Specs for 3 screen setup

[Scooby1]

Hi everyone. I'm brand new to this community and am excited to build a Pincab running PinballX! One area I'm stuck on in the planning stages is the exact PC system specs I need in order smoothly run a 3 screen system and all avaliable tables from visual pinball, future pinball and possibly others.

I've searched the boards for this info, but can't seem to find it. I found one person posted a mostly successful system with these specs:

Core2Quad q6600

4Gb ram
Geforce 640gt running all three screens
Windows 7 32bit

That said, I'm not completely familiar with specific processor and graphics card brands and models.

Can anyone please send a list of specs I'll need?

For example:

Do I need a quad core or will a dual core processor work?

How much ram will I want?

Do I need more than one graphics card?

What type, brand do you recommend?

Does system need to run on Windows 7 or can Windows 8 machine work just as well?

Will I need to physically mount the PC (unboxed) inside the cab or can I lay the PC on its side (or just use a laptop)?

Thanks so much in advance!

[DazzleHP]

Hi Scooby and welcome to the forums.

I've moved your topic to the PinballX General forum, as it seems that is the area you are seeking advice for. You'll get better informed guidance in the correct forum

[tthurman]

I'm not running a pincab, so this info is what I've picked up from just keeping up with thngs around here.

Tom prefers Windows 8 for the OS, so I'd say that's a pretty strong opinion.

Krackerman says that a dedicated graphics card for the back glass makes for smoother game play in the playfield. Something like a 750ti may be a reasonably priced GPU to complement your 640GT, if you decide to go that route.

nvidia seems to get the nod, but I've seen plenty using AMD GPU, just make sure to disable Raptr if you do use the full Catalyst driver suite.

The 6600 was a great CPU, and I "think" it would be enough, but let someone else verfiy that. I've seen people running it on less CPU horsepower succesfully, but of course more is always better, you know A quad core is recommended for multiple displays.

I'm guessing DDR2 here based on other specs, so I'd say go for it, you can always grab a matching pair off ebay if you're running 2 GB sticks.

Use Shark codecs, all you need are the standard 32 bit version, but you can use the others if you want, but you don't need them. Tom indicates these perform better than the ones included with Windows.

Mounting is personal preference, just make sure it's well ventilated. I've seen it in just about every imaginable config, with the serious contenders seem to most often mount it all freely within the cab.

I expect you'll get more experienced advice, but there's some food for thought.

Post pictures in the Gamers Rigs section please

[noiseprisoner]

I'm in the process of putting together my cab at the moment. I was previously running a q6600 and it did pretty well but had some stuttering on intense scenes (like the saucer on Attack from Mars). Anyway, I changed motherboards and put in an AMD FX unlocked 6-core and it runs WAY smoother. My video card is a 750ti and it runs all 3 screens (28" backglass, 17" DMD, and 39" playfield). I'm running 8GB DDR3 RAM and it seems just fine...I might go 16GB down the road if I find a good deal. I'm running Win7 64-bit and have had very good luck with it, I've heard from others that Win8 works great for PinballX as well. You can mount your components any way you'd like...doesn't really matter. If you have a mechanical hard drive (not SSD) you might want to mount it somewhere that it can be shock absorbed a bit. Good luck! I just got into this hobby last year and have already setup a dedicated PC and am assembling the cabinet now...very fun and very addictive!

[Numiah2]

Hi,

I recently changed out my old Q6600 with a new mobo and i5 processor. (Gigabyte GA-Z97X-SLI and i5 4690K, 2 GFX, GTS450 and 9800GTX, 16Gb Ram and SSD. Not an absolute monster build, but it will eat everything I throw at it for breakfast so far)

These changes made a LOT of difference in the overall performance. Faster loading times too.

The Q6600 performed well the passed few years, but the latest tables with all their fancy bling bling, made it stutter here and there.

[Draco1962]

You may want to refer to this PinballX Start to Finish guide put together by Zeenon. It is an excellent source of information. Your i5 setup should be plenty to do what you wish.

[Scooby1]

Thank you guys for the helpful info. It sounds like I should be able to run all three screens for PinballX with one graphics card, such as a 750ti. I'll get a quad core, but I might need to go for an AMD instead of Intel i5 to save some money. However from what I've ready, it sound like AMD should every table smoothly.

