Can I play 'Fallout 4' with these specs?

[moheli]

Right, I called PCSpecialist up and asked them a few questions.

Buying a larger power supply than necessary is a bad idea, especially if you go overboard with it, but I think I'm just about good. The motherboard does come with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 and is compatible with most network types, its capability "varies". All in all, this seems like a powerful and well-rounded build and I think I'd feel more comfortable buying everything from one place as the price is acceptable. Thank you all for your support, I greatly appreciate it!

:taz:

 

[moheli]

Any feedback before I make my purchase?

After a lot of research and asking around, I've finally come to a powerful well-rounded build at a cost of £1,335 so I'll be making my purchase soon. This system is intended for intensive gaming & livestreaming, light video editing and general academic work (e.g. heavy browser use, microsoft office). The reason I went for a mini case is because portability is also a factor. The only thing that concerns me is my choice of power supply. Taking into account allowance and future-proof, I went with a 650W PSU when my PC only requires around 526W. And apparently the PSU model I chose is known for its efficiency (and because it's generally quieter) but I hear that powering your system with more wattage than required may actually be dangerous, is this the case here? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Corsair Obsidian 250D Mini-ITX Case
Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Desktop Processor i5-4690 (3.5GHz) 6MB Cache
ASUS® Maximus VII Impact Motherboard: Mini-ITX, LG1150, USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs, WIFI
8GB Kingston Hyper-X Beast Dual-DDR3 RAM 2133MHz X.M.P (2 x 4GB)
4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 GPU - DVI, HDMI, mDP - 3D Vision Ready
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit /w SP1 - inc DVD & Licence

120GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 540MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
500GB WD Black HDD WD5003AZEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB Cache (7200rpm)

16x Blu-ray Writer Drive, 16x DVD ROM ±R/±RW & Software
Corsair 650W CS Series™ Modular 80 Plus® Gold, Ultra Quiet PSU
Corsair H60 Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Arctic MX-4 Extreme Thermal (Paste) Conductivity Compound
2x 120mm Black Case Fan (configured to extract from rear/roof)

Onboard 6 Channel (5.1) Sound Card - High Def Audio (Standard)
Min. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 Ports @ Back Panel + Min. 2 Front Ports
10/100/1000 Gigabit LAN Port

1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
MasterPlug SRG62 6 Socket 2m Surge Protector

Asus VE228TR 21.5" LED Display, D-Sub, DVI-D Monitor
CM Storm Devastator Keyboard and Mouse
ROCCAT™ Siru Gaming Mouse Mat

3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
PCs Extra Care Diamond Deliver - Mon-Fri, Pre-Noon Service
Standard Build - Approximately 5 to 7 working days

 

[Fantana]

Yeah looks fine.

You say you chose a higher PSU for future proofing, but what kind of future proofing exactly ? It would make sense if in the future you could consider changing to a new GPU or adding a 2nd GPU for SLI.

Googled your keyboard & mouse and monitor, they're all cheaper elsewhere (Amazon, etc) than from PCS, but up to you.

 

[moheli]

It's likely that the price of the GTX980 will come down by Christmas next year, in which case, I'm hoping to trade in my GTX970 and save a little money.

My PC will be under intensive, and high-demanding, use around 70% of the time. A PSU that just about matches the wattage requirement of my PC would be exerting itself too much almost all of the time whilst an additional 100W capacity would cause less strain in the long-term, that's my theory at least. But I've decided that saving money should be a priority so I made a few changes.

I decided to get the i7-4790 CPU for which I had to sacrifice my DVD/Blu-Ray Drive and eventually ended up with the recommended (but not as good) 550W power supply. I found, on Amazon UK, the more desirable BenQ GL2250HM for £1 pound more than my current monitor and £9 cheaper than what PCSpecialist is offering it for so I bought that instead. And I realised that since I'll be using a controller for gaming, and since I already own a mouse (wireless), I got the Logitech K120 Keyboard - instead of the CM Storm Devastator Combo - from Amazon at a lower price than what PCSpecialist is offering it for.

Overall, I saved a little over £100 and got a more powerful computer. Patience is a virtue! And also, I switched to Windows 7 Home Premium because I tried W10 on my current laptop and I didn't like it - maybe I'll upgrade back to it in the near future.

 

[moheli]

I'm just about to place the order for my £1,180 PC and would appreciate any last-minute feedback and/or opinions. Thank you.

