PC Requirements

jmuelly · 03-22-2016, 06:46 PM

After learning my current laptop is simulating very slowly and knowing my PC is quite outdated I've been considering upgrading.

I'm a total idiot when things get technical. What is going to be the most important features I look for when wanting to run this game? All recommendations are appreciated. My laptop is only used for OOTP & a little photoshop.

I've considered a new laptop for sometime now, OOTP appears to be what leads me to following through.

I visited my best buy and they were praising a dell unit.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-ins...&skuId=4453800

along with this one.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-ins...&skuId=4454002

Sorry if this isnt allowed here. As stated in an earlier discussion though I've noticed some slowish speeds simulating and it's about time for a new system possibly anyway.

Coltrane · 03-23-2016, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmuelly

After learning my current laptop is simulating very slowly and knowing my PC is quite outdated I've been considering upgrading.

I'm a total idiot when things get technical. What is going to be the most important features I look for when wanting to run this game? All recommendations are appreciated. My laptop is only used for OOTP & a little photoshop.

I've considered a new laptop for sometime now, OOTP appears to be what leads me to following through.

I grabbed a new one

I visited my best buy and they were praising a dell unit.

Dell Inspiron 2-in-1 13.3" Touch-Screen Laptop - Intel Core i7 - 8GB Memory - 256GB Solid State Drive Black I7353-8403BLK - Best Buy

along with this one.

Dell Inspiron 2-in-1 15.6" 4K Ultra HD Touch-Screen Laptop - Intel Core i7 - 8GB Memory - 1TB Hard Drive Black I7568-5248T - Best Buy

Sorry if this isnt allowed here. As stated in an earlier discussion though I've noticed some slowish speeds simulating and it's about time for a new system possibly anyway.

Just grabbed this one three weeks ago for the sole purpose of running OOTP17. Absolutely loving its performance

...

http://www.amazon.com/K501UX-15-inch...ds=asus+laptop

jmuelly · 03-23-2016, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coltrane

Just grabbed this one three weeks ago for the sole purpose of running OOTP17. Absolutely loving its performance

...

http://www.amazon.com/K501UX-15-inch...ds=asus+laptop

Good simulation times? I thought I read this title was hard on SSD.
Looks like the Dell I’m looking at is very similar bycomparison.
I’ve heard of asus before but I’m not familiar with theirproducts or quality.

Hammercraft · 03-23-2016, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coltrane

Just grabbed this one three weeks ago for the sole purpose of running OOTP17. Absolutely loving its performance

...

http://www.amazon.com/K501UX-15-inch...ds=asus+laptop

That i7 processor (vs the i5) seems to really shine with all the data crunching OOTP does. This is a game that runs smoother on good business machines and doesn't have high graphics requirements.

I've got two machines with SSDs, but I install the game on a separate data volume (SATA). The direct download installs anywhere, the Steam version had problems in OOTP 16 with being installed anywhere but on the C: drive. Not sure if that has changed, but it was a known Steam issue.

jmuelly · 03-23-2016, 09:03 AM

I’m not at all familiar with how to save to a separate typedrive. I just hit continue/ok and let itdo its thing lol.

While looking at the Asus you mentioned I noticed a Dell i7559-763BLK. Many reviews suggest while being an I5 thatthis may be better given its quad core vs dual core. It’s on sale at the same price point,operates on a 4gb video vs 2gb (same card it appears, whatever that means IDK).

I’d assume a leap to a 6th gen I5/I7 alone wouldbe quite improved given I have a 1st gen I5.

TwinsGuy11 · 03-23-2016, 09:17 AM

I'm not going to pretend I know a ton about computer specs, but isn't something like this a much better value?

Lenovo G70-80 17.3" Laptop - Intel Core i5 - 8GB - 1TB Hard Drive Black 80FF00LBUS - Best Buy

Coltrane · 03-23-2016, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmuelly

Good simulation times? I thought I read this title was hard on SSD.
Looks like the Dell I’m looking at is very similar bycomparison.
I’ve heard of asus before but I’m not familiar with theirproducts or quality.

No problems here with SSD at all. I also run this game on a gaming pc I build a couple of years ago utilizing a SSD. I have zero sim problems on either machine but when it comes to speed, I’m not sure. I don’t do much more than a week at a time and it never takes more than a few seconds. I never tried testing the sim time for a whole season at once though

Ty Cobb · 03-23-2016, 02:50 PM

...rips the doors off still. If you're not averse to the platform, come on over. They've only gotten faster.

