My attempt at a DIY 'Can I run it?'

[dulix11 731]

This will not guarantee your PC will get 50+ fps with a build that meets requirements. ArmA II is already a terribly unoptimized game, so that is just unlucky.

 

I also will not cover PSU requirements, motherboard requirements etc because they do not add to performance.

 

So since the 'Can I run it?' thread gets about 50 posts a day, I've decided to try and post the minimum specs and what would run DayZ just fine.

 

*No idea what is needed to run DayZ?*

 

Boom!

 

There are the minimum and recommended system specs required to run DayZ (ArmA II OA)

 

Your computer should meet those requirements to run it.

 

However, having the minimum specs doesn't mean you can run it maxed out. With CPU speeds like that, I'd be surprised if your computer booted up.

 

My old computer barely met the minimum requirements, and I got ~20 - 30 with everything on low or disabled.

 

*What should I have to run DayZ?*

 

If you are looking for anything over 30 fps, I would recommend at least this:

 

- At least 3.0GHz of CPU speed (4 core)

Intel fanboi here, just letting ya know :) I would recommend at least 3.0GHz for smooth gameplay (paired with a good GPU of course). My old CPU was clocked at 2.93GHz and I got around 20 - 30 on low, although that was most likely more my GPUs fault.

The 'i' series of processors are highly recommended. (i5, i7, not so much i3, most of these have dual cores which isn't very helpful with a game like this)

 

i5 2500, i5 3570, i5 4670, i7 2600, i7 3770, i7 4770...

All of these have 3.0GHz+ and 4 cores.

 

If you are using an AMD CPU, there will really be no difference in performance. Most of AMDs CPUs are very cheap with fast clock speeds (usually 3.4GHz+)

A10 5800,  A10 5600, FX 4300, and AMDs monster flagship CPU, the FX 8350. All of these are good choices.

 

 

- At least 8GB of 1600MHz RAM

Corsair, G.Skill and Kingston, Patriot are good RAM brands.

 

- Any size HDD is fine, but having more than 20GB will be fine. My ArmA II Operation Arrowhead folder takes up about 10GBs of HDD space.

 

- GPUs:

If you are a Nvidia fanboi like me, I would recommend at least a GTX 560ti or better (570, 580, 590...) HOWEVER, if your GPU is a 610, 620, 630 or 640, don't be surprised if it can't handle the game. Just because there is a '6' in your GPUs name doesn't mean it's 'high end'.

First number: Generation the card is from - Second number: pretty much translates to the cards quality out of 10. 1 - 4 is crap, 5 - 6 is good, 7 - 9 is very good.

 

If you have a AMD card, I would recommend at least a Radeon HD 5770 or better (5850, 5870, 5950, 5970...) again, to figure out if your card is decent, look at the numbers.

Much like Nvidia, the first number = generation of cards, second and third = quality out of 10. 1 - 4 is crap, 5 - 7 is good, 8 - 9 is very good.

 

- At least 1GB of VRAM (having 6gb is complete overkill imo)

 

*How can I find out what's inside my PC?*

 

The easiest way to get everything about your PC is to download CPU-Z.

 

http://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

 

This will tell you your CPU brand and model, your GPU, your RAM brand, amount and speed, motherboard brand and chipset....

 

Otherwise, you can simply right click on your 'computer' icon and select 'properties'. Here is your CPU model.

 

To view your GPU, go to Control Panel, select Device Manager and then Display Adapters.

 

*FAQ*

 

Q. What does it mean if my CPU has a 'k' at the end of it?

A. That would mean that your CPU is 'unlocked' and is able to be overclocked. However, not all motherboards support overclocking, so check up on that if you decide to do it.

 

Q. What is overclocking?

A. Overclocking pretty much means you are pushing your CPU to run faster than its store speed. This comes at a price. Pushing the CPU to go faster means it will run hotter, and that means a more sufficient cooling system. Stock coolers will barely keep your CPU cool if it is overclocked.

 

Q. What is an 'intergrated' GPU?

A. Intergrated mean that the GPU is built directly into your motherboard. These GPUs are very sloppy and will barely run most modern 3D games at playable FPSs. This GPU will use your motherboards RAM instead of its own. A dedicated GPU is detachable from the motherboard.

 

Q. What is VRAM?

A. Video Random Access Memory. This will only come with dedicated GPUs.

 

Q. Why is DayZ running at bad FPSs?

A. More than likely you are running everything higher than your system can handle. Quite often people overlook 'Anti-aliasing', which smooths the edges of objects, creating more pixels to give this effect. This can rip a chunk of FPS from your gameplay. Post Processing Effects also have a big effect on your gameplay, and can save you a heap of frames.

 

 

 

I hope I helped someone!

[rossums 2190]

It just doesn't work when comparing clock speed in GHz, there are far too many differences in architecture for it to make any meaningful comparison.

My new laptop has a 2.3GHz quad i7, it can tear the arse out of 3GHz Sandy processors, for example.

Another point, your definition of 'Integrated GPU' is completely incorrect, these have nothing to do with the motherboard.
The Intel integrated GPU Chips (HD3000, 4000, 5100, 5200 etc are all on-board the CPU).

The new Intel Iris-Pro (5200) are integrated and more than capable for a lot of games and is by no means sloppy - it alone has completely destroyed the entry-level GPU market. (Especially since it comes with nice 128MB eDRAM)

It's very hard to create a list like this and would have to be VERY in-depth to give a better answer, the 'Can I Run It' thread is definitely a lot easier, especially for those that aren't very technically inclined.

[boneboys 7988]

I beg to differ but MB choice is all important and if your psu is lacking then you will have all sorts of problems.

Rossums is also correct concerning laptop performance with the latest CPU's.

 

Also consider that there is a difference in performance when different screen sizes are involved.

 

Nice effort but you are trying to define the undefinable.

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

I agree with the above.

 

This is a really nice attempt at creating something for people to refer to but even with my very poor technical knowledge of PC's I know that there's just too many variables (especially when concerning Arma) to create something definitive.

 

That's why the "Can I run It?" thread works so well because people can ask questions regarding specific rigs and people like Rossums etc can answer based on the info given.

 

Keep going though, maybe edit your topic as you get feedback on this thread and eventually you may end up with something useful to other players, or not:/

Edited October 28, 2013 by Fraggle

[dulix11 731]

Will do :)

[DropBearChick 1217]

what about the ATI R9 series???