Will-my-pc-run-Arma3? What cpu/gpu to get? What settings? What system specifications?

[infiltrator_2k 29]

Hey guys, I hope this is an ok spot for this question:

I have recently been thinking about getting a new HDD. My current one is a Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" HDD. (I know, not the greatest). As far as the rest of my system goes, I have:

Nvidia GTX690

i7 3960x

16gb Corsair Vengeance RAM

Considering the rest of my system, I have always wondered why I have such sever "texture pop" in Arma 3 (such as vehicles, buildings, and tires taking their sweet time to load the full texture when introduced into a scene), and I recently read that it could be slow due to my HDD; as well as how Arma 3 is trying to pull textures from it. So, I was hoping you guys could point me in the direction of a good 4tb HDD that can handle the strain of Arma 3. My price range is $200ish USD. I have been looking at this one:

The Western Digital Black

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236622

Any advice? Thanks in advance

Click my spoiler and get the HDD in my system spec. The hard work's already done for you. You won't get any better all round performance than that SSD.

[forteh 11]

Maxed-Out-Settings @1920x1080:

Altis = 16fps

:)

I get 14fps maxed out 1080p with 100% sampling and 12fps with 150% sampling.

Obviously the cpu is the bottleneck and the gpu doesn't really struggle to render a 150% at those framerates.

[R3vo 2654]

Maxed-Out-Settings @1920x1080:

Stratis = 31fps

Altis = 16fps

:)

He asked for your view distances.

[Greenfist 1863]

He asked for your view distances.

I assume those were with maximum distances. My question was about the previous ones with higher fps, to which he replied already; 3800m view distance.

[10pb 12]

Definitely don't waste your money on a PCI-E SSD. I have one with nearly 1GB/s read speed and it doesn't make a significant difference with Arma. Windows boots in about 0.1 seconds but that's it.

If I could go back in time I'd RAID two SATA SSD's instead.

Saying that, definitely don't waste your money on a HDD either. It's 2015 - you need an SSD!

[tonschuh 3]

I get 14fps maxed out 1080p with 100% sampling and 12fps with 150% sampling.

Obviously the cpu is the bottleneck and the gpu doesn't really struggle to render a 150% at those framerates.

Yeah, I would say so.

I'm unfortunately unable to push the CPU any further.

:)

[forteh 11]

Likewise, 4.2 is about the stable limit for this chip without going silly with voltage; I've 'upgraded' to a 5 year old cpu and can't really afford more so want to keep this chip alive as long as possible.

Even so, it demonstrates that a 1st gen i5 quad core is almost comparable in speed to a 3rd gen i7 running 500mhz faster! Essentially arma3 doesn't need latest, greatest hardware; it runs just as quickly on 5 year old equipment :D

[shx 11]

Essentially arma3 doesn't need latest, greatest hardware; it runs just as quickly on 5 year old equipment :D

Games will never need the newest CPU on the market, at least not in these days.

((The general purpose part of a CPU hasn't improved that much in the last years (performance wise, energy consumption is way lower), while the performance improvements shown are mostly to be attributed to additional instruction sets and their application specific processing units. While AVX2 would certainly help Arma, selling a game only to the fraction of people already owning a AVX2-capable CPU is not going to be profitable. Hell, there are still 2014 AAA games without SSE2 - and games like Arma still release in 32-bit.))

[electricsoap 10]

Intel® Core i3 CPU 530 @ 2.93GHz

Memory (RAM) 4.00 GB

Graphics AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series

Gaming graphics 2751 MB Total available graphics memory

I can Run 30+ FPS on Singleplayer

On Multiplayer I can only get around 10 FPS, so what is making the difference

(I have tried on many different servers, same outcome everytime)

(Changes from High to Low video quality don't change anything frames wise, neither does changing view distance)

Edited January 26, 2015 by electricsoap

[forteh 11]

Intel® Core i3 CPU 530 @ 2.93GHz

Memory (RAM) 4.00 GB

Graphics AMD Radeon HD 6800 Series

Gaming graphics 2751 MB Total available graphics memory

I can Run 30+ FPS on Singleplayer

On Multiplayer I can only get around 10 FPS, so what is making the difference

(I have tried on many different servers, same outcome everytime)

(Changes from High to Low video quality don't change anything frames wise, neither does changing view distance)

I had an i3 530 but running at 4.6ghz, I swapped the cpu for an i5 750, overclocked it to 4.2ghz and doubled framerates. Cost me 40 quid for the cpu.

