Convince me to buy a PC for AC

[CC570]

Hope that GTX 960 is up to it. The video card is probably the most important component and that model only gets mediocre benchmark ratings. If you want 60fps (and you do, trust me) be prepared to turn the graphics quality down and race with less-than-full grids. Might need to stick to a single screen too.

If you are running a single 1080p screen the 960 is plenty of card. A Gtx 660 is plenty for a single screen. Seriously.

 

[BrandonW77]

If you are running a single 1080p screen the 960 is plenty of card. A Gtx 660 is plenty for a single screen. Seriously.

Fair enough, I was only going by the benchmarks. And IMO even the low quality graphics settings still look rather good, so hopefully it won't be an issue.

 

[chromatic9]

Shame you went 960, still a decent card but a 970 is around 50% better or more.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_960_Gaming/21.html

Hope you enjoy AC

I haven't heard of it being free for XP, just 7 and up.
Edit: Source

Yeah, we'll just have to see what happens, too much speculation right now.

 

[Hodgelike]

Cheers guys but not wanting to get into a battle for who or what is best components etc. I had to trust in PC Specialist based on very basic criteria of what I wanted the PC to be used. It will be run on a 42" TV, just like my PS3, Xbox 360 & Xbox One.

 

[Harley45]

This is the spec... I used the jargon free spec builder

AMD FX-8320 Eight Core CPU (3.50GHz/8MB CACHE/AM3+)
PCS DOMINATOR 6806B BLACK CASE
ASUS® M5A97 LE R2.0 (DDR3, USB3.0, 6Gb/s)
8GB KINGSTON DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (1 x 8GB)
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 960 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
1TB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 32MB CACHE
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
CORSAIR 450W VS SERIES™ VS-450 POWER SUPPLY
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
ONBOARD 8 CHANNEL (7.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Genuine Windows 8.1 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£79)

its a bit skimpy on the PSU 450w is just about enough , GTX 960 will get you in the mid-range of settings dependant on how many cars you have in each race and how you have the overall graphics set up .
Should still be a decent system though .

 

[BrandonW77]

Cheers guys but not wanting to get into a battle for who or what is best components etc. I had to trust in PC Specialist based on very basic criteria of what I wanted the PC to be used. It will be run on a 42" TV, just like my PS3, Xbox 360 & Xbox One.

We aren't trying to battle, just looking out for ya. I had guys at the brick-and-mortar store try to sell me on a lesser card too and they were sure it would be fine, but research told me that getting the better video card would be the best way to go because it's the most important component. Hope it all works out for you.

 

[Hodgelike]

Define decent enough compared to Xbox One...

 

[CC570]

Define decent enough compared to Xbox One...

I have a two+ year old Gtx 660 OC running a single monitor. Not once have I considered upgrading it. I have most settings set to highest and tend to get well over 100 fps. You will be fine with the 960 and with the savings in your pocket.

 

[Saidur_Ali]

I still play GT6. The more the merrier IMO.

Me too, last racing game I played.

This is the spec... I used the jargon free spec builder

AMD FX-8320 Eight Core CPU (3.50GHz/8MB CACHE/AM3+)
PCS DOMINATOR 6806B BLACK CASE
ASUS® M5A97 LE R2.0 (DDR3, USB3.0, 6Gb/s)
8GB KINGSTON DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (1 x 8GB)
2GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 960 - 2 DVI, HDMI, DP - 3D Vision Ready
1TB 3.5" SATA-III 6GB/s HDD 7200RPM 32MB CACHE
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
CORSAIR 450W VS SERIES™ VS-450 POWER SUPPLY
STANDARD AMD CPU COOLER
STANDARD THERMAL PASTE FOR SUFFICIENT COOLING
ONBOARD 8 CHANNEL (7.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Genuine Windows 8.1 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence (£79)

Out of interest, any reason why you decided not to get the much faster GTX 970 computer for similar price?

