Build a PC for Rome 2 / Hardware Recommendations and Advice Thread

[Biggus Splenus]

Less reliable in which way?

I hear corruption is more common, but never ran into this myself.

Make sure you have Windows 7 Professional or Windows 8 since Windows 7 Home Premium only supports 16GB which is pretty stupid.

Getting Windows 8

64GB of DDR3 is just unworkable on most budgets

I wouldn't ever go with 2011 chip set, 1155 all the way!

Rome is probably going to be 30GB unzipped grr

Depends. If CA go all retarded on us and use about 30 unnecessary atlas files like in NTW, total space about 8GB after patches etc., then our dream of a Rome 2 installed on a RAM drive can be waved good bye

@ magpie - do you happen to have a budget for a brand new system? I think about $800 could beat the system you currently have. I'm not sure if your old PSU will work on a new system, can someone confirm this form me? I'm not sure.

[Totalheadache]

Hi all, I hope I did not come across as to negative about building a new PC.In my previous post.
A tutorial would always be an excellent asset to forum member,s.
Maybe it could have a more general title rather than targeting a future game with unknown qualities?
Myself I am still using my old build, Although I am using an 850 W PSU. 8 Gb of DDR2 Ram an old trusty Intel dual core at 3.5 and a 2 Gb graphic,s card.plus 24 inch Dell screen.
All on an Asus board. Old fashioned I know but it keeps me going.

depends on the gpu as 24inch needs a fair bit of muscle for tw's (dells tend to be very nice btw).
dual core - upgrade time! although that said total wars only make use of 1-2 cores......

@splenyi if you are unsure about psu's check reviews of gpu's here...

http://www.guru3d.com/articles_categ...ideocards.html

hilbert has been reviewing cards for yrs and always includes what kind of psu you need esp if you are ocing as well. and that's one thing you should stress when building your own....ocing cpu does make a nice chunk of difference but you need a good aftermarket cooler.

again these tend to be very easy to install nowadays..

[A Barbarian]

@totalheadache
You were mentioning a water cooler recommendation for an overclocked CPU in another thread. Which one would that be? One of the reasons I am still with air is my suspicion (because I don't have any personal experience with water yet) that the minimum noise level of water might be higher than with air since in addition to the fans (which air has as well) you always have the pump. Also the radiators usually seem to have denser fins and thus require more airflow to be effective.

@Splenyi
I think it would be good to put a warning into the 1st post with the recommended configurations that it can't be a guide about the optimal components for Rome 2 since the exact requirements and possible incompatibilities (graphics drivers, SLI/Xfire problems,...) will only be known after Rome 2 has been released. You could also mention that the Shogun 2 engine can't make good use of multiple cores but prefers strong single core performance which favors Intel CPUs (which are also more expensive than the AMD counterparts with the same amount of cores and frequency) at the moment but that this might change with Rome 2. This would also protect you from some angry people complaining that the recommended build performs poorly in Rome 2

[Biggus Splenus]

@totalheadache - I was just curious, because I've never built a PC with older and new parts.

@barbarian - I did write that about Rome 2 about the time you posted that but I will add what you said about multi-core support and the possibility of it being in Rome 2.

[Numidian Mercenary]

What about overclocking? Sounds like fun - but would it be a waste of time on a modern build?

[A Barbarian]

If you can actually use the extra power from overclocking it can be quite worthwhile. Also, with the right components and tools, overclocking can be easier than ever nowadays. But in order to get a decent (>10%) performance boost, you usually should plan ahead and get the right components for it (PSU, coolers, right Mobo chipset/Model, right CPU/GPU, ...).

[Numidian Mercenary]

@Splenyi: Nice layout on the OP

If you can actually use the extra power from overclocking it can be quite worthwhile. Also, with the right components and tools, overclocking can be easier than ever nowadays. But in order to get a decent (>10%) performance boost, you usually should plan ahead and get the right components for it (PSU, coolers, right Mobo chipset/Model, right CPU/GPU, ...).

That's cool. The technical aspects of actually doing overclocking sound interesting although I guess it's a question of whether it will make a noticeable difference running Rome 2 and other applications. Guess I won't know until I work out which specific components I'm going to buy.

[A Barbarian]

Well, in Shogun 2 being able to overclock the CPU can make a big difference since the minimum frame rate (e.g. while zooming in close onto a big battle) is heavily limited by single core CPU performance. Overclocking an i5-2500k from 3.3Ghz (3.7 std boost) to 4.5Ghz gives you about 20% higher performance or the difference between minimum of 25fps and 30fps. With high-end cooling you can get even more out of it and also run the CPU whisper quiet while it's not doing much.

For proper multicore applications like video-encoding the relative gain can be even larger since the standard boost of 3.7Ghz is usually not sustained if all the cores run at full load for a while.

Still, back in the days, you could even get 50% more performance from some CPUs relatively easily (custom cooler, somewhat more voltage, bus speed up and speed divider for RAM down). E.g. you could take a Celeron 300A from 300 to 450Mhz or a C2D 4300 from 1.8Ghz to 2.7Ghz which I used for almost 3 years without problems.

