System Requirement

[Santino]

What are the system requirement of the game? (I think, should I make an upgrade of the computer)

[Necros]

We don't know anything about this yet. Maybe in a few months. But until then I think if you can run R6: Vegas in medium-high settings in 1024x768, you'll be fine with BioShock too. At least I hope so. :D

[Santino]

I hope too, but dont think that BioShock will have such low requirements... I saw the water in the game - its marvellous and I think it will eat a lot of system resources...

[v.dog]

At this stage, it's too soon to tell. Only once they've got the code optimised and all the elements finalised, will they be able to say with certainty. You should wait until nearer to the release date anyway, as hardware is always getting faster and/or cheaper.

Oh, one more thing it also depends on how scaleable the game is. There can be a huge difference on the power required between the min and max settings.

[Necros]

Oh, one more thing it also depends on how scaleable the game is. There can be a huge difference on the power required between the min and max settings.
http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/images/icons/icon14.gif Yeah, I hope it will be something like the Unreal Tournament games in this matter. :)

[Hatesink]

There's some info here that might help:

http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2799&postcount=2

[takymen]

Well, I´m not worried because I have an Xbox360:D

[jackinthebox]

i want to play Bx on super (;)) high settings and i am going to buy a new pc soon before the release...

[Pope Viper]

AMD FX-55 is dual core, correct?

I'm hoping my FX-55 with 2G RAM, and NVIDIA 7600 or 6800 will handle it.

[Glottis]

An AMD FX55 is a single core cpu,theny went dual core for the sicket 939's
at FX60,FX62

[Glottis]

An AMD FX55 is a single core cpu,they went dual core for the socket 939's at FX60,FX62 for the socket AM2 chips that support DDR2.if you are going to buy a new system soon,I would go with an Intel Core 2 Duo based system.

They are faster and run cooler,and are very reasonably priced.Intel is cutting prices on the 22nd of April,and introducing some new models with more on chip L2 cache at the low end.

Of course Intels low end Core 2's are as fast,or faster then AMD's high end stuff.Barcelona on the desktop will not be available till probably Q3 maybe even Q4 of 2007.

[Pinky_Powers]

I've been upgrading for the passed few months and I think I may be set (http://www.tech-pc.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47299&highlight=8800).

[Glottis]

I've been upgrading for the passed few months and I think I may be set (http://www.tech-pc.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=47299&highlight=8800).



Cool !!


I am soo excited !!!! I just got an email from NCIX here in Canada !!!

My purchase order and with price match went through !!!


1 NEC LCD2470WNX-BK 24IN Widescreen LCD Monitor Black 1920X1200 6MS
1000:1 VGA DVI HDCP
2-5 business days 23428 1 $969.99 $969.99
Price Match Request(approved) $899.91

1 Maxell Canned Air 10oz. 2 Pack Non-Flammable(CA-2) 190019
In stock
Yes 7777190019 1 $11.37 $11.37
1 Penguin Gear 4 Port PCI Firewire Card 3EXT 1INT NEC Chipset W/ 6PIN-
4PIN Cable
2-5 business days 12129 1 $16.82 $16.82
2 Ritek 80MIN 52X CD-R 50 Disc Shrink Wrap Bulk Pack
This product is not returnable and is final sale only. No returns or
refunds.
In stock 17761 2 $7.98 $15.96
1 Samsung SH-S183A Black SATA DVD+RW 18X8X16 DVD-RW 18X6X16 DL 8X
INT DVD Writer OEM W/ SW
In stock 23433 1 $41.99 $41.99
1 Airtouch Virtually Indestructible Mini Keyboard 87 Key USB/PS2 Black
In stock 18223 1 $18.99 $18.99


:cool:


I cant wait to see Bioshock on my new 24" LCD !! :D

[borgdrone89]

would my rig be able to play at reasonable settings?
amd athlonX2 64bit 4200+, 1gig DDR2 667mhz ram (will get another gig soon)
gforce 7600GT 256MB.. 320gig HDD SATAII (not that HDD size will matter)

[Glottis]

would my rig be able to play at reasonable settings?
amd athlonX2 64bit 4200+, 1gig DDR2 667mhz ram (will get another gig soon)
gforce 7600GT 256MB.. 320gig HDD SATAII (not that HDD size will matter)



You should be great with that setup borgdrone :) The vid card is a little slow,but still a decent card.Your cpu is still quite fast,and a dual core,but yeah you really need 2 gigs of ram now days.12x10 on medium I think might be possible with no AA,and maybe 2X AF.With the details on medium,of course this all a huge,huge guess.I do think you'll be fine,just make sure to get more ram,and maybe look into overclocking your cpu/ram and video card.

[Pinky_Powers]

would my rig be able to play at reasonable settings?
amd athlonX2 64bit 4200+, 1gig DDR2 667mhz ram (will get another gig soon)
gforce 7600GT 256MB.. 320gig HDD SATAII (not that HDD size will matter)

Yeah, at medium settings you should do fine. But I owned one of those 7600GTs, and though they are impressive for the price, BioShock may show you just how dated they've become.

[Santino]

And is my computer good for playing BioShock?
AMD Athlon 64 3200+
1 Gb DDR
NVidia GeForce 6600 GT 128 Mb
HDD 200 Gb

[Necros]

I think it should be good for medium settings in 1024x768.

[Pinky_Powers]

And is my computer good for playing BioShock?
AMD Athlon 64 3200+
1 Gb DDR
NVidia GeForce 6600 GT 128 Mb
HDD 200 Gb

I think you may get around 20-30fps at upper-low settings.

I've owned the 6600GT as well. A great card, but for games released after 2005 they struggle severely, and BioShock will most likely kick that card in its teeth.

And your CPU and RAM will be hard pressed to keep out of the mud as well.

Your system there is pretty much what I had at the onset of last year, so I know how it performs. BioShock is all guess work, as has been stated a number of times, but you are going to have a tough go of it on that setup.

If you don't have the finances for a full upgrade, then I would at least get yourself 2GB of DDR400 (which is what I assume your Mainboard takes).

Now, if you can manage it, there is a GeForce 7950GT (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150223) in AGP form. That is just about the best thing you can do on that system I think. And if you have a little more money, and if your Motherboard is indeed a 939, I would try and pick up a 939 Athlon X2; get the fastest you can find/afford.

That would certainly get you playing BioShock quite nicely.

And of course, if your MotherBoard has a 16X PCI-Express slot, then that opens your graphics options way up. But I doubt it does.

[borgdrone89]

Yeah, at medium settings you should do fine. But I owned one of those 7600GTs, and though they are impressive for the price, BioShock may show you just how dated they've become.

i am so glad i got one of these. great bang for the buck.
it runs most of my games at frames in excess of 70 frames a second (hl2 peaks at 150, but stays around 90-100 when im not in battle, on the detected settings)

if it really comes down to it i will get a newer card, but i doubt a 8800 will fit in my case, or that it will be fully compatible with my K9N neo motherboard.

however, since my computer was so cheap to make, im happy vista likes my rig quite a bit:

Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4200+ ||4.9
Memory: (RAM) 1.00 GB ||4.5
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT ||5.9
Gaming graphics: 511 MB Total available graphics memory ||5.3
Primary hard disk: 192GB Free (259GB Total) ||5.8
the scale for vista is weird (0-5.9)
but im happy.

[Pinky_Powers]

Yeah, I was very happy with the 7600GT too. I was finally able to play FEAR and Quake 4 and all these other games I stayed away from, knowing they would not run before.

[borgdrone89]

Yeah, I was very happy with the 7600GT too. I was finally able to play FEAR and Quake 4 and all these other games I stayed away from, knowing they would not run before.

exactly, but im getting HL2 first...dam sucky family pc

[Pinky_Powers]

exactly, but im getting HL2 first...dam sucky family pc

Fortunately I was able to play Half Life 2 back when it first released. I played it at mostly medium settings on my GeForce 4 TI4200.

I played it again a few months back at highest settings and 8xAA. It is a good game and you should enjoy it.

Also, a title that you certainly need to try out is the Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher's Bay. Despite the historically foul stench that most 'Based on the Movie' games do carry, Riddick is primed with unimaginable quality.

[Raveness]

Also, a title that you certainly need to try out is the Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher's Bay. Despite the historically foul stench that most 'Based on the Movie' games do carry, Riddick is primed with unimaginable quality.

Oh you can't mention Butcher Bay without me pumping in my 2 cents :)

The game has to rank as one of the coolest FPS games out there. Its not perfect by any stretch, but it is truly beautiful, with awesome artwork, decent weapons and good action. The cutscenes are masterful, Vin Diesel is better in this than in some of his movies, namely the Chronicles of Riddick movie this game coincided with :rolleyes:

Really good voice acting in fact, not just Vin but lots of others too that you know. The scenery is amazing, the riddles to figure out are somewhat intruiging. I did find that I would get somewhat exhausted from getting lost, until the second time through where it became more intuitive. It is somewhat of a maze for sure, and to some extent, it's hard to figure out what to do the first time through, until you started to understand what the designers had in mind when they drew Butcher Bay out.

Starbreeze, the studio that build this is clearly very talented. There's an elegant complexity to what they've constructed. Great art, wonderful concepts, neat images, and a good overall story. Developer Commentary for the PC version added that extra touch to make it an all-time great.

[Pinky_Powers]

Oh you can't mention Butcher Bay without me pumping in my 2 cents :)

The game has to rank as one of the coolest FPS games out there. Its not perfect by any stretch, but it is truly beautiful, with awesome artwork, decent weapons and good action. The cutscenes are masterful, Vin Diesel is better in this than in some of his movies, namely the Chronicles of Riddick movie this game coincided with :rolleyes:

Really good voice acting in fact, not just Vin but lots of others too that you know. The scenery is amazing, the riddles to figure out are somewhat intruiging. I did find that I would get somewhat exhausted from getting lost, until the second time through where it became more intuitive. It is somewhat of a maze for sure, and to some extent, it's hard to figure out what to do the first time through, until you started to understand what the designers had in mind when they drew Butcher Bay out.

Starbreeze, the studio that build this is clearly very talented. There's an elegant complexity to what they've constructed. Great art, wonderful concepts, neat images, and a good overall story. Developer Commentary for the PC version added that extra touch to make it an all-time great.

I can’t help notice the gameplay was neglected in your munificent exuberance. Shame should be venomously squeezed upon the roof of your house for this misstep.

Butcher’s Bay possesses greatness in its fundamental mechanics as well. There is an unqualified virtue in the implementation of Stealth, and beneath the timeless firmament hung aloft, no finer illustration of Hand-to-Hand Combat in a First Person Shooter archetype can be found.

I sort of like the game.

[Und3rtaker]

i got an intel celeron 2.6ghz processor and a club3d nvidia 7600gt and 2gb memoryyou think i can play bioshock with my system ??:D :confused: do you think i cac play the game on high

[Pinky_Powers]

Maybe getting between 5-10 frames a second. :)

[vrap]

i got an intel celeron 2.6ghz processor and a club3d nvidia 7600gt and 2gb memoryyou think i can play bioshock with my system ??:D :confused: do you think i cac play the game on high
Don't lose hope, you'll only know for sure when we get some official specs from the developers or when we can actually try out the game for ourselves. Until then don't take any speculation for fact.

[Und3rtaker]

Ok i hope they will come with some demo soon because i really looking forward to see if im able to play the game :D

[Club Heaven]

I think they said there won't be any demo, at least not until after they launched the game. :( Very sad.

[Und3rtaker]

nooooo:eek:

[borgdrone89]

ok, just completed HL2 and HL2:ep1.

sometimes ep1 seemed to like crashing on my rig when the "loading" thing came up.

in fact, all my source games are prone to the occasional crash. I really should get that extra gig of ram.. sweet sweet ram...

...errm...can anyone sponsor my computer for some reason, so that i may buy said ram?

[wsad]

...You running under a gig I take it?

[borgdrone89]

im running ON a gig, need more.

