Friday, 26 May 2017

Gaming PC Build Guide - Building An iRacing Computer

gaming-pc-build-guide-building-an-iracing-computer

Gaming PC Build Guide - How To Build An iRacing Computer

In this gaming pc build guide we will be looking at how to build an iRacing computer.  The guide will provide information on what components are required to build a basic computer system for iRacing.  But really this guide can be used to build any computer system.

Budget

Determining which computer components we are going to use will come down to how much we can afford to spend on the PC.  In the guide we pick out components that is more aimed at the lower end of the scale that will run iRacing fine with max settings but remember that iRacing can run fine on lower end hardware but you will find that if you like games like Project Cars and Assetto Corsa will probably run at lower graphics settings so just that bare that in mind when choosing components.

PC Computer Case - Houses All The Components

Theraltake Core V1The computer case is obviously an essential piece of hardware as it's going to house all the components that we will talk about later in the guide.  Cases range in price from under 100 dollars to over 500 dollars it all comes down to your budget and the size of computer system that you want.  In this case for the PC build guide we are going to build  an iRacing computer on the small side and choose mITX as the system of choice.  We are going to use the PC Part Picker website to choose the components from.

The case we are going to use is the Thermaltake Core V1 Mini ITX case it's a small case still capable of housing all the components that we are going to need and the small footprint makes for a nice compact system.  The case comes in at 40.50

PC Motherboard - The Heart Of The System

ASrock Z270MThe computer motherboard will determine what components we can use in terms of type of RAM and which CPU's we can use.  For this build we will build an Intel based system as I am more familiar with the components and specs.  I am also interested in anyone is using the new AMD Ryzen cpu's with iRacing and what your thoughts on them are.  The motherboard we will be using in our system is the ASRock Z270M-ITX/ac Mini ITX which comes in at 118.50

CPU - Processing Horsepower

Intel Core i3When it comes to CPU selection there a three main things in which you need to consider.

  1. Performance
  2. Price
  3. Power Consumption (Not a major factor)

iRacing is does not require a huge amount of processing power but be aware that some of the other racing simulations out there may require some extra CPU power.  So when choosing a CPU take a look at the minimum requirements of other games out there you like playing.  For this build I going to choose an Intel Core i3-7100 which comes in at 111.50.

Memory - It's All About The GigaBytes

Crucial Ballistix SportWhen it comes to memory generally the more GigaBytes you have the better as it will allow for better multitasking and system speed.  At the moment most systems can get away with 8Gb with 16Gb being a really good sweet sport.  Don't get too caught up with buying the really fast memory modules as they don't produce a dramatic increase in performance that warrants their price.  For this build I have chosen the Crucial Ballistix Sport modules which give us 16Gb for 123.00

Storage - SSD For OS And Mechanical For Document Storage

Storage DrivesBy using SSD (Solid State Drive) for the OS you can use a smaller SSD due to the high price for this ultra fast storage and using a much larger mechanical drive for the storing of your documents you can get the best of both worlds.  The SSD will make the OS and loading of apps muck quicker and will make for a more responsive system.  For this build I will be using a 250Gb Samsung Evo 850 SSD and a 1Tb Western Digital Blue drive with both coming in at 155.00

Video Card - Graphics Horsepower

Asus GeForce GTX 970 StrixThe video card will determine a number of things when it comes to iRacing and any other game you might be looking at playing.  If you are looking at running multiple monitors, VR or playing any graphic intensive game than choosing the right video card is crucial.  As the system we are building is at the budget end of the spectrum we will choose a card that is capable of running multiple monitors but won't be able to handle the increased graphics power required to run VR.  For this build I'm using an Asus GeForce GTX 970 Strix coming in at 316.00

Power Supply - Make Sure You Have Enough Power To Run Your Components

Seasonic 520WWhen it comes to the PC power supply you need a supply capable of running all of your chosen components at their peak loads.  The PSU comes in many different types with some having fully modular cables allowing for good cable management and a lot of supplies these days carry many certifications that show how power efficient that they are. For this build we are choosing the Seasonic 520W Bronze Certified PSU coming at 52.00

iRacing Computer Build Parts List

  • CPU - Intel i3 7100 111.50
  • Motherboard - ASrock Z270M a/c 118.50
  • Memory - 16Gb Crucial Ballistix Sport 122.99
  • Storage OS - Samsung Evo 850 250Gb 107.88
  • Storage Docs - Western Digital Blue 1Tb 48.33
  • Video Card - Asus GeForce GTX 970 315.99
  • Case - Thermaltake V1 40.50
  • Power Supply - Seasonic 520W 51.89
  • OS  - Windows 10 Home 87.89
  • Total Cost 1005.44

That's it for the components in this Gaming PC Build Guide - The next step will explaining the assembly of the iRacing Computer.  Please share your thoughts on this build.



from Brook Racing - Australian iRacing eSports Team http://bit.ly/2r7P9Jr
via IFTTT

No comments:

Post a Comment