The Wolf · 03-23-2016, 03:24 PM

Get something with a sixth generation i7 chip in it. Trust me on this.

edtheguy · 03-23-2016, 03:30 PM

As I understand it, the processor will be the most important thing in OOTP. That, coupled with sufficient RAM, is what will determine your sim times. SSD's are always nice, but will only help with loading/startup times - not in game processing. Any I7 and 8GB of ram (like most good mac's have inside - which is why Ty Cobb's machine is solid) would be good, if you get an SSD as well, even better.

Quad core processors are ideal, and yes the 6th gens will vastly outperform the 1st. The main benefit of I7's is hyperthreading which usually isn't helpful in gaming. It is mostly utilized in number crunching/rendering though, so it ought to benefit OOTP, but I'm not sure there - I think utilization of the hyperthreading depends on the programming which is beyond me.

EDIT: Or, in short, just listen to The Wolf.

TwinsGuy11 · 03-23-2016, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Wolf

Get something with a sixth generation i7 chip in it. Trust me on this.

If I'm on a tighter budget, is what I posted good value?

NoOne · 03-23-2016, 04:23 PM

i just moved ootp 17 to the mechanical drive.

1 year took ~8mins on SSD and on the mechanical it took ~25-27mins

there is a ton of loading data into/out of ram it seems, so SSD makes a huge difference with this particular game. i let a sim run last night, and it did a ton of host writes.

that's actually why i moved it to the hdd. i think i burned through 100gb of host writes from 40-some years of simming.

for reference:
3rd gen i7 4core / 8ht - think it was faster with hyperthreading turned off. this chip is 5-6 years on the market.. junk, really.

no awards / asg, no bb cards or asthetics. anything that saves sim time but does not influence the game in anyway is turned off. except owner goals turned off. no human managers.

as you can see in the massive time difference, the cpu is not the bottleneck.

a more recent I5 is plenty for the computations involved in this game.. spend the money on SSD > CPU if that is the choice. a dedicated video card is always the way to go too - even if it's a low-end gpu.

find some online reviews of i5 and i7 chips on the market, compare differences, and google terms you don't know.

jerryb1961 · 03-23-2016, 06:30 PM

I'm a technician who works for one of the major companies mentioned above. Bear in mind that all of them get their components from the same handful of manufacturers; CPUs from Intel and AMD, drives from Seagate, Samsung, Western Digital etc. Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, et al are all of comparable buiild quaility within their respective price ranges.

I have a much older (2006!) laptop based on an Intel Core Solo processor that will not do the 3D in 17 because its graphics don't support the OpenGL version used. I was disappointed. That said, I don't think-- at least I hope-- there aren't too many machines that old out there still in general use.

Any box sold in about the past couple of years ought to have sufficient horsepower to run OOTP 17. A high-powered hotrod gaming rig isn't necessary. Of course, it's nice to have if you want it, but any I7/I5/I3 will do fine.

jmuelly · 03-23-2016, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Wolf

Get something with a sixth generation i7 chip in it. Trust me on this.

From what I read the Asus has the I7 but the Dell is actually more powerful with the I5 due to it being a quad core. Would you still suggest the Asus? Is Asus even any good?

The Wolf · 03-23-2016, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwinsGuy11

If I'm on a tighter budget, is what I posted good value?

No. I picked up a Dell i7-6700 with 8GB of DDR4 RAM and a big HD for $800. Look around, you can get a quality desktop for not much money.

If you have to have a laptop, the ASUS gaming laptops are good values. Watch newegg.com, slickdeals.net (a great place to find, well, slick deals) and Amazon. Drop by your local Costco or Sam's if you're a member and look around.

You can't go wrong on this game with an i7 - I recommend sixth generation but a fourth generation should do you fine - 8GB of RAM and a good hard drive. I recommend an SSD if your wallet can handle it - and they have dropped a lot in prices. And I'm PC Master Race when it comes to gaming - no Macs or consoles. (Windows 10 is a great OS once your secure your privacy in it - see https://fix10.isleaked.com for how to do that.)

Silent_Thunder · 03-23-2016, 09:40 PM

Really you should build your own, it's not actually that difficult (akin to more pointy legos) and you can get it far far cheaper than a packaged build. The folks over at reddit.com/r/buildapc will help you pick out the best partslist for you.

https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc

The Wolf · 03-24-2016, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silent_Thunder

Really you should build your own, it's not actually that difficult (akin to more pointy legos) and you can get it far far cheaper than a packaged build. The folks over at reddit.com/r/buildapc will help you pick out the best partslist for you.

https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc

I have built a number of PC's from parts and this just isn't true. You can actually buy a standard PC on special for less than the cost of the parts. AND you don't have the hassles of installing power lines, heat sinks, fans, etc., all of which is a huge pain in the ass. Plus you get little or no tech support or warranty to speak of.

