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 Home  Forum Index Neverwinter Nights 2 NWN2: General discussion forums for NWN2 (No Spoilers Allowed) Building a NWN 2 pc
NWN2: General discussion forums for NWN2 (No Spoilers Allowed)
Sir Dwar of Ebberon
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
Joined: 15 Jun 2007 |
 Posted: Friday, 08 August 2008 01:10AM |
Alright, some of you may (if you have like perfect recall) remember I posted several weeks ago about computers and NWN. I must admit I was surprised that I recieved an overwhelming reccomendation to build a new computer myself (by overwhelming I mean all but 1 poster suggested it). As a footnote, if something has progressed a lot since NWN 2 came out, mention that and reccomend it if its going to be used in many games that will come out in the coming future.
So, beign a bit of a technical newbie, I need help figuring out what I would need to build a computer myself.
Stuff I have:
The case (Windows ME cases are ok, right)
Keyboard
Mouse
Speakers (Which may or may not be replaced, they're not in the greatest shape. They'll survive for a while, but I'd prefer if that protective covering was still on one of them)
Stuff I want to replace:
Monitor: Bleh. Its incredibly bulky, and the glare is really annoying when playing during the evening.
Stuff I know I need (and questions involved):
CPU: I know it should be 3+ ghz. But I remembered that the guy at Best Buy mentioned dual cores are faster. So what is the deal with those? What about that quad core?
RAM: I THINK I know what I need to know about this. Main question is how much will I need for a good pc?
Sound Card: I have no idea about this. help?
Graphics Card: See Above
Operating system: Windows Vista, presumably, but what model?
Motherbord: No idea what I need. This is the hard drive, though, right?
Stuff I don't know if I need to replace/get or not: Power supply: I couldn't tell you anything about this. I'm going to assume the thing that came with my family's windows ME is insufficient.
That Fan thingy:Presumably this doesn't need to be replaced.
Well? Any reccomendations? and what have I forgotten?
_________________
What, you expected something witty?
DISCLAIMER: I do not use Linux. I just like penguins. | 
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Murderbymodem
Game Owner
 NWN 2
Joined: 07 Aug 2008 |
Posted: Friday, 08 August 2008 03:45AM |
First of all, you need to decide how much money you want to spend. then I can help you pick out parts accordingly.
case: it might work. most cases are the same but a few companies like to be wierd.
BTW: windows ME dosen't tell me anything whatsoever about the computer you have. just the fact that its very old 
monitor: I'd recommend a 20" widescreen LCD. you can find them at sites like www.newegg.com and www.tigerdirect.com for around $180.
CPU: A dual core 1.6ghz is indeed better than a single core 3ghz. I'd say the sweet spot (best balance of performance and price) would be a 2ghz dual core, which can be found for around $70. I myself love to have the best of the best, and the quad core I am currently using goes for around $195.
Ram: nowadays any less than 2gb is unacceptable for a mid-high end gaming pc.
sound card: most motherboards have sound integrated on them, but provide a lower quality sound than a dedicated sound card would. I'd say just stick with what comes on the motherboard, and if you think you'd like better quality audio, purchase a sound card later on
videocard: price of this depends how much money you want to spend. there a many options, a videocard that will run your games at low-medium settings will be around $70, but I myself love to have the best of the best, so I usually spend around $180 or so on a videocard.
operating system: just go with the cheapest version of vista you can find.
motherboard: a motherboard is not a harddrive. the motherboard is the main board of the computer that you plug everything into. basically, the torso of the computer. the cpu would be the brain, etc. you need to buy a montherboard compatable with the type of cpu, the type of ram, and the type of videocard you will be buying.
power suppy: you will indeed need a new one. your current one is most likely too old to supply the enough power to a newer machine, and problably dosen't have the right connectors.
fan thinge: this is the hsf (heat sink and fan) that cools your cpu. this will need to be replaced as it won't fit the new motherboard you'll be getting, and if it could, probably wouldn't cool your new processor well enough.