Also worth investing in more ram, get 2x4gb sticks in there as by the time you clock a lynnfield chip up to the speeds arma likes (4ghz+) the memory controller doesn't really like driving all 4 ram slots.

[electricsoap 10]

So Basically I need an i5, and another stick of 4gb RAM

(Didn't know how to quote your post)

[forteh 11]

It's a good start assuming you have the capability to overclock the processor, it's probably the best bang for buck upgrade without having to change motherboard and socket. Do you know what motherboard you have? Do make sure you get an i5 quad core (750 or 760) or get an i7 (860, 870, 875k or 880).

I get comparable fps to people with significantly newer, faster machines; essentially up to a point arma is so cpu bound that you're not going to get much more until BI can manage to improve the efficiency of the engine (rumour has it that dx12 will potentially make it much faster if it can be incorporated into the game).

Single player I get 40-80 fps on very high/ultra settings, multiplayer I get 20-80 with the typical being about 25 in a firefight.

[electricsoap 10]

It's a good start assuming you have the capability to overclock the processor, it's probably the best bang for buck upgrade without having to change motherboard and socket. Do you know what motherboard you have? Do make sure you get an i5 quad core (750 or 760) or get an i7 (860, 870, 875k or 880).

I get comparable fps to people with significantly newer, faster machines; essentially up to a point arma is so cpu bound that you're not going to get much more until BI can manage to improve the efficiency of the engine (rumour has it that dx12 will potentially make it much faster if it can be incorporated into the game).

Single player I get 40-80 fps on very high/ultra settings, multiplayer I get 20-80 with the typical being about 25 in a firefight.

So if I got this Processor, that would be good enough right. (I didn't see any Intel processors with numbers in the hundreds?)

Intel Core i5-4590 Haswell Quad-Core 3.3GHz LGA 1150 84W Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4600 BX80646I54590

[forteh 11]

No, not at all as you would need a new motherboard to run it. You have a socket 1156 motherboard which will only accept the first generation i5 processors, these are now 5+ years old and long out of production, you can pick them up on ebay for cheap though; search for i5 750 or i5 760. If your motherboard is not particularly good at overclocking you will have limited success, also you will need to make sure you have sufficient cooling capacity - the stock cooler is not going to cut it overclocking.

The later generation intel core chips are faster but use a different motherboard socket (2nd generation are 2xxx code, 3rd generation are 3xxx code, 4th generation are 4xxx code), however for playing arma you want the fastest processor clock speed you can achieve, this invariably means overclocking whatever processor you get (unless you are willing to fork out 7-800 for the very latest intel chip with a motherboard and ram to use with it).

[electricsoap 10]

No, not at all as you would need a new motherboard to run it. You have a socket 1156 motherboard which will only accept the first generation i5 processors, these are now 5+ years old and long out of production, you can pick them up on ebay for cheap though; search for i5 750 or i5 760. If your motherboard is not particularly good at overclocking you will have limited success, also you will need to make sure you have sufficient cooling capacity - the stock cooler is not going to cut it overclocking.

The later generation intel core chips are faster but use a different motherboard socket (2nd generation are 2xxx code, 3rd generation are 3xxx code, 4th generation are 4xxx code), however for playing arma you want the fastest processor clock speed you can achieve, this invariably means overclocking whatever processor you get (unless you are willing to fork out 7-800 for the very latest intel chip with a motherboard and ram to use with it).

