Help me Go into PC Racing with a Splash

[xxxdisciplexxx]

*I posted this on the insidesimracing forums but after looking through the Show off your PC thread one here even though it may be small I can see that there are some people who know PC's on here!

So the idea of switching over to PC for both Sim racing and all around gaming has been on my mind for a while but coming from zero knowledge on all things PC hardware leaves me with a lot of questions even after a history full of google searches. So if you could please share some of your expertise with me! Here is some information for you...

What I have
-Panasonic 55VT30 plasma
-Astro A40 headset/mix amp
-PS3 & Xbox 360 (maybe irrelevant but wth)
-Fanatec CSR wheel
-Fanatec CSR Elite pedals

What I'm looking for in a PC Kinda sounds creepy doesn't it? Budget is around 1500$ USD
-Some thing that will be more then adequate for all racers and all other games FPS, RPG, and etc
-I'm a graphics nut so that is of mafor importance
-Can handle daily use as in surfing the web and basic programs
-Possible upgrade to triple screens in the future
-The whole deal! Starting from nothing so please keep that in mind. I have a laptop so please lmk all the things I would need to purchase lol. Although I do have a optic & HDMI cable. I didn't factor in mouse and keyboard in the budget but ideas for that would be awesome as well.

Some questions
-Is my TV up to par for getting the best computer racing/gaming experience?
-Should I buy locally and have them build it for me? Or try this on my own?
-Is i5 3570k the best version of i5?
-Does i7 bring improvements to graphics?
-What programs do I need to get it rolling? Windows 7 64bit and some Anti virus is that it?

Yup that is about all of the questions I have had bouncing around in my head. Thanks in advance to anyone who is willing to take the time to help out in any way!

 

[Sharky.]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/qMrE
$1270, boom, done. 3770K, MSI 670 Power Edition, 16GB RAM.

As for your questions:
- I wouldn't use a TV for a PC, especially not a 55-inch (?) plasma. 23"ish LCDs are the way to go for PC displays.
- Build it yourself. You save money and you'll learn in the process
- yes, the 3570K is the best Core i5 processor at this time.
- No, Core i7s do not improve your graphics.
- Just Windows. Technically you don't even need an antivirus if you have safe/smart browsing habits.

 

[Terronium-12]

Something I whipped up rather quickly:

Corsair 400R - Case/$99.99

Gigabyte Z77-UD3H - Mobo/$144.99

i5-3570K - Processor/$219.99

Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3-1866 - RAM/Memory/$59.99; you can opt for a different kit if you'd like but the differences between them are going to be so minute you're unlikely to notice them unless you're using the rig to benchmark every single day.

Corsair HX750 - Power/$129.99

EVGA GTX 670 FTW - Video card/$409.99

Samsung 840 120GB - SSD/$99.99; use this to install Windows on

Samsung 1TB - HDD/$89.99; use this for main storage

CM Hyper 212 Evo - Cooling/$34.99

I haven't looked at Sharky's build (spotlight thief!) but I'd go for the 16GB kit over mine; always good to have the additional headroom, even if you never actually breach said headroom.

Total: $1289.91. Not much more expensive than Sharky's.

 

[xxxdisciplexxx]

Thanks guys I will definitely check both of those out! Why is a 55inch plasma a problem? For console gaming and movies it is great! But I know PC gaming is a bit different so please explain.

 

[bevo]

I used my 50 inch plasma with my PC for over a year and loved it. If you're just using one screen it's great for gaming. The desktop doesn't look as good as a monitor but i thought the games looked better then my monitors. I've always loved the looks of plasma displays over everything I have owned.

The only reason I don't still use it is because I went triple screen and wanted them right on top of me so i bought 3 27 inch LED displays. They do look great and all, but if i could buy 27 inch plasmas I would have bought them.

Another great thing about a 55 inch plasma is that you can still just lounge on your couch or in a comfortable reclining chair and lean back and play your games. If you want to break out the playseat or whatever you have your wheel on, you can just push it in front of the huge TV and not have to be 20 inches away for it to seem big enough.

Here is what I use to use for my keyboard and mouse when i played in my chair. http://www.laptopdesk.net/futura-with-regular-mouzpad-and-max-mouzpad.html
It is big enough for my G15 keyboard which is huge and a mouse. I actually still use it for non racing games while I sit in my playseat.

