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

[Bearnation54]

I was looking to buy this monitor for my new computer, what do you guys think?

ASUS VG248QE
Panel Size : Wide Screen 24.0"(61.0cm) 16:9
Color Saturation : 72%(NTSC)
Panel Backlight / Type : WLED/ TN
True Resolution : 1920x1080
Full HD 1080P : Yes
Pixel Pitch : 0.2768mm
Brightness(Max) : 350 cd/㎡
ASUS Smart Contrast Ratio (ASCR) : 80000000:1
Viewing Angle (CR≧10) : 170°(H)/160°(V)
Response Time : 1ms (Gray to Gray)
Display Colors : 16.7M
Refresh Rate: 144 hz

[Totalheadache]

I was looking to buy this monitor for my new computer, what do you guys think?

ASUS VG248QE
Panel Size : Wide Screen 24.0"(61.0cm) 16:9
Color Saturation : 72%(NTSC)
Panel Backlight / Type : WLED/ TN
True Resolution : 1920x1080
Full HD 1080P : Yes
Pixel Pitch : 0.2768mm
Brightness(Max) : 350 cd/㎡
ASUS Smart Contrast Ratio (ASCR) : 80000000:1
Viewing Angle (CR≧10) : 170°(H)/160°(V)
Response Time : 1ms (Gray to Gray)
Display Colors : 16.7M
Refresh Rate: 144 hz

refresh rate 144hz? mmm looks odd...most I have seen is 120hz and thats a 3d screen.

am no expert but was told to avoid tn panels and go for an ips if poss..

something like this

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...=17&catid=1425

[A Barbarian]

am no expert but was told to avoid tn panels and go for an ips if poss

The Dell U2312HM is a very good monitor but in direct comparison, I still preferred a ASUS 24" TN panel to it. There are no perfect monitors around and no current panel technology is without drawbacks. Therefore, every choice is a compromise and it essentially comes down to personal preferences and usage patterns. Also, almost every single monitor often has a number of smaller and bigger production flaws (like dead pixels, backlight bleeding, buzzing power supply, ...) which can make a specific unit unattractive. Finding the monitor can be quite a chore.

[Bearnation54]

What's the difference between tn and ips monitors? I thought 144hz was weird to but Asus is a pretty trustable brand maybe it's a marketing gimmick

[A Barbarian]

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/articles...es_content.htm

Biggest differences:

+IPS: Color richness, viewing angles
-IPS: IPS Glow (screen corners may appear greyish instead of black with dark content in dark room), longer response time (although newer models are now also quite fast)

+TN: Still allow for fastest refresh rate and lowest response times (but usually only important for competitive online FP shooters), cheaper to produce than IPS and therefore for the same money as IPS monitors you can get a TN monitor with better quality control and less secondary problems.
-TN: Colors not as nice as IPS, viewing angles are rather limited (but doesn't really matter if you only one person uses it)


The 144Hz are not a marketing gimmick but only introduced to have an edge over 120Hz monitors. Although to really make use of those refresh rates in games you also need a powerful graphics card(s) (and usually lower graphical settings).

[Biggus Splenus]

@ Totalheadache - I know mixing and matching different graphics cards isn't practical, I was just saying that it is possible, that's what the guy asked and that's what I answered.... no need to dis me.

refresh rate 144hz? mmm looks odd...most I have seen is 120hz and thats a 3d screen.

It's a very new monitor by ASUS. It's not specifically for 3D, which is what makes it special. It's supposed to bring that mega-high refresh rate from 3D monitors, put it into a regular high-end monitor, so people that don't want 3D can enjoy those high refresh rates.

It's a very good monitor. But while talking about monitors, I think sometime this year (or early next year), there will be a 100% move from manufacturers from regular monitors to touch-screen monitors. This is obviously because of Windows 8. It will make the cost of touch screens significantly cheaper, because everyone is selling them, and everyone will be buying them.

At the moment, you will need to spend around $500 for a decent touchscreen

Just thought I would bring that up.

[Totalheadache]

@ Totalheadache - I know mixing and matching different graphics cards isn't practical, I was just saying that it is possible, that's what the guy asked and that's what I answered.... no need to dis me.


It's a very new monitor by ASUS. It's not specifically for 3D, which is what makes it special. It's supposed to bring that mega-high refresh rate from 3D monitors, put it into a regular high-end monitor, so people that don't want 3D can enjoy those high refresh rates.

It's a very good monitor. But while talking about monitors, I think sometime this year (or early next year), there will be a 100% move from manufacturers from regular monitors to touch-screen monitors. This is obviously because of Windows 8. It will make the cost of touch screens significantly cheaper, because everyone is selling them, and everyone will be buying them.

