ArmA 3 System Requirements

[samyg 3]

Hey guys, can I have some advice?

i5 3470 @3.2GHz 3.6GHz Quad Core with cooler

8GB 1600MHz RAM

1TB SATA 3 HDD

500W PSU:

http://www.priceme.co.nz/Cooler-Master-Gladiator-600-Mid-Tower-Case-With-500W-PSU/p-883743274.aspx

Graphics card: ?

I need advice, what graphics card would I need to run Arma 3 at 1080p averaging 30-60FPS on highest settings? I don't know much about this stuff, and how Arma 3 might run, I have played only OFP and A2F.

I am looking at the 660, 7850, 7850 GHz Edition, 7870 GHz Edition, or even the 7900 series, but try to keep it cheap.

Atm I have a 1600x900 res monitor, what monitor would you guys recommend?

This would be the first BI game my computer would hopefully be able to run on release, so any help would be appreciated :bounce3:

Well, what's your budget? I'd go with either a 660ti or a 670 or a Radeon HD 7950. As far as a monitor goes, how much are you willing to spend on that? There are many that I could recommend such as the Dell Ultrasharp 23in 1920X1080 monitor or the Dell Ultrasharp 24in 1920X1200 monitor or the BenQ XL2420T 24in 1920X1080 120hz monitor. Not hard to do the research on that.

Also, get a 650w power supply and maybe change the CPU to an i7-3770 or an i5-3570. Note that, you don't need the K (unlocked) versions of the CPUs since tbh, it isn't all that important or all that beneficial to overclock a cpu.

Edited January 11, 2013 by samyG

[ruhtraeel 1]

The rig used at E3 IIRC was a first gen i7 and a GTX 580, with most things maxed out. Anything equivalent to that would be fine IMO

[Nixo 10]

Hi.

I have watched game-debate.com for some info on this. But it is not always that accurate.

My question is, how well do YOU thing I will be able to run arma 3

here is my specs. Those which I know atm.

CPU: Intel core 2 duo e8400 @3.0ghz

GPU: Ati Radeon HD 7770 1gb

RAM: 4gb (ddr2????)

According to game-debate the CPU is 6 points GPU is 9 points which is a bit high in my oppinion, and the RAM is 5 points.

Those are most likely the most important parts and the ones I know.

Oh yeah and my OS is a Windows 8 but that should not have such a big impact on gameplay.

[ruhtraeel 1]

Hi.

I have watched game-debate.com for some info on this. But it is not always that accurate.

My question is, how well do YOU thing I will be able to run arma 3

here is my specs. Those which I know atm.

CPU: Intel core 2 duo e8400 @3.0ghz

GPU: Ati Radeon HD 7770 1gb

RAM: 4gb (ddr2????)

According to game-debate the CPU is 6 points GPU is 9 points which is a bit high in my oppinion, and the RAM is 5 points.

Those are most likely the most important parts and the ones I know.

Oh yeah and my OS is a Windows 8 but that should not have such a big impact on gameplay.

You will be able to run it fine on medium I think.

It's sad when I'm contempt being a lurker now because there just isn't any new development worthwhile to post about

[chortles 263]

Motherboard advice: Not only can you skip the -K model if you definitely won't ever overclock the Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge CPU, but you can go with a H77-chipset'd motherboard instead of a Z77-chipset'd motherboard, which will save you money. Be advised though that if you somehow you end up needing the on-die graphics (i.e. while waiting for a replacement video card),only the 3770 variants (all), the 3570K, the 3475S (2.9 GHz instead of 3.2 GHz) and on the low-end (i.e. for "non-Arma 3" systems) the i3-3225 3.3 GHz dual-core have HD 4000 graphics -- all other Ivy Bridge chips have HD 2500 integrated graphics, including the 3470 and the regular 3570.

Note that this PNY 670 2 GB card is $300 after mail-in rebate ($340 before). Be aware though that it's a "reference" card (core clock 915 Mhz, boost clock 980 MHz like the 660 Ti reference card), but both Assassin's Creed 3 and Borderlands 2 for PC are included, and I've heard that if you register the card you may have a lifetime warranty?

It's sad when I'm contempt being a lurker now because there just isn't any new development worthwhile to post about

Board members have actually advised this for a while now.

[Layman 1]

I'm about to order all the pieces for a computer to specifically play Arma 2, then 3 when it is out. Since it's pretty close to a release I think you guys will have information to let me know if this is enough to play on higher settings. I plan on getting 2-5 more monitors in the future, but for now I only have 1 23" 1080p.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, my confidence level is about 90%, but never hurts to get more eyes on the situation.

Case: Fractal Design Define XL

CPU: Intel Core i5 3.4 GHz 3570k

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo

Graphics: 2xCF HIS ICE Q RADEON HD 7970

HDD: Seagate Barracude 1 TB

Memory: Mushkin Blackline (2x8GB)

Miscellaneous: Vespula Mousepad, Artisan Mousepad

Motherboard: MSI Z77A GD55

Optical Drive: Samsung DVD R/W

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

PSU: NZXT HALE82 750W 80Plus Bronze

SSD: Samsung 840 series 120GB + Bracket

Edited January 17, 2013 by Layman

[papanowel 120]

Never heard about that PSU and ram brand, is it worth than other famous brand?