[Alminie]

my Question is what System Req. is the Dev team aiming for.
Minimal and Recommended?

also whats everyones guess as to what the system req. will be?


My guess=
Minimal:
2ghz CPU
512mb ram
DX9 GPU with min. 128 ram
O/S windows XP

Recommended:
3ghz
1gig ram
DX10 GPU with min 256 ram
O/S Windows XP

:eek:

[Alminie]

Not to be nitpicky, but you'd have to have Vista to match a requirement of DX10 ;)

yeah I was thinking that after I posted :P

[Soulsphere]

Hmm, I'm wondering if it would be better to get a single quad-core or two dual-core processors.

[MF9000]

Or if available two quad cores. :) Man I wish I had the bucks to upgrade that much. :(

[Soulsphere]

Or if available two quad cores. :) Man I wish I had the bucks to upgrade that much. :(

... I've been thinking about that myself, but it would probably be a big waste of money at this point.

[MF9000]

At this point it might be wise to wait until it gets closer to the release date. A few months can make the difference what's available and the price. I'm holding out to see what ATI is going to bring to the table for DX10.

[Soulsphere]

ATI verses nVidia is another big debate. Up till now I've been going with ATI, but who knows where the future will take me.

[Pinky_Powers]

I've always imagined I would someday buy an ATI card, but all of my graphics boards have been nVidia thus far.

-~::nVidia::~-
Riva 128 4mb
TNT2 32mb
GeForce2 MX 64mb
GeForce4 TI4200 128MB
GeForce 5500 256mb AGP
GeForce 6600GT 128mb AGP (FAR better then the above)
GeForce 7600GT 256MB PCI-E
GeForce 8800GTS 640mb

[borgdrone89]

the graphics cards that I/family have used are:
~~ATI~~
Rage128 (64MB i think)
Radeon 9550 128MB(agp) (family pc's current card)
FireGL V3300 256MB (pci-e) (the incorrect card that ebay sent me, i found out it wasnt what i paid for and sent it back)
Radeon X1650 Pro 256MB (pci-e) (the correct card that ebay sent me which i sent back for a refund because it was a dud)

~~Nvidia~~
GeForce 7600GT 256MB (pci-e) (my current card, bought from a pc shop in the city)

my opinion, if worth anything: nvidia gives a better bang for your buck. I doubt i'll ever go back to ATI.

[Soulsphere]

my opinion, if worth anything: nvidia gives a better bang for your buck. I doubt i'll ever go back to ATI.

Your opinion is worth as much as anyone elses. I'll have to look into the pricing in a few months.

[borgdrone89]

woo my opinion means something!

[Hatesink]

I generally use nVidia. The only reason I'm currently using an ATI card is that I thought my nVidia card might be conflicting with my previous ATI-based Asus mobo.

If I can help it I'll never buy Asus again.

[Pinky_Powers]

I don't know. With all my nVidia cards, I've never had one that went faulty or had to be returned for any reason.

[Raveness]

I don't know. With all my nVidia cards, I've never had one that went faulty or had to be returned for any reason.
I haven't had problems like that for any card from any manufacturer, but a couple of my MSI nVidia cards could not handle a little overclocking like the ATI card could; they started to destabilize. I've gone with eVGA 8800GTS based on unanimous recommendations, and so far so great. Still waiting on some Coolbits hack or nVidia to fix the overclocking problem with it.

[borgdrone89]

eventually i'll either go with a Palit 8800 GTS, or a palit 8800GTX

[Pinky_Powers]

I haven't had problems like that for any card from any manufacturer, but a couple of my MSI nVidia cards could not handle a little overclocking like the ATI card could; they started to destabilize. I've gone with eVGA 8800GTS based on unanimous recommendations, and so far so great. Still waiting on some Coolbits hack or nVidia to fix the overclocking problem with it.

In WinXP I got my XFX 8800GTS from 514mhz to 614mhz and 1000mhzMem without any troubles. I am certain I could go higher, but never saw the need to push it.

nVida's Vista drivers, however, are still unable to overclock at all.

[Raveness]

In WinXP I got my XFX 8800GTS from 514mhz to 614mhz and 1000mhzMem without any troubles. I am certain I could go higher, but never saw the need to push it.

Really? Using the nVidia Control Panel, under Adjust GPU Settings, I cannot get the radio button to switch from Factory settings to Custom clock frequencies. Clicking custom creates a second filled radio button. Did you use another application to overclock?

[Pinky_Powers]

Really? Using the nVidia Control Panel, under Adjust GPU Settings, I cannot get the radio button to switch from Factory settings to Custom clock frequencies. Clicking custom creates a second filled radio button. Did you use another application to overclock?

No, but I think I did use the CoolBits RegHack to make it all work properly.

[borgdrone89]

O.O !!! i just found an AWESOME Deal for an 8800GTX at another store in the city!!!

795 AU! that's $100 less than retail. that's a saving of 11.6%

i'll convert it to other currencies...
795 AU=

328.686 GBP

654.690 USD

725.307 CAD

is this any good compared to your prices? it's good for australia, methinks :D

[Soulsphere]

I'll have to take a look at local pricing and get back to you. However, I live in an area of the world where computer prices tend to be much lower than the average.

[borgdrone89]

well the converse is true for australia

[jovialjester]

i just got an 8800 for 350...granted the guy is a samll town store owner who my friend knows personally...so i got a pretty powerful rig for only 1600....I will take bioshock and make it mine! and then i will die for drooling over the graphics as a splicer guts me.

[Raveness]

No, but I think I did use the CoolBits RegHack to make it all work properly.

Thanks for giving it to me, but damn it's still not working, even with the new drivers they just released. I'll check around the net :)

[Pinky_Powers]

Thanks for giving it to me, but damn it's still not working, even with the new drivers they just released. I'll check around the net :)

And you are using XP and not Vista?

Maybe it is because they are newer drivers. I had it working using the original XP 8800 drivers.

Make sure you are using fully certified drivers and not betas.

But to be honest, do we really need to OC with this card? :D

[SPDeath]

Hey guys, just wondering if you could help certify my PC's bioshock-readiness.

AMD Athlon64 3700+ Processor
ATI Radeon X1950
2GB RAM

I can play R6:Vegas fairly well. But I imagine Bioshock will be :-
A) Coded alot better (bloody ubisoft :mad: )
B) Graphically superior

[Pinky_Powers]

Hey guys, just wondering if you could help certify my PC's bioshock-readiness.

AMD Athlon64 3700+ Processor
ATI Radeon X1950
2GB RAM

I can play R6:Vegas fairly well. But I imagine Bioshock will be :-
A) Coded alot better (bloody ubisoft :mad: )
B) Graphically superior

Hopefully both A and B.

Your graphics and Ram are up to spec, but that CPU will be your biggest stumbling block.

You may have to run a lot of the physics related stuff at medium to low. From what I have heard, this game benefits deeply from duel core.

[SPDeath]

Hopefully both A and B.

Your graphics and Ram are up to spec, but that CPU will be your biggest stumbling block.

You may have to run a lot of the physics related stuff at medium to low. From what I have heard, this game benefits deeply from duel core.

Ye I expected to hear something along those lines. I tried to play Cellfactor, oh man THAT was a mistake.

[Pinky_Powers]

lol. Yes, I can only imagine. :D

[Bioshock_FTW!]

Yea i agree, the CPU may cause the biggest problem. What socket is it? 939 or AM2?

[SPDeath]

939, I know it's embarising. But im in education at the moment and i'm putting off work as long as I can. So I can't afford to keep up with this "upgrade every month" gaming society :D

[MF9000]

939, I know it's embarising. But im in education at the moment and i'm putting off work as long as I can. So I can't afford to keep up with this "upgrade every month" gaming society :D

Is the single or dual core? I'm still using 939, but it's a dual core. I suspect I'll be having some issues with it.

@ Bx_FTW!: It's a Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 2.0GHz. It's on a ASUS board that has the AI overclock on. It plays F.E.A.R. fairly well, but I have to reduce the res to 1024x768. I think my vid card might be a bit at fault: ATI X1600 512MB DDR2. I have the card OC'd a bit as well. I'm still debating on an upgrade, but I think my system will do the job. I'm waiting for AMD to put out their 65nm chips before I take the plunge.

[lurchibald]

well ive got

AMD 4200+ dual core skt 939
1 gig ram :( gonna upgrade to 2 gig soon :D
nvidia 7900 GTX 512 mb
500 gig hard-disk (trying to make it a terabyte im halfway :p )

oh im also gonna get a new PSU soon .... it doesn't really like when i run the hell out of F.E.A.R you should hear it its like a jet engine:D

what do people think it could do with bioshock??

[Bioshock_FTW!]

oh im also gonna get a new PSU soon .... it doesn't really like when i run the hell out of F.E.A.R you should hear it its like a jet engine:D

what do people think it could do with bioshock??

The PSU? Sounds like it's using an additional rail that needs to be cooled for more voltage going to your parts (CPU, video, and RAM). Chances are good BS isn't going to be any better.
I say when you pick out a new PSU, buy one as if you plan on upgrading other parts soon (you can always move it to a new PC if need be). Go for like 850w or something, uninterruptable, and modular (helps with case clutter and air flow).

[lurchibald]

The PSU? Sounds like it's using an additional rail that needs to be cooled for more voltage going to your parts (CPU, video, and RAM). Chances are good BS isn't going to be any better.
I say when you pick out a new PSU, buy one as if you plan on upgrading other parts soon (you can always move it to a new PC if need be). Go for like 850w or something, uninterruptable, and modular (helps with case clutter and air flow).

yeah i was thinking of "trying" at least to get a powerful PSU to Future proof upgrades on my system.

And thanks for your help :D

[Pinky_Powers]

939, I know it's embarising. But im in education at the moment and i'm putting off work as long as I can. So I can't afford to keep up with this "upgrade every month" gaming society :D

That's not too much of a prob man. I am currently pushing the 939 tech to its limits. I am able to play every game out there, maxed.

All you really need is a Duel Core that supports the 939 socket, which is becoming more and more rare, but they are not gone yet! :)

Take a look at what I have done with this aging tech.

My PC:

TT Silent PurePower 480W, DFI LanParty nForce4 Ultra-D, Athlon X2 4400+ Toledo @2.64ghz, ThermalRight XP-90, 80mm Tornado, 2x1GB Kingston DDR400, XFX GF8800GTS 640mb, Logitech Z-2300 2.1, 320GB Seagate SATA 3gb/s 16mb cash, 120GB SATA WD, NEC ND-3520A 16X DVD+R Dual Layer, Samsung 22" 226BW, Logitech MX3200 Laser Desktop . 4 case fans (3x28cfm & 1x72cfm). Vista Ultimate 64bit

I have very little income and am trying to save up for a new car, so I also cannot opt for the newest and the greatest every month. I have to make this CPU last at least until the end of the year.

[SPDeath]

I have to make this CPU last at least until the end of the year.

I have to make my computer last as long as I can, generally I only upgrade if I really have to, to play an awesome game. As Bioshock will probably play on my rig, I'm gonna wait until ATI have there awesome cards out.

[501105]

I know one thing I wont get bioshock if they state quad core as recommended or a 8800gtx or so.
I wont support any game(companie) that apparently thinks the hardware needs of games arent going up fast enough yet.

[Bioshock_FTW!]

Thankfully AMD is coming out with some decent quad-core CPU's in Q1 '08.

There will be some quad-core Socket 1207, server based Opteron's out first in Q3 07, but there will be these AM2 Opteron's out shortly after. Pretty sweet.

So sue me for sounding like a hardware elitist but if that's what it takes to make BioShock run and look as good as possible, so be it.

[Cry Little Sister]

Go for like 850w or something, uninterruptable, and modular (helps with case clutter and air flow).
850 W! :eek:

A system with 8800 GTX and overclocked C2D will typically draw less than 300 W at high load. Your "help" is very likely to mislead.

