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I know there's a million of these but alot of them are months old and gear for their own budget+their own things they want for a pc and also was wondering if any new computers that came out recently that could run it. I'm not looking for a 2k gaming laptop.
I just want the cheapest computer that will be able to run sc2 on lowest and be able to play it smoothly without any issues at all. But for the time being I'm willing to look at several price ranges. I just don't wanna waste money on a computer and pay extra for all the fancy things that come with it. I just want to be able to play sc2 and nothing else.
Also this will be a computer that will only be used for sc2 and nothing else. Maybe I might have to build one but I'm scared becuz I know nothing about computers. And also if there are any computers that were released recently that has what i described i'd like to know about it too.
 
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I think in general, for CPU get i3 or better, and for graphics card, check it up on notebookcheck.com
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LOL. Is cpu like the complete package like monitor+mouse included? I only need the desktop or the "box." Wait I know PC stand for personal computer but what is the differnce lol.
And that link u gave me is seoulsy cheap but I'm guessing u gave me one "part" of the desktop without graphics card or anything? The thing about building computers is i know nothing about it and I feel un-easy doing it myself
edit: i thought cpu was just a shorter way of saying "computer." And computer as in not a laptop so comes with moniotr+mous+keyboard+desktop so yea was talking about PC lol. sorry for the conufusion.
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i dont have notebook but my cpu is amd athon x6 T1100 black edition with Geforce 560ti overclocked and my sc2 still runs like shit. so idk brosif -_-;
can only run on low settings so my computer doesnt over heat. My GPU company has said its not the GPU's fault and blizzard agreed, and blizzard doesnt know why. Awesome T_T so idk what to tell you honestly.
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On September 15 2011 15:13 strength wrote:
i dont have notebook but my cpu is amd athon x6 T1100 black edition with Geforce 560ti overclocked and my sc2 still runs like shit. so idk brosif -_-;
can only run on low settings so my computer doesnt over heat. My GPU company has said its not the GPU's fault and blizzard agreed, and blizzard doesnt know why. Awesome T_T so idk what to tell you honestly.
I really don't want this happening to me that's why I made this blog so I can buy a decent computer from the get-go instead of worrying about problems later on :/.
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Is $500 your absolute maximum?
How much are you willing to pay, $500 will usually get you the bare minimum, which includes software and a low end processor (most store bought PCs at this price come with a core i3 which is fine, and integrated graphics (BAD))
If you are really concerned about price and building it yourself, I'd recommend buying a PC with an i3-2100 in it and spend some extra money on a discrete graphics card ($100-120 will get you a quality card that can run SC2 very well).
Of course many of the power supplies that come with $500 computers are really crappy, so make sure you know what it is capable of before buying a graphics card.
edit: The Radeon 6770 Is a pretty low power card that would be able to run SC2 on ultra for $125. If you really, really don't want to go above low. you might be able to settle with a 5670 for $75
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On September 15 2011 15:30 phant wrote:Is $500 your absolute maximum? How much are you willing to pay, $500 will usually get you the bare minimum, which includes software and a low end processor (most store bought PCs at this price come with a core i3 which is fine, and integrated graphics (BAD)) If you are really concerned about price and building it yourself, I'd recommend buying a PC with an i3-2100 in it and spend some extra money on a discrete graphics card ($100-120 will get you a quality card that can run SC2 very well). Of course many of the power supplies that come with $500 computers are really crappy, so make sure you know what it is capable of before buying a graphics card. edit: The Radeon 6770 Is a pretty low power card that would be able to run SC2 on ultra for $125. If you really, really don't want to go above low. you might be able to settle with a 5670 for $75
Forget the price cap for now. I wanna see the various price ranges as long as it fits the criterion i posted in the OP. But is it really that expensive even to play on low settings?
I heard many times about needing an i2 or i3 so I will def keep this in mind becuz currently I have a dual core and I don't think it will be good enough for sc2.
