Desktop Hardware Q&A

[Itharsalt]

Just an fyi guys, it is my experience from both first hand and online research that this game is only fully capable of using 2 cores of a cpu anyways, therefore clock speed has a much greater impact than the number of cores. You quad core users out there try it out, run swtor and look at your cpu usage, in my experience you have 2 cores running hard and the rest doing very little. Let me know if you have different results, I am interested to know how its working out for everyone.

[SuspectDown]

Just an fyi guys, it is my experience from both first hand and online research that this game is only fully capable of using 2 cores of a cpu anyways, therefore clock speed has a much greater impact than the number of cores. You quad core users out there try it out, run swtor and look at your cpu usage, in my experience you have 2 cores running hard and the rest doing very little. Let me know if you have different results, I am interested to know how its working out for everyone.

 

Great observation Itharsalt. If you notice in other games as well, this seems to be the norm in the gaming industry. There is not really any popular, modern game out right now that can really effectively use more than 2-3 cores. This is why we seem quad core CPU's still beat six core CPU's depending on the IPC/FPU.

 

You bring up a very important point that, for gaming in general, IPC/FPU strength is extremely important. This is why we see even first generation (and subsequently 2nd [sandy Bridge] & 3rd [ Ivy Bridge] core i7 CPU's beat AMD's FX-8150 (Bulldozer) in gaming tests, even though they are clocked much lower.

[dbarnetth]

I tried to post this somewhere else but it started a fight and got the thread closed. Anyway, let me start by saying I'm a complete idiot in relation to most people who play this game and who frequent this community. I don't build computers. I don't know the words I'm supposed to know. I am easily taken advantage of by computer repair shops. I'm looking for kindness and help. I love playing this game and I want it to look good. That's it.

 

So, I have GeForce 9500 GT video card right now. I bought it to replace the one below. The one below died and the one I have now is dying. I am wondering what would be the best card to replace it with. I would like to have all the graphics turned up as high as possible, but I don't want to spend $200. So, how awful is the card I have now? Can I get much better for $100? $200? Any help would be wonderful and I would really appreciate it.

 

And please, don't fight!

 

Thanks,

Dave

 

 

1 x Case Raidmax Altas Gaming Case - Black

0 x Case Lighting None

0 x iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction None

1 x iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion [6-Port] NZXT Internal USB Expansion System + Bluetooth Module - Valentines Day Special [$29 Value]

1 x Processor Intel® Core™ i7 960 Processor (4x 3.20GHz/8MB L3 Cache) - FREE Upgrade from Intel Core i7 950 Processor

0 x iBUYPOWER PowerDrive None

1 x Processor Cooling Liquid CPU Cooling System [sOCKET-1366] - [Free Upgrade] Standard 120mm Fan

1 x Memory 6 GB [2 GB X3] DDR3-1333 - ** FREE Upgrade to DDR3-1600 ** Corsair or Major Brand

1 x Video Card ATI Radeon HD 5450 - 1GB

1 x Video Card Brand Major Brand Powered by ATI or NVIDIA

1 x Motherboard [sLI] MSI X58 PRO-E

1 x Motherboard USB / SATA Interface Motherboard default USB / SATA Interface

1 x Power Supply 650 Watt -- NZXT HALE90 / 80+ Gold

1 x Primary Hard Drive 1 TB HARD DRIVE -- 64M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s - Single Drive

0 x Data Hard Drive None

1 x Optical Drive [12X Blu-Ray] Pioneer BLU-RAY Re-Writer, DVD±R/±RW Burner Combo Drive - Black

0 x 2nd Optical Drive None

1 x Flash Media Reader / Writer 12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer - Black

0 x Meter Display None

1 x Sound Card 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard

1 x Network Card Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100)

1 x Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium + Office Starter 2010 (Includes basic versions of Word and Excel) - 64-Bit

