Which CPU features count? and: Quad vs Duel core?

[mikemhz 5]

I'm buying a new laptop/portable computer and my base requirement it that Arma 3 is playable.

I've seen the game run on internal graphics at framerates common in multiplayer. Obviously dedicated graphics is better.

I've read that, for ArmA series games, CPU features such as clock speed and cache size are make the biggest difference. But feel free to correct me.

However, I have a particular question:

 

How would a "3.7 GHz Intel Core i3-6100 Dual-Core" perform compared to the quad or more core i5 and i7? (This is with some dedicated graphics)

 

Are the individual cores in the i3 inferior to the i7's? Or will ArmA run faster on two individually faster cores? Or what?

[5C4R556 3]

Arma is very CPU intensive. More so than GPU. If you're really tight on cash go with the i3-6100. If you can afford it go with an i5. The i3-6100 is a good little chip. If you decide to go with the i3-6100 you will probably have to turn view distance down and some of the graphic's properties as well.

 

I recommend an i5 though with a dedicated graphic card.

[domokun 515]

Many aspects are important for high performance in Arma. So here are the main aspects, in order of importance:

1. Clock speed (the higher the better), minimum 3 GHz, better 3.5 GHz, ideally 4 GHz or higher. Problem is that you want a laptop and even the fastest chips (i5 and i7, scarcely break 3 GHz).

2. IPC = Instructions Per Clock, basically how many instructions the CPU can execute per clock. In short, until Ryzen appears, get an Intel i5, better i7

3. GPU = get a GeForce GTX. 1060 is good, 1070 is better but expensive and 1080 is best but ridiculously expensive

4. RAM = the faster the better, so DDR4-2400 is a minimum, 3000 is better and ideally 3600 or higher

5. SSD = anything recent, at least 128 GB, 256 GB is better, 512 comfy (because Arma + Windows can easily reach 100 GB)

So basically don't buy a laptop unless you really need that mobility to because you'll need to spend twice as much as a desktop to get comparable performance, e.g. to play A3 in 1080p @ 60 fps on High settings, on a laptop will cost $1500/€1500 (HP Omen 17w206nf -  i7-7700HQ, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB HDD + 128 GB SSD, Geforce GTX 1060) whereas a desktop with similar performance will cost you $800/€800 (i5-7600k, 16GB DDR4-3400, 256 GB SSD, GTX 1060)

[swtx 42]

 

I recommend going with the I7 if you can swing it.  I'm running an I7 quad core along with a dedicated Nvidia gtx 860M.  Overclocked to a 3.5 Ghz I average between 40-50 FPS on Altis and Stratis and in the mid to upper 30's to low 40's on Tonoa.  That's playing King of the Hill on-line.  Playing Liberation Co-op I get about 50 FPS in single player, and in the 40's in Co-op.  You can get the same Lenovo Y70 laptop that I have either refurbished or used on Ebay for about $700 and it will run A3 just fine. The new version is the Lenovo Y700.  I believe it has a 960M graphics card and an SSD.  They run between $800 used and refurbished to $1400 for a brand new bench tested unit.  

 

Scott Out