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On September 15 2011 15:43 MaRiNe23 wrote:Show nested quote +On September 15 2011 15:30 phant wrote:Is $500 your absolute maximum? How much are you willing to pay, $500 will usually get you the bare minimum, which includes software and a low end processor (most store bought PCs at this price come with a core i3 which is fine, and integrated graphics (BAD)) If you are really concerned about price and building it yourself, I'd recommend buying a PC with an i3-2100 in it and spend some extra money on a discrete graphics card ($100-120 will get you a quality card that can run SC2 very well). Of course many of the power supplies that come with $500 computers are really crappy, so make sure you know what it is capable of before buying a graphics card. edit: The Radeon 6770 Is a pretty low power card that would be able to run SC2 on ultra for $125. If you really, really don't want to go above low. you might be able to settle with a 5670 for $75 Forget the price cap for now. I wanna see the various price ranges as long as it fits the criterion i posted in the OP. But is it really that expensive even to play on low settings?
When you buy a computer, the bare bones components + software usually comes to about $4-500 or so. This includes case, hard drive, memory, cd/dvd drive, mouse, keyboard, etc. etc. The really crappy stuff can be cheaper. Anything beyond that goes directly into more power. So buying low end will give you the least bang for your buck and I never recommend it. Spending as little as $150 more can increase your systems power by A LOT.
The big money sink for low end computers is windows, which can run you over $100.
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On September 15 2011 15:30 phant wrote:Is $500 your absolute maximum? How much are you willing to pay, $500 will usually get you the bare minimum, which includes software and a low end processor (most store bought PCs at this price come with a core i3 which is fine, and integrated graphics (BAD)) If you are really concerned about price and building it yourself, I'd recommend buying a PC with an i3-2100 in it and spend some extra money on a discrete graphics card ($100-120 will get you a quality card that can run SC2 very well). Of course many of the power supplies that come with $500 computers are really crappy, so make sure you know what it is capable of before buying a graphics card. edit: The Radeon 6770 Is a pretty low power card that would be able to run SC2 on ultra for $125. If you really, really don't want to go above low. you might be able to settle with a 5670 for $75
Ok I'll get this then
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115078
Will it compliment well with this?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115078
The first guy who responded to my blog gave me this link and it's a i3-2100 but are both of these just parts of the desktop that I have to assemble myself somehow?
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What resolution? 1920x1080? Skimping out on resolution will make it harder to play, that's all.
What I would recommend for low at 1080p:
CPU - i3-2100 $125 (You can skimp on this and the mobo, but if you want to be able to play any sc2 at a good framerate, this will definitely be enough, and the savings with a lower sandybridge will be small)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115078
Motherboard - ASRock H61M $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157255
GPU - Radeon 6770 as above $110
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131434
Memory - Kingston 4GB stick $22
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820139398
PSU - ask/PM Skyr on this one :D
Case - Your preference, this one would suffice for $40 (but it's fugly)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119203
Monitor - 21.5 inch monitor $120 (for 1080p, cant go smaller without lowering res)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824262011
HDD - 500GB 7200rpm drive $40 (unfortunately smaller isn't really cheaper here)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007603 600171889&IsNodeId=1&name=IntelliPower
CD-ROM Drive - Erm, struggling to find one in stock on newegg, not that hard to find anyways
Mouse and Keyboard are up to you, can go el cheapo for a crap one of each, or get nicer ones - personal preference really.
Assembly isn't long, and make sure to get Skyr to look over it before you buy it, I might have missed something 
Totals $517 minus psu and mouse/keyboard/cd drive (~$20 anyways)
If you want cheaper you can get a smaller screen with lower res (harder to play on), MAYBE a llano system (its a different cpu and mobo), but I cant find good benchmark info on it, and weaker GPU. Also, going caseless and just having the components on the desk might work, but I wouldn't recommend it.
Best way to save would be to buy a rig and screen for ~$400-500 pre used if you get lucky.