[Scooby1]

I just realized an important question before starting to setup my PinballX machine. Do I need to have Visual Pinball, Future Pinball and any other systems I want to run through PinballX running on their own BEFORE I setup those systems with PinballX? It seems I would need to do this, but want to verify and I didn't see this in the documentation.

Thanks again and I look forward to your responses!

[noiseprisoner]

Yes, make sure VP and FP are working properly before attempting to setup PinballX. With a few exceptions, PinballX will essentially just launch them as they are.

[Draco1962]

Generally, it is assumed that one would have the applications running smoothly outside of the frontend of choice.

[Scooby1]

Great, thanks guys. I'll post back with updates as my project gets going.

[Scooby1]

I'm about ready to buy the parts for the PC and would love to get some feedback before I purchase. After further research, here are the spec options I'm looking at:

Option 1

· AMD FX-6300 Vishera 6-Core 3.5GHz (4.1GHz Turbo) CPU

· ASRock 970M Pro3 AM3+/AM3 AMD 970 + AMD SB950 6 x SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

· SAPPHIRE DUAL-X 100373L Radeon R9 280 3GB 384-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 CrossFireX Support Video Card

· SAMSUNG 850 EVO MZ-75E120B/ 120GB SSD

· 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)

· 800W Power Supply

· Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 OEM

Option 2

· Intel Core i7-4790 3.6GHz CPU

· ASRock H81M-HDS LGA 1150 Intel H81 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

· 120GB SSD

· 8GB DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)

· NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 2GB Video Card

· 400W Power Supply

· Windows 7 Professional 64 Bit OEM Premium SP1

I realize these are not great comparisons, but as long as I can run Visual Pinball, Future Pinball and PinballX without any stutter or issues, I would likely choose Option 1.

(I’ve been reading that either it will be difficult or not possible to run onboard video AND a separate graphics card. So I’m hoping one of these graphics cards will be enough power to run all three screens for VP, FP and PinballX without any stutter).

Since this is likely going to be the most expensive part of my cab project, I'll wait for some feedback before purchasing.

Thanks again.

[Draco1962]

I like #1 best, but would recommend Windows 8.1 Pro x64.

[Scooby1]

Can I ask why Windows 8.1 Pro over Windows 7 Home? I have Windows 7 Home on a MAME machine from several years back and I like the operating system. I have another work machine with Windows 8.1 (home edition, I believe). I don't like the interface on the 8.1 machine.

Will VP, FP and Pinball run any better on 8.1 or would I see any real performance issues on Windows 7? Also, would I need a Pro edition or would the Home versions work just as well here?

Lastly, the only reason I was considering an Intel CPU is I saw a post that AMD CPUs are crashing PinballX when running Catalyst Software. The AMD is less expensive, but I don't want to run into performance or crashing issues once I setup PinballX.

Here is that post:

http://www.gameex.info/forums/topic/16137-attention-amd-gpu-users/

[Draco1962]

Can I ask why Windows 8.1 Pro over Windows 7 Home? I have Windows 7 Home on a MAME machine from several years back and I like the operating system. I have another work machine with Windows 8.1 (home edition, I believe). I don't like the interface on the 8.1 machine.

Will VP, FP and Pinball run any better on 8.1 or would I see any real performance issues on Windows 7? Also, would I need a Pro edition or would the Home versions work just as well here?

Lastly, the only reason I was considering an Intel CPU is I saw a post that AMD CPUs are crashing PinballX when running Catalyst Software. The AMD is less expensive, but I don't want to run into performance or crashing issues once I setup PinballX.

Here is that post:

http://www.gameex.info/forums/topic/16137-attention-amd-gpu-users/

To tackle the first question regarding 8.1 Pro x64. On July 29, owners of Genuine 8.1 Pro will be eligible for the Windows 10 Pro upgrade for free. Below is the upgrade path:

When you upgrade, you’ll stay on like-to-like editions of Windows. For example, Windows 7 Home Premium will upgrade to Windows 10 Home.