At the moment, you will need to spend around $500 for a decent touchscreen

Just thought I would bring that up.

actually if you read what I said you cant mix different vrams i.e 2/4gb. am not dissing you (no need to go schoolyard on me), just correcting you.

if you are gonna post re computer stuff make sure you do your homework first.

[A Barbarian]

I think sometime this year (or early next year), there will be a 100% move from manufacturers from regular monitors to touch-screen monitors. This is obviously because of Windows 8. It will make the cost of touch screens significantly cheaper, because everyone is selling them, and everyone will be buying them.

Sorry, no chance. There are a lot of reasons but the biggest is probably: Who is going to tap on a screen in front of him much? Nobody! Touchscreens in small devices which you hold in your hand or on your lap is one thing but using touch on a big monitor in front of you isn't very comfortable. Also, there are technologies like Leap Motion which are better suited and more powerful than just a touch screen.

[Bolkonsky]

Leap Motion's better but consistent distribution is almost impossible. You can't rely on someone having a leap motion, whereas if all monitors become touch, developers of new software and OS will know that all new productions on the market will be touch. Plus, people are already familiar with touch screens on tablets. Support for Leap Motion will not be very good, if past market trends are any indicators, sadly.

The whole touch/waving your hands around is a huge gimmick anyways. They've already hooked computers up to quadriplegics and effectively used "brain control" and the Galaxy S4 will have eye control, will it not? Those two things are the future (brain control moreso than eye control, but eye control is cheaper and easier to implement so it will come and go before brain control) and the whole touch era will eventually become a forgotten fad.

actually if you read what I said you cant mix different vrams i.e 2/4gb. am not dissing you (no need to go schoolyard on me), just correcting you.

SLI lets you. It just uses the lowest common denominator. So if you have a 2GB and a 4GB, it limits the 4GB to 2GB. Just because everything has to be mirrored.

[Totalheadache]

Leap Motion's better but consistent distribution is almost impossible. You can't rely on someone having a leap motion, whereas if all monitors become touch, developers of new software and OS will know that all new productions on the market will be touch. Plus, people are already familiar with touch screens on tablets. Support for Leap Motion will not be very good, if past market trends are any indicators, sadly.

The whole touch/waving your hands around is a huge gimmick anyways. They've already hooked computers up to quadriplegics and effectively used "brain control" and the Galaxy S4 will have eye control, will it not? Those two things are the future (brain control moreso than eye control, but eye control is cheaper and easier to implement so it will come and go before brain control) and the whole touch era will eventually become a forgotten fad.


SLI lets you. It just uses the lowest common denominator. So if you have a 2GB and a 4GB, it limits the 4GB to 2GB. Just because everything has to be mirrored.

actually am not sure about this...I read quite a few conflicting posts on the subject. some people think it's as you say and others say dont mix 2gb and 4gb full stop as it wont work.

http://www.evga.com/forums/tm.aspx?m=1647854&mpage=1 (i have seen threads where people say u can sli 2gb and 4gb and only 2gb is used).

either way it's pointless..

p.s unless u have first hand experience or know of someone...i'd bet crazyeyesreaper knows for sure..

[stradar1]

I already have my pc built for Rome 2 total war

[Biggus Splenus]

actually if you read what I said you cant mix different vrams i.e 2/4gb. am not dissing you (no need to go schoolyard on me), just correcting you.

if you are gonna post re computer stuff make sure you do your homework first.

sorry for going schoolyard.

But yeah, it definitely is possible for most of the cards, but it's pointless. That was my point essentially.

[General George S. Patton]

i think that for total war u could put the touchscreen flat on a table and us it as sort of a touch and drag battle command thing, that might be cool

[Biggus Splenus]

Yeah. Some people are against touch interfaces, and therefore call it rubbish and will try to convince everyone else not to get it. I like touch surfaces, I think they are much better to use then a mouse for just general purpose browsing, but I wont advise anyone to buy one at this time because they are just too damn expensive right now, which is why I don't have one yet.

[gargarensi]

Hey guys, I'm putting together a new build. Can anyone give me insight how this will run current games and the likelihood of running R2TW on high or very high

Powercolor 7870 MYST edition
Crucial 256 GB SSD
i5 3570k
8 GB DDR3 RAM

[Sharpe]

This is all so complicated.