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On September 15 2011 16:34 Rollin wrote:What resolution? 1920x1080? Skimping out on resolution will make it harder to play, that's all. What I would recommend for low at 1080p: CPU - i3-2100 $125 (You can skimp on this and the mobo, but if you want to be able to play any sc2 at a good framerate, this will definitely be enough, and the savings with a lower sandybridge will be small) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115078Motherboard - ASRock H61M $60 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157255GPU - Radeon 6770 as above $110 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131434Memory - Kingston 4GB stick $22 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820139398PSU - ask/PM Skyr on this one :D Case - Your preference, this one would suffice for $40 (but it's fugly) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119203Monitor - 21.5 inch monitor $120 (for 1080p, cant go smaller without lowering res) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824262011HDD - 500GB 7200rpm drive $40 (unfortunately smaller isn't really cheaper here) http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007603 600171889&IsNodeId=1&name=IntelliPowerCD-ROM Drive - Erm, struggling to find one in stock on newegg, not that hard to find anyways Mouse and Keyboard are up to you, can go el cheapo for a crap one of each, or get nicer ones - personal preference really. Assembly isn't long, and make sure to get Skyr to look over it before you buy it, I might have missed something Totals $517 minus psu and mouse/keyboard/cd drive (~$20 anyways) If you want cheaper you can get a smaller screen with lower res (harder to play on), MAYBE a llano system (its a different cpu and mobo), but I cant find good benchmark info on it, and weaker GPU. Also, going caseless and just having the components on the desk might work, but I wouldn't recommend it. Best way to save would be to buy a rig and screen for ~$400-500 pre used if you get lucky.
Ok so after I buy all those parts, am I required to put them together myself without any instructions? (probably an obvious question) Man..I really dont feel comfortable trying to put together a comp with 0 knowledge.
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wow so much bad advice..i3 processor?? The guy specified he wanted "smoothly" without ANY issues as all.
To me that means perfectly smooth 200/200 collosi vs 200/200 zergling battle on creep and still being able to force field as smooth(no delay or choppy) as if there were only 2 units on screen. Nothing worse than hardware losing you games.
For no issues your looking at a i5 2500K (I have it) which can be overclocked as well. Don't waste your time with the older generation CPU's. If you want performance, sometimes u do need to pay whatever it takes..its much worse to spend $200-300 less and have slight performance issues..go all the way and get what u really need. Don't risk it IMO.
GL
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On September 15 2011 17:03 PrObeLife wrote:
wow so much bad advice..i3 processor?? The guy specified he wanted "smoothly" without ANY issues as all.
Dude an i3 2100 is OVERKILL for low, as a previous poster specified. My build will easily run low settings for 1v1 and 2v2 at ~60 fps min, even 4v4 shouldn't be too bad (easily playable, but meh)
To me that means perfectly smooth 200/200 collosi vs 200/200 zergling battle on creep and still being able to force field as smooth(no delay or choppy) as if there were only 2 units on screen. Nothing worse than hardware losing you games.
Yep, should run at ~40 fps at 200/200, sandy bridge is a really efficient architecture, and sc2 only runs on two cores max.
For no issues your looking at a i5 2500K (I have it) which can be overclocked as well. Don't waste your time with the older generation CPU's. If you want performance, sometimes u do need to pay whatever it takes..its much worse to spend $200-300 less and have slight performance issues..go all the way and get what u really need. Don't risk it IMO.
I have an i5-2500k as well, and the i3-2100 is the SAME GENERATION as the 2500k. It runs at 3.1 gHz, making it better for sc2 than the 6 core 4 GHz thuban from amd, due to its way more efficient architecture.
Believe me when i say my build is overkill for low OP, but you may not want to run at 1920x1080, in which case you can skimp even more on the gpu, as well as get a cheaper monitor. People recommending more than an i3 or the gpu i listed do not know what they are talking about.
EDIT: also the two cpu's you linked earlier are the same component. If you have doubts, you can generally get it built for around $50 if you are completely technologically retarded. But even I managed to put mine together, just follow advice on the internet (it's not hard to find).
