EQ Next/FFXIV ARR/Archeage – Max settings - Please help/advise

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Sep 4, 2012
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Hi guys!

I've gotten help on a build from this site in previous years but wanted to build a new SFF that could play these three games on max settings (FFXIV ARR/EQ Next/Archeage) (also keep in mind I had friends build my last 2 rigs but they aren't available anymore and neither are the parts) I'm a beginner and until recently was going to get a laptop, but I've been convinced to get a SFF. Any help or advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! :)

1. What will you be doing with this PC?

I'll be playing MMORPG's on maximum settings for EQ Next, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Archeage, specifically. :D I don't need First person shooter or NASA grade capabilities, but enough for max settings on the mmorpg's listed and if possible the capability to upgrade for the next 2-3 years to try and stay max for mmorpg's that could come out down the road.

2. What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included in this budget? Is your budget flexible? Is cost a driving factor in component selection?

$850 flexible (budget with monitor is $1000 so I'm taking out $150ish for a monitor). *Please note for the budget, I'm more focused on getting the job done, I.E. being able to play the 3 games on max settings, as opposed to either getting the fastest/most expensive machine possible or hitting my budget but ending up gimped and on medium settings). So if I need to go higher in budget to hit max settings of the games listed I will, but only if its a necessity. (In my experience, overkill today is worth nothing down the road, though the ability to have the option to make upgrades for the next 2 years worth of games is enticing so I don't mind spending on that, if it will allow me to replace older parts and install new parts to stay up to date.)
(there is tax in my state of around 6 percent but don't worry about it). Last side note: I tried this before both with Age of Conan and Aion and was sadly surprised how 2 months after release my PC was gimped for those games. So going a bit overbudget is fine if you think it will save me some heartache in the future. I want to be able to check all those boxes that say bloom etc etc hehe.

3. Where do you live? Do you have any big B&M (brick and mortar) computer chains nearby (e.g. Microcenter, Fry's, etc)?

Houston, Texas. Microcenter and Fry’s are close.


4. What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.

Case:
CPU:
Cooler:
Video Card:
Motherboard:
Memory:
HDD:
Optical:
PSU: has to be over 600 to support a gaming video card right?
OS:
SSD:
Sound card:


This is all I know I have to buy. If there is something else I need to buy in order to get this thing running and playing games (besides a monitor, mouse, and speakers), please let me know.

5. If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. For reused parts, list brands, model #s, and, if applicable, firmware revisions.

None

6. What specific features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc. Which is more important, size of the system or having the particular feature? Make sure you indicate *required* vs. *wanted* for each feature you list.

Don't know of any specific features (nooblet) I would need for mmorpg gaming.

7. What resolution output do you need? 1080p, 720p, DVD quality, etc for HTPC or list Vertical/horizontal resolution for non-HTPC SFF rigs. Do you need multiple monitor output?

1080p HDMI minimum. No multiple monitor output required.


8. Does this system need to fit into a particular space? Think entertainment center shelves, closet space, rackmount, etc.

Able to fit as a carry-on 55cm×40cm×25cm (22×16×10 inches) or in a backpack. Does not need a handle.

9. How comfortable are you with custom case design/modification and electrical wiring? What tools do you have (Screwdrivers/Leatherman, Drill, Dremel, Metal snips, Soldering Iron, Bending Brake, CNC/Welding machines/Plasma cutter, etc...)?

No experience with any of the above. I can buy tools if needed. Haven’t built a PC before but last resort can spend $99 dollars at Fry's to have them build it.

10. How important is the noise/silence of this sytem? HTPCs typically want to be quiet while all-out SFF gaming rigs don't care

Noise/silence isn’t too big a deal unless its loud enough for someone in a room next door to get upset about.

11. How mobile does this system need to be? Need a carrying handle or carrying straps? Is weight important (carry-on bag, etc)? Water cooling quick disconnects, etc?

Would have to be a carry-on on a plane capable. So I'd have to be able to get rid of the water in the water cooler. No handles required. (I guess I could wrap it in bubble wrap and put it in with luggage but I'm afraid it would get rocked in there, so I'd rather put it in the upper storage compartment

12. Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit? Remember that OEM copies of Win7 have issues with new motherboards

No. Though I could just buy Windows 8 unless someone else can recommend a free OS that would be fine.

13. When do you plan on building/buying the PC?

Inbetween now and the next 2 months.