1 x Keyboard iBUYPOWER USB Keyboard - Black

1 x Mouse iBUYPOWER Internet Mouse

1 x Monitor 22" LCD 1920x1080 -- ASUS VH222H (21.5" Viewable)

0 x 2nd Monitor None

1 x Monitor Cable 15 ft. DVI to HDMI Cable (Resolution up to 1080P)

0 x Speaker System None

1 x Wireless Network Adapter Zonet ZEW2545 802.11n 130Mbps Wireless USB Adapter

0 x Headset None

0 x Video Camera None

1 x Warranty Standard Warranty Service - Standard 3-Year Limited Warranty + Lifetime Technical Support

1 x Rush Service Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) - Deferred Delivery (Ship Out in 15 Business Days) - 5% OFF on systems over $999 (Coupon Code: defer)

[SuspectDown]

I tried to post this somewhere else but it started a fight and got the thread closed. Anyway, let me start by saying I'm a complete idiot in relation to most people who play this game and who frequent this community. I don't build computers. I don't know the words I'm supposed to know. I am easily taken advantage of by computer repair shops. I'm looking for kindness and help. I love playing this game and I want it to look good. That's it.

 

So, I have GeForce 9500 GT video card right now. I bought it to replace the one below. The one below died and the one I have now is dying. I am wondering what would be the best card to replace it with. I would like to have all the graphics turned up as high as possible, but I don't want to spend $200. So, how awful is the card I have now? Can I get much better for $100? $200? Any help would be wonderful and I would really appreciate it.

 

And please, don't fight!

 

Thanks,

Dave

 

 

1 x Case Raidmax Altas Gaming Case - Black

0 x Case Lighting None

0 x iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction None

1 x iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion [6-Port] NZXT Internal USB Expansion System + Bluetooth Module - Valentines Day Special [$29 Value]

1 x Processor Intel® Core™ i7 960 Processor (4x 3.20GHz/8MB L3 Cache) - FREE Upgrade from Intel Core i7 950 Processor

0 x iBUYPOWER PowerDrive None

1 x Processor Cooling Liquid CPU Cooling System [sOCKET-1366] - [Free Upgrade] Standard 120mm Fan

1 x Memory 6 GB [2 GB X3] DDR3-1333 - ** FREE Upgrade to DDR3-1600 ** Corsair or Major Brand

1 x Video Card ATI Radeon HD 5450 - 1GB

1 x Video Card Brand Major Brand Powered by ATI or NVIDIA

1 x Motherboard [sLI] MSI X58 PRO-E

1 x Motherboard USB / SATA Interface Motherboard default USB / SATA Interface

1 x Power Supply 650 Watt -- NZXT HALE90 / 80+ Gold

1 x Primary Hard Drive 1 TB HARD DRIVE -- 64M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s - Single Drive

0 x Data Hard Drive None

1 x Optical Drive [12X Blu-Ray] Pioneer BLU-RAY Re-Writer, DVD±R/±RW Burner Combo Drive - Black

0 x 2nd Optical Drive None

1 x Flash Media Reader / Writer 12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer - Black

0 x Meter Display None

1 x Sound Card 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard

1 x Network Card Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100)

1 x Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium + Office Starter 2010 (Includes basic versions of Word and Excel) - 64-Bit

1 x Keyboard iBUYPOWER USB Keyboard - Black

1 x Mouse iBUYPOWER Internet Mouse

1 x Monitor 22" LCD 1920x1080 -- ASUS VH222H (21.5" Viewable)

0 x 2nd Monitor None

1 x Monitor Cable 15 ft. DVI to HDMI Cable (Resolution up to 1080P)

0 x Speaker System None

1 x Wireless Network Adapter Zonet ZEW2545 802.11n 130Mbps Wireless USB Adapter

0 x Headset None

0 x Video Camera None

1 x Warranty Standard Warranty Service - Standard 3-Year Limited Warranty + Lifetime Technical Support

1 x Rush Service Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) - Deferred Delivery (Ship Out in 15 Business Days) - 5% OFF on systems over $999 (Coupon Code: defer)

 

The 9500 is pretty bad.

