Asking the community's assistance... I'm new...hello.

hituttle · 08-29-10, 01:24 PM

Hello to all,

No offense to anyone, the deal is this, I'm a Mac guy usually.

But I REALLY want to play SH4. I've been playing the original for a million years now and it is time to upgrade.

Purportedly I have a bran spanking new copy of SH4 Gold Ed in the mail to me right now.

The assistance I'm asking for is this:

What should I get computerwise if it's sole purpose in life will be to play this game to it's fullest/fastest/best?

What should expect to pay? Sort of hope to able to have to spend about as much as I would for a game console. Given the age of the game, the fact that it works best on XP?(true/false) era software ect... Does it work on Windows7 and if it does work on Window7, is it actually better to go with XP for the sake off the game?

I need help getting the right hardware to give SH4 opportunity to work at it's optimum.

I want what I do get to work straight out of the package, plenty of video memory, plenty of ram, the processor speed and sound card compatibility.

I have experience from when I started with the original how very important all these things are. I am willing to spend what I must but, as this is all I foreseeably expect to use it for, I hope to not spend more than is necessary.

I hope my question is clear and someone is willing to help me.

Thanks in advance and glad to be here,
K

tater · 08-29-10, 01:33 PM

Hi, and welcome!

One, depending on your mac, it is entirely possible to play on a dual-boot machine, I think there are people here that might be doing it.

Hardware experts will likely chime in, but any decently good video card running on a "modern" PC should run SH4 great. I'm pretty sure Vista is not a problem (I'm running XP Pro SP3, myself). My machine does OK, and it's old (E6600 cpu, a current iMac is better, lol). I have an 8800GTS vid card, you can get a better card for under $100 these days.

WernherVonTrapp · 08-29-10, 01:44 PM

Welcome to the forum, hituttle.

Now, I'll try to answer your question as best I can but, I'm an AMD/Intel kind of guy.

Now, I think SHIV will run on a Pentium 4 (believe I saw a post to that effect somewhere) but, I personally would recommend, as a minimum, an AMD or Intel Dual-Core processor with at least 4GB RAM and a dedicated graphics card with (again, at least) 512MB RAM. However, I think you'll end up paying more for a new PC than you would for a game console. When I first bought my rig (see my sig for the specs), it was an upper/mid-level gaming PC. Now, with all the newer models out there, it's probably in the lower mid-level range. I paid about $900.00 (U.S.) and that includes the 4GB of additional RAM that I purchased separately. The newer systems usually come with HD, 7.1 surround sound that's integrated into the MoBo so you shouldn't need to upgrade there. Nevertheless, I still bought and installed a dedicated sound card in order to free up even more system resources.
I have had absolutely no difficulties running the SHIV graphics on my system, save for some SS probs while in Truk Lagoon but, that's a totally different subject altogether.
Good luck in your endeavor.

Sailor Steve · 08-29-10, 08:21 PM

WELCOME ABOARD!

I currently have a five-year-old Pentium 4, which I have upgraded to 4GB RAM and a 1GB ATI 4650 video card, and it runs SH4 maxed out. That said, I'm looking to upgrade soon because it won't run SH4, and, believe it or not, it has trouble with SH3 (mainly due to all the mods I have installed).

Try to talk to UnderseaLCPL. He has a Mac, and I think he runs these games on it.

Alky · 08-30-10, 12:14 AM

Any off the shelf medium priced PC these days will be more than enough to run SH4. With quad core, 6-8 gigs of memory and decent video "card", not an integrated one, you should probably be able to buy it for $700 - $900 depending what country you live in

I have a quad core 64 bit with 6 gigs of memory running on Vista. I installed an Nvidia 9800 GT+ after I bought it just to kick the video up a notch for another game I was playing. It's about 2 years old and I paid around $650 for it at Best Buy in Canada.

hituttle · 09-02-10, 08:20 AM

Commanders,

Seeking confirmation.

I have a bead on a reasonably priced machine, that for my limited knowlege of the Windows world looks to me as if it will run SHIV comfortably with the resources it has. But alias, it's the things that you don't see that get you, like...well...like a submarine.

