So kind of looking for advice on the basic needs the computer would need to meet, please note as a side note, no I am not looking to spent k20,000.00 on a mega machine that transforms into a corvette. lol. My budget is around $1000.00 usd possibly up to a maximum of 1500. The system (tower only please) will be used for game development using unity engine, 3ds max and monodevelop scripts. Just looking for something more stable then what I have that doesn’t overload itself into convulsion when I am multitasking my project(s).
Any advice is welcome but please refrain from saying "thermal liquid cooling and 700 dollar video cards. Just some simple guidelines to follow. I am indie developer and just need something a bit more powerful then what I am currently using atm.
Thanks in advance, I know 1500.00 isn’t going to net me a super computer but I am certain I can stay within that range and be ok. Thank you for any advice and please note negative responses will be neged automatically and ignored so please keep in min for the trolls out there.
Thanks and I really appreciate your time. If you could also list some websites that would be best to order from I would appreciate it. I have built computers before but only now am able to spend my savings on this pc. Also please specify what os you recommend. Windows 10 seems to be ok with the original bugs but if there is something more stable for game programming please let me know and do not bother with noob insults, I am just now getting back into the tech computer building scene.
You’d need a Titan X, combined with a Intel’s 6-th generation i7 processor and 32GB RAM MINIMUM.
I’d throw in a 1GB SSD and 3-monitor setup, 4K resolution of course.
I was kidding ofc, you only need as good pc as you would to play the same games.
So if you’re going to make 2D game literally any pc you get will be better than good enough.
Although 4gb ram and a slower process would make for a longer build times…
the one i have isnt that bad but the processer is soldered on to the board and only a pci-e x1 slot no x16 slot lol kind of a waste when i can build an entirely better computer for less then fixing this one up. lol.
Pick up the latest issue of PC Gamer magazine and use their mid-range build specs in the Hard Stuff section near the end. This’ll give you a desktop PC capable of editing large images and 3D models, compiling code fast, and even running an Oculus Rift. The mid-range build each month is usually $1200 - $1500. They list specific parts and prices. I’ve found that if I shop around I can sometimes find prices slightly lower. If you can salvage your existing case, keyboard, mouse, speakers, and/or monitor, you can reduce the cost even more. They also do a good job of choosing parts that are easy to work with when putting together your own PC.
I’ve upgraded all my Windows boxes to Windows 10 (with some dual boots for compatibility testing), and I’m happy with it.
On that note a good place to start would be PC Part Picker. You can insert the specifications into their build tool and it will attempt to locate the prices as well as inform you of power usage and any potential problems it is aware of.
One of the nice things about the PC Gamer builds is that the staff has built and tested them, so you can feel fairly confident that all the parts will work happily together.
Liquid cooling is trivial so long as you stick to closed loop systems. Basically they are liquid cooling solutions that are pre-assembled and pre-filled. You simply attach the radiator to your case and the cooling block to your CPU or GPU and plug them into the appropriate power source.
You should probably aim for a DX 12 rig minimum, 70% of steam users have DX12 capable hardware and it should give your games a 20%+ boost in performance. Most mid-range+ GPU’s are DX12 ready.
Hopefully Unity will quickly bring out Vulkan compatibility so none Win 10 users can reap similar benefits.
Although a word of caution as both Nvidia and AMD are rolling out 14nm chips later this year. This should produce a marked uptick in performance and/or reduction in power consumption, depending on level of GPU.
Additionally AMD is preparing to release a new socket (Socket AM4). Current estimation for release is the first half of this year and it will be shipping at the same time with 28nm chips (AMD’s Bristol Ridge). Their 14nm chips (AMD’s Zen) are not due to start shipping till the end of this year but will use the same socket.
If you do decide to go with a Socket AM4 motherboard and a 28nm chip with the eventual goal of a 14nm chip, make certain you build a system using DDR4 memory. According to AMD their 14nm series will not support DDR3 at all.
Thank you for all the tips and advice guys, it will help me a lot. As soon as I get my tax refund which should be within a week or so I am going to start shopping and this makes things way easier for me. Like I stated my budget is around $1500 so hopefully this time next month I will be back on here to let you know what I ended up with. However don’t be alarmed if i show up with more questions during the process lol.