Corsair Obsidian 250D Mini-ITX Case
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Desktop Processor i7-4790 (3.6GHz) 8MB Cache
ASUS® Maximus VII Impact Motherboard: Mini-ITX, LG1150, USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs, WIFI
8GB Kingston Hyper-X Beast Dual-DDR3 RAM 2133MHz X.M.P (2 x 4GB)
4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 GPU - DVI, HDMI, mDP - 3D Vision Ready
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit /w SP1 - inc DVD & Licence

120GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 540MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
500GB WD Black HDD WD5003AZEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB Cache (7200rpm)

Corsair 550W CS Series™ VS-550 Power Supply
Corsair H60 Hydro Series High Performance CPU Cooler
Arctic MX-4 Extreme Thermal (Paste) Conductivity Compound
2x 120mm Apache Black Quiet Fan (fitted to extract from rear/roof)

Onboard 6 Channel (5.1) Sound Card - High Def Audio (Standard)
Min. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 Ports @ Back Panel + Min. 2 Front Ports
10/100/1000 Gigabit LAN Port

1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)

3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
PCs Extra Care Diamond Deliver - Mon-Fri, Pre-Noon Service
Standard Build - Approximately 4 to 6 working days

 

[GeorgeHillier]

I'd downgrade to an i5 and spend the money on getting a 980 if possible or if not getting a 250GB ssd

 

[moheli]

I tried that but downgrading to an i5 for a GTX980 is not a price-effective trade-off at all! And why get a 250GB SSD? The only reason I have an SSD is so I can have a faster computer, I won't be using it for storage.

 

[keynes]

I tried that but downgrading to an i5 for a GTX980 is not a price-effective trade-off at all! And why get a 250GB SSD? The only reason I have an SSD is so I can have a faster computer, I won't be using it for storage.

Having a gaming computer is never going to be price effective, whether is a good trade off or not it is also a matter of opinion. In my view the gpu just get a priority over an i7. You can also get a cheaper motherboard and the corsair h60 is also not required for a non-k CPU. 250 gb ssd is not going to be for storage, the OS will occupy part of it as well as your main applications, 120gb is not big enough and the difference in price is not that significant.

 

[moheli]

The most GPU-intensive game I'll be playing will be 'Fallout 4' on ultra settings but at no more than 1080p30fps and then 'Dark Souls 3' which only runs at 30fps anyway. Apart from that, it'll be games like H1Z1 and Garry's Mod so a GTX970 is already way more than enough. This makes the GTX980 just a silly purchase price/performance wise. And now that I've saved money from the GTX980, why not get the best motherboard and non-K processor available? Plus I also want the 2x4GB configuration which only the ASUS Maximus VII motherboard can manage.

Gaming is a main priority hence the powerful GPU. Streaming and video editing, and possibly future games too, are better on an i7. But my computer's lifespan is much more important, that's why I'm getting the best cooling system available and avoiding overclocked CPUs.

And various sources from research tell me that 120GB is more than enough for OS and the built-in programs that come with it. Anything else can simply be sent to the 500GB HDD. I've used a PC with 480GB for OS and Storage for 4 years now and have never used more than 60% of its space. I very much appreciate all of your feedback though, keep 'em coming!

 

[keynes]

If you are happy and satisfied with your choice go for it, I personally don't think getting an expensive motherboard , which won't make a difference for gaming, is good value for money. While you are happy with the current performance of the gtx 970 getting the best gpu will make it future proof and more likely to play demanding games for longer.

 

[moheli]

Well I don't have very demanding games in mind for now (and a limited budget) but, sometime in the near-future, I may trade in my GTX970 for a GTX980 when the price is more acceptable. But then I'll also have to upgrade the PSU which should be fine. Anything else anyone would like to add or comment on?

 

[stegor]

The most GPU-intensive game I'll be playing will be 'Fallout 4' on ultra settings but at no more than 1080p30fps and then 'Dark Souls 3' which only runs at 30fps anyway. Apart from that, it'll be games like H1Z1 and Garry's Mod so a GTX970 is already way more than enough. This makes the GTX980 just a silly purchase price/performance wise. And now that I've saved money from the GTX980, why not get the best motherboard and non-K processor available? Plus I also want the 2x4GB configuration which only the ASUS Maximus VII motherboard can manage.