basically, tell me how much money you are willing to spend, and your email, and I'll mail you one of my wish lists from my newegg.com account (I have parts lists pre-made because so many of my friends ask me what computer is the best for X price  )
edit: also, take a look at this.
http://www.driverheaven.net/guides/buildingapc/index.phpEdited By Murderbymodem on 08/08/08 03:56 | |
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Countless
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
Jade Empire:SE
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
NWN 2: SoZ
Joined: 28 Oct 2003
From: The USA |
Posted: Friday, 08 August 2008 04:15AM |
Quote: Posted 08/08/08 03:45 (GMT) by Murderbymodem
CPU: A dual core 1.6ghz is indeed better than a single core 3ghz.
Um, NWN2 doesn't support multicore technology. If you don't get something with at least 2.4 GHz on just one of its cores, you're actually below minimum spec since the game only uses one at a time.
_________________
Lawful does not mean obeying laws.
The MotB Revert Pack: revert the heads and Warlock armor! | |
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Murderbymodem
Game Owner
NWN 2
Joined: 07 Aug 2008 |
Posted: Friday, 08 August 2008 04:28AM |
Quote: Posted 08/08/08 04:15 (GMT) by Countless Quote: Posted 08/08/08 03:45 (GMT) by Murderbymodem
CPU: A dual core 1.6ghz is indeed better than a single core 3ghz.
Um, NWN2 doesn't support multicore technology. If you don't get something with at least 2.4 GHz on just one of its cores, you're actually below minimum spec since the game only uses one at a time.
I was not talking about specifically gaming. a 1.6ghz dual core is better than a 3ghz single core for multitasking, say converting a video and browsing the web at the same time.
I never said I'd reccomend a 1.6ghz dual core for gaming, I simply said its better than a single core 3ghz in most cases (not gaming) | |
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spacely
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
NWN 2
Mass Effect PC
Joined: 04 Jul 2002
From: Cape Town, South Africa |
Posted: Friday, 08 August 2008 06:24AM |
Quote: Posted 08/08/08 04:15 (GMT) by Countless Quote: Posted 08/08/08 03:45 (GMT) by Murderbymodem
CPU: A dual core 1.6ghz is indeed better than a single core 3ghz.
Um, NWN2 doesn't support multicore technology. If you don't get something with at least 2.4 GHz on just one of its cores, you're actually below minimum spec since the game only uses one at a time.
Um, you do understand that a dual core @2.4 Ghz will far outperform a P4 @2.4 Ghz even if only one core is used? The architecture is completely different and making Ghz comparisons is meaningless.
If we were talking about a Pentium D then what you said would be true otherwise it is completely false and you shouldn't be misleading people as it could end up costing them significant sums of money. | |
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Nickolaas
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
Jade Empire:SE
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
NWN 2: SoZ
Joined: 28 Jul 2005 |
Posted: Friday, 08 August 2008 06:26AM |
Quote: Posted 08/08/08 01:10 (GMT) by Sir Dwar of Ebberon
Stuff I have:
The case (Windows ME cases are ok, right)
I'd do a bit of research on this if I were you. I'm not sure what the case you have is like but I ran into a situation with a case awhile back. When I upgraded my CPU I was getting some serious overheating problems because it just wasn't designed for a system that generated alot of heat. I had to go out and get a one that had a decent exhaust fan. It turned out that was designed better all around too, which made it much easier to add components inside. Adding hard drive etc. is literally a snap, as they're attached to trays which just slid into a bay. Plus there's lots of room for my motherboard, with all the components like RAM etc. easy to get at. | |
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Countless
Game Owner
NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
Jade Empire:SE
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
NWN 2: SoZ
Joined: 28 Oct 2003
From: The USA |
Posted: Friday, 08 August 2008 07:03AM |
Quote: Posted 08/08/08 06:24 (GMT) by spacely
Um, you do understand that a dual core @2.4 Ghz will far outperform a P4 @2.4 Ghz even if only one core is used? The architecture is completely different and making Ghz comparisons is meaningless.
