Gaming PC for emulation

[Wario]

[Sorry for any grammar mistakes, English isn't my mother tongue]

 

Hi!

 

I want to build myself a new PC. It should be optimized for daily use (Office, Internet) but also for gaming, especially for the Dolphin Emulator! Keep in mind that I'm going to use that system for serveral hours a day.

It should cost between €1500 and €2500. I want to be able to play Dolphin games at 8xIR (rendered at 5K resolution) with HD textures on a 1080p TV and sometimes on a 4K TV.

 

These are the parts that I have in mind:

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700k
RAM: F4-3200C16Q-16GVKB (4x4GB @ 3200mhz)
Graphics card:
- Sapphire AMD Radeon R9 390 OC Tri-X NITRO (8GB VRAM, 512 Bit) OR
- ASUS AMD Radeon R9 NANO (4GB HBM) OR
- EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti Superclocked ACX 2.0+ (6GB VRAM, 384 Bit)
SSD: Samsung MZ-V5P512BW (512 GB)
Cardreader: Sharkoon Media Reader III
WiFi: TP-LINK TL-WDN4800

 

Other facts:
I'm from Germany so all prices are in €.
I won't build the PC myself as I have no manual skills or knowledge of the assembly of computer hardware. I'll let a computer store build it, just like last time.
Even though I'd like to stay with Windows 7, I'll probably have to go with Windows 10 sooner or later. Apparently newer hardware works better on new operating systems.
The Dolphin emulator only utilizies 2-3 cores. I need a CPU with a high IPC (instructions per core) performance.

Here are some questions regarding the build:

 

1) The CPU only supports DDR4 up to 2133 mhz. Does it make more sense to order 2133 mhz RAM then? Since 3200 mhz doesn't seem to be supported I guess it wouldn't be wise to go with the "the higher the number the better"-route? Also, would it be better to order 4x4GB sticks or 2x8GB sticks?

 

2) Regarding the graphics card; I'll choose the one that gives me the best performance in the Dolphin emulator. I'll ask in the Dolphin forums later which one to choose. That AMD Radeon R9 390 is my favorite so far because it's the cheapest out of these three cards and it seems to have the best performance (at least when I go with raw numbers though GDDR5 can't be simply compared with HBM...).

 

3) What motherboard should I get? I have no idea... due to the Samsung Pro 950 SSD I need a motherboard with "NVMe, m2 + 4 pci lanes Support", whatever that means. The ASUS MAXIMUS VIII HERO seems to have a m2 slot but is it the right one?

 

4) Which cooling method should I choose? I actually wanted to go with water cooling this time but I'm not so sure... I really want a very "cool" system but if it costs more than €400 then I'll just go with air again. I'd like to cool my CPU, GPU and SSD, if possible. I have no idea which "cooling kit" to choose or what I'll actually need for a water cooling system. Should I get one of these? Is it hard to maintain a water cooling system?

 

5) I also don't know which case to choose. I initially wanted to go with a bog-standard cheap version, the Sharkoon VS4-S but then I realized that maybe I should focus more on having a system with good airflow (even though I'd like to go with water cooling, since other parts also need cooling besides the CPU, GPU and SSD), so maybe this product might be a better idea? Or should I go completely overboard?

 

6) I also have no idea which power supply to choose. 650W, maybe?

 

I'm looking forward to hearing from you soon!

 

[Unhelpful]

2 minutes ago, Wario said:

I won't build the PC myself as I have no manual skills or knowledge of the assembly of computer hardware. I'll let a computer store build it, just like last time.

Just letting you know; you could build it yourself and save a few bucks. It's basically adult legos, and we're more than capable, and willing, to help you through it.

[Bananasplit_00]

1 go with slowe RAM and save a couple of €

2 the 980TI will just run away from a R9 390, especially after a healthy OC on that EVGA one

3 i honestly have no idea, i dont know anything about NVME mobos

4 go with a big ass air cooler, something like the ShadowRock 2 is a personal recomendation, its SUPER quiet and keeps the CPU nice and cool, i have it and when i had my CPU OCd i never got above 64C 

5 second case, no doubts there, it looks awesome and has great airflow

6 650W-750W is what you should go for here

 

 

hope this was of some help and you can probably get along just fine with stepping that CPU down to a Skylake I5 or something but that I7 isnt a bad choice either

[TheRandomness]

1) It supports all frequencies availible

2) The 980Ti stomps all over the 390.

3) So long as the motherboard has an M.2 (M) slot.