Thanks, yeah I figured that out that I would need a new motherboard. Thanks a lot for the information this helped a lot

[fngmace 1]

Hello. As the title says, I'm building a rig specifically to play Arma 3. I would like to ask your advice on exact components, especially if you have experience with playing the game in highest possible settings. I will include all info below. Thanks, in advance, for your input.

So my main goals are:

1) To play Arma 3 online in ultra settings (which are the highest possible settings) and I would like to get 60+ fps. The rig itself should be capable of higher fps but online severs often just won't allow for more.

2) I would like to stream to Twitch.tv while playing Arma 3 on ultra settings and sometimes record gameplay to my computer at 1080p.

My budget is $1,200-$1,500, before shipping. If I can achieve my goals with this build for $1,200 that would be great but if I need to add that extra $300 then I will do what it takes! I do NOT need a monitor, mouse or keyboard.

Approximate Purchase Date: As soon as possible, ideally this week

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Arma 3! I don't play many other titles.

Parts to Upgrade: I am starting from scratch so I need ALL the necessary parts from A-Z.

OS: Yes, I'm thinking Windows 8 but open to suggestions if some of you think Windows 7 is a better choice.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: NCIX.com - I live in Canada so I would like to buy from a Canadian website. If you know a better/cheaper website in Canada, I would buy from it as long as they are reliable.

Location: I live in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Overclocking: Maybe.

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe.

Monitor Resolution: My resolution will be 1080p unless I can find a decent 27" monitor that displays 2560x1440 with a high refresh rate.

Additional Comments: I would like a build that can be upgraded, since 4k resolution is around the corner it would be nice if this rig can get me there through upgrading certain parts. I'm also thinking of buying 3 1080p monitors down the line so if it's possible with this rig and some upgrades that would be great too.

I'm upgrading because my current rig just doesn't perform to the level I would like. I sure do love my Arma 3 and I would like to enjoy it to it's full potential.

Okay, thanks for reading through and I hope you guys have some good builds in mind for me to look into!

Cheers.

[forteh 11]

If you're looking to upgrade the motherboard as well and go for a later generation cpu then you need to be looking for a k suffix processor (4xxxk), the k denotes an unlocked clock ratio that will allow you to overclock.

[kbbw123 115]

well with such a budget you especially have to look for a good MoBo, GPU, CPU ans SSD

RAM i would suggest 16 Gig. not that arma uses more than 4 but all the other ram is for any background program your using making sure that you have a wide margin when you run A3. (Go for the cheapest DDR3 brand you can find should be good enough)

A powerfull power supply is needed ofcoarse for proper hardware so atleast a 1000 Watt PSU.

GPU GTX 970 or higher

CPU hm.... i would say for now it doesn't matter how many core's you get because ArmA 3 runs on 2 core's only atm but that might change in the future as they stated themself so a quad or 6-core with relatively high Ghz should do ust fine. maybe an proper i-7.

Well i on't really know any good MoBo's but i guess one that will handle a i-7 and GTX 970 i guess ;)

SSD. you will need an SSD to pu your OS and ArmA 3 on. this make's traveling wth a plane or such faster because the game can load the map quicker.

an extra HDD (2TB+) to put all your video's, mods ect on

I know i don't realy give product name's here but this should be a good guideline to start from to have good performance. Oh and ofcoarse look out what kind of missions/servers you join in MP because that will also affect FPS allot

[ambushlead 10]

To help you get a better idea

I have a 3770k no OC, GTX titan 6GB vram, 16 GB ram. And I run Arma 3 on Ultra at 1440p at 40-60 fps.

If you are planning on 1080p, you should be fine with something similar, a 780ti would be fine, but then again. You should get the 900 series as they have full DX12 function.

If you want a even better CPU than the ones shown during that test, get the i7-4790k. It runs at Base Clock Frequency of 4.0 GHz. Mine only runs at 3.5 GHz

[fngmace 1]

Thank you all for your quick responses and feedback. I'm taking all recommendations into consideration while contemplating the final build.