And before buying, run it through with Skyr or JingleHell, both know what they are talking about and can be found in the tech support forum (where this belongs really).
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PrObeLife is not knowledgeable and is the one giving bad advice. Starcraft II doesn't utilize four cores so having a 2500k which is a quad core as opposed to a core i3 2100 which is a dual core makes no difference at all. The only difference between the two you'll see in Starcraft Ii comes from the difference in the amount of cache and the frequency they run at. Not to mention that both the core i3 2100 and core i5 2500k are Sandybridges and was released alongside each other back in January of this year. Old architecture would be Bloomfield which is the core i7 900 series or Lynfield which is the three digit core i3, core i5, and core i7s (ex core i3 540, core i5 750).
The core i3 2100 is also not the best option either. The Pentium G850 which is basically identical to that of the core i3 2100 without the hyperthreading. Since Starcraft II majorly uses two cores and most other games do as well, you're get practically the same performance out of a Pentium G850 as you do with the core i3 2100 for less money. If you really needed a quad, you would be going with a core i5 2300 at bare minimum.
The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is only one component that makes up a desktop (the box). Other components which make up the desktop include the graphics card, memory, motherboard, power supply, harddrive, case, and optical drive.
All components (except those labeled as OEM) will come with specific instructions. The motherboard manual will have instructions for every single piece of component. There is also google and youtube. Every component (except the front panel headers) only fit in one way so its like building lego, real simple.
You're basically looking at around $300-400 for a complete package capable of playing Starcraft II on low. A $500 configuration like Rollin showed you can do the game on high-ultra at 1080p.
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On September 15 2011 21:30 skyR wrote:
A $500 configuration like Rollin showed you can do the game on high-ultra at 1080p.
I really need a better name >.>, it sounds so stupid...
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Don't worry, I'm named after a yogurt.
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On September 15 2011 22:30 Rollin wrote:Show nested quote +On September 15 2011 21:30 skyR wrote:
A $500 configuration like Rollin showed you can do the game on high-ultra at 1080p. I really need a better name >.>, it sounds so stupid...
No it does not. My comp is ~$750 with AMD Ahton x6 T1100 black edition (one of their best products) with a geforce 560ti (manufactured over clocked). I started playing with a $550 comp and it didnt even run medium-high smoothly.
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On September 15 2011 16:56 MaRiNe23 wrote:Show nested quote +On September 15 2011 16:34 Rollin wrote:What resolution? 1920x1080? Skimping out on resolution will make it harder to play, that's all. What I would recommend for low at 1080p: CPU - i3-2100 $125 (You can skimp on this and the mobo, but if you want to be able to play any sc2 at a good framerate, this will definitely be enough, and the savings with a lower sandybridge will be small) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115078Motherboard - ASRock H61M $60 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157255GPU - Radeon 6770 as above $110 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131434Memory - Kingston 4GB stick $22 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820139398PSU - ask/PM Skyr on this one :D Case - Your preference, this one would suffice for $40 (but it's fugly) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119203Monitor - 21.5 inch monitor $120 (for 1080p, cant go smaller without lowering res) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824262011HDD - 500GB 7200rpm drive $40 (unfortunately smaller isn't really cheaper here) http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007603 600171889&IsNodeId=1&name=IntelliPowerCD-ROM Drive - Erm, struggling to find one in stock on newegg, not that hard to find anyways Mouse and Keyboard are up to you, can go el cheapo for a crap one of each, or get nicer ones - personal preference really. Assembly isn't long, and make sure to get Skyr to look over it before you buy it, I might have missed something Totals $517 minus psu and mouse/keyboard/cd drive (~$20 anyways) If you want cheaper you can get a smaller screen with lower res (harder to play on), MAYBE a llano system (its a different cpu and mobo), but I cant find good benchmark info on it, and weaker GPU. Also, going caseless and just having the components on the desk might work, but I wouldn't recommend it. Best way to save would be to buy a rig and screen for ~$400-500 pre used if you get lucky. Ok so after I buy all those parts, am I required to put them together myself without any instructions? (probably an obvious question) Man..I really dont feel comfortable trying to put together a comp with 0 knowledge.