[Jedi]

A bit unless you keep up to date ^^


That 144hz screen aint that bad though but if it is for rome and only rome it is a bad choice.Those monitors like 144fps ALL the time and if you try running sub 70fps on them it is apparantly not very nice and not smooth? For a FPS game where aim matters like COD,L4D and reducing general screen smearing and blurring on LCD then it might be worth it but for RTS you are better served by a DELL IPS screen and running at 40-60fps with VSYNC capping your fps to 60.

I looked at one myself and the best is the samsung 120hz 23" but they are EOL and cant be bought anymore.There is very little difference in 144fps and 120fps.There is a huge difference in the hardware needed to stay above 120fps in games though.You need 7970's and 4.6ghz+ I7 cpu's for that in BF3.

Rome II on the soon to be released Dell U3013 (march 2013) or U2711 is as good as it gets unless you can afford a 4K res LCD.


http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell_u3011.htm Go to the motion test section and compare the images with the 2012 dell screen and the 120hz samsung.This gives an idea of how an image looks when moving.I see the two heads instead of one as there is a trail and it gives me headaches and what not but the image quality is so inferior to IPS that i put up with eye issue's and headaches.

[PROMETHEUS ts]

What I would like is that CA focus on getting the pc the use of 64 bit so to use more ram ....


Unfortunately seems they didn't want to implement it in their game saying that most players do still run on 32 bit computers....


I am very disappointed about it to not be able to use my 32 gb of ram ...

[Totalheadache]

A bit unless you keep up to date ^^


That 144hz screen aint that bad though but if it is for rome and only rome it is a bad choice.Those monitors like 144fps ALL the time and if you try running sub 70fps on them it is apparantly not very nice and not smooth? For a FPS game where aim matters like COD,L4D and reducing general screen smearing and blurring on LCD then it might be worth it but for RTS you are better served by a DELL IPS screen and running at 40-60fps with VSYNC capping your fps to 60.

I looked at one myself and the best is the samsung 120hz 23" but they are EOL and cant be bought anymore.There is very little difference in 144fps and 120fps.There is a huge difference in the hardware needed to stay above 120fps in games though.You need 7970's and 4.6ghz+ I7 cpu's for that in BF3.

Rome II on the soon to be released Dell U3013 (march 2013) or U2711 is as good as it gets unless you can afford a 4K res LCD.


http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell_u3011.htm Go to the motion test section and compare the images with the 2012 dell screen and the 120hz samsung.This gives an idea of how an image looks when moving.I see the two heads instead of one as there is a trail and it gives me headaches and what not but the image quality is so inferior to IPS that i put up with eye issue's and headaches.

^approve. am waiting for a 120hz IPS panel if it's gonna be made (hopefully). will be expensive but my current benq ips still looks good 5yrs on...

@prometheus 32 gb ram is overkill, amount of ram makes very little difference to framerate. perhaps 5fps with higher ram speeds + 64 bit optimised game.

framerate is all overclocked cpu+right gpu for the right screen size and an "optimised" game. sadly total wars arent.

i had a quick flirt with shogun2 the other day and couldnt stand the still slightly choppy campaign screen and then the ever present melee lag when i zoomed in. also only a few turns i had some units with pathfinding issues. am still playing napoleon which i think is a gem!

[Jedi]

^approve. am waiting for a 120hz IPS panel if it's gonna be made (hopefully). will be expensive but my current benq ips still looks good 5yrs on...

@prometheus 32 gb ram is overkill, amount of ram makes very little difference to framerate. perhaps 5fps with higher ram speeds + 64 bit optimised game.

framerate is all overclocked cpu+right gpu for the right screen size and an "optimised" game. sadly total wars arent.

i had a quick flirt with shogun2 the other day and couldnt stand the still slightly choppy campaign screen and then the ever present melee lag when i zoomed in. also only a few turns i had some units with pathfinding issues. am still playing napoleon which i think is a gem!

I would hazard a guess the campaign screen issue might just be 60hz.... who knows if 120hz would eliminate it but there is actual ips screens that do 120hz but they are grey imports from korea and no one knows how long it will last and the stock is incredibly rare.Maybe 10 screens per year? www.120hz.net

I must get it on again as i aint ran shogun 2 on my 3570k and 2133mhz ram but napoleon slightly lags with melee also.Although i run with 400 men per unit on ultra SSAO off i had to uninstall it due to the AI.They simply come at me in one single line with 400 men per unit and its awful.I can pretty much line the infantry up and go afk as long as my melee stats are superior to thiers.That is the only time i ever struggle is when thier lines converge in the middle.

Ive even watched them flanked by a second army of militia and start turning and going complete spastic on me while im shooting at them with volleys lol