What computer do I need to run CK

Post » Sat Nov 17, 2012 7:04 pm

What computer do I need to run the creation kit smoothly? My budget is about 2 thousand Canadian.
I need to know what parts I need and all that.

Thanks for reading
(and answering because you WILL answer right? Right? RIGHT.
User avatar
rae.x
 
Posts: 3326
Joined: Wed Jun 14, 2006 2:13 pm

Post » Sat Nov 17, 2012 11:32 pm

If your system meets or exceeds the requirements for the game, it should run the CK w/o issues, but more horsepower in the CPU/RAM/GPU departments always helps. Also, higher resolution monitors are preferable as some of the CK's windows aren't resizable and can be unmanageable if there's not enough space for 'em.

Current setup?
User avatar
Hayley O'Gara
 
Posts: 3465
Joined: Wed Nov 22, 2006 2:53 am

Post » Sat Nov 17, 2012 8:17 pm

Also, are you keeping your current monitor, keyboard, mouse? $2k is pretty high luckily, so you can get a lot of computer for that price.

Here is something I put together rather quickly:
Spoiler
CORSAIR Professional Series Gold AX850 (CMPSU-850AX) 850W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Full Modular ...
Item #: N82E16817139015
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$10.00 Instant
$15.00 USD Mail-in Rebate
$189.99

Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770K
Item #: N82E16819116501
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy
-$15.00 Combo
$329.99

Newegg Promotional Gift Card - $15.00
Item #: N82E168GC000001
Your Promotional Gift Card will be emailed 4 days after invoice.
SAMSUNG EcoGreen F4 ST2000DL004 2TB SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822152245
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$129.99

EVGA 04G-P4-2673-KR GeForce GTX 670 Superclocked+ w/Backplate 4GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support ...
Item #: N82E16814130785
Return Policy: VGA Standard Return Policy
-$30.00 Instant
$469.99

CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9
Item #: N82E16820233143
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy
-$9.00 Instant
$95.99

Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler
Item #: N82E16835608018
Return Policy: Computer Cables and Accessories Extended Return Policy
$95.99

Intel 520 Series Cherryville SSDSC2CW240A310 2.5" 240GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - OEM
Item #: N82E16820167088
Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy
-$50.00 Instant
$249.99

Corsair Obsidian Series 650D (CC650DW-1) Black Steel structure with black brushed aluminum faceplate ATX Mid Tower Computer ...
Item #: N82E16811139006
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$10.00 Instant
-$30.00 Combo
$10.00 USD Mail-in Rebate
$159.99

ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813131821
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$9.00 Instant
$240.99
Grand Total:* $1,962.91

This is from Newegg.ca, I noticed the shipping is kind of pricey compared to the American version. There are $25 worth of MIR not included in the price. There is also a $15 gift card with the CPU purchase. There are some combo deals in there, too, the Case + PSU, and the Mobo + CPU.

The things I'd stick to are an SSD for your OS, Skyrim and the CK. If you game anything else, create a Games partition on the 2TB HDD. I don't know if you are an overclocker, but the 3770K is a good CPU regardless. The non-K version is only $20 less, and doesn't have the $15 gift card.

The case is kind of big, but it's awesome. For CPU cooling I have the Corsair H100 instead of a Noctua. The standard fans are kind of loud though, so I'm going to be replacing them.

GTX 670/680 4GB are kind of a must. A modded Skyrim does exceed 2GB VRAM. I've seen screenshots of ENB presets and such that actually show the VRAM usage above 3GB as well. The ATI/AMD cards have 3GB, and they are still an option. But honestly, Skyrim prefers Nvidia. I've looked into this heavily.