Forget about total wattage. It's the combined output on the +12V rail(s) that really counts. For most gamers, 360 W (30 A) or so will be plenty for a long time. And I strongly recommend a quality brand like PC Power&Cooling, Fortron/Source, Corsair or Seasonic.

[Bioshock_FTW!]

850 W! :eek:

A system with 8800 GTX and overclocked C2D will typically draw less than 300 W at high load. Your "help" is very likely to mislead.

Forget about total wattage. It's the combined output on the +12V rail(s) that really counts. For most gamers, 360 W (30 A) or so will be plenty for a long time. And I strongly recommend a quality brand like PC Power&Cooling, Fortron/Source, Corsair or Seasonic.

I was saying upgrade big, because 850w really isn't too expensive and it will last a long time if it's a good brand. Thusly being able to port it from system to system if necessary, and he'd be covered the more hardware he got. I have 650w with an 8800 GTX and I will more than likely need another PSU when I'm ready to put another GTX in because i'll be needing a better CPU. I guess I was just trying to keep his PSU upgrade-proof so he won't have to upgrade it.

[Cry Little Sister]

I was saying upgrade big, because 850w really isn't too expensive and it will last a long time if it's a good brand. Thusly being able to port it from system to system if necessary, and he'd be covered the more hardware he got.
The same holds true for a good quality ~500 W unit. There is very little evidence to suggest that going higher would be a smart investment.

You seem quite clueless about real world power requirements, and probably shouldn't be giving such advice.

I have 650w with an 8800 GTX and I will more than likely need another PSU when I'm ready to put another GTX in because i'll be needing a better CPU.
Then I guess your PSU must be rubbish.

[MF9000]

I just recently upgraded to an OCZ 850W PS. I'm anticipating getting an ATI 2900 series vid card (waiting at the moment to see the other models and more mature drivers) and knew I would need to have a far better power supply. I've read on various tech sights where they recommend upgrading to a 1Kw PS for the next gen cards. Especially if you're going to go dual or more. I don't think 850W is too much and moving the PS from case to case isn't a big deal. So I would have to agree with Bx_FTW! that upgrading to an 850W would be the best thing if you can afford it. I also agree with CLS that you need to be sure of the power going to the 12V rails. The OCZ has the lion's share of it's wattage going to the rails. Also be careful with PS's ratings. Some companies give you peak wattage in their rating instead of the nominal wattage (the OCZ is 850W nominal with a 900W peak). With a little research you should be able to get a very good PS for an affordable price.

[Cry Little Sister]

I've read on various tech sights where they recommend upgrading to a 1Kw PS for the next gen cards. Especially if you're going to go dual or more.
That suggests stupid or ignorant people, not so much that 1 kW is actually a good idea.

[Bioshock_FTW!]

A system with 8800 GTX and overclocked C2D will typically draw less than 300 W at high load.

False. From nVidia's support page here (http://nvidia.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/nvidia.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2003&p_created=1166607492&p_sid=w6SILPBi&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfc m93X2NudD00ODMmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N 2PSZwX3NlYXJjaF90eXBlPWFuc3dlcnMuc2VhcmNoX25sJnBfc GFnZT0x&p_li=&p_topview=1)
"To drive such a powerful graphics card, the Geforce 8800GTX requires a power supply which can keep up with the hefty power requirements of your PC along with a Geforce 8800GTX installed. The Geforce 8800GTX requires a minimum 450W or greater system power supply with a 12v current rating of 30A."



You seem quite clueless about real world power requirements, and probably shouldn't be giving such advice.


You are correct, I do not know much of PSU's but can suggest what someone should get to be ready for future upgrades.


Then I guess your PSU must be rubbish.

and I guess you could come off as more of an arrogant jerk than anyone else here, but you seem to be on top of that. Good job.

[MF9000]

That suggests stupid or ignorant people, not so much that 1 kW is actually a good idea.

If you were to go say with two HD2900XT's they draw ~235w a piece or ~470w. A 500W PS isn't going to run your system with only ~30w of power. That and there is talk of making it possible to even go with 3 or 4 cards (probably only the 1337 amoung us would go that route). So I would say for future upgradability that an 850w isn't a bad idea, especially since they don't cost that much. It's fine if YOU don't THINK that a PS greater than 500w isn't necessary, but I think it's a bit short sighted. I think I'll rely on those who actually test and push hardware to it's limit to get an educated opinion. What do you do for a living? Are you a computer tech or just someone who is an enthusiast? Perhaps if we knew how you came to your opinion we might change ours.

[Cry Little Sister]

I can come off as arrogant, sure. But don't hate me for bringing truth.

I'm not the biggest expert you're likely to find, but I know enough to realize that the usual PSU recommendations are more often than not disconnected from reality.

[MF9000]

@Bioshock_FTW!

I think CLS is only looking for argument and not really contributing to the discussion. He definitely needs to be more polite. Without any thing to back up his opinion, I think we have to take what he says as nothing more than opinion.

[MF9000]

I can come off as arrogant, sure. But don't hate me for bringing truth.

I'm not the biggest expert you're likely to find, but I know enough to realize that the usual PSU recommendations are more often than not disconnected from reality.

Whose's truth yours or the real truth? Opinions are like a**holes everybody has one. So, if you're not really an expert perhaps you shouldn't be giving advice either.

[Bioshock_FTW!]

@Bioshock_FTW!

I think CLS is only looking for argument and not really contributing to the discussion. He definitely needs to be more polite. Without any thing to back up his opinion, I think we have to take what he says as nothing more than opinion.

Heh. Srsly.

[Bioshock_FTW!]

I can come off as arrogant, sure. But don't hate me for bringing truth.

Truth? Check your facts first; an OC'd C2D/8800 GTX rig under load @ 300w?? that is a hardcore understatement.

Edit: oops. double post >_<

[SPDeath]

Sure ya dont need an 850w PSU, but for that matter you don't need a PC. Humans don't particularily need to play computer games, or participate in forums.

And from personal experience, it's better to pay a bit more fo a great PSU, then settle for a rubbish one. Seeing smoke erupt from the back of your computer isn't a particularily welcome sight, at least not to me.

[Cry Little Sister]

False. From nVidia's support page here (http://nvidia.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/nvidia.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2003&p_created=1166607492&p_sid=w6SILPBi&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfc m93X2NudD00ODMmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N 2PSZwX3NlYXJjaF90eXBlPWFuc3dlcnMuc2VhcmNoX25sJnBfc GFnZT0x&p_li=&p_topview=1)
"To drive such a powerful graphics card, the Geforce 8800GTX requires a power supply which can keep up with the hefty power requirements of your PC along with a Geforce 8800GTX installed. The Geforce 8800GTX requires a minimum 450W or greater system power supply with a 12v current rating of 30A."
LOL! You bring that as evidence! That's a good one... :D

That's a CYA (Cover Your Ass) statement. Numerous measurements show that a single 8800 GTX draws some 130-140 W in games, complete systems with OCed C2D about double that.

[Cry Little Sister]

If I was really looking to win this argument, I would dig up lots of evidence to back me up. It's out there, I've seen it.

But I don't really care for that. I was only trying to give some helpful advice. I'm done with this.

[MF9000]

If I was really looking to win this argument, I would dig up lots of evidence to back me up. It's out there, I've seen it.

But I don't really care for that. I was only trying to give some helpful advice. I'm done with this.

Good. Because I don't think your advice as you put it is anymore valid than anybody else's. And I'm sure that we could dig up as much evidence to back our claims. The internet is wonderful isn't it? It really comes down to what you want your system to do and how long you want it to last before a major upgrade. I take it that you'll never upgrade to the latest power hungry card or cards, or the next gen of CPUs. So for you I guess a 500w PS is sufficient. For the rest of us forward looking folks, we'll rely on experts and upgrade as we need to as technology improves.

[Bioshock_FTW!]

LOL! You bring that as evidence! That's a good one... :D

That's a CYA (Cover Your Ass) statement. Numerous measurements show that a single 8800 GTX draws some 130-140 W in games, complete systems with OCed C2D about double that.

Let's see these measurements :)

http://www.guru3d.com/article/Videocards/391/9/

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2006/11/08/nvidia_geforce_8800_gtx_g80/18

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=2873&p=7

[splicer]

@FTW
dont make my mistakes Dude,dont get drawn in on this one,be cool.:)
you are intelligent enough to see when you are being baited.

[Bioshock_FTW!]

@FTW
dont make my mistakes Dude,dont get drawn in on this one,be cool.:)
you are intelligent enough to see when you are being baited.

no worries, buddy :) he knows he's wrong, he just needed a little convincing from me to make it obvious to everyone else

[splicer]

I'm happy to say I know nothing at all about computers,only the enjoyment that I get from them.Lets all try to get along a little better,these arguments are so easily resolved with a bit of commom sense(I'm just as guilty I know)but it seems we are all drawn here for one purpose to enjoy the topic that we all love,and not to bicker about who has the biggest...!!!!:)

[Cry Little Sister]

Let's see these measurements :)

http://www.guru3d.com/article/Videocards/391/9/
Lacking information about measurement method.

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/2006/11/08/nvidia_geforce_8800_gtx_g80/18
Measured at the wall. Modern PSUs are usually about 80% efficient at such a load, so this actually supports my statement.

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=2873&p=7
Again, lacking in information, but the graphs clearly seem to support me.

[Bioshock_FTW!]

I'm done with this.

o rly? :rolleyes:

[Cry Little Sister]

OK, you got me there. I just had to respond to your links in hope of educating you all. You happy?

[2K Elizabeth]

Hey all!

It's true that we won't be posting computer specs for a while yet, but I promise they WILL be released so you can all figure out what you want to do with your rigs and/or if you want to play on a 360 before release!

And as for building the perfect computer -- that can be a heated subject. Let's all play nice and not be mean, or put down anyone for their opinions. If you keep it up, I'll close the thread, and we will no longer be able to talk about specs.

And that would suck, right?

-Elizabeth

[SPDeath]

And that would suck, right?

It would indeed.

On a more related note, who (apart from me) is waiting for the quad core AMD's and ATI 2900's? I'm not saying Nvidia and Intel are bad, I've just always preferred AMD + ATI for some reason.

[Bioshock_FTW!]

On a more related note, who (apart from me) is waiting for the quad core AMD's and ATI 2900's? I'm not saying Nvidia and Intel are bad, I've just always preferred AMD + ATI for some reason.

Hell yes. I'm debating on selling my X2 4200+ n getting the 6000+ then selling the 6000 and getting one of the Opteron quad's in 2008. I can't wait.

[SPDeath]

Hell yes. I'm debating on selling my X2 4200+ for a 6000+ then selling the 6000 for one of the Opteron quad's in 2008. I can't wait.

I didn't even know the AMD dual core's were out, till a few days ago. They would probably compete better with intel if they advertised this a bit more. :D

[MF9000]

Hell yes. I'm debating on selling my X2 4200+ n getting the 6000+ then selling the 6000 and getting one of the Opteron quad's in 2008. I can't wait.

I'm not up on Opterons. Is this a server type of chip? I need to get over to the AMD site, but haven't had the time as yet. I'm definitely interested in an AMD/ATI set up (which I have at the moment, just not the latest and greatest). I just want to see what's coming up in the next few months and see how much of my money is going to disappear. :D

[Laser Eyes]

Hey all!

It's true that we won't be posting computer specs for a while yet, but I promise they WILL be released so you can all figure out what you want to do with your rigs and/or if you want to play on a 360 before release!

And as for building the perfect computer -- that can be a heated subject. Let's all play nice and not be mean, or put down anyone for their opinions. If you keep it up, I'll close the thread, and we will no longer be able to talk about specs.

And that would suck, right?

-Elizabeth

Wow. Ten pages about system specs, none of which am I going to read!

I just gotta say though Elizabeth, this game is only 3 months from release as you keep confirming the August 21 release date. If you guys don't know the system specs at this point in time then there's something wrong. I'm thinking the game must be pretty much complete by now and the game makers would simply have to know what specs are needed to run it.