Edit: Just read more of the recent posts, shame you never went for the higher performing system. It is a bit like a high end gaming system vs mid-range system for similar price or a bit like having a bit more than another Xbox One in terms of extra performance while taking less electricity to run. It is still a decent gaming system, about two to three times the graphics performance of a Xbox One.

 

[Arixant]

Define decent enough compared to Xbox One...

Just about any gaming rig beats the xbone. (unless youre talking about some core 2 duo running on intergrated graphics or anything below a 750ti.)

 

[Johnnypenso]

I have a two+ year old Gtx 660 OC running a single monitor. Not once have I considered upgrading it. I have most settings set to highest and tend to get well over 100 fps. You will be fine with the 960 and with the savings in your pocket.

@Saidur_Ali already provided links to GTX 970 systems for the same price so there are no savings.

 

[Saidur_Ali]

@Saidur_Ali already provided links to GTX 970 systems for the same price so there are no savings.

Also the 970 system takes less electricity (Savings there) and probably perform better in situations where there are more AI cars due to the Intel i5 and also has more overhead regarding PSU for future upgrades. At least it is help in keeping a competitor stay in business and helps keep prices down for everyone.

 

[Hodgelike]

So I guess I have purchased a decent enough system that will see to my needs in terms of playing AC & other racing titles, whilst not spending too much money... allowing me to still feed my family & paying for my house lol

Plus, still need to spend money on the car (project) in my avatar... my money pit

 

[Roostaboosta]

I got my PC from PCSpecialist, went for the 970, got a feeling you might regret getting the 960 in the long term. I have the majority of settings on Ultra with a few graphics mods and the end result is amazing... Give them a call!

 

[Saidur_Ali]

So I guess I have purchased a decent enough system that will see to my needs in terms of playing AC & other racing titles, whilst not spending too much money... allowing me to still feed my family & paying for my house lol

Plus, still need to spend money on the car (project) in my avatar... my money pit

It was only just over £6 more that would have saved you a lot of money in the long run. If you wanted a lower performing system and a bit faster than the one you got, could have got this: Link and that would would have been a saving of over £100 for a faster system. As long as you are happy with your choce, I guess that is the main thing.

 

[hennessey86]

Cheers guys but not wanting to get into a battle for who or what is best components etc. I had to trust in PC Specialist based on very basic criteria of what I wanted the PC to be used. It will be run on a 42" TV, just like my PS3, Xbox 360 & Xbox One.

Welcome to the wonderful world of PC gaming , thats a fine starter rig. Don't worry about people saying your components are not good enough because for what you want them for they are, the problem you have is once you turn on that PC you will have the bug, all PC gamers get it where you just have to keep upgrading even if you dont really need to ha. I came from forza to pc sims and i also have a GT2, be prepared though because assetto is a different beast to forza. happy gaming.

 

[VetteZR1]

Has anybody tried A C on an Alienware Alpha? I'm not confident enough to build A PC, plus I don't have the room for one. The Alienware Alpha would fit right in. I'm only interested in A C and maybe Pcars. Not a big time gamer, only a driver, and it seems an Alpha would fit the bill for me.

 

[Cote Dazur]

You don't need a super beast to enjoy AC, contrary to what some are trying to convey, it does not have to run with all graphic settings to the roof to look good and be fun. Better go with something you can afford and enjoy it, than waiting and stressing because reflections are not going to be on high.
Also running 24 cars AI ( you will never be able to race them all anyway) is not necessary when you set your AI setting to match your speed and run the Official cars that are well optimized, 10 to 8 cars do the job quite nicely.
By the way there was a very nice step up of optimization since 1.1.2, with much improved FPS, funny it is not more mentioned. There is more optimization coming.
A used not too old PC with a decent GPU can go a long way.

 

[BrandonW77]

By the way there was a very nice step up of optimization since 1.1.2, with much improved FPS, funny it is not more mentioned. There is more optimization coming.

There's a two page thread about it on RD. I have noticed that things seem to run really smooth on my PC, it was smooth before but feels even more smooth now. And like I mentioned above, as far as I can see low-to-medium settings look almost as good as high or ultra settings, I don't notice a whole lot of difference.