Do not go AMD by any means. Skyrim is heavily CPU dependent and AMD CPUs http://www.techspot.com/review/467-skyrim-performance/page7.html That is from the last gen of CPUs, but nothing has changed. Actually, I have the 3930K, which is a bump down from the 3960X ... You can see in the bottom chart it does significantly better than the other CPUs. This isn't because it has 6 cores, but because it has a much larger cache size. Skyrim seems to prefer large caches.
User avatar
Jenna Fields
 
Posts: 3396
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2006 11:36 am

Post » Sun Nov 18, 2012 5:50 am

i find it extremly useful to have 2 monitors for the CK
User avatar
Elina
 
Posts: 3411
Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2006 10:09 pm

Post » Sun Nov 18, 2012 5:08 am

i find it extremly useful to have 2 monitors for the CK
And/or one really big one (2560x1600 or 2560x1440) as monitor #1 with the CK's windows arranged *http://i.imgur.com/xEKiZ.jpg, then you can have a movie or whatever on monitor #2.

*the cell and render window are never really needed at the same time and all the edit windows are selectable from the gap between the Object and Render windows.
User avatar
Assumptah George
 
Posts: 3373
Joined: Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:43 am

Post » Sun Nov 18, 2012 7:49 am

Funny, I use the cell and render windows together all the time. Different strokes. :) I use two 30 monitors and put the Object and Cell windows on the left one and the main window behind and just above the Render window on the right.

That is a pretty nifty build Jon. I highly endorse the Corsair case and H100 combo. They are made for each other and that case is a joy to work with. Well worth every penny. Corsair makes a few smaller cases that are very similar if you need to cut corners, but the 650D is my preference over everything else out there and I have tried a few that cost several times as much. I've also made extensive use of the Noctua NH-D14 and it is the best air cooler by far and relatively quiet. But be careful if you want to move your assembled computer around. It is heavy and will crack your MB. I also can highly reccomend putting out a little extra for the cards with 4gb video ram. The CK and Skyrim both benefit from extra video ram. I'm using the same cards in the GTX 680 versions - I need the extra oomph with the 30 inch monitors and higher resolution. If you use a 1920 x 1200 monitor the 670 should be plenty, but consider two of them if you can swing it - more for playing than for the CK. And Skyrim does run better on Nvidia. AMD users complain about a lot of rendering problems that I never have. Some games are equal or better on AMD, but Skyrim is not one of those. For motherboards, I have my best luck long term with Asus. I have also built several this month already with both Gigabyte and MSI but those were all at the customer's preference. And the Gigiabytes were all going to run an "alternative" OS. I also replaced several almost new MBs in the past month with ASUS boards after the users were dissatisfied with other brands. My current personal build is a Rampage IV Extreme which is an impressive board but I wouldn't reccomend it yet. Pretty expensive and the X79 chipset is just starting to settle down and get stable BIOS builds. Not quite ready for prime time. So - Good luck and have fun.
User avatar
Joey Bel
 
Posts: 3487
Joined: Sun Jan 07, 2007 9:44 am

Post » Sun Nov 18, 2012 1:02 am

Oh, and something else you said is dead on. Using SSDs to load the OS, Skyrim and the CK from has become a must for me. I recently added a 512gb Vertex 4 for extra capacity over my past 240gb Vertex 3. I decided that would allow me enough room to move a few games over to the SSD, especially Skyrim and the CK. I am extremely happy with the results as opposed to loading from a hard drive, even a fast hard drive. I find I go in and out of the game a lot to test things and loading is much faster. I also find that I save and reload the CK quite often for various reasons. Cleaning mods in the CK is one of those. Very tedious even with an SSD. Positively painful without. The CK also just glitches and crashes a bunch and it is nice to have a short load time to get back in. SSD - big plus.
User avatar
Tanya Parra
 
