BF3: AMD or Intel...? and some other hardware q's....

[bobz]

Hey peeps,

I got a couple of questions for ya.

So, here is mah problem. I want to build a new rig to play BF3 smoothly on at least high settings. I am sure I aint happy bout BF3 cuz it runs shitty on mah pc. So I can't decide if I want an AMD system or 1 from Intel. Should I get a quadcore or higher...? I am also wondering which videocard will do what I want.

Can you guys help me decide on those issues? Post some pro's and cons on both cpu's and which videocard I should pick...

Greetz Bobz

8O

[Amance]

Hello,

Three weeks ago, I built my new configuration for Battlefield 3.

I am a huge gaming hardware enthusiast, and I carefully studied the market before buying.

Before going any further, it is important to know some more about your needs.

1- Make an approximation of your budget

2- Do you have any components that you want to keep from your previous configuration (cd driver, hard disque drive, power supply, computer case, RAM etc...).

3- Obviously, your computer need is "gaming", but what "smoothly" means for you ? In my opinion, a good framerate is 60 frames per second - constant. Constant means that when there is smoke, people and explosions around you, it doesn't go below 60. This is the adapted condition for high level competition gaming. Some will say that 30 is ok, and some will disagree with everything I said previously. So what do YOU think ?

To start, I'll give you an exellent quality price CPU/MB/GPU configuration:

Intel I5 2500K + Fan Cooler master Hyper 212 Plus
Mothership Asus P8P67 Revision B3
Radeon 6870 HD

Justification:
The chipset P67 coupled with the 2500k offers you an extreme overclocking capability WITHOUT raising the CPU voltage. This is simple and there is no risk. I overclocked my 3.3Ghz to 4.4Ghz in 5 minutes...My computer is stable, and the 2500K doesn't go higher than 50° in game.

The Radeon 6870 HD is not the best GPU available, but this the best bang for your buck. Its performance are very closed from the Geforce 560 ti, but 25% cheaper. This is a middlle range GPU (About 150 euros).

I could keep going for a while but I'll wait to have more information.

[SnakeXT]

Its a good read, Im no nerd when it comes to custom builds, I almost screwed up making mine which is like over 4 years old now, so for BF3 im scared to having to make a new build or just go for a ready made one.

[bobz]

@ Amance and other enthousiasts...

I was a bit nerdy too, a couple of years ago. I had to chill down a bit, cuz I had no proper resources to keep on building. So I kinda lost interest... But then came BF3 (was a BIG fan of BF2 and played it on highend stuff at that time) and saw some awsome builds here on the forum, so I wanted to get back into the nice grafics and so on. I have studied the market also, but I don't have a clue which parts are better at the moment... Â*:oops: That's why I made this thread.

The budget aint big, but willing to wait a bit longer to save a bit more. I can wait... (waited 1 year to play BF2) I most probarbly gonna buy it part by part over a long period of time. Let's just say €500,- and I could go a bit higher, I guess...

I will need these components:

- Case (Currently I own a microtower and looking for something bigger. Nothing fancy. No need for an early X-mas...)
- Motherboard
- CPU (might go for the advised i5)
- Videocard (Huge Nvidia fan, so probarbly want to use the 560, if it will accomplish the 60 FPS you recommended)
- At least 8 Gigidies of RAM (have 6 ATM)
- CPU-cooler (thinking of the V8 from coolermaster)
- Power supply (Still have a 450 Watts laying around, somewhere... But it won't do the job for the 560 I guess...)
- Good USB-mic
- A 6.35mm or 1/4" jack headphone.
- Real skill...?

Components I want to use from previous builds:

- Harddrive
- DVD-drive
- 6 gigidies of RAM (will upgrade with more RAM)
- 64-bit Windows7 Ultimate
- Razerâ„¢ Salmosa (I don't like tons of buttons...)
- Samsung syncmaster T200HD monitor
- E-mu 0404 soundcard (pro studio soundcard)

It just needs to run smoothly, by that I meant it shouldn't lag at all...

Hopefully I gave you enough to work with.

Greetz Bobz

8O

[Amance]

Battlefield 3:
Resolution - 1680 x 1050
Details - High
Goal: about 60fps - constant

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Let's make a first estimation (picked from French online retailers).

CPU:

Intel i5 2500K - about 180€
Asus P8P67 B3 - about 125€
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus - about 30€

Video card :

Geforce 560 ti - about 200€

Case and power supply:

You will need to get a new power supply. I would advice you 600w minimum.
You can have some nice medium cases for pretty cheap. That won't be fancy but it will make the deal.

For my configuration I got a Cooler Master RC 690 II LITE and a GX power 650 watt - 120€. It should be possible to get something equivalent for 90-100€. (You can take a cheaper case, but not a cheaper power supply).

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For this price, this is a good damn configuration.

Your framerate can vary from map to map. Caspian border is a more demanding map than Operation metro. I noticed a drop in my framerate, but this was hard to measure (maybe 10%)

So this is what you will get from your money:

I have a very close configuration, with a motherboard P8P67 LE and a Saphire HD 6870 - Overclocked about 5% to 10%.
I also have a 20" Monitor, and I need to display a native resolution of 1600*900 (Less demanding than 1680*1050).

I set my graphic settings around medium/high.

The tests I made with Fraps indicated a satisfying fps on operation metro. Even on a high point of view on the battlefield, my fps doesn't go below 55fps
However, I experimented some drops on caspian border (50 fps or slighly less).

This configuration doesn't reach the constant 60fps cap like we expected, but for this price that's damn close ! ÂÂ*Remember that Battlefield 3 is a brand new game with very nice graphics. Plus, battlefield 3 has not been released yet, and the game and the video card drivers are still beta versions. They should (hopefully) get a ton of optimizations. I am counting on that to get better performance.

A better video card would just be fantastic. Replace the geforce 560ti (200€) by the 570 (300€), and you will get an almost perfect experience with high settings. For everything on ultra/maximun with a 1080p resolution, a 580 (400€) is required.

I always prefer to buy the best bang for the bucks. I paid my HD 6870 150€, but I am planning to change it in one year, by another middle range video card at 150-200€. I will sell the first one to someone who wants a crossfire, so I'll get a little money back. The new card will have a new warranty, and it will outperform the actual 570. This is how I always keep my configuration up to date at a reasonable price. With overclocking, the 2500K will still be performing well for the next 2 years. Only problem: I won't play in ultra ^^.

If you are really short in cash:
-Go for the P8P68 LE version, 30 euros cheaper but less stable with overclocking.
-Go for Radeon HD 6870 instead of Geforce 560ti (I saw it at 140€ today), and both are really equivalent in pure performance.

I hope you'll get a good computer at the release of the game...

So I can [knife] you : )

[Gisse]

Or if you are really short of cash, go for AMD products.

[bobz]

Thank you for your advise.