[Cry Little Sister]

I just happened to remember this:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/other/display/1000w-psu-roundup.html
Quad-core Core 2 Extreme QX6700 CPU (Kentsfield) overclocked to 3.5GHz
Two Foxconn GeForce 8800GTX graphics cards in SLI mode
ASUS Striker Extreme mainboard (LGA775, NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI)
2GB DDR2-800 SDRAM (Mushkin XP2-6400PRO, 4 x 512MB)
Two Western Digital WD1500AHFD hard disk drives in a RAID0
Various trifles like a DVD-ROM, fans, etc
This system topped out at ~440 W. You may also find this part interesting:
It is a widespread opinion that you should buy a PSU with higher wattage than you actually need as a kind of reserve for the future. This opinion is questionable. To begin with, such a PSU may prove much noisier at work than models with lower wattage. And second, when you do need its full wattage, if ever, the selection of connectors may have changed once again, and you’ll have to use a lot of adapters in your PSU. I can remind you the recent innovations: a 24-pin mainboard power connector, 8-pin power connectors for CPUs, SATA power connectors, 6-pin connectors for graphics cards. Yes, you can power all these components with an older PSU via adapters, but adapters are no good in terms of reliability and the ease of assembly.

[Bioshock_FTW!]

hooray you win the internet

[MF9000]

hooray you win the internet

Flogging a dead horse I guess. We'll have to agree to disagree on this issue.:cool:

[Pinky_Powers]

I know one thing I wont get bioshock if they state quad core as recommended or a 8800gtx or so.
I wont support any game(companie) that apparently thinks the hardware needs of games arent going up fast enough yet.

Why are you even bothering to post at all?

No game currently nearing completion or even in full development requires anything near that kind of system. The newest games out still recommend a card with no more than 256mb of video memory. It is true a wise person should expect a heftier card for full graphics and decent frames, but much older cards are still fully supported.

There are camps being built to house people like you! The devil surely awaits to comfort you.

[501105]

Just stating my opinion I too hope it wont be anywhere as demanding as I said, but fact is hardware isnt cheap and requirements are going fast these days.
For example I tested Lost planet on my rig yesterday and even though I still count my pc as strong it gets 18fps in one lv and 15 in the other.

[SPDeath]

Just stating my opinion I too hope it wont be anywhere as demanding as I said, but fact is hardware isnt cheap and requirements are going fast these days.
For example I tested Lost planet on my rig yesterday and even though I still count my pc as strong it gets 18fps in one lv and 15 in the other.

What settings did you try, I got 40+ on the one level, and 20+ on the cave. Without changing any settings. Also this game screams 'cheap port'.

[saek]

haha sorry just bragging


amd 64 x2 5000+
x2 nvidia 8800 GTX
2gb ocz gold edition ram

[SPDeath]

haha sorry just bragging


amd 64 x2 5000+
x2 nvidia 8800 GTX
2gb ocz gold edition ram

Nah, I don't think it will work :D :D

[kahnc360]

amd 4000+
7800GTX
2gb ram
wanna run it at 1680 x 1050

[Pinky_Powers]

amd 4000+
7800GTX
2gb ram
wanna run it at 1680 x 1050

My guess; Med-Low settings at that res should be fine.

That is also the resolution I play at. Its the native for my Samsung 226BW.

[borgdrone89]

My guess; Med-Low settings at that res should be fine.

That is also the resolution I play at. Its the native for my Samsung 226BW.

i play all my games at 1280X760 or something like that. its all you really need. plus my 8-year-old monitor can't handle resolutions a few notches up of that

[SPDeath]

i play all my games at 1280X760 or something like that. its all you really need. plus my 8-year-old monitor can't handle resolutions a few notches up of that

It really depends on your monitor, I used to be fine playing at 1024x768 , but after upgrading my monitor games don't look very good in anything under 1280x1024.

[Pinky_Powers]

And LCDs look the crap when you run at anything under their Native Resolution; the image has to stretch and blur, unlike CRTs.

But if you get a good one, like mine, and can manage to play at its Native, then you witness something special.

I've been against LCDs for a long time, but when I read so many great things about the 226BW, I gave in, and I am exited beyond any decent or human level with this beauty. And why not? The tech has finally caught up to my steep standards.

[Lythius]

AMD X2 3800+ (2.0 GHZ)
2 gigs of RAM
Gigabyte Nvidia Geforce 7600 GT 256 MB
Windows XP DX9 Service pack 2
250 GB Hard drive

Well i know that my current comp wont be able to play Bioshock at its full settings, but it can play R6:V on med with high resolution and AAx2 with AF active. or on High Quality settings on 800x600 and no AA.
i hope i would be atleast able to play bioshock, even if its on low settings

[SPDeath]

AMD X2 3800+ (2.0 GHZ)
2 gigs of RAM
Gigabyte Nvidia Geforce 7600 GT 256 MB
Windows XP DX9 Service pack 2
250 GB Hard drive

Well i know that my current comp wont be able to play Bioshock at its full settings, but it can play R6:V on med with high resolution and AAx2 with AF active. or on High Quality settings on 800x600 and no AA.
i hope i would be atleast able to play bioshock, even if its on low settings

You've got to remember that R6:Vegas was badly ported and had performance issues.

[Lythius]

You've got to remember that R6:Vegas was badly ported and had performance issues.

hmm this is true, but lucky for me i guess, i had absolutely no problems with it, after the second patch, the first patch game me issues with multyplayer, so if i could play a badly ported game this good, i guess it might raise my hopes for playing bioshock

[SPDeath]

hmm this is true, but lucky for me i guess, i had absolutely no problems with it, after the second patch, the first patch game me issues with multyplayer, so if i could play a badly ported game this good, i guess it might raise my hopes for playing bioshock

To be honest you've got pretty much the same as me, except you've got a bigger hard-drive and I think my graphics card is a little bit better than yours. So I'm hoping it works OK-ish on these systems.

[darthkiwi]

That's a CYA (Cover Your Ass) statement.

CLS has a point - a big corporate company doesn't want people complaining about exploding PCs, so it would go a little higher. But, wouldn't you, as someone who wants to avoid an exploding PC as well, want to do this as well? Surely a gamer would also want to Cover Their Ass? But, sigh, I know nothing about wattages. I don't have a clue what wattage I have. Heck, until now I didn't even know I had a wattage.

I think my rig might be able to play Bx on lowlowlow settings:
AMD Athlon64 processor 3500+
About 2 Ghz? I think?
1GB RAM (What's the difference between DDR and regular RAM? Is 1Gb of DDR significantly better/necessary compared to regular RAM? Dang, I know nothing about computers...)
Oh yeah, and a GeForce 6200. *Shoots himself*

Aargh, there's nothing for it. Even if Bx does run on this machine, the water will look like sand and the Big Daddies will look like sprites from SS1...:(

[TrueReligion]

I have a-
C2D E6600
x1900xt
2GB DDR2 800 RAM
700W PSU

Will I max it?

[Hatesink]

I'll probably pick up a dual core Pentium D on ebay in the next few months (they're getting relatively inexpensive now). Should run it pretty well I think (but I could be wrong (I guess we'll just have to wait for the system specs)).

[syllogism]

PC Bioshock is most certainly not a “console port”. At the preview event I attended, all the gameplay we were allowed was on the 360, but later I was allowed a limited hands-off preview of the PC version Bioshock, and it looked superb. Running at 1920 x 1200 on a 24" screen, using “a Core 2 CPU and 8-series card”, the texture detail was leaps and bounds better than the 360 version, and edges were much sharper, as to be expected. It should be noted though that the 360 we played the game on at the Bioshock event only ran on a standard def screen. We’re told that both the 360 and PC version have 2048 x 2048 textures, which really is to be expected from any AAA game these days.

Although perhaps not final, when we asked about the minimum PC specs for Bioshock, Irrational told us that a P4 2.5GHz with 512MB of RAM and a Pixel Shader 3.0 card will be the starting point.

The game will also be multi-core friendly, and can fully utilise up to quad core CPUs on the PC. Physics and AI will each have their own threads – something that Irrational admits it learned from coding for the three-core 360.

http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/article.asp?SCID=27&CIID=83180&p=5

[vrap]

This preview (http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/article.asp?SCID=27&CIID=83180&p=1) has some interesting info about the PC version:
PC Bioshock is most certainly not a “console port”. At the preview event I attended, all the gameplay we were allowed was on the 360, but later I was allowed a limited hands-off preview of the PC version Bioshock, and it looked superb. Running at 1920 x 1200 on a 24" screen, using “a Core 2 CPU and 8-series card”, the texture detail was leaps and bounds better than the 360 version, and edges were much sharper, as to be expected. It should be noted though that the 360 we played the game on at the Bioshock event only ran on a standard def screen. We’re told that both the 360 and PC version have 2048 x 2048 textures, which really is to be expected from any AAA game these days.

Although perhaps not final, when we asked about the minimum PC specs for Bioshock, Irrational told us that a P4 2.5GHz with 512MB of RAM and a Pixel Shader 3.0 card will be the starting point.

The game will also be multi-core friendly, and can fully utilise up to quad core CPUs on the PC. Physics and AI will each have their own threads – something that Irrational admits it learned from coding for the three-core 360.

Some gameplay tweaks proved necessary for the PC version to compensate for the greater accuracy of mouse and keyboard. Enemies are generally tougher than on the aiming-assisted 360 game.

[kabumon77]

are plasmids unlimited?? becuse i know you need eve to use them is that all you need???

[Wrathwing]

Hear ye! Hear ye!


I suspect a certain moderator to instantly aggro on this thread, vowing to close it tout-de-suite. But - hear me out first will you?

My previous thread was meant to first and foremostly act as a plea to Irrational, then secondly a forum for discussion on the topic. And I did read through the previous threads before posting (Serch feature isn't that hard to find) and yet decided to post a new thread since first, the older threads contained no concrete answers, but merely speculation, and second; I wanted to ask a few questions of my own, and from my experience, pulling up archived threads is a general no-no on internet-forums.

I've read the interview (can't bother to find link now) which states that Dual-core processor and 512GB RAM would be "for starters". Thing is; I want to be able to play Bioshock at highest possible settings, and I'm concerned about overkill. The overkill I'm referring to here is not of the type the Big Daddy practices on th splicer in the newest trailer, but rather the one where games have a roof-system-req i.e. the lowest possible system that suffices for the highest possible settings, and getting a better system won't do you any good. That's what I'm after!

(Just to clarify: World of Warcraft for example, runs perfect with 1GB of RAM, and running it with 2GB won't make it better, nor will it if you run it o a super-specced MacPro with 16GB of RAM (and double 3.0Ghz Quad-core processors). There are always a maximum performance in a game, and to have exactly the system that suffices to deliver the maximum performance is what I seek, anything above - is overkill)

What I'm wondering is as follows:

First! Dual-Core processor sure! But what Ghz-number will be best? They range from 1.5 to 3.0 you know!

Second! Will 1GB of RAM be enough to handle top-spec? Or will 2048 be a definite must?

Third! DirectX10 is a marvellous thing, and will take the graphics in Bioshock to a higher level, but what DirectX10 is referred to? Windows Vista ships with DirectX10. Is that the DirectX10 you need - or must you have a series 8- graphics card as well? Most computer for sale at the moment have none of the new 8-cards, and the one I'm contemplating ath the moment has an ATI1650 (which will probably fail to deliver an intense graphic experience, I reckon). A new PNY8500-card costs about 150 dollars too (and nVidia are far more expensive, but it's basically the same card right? Or is PNY inferior?), and therefore I'm not to keen on buying one if it will serve me nothing, which is why I'm asking about whether DirextX10 included on Vista will do it for Bioshock, or if a series 8-card is required to kick in those special graphic effects.

May this thread be allowed to act as the new forum for discussion on this particular matter? The other threads have sunk into the archive, and even if I was directed to them by bd93, I could not post my questions in them without pulling them back up, which is why I created the previous one, and have now created this.

I sincerely hope a few answers here will help me become more oriented on these matters.