Thanks for any help you can provide to me!:) Apologies for the long read! :p

Timetrapper
 
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Without knowing the specific system requirements I can only guess as to what will run them MAX for the next few years. The following system should be close but is over budget(about $250 over).
I highly advise you to wait for more replies or look up the system requirement and check them against the parts I list. If the case I select is too big we can go smaller.
I have gone with an Intel system as most of the "good" AMD chips require full ATX motherboards with in turn lead to larger cases.

Go to Microcenter for these:

Processor - Intel Core i5 4670K Boxed Cpu
Motherboard - ASRock Z87M Extreme4 Socket LGA 1150 mATX motherboard

Total for just these two should be around $309 out the door. Why buy these here? Not only are K processors cheaper at Microcenter vs online, they also get you a $40 discount on a motherboard.

Search online(Amazon, Newegg, Etx) or in local stores for the following:

Case - Cooler Master N200 Case
CPU Cooler - Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO Cpu Cooler *Optional* if not overclocking
Video Card - Asus GTX760-DC2OC-2GD5 GeForce GTX 760 Or similar card
Memory - G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1600 Or Something Similar
PSU - Corsair CX500M 500W Modular Power Supply
SSD - Samsung 840 Series MZ-7TD250BW 2.5" 250GB SSD
Optical - Any OEM DVD-Buner such as Asus, Lite-On, or Samsung
OS - Microsoft Windows 8 64-bit (Full Version) - OEM

I priced all of the above stuff(not including CPU+Motherboard) on Newegg and it was about $780 shipped. It also had another $30 or so in rebates if you want to deal with them.
I also priced out some of things at Amazon. Some stuff was cheaper on Newegg and some was cheaper on Amazon. Shop around at sites you trust for the best deal.

All told the whole system would be a little under $1100 with tax and shipping to you.

I hope this wall of text is at least somewhat helpful and doesn't cause you to pull your hair out. :D
 
1. Here are the recommended requirements for FFXIV: ARR, though not sure if they are too vague or for max settings:

Operating System: Windows® 7 64 bit
Processor: Intel® Core™ i5
Graphics: NVIDIA® Geforce® GTX 660 or higher, AMD Radeon™ HD 7950 or higher
Memory: 4GB of RAM.
Disk Space: 20GB.

2. I found this bench mark spreadsheet that rates CPU & graphic card combos on the scale below

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnFkM1_JharvdGlIc0dwMmcyWDVoR1gzTGp2UlJUVmc#gid=0

[7000 and over] Extremely High Performance
Easily capable of running the game on the highest settings.
[5000–6999] Very High Performance
Easily capable of running the game. Should perform exceptionally well, even at higher resolutions.
[3500-4999] High Performance
Easily capable of running the game. Should perform well, even at higher resolutions.
[2500-3499] Fairly High Performance
Capable of running the game on default settings. Consider switching to a higher resolution depending on performance.
[2000-2499] Standard Performance
Capable of running the game on default settings.
[1500-1999] Slightly Low Performance
Changes to Settings Recommended Capable of running the game, but will experience slowdown. Adjusting settings may improve performance.
[1000-1499] Low Performance
Changes to Settings Required Capable of running the game, but will experience considerable slowdown. Adjusting settings is unlikely to improve performance.
[Under 1000] Insufficient Performance
Does not meet specifications for running the game.


3. As for the case you mentioned, it's too big I think, based off the youtube videos I saw. I think I may go with Silverstone SG07 unless its obsolete or something out there is better for the same size (or is it impossible to find)? (I was recommended it in 2012, so I wasn't sure if something else released better.

I just got back from fry's and learned something new. For the jist of it the guy at frys said:

A case that would fit inside a backpack/carry-on wouldn't have the power supply that a gaming video card could play on.

I initially found these two, were of acceptable size but the fry's guy said the power supply was 300 and I needed at least 600 for a gaming video card.

Raidmax ITX0907BP http://www.frys.com/product/6145869#detailed H 5.31" W 9.45" Depth 11.35"
Raidmax ATX626BP http://www.frys.com/product/6514683#detailed

And these were too big and I don't think there is any way i could fit this as a carry-on hah. They seemed regular size to me, I dont know how i'd get these on a plane haha, but he said they were 600, but these are a no go as they are too huge.

Silverstone PS07 http://www.frys.com/product/6908857#detailed
Silverstone TJ08B http://www.frys.com/product/6730015?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

I think the Silverstone SG07 8.74" x 7.48" x 13.78" may fit in a backpack or as a carryon in a box. Does anyone know first hand? I haven't seen on in real life, only on youtube.
 
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Change the case to a Cooler Master Elite 120 Advanced.

Change the motherboard to H87M-ITX LGA 1150 mini ITX Intel Motherboard.

Drop the Hyper 212 Evo cooler.