4) A good CPU heatsink (like the NH-D15) will sometimes outperform some all in one cooling loops (the ones you buy prebuilt) and you'd need to buy extra fittings, tubes, reservoirs (just one most of the time), a pump and the fluid for a custom water cooling loop (usually costing a lot).

5) Just get a 450D or something if you like the aesthetics so you don't have a huge tower on your floor or something.

6) Please get one from Tier 1 to 2 on this list:

 

Also, PLEASE BUILD IT YOURSELF. It's a looooot easier than you think.

 

[Badazzz]

1. Just stick with whatever RAM is good and cheap

2. In Dolphin I think all of those cards are overkill, so I don't think there will be much of a difference

3. Yes the mobo you mentioned should be compatible with your M.2 drive

4. You don't really need to cool your SSD, they tend to not get hot and cooling won't really increase their lifetime at all. You could just go with air cooling (which I would recommend) or you could go with water blocks for you CPU and GPU (although it would be harder to mount a waterblock to a GPU so I don't know if the computer store would do that) but I would just air cool

5. I always just say choose whatever case you like that fits your specifications.

6. Yeah a 650w 80+ or 80+ Bronze power supply would be pretty good since some of the graphics cards you listed (especially the 980 Ti and the r9 390) have high TDPs and will take up more power. However a 500w 80+ power supply would be more than all you need for the nano.

[Wario]

33 minutes ago, JoeyDM said:

Just letting you know; you could build it yourself and save a few bucks. It's basically adult legos, and we're more than capable, and willing, to help you through it.

 

26 minutes ago, TheRandomness said:

Also, PLEASE BUILD IT YOURSELF. It's a looooot easier than you think.

I'm not so sure. I'm as good at building a PC (or technical stuff in general) as a five-year-old - maybe even worse! :c What if I make a major mistake which renders all my parts useless? All that money would go down the drain! I'd rather spend a little more money and be on the safe side.

 

Is that Nvidia card really that much better? I mean, the AMD one has 8GB VRAM and 512 Bits, while the Nvidia one "only" has 6GB VRAM and 384 Bits (and it's double the price!). Are there differences I don't know about?

38 minutes ago, Badazzz said:

2. In Dolphin I think all of those cards are overkill, so I don't think there will be much of a difference

39 minutes ago, TheRandomness said:

6) Please get one from Tier 1 to 2 on this list:

Thank you! The be quiet! Dark Power Pro P11 650W seems like a good choice. It's €100 more expensive than the one I have in my PC though (Cooler Master GX-750W).

 

These graphics cards might be overkill. I can already play at 4xIR (1440p) resolution with my ATI Radeon HD 5000 Sapphire HD5850 TOXIC graphics card (2GB VRAM, 256 Bit). But I want MOAR!

41 minutes ago, Badazzz said:

4. You don't really need to cool your SSD, they tend to not get hot and cooling won't really increase their lifetime at all. You could just go with air cooling (which I would recommend) or you could go with water blocks for you CPU and GPU (although it would be harder to mount a waterblock to a GPU so I don't know if the computer store would do that) but I would just air cool

Well, I've read in some forums that the Samsung SSD Pro 950 tends to get hot so it throttles itself. But it's probably good enough to cool the SSD with air.

45 minutes ago, Bananasplit_00 said:

4 go with a big ass air cooler, something like the ShadowRock 2 is a personal recomendation, its SUPER quiet and keeps the CPU nice and cool, i have it and when i had my CPU OCd i never got above 64C 

Seems like a good product and really affordable too!

 

By the way: in my current system my idle temperatures are 22°C for the CPU (AMD Phenom II X6 1090T with Cooler Master Hyper TX3 cooling fan), 50°C for the graphics card and 27°C for the motherboard. Will I achieve similar low temperatures with that airflow case and air cooling in my build? If yes then I might save my money (and potential maintaining trouble) and simply go with air cooling.

 

By the way: Thank you SO much for the helpful replies! I also asked in a German forum but they all told me to come back in six months... >_>

[Unhelpful]

Just now, Wario said:

 

I'm not so sure. I'm as good at building a PC (or technical stuff in general) as a five-year-old - maybe even worse! :c What if I make a major mistake which renders all my parts useless? All that money would go down the drain! I'd rather spend a little more money and be on the safe side.

To render all of the parts useless you would have to do some impressive fuckery with a PSU or a waterbottle. It really is incredibly simple, and Linus has plenty of step-by-step tutorials on how to do this. A 5 year old could easily build one.

