be much more effective given how CPU-limited the game is. I'd say that computer should be more than capable of running ArmA 2 just fine. As for ArmA 3, most of the hardware shouldn't have many problems but I'm not really sure how adequate the CPU is since I have little experience with AMD processors. I'd wager it'll be playable but keep in mind it's a hard game to run with even the most top-of-the-line hardware.

Another thing to keep in mind is that ArmA 3 is going to get DirectX 12 support next year, which should increase its performance, especially with regards to CPU limitations and multi-threading. Thanks to Microsloth you'll need Windows 10 to make use of that, though.

[GT182]

It's not that I can't see the Intel Pentium as an option, it's that it is grayed out and I can't add it. Do you know why?

It's because the motherboard you chose is for AMD. Go back and choose an Intel MB and see what your options and costs would be. Granted AMD is less expensive but they cam cause issues to pop up.

Up your memory to 16GB . Hey, the first 8GBs are free so why not. ;) DDR3 memory is a good thing. Get all you can and use it.

This is only a suggestion but I'd go with a Cool Master water cooling (H 60 or H 80 would be good. Larger if you want but it will cost more) for your processor. I've been running one for 3 years and it's the best money I spent. Mine is an H 50. Fans IMHO don't cut it to keep the processor cooled down. I've never had overheating issues like I did before with fans.

BTW... I build my own computers too. ;)

[NeonSamurai]

Hey guys,
I've been working on a budget gaming PC build for under $500, and here is what I have : http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2BK2P6
I'll be running Windows 8 most likely. How good will this PC fare with ARMA 2 or 3? Will it be possible to run it on high or ultra? And FPS?
Thanks for all the help.

I doubt you could run it at ultra with any gpu at that price range, they just don't have the power or the ram necessary.

Anyhow I suggest you poke around tom's hardware reviews for the different parts, like their current GPU roundup

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-3.html

This is only a suggestion but I'd go with a Cool Master water cooling (H 60 or H 80 would be good. Larger if you want but it will cost more) for your processor. I've been running one for 3 years and it's the best money I spent. Mine is an H 50. Fans IMHO don't cut it to keep the processor cooled down. I've never had overheating issues like I did before with fans.

BTW... I build my own computers too. ;)

I disagree for the price range he is going for (your talking about blowing ~20% of his budget on a water cpu cooler). Air cooling works just fine and those expensive water coolers for the most part only work a bit better than the higher end air coolers. For his needs and budget I would just stick with the stock cooler it comes with, they work good enough.

[Raptor1]

I doubt you could run it at ultra with any gpu at that price range, they just don't have the power or the ram necessary.

I ran ArmA 3 on pretty much the highest settings with a GTX 760, so a GTX 950 shouldn't have that much more trouble. In any case, it seems to me that, even though it is demanding on the graphics card, the bottleneck in ArmA 3 tends to be the CPU. Even the GTX 970 I have now isn't a very noticeable improvement over my older card.

EDIT: Though if it's not much more expensive, the GTX 960 would probably be quite a bit better.

As for water cooling, I think it's pretty unnecessary for a system like this.

[GT182]

I disagree for the price range he is going for (your talking about blowing ~20% of his budget on a water cpu cooler). Air cooling works just fine and those expensive water coolers for the most part only work a bit better than the higher end air coolers. For his needs and budget I would just stick with the stock cooler it comes with, they work good enough.

Sorry but I disagree with you. No, I'm not going any further as to why and why not. It would solve nothing.

I only made a suggestion based on the long term life I've gotten out of this computer. It's 3 years old and hasn't had a hic up yet. And back then I built mine on a budget. I can't complain as it's doing what it's supposed to and is hanging in there even with the jump from XP to 8.1, and some of the games/simulations it's running that take more CPU power.

[Raptor1]

Sorry but I disagree with you. No, I'm not going any further as to why and why not. It would solve nothing.

I only made a suggestion based on the long term life I've gotten out of this computer. It's 3 years old and hasn't had a hic up yet. And back then I built mine on a budget. I can't complain as it's doing what it's supposed to and is hanging in there even with the jump from XP to 8.1, and some of the games/simulations it's running that take more CPU power.

My previous machine is air cooled, and not even with super-fancy fans, and it's still running fine since 2008. The only thing I've ever had to replace on it was the power supply, which blew once for some reason. It never had any serious heat issues that I can remember, even though I'm in a pretty hot environment and I really didn't clean it as regularly as I should have.

I'm not saying water cooling isn't a good thing but, unless that AMD CPU runs ridiculously hot or he's planning to overclock the thing, I'm not really seeing anything in there that would have a tendency to overheat.

[NeonSamurai]

My previous machine is air cooled, and not even with super-fancy fans, and it's still running fine since 2008. The only thing I've ever had to replace on it was the power supply, which blew once for some reason. It never had any serious heat issues that I can remember, even though I'm in a pretty hot environment and I really didn't clean it as regularly as I should have.

I'm not saying water cooling isn't a good thing but, unless that AMD CPU runs ridiculously hot or he's planning to overclock the thing, I'm not really seeing anything in there that would have a tendency to overheat.

Agreed. I've had machines that have lasted 12 years plus that ran on their stock air cooler. The only reason to consider a higher end aftermarket cooler is if you are planning to overclock. A water cooler is a waste of money unless you live someplace very hot, or you are planning to overclock it a lot. Also FYI water coolers can fail too, most commonly the pump stops working, or very rarely a leak develops somewhere. Also many of the water coolers are no better than a good air cooler (I can back this up with bench tests). So spend the money on something else like a better graphics card or an SSD, not a water cooler, especially not for a budget system.

The most important thing of all, is correctly applying the right amount of thermal paste and properly seating the cooler on the cpu. This accounts for more heating problems than anything else bar none.