Gaming is a main priority hence the powerful GPU. Streaming and video editing, and possibly future games too, are better on an i7. But my computer's lifespan is much more important, that's why I'm getting the best cooling system available and avoiding overclocked CPUs.

And various sources from research tell me that 120GB is more than enough for OS and the built-in programs that come with it. Anything else can simply be sent to the 500GB HDD. I've used a PC with 480GB for OS and Storage for 4 years now and have never used more than 60% of its space. I very much appreciate all of your feedback though, keep 'em coming!

How do you know a GTX970 will let you play Fallout 4 on ultra? And what about when the mods/DLC come out?

 

[GeorgeHillier]

Well I don't have very demanding games in mind for now (and a limited budget) but, sometime in the near-future, I may trade in my GTX970 for a GTX980 when the price is more acceptable. But then I'll also have to upgrade the PSU which should be fine. Anything else anyone would like to add or comment on?

Fallout 4 will be a demanding game though...

Also, upgrading from a 970 to a 980 at a later date is very cost inefficient.

This is what i'd go for:

Case CORSAIR OBSIDIAN 250D MINI-ITX CASE
Processor (CPU) Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-4590 (3.3GHz) 6MB Cache
Motherboard ASUS® H81I-PLUS: Mini-ITX, LG1150, USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs
Memory (RAM) 16GB HyperX FURY DUAL-DDR3 1600MHz (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card 4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 980 - 1 DVI, 1 HDMI, 3 DP - 3D Vision Ready
2nd Graphics Card NONE
1st Hard Disk 250GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 540MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk 1TB WD BLACK WD1003FZEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
3rd Hard Disk NONE
4th Hard Disk NONE
1st PCI-E SSD Drive NONE
RAID NONE
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive 24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply CORSAIR 550W VS SERIES™ VS-550 POWER SUPPLY
Processor Cooling NOCTUA NH-L9i LOW PROFILE, SUPER QUIET CPU COOLER
Thermal Paste ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Extra Case Fans NONE
LED Lighting NONE
Sound Card ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking 10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
Wireless Router/HomePlugs NONE
USB Options MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Firewire NONE
TV Card NONE
Power Cable 1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System Genuine Windows 10 Home 64 Bit - inc DVD & Licence
DVD Recovery Media Windows 10 (64-bit) Home DVD with paper sleeve
Office Software FREE 30 Day Trial of Microsoft® Office® 365
Anti-Virus BULLGUARD INTERNET SECURITY - FREE 90 DAY TRIAL
Monitor NONE
2nd Monitor NONE
3rd Monitor NONE
4th Monitor NONE
Monitor Cables NONE
Eyefinity Adapter / GeForce 3D Vision NONE
Keyboard & Mouse NONE
Mouse NONE
Game Streaming NONE
Gaming Mouse Pad NONE
Games Controller NONE
Speakers NONE
Webcam NONE
Headsets NONE
Surge Protection NONE
Cable Tidy NONE
Printer NONE
External Hard Drive NONE
Warranty 3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Home Installation NONE
Delivery STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time Standard Build - Approximately 4 to 6 working days
Promotional Item FREE RAINBOW SIX OR ASSASSINS CREED with select GTX 9 Series GPUs!
Pricing Information
Price (excluding VAT) £977.50
Price £1,173.00

 

[moheli]

I've both the RAM and CPU 'Fallout 4' recommends for an optimal gaming experience and a GPU that is slightly better. So I don't think the GTX980 is worth sacrificing an i7 processor, a much better motherboard and my 2x4GB RAM configuration simply for a few extra frames. Especially since my current build is already better than what's required, even more so because I'll only be playing at ~30fps (so I'll probably have V-Sync at half-refresh rate enabled). And until now I've been a console gamer so modding will probably be non-existential to me for quite a while and I don't expect DLCs (or a few mods) to require an entire new GPU. Also, 16GB of RAM is way~ too much for my preferences.

Future-proofing is pretty much the only thing the GTX980 has going for it and whilst I understand that the sacrifices I would have to make for it wouldn't have affected gaming much anyway, they will noticeably affect my PC overall (e.g. video editing, streaming, multi-tasking, general speed rates). And, besides future-proofing, to spend more or sacrifice so much for just two games (being Fallout 4 and Dark Souls 3) seems a bit silly. Because other types of games that I will be playing include H1Z1, Garry's Mod and CS:GO, and possibly a few single-player horrors with linear gameplay, all for which my current GPU is considered "over-kill".