 

It's all about what you're comfortable with though, but I do recommend it just to gain the experience.

 

Also warranties exist.

[LeightonSlanga]

I feel like you might be overshooting your preferred setup a little bit. An emulator setup doesn't need to be so powerful.

 

An FX 8350 (or 8320, 8370, or the 'E' editions of any of the 3) and an ASROCK 990FX Motherboard will be more than capable for your setup, and will cost less combined than just the chip you want for your board.

 

An R9 390, and a GTX 980 ti are going to be literally identical for any purpose you're using it for. Both are probably insanely overkill, and you could go so far as buying a 7870, r9 270, or equivalent off eBay for insanely cheap. Though, you do say you want more, so I'd suggest you look for an R9 290 4gb, the 8gb's of ram will never be used, ever, no matter how far in the future you go, you're unlikely to even break 3gb's, and when you do the card will be outdated it won't matter.

 

Windows 10 is almost entirely compatible with Windows 7 programs, its worth upgrading through and through if you have modern components.

 

Take any extra dough and splurge it on the nicest case you can afford for the form factor you desire, peripherals like cases, headphones, mouses, keyboards, are the most important things to consider purchasing as they will likely /NEVER/ become outdated. A processor, graphics card, and motherboard, will age extremely quickly, so its best to avoid spending outside of the price-performance hotspot UNLESS you specifically need the power.

[Wario]

6 minutes ago, LeightonSlanga said:

An FX 8350 (or 8320, 8370, or the 'E' editions of any of the 3) and an ASROCK 990FX Motherboard will be more than capable for your setup, and will cost less combined than just the chip you want for your board.

Ah, I'm sorry but I'll never be getting an AMD CPU again! Their performance is absolutely awful when it comes to Dolphin emulation as their IPC performance is very low. I can tell because I currently have an AMD CPU and while most GameCube games run fine I can completely forget about Wii games due to poor performance. Don't get me wrong, AMD CPUs are great for video editing and stuff and they are WAY more affordable than Intel CPUs (and also seem to have low idle temperatures) but I really want the best performance in video game emulation, and for that, AMD CPUs are the worst choice possible.

 

10 minutes ago, LeightonSlanga said:

An R9 390, and a GTX 980 ti are going to be literally identical for any purpose you're using it for. Both are probably insanely overkill, and you could go so far as buying a 7870, r9 270, or equivalent off eBay for insanely cheap. Though, you do say you want more, so I'd suggest you look for an R9 290 4gb, the 8gb's of ram will never be used, ever, no matter how far in the future you go, you're unlikely to even break 3gb's, and when you do the card will be outdated it won't matter.

Hm, I see. I'll create a thread in the Dolphin forums soon to find out if I really need that much VRAM.

 

12 minutes ago, LeightonSlanga said:

Take any extra dough and splurge it on the nicest case you can afford for the form factor you desire, peripherals like cases, headphones, mouses, keyboards, are the most important things to consider purchasing as they will likely /NEVER/ become outdated. A processor, graphics card, and motherboard, will age extremely quickly, so its best to avoid spending outside of the price-performance hotspot UNLESS you specifically need the power.

So I should get this case? I could install 15 fans in there if I wanted to. How "cool" would that be?!

[LeightonSlanga]

1 minute ago, Wario said:

Ah, I'm sorry but I'll never be getting an AMD CPU again! Their performance is absolutely awful when it comes to Dolphin emulation as their IPC performance is very low.

In that case find the right intel cpu for your needs, if IPC is important you could possibly use an i3 or Pentium with reasonable performance

[Wario]

So I asked in the Dolphin forums and got some helpful tips. My configuration is almost complete:

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-6700k
RAM: 2x8GB DDR4 (since quadro channel seems to be of no use)
SSD: Samsung MZ-V5P512BW (512 GB)
Cardreader: Sharkoon Media Reader III
WiFi: TP-LINK TL-WDN4800

Mainboard: ASUS Maximus VIII Hero

PSU: be quiet! Dark Power Pro P11 650W

 

There are two possibilities when it comes to my future PC:

 

Watercooled Build

GPU: AMD R9 Fury X (it already has water cooling)

CPU cooling: Corsair Hydro Series H110i GT or similar

Case: Fractal Define R5 or Corsair Obsidian 750D Airflow

 

Air-Cooled Build

GPU: Nvidia GTX 980 Ti

Case: Corsair Obsidian 900D with lots of fans for great airflow

 

Which one of these would you prefer?