Switching To Pc

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by merseyemu, Oct 4, 2021.

  1. merseyemu

    merseyemu Member

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    Hi guys, I’m currently a console user playing tsw2 but I’m looking to switch to pc. Would anyone be able to give me some pointers on what setup I should get that could happily run train simulator 2022 and tsw please. Thanks in advance
     
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  2. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    The required specs for both are on the steam store pages for them, but remember that TS1 uses one core to run so single CPU core speed is more important in TS1 than TSW
    A more capable GPU is more important for TSW at high or max settings but still important for TS1 if you want high fps overall. Both will want the game files on an SSD for best performance, and remember the more capacity you can afford on an SSD the longer it will last you DLC wise. TS1 has much much more DLC available than TSW, and you may well want to keep the installation files as well just in case the publisher goes pop (these could be stored on a standard HDD rather than the SSD)
     
  3. Peter Hayes

    Peter Hayes Well-Known Member

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    AR
    This was published in 2012/13
    It may not be true multicore, but it does use all 4 cores on my quad pc as per this announcement nearly 10 years ago.

    https://live.dovetailgames.com/live/train-simulator/history
     
  4. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    It's MORE important. TSW is much easier to run than TS.

    Barely. Single core CPU performance is king with TS, so there's still an argument for a high end intel processor with Train Sim. While Almost all Ryzen zen 3 chips trounce the Intel equivalent in multi-core tasking, Intel are still champ for single core. Having said that, no one buys a PC just for Train Sim... even if you THINK you are, you;ll have other uses for it.
     
  5. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    I'll assume you are coming into PC gaming as a beginner. Forgive me if I'm wrong.

    If you want a simulator experience on a par with TSW on a console, then I'm afraid you are into a much more expensive tier of hardware for the PC, or you'll be running with greatly reduced settings, which will be a disappointment to you graphically. Coupled with the fact that it is STILL almost impossible to get a GPU at MSRP due to shortages and scalpers ruling the market. Expect to pay around £900 to £1200 for decent mid range gaming PC. You CAN run it on lesser hardware, but you will still need a hefty GPU to run with high settings.
    Avoid prebuilt systems from the likes of Dell or HP.. they're rubbish, and use propitiatory parts. If you are in the UK, visit Scan.co.uk and look at whet they have to offer in terms of off the shelf gaming PCs, as they will be using regular parts that can be upgraded, or swapped out by the end user... unlike Dell or HP et al. If you actually talk to scan, they'll sort you out.

    Do NOT get a PC with integrated graphics. While modern integrated graphics as found on modern processors like the Ryzen 5800G are very good (for what they are), they are still rubbish. You need a dedicated GPU. Due to shortages etc, many system integrators, are selling machines with a NVidia 1660 Super, which I woudl consider to be the absolute bare minimum. Ideally, you are looking for a RTX3060ti or Radeon 6700XT. (or a second hand GTX1080 as a minimum).

    Processor, as said above, is all about single core performance with Train Sim, due to the age of the DX9 game engine. So when shopping around, if you are looking at benchmarks, you may be fooled into thinking that a Ryzen 5900X is where it's at, and for most modern titles, and software, you'd be right, however, for Train Sim I'd opt for INtel, especially if you cannot afford the top tier stuff, as lower end Ryzen CPUs will not offer the single core performance to match. If other, real world applications are also important, then get any Ryzen Zen3 chip, such as 5600X, 5800X or whatever your budget can support... but for Train Sim alone... Go with Intel.

    The good thing with PCs, is that you can upgrade them, so you can get a system with something like a 1660super in it, and upgrade when the GPU market returns to sanity. Do some shopping around online, and post links to what you find within your budget, and we'll let you know what we think. You'll probably get differing advice, as most people recommend what they already have, instead of what is actually best, but there are things that always catch people out with pre-builts, such as the vendor putting one stick of RAM in tio save money, which really hurts performance, or just as bad, filling up all slots with small amounts of memory, making it hard to upgrade. They also have a habit of saving money on power supplies, which is a definite big NO, as you need quality power for stability, and headroom if you DO upgrade. You buy a PSU capable of what you MIGHT want in the future. Don't be fooled by figures either... manufactures lie. Some, even BIG names in the business not only lie... but sell you things that can potentially kill you if you aren't aware of how to use them.

    Post links to anything you are considering buying.
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2021
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  6. merseyemu

    merseyemu Member

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    Thanks very much for your very insightful post, It’s probably a purchase when things settle down but I’ll definitely let you know what I find.
     
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  7. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, they say that but still.... My 8 core CPU only ever runs one hot when running the game

    Do you mean a better GPU is more important for TS1 or for TSW? With the new lighting in TSW my GPU is running much higher than it has in TS1
     
  8. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    I used to get over 60fps in TSW (before I deleted it), and with the same GPU in TS20xx I get half that at best.
     