Posts: 3435
Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2006 5:15 am

Post » Sat Nov 17, 2012 10:55 pm

*snip*
I use a 27" iMac as my display, I find 2560x1440 to be more than enough. I've done multi-monitor in the past but I found it was almost a hindrance to productivity instead of a boon. Maybe it's because I don't wear my glasses, or dislike panning my head so much. This was on OS X, too, which has much better window and desktop management. Ironic, given its competitor is named "Windows". Before writing this post out, I decided to find out how on Earth you hide/show all windows per application. Apparently it takes a Shift + Right Click + Selecting the appropriate option in a contextual menu with your mouse. On the taskbar button. In OSX, if I want to hide all windows in an application, I do a certain gesture. Per-application Exposé is a matter of me clicking my mouse in a certain way. OS-wide Exposé -- just adding another finger. There is no equivalent to Exposé in Windows. Shift + Right Click + Cascade/Stacked/Side-by-side are just useless and change the window size and position. What I wouldn't give to have my Magic Mouse gestural functionality in Windows. Then of course you have Spaces/Desktops in OS X. Virtual desktops are great. I hardly ever need to actually have two 30" monitors side-by-side, both filled with windows, and I use a ton of productivity software.

What I would do is have a 27" display and then a Cintiq 24HD Touch to the side... Oh what I would give to have that glorious piece of hardware. One can dream.

As for the build, depending on the OP, I still shy away from the H100 for a few reasons. It's harder to install into the case AND the mobo at the same time, and it's loud loud loud. I keep it on medium because it's just far too loud otherwise. The next thing I purchase for the computer will probably be Scythe Gentle Typhoons to replace the stock Corsair H100 fans.

As for X79 / LGA 2011, a $2000 budget is too tight a squeeze for a $600 CPU and $300 mobo. I have the Sabertooth X79 and a 3930K. I haven't had any BIOS issues or anything for the past several months. Sandy Bridge E is probably the best CPU for Skyrim though. It does considerably better against the Sandy Bridges, as I showed in that review I posted. But now that Ivy Bridge has been out and it also does about the same % better than Sandy Bridge, it's probably best to go with Ivy Bridge. I hope that when Ivy Bridge E comes out next year I can stick it into my current mobo. :smile:

Edit: Oh, and for the Corsair 650D, I definitely recommend custom DEMCiflex filters... I had one made for the top vent, the front intake, and rear exhaust. They were extremely cheap too.
Spoiler

1 x DEMCiflex Filter Ferrous Black/black O/D 205mm I/D 179mm @ USD 9.86

1 x DEMCiflex Filter Ferrous Black/black O/D 140mm x 160mm (sharp corners) @ USD 5.20
1 x DEMCiflex Filter Ferrous Black/black O/D 170mm x 285mm I/D 140mm x 255mm (sharp corners) @ USD 10.27
User avatar
Amy Siebenhaar
 
Posts: 3426
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 1:51 am

Post » Sat Nov 17, 2012 7:40 pm

I would feel terribly deprived without my double monitors. 30s at home and 24s at work. I would have 30s at work if I had room for them. People are just different. I am very visual and like to have as much information on display as I can get. I'm pretty horrible at using a tablet so give me a mouse anyday. I use OSX some (quite a bit actually - we have macs in the house) and I have no argument that it has some sweet points, but I guess I just don't use it enough to build a strong preference for it. You won't like this, but I still feel that it lacks in quality applications. Windows is still far ahead in that regard - but that make sense as it is still the dominant platform. I am fond of the multitouch gestures but the magic mouse just feels so small and insubstantial to me and the trackpad is pretty crappy. I would love it if Apple or a third party would make a decent heavy mouse with touch. I use a Rat9. Mac talk is kinda irrelevant here though since it won't run the CK or Skyrim without running Windows in Bootcamp and you might as well do that on less expensive hardware. The VM environments are too limited in resources for my taste. Much more practical to use a dedicated Win7 machine.

Ok - for the more relavant stuff. I didn't find the H100 to be loud at all. I always have 3 to 8 computers running around me for various reasons so I am not in a super quiet environment by any means. I did replace the fans with some Noctuas that I had laying around and it is definitely the quietest machine in the room. That comment puzzles me as nobody I have used them for has made any mention of the noise either. I suspect the Gentle Typhoons will solve your issue.

