Questions to CA from those of us building a new PC specifically for Rome 2

[Outlaw]

Hey folks, I know I am not alone here in saying I will be building a PC right before Rome 2 is released. Can we have a thread discussing this and maybe shoot off some technical questions to CA?

[Sir Pignans]

Hopefully they'll release the specs a month or so before the game comes out. If not, I'll just buy £1000 computer of something. That should be enough, hopefully, to run the game on medium/high settings.

[HaveFallen]

Hopefully they'll release the specs a month or so before the game comes out. If not, I'll just buy £1000 computer of something. That should be enough, hopefully, to run the game on medium/high settings.

That should be waaaay more than enough. Perhaps I don't know how you are with computers, but I suggest you not buy one, but build one. With that money you could get a computer that's sure fire to max TW:Rome II.

[Sir Pignans]

That should be waaaay more than enough. Perhaps I don't know how you are with computers, but I suggest you not buy one, but build one. With that money you could get a computer that's sure fire to max TW:Rome II.

I'm with computers, and I tend to buy a computer, then not buy a new one for 5 or so years. My current desktop for example, pretty sure it was made in 2004-6. How do you build computers? You mean assemble them yourself? Or custom-design one on the interwebz?

[dom385]

I'm with computers, and I tend to buy a computer, then not buy a new one for 5 or so years. My current desktop for example, pretty sure it was made in 2004-6. How do you build computers? You mean assemble them yourself? Or custom-design one on the interwebz?

I'm probably on an equal level of hopelesness with computers but I managed to build one not long ago. It's not nearly as difficult as you'd imagine, especially if you go on the basement sub forum on here, they're very helpful, I gave a budget and someone picked all the stuff out for me.

It does only have 4G on RAM so I might buy 2G more or something before I get rome 2.

[Totalheadache]

http://forums.guru3d.com/

Usefull site for pc advice.

If you are building a pc specifically for tw's you might be disappointed as it's a badly optimised engine. That said list budget and we can list you parts. Do this in the basement better.

I'd say get yourself a decent 22inch screen, decent quad that you can overclock and min 2 gb gpu. 4 gb ram is still enough but you'll mostly have more as new pcs builds tend to have more (usually 6 or 8 atm).

Dont buy alienware or pre-builts.

Ram makes very little diff to games perf. Gpu vram is another matter..

p.s dont skimp on a decent aftermarket cooler. ocing cpu is extra fps (look at +20 with cpu+gpu ocs).

[AngryTitusPullo]

Wait for next gen Intel CPU and next gen graphic card.

Or buy now Ivy bridge and upgrade the graphic card later on.

[Outlaw]

Sir Piggins, just buy the parts seperate and pay a computer store to assemble it for under $50. You have time from now and then to work with a budget and read reviews on hardware.

@LesaT when do you think that will be?

[AngryTitusPullo]

Not sure. Haven't read much of the tech stuff but if I remember the next gen of Intel (Haswell ?) will be release next year I think.

[Outlaw]

Expect to pay top dollar for it :/

[cevap]

Im just planning on buying a new GPU, I have an ATI 5850 now and it plays S2:TW like a dream so Im probably cash out on a new card right before Rome.
Im still undecided on Nvidia or ATI but in 18 months who knows what will be the most powerful for 200/300 Euros/whatever-currency-EU-will-be-using-then

But Im sure its best to wait as S2 has a tendency to not support some hardware (a friend was very unlucky in building a pc) so asking CA here to recommend something is a great idea but its probably too soon for them to say

[AngryTitusPullo]

Yes. We'll probably know in a month before release at the earliest depending on whether nVidia or AMD pays more to feature on the starting video.

I certainly would love TW to go back to nVidia to code their new graphic features as I'm planning to go back to nVidia for my new rig next year.

[Darkragnar]

i dont know if buying a haswell processor would be a good idea to play Rome 2 because its going to be coming out in the same year as the game and i don't know if they would actually code the game taking advantage of the haswell's new feature maybe i could be wrong.

[Shaggy1973]

I would be interested to know if CA will have a partnership with AMD still, and be heavily optimised for that GPU architecture?

kind of hope not cos their drivers suck for other games i like and their crossfire particularly is very glitchy in some games. i'd prefer to jump ship to nvidia as they seem, well better really.

as guess as this is still going to be warscape this is a - no we will stick with AMD for now... answer.

[AngryTitusPullo]

They build Shogun 2 with help from Intel too. Game (and software) developers gets early access usually to new hardware be if CPU or GPU.

Anyway the best case scenarios is to stick with Sandy or Ivy for Intel and probably Phenom II for AMD since this is I think will make up the bulk of CA/SEGA testing hardware for the game so it's much more optimized. We know the usual story where the games sometimes runs better upon release with mid range set ups since these set ups use to be the high ends when the game is being developed but in time with patches the new generations of hardware will become better through further driver updates and so on.

So I think (with my limited knowledge regarding hardware/software) the good short term instant benefit will be using the mid range set ups (last generation hardware by the time of game release) or for long term future benefit to use the latest available hardware at the time of your purchase.

[Adufka]

I am planning to buy I7 2700k or higher i will see..and GTX 670..with these u can play at max resolution ..I am sure.. now i have old quad 6600,and GTX 460 OC and i can play Shogun 2 at high...

[AngryTitusPullo]

Get Ivy Bridge. I've read somewhere that Ivy on stock beats Sandy OC on Shogun 2 test.

[Darkragnar]

These Tests?
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=542432

[AngryTitusPullo]

Yes.

[a tw player]

Haswell processor and a GTX 770 and you'll be good to go