I didn't guarantee it wouldn't run, I said it would be below minimum spec. I would consider it very ill-advised to buy a dual core processor with less than 2.4 GHz for NWN2 or anything else; those things are outdated plain and simple, and while that is reflected in their prices cheaping out on your computer is never a smart thing to do. It's not like 2.4+ GHz dual cores are especially expensive, unlike quad cores which are always overpriced.
_________________
Lawful does not mean obeying laws.
The MotB Revert Pack: revert the heads and Warlock armor! | |
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Cephaaas
Game Owner
 NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
Joined: 01 Aug 2008 |
Posted: Friday, 08 August 2008 01:36PM | |
My one piece of advice...www.dell.com (or some other equivalent dealer) you could also try www.cyberpowerpc.com...you would be much better off at your lvl of knowledge (which is similar to mine) just buying a premade system. Thre are plenty of decent deals out there for systems that will run NWN2 just fine... | |
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Sir Dwar of Ebberon
Game Owner
NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
Joined: 15 Jun 2007 |
Posted: Friday, 08 August 2008 02:26PM |
No time like the present to learn, eh?
Also, I'm just evaluating this as an option, abiet one I'm seriously considering.
So...
Could we get answers to ALL my questions, please?
_________________
What, you expected something witty?
DISCLAIMER: I do not use Linux. I just like penguins. | |
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spacely
Game Owner
NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
NWN 2
Mass Effect PC
Joined: 04 Jul 2002
From: Cape Town, South Africa |
Posted: Friday, 08 August 2008 04:19PM |
Quote: Posted 08/08/08 01:10 (GMT) by Sir Dwar of Ebberon
Alright, some of you may (if you have like perfect recall) remember I posted several weeks ago about computers and NWN. I must admit I was surprised that I recieved an overwhelming reccomendation to build a new computer myself (by overwhelming I mean all but 1 poster suggested it). As a footnote, if something has progressed a lot since NWN 2 came out, mention that and reccomend it if its going to be used in many games that will come out in the coming future.
So, beign a bit of a technical newbie, I need help figuring out what I would need to build a computer myself.
Stuff I have:
The case (Windows ME cases are ok, right)
Keyboard
Mouse
Speakers (Which may or may not be replaced, they're not in the greatest shape. They'll survive for a while, but I'd prefer if that protective covering was still on one of them)
Stuff I want to replace:
Monitor: Bleh. Its incredibly bulky, and the glare is really annoying when playing during the evening.
Stuff I know I need (and questions involved):
CPU: I know it should be 3+ ghz. But I remembered that the guy at Best Buy mentioned dual cores are faster. So what is the deal with those? What about that quad core?
RAM: I THINK I know what I need to know about this. Main question is how much will I need for a good pc?
Sound Card: I have no idea about this. help?
Graphics Card: See Above
Operating system: Windows Vista, presumably, but what model?
Motherbord: No idea what I need. This is the hard drive, though, right?
Stuff I don't know if I need to replace/get or not: Power supply: I couldn't tell you anything about this. I'm going to assume the thing that came with my family's windows ME is insufficient.
That Fan thingy:Presumably this doesn't need to be replaced.
Well? Any reccomendations? and what have I forgotten?
Basically you are going to need to start from scratch. Your case may not even be big enough fit a modern video card. That point is a bit irrelevant though if you do buy a pre-built system. I don't actually recommend getting a Dell or Alienware but take the middle ground and buy from an independent dealer who will assemble the whole thing for you for little or no extra cost. Putting together a system yourself is not really difficult but there are certain things that can be tricky such as applying thermal compound to the CPU for example. Most local shops should be able to help you with this.
As for the specific parts: For the CPU, any recent Intel dual core will do nicely. If you have a decent budget the E8*** series are great chips. For the ram, I would go with at least 2 GB of decent DDR2 and possibly 4GB if you plan to use Vista. Ram is quite cheap so it may be worth it to just get 2 X 2GB. The video card is arguably the most important thing for you. By far the best deal these days is the ATI 4850. If you really don't want ATI then the Nvidia 8800GT and 9600GT cards are going for very cheap. They will both play this and many other games for quite a while.