It comes with instructions.. Its not hard as you think. My first time it took ~3 hours because I was so unpacking everything. You'll be fine bro!
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Ru-Roh!! New Progamer incomming <3
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On September 15 2011 23:49 strength wrote:
It comes with instructions.. Its not hard as you think. My first time it took ~3 hours because I was so unpacking everything. You'll be fine bro!
No actually I honestly think he won't be fine. He really doesn't know much about computers AT ALL.
btw I can write up a more detail response later when I get home from work. 
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Yeah no, theres no way he'll be fine building a computer on his own he clearly doesn't know the difference between parts or hardware and software issues.
Just suggest a computer he can plug into a wall and magically work.
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On September 15 2011 23:48 strength wrote:Show nested quote +On September 15 2011 22:30 Rollin wrote:On September 15 2011 21:30 skyR wrote:
A $500 configuration like Rollin showed you can do the game on high-ultra at 1080p. I really need a better name >.>, it sounds so stupid... No it does not. My comp is ~$750 with AMD Ahton x6 T1100 black edition (one of their best products) with a geforce 560ti (manufactured over clocked). I started playing with a $550 comp and it didnt even run medium-high smoothly.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/203?vs=404
Why buy a x6.... Skyr was right lol that G850 performs pretty well for being way cheap, and apparently better then your fancy x6.
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On September 16 2011 00:40 LuckyFool wrote:Show nested quote +On September 15 2011 23:49 strength wrote:
It comes with instructions.. Its not hard as you think. My first time it took ~3 hours because I was so unpacking everything. You'll be fine bro! No actually I honestly think he won't be fine. He really doesn't know much about computers AT ALL. btw I can write up a more detail response later when I get home from work.
i guess you could consider Avoid a little success story?
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On September 15 2011 21:30 skyR wrote:
PrObeLife is not knowledgeable and is the one giving bad advice. Starcraft II doesn't utilize four cores so having a 2500k which is a quad core as opposed to a core i3 2100 which is a dual core makes no difference at all. The only difference between the two you'll see in Starcraft Ii comes from the difference in the amount of cache and the frequency they run at. Not to mention that both the core i3 2100 and core i5 2500k are Sandybridges and was released alongside each other back in January of this year. Old architecture would be Bloomfield which is the core i7 900 series or Lynfield which is the three digit core i3, core i5, and core i7s (ex core i3 540, core i5 750).
The core i3 2100 is also not the best option either. The Pentium G850 which is basically identical to that of the core i3 2100 without the hyperthreading. Since Starcraft II majorly uses two cores and most other games do as well, you're get practically the same performance out of a Pentium G850 as you do with the core i3 2100 for less money. If you really needed a quad, you would be going with a core i5 2300 at bare minimum.
The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is only one component that makes up a desktop (the box). Other components which make up the desktop include the graphics card, memory, motherboard, power supply, harddrive, case, and optical drive.
All components (except those labeled as OEM) will come with specific instructions. The motherboard manual will have instructions for every single piece of component. There is also google and youtube. Every component (except the front panel headers) only fit in one way so its like building lego, real simple.
You're basically looking at around $300-400 for a complete package capable of playing Starcraft II on low. A $500 configuration like Rollin showed you can do the game on high-ultra at 1080p.
NO. I am making sure he is not burned buy your advice. So many people claim oh my 8800GT and duo core 2.4 ghz is smooth on ULTRA!!! Better safe than sorry.
Your wrong i5 2500k does get more performance than the i3 2100. Check source:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/the-sandy-bridge-review-intel-core-i7-2600k-i5-2500k-core-i3-2100-tested/20
You want the highest FPS possible don't go cheap on CPU even if its only 20 frames less. In a big battle to keep it running smooth you do not want your FPS dipping into the 50 fps range or u start feeling the chug.