Sincerely
//Wrathwing

[lurchibald]

if you have valid questions then resurrecting an old thread is fine creating another is worse when you could have easily asked it in the outer :)

http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=212&highlight=system

[Wrathwing]

Oh? I thought the opposite, that reviving old threads was the inferior choice of action. Well-well, if that's the case - what ought I to do? Could someone comment on the DirectX10 issue I'm bringing up, since that is my main concern, oh wait, RAM and CPU-version are equally imoportant.

What's the case concerning DirectX10, its presence in Vista and the 8-series cards?

On the matter of RAM, I'm leaning towards 2048 probably being the better choice, but then...

Dual-Core, sure! I would benefit hevily from a hint on what amount of Ghz the dual-core processor would be best off having.

//Wrathwing

[BioShockWins]

I like this kid, I vote we let him in

[mobutu]

Hello to all members!

For DX10 you'll need both Vista and G80/ati_comparable video card.
And regarding the power supply (saw that it was a great debacle) the dude that wrote you need lesser watts was right ... the other 2 dudes that proclaimed you need >800W were totally wrong. PSU-us and power requirements are much hyped today ...
You should read a great article, on SPCR:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article28-page4.html
They really know what they are talking about. And the testing is real and objective.

BTW, I can't wait for Bioshock! I'll see if I have to upgrade something for playing at 1680x1050 at least with medium quality (but i think I'll want more quality). Currently I have: 520W from Corsair, C2D E6400 (tested, can be oc'ed to 3.6Ghz), 2GB ram, 7900GS, Dell 2007WFP.
What do you think?

[mobutu]

sorry, I meant seen not saw! :-)
hehe

[Pinky_Powers]

Jesus man! This thread has been positively ruined! There is absolutely no way to even begin to start taking care of these wild and weird worries.

[MF9000]

Hello to all members!

For DX10 you'll need both Vista and G80/ati_comparable video card.
And regarding the power supply (saw that it was a great debacle) the dude that wrote you need lesser watts was right ... the other 2 dudes that proclaimed you need >800W were totally wrong. PSU-us and power requirements are much hyped today ...
You should read a great article, on SPCR:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article28-page4.html
They really know what they are talking about. And the testing is real and objective.

BTW, I can't wait for Bioshock! I'll see if I have to upgrade something for playing at 1680x1050 at least with medium quality (but i think I'll want more quality). Currently I have: 520W from Corsair, C2D E6400 (tested, can be oc'ed to 3.6Ghz), 2GB ram, 7900GS, Dell 2007WFP.
What do you think?

If you go with a single or even a double 8800 series nvidia card, I'll agree. However, ATI's 2900 card is a power hog. It requires 235 watts to run and that's for one card. Two just about doubles the required wattage (~470 watts). If you get a 2400 or 2600 then a lower power PSU would do fine. Also remember some of us have modded cases (lights, extra fans due to overclocking, several hard drives (think RAID) etc.), so a higher watt PSU is required to run all the bells and whistles. At no time did I "proclaim" anything. I used the information from ATI and reviews as a basis for what I said. So I don't see how I could be "totally wrong" unless ATI (maker of the 2900) is "totally wrong" as well as the reviewers (overclocking sites, hardware reviews, etc.). Granted ATI will say one needs a higher wattage PSU to CYA, but considering that it is known that the 2900 requires 235 watts to run normally (no overclocking) and you need to be able to have enough power for hard drives, etc. I don't think a 800 watt PSU is unreasonable. If somebody is thinking of upgrading their PSU, then I think they should go with something of a higher wattage to future-proof their system. PSU's can be had for a reasonable price and in some cases they offer rebates making them an even better deal. It also appears that power requirements will continue to increase.

Welcome to the forums.

[Criscokilika]

The main requirements will probably just be standard. Must have at least an ATI X800 or equivilant Nvidia. Probably need a CPU speed of at least 2.0.

[SPDeath]

Must have at least an ATI X800

Doubt so, unless the game suddenly supports shader model 2.0.

[Criscokilika]

Doubt so, unless the game suddenly supports shader model 2.0.
For the most part, a card as simple as that has been used in many other recent games.

[SPDeath]

For the most part, a card as simple as that has been used in many other recent games.

The difference being that those games support shader model 2.0 :)

[Kill the BDs]

nvidia 6600gt 128MB DDR3
CPU speed 3,2
1GB RAM

wanna run it on 1024 x 768

[ckline]

Doubt so, unless the game suddenly supports shader model 2.0.

Bioshock requires a video card that supports Pixel Shader 3.0.

- Chris Kline, Lead Programmer, Bioshock

[BioShockWins]

translating into english, what would it take in monetary terms, to convert a computer that doesn't really play video games (has no video/graphics/sound card whatsoever)? lol.... I don't feel like pulling out a bunch of the tech info right now... but I belive I got this computer in about... 2004? its a Dell Professional thing... and whatnot... lol

[BioShockWins]

its not that I don't understand the computer terms, I just need an estimate on price lol (such as how much would a video/graphics card that I would need would cost?)

[lurchibald]

depends, here in aus its about 150-300 for a med card (depending on how good you want it;)

[BioShockWins]

better than minimum, I'll probably just end up getting a box >.<

[Pinky_Powers]

better than minimum, I'll probably just end up getting a box >.<

You are going to get robbed and raped if you walk into a Best Buy, or some such, and ask for a Gaming PC.

Your best bet is to find a reputable online dealer that will custom build a PC for you using quality parts. You will pay maybe 1/3 the price you would for a new Dell, and it will run 10 times better. I **** you not.

[BioShockWins]

You are going to get robbed and raped if you walk into a Best Buy, or some such, and ask for a Gaming PC.

Your best bet is to find a reputable online dealer that will custom build a PC for you using quality parts. You will pay maybe 1/3 the price you would for a new Dell, and it will run 10 times better. I **** you not.

you have any suggestions for an online dealer then? lol

[Nyghtfall]

you have any suggestions for an online dealer then? lol

One word: Alienware (http://www.alienware.com)

I've used Gateway computers for the last 10 years, and, after a boat-load of research, finally upgraded to my first high-end gaming PC, a year ago. It's an Area-51 series 7500 equipped with a Pentium D 90 3.2GHz CPU running Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 with 2GB of RAM and a 256MB Geforce 7800 GTX on a 65OW power supply. It cost $2800, customized, and I've never been happier.

They're currently offering the same model at a base price of $1700, which comes equipped with an Intel Core Duo 2.13GHz CPU running your choice of Windows Vista or XP with 1GB of RAM (though I strongly recommend going with at least 2 GB for just $175 more) and a 256MB Geforce 8600 GTS on a 700W power supply.

That setup will allow you to run any game on the market today, and should be sufficient for BioShock.

[Pinky_Powers]

Alienware is only good if you have an unlimited budget. And even they don't customize down to the last detail as they should. At least not last time I looked at them. No, they are not for the average income person.

Unfortunately for you, I build all my own PCs and have done so all my life, so I have had no dealings and no need to research any of the PC builders out there. But I know they exist, and have talked with people who have used them.

I would start out with a simple Google search and go from there. Once you find one that sounds good, do some research on them. You know how this works; it’s the same as anything else.

The cheapest way of all, is to build it yourself, and I always think that is best. I have heard from countless people who have tried this for the first time. They are always scared and unsure, but once they finish and get their new system up and running, they have a new confidence and understanding that helps them in every aspect of their life. It is amazing how it changes a person.

Anyway, the website below is the perfect place to start for all your questions and help. They are a bunch of strange ****s to be sure, but if you can bear with them, they can help even the most computer illiterate person built a new power-house gaming computer from scratch. Just don’t tell them I said that.

http://www.tech-pc.co.uk/forum/index.php

[BioShockWins]

Alienware is only good if you have an unlimited budget. And even they don't customize down to the last detail as they should. At least not last time I looked at them. No, they are not for the average income person.

Unfortunately for you, I build all my own PCs and have done so all my life, so I have had no dealings and no need to research any of the PC builders out there. But I know they exist, and have talked with people who have used them.

I would start out with a simple Google search and go from there. Once you find one that sounds good, do some research on them. You know how this works; it’s the same as anything else.

The cheapest way of all, is to build it yourself, and I always think that is best. I have heard from countless people who have tried this for the first time. They are always scared and unsure, but once they finish and get their new system up and running, they have a new confidence and understanding that helps them in every aspect of their life. It is amazing how it changes a person.

Anyway, the website below is the perfect place to start for all your questions and help. They are a bunch of strange ****s to be sure, but if you can bear with them, they can help even the most computer illiterate person built a new power-house gaming computer from scratch. Just don’t tell them I said that.

http://www.tech-pc.co.uk/forum/index.php

your secret is safe with me lol

[BioShockWins]

Ok, but when I'm gonna be searching around I'm going to make it look like a 'home' computer, but sneak in some graphics cards and such (to keep down price)

[BioShockWins]

dang I wish I had an edit button, what is a 'network interface'?

[BioShockWins]

and what is the difference between 32 and 64 bit operating systems?

[Pinky_Powers]

Jesus, no more of that nasty talk here! I suggest you take you ignorant ass over to that website I gave you in my last post.

But, I suppose for good measure: Network Interface/Network Adapter is your connection to the Net.

64bit is where the whole hip world is heading. It still has some compatibility issues with cheaper indi-software, but these problems are very few now-a-days and it is certainly the right move for the future.

Now, you saucy tosser, take serious thought to registering over at Tech-PC, because you are bound to have hundreds more questions and this is simply not the best forum to facilitate all your needs.

[BioShockWins]

I have one last question, I have quite a nice rig up on a website for just over a thousand dollars (which I'll down size the price from a different company, I was just using dell to see what parts I was interested in) And it looks like I have way over the minimum requirements as of thus far
(or so I think, the only thing I'm worried about is the video/graphics card)

Processor: AMD Sempron 3400+ (I hear AMD is better than Intel currently, although I think I've always used Intel, I have no idea what the hell those numbers mean though)
OS: Vista Home Premium
Moniter: 15 inch flat screen (I'll probably at least go to 17" although if that is outside my budget, I've always used 15)
Memory: 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz- 2DIMMs (er... whatever that means, I know the lowest estimate is just 512mb, which I'm suprised by, but I'll be using this a lot, I want at least 2 gig, and because of vista)
48X CD-RW/DVD Combo Meal, err, I mean drive (Just a dumb name in my opinion)
Video Card: GeForce 6150 (which earlyer in the thread you were saying that the 7600 is like, the bar)
The rest doesn't particularly matter...

[BioShockWins]

I just signed up for the pc forum thingy

[BioShockWins]

I have one last question, I have quite a nice rig up on a website for just over a thousand dollars (which I'll down size the price from a different company, I was just using dell to see what parts I was interested in) And it looks like I have way over the minimum requirements as of thus far
(or so I think, the only thing I'm worried about is the video/graphics card)

Processor: AMD Sempron 3400+ (I hear AMD is better than Intel currently, although I think I've always used Intel, I have no idea what the hell those numbers mean though)
OS: Vista Home Premium
Moniter: 15 inch flat screen (I'll probably at least go to 17" although if that is outside my budget, I've always used 15)
Memory: 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz- 2DIMMs (er... whatever that means, I know the lowest estimate is just 512mb, which I'm suprised by, but I'll be using this a lot, I want at least 2 gig, and because of vista)
48X CD-RW/DVD Combo Meal, err, I mean drive (Just a dumb name in my opinion)
Video Card: GeForce 6150 (which earlyer in the thread you were saying that the 7600 is like, the bar)
The rest doesn't particularly matter...

oh yeah, and I for got the 250gb Hard Drive

[Alias]

omg lol, when i saw ur post i just had to join these forums to reply!

Currently Intel are better than Amd (eho ever told u otherwise is talking s**t)
Semprons were a buget processor - I say were because know athlon are! Go for a Core 2 Duo if you can afford (they're not that exspencive and will serve you well!)
and a geforce 6100 is also a really rubbish card (I used to have a 6200, and they were good/cheap but really not up to modern games)

For a thousand dollars u r getting ripped off - i live in the uk, but i recently built a rig for 600 stirling which is head and shoulders above your choice.

