PC config help

[Corax]

Well I have been playing Project Gorgon on my MacBook Pro from 2014, and the fans blow constantly and it struggles to keep the graphics smooth when I turn. And so I am looking into running the game on a PC under Windows or Linux. But there are so many choices! I am not on a tight budget but will really just be using this computer for gaming, with 2 monitors to run browser/discord on the side.

CPU
How would you recommend Intel over AMD? I am looking at these two per general recommendations:

• AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2 GHz 6-Core Processor
• Intel Core i7-8700K

They seem very comparable and have good reviews both. I don't know why wattage matters but the pc part picker website lists it as an important thing.

Graphics
This seems easier by recommendations, if not by models available: GTX 980 or 1060 or 1070. But then that turns out just to be a chipset and there are dozens of cards using it!

I would probably just go for the best one because I want smooth graphics. I want to be able to move around and not have the screen lag behind my mouse & keyboard, which happens very much on my Mac laptop.

All the Rest
These seem to be the two critical bits, and then I can just choose things compatible with them for the rest of the build.

I plan to set up a dual-boot system, but would prefer to install the game just once. Do you have thoughts on Project Gorgon running on Windows vs Linux?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

[Greyfyn]

You're right to think this is a tough choice. There are so many variables to juggle. But in my experience, cooling remains the most serious issue, regardless of which CPU or GPU you pick. With the game not well optimized yet, I have had cooling issues with both laptops and desktops. In fact I have a very nice 2017 Razor Blade laptop that really heats up when I play Gorgon for more than 20 minutes at a time.

Personally, I always go Intel, and the chip you mention is a good chip that should be more affordable now, with another generation out there. But right now the AMD chips are actually competitive and a good choice. I'm pretty sure Rumm went with Ryzen on his recent build. And an upside to AMD is that there are far more choices in top-notch monitors out there, if you are trying to "min/max" your total system stats.

Motherboard choices get a little more dicey when you use older generation chips. You might want to start there to see what's available for the chips you are considering and go from there.

Additional thoughts. I have done multiple builds in the last year and I have become very fond of the upper level of AsRock motherboards. They are an up and coming brand compared to some other names. But I have had issues with BIOS systems on other motherboards which DROVE me nuts. I'm looking at you, Gigabyte! And I could go on and on, but there are too many directions..... I wish you all the best in your build.

[Corax]

Thanks for the advice. Every bit helps!

[Vish]

If u will use 1050 or 1060 u will not see any difference in game using any of those 2 CPU
Ryzer cost less than Intel so so u can spend extra buck to get better Motherboard or Graphics (getting quieter one is always good)

Gaming on linux:
I playing without any problems, and there are few PG players that play at 1060 and 1070 just tray as in-game of they performance
in some case lot depends on distro (i suggests to try few)

[Corax]

A couple local friends stepped in to help me out and we came up with this.

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/nikgervae/saved/7Yj6sY

It's probably overkill just for this game but I wanted a system that would be capable of more general use, and dual-booting. I am toying with the ide of offering some programming help with UI for Project Gorgon (shh!) so I also figured it would be good to get something development-capable.

[Vish]

its overkill if use RTX 1070
witch 2070 its few level above overkill

and i think this monster bottleneck is CPU :P (and no u don't need better one)

[Ranperre]

FWIW: I use an i7 6700K & a 1080 in Ultra... only issue is big gatherings (or a busy serb).

[Greyfyn]

Nice setup!

My one "eh" moment is actually the case, which is plastic and comes with two fans. Fan noise and cooling strike me as important QOL considerations. The noctua CPU cooler you list is well respected. But with this case, you have your case airflow from front to back. With the noctua CPU cooler and the Windforce GPU both blowing into the case, the heat might not be dissipated out of the case adequately.

I'm only listing that here as a consideration because your other components are quite nice. Underestimating heat concerns can lead to shortened life of your system components, which would be sad.

If you stick with that case, it looks like you could add some fans at the top? Or you could go a coolermaster (or similiar) CPU water cooler with no issue.

[Corax]

Yeah...I had picked a different case and my friend recommended that one instead. This was my original choice:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/sjX...se-fdcadefr5bk

If you can recommend anything better, that'd be great. I don't need any fancy lights or windows, just a plain case. Fractal design also sell an R6:

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/ggm...-ca-def-r6c-bk

There is also an S2 but pcpartpicker doesn't even list it.

[mrwarp]

A couple local friends stepped in to help me out and we came up with this.

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/nikgervae/saved/7Yj6sY

It's probably overkill just for this game but I wanted a system that would be capable of more general use, and dual-booting. I am toying with the ide of offering some programming help with UI for Project Gorgon (shh!) so I also figured it would be good to get something development-capable.

That setup looks pretty good! But I have one suggestion...spend the extra few dollars and go with the Ryzen 7 2700X. You will not be disappointed.