I would like to list the requirements of the game that concern me and the resources that the machine contains and hopefully others will be willing to give me some of the peace of mind that I seek.

OS: Vista Home Premium
Processor: Intel core duo T6600 2.2GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB
System Memory: 4 GB (expandable to 8)
Video card: 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT

Sound Card: There is no mention that the sound card is DirectX 9 compliant or that it has a sound card for that matter.
Can I assume this?
I had to play the original without sound for years.
I really want sound this time.

Supplemental Question: Game was made to run on a P4 2-3GHZ, Do I gain any more power with multiple processors or is that done to allow the processor(s) to run cooler?

Thanks to all in advance, can't wait to get under way!
K

tater · 09-02-10, 08:37 AM

If it doesn't mention a sound card, it's likely onboard. Sound cards are dirt cheap, though, so you can always buy one.

Funny, I was seriously considering setting up a new mac I'm thinking about as a dual boot machine and trying SH4 on it. I like the idea of a SH4 machine that makes no noise at all...

hituttle · 09-02-10, 09:23 AM

Tater,

FYI: tried to do the Virtual PC duel boot with the original many moons ago now...it froze...it sucked. Prospects may be better now but, have no idea what they are.

You think the afore mentioned machine would fit the bill?

WernherVonTrapp · 09-02-10, 12:31 PM

That system that you are contemplating looks OK to me. When I mentioned a dedicated sound card, I mentioned it as an afterthought. My on-board sound (HD 7.1 surround) worked fine with the game. My upgrade to a dedicated SC was strictly a matter of personal preference, though it does free up some additional system resources. You should be able to run SHIV w/o a problem using on-board sound.

ancient46 · 09-03-10, 09:37 PM

When I bought the game it played fine as long as I did not use high time compression. I had a 2.4 GHZ AMD single core Athlon processor on a nForce 4 board with 1gb SDRAM and a fanless 8600 GT. I had to do some system tweaking to free enough RAM to play the game but it did work.

Armistead · 09-03-10, 10:10 PM

I bought a AMD duel core 3800 with 4 mgs of ram and a 9600gt card for $300 on Craigslist..if you look you can get some good deals, just make sure you boot it up and check it out...

I built a nice gaming rig, but somehow my son took it over, so it works great for the game.......

hituttle · 09-04-10, 03:15 PM

Thanks to all for their help.

Well, I've done it. It's downloading as I type.

Bilge Rat's next questions are:

1.) i'm installing fresh copy of the Gold Ed. Are there any patches that
i would be sorry that I didn't add before playing the game in earnest?

2.) Saw something in one of the forums about this thing you could download to make basically many versions of the game. This sounds like a great idea, would you recommend this?

Thanks again for making me feel welcomed.

tater · 09-04-10, 03:56 PM

The Generic Mode Enabler (JSGME) is a MUST.

http://www.users.on.net/~jscones/sof...cts-jsgme.html

Read the simple directions. Put it in the SH4 directory, then run it once. It creates a MODS folder, and any mods get thrown in there. You then run JSGME, and select what you want to run, and it saves the stock game stuff aside, and puts the mods in. Turn them off, and it sets the game good as new.

peabody · 09-04-10, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hituttle

Commanders,

Seeking confirmation.

System Memory: 4 GB (expandable to 8)

K

Welcome, one comment unless you OS is 64 bit don't bother adding RAM. In fact a 32 bit OS won't even see the total 4GB you show.

Good luck.

Peabody

rein1705 · 09-04-10, 06:17 PM

i have 32 bit with 4 gigs ram, seems to run at 3.17 in game. i have no problems at all aside from drops in fps around big task forces and really populated bases in TC.