I realise you don't know alot about hardware, so don't get the impression that I think you're stupid (ur miss-informed) and if you want more information just please ask. And sorry for my appaling spelling...:p

[Alias]

basically, your chances of playing bioshock on that are slim (ie: non-existant)

[BioShockWins]

basically, your chances of playing bioshock on that are slim (ie: non-existant)

yeah, I was gonna Improve it a lot... lol

[BioShockWins]

omg, I need the edit button

http://www.nextdaypc.com/main/bto/config.aspx?PCID=103er... is this any good? lol haha
the people at the PC forum havn't OK'd my application thing yet

[BioShockWins]

omg, I need the edit button

http://www.nextdaypc.com/main/bto/config.aspx?PCID=103er... is this any good? lol haha
the people at the PC forum havn't OK'd my application thing yet

dang the link doesn't work... never mind

[Alias]

can you post the spec and the price?

[BioShockWins]

can you post the spec and the price?

nah, I would have done that If I thought that the computer was worth it, I'll wait till I think I find something worthwhile

[BioShockWins]

nah, I would have done that If I thought that the computer was worth it, I'll wait till I think I find something worthwhile

wait, is it a better Idea to just buy a strait up basic computer then go around stores finding parts? I think that is what that other guy was trying to get at, lol

[BioShockWins]

Well, now that I think about it, I'll just probably buy a base system and upgrade it from individual parts from there!

[Alias]

thats a good plan, but have you built a pc before? If not, do a bit of research before you buy anything. But building a pc is really easy - id really recommend it. And once you have built one you can confidently build another.

Just one word of warning: be careful wear you buy your base system. I heard (correct me if i'm wrong) that pc's from dell and the like are hard/can't not be upgraded. If im talken rubbbish plz let me no :), but its just something i heard.

[BioShockWins]

thats a good plan, but have you built a pc before? If not, do a bit of research before you buy anything. But building a pc is really easy - id really recommend it. And once you have built one you can confidently build another.

Just one word of warning: be careful wear you buy your base system. I heard (correct me if i'm wrong) that pc's from dell and the like are hard/can't not be upgraded. If im talken rubbbish plz let me no :), but its just something i heard.

well, it certainly is easyer to upgrade non-dell computers, but you can still easily slide in a graphics card in the back of your computer with no real problems (my old computer is broken, but I might be able to salvage the graphics card!). I've only had dell computers before, I'm not sure if it matters getting the base from dell, just you shouldn't buy a high end machine from them (but I also, am not 100% sure about this)

[BioShockWins]

uhh, how about this one?
I basicaly just grabbed a random PC gamer magazine and looked in the back for a good Entry-Level system (for gaming obviously)
The funny thing is that I don't even pay for these magazines... they just sorta show up... (two full years free, but it just ended like two months ago)

Case and Power Supply
400-Watt ATX = $140

Processor
Athlon 64 3800+ x2 AM2 = $145

MotherBoard
Asus M2N4-SLI = $110

Memory
1GB DDR2-800 (512 MB x2) = $120

Optical Drive
16x CD/DVD-ROM = $20

Hard Drive
WD 250GB 7,200RPM = $60

SoundCard
OnBoard = $0 (What a steal! JK!)

Video Card
ATI Radeon X1600 Pro 512MB = $130

TOTAL = $735
I didn't bother to check the math, so if it's wrong, blame PC Gamer Magazine lol

[BioShockWins]

uhh, how about this one?
I basicaly just grabbed a random PC gamer magazine and looked in the back for a good Entry-Level system (for gaming obviously)
The funny thing is that I don't even pay for these magazines... they just sorta show up... (two full years free, but it just ended like two months ago)

Case and Power Supply
400-Watt ATX = $140

Processor
Athlon 64 3800+ x2 AM2 = $145

MotherBoard
Asus M2N4-SLI = $110

Memory
1GB DDR2-800 (512 MB x2) = $120

Optical Drive
16x CD/DVD-ROM = $20

Hard Drive
WD 250GB 7,200RPM = $60

SoundCard
OnBoard = $0 (What a steal! JK!)

Video Card
ATI Radeon X1600 Pro 512MB = $130

TOTAL = $735
I didn't bother to check the math, so if it's wrong, blame PC Gamer Magazine lol


scratch that, I turned the memory into a single GB instead of two halfs and got a better motherboard

(for a cheaper price!!)
of course, it won't be until a few months I actualy buy this... if ever lol

[Alias]

ok, heres my thoughts:
ur case and power supply seem over priced

[Alias]

hard drive, soundcard (lol) and memory seem on price (but u could get the ram cheaper)

i can't comment on your graphics card for lack of knowledge, but i can say that usually graphics memory makes little difference to the game, so if u get the 256mb version you could save some cash.

Just out of intrest what is ur ideal buget, coz if u can afford it I wouldn't buy an AMD, (Core 2 Duo E6600 would be better for the future and bioshock/Crysis) but it depends on how much cash u have.

sorry if this is a bit rough but im coverting dollars to stirling and then comparing it to were i brought my kit (in the uk) but if u told me ur buget i could try and work out a decent mobo/cpu combo for u (as part of ur bare-bones pc)

and thanks for the info bout Dell :)

[Alias]

these websites might be useful for you:
http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html?modelx=33&model1=430&model2=464&chart=170

that allows you to compare processors easily

http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/06/11/the_best_gaming_video_cards_for_the_money/page6.html

and that has a chart comparing grpahics cards

[lurchibald]

LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write Black SATA Model LH-20A1S OEM BK - OEM
Item #: N82E16827106070
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$32.99



ATRIX CSCI-G8022C-C43 Black 0.8mm SECC steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 480W Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16811209018
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$59.99



Open Box: HITACHI Deskstar T7K500 HDT725032VLAT80 (0A33405) 320GB 7200 RPM IDE Ultra ATA133 Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822145128R
Return Policy: Open Box Item Return Policy
$66.99



Hanns·G JC-199DPB Black 19" 8ms DVI LCD Monitor - Retail
Item #: N82E16824254009
Return Policy: [LCD] Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy

-$20.00 Instant
$189.99
$169.99



BIOSTAR TForce TF570SLI Socket AM2 NVIDIA nForce 570 SLI MCP ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813138059
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

-$5.00 Instant
$89.99
$84.99



BIOSTAR V8602GT51 GeForce 8600GT 512MB GDDR2 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814141059
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

$119.99



G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400PHU2-2GBHZ - Retail
Item #: N82E16820231065
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

-$40.00 Instant
$144.99
$104.99



AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ Brisbane 2.3GHz Socket AM2 Processor Model ADO4400DDBOX - Retail
Item #: N82E16819103776
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy

$110.00



Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium DVD - Retail
Item #: N82E16832116142
Return Policy: Software Return Policy
$219.99


Total: $969.92
this is what i found for him after a quick search ;)

[Alias]

and if do have to go for an amd processor you can get ur Athlon 64 3800+ x2 AM2 for $86 here:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3038899&Sku=CP1-AM2-3800XE&SRCCODE=DATAFEED&CMP=BAC-TOMSHW

[lurchibald]

the 4400 AMD would be a lot better for just $25 more

[Panda Bear]

Bow before my mighty rig.

# Pentium Core Duo 1.83 GHz processor
# 80GB internal hard drive
# 1GB RAM
# 14.1" XGA display
# 8X DVD-RW/CD-RW drive
# 802.11 a/b/g Centrino wireless
# 64MB ATI Mobility Radeon X1300 M52 graphics card

The card is pretty weak but the system's been alright for most games I've wanted to play. Oblivion (my proving-grounds game, hardware wise) runs decently (~25fps with most details set to medium or high, although resolution is really low). Do you all think I'll even be able to get Bioshock up and running on this rig? If not, I'm going to get an Xbox 360 pretty soon so I can play this game (as well as others that my rig can't handle).

[xenomorph]

pcchips a11g
amdx2 3600+
2 gb ddr 2 dual-channel kit 800mhz
nvidia 8500 gt

wish i hadn't choosen the 8500 and gone for an 8600 overclocked, wish i had gone for a core2 duo and overclocking board but oh well!

[Kill the BDs]

should I buy bioshock, or wait, buy a 256mb 7600gt with agp, and then after like 10 months buy bioshock?

[BioShockWins]

should I buy bioshock, or wait, buy a 256mb 7600gt with agp, and then after like 10 months buy bioshock?

Buy BioShock as soon as you can, unless you machine can't run it
because in 10 months you'll probably know everything to know about bioshock, and it will not be interesting at all playing it (but then again...)

also, what is the point in having a million watts in a power suply? what is too low, and what is just a waste of money?

[BioShockWins]

also, what is the point in having a million watts in a power suply? what is too low, and what is just a waste of money?

oh yeah, and what is DVI? How does it make a Monitor better?

[MF9000]

Buy BioShock as soon as you can, unless you machine can't run it
because in 10 months you'll probably know everything to know about bioshock, and it will not be interesting at all playing it (but then again...)

also, what is the point in having a million watts in a power suply? what is too low, and what is just a waste of money?

Depends on how much of a load your computer's components will carry. I for example have upgraded to an 850 watt PSU. Then again I have 3 hard drives, DVD burner, soundcard, firewire card and I overclock my system (and a few large fans for cooling to boot). I will be upgrading to one of the ATI cards when I see all the offerings. If I decide to go with the HD2900 then that beast alone will gobble up 235 watts to run without overclocking (which would take more power). I only paid $160 US for the the PSU (OCZ) I bought through www.directron.com. You can't go wrong with something around 700 watts. That should give you a measure of future proofing your system. Remember if you decide to go SLI or Crossfire in the future you'll want to be sure that your PSU can handle not only the load of the cards, but all of the rest of the components without the possibility of "browning out" the system. If you can afford it there is nothing wrong with going with something like I did. My PSU gives me the ability of adding more hardware without worrying if I have enough power. Hope this ramble helps. :)

[MF9000]

oh yeah, and what is DVI? How does it make a Monitor better?

Digital Visual Interface. This is the interface that LCD monitors use, although with an adaptor you could go VGA. DVI is completely digital. No digital to analog to digital conversion to worry about. It's suppose to be faster. I noticed the difference when I went from analog to digital.

Definition:
(Digital Visual Interface) A digital interface to a digital display system from the Digital Display Working Group (www.ddwg.org). Introduced in 1999, DVI uses TMDS signaling. The DDWG was formed to create a universal standard for attaching a flat panel monitor. The DVI interface is also used on data projectors, plasma displays, digital TVs (DTVs) and set-top boxes. DVI devices may include HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) which is an encryption method for safeguarding copyrighted material.

[BioShockWins]

Digital Visual Interface. This is the interface that LCD monitors use, although with an adaptor you could go VGA. DVI is completely digital. No digital to analog to digital conversion to worry about. It's suppose to be faster. I noticed the difference when I went from analog to digital.



Ok, thanks, what is the difference between a DVI 1 and 2, If I have a DVI 2 video card, and a DVI 1 monitor, are they compatable?
What about if it's the other way around?

[lurchibald]

really it just means you can have two monitors connected to the vid card;)

[redrain85]

There's no such thing as "DVI 1" or "DVI 2" . . . there are "DVI-I" and "DVI-D" standards, but for all practical purposes it's nothing you have to worry about. They are completely compatible with each other.

But, some cards have two DVI connectors because they're both needed when you go to ultra-high resolutions like 2560x1600. And they may refer to that as "DVI 2 connectors" (as in two of them) but what they really mean is "DVI Dual-Link".

Bottom line: All monitors with DVI, work with all video cards that have DVI.

[BioShockWins]

Alright thanks guys, maybe that means I can steal my parents monitor when they're not using it and have TWO screens =P!!! not really useful for a FPS, but if I decide to get that Supreem Comander RTS... mwuahahaha!