Keep the other hardware the same and should work fine.
 
Spring for at least a 4770k.

MMOs are insanely CPU bound in general, and there are more computations going on in these newer games than ever before (destructible terrain for instance). My buddy saw a jump from 35 to 50 FPS in GW2 from switching from a 2500k to a 3770k. Some of my guild mates in Rift couldn't get over 20 FPS in raids because they had a weaker CPU.

Cut whatever else you need to, but a high-end processor is a must if you want a good experience playing next-gen MMOs.
 
The i7-4770k is another $80 from Microcenter, if you want to make the leap more power to you. I still think the i5 will get the job done for less. If you need to cut something, you can swap the SDD for a traditional HDD(7200 RPM). I don't know that a 120-128GB sdd would be large enough for Windows and multiple MMOs and a smaller SDD + HDD is going to cost almost as much as the large SDD anyway.
 
Yeah, MC should have it for $280 + the $40 off a motherboard.

As for the SG07 its a nice, small case but its also very expensive because of the included 600w psu. The major downsides are price and the PSU is not modular(can't remove the cables you don't need).
 
Ok, I'm going to head to micro center today.

Also, should I get an external hard drive? I read that they can be used as the main drives for SFF builds. If so, which one/what size?

Or should I just stick with getting an external hard drive as a back up, just like some portable 500 gig one?
 
Ok, I'm going to head to micro center today.

Also, should I get an external hard drive? I read that they can be used as the main drives for SFF builds. If so, which one/what size?

Or should I just stick with getting an external hard drive as a back up, just like some portable 500 gig one?

I personally would not use an external drive as my primary. If you feel you want more primary drive space either go with a smaller SSD+HDD combo or just a HDD. If you just want to back up the system or store media an external drive is fine.

Take the parts list with you and see if you can find some of it at MC just to price them out and see if you can look at the case I mentioned or other small ones(according to the website they do carry both the Cooler Master N200 and Elite 120 in the Houston store). Make note of what Socket 1150 ITX motherboards they actually have in store. The only one I saw online was the AsRock H87M-ITX. Also you need to decide if you want to overclock the cpu in the future or if you just want to upgrade it. If you want to overclock you will need a Z87 based motherboard instead of a H87 based board. We will also need to look into a low profile after market cpu cooler instead of the stock one.

You don't have to rush out and start buying everything today. The MC discount is always running and for the other bits prices may drop. There is also the chance this case may be out in the next month or so: http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master...oler-Master-Mini-ITX-Computer-RC-130-KKN1-AMZ The Cooler Master Elite 130 is the successor to the Elite 120. Its been cleaned up internally, open mesh front, and drive cage is removable without modding for easy water cooler installation. Note that the Elite 130 will be roughly the same size as the Elite 120. If you see the Elite 120 in store and feel its too large we can go smaller still but parts will need to be changed.
 
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Went to MC today, checked out the Elite 120, it's the perfect size. Like goldilocks, not too large not too small. I was so happy with the Elite 120 size I forgot to check out the cooler master N200 haha.

I don't mind waiting for the Elite 130, I was building this puppy for a game slated to come out on 8/27/2013, so I can see if there is any news for the 130 in the next couple of weeks.

This is gonna be sweet!

*****EDIT - I've just become aware of the Silver Stone SG08 and I verified its dimensions to the dimensions of a carry on for the airline and it fits in! Let me know what you guys think!
 
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Why the K processor with an H87 motherboard?

He doesn't plan to OC and it was the cheapest 1150 ITX board they had, that combo was also cheaper than the non-K + board because of the $40 off. The K model will also have a higher resale if he decides to upgrade and sell it down the road.
 
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The SFF is assembled and I'm using it to write this post! I'd like to give a special thanks to :DSithSolo1:D for all of the big-time help!!!!:cool:

I'd also like to say thanks to everyone who responded & gave feedback/info to me on this thread. Can't wait for 2 more days for final fantasy xiv: a realm reborn to come out and I can test this puppy out on max! (If you are planning to play FFXIV: ARR pm me and I can try to meet up in-game.)

Case - Silverstone SST-SG08B Mini ITX Desktop Case w/600W Power Supply
CPU - Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard - ASRock H87M-ITX Mini ITX LGA1150 Motherboard
Video Card - EVGA GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card
Memory - G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1600
SSD - Samsung 840 Series MZ-7TD250BW 2.5" 250GB SSD
Optical - Samsung SN-208DB/BEBET DVD/CD Writer
OS - Microsoft Windows 8 64-bit (Full Version) - OEM

Best regards,

Timetrapper
 
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