Driver_Col
Well-known member
Thx John. Will keep you posted. W8 disk should be here around end next week.
Regards. Colin.
PC Replace or upgrade?
- Thread starter Driver_Col
- Start date
Thx John. Will keep you posted. W8 disk should be here around end next week.
Regards. Colin.
Driver_Col
Well-known member
Hi Guys: The W8 64-bit (on DVD) would not install over the 32-bit version so the current situation is that I will give the W8 32-bit OS a run (given that I must have given the pc a good clean-out to get to this point) and if unsatisfactory performance, I will be looking at replacing the pc. Hopefully I can make that decision very soon as there are a number of "good deals" out there which hopefully will continue until just after Christmas!
Regards. Colin.
Driver_Col
Well-known member
Well the decision is made ......... I need to upgrade! PCMag rate iBuyPower Revolt very highly and I could have custom built per below for $1360.00.
- iBUYPOWER Revolt Chassis
- Processor (Intel Core i7-4770K Processor (Revolt Bundle))
- Cooling (Asetek 510LC Liquid Cooling System)
- Memory (iBUYPOWER 16GB Kit (2 x 8GB) DDR3 SDRAM Memory Module)
- Optical Drive (LG 6x Blu-ray Reader + DVD-RW Slot-Loading Combo Drive (Revolt BYO Bundle))
- Hard Drive (1TB 7200RPM Hard Disk Drive)
- Graphics Card (NVIDIA GeForce GTX760 2GB Graphics Card (Revolt Bundle))
- Operating System (Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate, 64-Bit Edition)
Comments? Thoughts? Thanks. Colin.
johnwhelan
Well-known member
Personally I'd be uncomfortable with a liquid cooling system, tray loading bluray/ DVD is easier on the disks, 8 gigs of memory should be ample, 16 is overkill, Win 7 ultimate is more expensive but doesn't really gain you any performance over Win 7 or Win 8 home, in fact I'd be more tempted by Win 8 on a new machine, it will have better drivers. It doesn't say anything about the motherboard. It seems to be hitting all the hot advertising buttons without
I'd be more tempted to look at Newegg.com and look for machines that have a number of good reviews. I don't think that TS12 needs a really high end machine these days so what ever you get will probably work fine.
Cheerio John
Driver_Col
Well-known member
Hi John: I can certainly bring the price down by changing the Liquid cooling and also the OS. My concern is all the other stuff necessary of which I have no choice. I had a look at newegg.com .......... do you see any potential issues?
CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme H710 Intel Core i7 8GB DDR3 2TB HDD Capacity Windows 8.1 64-bit
- $999[SUP].99[/SUP]
Hi John: I can certainly bring the price down by changing the Liquid cooling and also the OS. My concern is all the other stuff necessary of which I have no choice. I had a look at newegg.com .......... do you see any potential issues?
CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme H710 Intel Core i7 8GB DDR3 2TB HDD Capacity Windows 8.1 64-bit
- $999[SUP].99[/SUP]
I would still go with Win 7 Ultimate, and the 16GB of RAM. Don't cut yourself short just because this is only a Trainz-computer. Having 16GB and a 64-bit operating system means the OS can get out of the way, besides you may want to use this machine for other stuff too such as 3d modeling, graphics editing, and especially TransDEM. Keep in mind too when T2 comes out, this will be a 64-bit version and will make use of all the RAM you can throw at it.
Windows 7 Ultimate, though a bit more expensive is the whole shebang. It has the extra tools and extra add-ons which you may not need initially, but will find you need at some point. I have used the home version of Windows 7 and found it somewhat limiting because I didn't have the tools needed to do the repairs. It was like trying to put screws into sheet metal with one hand behind your back.
Overall this is a nice system. Don't shortchange yourself in the end. Make this a system you won't have to upgrade for a few years if possible.
John
johnwhelan
Well-known member
Hi John: I can certainly bring the price down by changing the Liquid cooling and also the OS. My concern is all the other stuff necessary of which I have no choice. I had a look at newegg.com .......... do you see any potential issues?
CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme H710 Intel Core i7 8GB DDR3 2TB HDD Capacity Windows 8.1 64-bit
- $999[SUP].99[/SUP]
That newegg machine looks to be not bad and has good reviews. I think the price performance balance is about right. I think windwalkr recommends running Trainz from an SSD so a 500 gig SSD at $300 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147249 perhaps? if it fits within budget, it doesn't do much for the frame rates but assets load faster in the game.
Toms are in love with the R9 270 graphic card this week but the higher end AMD graphic cards are off the price scale at the moment even if you can get them, they are a favourite with the bitcoin miners.
Cheerio John
Regarding Johnwhelans misgivings about liquid cooling, I disagree. It is far more efficient, quieter, takes up less space and gathers less dust! There's a tiny risk of leaks and a risk (not tiny) of noise from the pump but the risk is manageable. As for the rest of the PC if you have Trainz installed on a 1TB HDD then that will be a 5400 rpm drive which is rather slow. If I were you I would have an SSD for the OS and Trainz and reuse your old HDD's in the new PC for everything.What is "ibuypower" RAM, I mean who is it made by? When I modified my 2nd PC I went to a "reputable" UK RAM dealer and they sold me "generic" RAM by DaneElec. There followed a month of hell with the PC constantly crashing with BSOD's until I obtained some OCZ RAM when the PC worked perfectly.
johnwhelan
Well-known member
I think its the risk of leaks / corrosion after two or three years that puts me off and I tend to problem avoid. The trouble with a degree in chemistry is you look at things a bit differently for example water is known as the universal solvent because it literally dissolves anything to an extent. For practical purposes we talk in terms of things being waterproof when really we mean water resistant.
If noise is an issue then I'd suggest going with something like an Antec Sonata case newegg.com have one with power supply for $130, I have two and they are practically silent. That restricts you to something like the AMD R9 270 $180 at newegg.com, Since we are now custom building an i5 is very interesting at $180 newegg again, which leads you into an ASUS motherboard - ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Intel $130 at newegg, throw in one or more SSDs, Newegg have a 120 gig for $90 today and a 180 gig for $120, my personal favourite would be a Samsung 840 500 gig, you need a 180 or greater for Trainz. What else would you need, a 2 Terabyte hard drive, I'd go Western Digital or Samsung but that's just a personal choice something with a 3 year warranty at least. DVD burner Lite-on make them for every one else so you get the latest firmware with their drives and at $18 iHAS124-04 they aren't expensive. Blu-Ray my Liteon $70 drive come with bundled Blu-Ray player software however I suspect you may have to purchase something like cyberlink 13 pro for $70 direct from cyberlink.
You'll need memory say 8 gigs I'd go crucial Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model BLS2KIT4G3D1609DS1S00 $90. No name memory is something I'd like to avoid and to me ibuypower memory is no name.
Yes its a custom built solution but its based on the functionality you require and has top quality components. You might find someone who would put it together for you or there is always a You-tube tutorial these days. Oh and don't forget the Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit - OEM at $100.
Cheerio John
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