[MF9000]

I forgot to mention that on the PSUs make sure that the wattage that is quoted is for normal operation and not peak load. Sometimes retailers will give you the peak load wattage in order to make the PSU seem more powerful. Obviously a PC doesn't run at peak at all times, so it's important to know what it's normal operating wattage is. For example, the OCZ 850 watt PSU I have has a peak of 900 watts and it's normal operating wattage is 850. Good luck with your system build. If you take your time and research all the components that you want to put into the box I think you'll have a really good system.

[Fennerman]

hmmmm do you think my pc can handle it on high settings at 1024x768?

AMD FX-55
1gig ram 3200 3-3-3-8
Ati x1800xl 256 mb
dfi infinity nf4
80gb Sata1
onboard sound.


I can stand no AA but I want at least 4x AF... I guess I'm dreaming... I'm betting I'll have to turn down some textures down, cause I had to do that with stalker cause I only have 256mb of video and 1gig of ram... damn, I need more ram.

[501105]

I will probably wait and see how bioshock will run on all pcs out there and then upgrade, although it will be hard to wait.

[Gate]

I've been able to run Oblivion pretty well at 1024x768 on mostly the highest settings with only occasional framerate issues (gets as low as 15 fps at the worst, but really high most of the time). I'm confident I could run Bioshock pretty well, but unless I get to play a demo sometime soon I'm planning on getting the 360 version. Mouse-keyboard control is important to me in a first-person shooter, but... pretty water!

[soma]

I have a intel pentium Dual core 3.0ghz 1g of ram and nvidia geforce 7300 le 256mb of video memory could i play it ive been able to play HL2 and CSS on high quality and i have been able to play DOOM 3 on ultra high quality with some lag. could i play it

[lurchibald]

yeah you should be able to run it fine

[Thalanor Thornhale]

It would be nice to have a minimal, recommended and optimal system (as in specs required to play the game at maximum settings above which there are no significant performance gains) requirement post/announcement. I have been combing the net (webpage, google, and this forum) for such information. But even after all the search, all I come up with is this thread which does not have any such information.

Is it reasonable to ask for the above stated system reqs? Afterall, we are now only two months from release. By now the game should have already started to go to the press etc. I am just wondering not bashing - though I am a bit impatient.

If system reqs are impossible to give now, might one have an estimate of time when such information could be revealed?

[501105]

``PCGH: Can you already say what rig players must have to play the game with all details in resolution of 1.280x1.024?

Irrational Games: Our recommended spec is as follows:
- CPU: 3GHz dual core processor
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Video card: Pixel Shader 3.0 compliant video card with 512 Ram (Geforce 7900 GT or better)

But to run the game at 1280x1024 with all graphics options enabled you really need an NVIDIA 8800 or ATI 2900XT or better``

Taken from http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1326

[danne_93]

An AMD FX55 is a single core cpu,they went dual core for the socket 939's at FX60,FX62 for the socket AM2 chips that support DDR2.if you are going to buy a new system soon,I would go with an Intel Core 2 Duo based system.

They are faster and run cooler,and are very reasonably priced.Intel is cutting prices on the 22nd of April,and introducing some new models with more on chip L2 cache at the low end.

Of course Intels low end Core 2's are as fast,or faster then AMD's high end stuff.Barcelona on the desktop will not be available till probably Q3 maybe even Q4 of 2007.


Think i can run it? my computer is getting old and i need a new one...:(

anyways here it is...:

2.8 Ghz pentium 4
768mb RAM
ATI Radeon x1300 IceQ Turbo-Edition

Thats all i know about it... Please reply ASAP.

[SPDeath]

Think i can run it? my computer is getting old and i need a new one...:(

anyways here it is...:

2.8 Ghz pentium 4
768mb RAM
ATI Radeon x1300 IceQ Turbo-Edition

Thats all i know about it... Please reply ASAP.

I'm no expert but I don't think this system can hack it (at least not high settings), I'm not sure about the graphics card but the RAM and CPU will hold it back.

[danne_93]

ok... I sort of suspected that... Damn it now i have to buy a new PC ...

[darthkiwi]

Think i can run it? my computer is getting old and i need a new one...

anyways here it is...:

2.8 Ghz pentium 4
768mb RAM
ATI Radeon x1300 IceQ Turbo-Edition

Thats all i know about it... Please reply ASAP.

I don't really know much about computers, but it looks like you'll definitely need more RAM. I think the recommended was 2GB, so 768MB is really pushing it.

I'm not too worried about my rig, even though it's pretty old: I'm going to buy BioShock, try and run it and then upgrade what needs doing, otherwise I figure it'd be a bit of a waste, seeing as I don't mind running it on min settings.

[BioShockWins]

ok... I sort of suspected that... Damn it now i have to buy a new PC ...

errr... no you don't
just get a new card, possibly add in some new RAM

[BigDaddySlayer]

Intel(R) Pentium(R) D CPU 2.80GHz (2 CPUs)
Memory: 2046MB RAM
Hard Drive: 156 GB
Video Card: RADEON X600 256MB HyperMemory
Sound Card: SigmaTel Audio

You guys think I could run it?
I'm gonna upgrade my Graphics though...:(

[BigDaddySlayer]

Even if you have a DX10 Card, can you still run DX9?

[TestType]

Even if you have a DX10 Card, can you still run DX9?

Just think for a second. Of course you can. You don't actually think that cards that support DX10 don't support anything below that? There isn't even a single DX10 game on the market yet, so the DX10 cards that have been available for about 9 months now would be completely unusable and worthless if that was the case. Also, why would anybody buy a video card that can only play the latest thing and NOTHING else?

[BioShockWins]

Even if you have a DX10 Card, can you still run DX9?

yes, yes you can

[BigDaddySlayer]

Also, why would anybody buy a video card that can only play the latest thing and NOTHING else?


Good Point...;)

[Pinky_Powers]

The terrible fears and icy currents running through this place are freezing me right to the bone.

[BigDaddySlayer]

The terrible fears and icy currents running through this place are freezing me right to the bone.

What the HELL are you talkin' about Pinky?:confused:

[Melowfelow]

Here are my laptop specs:

1.86 core duo
1 gig of 667mhz DDR2 RAM
7900gs 256mb
Windows XP
80gb 7200rpm

Will I be able to run it at decent settings? I know this is all conjecture but anyone have an educated guess as to how well it would run on my laptop?

[BioShockWins]

Here are my laptop specs:

1.86 core duo
1 gig of 667mhz DDR2 RAM
7900gs 256mb
Windows XP
80gb 7200rpm

Will I be able to run it at decent settings? I know this is all conjecture but anyone have an educated guess as to how well it would run on my laptop?

oh yes, it is pretty good. If you were looking for a reason to upgrade you PC though, you might put in some RAM. Even maybe a second hard drive. Your graphics card is 'OK' for now, and you'll be able to play BioShock on resonable settings. *finaly actualy looks at your post and realises that it's a laptop* uhh.... oops

Uhm, yeah I don't really know anything about upgrading laptops. So you could play it at that, althought I've never seen a laptop as a good gaming platform (but they're amazing on long car trips lol. ESPECIALY BioShock, because I doubt you'd be able to get internet then). But who knows, maybe it's been good to you. How much HDD space do you still have left? For most games you need a little over 8GBs in hard drive space to instal them (I think).

[BioShockWins]

hey, what speed of DVD drive would someone need to run bioshock? I don't know if it is an issue at all really, but I think I saw a different game needing 32X rather than the (standard?) 16X that I was planning on getting. So... am I just insane? Is it really just the same thing and I don't know squat?

[BioShockWins]

hey, what speed of DVD drive would someone need to run bioshock? I don't know if it is an issue at all really, but I think I saw a different game needing 32X rather than the (standard?) 16X that I was planning on getting. So... am I just insane? Is it really just the same thing and I don't know squat?

NOTE: I'm not looking into a burner, but just a drive to read the DVDs

[Ectoplasm]

Try to find that game - I'd love to see those specs. I think it might have specified a '32X CDROM' (which is about equivalent to a 4x DVD) Really, DVD speed should have absolutely no impact on game's speed, unless one can opt for a partial install - a dumb move given capacities of modern hard drives.

[BioShockWins]

Try to find that game - I'd love to see those specs. I think it might have specified a '32X CDROM' (which is about equivalent to a 4x DVD) Really, DVD speed should have absolutely no impact on game's speed, unless one can opt for a partial install - a dumb move given capacities of modern hard drives.

I didn't think I'd be able to find it...
http://h2v.halomaps.org/index.cfm?nid=404
it's there under DVD Drive '32x Speed' lol

[Melowfelow]

Thanks for the help BIOSHOCKWINS. :D

I plan to build my first full tower before bioshock hits.
I have a 1500 dollar budget. This game has motivated me to build my own pc finally. Heres what I'd like to get:

e6750(1333mhz fsb and a killer overclocker:D )
corsair 520 watt psu
2 gigs of DDR2 OCZ Gold 800mhz
BFG 8800 GTS 640mb OC
Raptor 150 gb 10,000 RPM and a Western Digital 300gb harddrive
An ASUS mobo and a Thermaltake Armor Series VA8000BWS Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case
With this i hope to rock bioshock and Crysis:D

[BioShockWins]

Thanks for the help BIOSHOCKWINS. :D

I plan to build my first full tower before bioshock hits.
I have a 1500 dollar budget. This game has motivated me to build my own pc finally. Heres what I'd like to get:

e6750(1333mhz fsb and a killer overclocker:D )
corsair 520 watt psu
2 gigs of DDR2 OCZ Gold 800mhz
BFG 8800 GTS 640mb OC
Raptor 150 gb 10,000 RPM and a Western Digital 300gb harddrive
An ASUS mobo and a Thermaltake Armor Series VA8000BWS Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case
With this i hope to rock bioshock and Crysis:D
VERY nice
People tell me if you are going to get an 8800 you might as well get a GTX. I don't know if it fits into your budget. But if it does, you'll have the best on the market! at least until someone makes something new o.O

[BioShockWins]

I have this bad habbit of double posting, but the post edit thing is gone :(

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010380048+106791921+1305520548+1068625271+10679 24921&Configurator=&Subcategory=48&description=&Ntk=&srchInDesc=

these are all over $100 US dollars more than the GPU you picked out... dunno if they fit into your budget. But people on tech forums say they're deffinatley worth it.

[Ectoplasm]

it's there under DVD Drive '32x Speed' lol

Definitely a screwup - read that as 'a DVD drive that can read CDs at least at 32X'. Which would make it a 6-8x DVD.

At present, fastest DVD is 22x, to my knowledge. Google for a 32x DVD, and any entries you find will be either real old - for 6xDVD/32xCD, or for drives with 32x CD rewrite speed.

[Thalanor Thornhale]

I currently have the following setup:

AMD 64 3000+ Venice in a 939 Socket on an Abit KN8 motherboard
1 Gb
Nvidia Geforce 6600 256 Mb
and the usual other peripheral hardware.

I kind of want to use my motherboard just a bit longer, and was thinking of upgrading the specs a bit. Possible upgrades (and advice request) inlcude:

AMD 64 X2 3800+ (or 4200/4400???)
2 Gb (for sure)
Nvidia Geforce ????
Windows Vista (just for the Direct X 10)

If you are on a tight budget, which upgrades would you go for? And would it be possible to run Bioshock in close to maximum settings or maximum settings with the above CPU? And what Video card would you use to get into the price/performance sweetspot while being able to reap the rewards of being able to play the game at almost - if not the - maximum settings?

[Thalanor Thornhale]

Argh, I can't edit the post. Just for consideration, on a 939 socket, I found the following prices:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ runs for a bargain of $69
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ runs for about $169
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ runs for about $500
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ runs for close to $1000 (maximum for this motherboard) which is rediculus (at this point, I should just buy a new computer)

Here is the CPU comparison charts...


http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html?modelx=33&model1=480&model2=491&chart=195

[BioShockWins]

you know, I really don't know a lot about AMD

but one thing is for sure, you really should get a new graphics card. At least like a 7900 nVidia or something

[Melowfelow]

Currnently the price to performance sweet spot is with the geforce 8800gts 320mb. they cost between 270-300 dollars. How many watts is your PSU?