Your rig seems to be well balanced and equiped to me. Maybe you should look for a 256go SSD instead of a 128.

[PuFu 4600]

Never heard about that PSU and ram brand, is it worth than other famous brand?

never heard of NZXT doing PSUs before either, i though they were doing only cases.

but Mushkin is pretty fucking big brand mate. High quality products and warranty just as well.

[samyg 3]

I'm about to order all the pieces for a computer to specifically play Arma 2, then 3 when it is out. Since it's pretty close to a release I think you guys will have information to let me know if this is enough to play on higher settings. I plan on getting 2-5 more monitors in the future, but for now I only have 1 23" 1080p.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, my confidence level is about 90%, but never hurts to get more eyes on the situation.

Case: Fractal Design Define XL

CPU: Intel Core i5 3.4 GHz 3570k

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo

Graphics: 2xCF HIS ICE Q RADEON HD 7970

HDD: Seagate Barracude 1 TB

Memory: Mushkin Blackline (2x8GB)

Miscellaneous: Vespula Mousepad, Artisan Mousepad

Motherboard: MSI Z77A GD55

Optical Drive: Samsung DVD R/W

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

PSU: NZXT HALE82 750W 80Plus Bronze

SSD: Samsung 840 series 120GB + Bracket

My suggestion would to switch to a one card solution, that being, go from have two 7970s in CF to just one 7970 preferably a ghz edition. The reason being is that, unless you are planning on playing games on three monitors or playing on a 30in 2650x1600 monitor, there's very little need for it. That and many times, you will face issues from using two cards; though with new(er) drivers those issues do get solved. Also, do you plan on overclocking your CPU? Not that you really need to or should, I would use the money saved from getting rid of that second graphics card to maybe a beefier heatsink or even an AIO watercooling solution such as the Corsair H80 or the Kraken X40. Ivy bridge cpus tend to run a bit hot, especially when overclock and a better cooling solution wouldn't hurt.

[papanowel 120]

but Mushkin is pretty fucking big brand mate. High quality products and warranty just as well.

Thanks for the intel :) I'll have a look on that then.

[Tonci87 163]

If in need for a really good PSU:

http://www.cougar-world.com/

They make awesome PSUs with realy high quality and nice design. (You get used to the orange colour)

[Layman 1]

Thank you guys for the suggestions

I have been debating over the dual or single card, but ultimately I want this to be future proof so I don't want to have to be putting more money in later and I definitely do plan on getting more monitors, possibly 5 more for a wall of 6 and to play a game like Arma2/3 on high, with 6 monitors I would be more comfortable with 2.

I did some research on the PSU http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/12/27/nzxt_hale82_850w_power_supply_review/1 it is made by Seasonic, and seems very reliable, it's not super high-end but it's not a slouch either. It comes with detachable cords and nylon sleeving which I'm told is very important for cable management.

As for the cooling, I wasn't aware that they run very hot so you don't think the cooler I have will suffice?

I'm new to building, I'll have a friend help but is installing liquid cooling more difficult?

Edited January 17, 2013 by Layman

[chrisb 196]

Isn’t an odd number of screens better i.e. 5 or 7..:)

[Layman 1]

I haven't really looked into it, but it does make sense because everytime I envision a setup the black lines are in the centre of the screen which is definitely not optimal. I know 3 monitors solves that problem, where would 4 and 5 go assuming a landscape side by side? I'm not a big fan of portrait, it seems like you're maxmizing the blacklines on your screen instead of landscape where the smaller edges are on your screen.

[chrisb 196]

I haven't really looked into it, but it does make sense because everytime I envision a setup the black lines are in the centre of the screen which is definitely not optimal. I know 3 monitors solves that problem, where would 4 and 5 go assuming a landscape side by side? I'm not a big fan of portrait, it seems like you're maxmizing the blacklines on your screen instead of landscape where the smaller edges are on your screen.

One in the middle even numbers to each side.. All I'm thinking is the centre (crosshairs) needs to be in the middle of a monitor screen, not the join of two monitors, if you understand what I mean..:)

[Tonci87 163]

You need an uneven number of screens for a proper multi monitor setup

[NeMeSiS 11]

Couldnt you have 2 in the middle? It would be a bit of a waste during gameplay(You would see mostly sky), but at least its useful when browsing/working/whatever.

EDIT: Or, in the case of 6 monitors, 3 by 2.

Edited January 18, 2013 by NeMeSiS

[ScorpionGuard 10]

Can someone answer the question about the system requirement at late. I have gone through this whole post with no answer to the subject being asked. Just a lot of dancing around the question. Now, what is the specs of ArmA 3 of late. I would love if a dev answer thiss I'm planning to purches a rig by HP with Win 8, 3rd Gen i5-3470 quad-core 3.2, 1GB Readon HD 7670, 8GB DDR3-1600MHz SDRAM, and a 2TB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive. The question again, what are the requirement for ArmA 3 to by played at pick?