Whatever you do don't skimp on the power supply. Its a very common mistake made by people new to hardware. You really don't want to have constant shutdowns or even fry your fancy hardware because you saved a few bucks on a power supply. Get a good name brand PSU (Antec, Conrsair etc.) with sufficient amps on the 12V rails. Don't just look at total wattage. Good luck.  | |
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Murderbymodem
Game Owner
NWN 2
Joined: 07 Aug 2008 |
Posted: Friday, 08 August 2008 09:18PM |
my specs:
Intel Q6600 Quad Core 2.4ghz
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L
ATI Radeon HD4850
4x 1gb OCZ DDR2 PC6400
Creative X-fi Xtreme music
Hiper power 580watt
2x 500gb WD
runs like a dream. | |
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Sir Dwar of Ebberon
Game Owner
NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
Joined: 15 Jun 2007 |
Posted: Friday, 08 August 2008 10:10PM |
Noone ever did explain what a quad core was. Is it like a dual core, but 4 cores instead of 2?
_________________
What, you expected something witty?
DISCLAIMER: I do not use Linux. I just like penguins. | |
|
flem1
Game Owner
 Jade Empire:SE
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
NWN 2: SoZ
Mass Effect PC
Joined: 31 Oct 2006 |
Posted: Friday, 08 August 2008 11:24PM |
The answer to everything: it depends on your budget, and whether you plan to overclock.
The secondary answer to everything: go to an enthusiasts' forum, like Anandtech. They have good FAQs on building and will welcome a "critique my build" query.
Specifics:
You need a motherboard with RAM and a CPU on it. Hooked up to the motherboard you need a video card and a hard drive. On the hard drive you need Windows. All these things need to be in a case and powered by a power supply. And finally, you need a keyboard, mouse, speakers/headphones, and a monitor.
You don't need a sound card -- modern motherboards have built-in sound chips that will be more than enough for you. You may want a replacement heatsink/fan for the CPU, but only if you're planning on overclocking.
CPU --
Everything depends on the CPU platform you intend to use. At this point, unless you're going to go super-budget, you want Intel chips on their "LGA 775" socket. No modern desktop CPU is single-core, so your choice is dual core or quad. (Yes, quad just means 4 instead of 2.) NWN2, unfortunately, can't use more than one core so getting a quad won't help you for this game. It may help for other, mostly future games but that's another story.
Which dual-core you want depends on your budget and OC plans. The standard recommendation for a non-overclocker is the 3ghz E8400 ($170). Don't get anything slower unless you're on a strict budget or plan on overclocking it faster.
RAM --
RAM is cheap. There's no reason not to get 4ghz -- 2 2gb sticks. LGA 775 takes DDR2. If you're not overclocking -- and, in many situations, even if you are -- DDR2-800 (the number refers to the max RAM speed) is all you'll need. ~$80
Motherboard --
The first issue is what chipset you're planning to use. Since you're probably not going to use two video cards at once, any of the more recent Intel chipsets (P31, P35, P43, P45) should do. The main difference will be overclocking potential and types of connectors and controllers: some boards will have RAID (run multiple hard drives together in various combinations), Firewire, built-in WiFi, etc. and some won't. $100 or less, depending on feature set.
Video --
This is a long thread in itself... Depends on your budget, though at this point getting anything less than a 8800GT or HD3870 is a titanic mistake.
Hard drive --
Get whichever 640gb or 750gb drive is on sale. SATA, of course. $100 or less.
Windows --
32-bit versions will only see 3.5gb or so RAM max. So you want Vista 64 Home Premium.
Case --
Not sure what your current one looks like. Got a link? You may be happier with a new one.
Power supply --
This depends on what video card you're planning to use. I'd get at least 500W. (The 4870 or GTX260 or GTX280 might need more.) Make sure it's a reliable brand: Antec, Corsair, Enhance, Silverstone, Seasonic. There are others, but those brands are fairly lemon-free. $60-$100.
Right now you can also get Antec's Sonata III case with an included 500W Antec Earthwatts power supply for $100. This is an excellent deal. | |
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