I really wasn't expecting the Rampage IV Extreme and an i7-3930 to be a viable solution in a $2000 machine, but there are X79 mobos that are just over $200 and the 3820 is only $300. But I really have had stability issues that concern me. My Rampage IV Extreme was not acceptably stable to me until the 2003 bios released right at the end of July. Fairly new board I guess (less than a year) but ASUS released a whole raft of bios updates and still had issues. They still have 9 on their site and that starts with 0803. So far so go though with 2003. I haven't had a single crash since I installed it last week. Finally. Maybe this board will get there after all. I have only built a couple of x79 systems but the other one had issues too although I don't recall which MB we used at the moment. I know a couple of builds do not justify trashing the whole chipset, but I'm just saying I had problems and don't recommend it yet. Maybe soon. In the meantime Ivy Bridge has been super and is plenty enough for most people. Certainly plenty good enough for anything Skyrim. It will be sweet if we can use Ivy Bridge E in the current mobos. Does anyone know that yet?

I've looked at those filters before but never stepped into them. I don't have that big a dust problem, but do they really all attach to the outside of the case? Do the custom sizes allow you to replace the stock filters? That would be sweet, but I don't think I want external filters.

Thanks for the conversation. I hope this is helping the op. :)
User avatar
Rusty Billiot
 
Posts: 3431
Joined: Sat Sep 22, 2007 10:22 pm

Post » Sun Nov 18, 2012 3:10 am

Ok - for the more relavant stuff. I didn't find the H100 to be loud at all. I always have 3 to 8 computers running around me for various reasons so I am not in a super quiet environment by any means. I did replace the fans with some Noctuas that I had laying around and it is definitely the quietest machine in the room. That comment puzzles me as nobody I have used them for has made any mention of the noise either. I suspect the Gentle Typhoons will solve your issue.
I guess like with the monitor preference, as you said, different strokes... :) I did a lot of reading about the stock fans and they perform well but most of the comments I see are that they are too noisy. It seemed that after researching it that the GTs are about the only fans that don't do too much worse than stock, but at half the perceived noise (or lower). It's also the first time I've dealt with radiators, and having it top-mounted on the case doesn't help. The air pushing through the radiators is definitely of a different sound quality than I'm used to, and I'm more used to a CPU fan being buried under steel and plastic, instead of having direct line of sight to my ears.

Maybe soon. In the meantime Ivy Bridge has been super and is plenty enough for most people. Certainly plenty good enough for anything Skyrim. It will be sweet if we can use Ivy Bridge E in the current mobos. Does anyone know that yet?
Yeah, I've read that most X79 motherboards will be able to support Ivy Bridge E with a BIOS update. So assuming this upgrade path exists, purchasing Sandy Bridge E isn't out of the question, and even though Sandy Bridge E does 15% percent better than Sandy Bridge when it comes to Skyrim specifically, Ivy Bridge also does 5-15% better than Sandy Bridge across the board. Ivy Bridge is usually ahead of Sandy Bridge E, except for where the extra cores actually matter. The only game that benefits from 6 cores seems to be Civilization 5... Aside from that Ivy Bridge does better. Luckily for me, my workflow necessitates extra cores, and choosing Sandy Bridge E was a no brainer.

I've looked at those filters before but never stepped into them. I don't have that big a dust problem, but do they really all attach to the outside of the case? Do the custom sizes allow you to replace the stock filters? That would be sweet, but I don't think I want external filters.
Well, I sized the top filter perfectly. It fits right into the indented area with the exhaust grille. This only becomes an issue if you have a 140mm rad instead of a 120. Otherwise it fits perfectly, and looks like it's a part of the case. The filters are magnetic so they stick to any case as long as it is ferromagnetic. The back filter is never seen, but it blends in well also. The front filter fits perfectly onto the raised area with the fan grille. You just pop off the filter on the very front of the case (it has a push-eject latch) to expose the front fan grille, and since the filter is so large (200mm) you kinda have to squeeze the filter through the hole in the front of the case, but it's super easy. My apartment is freakishly devoid of dust, but I still have to clean the front filter fairly often. The filters are super fine so they catch extremely fine dust. The inside still looks like new. It does affect the airflow a bit, but I think keeping the dust out is important. I also think that the case looks much better with the top filter. Other cases I've seen long-term get atrocious buildups of dust, like the CM Cosmos. I even modded the top and front to be less open and my friend still has a massive buildup of dust. And don't get me started on PowerMacs/Mac Pros ...
User avatar
Hayley Bristow
 
Posts: 3467
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2006 12:24 am

Post » Sun Nov 18, 2012 3:21 am

To reiterate what some people have said- a big monitor is a must.