 

$100 would be a big improvement, $200 would be a massive improvement. If you PVP, though, depending on your AA/resolution $200 may not max settings for you.

 

For around $100 you should be looking for a Nvidia GTX 460. For $200, an AMD 6950 2GB. For something in the middle, a 6850/6870.

 

Also, what state do you live in?

[msuspartan]

Got a question, I have tried to go thru the pages to find my answer and I do not have THAT much time..lol...

 

So here it my question, I have a Intel dual core @2.33ghz, 8g of ram and a 1g MSI video card. A 19" lcd set at 1280x1024 and have all virus off while playing too.

The problem is everything is set at low or off and I still get a jerky pic while on my skimmer. Really annoying and I had upgraded from a 256 vid card when they did the 1.2 upgrade because it started lagging so bad I could not play the game.

Any ideas to get better performance? It seems everytime there is a maintenance upgrade it gets a bit worse.

 

Thanks for any insight.

 

Cheers, DonK

[SuspectDown]

Got a question, I have tried to go thru the pages to find my answer and I do not have THAT much time..lol...

 

So here it my question, I have a Intel dual core @2.33ghz, 8g of ram and a 1g MSI video card. A 19" lcd set at 1280x1024 and have all virus off while playing too.

The problem is everything is set at low or off and I still get a jerky pic while on my skimmer. Really annoying and I had upgraded from a 256 vid card when they did the 1.2 upgrade because it started lagging so bad I could not play the game.

Any ideas to get better performance? It seems everytime there is a maintenance upgrade it gets a bit worse.

 

Thanks for any insight.

 

Cheers, DonK

 

Unfotunately that doesn't tell us much. I'm going to assume you have a Core 2 Duo CPU (which unfortunately is 5~ years old). As for the GPU, 1GB doesn't tell us anything. What model is it? There are 1GB cards that are atrocious (like the GT 210) and there are 1GB cards that do quite well (like the 6950). My guess is you are closer to the GT 210 than 6950.

[dipstik]

so ive got a Q6700 and gtx460 and i have problems with seeing aoe indicators soemtimes and i get horrible lag doing NP even at very low 720, with vsync off. what im wondering is how much better off i will be with i7 3770 and going from 4 gigs of 1333 (i think) to 8 gigs of 1600 ram.

 

will i still get lag doing NP. will aoe indicators still glitch so i cant see l5 and FB&SC indicators...

[SuspectDown]

so ive got a Q6700 and gtx460 and i have problems with seeing aoe indicators soemtimes and i get horrible lag doing NP even at very low 720, with vsync off. what im wondering is how much better off i will be with i7 3770 and going from 4 gigs of 1333 (i think) to 8 gigs of 1600 ram.

 

will i still get lag doing NP. will aoe indicators still glitch so i cant see l5 and FB&SC indicators...

 

You will get a big boost going from that CPU to Ivy Bridge, but the 4 to 8 of ram won't improve as much. Considering the cost of 2x4GB DDR3 1600 is about $40, I wouldn't get anything less, though.

 

I'd try updating your video drivers or just reformating altogether.

[dbarnetth]

The 9500 is pretty bad.

 

$100 would be a big improvement, $200 would be a massive improvement. If you PVP, though, depending on your AA/resolution $200 may not max settings for you.

 

For around $100 you should be looking for a Nvidia GTX 460. For $200, an AMD 6950 2GB. For something in the middle, a 6850/6870.

 

Also, what state do you live in?

I live in Arizona.

 

THanks for the great information!

[dbarnetth]

I live in Arizona.

 

THanks for the great information!

 

And I never do PVP.

[SuspectDown]

I live in Arizona.

 

THanks for the great information!

 

Gotcha, thought you might have a Micro Center by you but I don't think any are in AZ.

 

With your system, upgrading your video card get things running smooth for you since you already have a first gen i7.