I got this list recommended to me at a local computer shop today. I've added in the monitor I want. I notice they did not recommend any CPU cooler. But I'd like to know your thoughts on this build. Do you think they've offered a good option or nah? I've copied all the components into pcpartspicker and the price they are charging is about $100 more.

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/user/thegoodway/saved/767Zxr

[Greenfist 1863]

I'd say get faster RAM, it's essential with Arma.

(I don't know much about overclocking, maybe you'll get more than 1600MHz out of those.)

[kbbw123 115]

Tha RAM seems a bit overpriced. i spent (in €) about 120 bucks for 32 Gig

[LSD_Timewarp82 21]

Thank you all for your quick responses and feedback. I'm taking all recommendations into consideration while contemplating the final build.

I got this list recommended to me at a local computer shop today. I've added in the monitor I want. I notice they did not recommend any CPU cooler. But I'd like to know your thoughts on this build. Do you think they've offered a good option or nah? I've copied all the components into pcpartspicker and the price they are charging is about $100 more.

http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/user/thegoodway/saved/767Zxr

-most important you should know: forget your wish to play with 60fps in Online battles, it´s not possible. The game need hard Engine optimizations before could reach such values constantly. I am happy with 30-35fps when playing Online on Ultra (i5 4690K @ 4500Mhz & 2x770GTX SLi with 4Gb Vram each GPU) just ask google how this game performs. I heard even the PC of Chuck Norris isnt able to run this game with 60 fps ^^ ;)

-for what in gods name you choose a 1000W psu?

-always buy a custom cooler for the CPU, a cooler like a Noctua or Scythe, the cooler which comes with the CPU should get the strictly direction into dumpster. Its shit. Ask google for this too, believe me.

-the CPU u chosen is a non K CPU, if you think about overclocking its always better to choose a cpu with K suffix

-you could save much money if you wuold buy an Intel i5 4690K, u wont reckognize difference to 4790K, believe me

I myself have a 4690K too, its so easy to overclock it from 3500Mhz to 4500Mhz, in my case it wasnt even needed to increase some voltages to do this.

And last but not last: get some sleep before spend so much money for a pc to run Arma3 with your desired Framerate, you wont reach this framerate for sure, so think wise about it

Greets

[ambushlead 10]

Why buy the i7-4790 when you can get the i7-4790k for 30 dollars more and get much better CPU? It also has unlocking potential for overclocking.

Honestly, if you just play videogames, a I5 is sufficient, the I5-4690k which LSD_Timewarp82 recommended is a good choice. But if you really insist on a I7, get the K version.

The i7-4790 is pretty much the same as my 3770k.

http://www.cpu-world.com/Compare/517/Intel_Core_i7_i7-3770K_vs_Intel_Core_i7_i7-4790.html

My advice is always get K versions of CPU.

Also, in my opinion, after market cooling is not necessary unless you plan on overclocking. If you don't plan on overclocking at all, save that money to get a better CPU or GPU.

[fngmace 1]

Thanks again for your input guys!

I forgot to mention that the power supply was not intended for that rig, I couldn't find the exact power supply that the vendor had recommended so I just chose one of similar price to see how all the parts would add up on pcpartspicker vs the store I went to. The actual power supply was 850w.

On cpu: I was thinking of going with i7 only because I'd like this computer to last me for a while and be upgradable later on. I might want to get a 3 monitor setup going next year or 4k, who knows. But I just thought i7 would be safer going into the future. Not sure what your thoughts are on that, if you take upgradeability into account... let me know.

So CPU and GPU that most people seem to agree on are:

CPU: i74790k (OR i5 4690K, I will have to do more research regarding the upgradeability factor.)

GPU: GTX970 (still not sure which brand to get but I hear Gigabyte, MSI and Asus are the ones to consider.)

I still need to pick out a motherboard that is good for overclocking and allows for SLI (incase I buy another 970 in the future).

Then I can narrow down options for RAM, SSD, etc.

Cheers.