That overclocking can be easier nowadays is primarily because there is now automatic overclocking software which can do a decent job up to a medium overclock. The higher you go the more you have to fine tune the various parameters.

[Numidian Mercenary]

Well, in Shogun 2 being able to overclock the CPU can make a big difference since the minimum frame rate (e.g. while zooming in close onto a big battle) is heavily limited by single core CPU performance. Overclocking an i5-2500k from 3.3Ghz (3.7 std boost) to 4.5Ghz gives you about 20% higher performance or the difference between minimum of 25fps and 30fps. With high-end cooling you can get even more out of it and also run the CPU whisper quiet while it's not doing much.

For proper multicore applications like video-encoding the relative gain can be even larger since the standard boost of 3.7Ghz is usually not sustained if all the cores run at full load for a while.

Still, back in the days, you could even get 50% more performance from some CPUs relatively easily (custom cooler, somewhat more voltage, bus speed up and speed divider for RAM down). E.g. you could take a Celeron 300A from 300 to 450Mhz or a C2D 4300 from 1.8Ghz to 2.7Ghz which I used for almost 3 years without problems.

That overclocking can be easier nowadays is primarily because there is now automatic overclocking software which can do a decent job up to a medium overclock. The higher you go the more you have to fine tune the various parameters.

Ahhh nice! So presumably you can overclock just the single core used by Shogun 2 whilst leaving the others untouched. That way you are getting maximum performance in game without having to worry so much about overheating.

I guess as long as you're careful there are not significant risk factors?

[A Barbarian]

I guess as long as you're careful there are not significant risk factors?

The biggest risk with overclocking in my opinion is not so much physically damaging your hardware (as long as you monitor temperatures properly, don't raise voltages to unsafe values and you have a solid PSU with enough headroom) but corruption of your file system and/or OS installation since you will most certainly experience some application crashes and maybe even blue screens in the process. But in that regard, I found Windows 7 much more robust than Windows XP. My 2 year old son must have pressed the reset button of my PC already 10 times while I was in the middle of something. Despite those shocks and some crashes due to overclocking experiments my Windows 7 installation is still working just fine.

[Bearnation54]

I had a question regarding graphics cards, I will be building my own computer in the coming months and I was wondering is it better to get two decent graphic cards or one great one? And which brand is better? I know it was posted in the original post but I can't view it from my phone, all it says is placeholder

[A Barbarian]

@Bearnation54
In general 1 powerful card is preferable to 2 since there are quite a few problems and incompatibilities associated with 2 or more GPU setup.
Brand wise the market is in a constant flux and the best is to identify your favorite games which use the most GPU resources and then to look for
a) performance comparisons for those games between the different cards
b) any serious problems current drivers from AMD or NVIDIA might have with those games

That's a general advice but for more specific recommendations for great TW GPUs, it's probably best to keep an eye on the 1st post of this thread until Splenyi had the time to fill the placeholders

[Totalheadache]

I had a question regarding graphics cards, I will be building my own computer in the coming months and I was wondering is it better to get two decent graphic cards or one great one? And which brand is better? I know it was posted in the original post but I can't view it from my phone, all it says is placeholder

i prefer single gpu. sli/xfire (sli is for nvidia, amd is xfire) when it works (depends on the game/drivers and how much it scales) results in very good if not the best performance. i.e two 660 ti's or 7950's are for the money when they work very good.

however the caveat with total wars is sli/xfire can be a pain as you have to wait for patches/drivers. generally total wars seem to run better on nvidia.

in regards brands i'd say all are ok just check who gives what warranty..and then it's all about oc v standard versions. (evga in us are usually regarded in us for great cust service and step up scheme).

@barbarian something using the xspc dual res+pump costs around £100 then another £100 for blocks/tubing/fittings/radiator. depends on your case though as if you want to do CPU+GPU you ideally want a 360 radiator (thats x3 120mm fans for cooling) and there's only a few cases about that can fit one internally.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...962&catid=2141

getting this myself and selling my current. if you want i'll let u have it cheap (well it's used plus you cant screw the cap down 100percent..i think it's a design fault, still keeps my temps under 55c for cpu+gpu).

and re the noise mine is very quiet and that's in an hafx which is getting on. generally the pumps if cushioned arent noisy and the 3x fans you use on the radiator are generally low speed ones. (am using scythes atm which was wrong choice as they are a bit loud, that said i have them on low so its ok).

not having to listen to the gpu fan is wonderfull and no cpu fans! (that said i might invest in some headphones if i cant be bothered to put on another waterblock on a new gpu when i get it...also gpus are getting better n better in terms of fan noise).