[Melowfelow]

The 8800 GTS is also directx 10 compatible. see here for some prices on a 8800GTS. http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=8800GTS

[Thalanor Thornhale]

It's an 80-PLUS 550 Watts Greenline Power Supply.

Thanks for the feedback so far. If there is someone who knows something about AMD CPUs feedback is appreciated.

[lurchibald]

Argh, I can't edit the post. Just for consideration, on a 939 socket, I found the following prices:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ runs for a bargain of $69
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ runs for about $169
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ runs for about $500
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ runs for close to $1000 (maximum for this motherboard) which is rediculus (at this point, I should just buy a new computer)

Here is the CPU comparison charts...


http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html?modelx=33&model1=480&model2=491&chart=195

well dude i dont know where you are living but check these prices in ($AUD)

AMD ATHLON64 X2 AM2 6000+ (3.0GHZ) 64-BIT DUAL-CORE CPU $363.00

GIGABYTE GA-M61P-S3 AMD SKTAM2 GF6100 MATX M/B $141.90

thats just : $504.90

[Thalanor Thornhale]

I did see that AM2 socket CPUs are MUCH cheaper. My socket is 939 though and for some reason those CPUs are much more expensive :S

[MF9000]

I did see that AM2 socket CPUs are MUCH cheaper. My socket is 939 though and for some reason those CPUs are much more expensive :S

Since it's a dead socket type (no longer being made/supplies very limited), the price will be higher since sellers are hoping those of us with 939 boards will want to make that one last upgrade. I'm waiting for AMD to put out their Phenom chips before I upgrade. Hurry up AMD! And for that matter, hurry up ATI with the R650 based video cards! Time's a wasting. :mad:

[Thalanor Thornhale]

Do you think the price will go up or down for these CPUs? If they go down, I'll wait till specs are released, but if the prices will go up, maybe I should upgrade now?

[BioShockWins]

I'm thinking the processor prices will DROP
because Intel is possibly having price drops next month

economy 101: the cost to build/engineer the processors is down. So they can lower the price and still make a profit, but because their prices are lower it means that more people can afford Intel meaning more people will buy processors thus Intel's motivation

[Pinky_Powers]

The terrible fears and icy currents running through this place are freezing me right to the bone.

What the HELL are you talkin' about Pinky?:confused:

Wow... I don't even remember posting that. Too many booze maybe...

[MF9000]

Do you think the price will go up or down for these CPUs? If they go down, I'll wait till specs are released, but if the prices will go up, maybe I should upgrade now?

I've seen prices drop by small steps. The only danger waiting would be that somebody will beat you to the punch. I was watching a site hoping a 4600+ would drop, then they sold out and haven't gotten anymore in. So, you can either find the best price you can and buy, or you can wait for a few months until AMD's new chips (65nm process) come out and upgrade to a new mobo, memory, etc. I kind of kicked myself when the chip sold out, but then again it could be a blessing in disguise. So, it's your call. If you have the money and really want to make one more go with the 939 go for it. If you're in the States or Canada and find a super great price let me know. I wish IG would let us know what the minimum and optimum specs are. Then we can upgrade intelligently instead of guessing.

[BioShockWins]

Wow... I don't even remember posting that. Too many booze maybe...

that's kinda cool! err, but mostly creepy

[TestType]

Do you think the price will go up or down for these CPUs? If they go down, I'll wait till specs are released, but if the prices will go up, maybe I should upgrade now?

Existing component prices go down, NEVER up. Common sense really.

[jackinthebox]

Existing component prices go down, NEVER up. Common sense really.

actually RAM prices rise at christmas (and earlier)

[The UK Lad]

Will windows 98 run it :p

[Melowfelow]

Im thinking that it will only run on xp and vista as it is a dirext x 9 and 10 coded game.

[Pinky_Powers]

Im thinking that it will only run on xp and vista as it is a dirext x 9 and 10 coded game.

From what I hear it's also coming out for the Sega Genesis too... so, who knows. :eek:

[501105]

amd 2x 4400
8800gts 320 Extreme oc edition
2 gigs of ram
490 Hiper PSU


Hope it will be able to run max on 1200-1024

[Glottis]

Existing component prices go down, NEVER up. Common sense really.

actually RAM prices rise at christmas (and earlier)



Ram prices have already started to rise.I just bought 4 gigs of Corsair DDR2 for 165 bucks delivered to my door,and the same ram kits now are over 220.
The price has gone up 55 bucks in less then 10 days ! I'm glad I got in when I did,as I am rebuilding my PC come the 22nd,G0 here I come ! :D

[Ectoplasm]

When you try to upgrade an older PC, finding parts that re still new can be hard - and prices might be steep. Not so long ago, I wanted to lend a bit more life to an older system by putting in another 512MB stick of PC133 RAM - only to find out that it'll cost me quite a bit. Sure enough, ebay had a lot of used PC133 memory, but I had a spare AM2 AGP mobo lying around, so I decided to just get a new CPU and DDR2 RAM instead - used components are a crap shoot. Never know if previous owner OC'ed them halfway to melting.

[domjam]

hay just wana no if im good to go for this game when it comes out next month.

p4 3g dule core
nvidianforce4 slil motherbord
2g ddr3 ram
ge force 7800 gtx

allso can somone tell me if there is any diffrance in EVGA ge force 8800gtx & gigabyte 8800 gtx.iv got an order on the gigabyte one but i can change it.thanks

[Giftmacher]

allso can somone tell me if there is any diffrance in EVGA ge force 8800gtx & gigabyte 8800 gtx.iv got an order on the gigabyte one but i can change it.thanks

Well they both use the same GPU so the performance differences will be fairly minor. EVGA's card might be OC'd by default or have a better cooler (depending on the model). Most of the differences will be in warranty, EVGA provide life time cover Gigabyte probably do not.

EVGA also have a trade up programme, in case you want to upgrade shortly after your purchase (though this probably won't matter too much to you).

Gift.

[domjam]

cool i guess its all good then.as for the rest of my specs am i gona need to get a new cpu or will my new gpu take the strain of my cpu for bioshock.i dont no much about this computer stuff.im doing my best though :)

[domjam]

ops i made a lil error in my specs.its actule ddr2 667 to be exact.and its only 1gig :(

[greenknight0078]

I am sure that I am echoing recent posters, but I need to say it too - I hope that Bioshock delivers an amazing graphical experience, but it is a shame that dx9 players are missing the experience of dx10. I'm not upgrading to vista just so I can run one game. I am on a laptop too, so it's dx9 for awhile yet. The dx9 should still be better than xbox I imagine, so at least I can rest easy about that. I just love watching the water effect videos. Truly an amazing job.

[Glottis]

hay just wana no if im good to go for this game when it comes out next month.

p4 3g dule core
nvidianforce4 slil motherbord
2g ddr3 ram
ge force 7800 gtx

allso can somone tell me if there is any diffrance in EVGA ge force 8800gtx & gigabyte 8800 gtx.iv got an order on the gigabyte one but i can change it.thanks


Your great(your system as it stands),I'd eVGAas they have excellent support,Gigabyte is pretty good as well,but eVGA is a step above !

[Glottis]

One word: Alienware (http://www.alienware.com)

I've used Gateway computers for the last 10 years, and, after a boat-load of research, finally upgraded to my first high-end gaming PC, a year ago. It's an Area-51 series 7500 equipped with a Pentium D 90 3.2GHz CPU running Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 with 2GB of RAM and a 256MB Geforce 7800 GTX on a 65OW power supply. It cost $2800, customized, and I've never been happier.

They're currently offering the same model at a base price of $1700, which comes equipped with an Intel Core Duo 2.13GHz CPU running your choice of Windows Vista or XP with 1GB of RAM (though I strongly recommend going with at least 2 GB for just $175 more) and a 256MB Geforce 8600 GTS on a 700W power supply.

That setup will allow you to run any game on the market today, and should be sufficient for BioShock.


Alienware is over priced junk,with sub par build quality ! It was a few years back and is far worse (http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1204384) now,since the Dhell buyout...


Argh, I can't edit the post. Just for consideration, on a 939 socket, I found the following prices:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ runs for a bargain of $69
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ runs for about $169
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ runs for about $500
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4800+ runs for close to $1000 (maximum for this motherboard) which is rediculus (at this point, I should just buy a new computer)

Here is the CPU comparison charts...


http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html?modelx=33&model1=480&model2=491&chart=195

Given that you want to get more use out of your s939 mobo,your options are a little limited,but you still have some decent ones left.

I'd grab a X2 3800+ OR 4200+ and oc it.Many guides can be found on the net,for newbies.Try [H]ard forums,AMD or Intel sections for links,etc.The
Arctic Cooling 64 Pro PWM is a very,very good and inexpensive HSF,for the platform you are on currently.You dont need to take the mobo out to mount it,and its quiet as can be.Plus its got a 6 year warranty to boot.As for a card? I'd go with a 8800GTS 320 or 640 depending on the res of your LCD.
320 if you run under 1600x1200,get a 640mb model if your above that res.
Newegg has dual core Opty's cheap right now.A 165 or 170 would get you nice bang for the buck.GL ! :)

[Jiiiihad]

I reckon BioShock will run well on my PC.

8800GTX
Intel Core 2 Duo @ 3.3 Ghz
Gigabyte 965P-DS3
4GB Corsair @ 944Mhz (Little faster than PC6400) and 5-5-5-14 timings.

Should run on max I hope at 1440x900.

[domjam]

cool well im gona stick with my gigabyte 8800 gtx.and look foword to playing this game on full when it comes out.thanks for answering my questions:)

[universum]

Hoi, I'am new here.

But I think the info I have is usefull. I live in the Netherlands and in a local pc magazine that's called PC Gameplay their was peice over Bioshock. In the six page cover story they mentiond that the game run good on a computer withe the following requirments:

Duel core 2,4 ghz
Two gig memory
8800 gts ( the 320 or the 640 type)

The magazine is quite honest and they played it at a special advent held by 2k Games in the Amsterdam. So I can conclude that the pc's that where at the event where selected by 2k Games self. They (the magazine) also statet that the game ran quite good on this systemconfiguration.

[jackinthebox]

Hoi, I'am new here.

But I think the info I have is usefull. I live in the Netherlands and in a local pc magazine that's called PC Gameplay their was peice over Bioshock. In the six page cover story they mentiond that the game run good on a computer withe the following requirments:

Duel core 2,4 ghz
Two gig memory
8800 gts ( the 320 or the 640 type)

The magazine is quite honest and they played it at a special advent held by 2k Games in the Amsterdam. So I can conclude that the pc's that where at the event where selected by 2k Games self. They (the magazine) also statet that the game ran quite good on this systemconfiguration.

did they use this config for high settings?
i plan to build exactly this system...

[universum]

did they use this config for high settings?
i plan to build exactly this system...

They didn't state that, but it ran the game good without framerate problems and the loading times where was kept within the limits(not to long or short)

So in order to run this game high settings you certainly would need a 8800 gts 640 version or a 8800 gtx in configuration with 2 gigs of ram and a duel cor arround 2,4 ghz or or more.

[BioShockWins]

Hoi, I'am new here.

But I think the info I have is usefull. I live in the Netherlands and in a local pc magazine that's called PC Gameplay their was peice over Bioshock. In the six page cover story they mentiond that the game run good on a computer withe the following requirments:

Duel core 2,4 ghz
Two gig memory
8800 gts ( the 320 or the 640 type)

The magazine is quite honest and they played it at a special advent held by 2k Games in the Amsterdam. So I can conclude that the pc's that where at the event where selected by 2k Games self. They (the magazine) also statet that the game ran quite good on this systemconfiguration.
about any game will run good on that system :D

[Glottis]

No kidding :D