I'll admit though, I do love running a 24 car grid and seeing a huge train of cars in my mirror. This is probably because I was so used to 8-10 car grids in GT5/6. I did a URD EGT race at La Sarthe the other night and seeing that string of racers running down Mulsanne was awesome.

 

[20832]

I get almost 80+ and even up to 130FPS in AC with my 960, so it's more than plently.

 

[mister dog]

GTX 960 will get you in the mid-range of settings dependant on how many cars you have in each race and how you have the overall graphics set up .

Strange, my GTX960 runs everything on ultra with more than 60fps

Has anybody tried A C on an Alienware Alpha? I'm not confident enough to build A PC, plus I don't have the room for one. The Alienware Alpha would fit right in. I'm only interested in A C and maybe Pcars. Not a big time gamer, only a driver, and it seems an Alpha would fit the bill for me.

I was looking into the Alpha before, if you really don't have space for a desktop next to the telly, i would go for the I5 model. The I3 doesn't have enough cores to be future proof from what i understand. Graphics card is up to the job though for AC (although you can't replace it in the long run so you'll have to downgrade the settings in a couple of years).

If you have the space get a desktop like i did, as the Alpha is overpriced for what you are getting in comparison.

 

[KingPing]

AC don't need a beast PC run (maybe a hefty PC to run maxed out) my second PC runs the game and it's a 5 to 6 year old PC.

 

[Johnnypenso]

I think you guys are missing the point on this recent exchange. If you can buy a 970 based pc for the same price as a 960 based pc, the 970 is obviously the better deal and more "future proof". It's not a question of whether one is better than the other, it's a missed opportunity for improved performance at identical cost.

 

[Roostaboosta]

Thankyou Johnny, my thoughts entirely. Like I said, used the same firm, very good build but why sacrifice performance for pocket money, doesn't make sense to me, Heyho!

 

[20832]

I think you guys are missing the point on this recent exchange. If you can buy a 970 based pc for the same price as a 960 based pc, the 970 is obviously the better deal and more "future proof". It's not a question of whether one is better than the other, it's a missed opportunity for improved performance at identical cost.

At least in my case I never argued that the 960 is better, but rather enough and not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. If you could've gotten the same PC with a 970 for the same price (or like 20 or 30 bucks more) then yes, it would've been the better choice.

 

[CC570]

I think you guys are missing the point on this recent exchange. If you can buy a 970 based pc for the same price as a 960 based pc, the 970 is obviously the better deal and more "future proof". It's not a question of whether one is better than the other, it's a missed opportunity for improved performance at identical cost.

True, given equivalent mb, processor, ps etc. But the OP made his purchase, which will work quite well for its intended purpose. Any further discussion regarding this card or build vs that one is moot at this point, and possibly counter-productive.

 

[Roostaboosta]

True, given equivalent mb, processor, ps etc. But the OP made his purchase, which will work quite well for its intended purpose. Any further discussion regarding this card or build vs that one is moot at this point, and possibly counter-productive.

Knowing the firm, he could give them a call and upgrade his order, took a month for mine to be built and delivered

 

[BrandonW77]

Knowing the firm, he could give them a call and upgrade his order, took a month for mine to be built and delivered

That's is the only reason I ever mentioned anything in the first place, hoping he might be able to get it swapped since it's basically the same price. It would be well worth the phone call/email. If it's too late, no biggie, but if you can have bigger/better for pretty much the same price, go for it!

 

[Hodgelike]

Mixed bag of opinions on spec but at least I have a PC ordered that will run AC.

Cheers again for all the input

 

[Saidur_Ali]

Knowing the firm, he could give them a call and upgrade his order, took a month for mine to be built and delivered

It is a different company with the cheaper offer.

Mixed bag of opinions on spec but at least I have a PC ordered that will run AC.

Cheers again for all the input

I imagine you can still cancel if you wanted and order the other computer and you will probably receive it quicker too. Up to you if you want to or not, it is quite a big performance upgrade and also will have better resale value for £6 more. You also get a free game, Witcher 3 if you went with other system.