  9. ARuscoe

    ARuscoe Well-Known Member

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    I think that's more because TS1 is CPU reliant rather than GPU for its output
     
  10. triznya.andras

    triznya.andras Well-Known Member

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    I purchased mine 6.5 years ago, I think these are the relevant ones in terms of performance:
    • i7-4790
    • GTX 970
    • adata sx8200pnp (1gb, m.2)
    It's just about enough. Hi-fi routes can stutter annoyingly, however a lot of that is trains, so you can make compromises. Alternatively, older content runs very well, the likes of Settle-Carlisle are a fair compromise. Overhead electric lines are a major performance hit, you can avoid them consciously if have to. If you get a second hand in this range, you'll likely find a slightly better GPU.

    If you play TSW you'd probably want the better quality routes, jump to the many screenshot threads and ask around. Also / especially complementing your TSW collection.
    I can have some settings on max, while others are off. The biggest killer is resolution, including multisampling.

    Hence I would recommend investing major cash into your PC. Taxes and duties might influence where in the 2-3000€ range, but with Win11 around the corner, you can build a gaming rig that will last you 5+ years, instead of saving 25% of that and halving the life. TS is one thing, but there are many fantastic games out there and I'd treat myself by maxing out graphics (for now), my Steam activity feed is filled with beautiful stuff (by others). You might also trade frequently, but I find convenience and stability in using my hardware until it breaks or gets really obsolete. And then TS just happens to be fine.

    The big question to me, should one buy a gaming laptop. With crypto prices, it can boil down to longevity versus portability.
     
  11. Kim Olesen

    Kim Olesen Well-Known Member

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    I bought a PC only to run TS. I use it for absolutely nothing else. All my other computer stuff is on Mac.
     
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  12. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    Well, I was talking about normal people, not Mac users, who we all know, are just weirdos.

    (unfortunately, due to the high level of sensitivity the internet seems to have imbued within people, I need this disclaimer to let you all know that this was a joke.)
     
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2021
  13. Kim Olesen

    Kim Olesen Well-Known Member

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    Actually my reply was jokingly meant, as i fully understood what you are saying. It was more in the line of “oh the crazy thing i did (buying a pc) just to be able to play TS” ;-)
     
  14. weaseleyron

    weaseleyron New Member

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    I used to be a big gamer on Xbox, but admittedly I stuck to playing Call of Duty mostly. I started getting bored after a while and especially after seeing my performance decline over time. I figured when I get the money, I'd build my own pc. I always wanted to play games on the highest settings https://showbox.tools/ and with the best graphics and performance, and especially get into VR. Now that I'm learning about computers in college, I'm even more interested.

    For those of you that have switched from console to pc, was it worth it? What are the benefits and disadvantages?
     
  15. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    Never used a console, as they're rubbish, but the advantages to PC are obvious. You're in control of what you build; You can upgrade it; It can do so much more than a games console ever can.
    Disadvantages: PCs are expensive. Graphics cards are rare and expensive at the moment. Confusing for beginners, and so, so easy to get everything horribly wrong if you have no idea what you are doing... especially if you have no idea that you've no idea what you are doing, but think you do because you're read a few websites.

    Consoles advantages: Plug and play... designed for idiots and children, so anyone can use them.
    Consoles disadvantages: You can't really do anything useful except play games. No upgrade path.
     
    Last edited: Apr 2, 2022
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  16. torfmeister

    torfmeister Guest

    Just buy a decent rig... with the inflation now it's probably a good thing investing in a high-end machine.

    As a side note, TS2022 uses CUDA technology meaning it also performs non-graphics calculations on the GPU.

    Hope I won't start a flame war but I recommend buying an nVidia based GFX card. I've some experience with PC gaming since the nineties, and if there was trouble it was mostly due to ATi/AMD drivers...
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 2, 2022
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  17. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    The good news is that the GPU crisis seems to be abating, and Scan.co.uk have stock of most cards, and prices are dropping.
     
  18. hayward.john48

    hayward.john48 Well-Known Member

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    I would agree, nVidia graphics card, 8mb higher spec the better.
     
  19. Pookeyhead

    Pookeyhead Well-Known Member

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    8MB? You mean GB, right? Yes, I'd say 8GB was a minimum. Then again, you'd be hard pressed to buy a new card with less than that on it today. Even the RTX3060 has 12GB. You'd need to drop to lower end 20 series cards to see 6GB, and they are no longer great value for money. If you are buying used though, yes... 8GB.

    You can play the game with 4GB or less, but you get really bad stuttering and freezes as new tiles are loaded. Even 6GB is a bit choppy.
     
  20. hayward.john48

    hayward.john48 Well-Known Member

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    Correct I meant GB
     
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