[Bearnation54]

Thanks guys for your input I will definitely keep your suggestions in mind and follow this post closely

[Totalheadache]

Thanks guys for your input I will definitely keep your suggestions in mind and follow this post closely

it's def a double-edged sword re sli/xfire. for example you're laughing when playing something like bf3 with ultra settings then cursing when something like total war has stuttering or crashes..

plus u have to remember the increased power usuage and noise/heat.

[spartan_warrior]

it's def a double-edged sword re sli/xfire. for example you're laughing when playing something like bf3 with ultra settings then cursing when something like total war has stuttering or crashes..

plus u have to remember the increased power usuage and noise/heat.

I've never had any problems running any of the Total War games with my SLI 580s. Shogun 2 runs at a near constant 60 FPS, even in large battles I've never seen it drop below 40, and this is with everything maxed (except MSAA, which is set to 4x).

Yes of course SLI or Xfire will add extra heat/noise. But I game with headphones so the noise is hardly noticed. As for heat, as long as you have a case with good air flow its fine, even after long hours of gaming, I never really see my 2 580s pass 75C, nor my CPU which is overclocked to 4.5GHz ever pass 72C.

[Bearnation54]

Another question, monitors... There are so many damn ones to choose from and so many numbers involves with specs and I don't have any idea what it means, which are the best for price range 200-350

[xjlxking]

I had a question regarding graphics cards, I will be building my own computer in the coming months and I was wondering is it better to get two decent graphic cards or one great one? And which brand is better? I know it was posted in the original post but I can't view it from my phone, all it says is placeholder

ALWAYS go for single GPU over sli/crossfire or even single gpu that have 2 gpu in one. IE GTX 295 is like 2x GTX280. Yes, they have higher power but they are also more buggy and games aren't geared towards it. So again, single GPU are much better choice

[Xanthippus of Sparta]

I would love to see a guide about building a PC for Rome II.

My PC runs Shogun II very well, but I plan upon upgrading before RTWII hits the shelves.

[vietanh797]

...... Ok, now about the your post vietanh

PCIE 3.0 is actually more geared for the future, you will have trouble finding a game these days that will actually max out PCIE 2.0's bandwidth. So 3.0 isn't essential, but it's the best thing to get anyway because Ivy Bridge is currently the most modern CPU, and cost the same as the older ones.

About the RAM part you mentioned... TW seems to be very reliant on RAM speeds and size (which I forgot to mention earlier ), so this is a game when all your RAM specs can make a noticeable difference. 4GB will be fine for an i3 or a low end i5, but if your going with the i5 3570k, then 8GB of RAM will actually be used well.

It's not exactly correct to refer him to Gigabyte. On a budget, ASRock is definitely the best. They offer the exact same hardware features as the bigger brands, like Gigabyte, MSI, and ASUS, but they are a fair bit cheaper. The later 3 brands have better software though. But to be honest, if your on a tight budget, ASRock Z77 boards are they way to go. They also have the least return rates = more reliability. ASUS currently have the highest, which is quite shocking.

For the graphics card.... 7770 is not a good choice, it will only run good on S2 if you pair it with a high end CPU. It's definitely worth investing the few more bucks into a 7850, or better yet, even a few more for the 7870 (owning the best price/performance ratio on the market right now). The lowest end "gaming" graphics cards are the 7850 and 600, any lower and you will notice a huge drop in performance.

Your post on PSU is well stated, but 750W is only going to be necessary for SLI or CFX. My friend has 2 7970's running on a 760W PSU and it never maxes it out, runs amazing.

And yeah, with a HDD you only want to choose between Hitachi, Seagate and Western Digital (in order of reliability; WD most reliable). It's best to get 1TB drives of these, because any higher will have multiple platter = less reliability (although most people wont ever see it fail, so its only a tiny difference, not worth considering, so forget I mentioned it ).

Well I also plan to do upgrade later which save money so that's why I suggested a ivy bridge.

I think with bus 1333 4GB ram is good but still it only cost you 1 or 2 ram slots for 4 GB, we can easily buy another 4GB since ram are cheap now, out of everything ram is most easy one to upgrade. That should not be a problem

I mostly use MB from Gigabyte since I use them for quite a long time(each MB for 5 years at least). This brand seem unlikely to have a broken down or dead chip compare to others.

I am using i3 2100(which is sandy bridge but I don't have money to upgrade it now so have to live with it) and HD7770(yeah that make this card run at PCIEx16 2.0) and it work pretty good for me here so I don't think I will need to upgrade for Rome 2, of course if you want a max settings then HD7770 not a good choice but I not aim for max settings. Also bugget wise HD7770 is cheaper than 650GT i believed.

750W PSU should be need if you running a i7 with some high consuming card, for a HD7770 which only need about 80W then a 500W PSU(actually 450W is already fine) is fine but a card need 150W-200W then I really think you will need 750W PSU which allow you to upgrade later on

I agree about HDD


My old system was Pen E 3.1 Ghz ram 3GB, inno 3D 8600GT DDR3 and it still can run S2 (lol I was expecting that I able to run Rome 2 with that PC but my last job gave me a chance to get my current system)