 

[xxxdisciplexxx]

Thanks bevo! I guess I see why PC gaming on that big of a screen might be weird. It's because you are sitting about 8 feet away with a keyboard and mouse on your lap lol. As a console gamer the idea of needing more then a controller in my hands to game trips me out. Guess I could use a controller but I bet I'll suffer from lack of control.

Another question I have.
Whats up with gigabyte and evga having such similar names for graphic cards ex: Gigabyte GeForce GTX680, EVGA GeForce GTX690, and so on? Are they some how connected? I kind of want to try and build a pc around the GTX680. What do you think about that? Would I need to upgrade everything with it?

 

[bevo]

Thanks bevo! I guess I see why PC gaming on that big of a screen might be weird. It's because you are sitting about 8 feet away with a keyboard and mouse on your lap lol. As a console gamer the idea of needing more then a controller in my hands to game trips me out. Guess I could use a controller but I bet I'll suffer from lack of control.

Another question I have.
Whats up with gigabyte and evga having such similar names for graphic cards ex: Gigabyte GeForce GTX680, EVGA GeForce GTX690, and so on? Are they some how connected? I kind of want to try and build a pc around the GTX680. What do you think about that? Would I need to upgrade everything with it?

I ended up just using a wired 360 controller for most games. BF3, Far Cry3etc, but for RTS games and web browsing I still use the keyboard. i suck with a mouse for shooting games. I know a mouse can be better but I still haven't gotten the hang of it after almost 2 years.

As for the EVGA and gigabyte having the same names, it's because they are almost the same cards. Nvidia's new line of cards is the 600 series. The 670, 680 and 690 are the top three and they are all called GeForce GTX 670 or 680 etc. The EVGA and Gigabyte are just different brands of the same cards. They might have a different cooler on them, or one might come with a little bit bigger overclock out of the box or some other differences, but they are both just nvidia GTX 670s. One great thing though about EVGA is that they have a lifetime warrenty. They also have a deal where if in 90 days a better card of the same line ( example you buy a 670 and within 90 days the 770 comes out) you can pay the difference in the price of what the 670 cost when you bought it and the price of the new 770 and send back your 670 for a 770.

MSI also has a pretty good warrenty. It's for 3 years and goes with the serial code of the card, so you can sell it or buy used and still have a warrenty for the card. I bought used last time with my 570s because of that and got MSI. This time though I couldn't find a 4gb 670 for sale at a decent price so i bought new and got EVGA 4gb gtx 670 FTW. Those are really nice cards, but can get kind of loud. Fans dont bother me though because the sound of either loud engines or explosions will drown out any fans. And when you are just using the internet or whatever the fans are not working hard anyway.

 

[magic_town]

+1 for the 360 pad. I've only been on PC for a few months and I tried my first (non G27 wheel) game yesterday with the keyboard and mouse and it was impossible! No mouse control, couldn't find the keys quick enough, I sucked!
Just be prepared for that. Then again, I might just suck at computers

 

[bevo]

+1 for the 360 pad. I've only been on PC for a few months and I tried my first (non G27 wheel) game yesterday with the keyboard and mouse and it was impossible! No mouse control, couldn't find the keys quick enough, I sucked!
Just be prepared for that. Then again, I might just suck at computers

Going from a controller to a keyboard and mouse has to be the biggest change ever for gaming. It took me all of 20 minutes to get use to going from a pad to a steering wheel. It's been almost 2 years and I still can't get good with a mouse. I even use to play alot of PC games when I was a kid, but none of that skill came back to me at all.

I really don't see how the PC guys all think the mouse and keyboard feels better then a controller. I see how they are better with them because you could be more precise and faster, but it just feels so weird trying to aim with a mouse instead of a joystick. I guess I've been using joysticks though since the commodore 64 so I've just gotten really use to them.

 

[Submerged]

With regards to the mouse and keyboard combo, its more of the ability to visualise what your fingers/hands are doing that will translate efficiently to the screen.

With the joystick/gamepad, it is easier to do motion control far faster than a mouse and keyboard, however when it comes to precise and detailed work, the mouse still reigns over the gamepad. The keyboard doesn't quite cut it as it's more of a digital input system, so it kinda has almost no flexibility for control, apart from getting a menu system keys.

I think its more of a useful thing for most PC gamers to use the mouse and keyboards as its something that they've been using for a long long time (word processing, spreadsheets, online forums etc etc) that helps it to translate fairly well to games.