Not to mention if you start streaming you want the i52500 K or i7 minimum. The OP does talk about FRAPS so I assume he wants to stream at some point. For $80 more you can get the i5 2500k and future proof yourself or go cheap now and need to upgrade sooner...just the fact your K series CPU's can overclock keeps in current for longer.
i3's don't overclock half as well as K series and starcraft 2 responds really well to overclocking, Source:
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2010/08/18/how-many-cpu-cores-does-starcraft-2-use/3
Its up to the original poster, but I just trying to save you from poor advice I have gotten from guys on here before. Call me what you want "oh its over kill" "this guy doesn't know anything"
What I do know is.. I use to have FPS issues in game on old rig. I now own this setup and I am extremely particular. I have NO issues at all...playing on 1920x1080. You want that resolution if your competitive because if you don't your seeing less of the map and you are then disadvantaged. The thing I learned about computing as I got older was its always better to overkill because what hardware "theoretically" should do never actually works out.
You want your PC to CRUSH sc2 not play it.. GL
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i can see where probelife is coming from. but honestly, its not always a viable viewpoint. if i wanted to buy the best components available, i simply wouldn't be able to afford them.
if you get your stuff piece by piece, you could possibly build that set up in under $400 if you use slickdeals.net
memory (ddr 3 - 4 gb x 2) - ~$30 AR (AFTER REBATE)
i3 + mobo - ~$150?
low/mid tier discrete gfx card - $80
case + PSU $50-70
hard drive - $50
OS - ??? i hesitate to ever count this, because...well...ya know.
that's well under $400 for a PC that can play sc2 at low settings. some people just don't care to play at high settings and would rather sacrifice eye candy for smoothness.
links for proof:
http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3248049 (mobo combo)
http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3307438 (memory)
http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3309602 (video card)
i'll spare the rest, you can find them if u want.
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On September 16 2011 03:26 PrObeLife wrote:+ Show Spoiler +On September 15 2011 21:30 skyR wrote:
PrObeLife is not knowledgeable and is the one giving bad advice. Starcraft II doesn't utilize four cores so having a 2500k which is a quad core as opposed to a core i3 2100 which is a dual core makes no difference at all. The only difference between the two you'll see in Starcraft Ii comes from the difference in the amount of cache and the frequency they run at. Not to mention that both the core i3 2100 and core i5 2500k are Sandybridges and was released alongside each other back in January of this year. Old architecture would be Bloomfield which is the core i7 900 series or Lynfield which is the three digit core i3, core i5, and core i7s (ex core i3 540, core i5 750).
The core i3 2100 is also not the best option either. The Pentium G850 which is basically identical to that of the core i3 2100 without the hyperthreading. Since Starcraft II majorly uses two cores and most other games do as well, you're get practically the same performance out of a Pentium G850 as you do with the core i3 2100 for less money. If you really needed a quad, you would be going with a core i5 2300 at bare minimum.
The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is only one component that makes up a desktop (the box). Other components which make up the desktop include the graphics card, memory, motherboard, power supply, harddrive, case, and optical drive.
All components (except those labeled as OEM) will come with specific instructions. The motherboard manual will have instructions for every single piece of component. There is also google and youtube. Every component (except the front panel headers) only fit in one way so its like building lego, real simple.