I play (and mod) Skyrim on a laptop, and for ages I had no idea you could give Aliases an inventory, and was wondering why some windows didn't have OK and Cancel buttons.

I can use those features now, I just have to adjust my resolution from Landscape to Portrait, and then tilt my head 90 degrees.

I don't recommend it. :\
User avatar
Scott
 
Posts: 3385
Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2007 2:59 am

Post » Sun Nov 18, 2012 3:57 am

I play (and mod) Skyrim on a laptop, and for ages I had no idea you could give Aliases an inventory, and was wondering why some windows didn't have OK and Cancel buttons.

I can use those features now, I just have to adjust my resolution from Landscape to Portrait, and then tilt my head 90 degrees.
Huh. Never realized this would be an issue. I guess Bethesda has a minimum monitor resolution requirement, slash they probably buy the same monitor for every single employee, save for the ones with really important jobs. :smile: I guess though since Bethesda released it to the public they should fix it by making windows scrollable when they are too large for a screen...
User avatar
Charlotte Henderson
 
Posts: 3337
Joined: Wed Oct 11, 2006 12:37 pm

Post » Sun Nov 18, 2012 10:31 am

Just read all those
Mother of god
COMPUTER TALK
I tried to understand but I'm like average smart :S
I didnt understand much Exept that I need lots of VRAM and something else
But anyway
Not sure about my build now but is 3 years old and can't play skyrim Sooooo
Thanks! I will keep reading these and try to understand :P
I have a pretty awsome monitor but nothing else
No AMD because it svcks
3960X is good for my CPU (whatever that is)
Ugh
I'm buying it today so D: I'm kind of screwed.
User avatar
Laura Richards
 
Posts: 3468
Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 4:42 am

Post » Sun Nov 18, 2012 11:24 am

Dude, if you just follow the list Jon posted you can't go wrong. We were just discussing the relative merits of the alternatives. Jon knows what he is talking about.
User avatar
Benito Martinez
 
Posts: 3470
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:33 am

Post » Sat Nov 17, 2012 10:50 pm

Just read all those
Mother of god
COMPUTER TALK
I tried to understand but I'm like average smart :S
I didnt understand much Exept that I need lots of VRAM and something else
But anyway
Not sure about my build now but is 3 years old and can't play skyrim Sooooo
Thanks! I will keep reading these and try to understand :tongue:
I have a pretty awsome monitor but nothing else
No AMD because it svcks
3960X is good for my CPU (whatever that is)
Ugh
I'm buying it today so D: I'm kind of screwed.
What's your screen resolution? That can really affect your performance. Most of the techies here with moolah to blow will go for at least 1920x1080, and if you plan on using that resolution with settings maxed out you'll certainly want decent hardware.

I personally have a i5 2500k CPU and GTX 560 Ti 448 GPU in a setup that cost around 1k USD. With multiple graphics mods and settings on ultra/high, Vsync has always kept me at 60 fps.

But.

My res is 1600x900. If my monitor supported 1080 and I used it, I would see a performance drop.


---

For that much money you'll be able to get a pretty solid rig. Like those above me, I would also recommend a Nvidia GPU and Intel CPU.
User avatar
SiLa
 
Posts: 3447
Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2006 7:52 am

Post » Sun Nov 18, 2012 6:03 am

i find it extremly useful to have 2 monitors for the CK

After using one monitor before. I found it extremely useful to have 3 monitors. Now that is awesome! For me anyways. :D

Render window on middle monitor, everything else on the left monitor and a web browser on the right monitor. All three 24", yeah baby! :banana:
User avatar
Claire Vaux
 
Posts: 3485
Joined: Sun Aug 06, 2006 6:56 am


Return to V - Skyrim