also have a Nvidia 9600gso and a duel core processor

08-29-10, 01:24 PM	#1
hituttle Swabbie Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 7 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Asking the community's assistance... I'm new...hello. Hello to all, No offense to anyone, the deal is this, I'm a Mac guy usually. But I REALLY want to play SH4. I've been playing the original for a million years now and it is time to upgrade. Purportedly I have a bran spanking new copy of SH4 Gold Ed in the mail to me right now. The assistance I'm asking for is this: What should I get computerwise if it's sole purpose in life will be to play this game to it's fullest/fastest/best? What should expect to pay? Sort of hope to able to have to spend about as much as I would for a game console. Given the age of the game, the fact that it works best on XP?(true/false) era software ect... Does it work on Windows7 and if it does work on Window7, is it actually better to go with XP for the sake off the game? I need help getting the right hardware to give SH4 opportunity to work at it's optimum. I want what I do get to work straight out of the package, plenty of video memory, plenty of ram, the processor speed and sound card compatibility. I have experience from when I started with the original how very important all these things are. I am willing to spend what I must but, as this is all I foreseeably expect to use it for, I hope to not spend more than is necessary. I hope my question is clear and someone is willing to help me. Thanks in advance and glad to be here, K

08-29-10, 01:44 PM	#3
WernherVonTrapp Admiral Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Now, alot farther from NYC. Posts: 2,228 Downloads: 105 Uploads: 0	Welcome to the forum, hituttle. Now, I'll try to answer your question as best I can but, I'm an AMD/Intel kind of guy. Now, I think SHIV will run on a Pentium 4 (believe I saw a post to that effect somewhere) but, I personally would recommend, as a minimum, an AMD or Intel Dual-Core processor with at least 4GB RAM and a dedicated graphics card with (again, at least) 512MB RAM. However, I think you'll end up paying more for a new PC than you would for a game console. When I first bought my rig (see my sig for the specs), it was an upper/mid-level gaming PC. Now, with all the newer models out there, it's probably in the lower mid-level range. I paid about $900.00 (U.S.) and that includes the 4GB of additional RAM that I purchased separately. The newer systems usually come with HD, 7.1 surround sound that's integrated into the MoBo so you shouldn't need to upgrade there. Nevertheless, I still bought and installed a dedicated sound card in order to free up even more system resources. I have had absolutely no difficulties running the SHIV graphics on my system, save for some SS probs while in Truk Lagoon but, that's a totally different subject altogether. Good luck in your endeavor. __________________ "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." -Miyamoto Musashi ------------------------------------------------------- "What is truth?" -Pontius Pilate

08-29-10, 08:21 PM	#4
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	WELCOME ABOARD! I currently have a five-year-old Pentium 4, which I have upgraded to 4GB RAM and a 1GB ATI 4650 video card, and it runs SH4 maxed out. That said, I'm looking to upgrade soon because it won't run SH4, and, believe it or not, it has trouble with SH3 (mainly due to all the mods I have installed). Try to talk to UnderseaLCPL. He has a Mac, and I think he runs these games on it. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

08-30-10, 12:14 AM	#5
Alky Lieutenant Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Abbotsford BC Canada Posts: 258 Downloads: 141 Uploads: 0	Any off the shelf medium priced PC these days will be more than enough to run SH4. With quad core, 6-8 gigs of memory and decent video "card", not an integrated one, you should probably be able to buy it for $700 - $900 depending what country you live in I have a quad core 64 bit with 6 gigs of memory running on Vista. I installed an Nvidia 9800 GT+ after I bought it just to kick the video up a notch for another game I was playing. It's about 2 years old and I paid around $650 for it at Best Buy in Canada. __________________

09-02-10, 12:31 PM	#9
WernherVonTrapp Admiral Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Now, alot farther from NYC. Posts: 2,228 Downloads: 105 Uploads: 0	That system that you are contemplating looks OK to me. When I mentioned a dedicated sound card, I mentioned it as an afterthought. My on-board sound (HD 7.1 surround) worked fine with the game. My upgrade to a dedicated SC was strictly a matter of personal preference, though it does free up some additional system resources. You should be able to run SHIV w/o a problem using on-board sound. __________________ "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." -Miyamoto Musashi ------------------------------------------------------- "What is truth?" -Pontius Pilate

08-29-10, 01:33 PM	#2
tater Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Mexico, USA Posts: 9,023 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 2	Hi, and welcome! One, depending on your mac, it is entirely possible to play on a dual-boot machine, I think there are people here that might be doing it. Hardware experts will likely chime in, but any decently good video card running on a "modern" PC should run SH4 great. I'm pretty sure Vista is not a problem (I'm running XP Pro SP3, myself). My machine does OK, and it's old (E6600 cpu, a current iMac is better, lol). I have an 8800GTS vid card, you can get a better card for under $100 these days.

