COMPUTER SPECS

[KEA]

this a computer am looking at getting to run trs 2010 and other games on can i have your thoughts on this plz.
* CPU --- AMD Athlon X4 Quad Core 630 2.8Ghz x 4 Core
* Motherboard --- Gigabyte 880GA-UD3H which is support 4 x 2GB or 4GB
memory, SLI and SATA3, USB3, Firewire 1394
* Memory --- Transcend or Kingston 8GB DDR3-1333 Memory
* Hard Drive --- West Digital 500GB SATA2 Hard Drive
* Video Card --- NVIDIA GT220 1GB Video Card, excellent graphics choice!
* DVD Writer --- SATA 24x speed Optical DVD Writer
* PC Case --- Hyena SK502 ATX Tower Case
* OS --- Pre-Install Windows 7 Home Premuim 64bit Full Version with Disc &
COA
thanks

 

[xero]

Scratch where it says AMD and insert Intel. Intel builds better processors... I will also say checkout Dell computers.

http://www.dell.com/business/laptops

 

[Gandalf0444]

Scratch where it says AMD and insert Intel. Intel builds better processors... I will also say checkout Dell computers.

http://www.dell.com/business/laptops

Defiantly a matter of opinion there. I only own AMD processor based computers. Everyone has lasted 8-9 years and they are still going strong, and for over half the price that intel sells there grossly over priced things for.
So I can easily say that AMD builds better processors to. However they are both very equal in terms of life span, and "power". Anyone who says AMD processors don't last as long as intel ones have never owned an AMD processor or didn't properly take care of the computer, you can make anything last a long time if it is taken care of, and if you didn't/don't take care of the computer don't be surprised when it blows up on you.

As far as Dell, I would stay away from it(however again that is a matter of opinion) Some people love Dell, other hate it with a passion.

 

[JCitron]

See if you can go to a local shop, or build the machine yourself. The quality can be just as good, if not better than what you'll get from a name brand.

The problem with Dell, outside of the quality being much lower than it used to be, is unless you go for the very top, every other machine will be under spec'd somewhere in system. I'm not just picking on Dell here either. HP and Gateway do the same thing. By the time you go through the process of kitting up a decent box, the cost will go through your wallet!

The middle-ground system may come with an a decent motherboard, but the case or power supply may prevent the installation of a different video card. These companies seem to always chince the both of these components.

The other problem, with pre-built systems like this, is bloatware/crapware. They load up the systems with applications you'll never use, and eat up valuable disk space with drive images. They'll install a 500GB drive, but partition into three logical drives, with one of them being an unusable partition.

I'm not trying to chase you away from one of these systems. Instead, I'm trying to prevent an expensive disappointment you'll run into. These systems are great for people who won't push the system to the limits, and this is something that we tend to do when we use Trainz.

John

 

[Twodorgs]

Hi,

The GT220 is the weak link in that system, I would recommend at least a GT240 with at least 1024mb memory or a HD 4770.

But the above are still only budget cards, if you have the money buy a higher performance card than the above.

Lindsay

 

[Lancsman]

I have been following various threads on the Forums relating to suitable PC specs for operating Trainz 2010. ( I have been a TRS2006 user to date – but other factors bring me to the point that I need to move to a new PC – and with all that is happening in terms of older releases it seems I should make the leap into Trainz 2010.

Sadly this ‘new’ machine will not be a purely Games machine – the budget (or space) does not run to that. It will have to handle the mix of being a machine I can use for work and home activity. Therefore I already know that it will have to be some kind of compromise.

From research so far I am aiming to base it on an:

- Intel Core I5-750 2.66Ghz
- 2 x 2GB DDR3 1333Mhz
- 750w ATX Power Supply
- Intel P55 Express Chipset
- 1TB SATA hard drive
- Windows 7 – 64 bit


The main area I sense a wider variety of views is related to the Graphics Card, which for me as a non-techie is the most confusing area – with what seems a never ending array of possible options.

I see above that the pointers are towards a GT240 (rather than a GT220), but that even that may not be enough, and other posts have seemingly raised questions re NVidia and other options.

For me the important criteria is that I can run Trainz (and other Train Sims) at a performance level that I can enjoy - without stuttering and without scenery appearing like rabbits popping out of a hat. This latter point has been a problem under TRZ2006, but I accept that this is down to my current PC ….. or is it ????
I still see references to this in the forums.

Any advice / thoughts much appreciated

John

 

[rebel57]

check out to another post
http://forums.auran.com/trainz/showthread.php?p=636943#post636943

 

[SuperFudd]

Kea,

I am very happy with the 1G GT220 in my system (see below).
From my experience with TS2009, 6G of RAM is plenty.

 

[stovepipe]

I have been following various threads on the Forums relating to suitable PC specs for operating Trainz 2010. ( I have been a TRS2006 user to date – but other factors bring me to the point that I need to move to a new PC – and with all that is happening in terms of older releases it seems I should make the leap into Trainz 2010.

Sadly this ‘new’ machine will not be a purely Games machine – the budget (or space) does not run to that. It will have to handle the mix of being a machine I can use for work and home activity. Therefore I already know that it will have to be some kind of compromise.

From research so far I am aiming to base it on an:

- Intel Core I5-750 2.66Ghz
- 2 x 2GB DDR3 1333Mhz
- 750w ATX Power Supply
- Intel P55 Express Chipset
- 1TB SATA hard drive
- Windows 7 – 64 bit


The main area I sense a wider variety of views is related to the Graphics Card, which for me as a non-techie is the most confusing area – with what seems a never ending array of possible options.

I see above that the pointers are towards a GT240 (rather than a GT220), but that even that may not be enough, and other posts have seemingly raised questions re NVidia and other options.

For me the important criteria is that I can run Trainz (and other Train Sims) at a performance level that I can enjoy - without stuttering and without scenery appearing like rabbits popping out of a hat. This latter point has been a problem under TRZ2006, but I accept that this is down to my current PC ….. or is it ????
I still see references to this in the forums.

Any advice / thoughts much appreciated

John

Hi John,

I have just bought a system very similiar to this, coupled with an ATI 5850 and a 1920x1080 monitor.

I get a very smooth performance with this combination. Sliders on full, I get around 50-60 fps with not less than 40 fps, and this with quite a few of LMS_MANs locos pulling Mike10s Mk1 coaches running around.

If you plan on running a smaller monitor, I expect you could drop down a step or two on the GPU side to match. There is a hierarcy of graphics cards listed here, which may be useful.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/gaming-radeon-hd-geforce-gtx,review-31939-7.html

I went with ATi as they make the best card (performance & energy use) at the price I was looking at, but nvidea may be better at other price points.

Overall I'm really pleased with this set-up.

regards
Charles

 

[Mike10]

Any advice / thoughts much appreciated

John

My advice would be to give these guys a call.

http://3xs.scan.co.uk/

They've just custom built a system for me and I have to say that the customer service, build quality, and general feeling that they really know what they are talking about and doing can't be over stated by me.

Make sure you speak to one of the tech guys and they'll spec out a system for you given your budget.

Mike.

 

[Lancsman]

Thanks to all those who have added to the detail on this thread - and especially Charles & Mike for making the specific references and links available.

Over the next few days I will follow those up and see how my 'spec' can be refined. It's reassuring that I do not seem to be miles away from what others are comfortable with as a working basis on which to run the latest versions, and hopefully a stable platform on which to progress.

Charles - I popped across to the link for your Peak District route - and it looks magnificent. Good Luck with that.

Thanks again guys

John