And maybe something new will be released in the near-future that I will like but since I'm not into any of the other mainstream titles (e.g. FIFA, Battlefield, Assassin's Creed), I doubt my GPU will be the bottleneck. I expect Fallout 4 and Dark Souls 3 to last me at least two years since their predecessors have lasted me longer on the console. It is likely though that open-world games like the aforementioned will be able to utilize hyper-threading, which is exclusive to i7 processors and another advantage for me.

I do agree though that upgrading GPU at a later time is inefficient but I don't expect to be doing that anytime soon, maybe the Christmas next year or the Halloween after (where it'll most likely be cheaper). I really do appreciate this back-and-forth though, feel free to contest my argument. Thanks!

 

[GeorgeHillier]

The recommended specs are as follows:
Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit OS required)
Intel Core i7 4790 3.6 GHz/AMD FX-9590 4.7 GHz or equivalent
8 GB RAM
30 GB free HDD space
NVIDIA GTX 780 3GB/AMD Radeon R9 290X 4GB or equivalent

A 970 isn't as good as a 780, the 980 is a bit better. The CPU is slightly worse than an i7, but not by a huge amount and probably won't do much in terms of fps, where as the 980 definitely will

 

[Agito]

I'd say don't bother going for GTX980 from GTX970 unless you're going Ti. The difference between 970 and 980 isn't all that great while the price difference is substantial. However, 980Ti blows both, 970 and 980, out of the water. 980Ti is not very cost efficient. However, I think the normal 980 is even worse for money, considering what performance you can get out of 970.

TL;DR - GTX980 not much better than GTX970. Invest in GTX980Ti.

 

[moheli]

Here is an ultra-preset benchmark comparison between the GTX780 and the GTX970 in Far Cry 4 (a pretty demanding open-world game) and the latter performs much better overall. Many other sources back this up. Also, GeorgeHiller, what do you mean the CPU is slightly worse? I've the exact processor they recommend.

Also, to reiterate, I just need a GPU that can run the aforementioned games at ultra (or high-ultra) settings but only at 1080p30fps and no more (possibly with DSR enabled). And these GPUs are designed to support 4K and/or 60fps so do I really need the GTX980 so much that I should sacrifice for it? Ofcourse, like Agito said, if we were talking about a GTX980Ti then that's a different story. But then again, both my demand for gaming performance and budget are not that high so I probably wouldn't get the GTX980Ti even if I had the money.

 

[GeorgeHillier]

Here is a ultra-preset benchmark comparison between the GTX780 and the GTX970 in Far Cry 4 (a pretty demanding open-world game) and the latter performs much better overall. And many other sources back this up.

Also, to reiterate, I just need a GPU that can run the aforementioned games at ultra (or high-ultra) settings but only at 1080p30fps and no more (possibly with DSR enabled if possible). And these GPUs are designed to support 4K and/or 60fps so do I really need the GTX980 so much that I should sacrifice for it? Ofcourse, like Agito said, if we were talking about a GTX980Ti then that's a different story. But then again, both my demand for gaming performance and budget are not that high so I probably wouldn't get the GTX980Ti even if I had the money.

They aren't designed for 4k, but are designed for 60fps... Why settle for 30fps? You may as well get a console for 30fps...

And the i7 isn't cost effective, it will give little gains in most games

 

[moheli]

By not getting the GTX980, I have money to save (much more than the processor-for-GTX980 trade). And whilst the i7 isn't very cost-effective when it comes to gaming, it is much better overall so why not make the purchase? And it is likely that new open-world games will be able to utilize hyper-threading. Why settle for 30fps? Because I don't want to have to buy a GTX980! XD I know that I will be hooked if I get used to 60fps but 30fps has never been a problem for me in my console days. So why not stick with console? Various reasons.

 

[GeorgeHillier]

View attachment 7369

By not getting the GTX980, I have money to save (much more than the processor-for-GTX980 trade). And whilst the i7 isn't very cost-effective when it comes to gaming, it is much better overall so why not make the purchase? And it is likely that new open-world games will be able to utilize hyper-threading. Why settle for 30fps? Because I don't want to have to buy a GTX980! XD I know that I will be hooked if I get used to 60fps but 30fps has never been a problem for me in my console days. So why not get a console? Various reasons.

Fair enough, although either way i'd just get an i5 and save the money if not get a 980... And just because nvidia say it's 4k capable doesn't mean it can run it well