You're basically looking at around $300-400 for a complete package capable of playing Starcraft II on low. A $500 configuration like Rollin showed you can do the game on high-ultra at 1080p. NO. I am making sure he is not burned buy your advice. So many people claim oh my 8800GT and duo core 2.4 ghz is smooth on ULTRA!!! Better safe than sorry. Your wrong i5 2500k does get more performance than the i3 2100. Check source: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4083/the-sandy-bridge-review-intel-core-i7-2600k-i5-2500k-core-i3-2100-tested/20You want the highest FPS possible don't go cheap on CPU even if its only 20 frames less. In a big battle to keep it running smooth you do not want your FPS dipping into the 50 fps range or u start feeling the chug. Not to mention if you start streaming you want the i52500 K or i7 minimum. The OP does talk about FRAPS so I assume he wants to stream at some point. For $80 more you can get the i5 2500k and future proof yourself or go cheap now and need to upgrade sooner...just the fact your K series CPU's can overclock keeps in current for longer. i3's don't overclock half as well as K series and starcraft 2 responds really well to overclocking, Source: http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2010/08/18/how-many-cpu-cores-does-starcraft-2-use/3Its up to the original poster, but I just trying to save you from poor advice I have gotten from guys on here before. Call me what you want "oh its over kill" "this guy doesn't know anything" What I do know is.. I use to have FPS issues in game on old rig. I now own this setup and I am extremely particular. I have NO issues at all...playing on 1920x1080. You want that resolution if your competitive because if you don't your seeing less of the map and you are then disadvantaged. The thing I learned about computing as I got older was its always better to overkill because what hardware "theoretically" should do never actually works out. You want your PC to CRUSH sc2 not play it.. GL
I obviously did point out that the there's a difference between the two processors since you have a 2500k which runs up to 3.7GHz and a core i3 2100 that runs at 3.1GHz ...
Are you in the right thread? OP made no mention of FRAPS or streaming. All he mentioned was playing on low settings.
Getting a 2500k instead of a non-K suffix processor involves more costs than just the K suffix processor. You're getting a P67 or Z68 motherboard instead of a H61 or H67 motherboard which adds at least another $30 and than it's recommended to get an aftermarket heatsink for that overclocking which adds another $30.
We're all aware of the fact that Starcraft II is a heavily CPU based game but all he wants is low settings... getting a 2500k is essentially a waste of money. It's not like a Sandybridge is going to suddenly become absolutely unplayable when HotS launches. Not to mention he doesn't even know what the hell a CPU is, is recommending to overclock really a good idea?
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On September 16 2011 03:26 PrObeLife wrote:
I have NO issues at all...playing on 1920x1080. You want that resolution if your competitive because if you don't your seeing less of the map and you are then disadvantaged. The thing I learned about computing as I got older was its always better to overkill because what hardware "theoretically" should do never actually works out.
Actually.........its more the aspect ratio. I see as much on my 1366x768 than your 1080p.
I think i can sort of give a good idea between the i3 2100 vs i5 2500k as I have a phenom 2 x4 at 4.0ghz and a 2500k at 4.6ghz turned on right now. The phenom should be close to equivalent to the 2100 at that clock...maybe a bit weaker in SC2 but close enough nevertheless.
The phenom does drop frames in the lategame in 2v2s and even in 1v1s. It will drop to 40-50ish fps during those huge food battles. Realistically, in a 1v1 situation, the most lag you can experience is during a lategame tvz max food vs max food situation where there are like 300+ ling/bane running into mass tanks marines. In this scenario..in a terran's point of view, you will probably doing the following: Siege tanks, split marines, drop location 1, drop location 2, macro rax/facts/ports, go back and split some more. If you consider this doable at 40 fps then there shouldn't be a problem with the intel 2100 or pentium SB. Noone targets individual banes in lategame situations lol...
That being said, I personally found the upgrade to a 2500k very beneficial since the only games I play are CPU limited such as SC2 and BFBC2. I enjoy performance but going from the phenom to the 2500k won't make me a better player. Hell I hit something like 28-4 masters off of my shit laptop.
If streaming is something you are going to be doing often then an I5 k or non-k might be beneficial... but knowing the OP personally, it won't be something he will be doing regularly therefore pentium SB or I3 is fine.
Unless you are trying to target individual running zerglings during the battle, which would be retarded, there isn't a problem. Most of the time you are doing some mass army micro like sieging tanks, splitting groups of marines You can definitely split marines
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Yeah I agree with advice before. Ideally I would personally buy parts and build it myself but since you don't know much about computers best to buy something that will be easy setup easy use.
Any PC for ~$500 these days can run sc2 fine no problem. sc2 can actually run on most anything I've seen in the past 4 years easily.
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EPT