Will upgrade to Windows 10 Home:

Windows 7 Starter

Windows 7 Home Basic

Windows 7 Home Premium

Windows 8.1

Will upgrade to Windows 10 Pro:

Windows 7 Professional

Windows 7 Ultimate

Windows 8.1 Pro

You can read more about that here and also see the discussion in this thread. Windows 10 returns the desktop to desktop users and incorporates the best features of both 7 and 8.1 and then some. I much prefer the Pro editions to the Home editions as I work in IT and the Pro capabilities more closely align to my work environment. Home will work just fine if that is your choice. Additional information can be found here.

I believe you misread the thread warning. It is GPU, not CPU. In the system stats you mentioned, you have a Radeon GPU. That is AMD. You do not need the Gaming Evolved Client by Raptr enhancements to use it the Catalyst software.

[Scooby1]

Thanks guys.

The ASRock 970M Pro3 AMD Motherboard I'm looking to get does not have onboard graphics. Will the SAPPHIRE DUAL-X 100373L Radeon R9 280 3GB graphics card be able to easily run my setup without any issues or stutter?

If I should be looking for a motherboard that has onboard graphics (and then a CPU that is compatible with the chipset), please let me know.

[tthurman]

I've been hesitant to add anything here due to my lack of actual usage experience, but again, based on keeping up with things here, I don't think it is possible to guarantee that you will be able to run every conceivable table without stutter issues on a single card. As noted in this thread, things get more flashy all the time, but as long as you got an extra slot, you can always add a card later if needed.

I don't think you will get a definitive answer on this based on the intangible differences in hardware alone. NoisePrisoner is obviously doing well with one GPU, while Krackerman indicates a dedicated BG GPU was a difference maker for him, and Numiah2, he's running 2 also....

If the price is relatively close on these, and the on-board is sufficient, the safe side of me says get it now. I'm also partial to Intel setups, so my decision would be an easy one in this particular case.

Being early in the warm season, things are bit slower here as of late, but if you're not in a tremendous hurry, I'm sure you'll get some more input.

[noiseprisoner]

I would go with the AMD option mainly for cost reasons. I believe it would perform just as well in PinballX as the other rig. I'm not familiar with the Radeon cards but I can't imagine you'd have any issue running multiple screens off a current gen video card. My 750Ti does very well with 3 screens. The i7 processor is faster than the AMD, but in PinballX the AMD will do just fine. As far as the OS, I've run PinballX on Windows 7 and 8 and I really see no difference in how it runs. Home or Pro shouldn't matter either...If you have home edition, you'll lose a few options like domains, bitlocker encryption, and a few others. Depends on how important the Pro features are for you to have....PinballX won't care about which edition you're running. Good luck!

[Snipercollege]

I'm running a second gen i3 with 4 gigs of ram and windows 7 ultimate 64 bit on a 120 gig ssd. I have an AMD 270x running ALL 3 screens in my cab(48" 1080p, 32" 720p, and 17"). Everything runs FLAWLESSLY in my cab. I don't have any toys running in my cab other than LED buttons. Ymmv based on your set up, but if you get option 1 it should definetily run everything just fine. Option 2 is going to be a little over kill with an i7 but i would upgrade the gpu, but thats just me.

[Scooby1]

Here is what I ordered:

· AMD A10-7850K Kaveri 12 Compute Cores (4 CPU + 8 GPU) 3.7GHz Socket FM2+ 95W AD785KXBJABOX CPU

· GIGABYTE GA-F2A88XM-D3H FM2+ / FM2 AMD A88X (Bolton D4) 8 x SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard

· SAPPHIRE DUAL-X 100373L Radeon R9 280 3GB 384-Bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 CrossFireX Support Video Card

· SAMSUNG 850 EVO MZ-75E120B 120GB SSD

· 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)

· 800W Power Supply

· Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit

The CPU and motherboard are different from the specs above. I now have onboard graphics along with the Radeon R9 280 card, so I can test running all three screens with either one or both GPUs.

How did I do?

[noiseprisoner]

That should work fine. I have an AMD A10 on my HTPC and it runs great. The integrated graphics will use up your system RAM so you might want to just stick with the dedicated R9 card for the monitors...you can certainly test it out though.