Macros also helps a lot in certain games (single player only, some multiplayer will kick you for that).

 

[xxxdisciplexxx]

Could I build a setup with a GeForce GTX680 that's water cooled and could handle a additional 680 if I go triple in the future for around my budget if it's flexible a bit? If any of you have the time and you wouldn't mind setting a build up for me it would move me that much closer to sealing the deal.

What is the best model/version w/e they call it of the 680? I see so many with different number codes on amazon! Should it be 2g or 4g? Whats better for sim racing/gaming the GeForce line or Radeon Video Card? I'm guessing that might be the equivalent of GT5 or Forza4 comparisons. But fill me in if you can!

 

[bevo]

If you are wanting to go triple screen in the future then get a 4GB card. You will max out 2gb pretty quick with triple screens. A 2gb card will run triples but you will be limited to having to choose between either using AA and lowering settings or ultra settings with no AA.

As for a build I'm not really sure about the latest CPUs so someone else should advise on that. If I was you though I would go for a 670 over a 680. I've seen several benchmark tests that showed overclocked 670s beating overclocked 680s. There really isn't that much of a performance difference between the 670s and 680s on most benchmark tests. A 680 though is obviously better without doing any overclocking but not really a whole lot better for the difference in price.

As for a model of 680 I ahve a EVGA 670 4GB FTW card and it is a great card. I asked around on several forums and that seamed to be the most recommended 4GB 670. i imagine there is a 680 version of it too, but I haven't looked for it.

I just checked and there is a EVGA 680 4GB FTW card with backplate. It's 100$ more then the 670 model. Check some benchmark scores of the 2 and see of the FPS you gain with the 680 is wirth the 100$ to you.

 

[xxxdisciplexxx]

Thanks again man for the quick reply! I will look more into the 670 vs 680. I guess I was thinking of going with a 2mb 680 then buy another for triple screens.

Few more questions here
Which Windows 7 version should I get? Do most people pick up the Windows 7 Home Premium Full 32/64-bit? It's surprisingly more expensive then the Windows 8 64bit 155$ to 140$.
Do I need a sound card?I'm asking because in most of the PC builds I don't see one.
Lastly is spending more on a optical drive justified in any ways?

 

[bevo]

Thanks again man for the quick reply! I will look more into the 670 vs 680. I guess I was thinking of going with a 2mb 680 then buy another for triple screens.

Few more questions here
Which Windows 7 version should I get? Do most people pick up the Windows 7 Home Premium Full 32/64-bit? It's surprisingly more expensive then the Windows 8 64bit 155$ to 140$.
Do I need a sound card?I'm asking because in most of the PC builds I don't see one.
Lastly is spending more on a optical drive justified in any ways?

When you buy a graphics card, if you get a 2gb 680 and then another 2gb 680 it doesn't make 4gb of Vram. You will still only have 2gb of Vram. they don't add together like you would think. You need 4GB cards to get 4GB of Vram.

Get the 64bit windows. 32 bit will only use 4gb of RAM

For sound it depends on what you will be using for sound. If you aer using surround sound and your receiver has hdmi you can just run your HDMI from your GPU to the receiver and then to a monitor.
It really just depends on what you will be using for your speakers if you need a suond card or not.

I can see anyway why you would want an expensive optical drive unless you are going to be using blurays with it. I think my dvd drive was like 25$ or so.

There are others on here that no more then me about this stuff though. I'm just giving advice from my experience with my system so far.

 

[xxxdisciplexxx]

For sound My astro A40 headset or the plain old speakers on my HDTV. What would I need to run a HDMI or Optic from the PC to my mixamp for the headset and TV for output then?

 

[dice1998]

For sound My astro A40 headset or the plain old speakers on my HDTV. What would I need to run a HDMI or Optic from the PC to my mixamp for the headset and TV for output then?

I'm assuming you mean you want sound to the TV and your headset at the same time.

Why not google and see if there's a splitter out in the wild that will do what you need?

I know for a fact there's an Optical to RCA splitter carried by radioshack because I needed one for my parents living room home theater (a bose 5.1 from 1999 doesn't have an optical in port ) so I would assume there are other variants out there.

If you meant you want sound from the headphones and TV but without unplugging and plugging things in, add the word "switch" instead of "splitter" while googling and see what comes up 👍 .