[Nothematic]

Anyone know what kind of settings I should expect with these specs (I'm guessing medium or high, but any specifics?

 

AMD BULLDOZER SIX CORE FX-6200 (3.80GHz/6MB CACHE/AM3+)

ASUS® M5A78L-M/USB3: M-ATX, USB 3.0, SATA 3.0Gb/s

8GB SAMSUNG DUAL-DDR3 1333MHz (2 X 4GB)

1GB AMD RADEON™ HD7770 - DVI,HDMI,2 mDP - DX® 11, Eyefinity 4 Capable

450W Quiet 80 PLUS Dual Rail PSU

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1

 

Cheers everyone!

[RAAAAAAAAAAGE]

Hey all. I am new to ocmputer gaming and i want to upgrade to a GTX 560Ti.

 

But i think I'm gonna need to upgrade other things too, but not sure what. I know the CPU for sure, preferabbly to an i5-3570k.

 

Here are my current specs

 

GPU: GeForce GTS 450

CPU: Dual core i3

Motherboard: ASUS P7H55

Power Supply: 650W

4GB RAM

64-bit windows 7.

 

So my question is apart from the CPU is anythign else gonna need to be changed?

 

Thanks for reading.

Edited July 8, 2012 by RAAAAAAAAAAGE

[michaelfinnie]

I'm sorry for not being able to help others right now, but i was redirected here.

 

I want to get a Desktop for $1000 or less, that can run SWTOR on High or Ultra Settings.

Anyone have any ideas?

[JjediJ]

I have serious trouble with lag, and I'm sure it's hardware related.

 

4GB DDR2 Ram -Updated already

Intel Celeron Processor

Windows 7

 

I have a Compaq Presario CQ60 though and I would like to know some alternative options for processors if necessary.. thanks

[MarsisdNord]

I am looking at Craigslist for an upgrade (full system), the $1000 mark seems to be the sweet spot for age and performance per dollar. I was wondering if some hardware savy people would mind posting thier system stats and game settings and a qualitative assesment of game play?

 

• CPU
  
• GPU
  
• Game video preset level
  
• Comment eg. 30 fps in fleet 60 everywhere else, or game runs fine no heat issues
  

 

I would very much like to see a full spectrum of preset levels (from low to high) and the associated hardware.

 

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

Dave

[swredrage]

• CPU Intel 3930K Hex-Core.
  
• GPU XFX Double D 6870 Radeon 1gb
  
• Game video preset level set to highest then lowered shadows at 2560x1440 windowed maximized.
  
• Comment 60-90FPS depending on population 64GB RAM off of a Samsung 830 256GB SSD
  

[MarsisdNord]

Thank you Swerdrage

[Druce_Jnr]

So I've just ordered the parts to build this:

 

 

• Intel Core i5 3470 3.2Ghz (Turbo boost 3.6Ghz)
  
• Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H Motherboard
  
• 8GB (2x4GB) Kingston Hyper X RAM 1600Mhz @ 1.5V
  
• Gigabyte GTX 650 Ti 2GB gfx card
  
• WD 7200rpm 500GB HDD 3.5" SATA
  
• Thermaltake 600W PSU
  

 

It'll be running on Windows 7 64bit Ultimate

 

thoughts on how you reckon it should run?

Edited December 20, 2012 by Druce_Jnr

[SkepticShockwave]

Hoping someone can help me. I thought it would be cool if me and my little boy could play because he absolutely loves Star Wars. I've given him my old graphics card but it doesnt seem like his computer is up to it.

 

AMD Athlon II X2 245 2.9 GHZ

2GB DDR2 RAM

AMD Radeon HD 6850

Windows 7 Pro 64 bit

 

 

Now i know that its not the best computer in the world but i was thinking that it should run without being choppy. Have it set to the lowest settings. Really slow load times and his character even moves theres about a huge 10 second fps spike. Its totally unplayable and my laptop runs SWTOR better than this! Apart from that the Computer works fine.