I've done it. Don't do it.

NoOne · 03-24-2016, 03:38 AM

hope you're still checking in on the thread...

if you are having a bit of a slower time (2X or more from ootp 16), you might want to wait for an update or two before spending money.

even if it is more sophisticated ai than '16, it shouldn't be such an extreme change in simulation time. they are 'looking into it', too. so, it may very well be a temporary problem. my pc is old, but it is 3x the machine ootp requires. i'm feeling confident something will change... just an educated guess at best.

building a rig isn't so tough if you know about the components. i.e. what specs are important, which are e-peens etc etc.. it's not something you can pick up in one day of online shopping, but if you research for a while and learn the nuance of various components anyone can do it.

even sticking to economy parts you can easily build a rig better than any box brand pc and at a similar or lower cost. you'll do fine, if you choose to go that route. don't let anyone scare you. these days it will only fit together 1 way... and apply just a modicum of common sense when installing the power supply, lol.

box brands focus on what sells, not what makes sense... so they will put a nice cpu with a mobo that can't even make full use of it. they will use a 7200rpm when a 5400 is a better choice etc.. (the know that average people will just get confused when you bring up aerial density... so they just market the bigger number because it's easier and effective)

when you build your own you can make sure that all the important parts are of equivalent quality/speed/power/etc.

TwinsGuy11 · 03-24-2016, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Wolf

No. I picked up a Dell i7-6700 with 8GB of DDR4 RAM and a big HD for $800. Look around, you can get a quality desktop for not much money.

If you have to have a laptop, the ASUS gaming laptops are good values. Watch newegg.com, slickdeals.net (a great place to find, well, slick deals) and Amazon. Drop by your local Costco or Sam's if you're a member and look around.

You can't go wrong on this game with an i7 - I recommend sixth generation but a fourth generation should do you fine - 8GB of RAM and a good hard drive. I recommend an SSD if your wallet can handle it - and they have dropped a lot in prices. And I'm PC Master Race when it comes to gaming - no Macs or consoles. (Windows 10 is a great OS once your secure your privacy in it - see https://fix10.isleaked.com for how to do that.)

That's way out of my price range, though. I probably wouldn't be looking to spend more than $800. I know I'm not going to get a high quality laptop for that.

The Wolf · 03-24-2016, 08:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwinsGuy11

That's way out of my price range, though. I probably wouldn't be looking to spend more than $800. I know I'm not going to get a high quality laptop for that.

How about this?

Acer Aspire Desktop - Intel Core i7 - 1TB Hard Drive Black DT.SXNAA.029 - Best Buy

Fourth generation i7 system, $479.

03-22-2016, 06:46 PM	#1
jmuelly Minors (Double A) Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 154	PC Requirements After learning my current laptop is simulating very slowly and knowing my PC is quite outdated I've been considering upgrading. I'm a total idiot when things get technical. What is going to be the most important features I look for when wanting to run this game? All recommendations are appreciated. My laptop is only used for OOTP & a little photoshop. I've considered a new laptop for sometime now, OOTP appears to be what leads me to following through. I visited my best buy and they were praising a dell unit. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-ins...&skuId=4453800 along with this one. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-ins...&skuId=4454002 Sorry if this isnt allowed here. As stated in an earlier discussion though I've noticed some slowish speeds simulating and it's about time for a new system possibly anyway. Last edited by jmuelly; 03-22-2016 at 06:51 PM.

03-23-2016, 02:50 PM	#8
Ty Cobb Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Grayling, MI Posts: 4,574	My 5 year old iMac ...rips the doors off still. If you're not averse to the platform, come on over. They've only gotten faster. __________________ "You could not live with your own failure. Where did that bring you? Back to me." Thanos

03-23-2016, 03:30 PM	#10
edtheguy Minors (Single A) Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Maine Posts: 70	As I understand it, the processor will be the most important thing in OOTP. That, coupled with sufficient RAM, is what will determine your sim times. SSD's are always nice, but will only help with loading/startup times - not in game processing. Any I7 and 8GB of ram (like most good mac's have inside - which is why Ty Cobb's machine is solid) would be good, if you get an SSD as well, even better. Quad core processors are ideal, and yes the 6th gens will vastly outperform the 1st. The main benefit of I7's is hyperthreading which usually isn't helpful in gaming. It is mostly utilized in number crunching/rendering though, so it ought to benefit OOTP, but I'm not sure there - I think utilization of the hyperthreading depends on the programming which is beyond me. EDIT: Or, in short, just listen to The Wolf. Last edited by edtheguy; 03-23-2016 at 03:32 PM. Reason: too much rambling....