09-02-10, 08:20 AM	#6
hituttle Swabbie Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 7 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Commanders, Seeking confirmation. I have a bead on a reasonably priced machine, that for my limited knowlege of the Windows world looks to me as if it will run SHIV comfortably with the resources it has. But alias, it's the things that you don't see that get you, like...well...like a submarine. I would like to list the requirements of the game that concern me and the resources that the machine contains and hopefully others will be willing to give me some of the peace of mind that I seek. OS: Vista Home Premium Processor: Intel core duo T6600 2.2GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800MHz FSB System Memory: 4 GB (expandable to 8) Video card: 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT Sound Card: There is no mention that the sound card is DirectX 9 compliant or that it has a sound card for that matter. Can I assume this? I had to play the original without sound for years. I really want sound this time. Supplemental Question: Game was made to run on a P4 2-3GHZ, Do I gain any more power with multiple processors or is that done to allow the processor(s) to run cooler? Thanks to all in advance, can't wait to get under way! K

09-02-10, 08:37 AM	#7
tater Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Mexico, USA Posts: 9,023 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 2	If it doesn't mention a sound card, it's likely onboard. Sound cards are dirt cheap, though, so you can always buy one. Funny, I was seriously considering setting up a new mac I'm thinking about as a dual boot machine and trying SH4 on it. I like the idea of a SH4 machine that makes no noise at all...

09-02-10, 09:23 AM	#8
hituttle Swabbie Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 7 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Tater, FYI: tried to do the Virtual PC duel boot with the original many moons ago now...it froze...it sucked. Prospects may be better now but, have no idea what they are. You think the afore mentioned machine would fit the bill?

09-03-10, 09:37 PM	#10
ancient46 Officer Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 239 Downloads: 108 Uploads: 1	When I bought the game it played fine as long as I did not use high time compression. I had a 2.4 GHZ AMD single core Athlon processor on a nForce 4 board with 1gb SDRAM and a fanless 8600 GT. I had to do some system tweaking to free enough RAM to play the game but it did work.

09-03-10, 10:10 PM	#11
Armistead Rear Admiral Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: on the Dan Posts: 10,880 Downloads: 364 Uploads: 0	I bought a AMD duel core 3800 with 4 mgs of ram and a 9600gt card for $300 on Craigslist..if you look you can get some good deals, just make sure you boot it up and check it out... I built a nice gaming rig, but somehow my son took it over, so it works great for the game.......

09-04-10, 03:15 PM	#12
hituttle Swabbie Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 7 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	Thanks to all for their help. Well, I've done it. It's downloading as I type. Bilge Rat's next questions are: 1.) i'm installing fresh copy of the Gold Ed. Are there any patches that i would be sorry that I didn't add before playing the game in earnest? 2.) Saw something in one of the forums about this thing you could download to make basically many versions of the game. This sounds like a great idea, would you recommend this? Thanks again for making me feel welcomed.

09-04-10, 03:56 PM	#13
tater Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Mexico, USA Posts: 9,023 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 2	The Generic Mode Enabler (JSGME) is a MUST. http://www.users.on.net/~jscones/sof...cts-jsgme.html Read the simple directions. Put it in the SH4 directory, then run it once. It creates a MODS folder, and any mods get thrown in there. You then run JSGME, and select what you want to run, and it saves the stock game stuff aside, and puts the mods in. Turn them off, and it sets the game good as new.

09-04-10, 06:17 PM	#15
rein1705 Samurai Navy Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: somewhere in the Past. Posts: 582 Downloads: 541 Uploads: 0	i have 32 bit with 4 gigs ram, seems to run at 3.17 in game. i have no problems at all aside from drops in fps around big task forces and really populated bases in TC. also have a Nvidia 9600gso and a duel core processor __________________ "Diesel Pig" Not so long ago...