[yagyu_jubei 1]

@ScorpioGuard: Why not wait till the game is released and the build your PC yourself? In most cases selfbuild PC are more powerfull and cheaper then those sold by OEM-manufacturers like ACER, HP, etc.

[ScorpionGuard 10]

Thank you @Yagyu_Judei for your reply. But the gamer I wish to build is out of reach right now. It is madeup of the follwing:

Motherboard: ASUS Rampage IV Extreme LGA 2011 Intel X79 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Extended ATX Intel Motherboard

Model #:Rampage IV Extreme

Computer Case: COOLER MASTER COSMOS II RC-1200-KKN1 Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case

Model #:RC-1200-KKN1

GPU: 2x ASUS GTX680-DC2-4GD5 GeForce GTX 680 4GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Model #:GTX680-DC2-4GD5

Power: COOLER MASTER Silent Pro Hybrid RS-D00-SPHA-D3 1300W ATX 12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.92 80 PLUS GOLD Full Modular Individual Sleeve ...

Model #:RS-D00-SPHA-D3

CPU: Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition Sandy Bridge-E 3.3GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 2011 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor BX80619i73960X

Model #:BX80619i73960X

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 64GB (8 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2400 (PC3 19200) Desktop Memory Model F3-19200CL10Q2-64GBZHD

Model #:F3-19200CL10Q2-64GBZ

HDD: 2x Western Digital WD VelociRaptor WD6000HLHX 600GB 10000 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Model #:WD6000HLHX

etc............

All in all, it will cost around $ 6,350.00 US. So at this time I have to get something close to the posted specs that are out now on the web.

Thank you again for your reply

[NeMeSiS 11]

If you buy a (or build your own) PC by the time ArmA3 comes out you will have similar specs for half the price, and you will have a decent indication of how it will run.

$6350 US is just unreasonable for a gaming PC. Hell, even the most hardcore gamer rarely spends more than 1500.

[ScorpionGuard 10]

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. But the rig I am buying meets the specs for ArmA 2 and 3.

•Windows 8 64

•3rd Generation Intel® Core i5-3470 quad-core processor [3.2GHz, 6MB Shared Cache]

•1GB AMD Radeon HD 7670 [DVI, DP, HDMI, VGA adapter]

•8GB DDR3-1600MHz SDRAM [1 DIMM]

•2TB 7200 rpm SATA hard drive

•No secondary hard drive

•Liquid Cooling Solution

•SuperMulti DVD Burner

•Wireless-N LAN card (1x1)

•15-in-1 memory card reader, 4 x USB 2.0 (front), 2 x USB 3.0 (top)

•No TV Tuner

•Beats Audio -- integrated studio quality sound

•HP USB volume control keyboard and mouse with Win 8 keyboard

•Microsoft Office Trial

At a cost of $1,145.83. The specs that was show in the above post was for my dream gamer.

Edited January 19, 2013 by ScorpionGuard

[NeMeSiS 11]

Well, my fault for not reading all previous posts. ;)

Anyway, 1150 is (IMO, but i am a poor student) still unreasonably high. Especially since this PC only has a 7670, which isnt very good.

The CPU and RAM are fine, but the GPU really is a bottleneck, also the liquid cooling, while cool*, really isnt needed unless you are ridiculously sensitive to the sound of fans, and for some reason cannot up your volume a bit to cover it up.

I would advice against this system since it is not properly balanced (Either the CPU is too fast, or the GPU is too slow) for its price, which is rather steep to begin with.

Edited January 19, 2013 by NeMeSiS
*pun really, really wasnt intended

[ScorpionGuard 10]

OK how about this

•Windows 8 Pro 64 bit

•Intel Core i7-3930K Sandy Bridge-E 3.2GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 2011 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor

•Asus HD7850-DC2-2GD5-V2 Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 Ready CrossFireX

•Corsair Dominator Platinum 32GB (4x 8 GB) 240-pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2400 Desktop Memory

•Western Digital WD VelociRaptor WD1000DHTZ 10000 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5 Internal HDD

•CORSAIR Hydro Series H80 (CWCH80) High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler

•ASUS Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X DVD-RAM 8X BD-ROM 8MB Cache SATA Blu-ray Burner BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS

•ASUS Xonar DSX 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Express x1 Interface Audio Card

•Corsair Vengeance K60 Black/Metal USB Wired Gaming Performance, FPS Mechanical Keyboard & Corsair Vengeance M60 Black 8 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Wired Laser 5700 dpi Performance, FPS Gaming Mouse

All in all, a little under $3,000.00. I have all ways build my own gamers. Never have build a proper gamer under $2500.00. I can't see one builded for under $1500.00. US

Edited January 19, 2013 by ScorpionGuard

[papanowel 120]

Instead of taking a 2011 socket processor, go for a LGA 1155 (ex:I7 3750k), Your wasting 400 bucks on that cpu and mobo (if only for gaming).

Those 400 can give you a better gpu, like an Amd 7970hd or a nvidia 680 gtx (or 7950 & 660ti).

You really should buy a ssd, at least 128go, the best option would be 252go.