03-23-2016, 04:23 PM	#12
NoOne Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 7,258 Infractions: 1/0 (0)	i just moved ootp 17 to the mechanical drive. 1 year took ~8mins on SSD and on the mechanical it took ~25-27mins there is a ton of loading data into/out of ram it seems, so SSD makes a huge difference with this particular game. i let a sim run last night, and it did a ton of host writes. that's actually why i moved it to the hdd. i think i burned through 100gb of host writes from 40-some years of simming. for reference: 3rd gen i7 4core / 8ht - think it was faster with hyperthreading turned off. this chip is 5-6 years on the market.. junk, really. no awards / asg, no bb cards or asthetics. anything that saves sim time but does not influence the game in anyway is turned off. except owner goals turned off. no human managers. as you can see in the massive time difference, the cpu is not the bottleneck. a more recent I5 is plenty for the computations involved in this game.. spend the money on SSD > CPU if that is the choice. a dedicated video card is always the way to go too - even if it's a low-end gpu. find some online reviews of i5 and i7 chips on the market, compare differences, and google terms you don't know. Last edited by NoOne; 03-23-2016 at 04:32 PM.

03-24-2016, 03:38 AM	#18
NoOne Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 7,258 Infractions: 1/0 (0)	hope you're still checking in on the thread... if you are having a bit of a slower time (2X or more from ootp 16), you might want to wait for an update or two before spending money. even if it is more sophisticated ai than '16, it shouldn't be such an extreme change in simulation time. they are 'looking into it', too. so, it may very well be a temporary problem. my pc is old, but it is 3x the machine ootp requires. i'm feeling confident something will change... just an educated guess at best. building a rig isn't so tough if you know about the components. i.e. what specs are important, which are e-peens etc etc.. it's not something you can pick up in one day of online shopping, but if you research for a while and learn the nuance of various components anyone can do it. even sticking to economy parts you can easily build a rig better than any box brand pc and at a similar or lower cost. you'll do fine, if you choose to go that route. don't let anyone scare you. these days it will only fit together 1 way... and apply just a modicum of common sense when installing the power supply, lol. box brands focus on what sells, not what makes sense... so they will put a nice cpu with a mobo that can't even make full use of it. they will use a 7200rpm when a 5400 is a better choice etc.. (the know that average people will just get confused when you bring up aerial density... so they just market the bigger number because it's easier and effective) when you build your own you can make sure that all the important parts are of equivalent quality/speed/power/etc. Last edited by NoOne; 03-24-2016 at 03:43 AM.

03-23-2016, 09:03 AM	#5
jmuelly Minors (Double A) Join Date: Apr 2013 Posts: 154	I’m not at all familiar with how to save to a separate typedrive. I just hit continue/ok and let itdo its thing lol. While looking at the Asus you mentioned I noticed a Dell i7559-763BLK. Many reviews suggest while being an I5 thatthis may be better given its quad core vs dual core. It’s on sale at the same price point,operates on a 4gb video vs 2gb (same card it appears, whatever that means IDK). I’d assume a leap to a 6th gen I5/I7 alone wouldbe quite improved given I have a 1st gen I5.

03-23-2016, 09:17 AM	#6
TwinsGuy11 Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 213	I'm not going to pretend I know a ton about computer specs, but isn't something like this a much better value? Lenovo G70-80 17.3" Laptop - Intel Core i5 - 8GB - 1TB Hard Drive Black 80FF00LBUS - Best Buy

03-23-2016, 06:30 PM	#13
jerryb1961 Minors (Single A) Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: KS Posts: 76	I'm a technician who works for one of the major companies mentioned above. Bear in mind that all of them get their components from the same handful of manufacturers; CPUs from Intel and AMD, drives from Seagate, Samsung, Western Digital etc. Dell, HP, Lenovo, Acer, et al are all of comparable buiild quaility within their respective price ranges. I have a much older (2006!) laptop based on an Intel Core Solo processor that will not do the 3D in 17 because its graphics don't support the OpenGL version used. I was disappointed. That said, I don't think-- at least I hope-- there aren't too many machines that old out there still in general use. Any box sold in about the past couple of years ought to have sufficient horsepower to run OOTP 17. A high-powered hotrod gaming rig isn't necessary. Of course, it's nice to have if you want it, but any I7/I5/I3 will do fine.

03-23-2016, 09:40 PM	#16
Silent_Thunder Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Upstate NY Posts: 235	Really you should build your own, it's not actually that difficult (akin to more pointy legos) and you can get it far far cheaper than a packaged build. The folks over at reddit.com/r/buildapc will help you pick out the best partslist for you. https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc