OFFICIAL Battlefield 2 Buyer's Guide

SVT Cobra

Lifer
Mar 29, 2005
13,264
2
0
Thank You those those of you who helped me in creating this.

Battlefield 2 Buyer?s Guide


So Battlefield is back and in a big way. In the past week hardcore and causal gamers alike flocked to download the Battlefield 2 demo, hoping to continue their gaming bliss in new levels and vehicles with updated graphics. Since the release of Half Life 2 there has not been another title that has inspired gamers to upgrade their systems, but with the release of Battlefield 2 right around the corner, and its sure need for a power hungry graphics driven system, many gamers that had no problem chugging along on a ATI 9800 Pro are now looking to build a new system. Here is what we recommend:
With the release of Dual Core processors and next generation video cards in the next few months or so, not to mention ATI?s CrossFire technology, anyone deciding to build a computer is in a tight spot. Questions about SLI or CrossFire, Dual Core or Single, or whether to wait for next generation video cards or buy the best one can get now, can become overwhelming. But, this latest title from Electronic Arts has everyone getting ants in their pants, dreaming about putting lead into an unfortunate n00b who happens to cross your path of fire, and can simply not wait. So as we recommend this hardware for your next build, take it with a grain of salt. Also we are recommending this for gamers with some money to spend, gamers on an extreme budget look elsewhere. All parts were chosen with their stock performance in mind, while most will still overclock well, that is not the main goal of this system.

The minimum system requirements from EA?s Website for the Battlefield 2 Demo:

The Battlefield 2 demo has the following minimum requirements. If your computer does not meet these requirements, the game will not run properly if at all.
· Windows XP (32 bit version).
· 1.7 GHz or faster processor.
· 512 MB or more RAM.
· Supported 128 MB video card with the newest manufacturer drivers.
· 500 MB free hard disk space plus space for the Windows swap file and save data.
Supported Processors:
· Intel Pentium 4, Xeon, Extreme Edition, Celeron D.
· AMD Athlon XP, Athlon 64, Athlon 64-FX, Sempron.
Supported Video Cards:
ATI Radeon
· X700 (PCIe), X600 (PCIe), X800 XT Platinum Edition, X800 PRO, X300 series.
· 9800 series, 9700 series, 9600 series, 9559 (RV350LX), 9500 series, 8500 series.
NVIDIA GeForce
· 6600 (PCIe), PCX 5900 (PCIe).
· 5800 series (AGP).
· 6800 Ultra, 6800 GT, 6800.
· FX 5950 series, FX 5900 series, FX 5700 series.


CPU: AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Venice Core Socket 939

Gamers will not benefit from dual core anytime soon, so going with a single core processor is the best/cheapest route to go, especially if you are waiting for AMD?s X2. Of course we are recommending an AMD processor as they outperform all Intel CPU?s in gaming. Currently there is no reason not to go with socket 939 these days, considering the price of most 939 boards have come down, and for those of you who like to be future-proof you can sleep soundly at night knowing that in the future you can simply drop in an X2 and power up to two cores without having to upgrade. Also as there is virtually no price difference between AMD?s old Winchester core and its new Venice one would be crazy not to get the new core for reasons such as overclocking and SSE3 support. We recommend a 3200 for its great overclocking potential, and for its great stock performance that will give any late night gamer enough power to run Battlefield 2 into the night, without burning a Prescott like hole into your wallet.

Motherboard: DFI LANPARTY nF4 SLI-DR Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI

We recommend DFI?s flagship model for this gaming system. While still a bit pricey, the Lanparty comes laden with features and is a solid enthusiast board, offering many features for tweaking, not to mention its many excellent reviews and support for extreme overclockers. While some may consider SLI a waste, and we agree to some point, we are not recommending it for the performance benefits alone. It also makes a great upgrade path. With the introduction of ATI?s CrossFire into the market, Nvidia will be dropping their prices of all their all their SLI chipsets so manufacturers can offer SLI boards for under one hundred dollars, making any money conscious buyer take a second look. Most extreme gamers, not to be outdone, do not want to see low end budget computers toting a superior motherboard, mocking you through its case window. The board also comes feature laden, and with UV-reactive parts it certainly does not lack in the looks department. As for our reason for SLI, this also has to do with our graphics card selection.

Video Card: ATI Radeon X800

Why an X800 you may ask after getting a SLI board you may ask? Simply because with next generation cards right around the corner, we cannot justify spending our money on something such as two 6800 Ultra?s in SLI, when they will soon be outperformed by a single card, either Nvidia?s G70, or ATI?s R520. This way you can still have your high detail settings and play Battlefield 2, or any other games right now, but have only spent around 250 dollars, a moderate price compared to many current generation cards. This provides an excellent upgrade path for when the G70 and R520 come out. Currently it looks like Nvidia?s card will be out first, and considering ATI?s past history Nvidia will probably have a significant advantage in availability. While some may argue that ATI has preformed better in Battlefield, one can simply not overlook that Nvidia?s cards will be the first thing you can get to have the best performance on the block. Buy one G70 when they come out, and then later when the prices drop and more demanding games are released buy another and enjoy pure graphics bliss, pumping out 16AA at 1600x1200 to the wee hours of the morning. That?s all right; you can catch a nap at work.

Memory: 1GB OCZ EL Platinum Revision 2 184-Pin DDR 400 (PC 3200)

Now shipping with TCC5, instead of TCCD chips, this RAM from OCZ still offers great performance and reliability. In dual channel mode this RAM can still hold its own easily and overclocks well. OCZ is known for its great reliability and performance and should feel right at home in your system. We recommend 1GB, which is now becoming the standard, with the possibility of upgrading to 2GB?s if you determine you need the extra memory. There is also the possibility of going with OCZ?s VX RAM, which pared with the DFI board allows for great overclocking. The VX or the RAM of your choice will also be sufficient, such as something from Corsair, depending on your needs and plans of what you are going to do with your system.

Power Supply: OCZ ModStream 520W

We recommend the ModStream for its great reliability and ability to offer a solid, steady flow of juice for your system. It has modular cables; meaning you can detach the cables that are not needed to keep your case neat. It comes fully sleeved and ready to go, and while a bit bigger then some other power supplies you should have no problem fitting it into your case. We also recommend the Antec TruePower 2.0, for its great features and popularity among enthusiasts and gamers alike. With both the OCZ and Antec weighing in at the same price, it all depends on your opinion. We feel a high quality PSU, such as something form OCZ, Antec, or PC Power and Cooling, with over 500 watts is necessary to be sure that your PSU can handle all your peripheral needs, and allow for upgrading, such as next generation video cards that are sure to suck the life right out of any no name PSU.

Hard Drive:
Western Digital 74GB Raptor 10,000 RPM SATA or Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 7200 RPM SATA

There is no doubt about it, if you are looking for the best non-SCSI drive performance wise, the Raptor delivers in all aspects. It will also certianly help in loading those long levels in the game. To reap the benefits of the Raptor with its 4.5ms seek time, and with the hard drive being one of the biggest bottlenecks in any modern day system (ignoring your 56k modem junior), this beast is worth the cost to some people. To others the price is simply not worth it, they cannot justify spending that much for only 74GB of storage. So for those who look at the GB/$ ratio we recommend the Seagate, it is quiet, dependable, and offers NCQ or Native Command Queuing technology. The size of the drive is up to you, and around 200GB is sufficient for most people. To quell the rumors of putting two Seagate?s in RAID to get the performance of a Raptor, or even two Raptor?s in a RAID 0 array, we have to say that most users, including gamers, will not see any real world benefit from having two drives in RAID in the desktop world. Save your money and get something that you will see more of a benefit from.

Sound: CREATIVE Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS

For those of you who cannot live with onboard sound we suggest the Audigy2. It has great sound and is relatively cheap. For gaming it also has EAX support. If you are a gamer that uses headphones or not, this is still a solid card that should not be looked over for other uses also.

Approximate Price: $1,100


The price of this system is well worth it, as it will serve you well for the next couple of years, or at least until Battlefield 3. You still need to buy a case and cooling, monitor, keyboard, optical drive and any other peripherals and miscellaneous parts that you want to add to your system. We did not include recommendations on those components due to the variety on the market and wants/needs of every gamer. If you are going the SLI route make sure to get a quality monitor that can support high resolutions so all that extra money will not go the waste.
Remember this is just a guideline to follow when building your system, if you find the price too high or you find you can spend more money you can substitute for better parts, such as upgrading the CPU or RAM.
We hope we may have cleared up any confusion about what parts currently are best for building a middle to high end gaming system. Enjoy your new rig and squeezing the last ounce of performance out of it for those extra FPS in Battlefield 2. Happy hunting!




Any suggestions on how to improve this will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
 

Venomous

Golden Member
Oct 18, 1999
1,180
0
76
Good start. I think you will have to alter the motherboard. Youre a bit BIAS. Im no Intel lover by any means, however, you should list multiple platforms along with various graphic options, etc.

You recommend a DFI board, which is SLI, however you point to an ATI card.

You recommend a Athy64 3200, but since its going to be use on a DFI, why not a 3000+ venice? It will be overclocked, no?

Again, the ram you recommend which is TCCD based, is perfect for a 9X multi on the 3000+ for overclocking, more so then the 3200 which has a 10 multi.

Soundcard? HDA Mystique punks an Audigy all day long.

Hardrive? Why an overpriced Raptor when 2 7200's in a RAID offer more space and speed?

You see where im getting at? I would conclude, if you want to play BF2 and your system doesnt meet the min specs or is a tad sluggish, just anty up, get a new midline video card of choice and wait for prices to fall in Sept with intro to new tech.
 

Pabster

Lifer
Apr 15, 2001
16,986
1
0
Pretty simple, like it is for most modern games (although EA tends to make bloated crap)

CPU,MB,RAM,VIDEO: As fast as you can afford.

That pretty much sums it up :D
 

theMan

Diamond Member
Mar 17, 2005
4,386
0
0
I dont think there are any differences between the sli-dr and the ultra-d. and the ultra-d can be modded to sli. for the ati card, the ultra-d should be substituted. I dont think a Raptor is needed, as the others have said. get one of the new SATA II hard drives, that can really compete with the raptor, but have way more storage. otherwise, i like everything else. nice work!
 

MobiusPizza

Platinum Member
Apr 23, 2004
2,001
0
0
Originally posted by: theman
I dont think there are any differences between the sli-dr and the ultra-d. and the ultra-d can be modded to sli. for the ati card, the ultra-d should be substituted. I dont think a Raptor is needed, as the others have said. get one of the new SATA II hard drives, that can really compete with the raptor, but have way more storage. otherwise, i like everything else. nice work!


I agree that a SATA-II HDD would be preferred due to increasing size of today's games and program. Performance wise the new SATAII HDD have similar loading time as Raptor *given* that the HDD is well maintained (formatted often) since sustained transfer rate of today's SATA-II HDD matches Raptor's level.

Otherwiase loading applications which don't depend much on sustained transfer but random seek time Raptor still have much advantage. This includes loading up Windows.
User should decide for themselves whether they would prefer speed to capacity
 

SVT Cobra

Lifer
Mar 29, 2005
13,264
2
0
Originally posted by: Venomous
Good start. I think you will have to alter the motherboard. Youre a bit BIAS. Im no Intel lover by any means, however, you should list multiple platforms along with various graphic options, etc.

You recommend a DFI board, which is SLI, however you point to an ATI card.

You recommend a Athy64 3200, but since its going to be use on a DFI, why not a 3000+ venice? It will be overclocked, no?

Again, the ram you recommend which is TCCD based, is perfect for a 9X multi on the 3000+ for overclocking, more so then the 3200 which has a 10 multi.

Soundcard? HDA Mystique punks an Audigy all day long.

Hardrive? Why an overpriced Raptor when 2 7200's in a RAID offer more space and speed?

You see where im getting at? I would conclude, if you want to play BF2 and your system doesnt meet the min specs or is a tad sluggish, just anty up, get a new midline video card of choice and wait for prices to fall in Sept with intro to new tech.



Did you read the article? everything you critized was explained

The ATI card for SLI due to next generation.
I recomended a raptor or a seagate, not to mention I also added that RAID does not offer more spped in the desktop world as you stated, read the article by Anand himself if you do not believe me. I also stated the price/GB ratio that the poster above me has suggested

There is also no reason to include Intel, becuase recomending someone to go down that route would be absolutely insane unless they are doing heavy video editing.

I also mentioned buying Value or regular VX RAM which is argueably the best overclocking ram for the price.

Originally posted by: dguy6789
I dont see why we need a buyers guide on this than any other game.

I agree also, but considering the amount of "help me, i want to play BF2!" threads i thought this might help guide some.

Thank you for your suggestions though, I appreciate you taking your time.
-S.o.N.
 

Venomous

Golden Member
Oct 18, 1999
1,180
0
76
Originally posted by: Son of a N00b
Originally posted by: Venomous
Good start. I think you will have to alter the motherboard. Youre a bit BIAS. Im no Intel lover by any means, however, you should list multiple platforms along with various graphic options, etc.

You recommend a DFI board, which is SLI, however you point to an ATI card.

You recommend a Athy64 3200, but since its going to be use on a DFI, why not a 3000+ venice? It will be overclocked, no?

Again, the ram you recommend which is TCCD based, is perfect for a 9X multi on the 3000+ for overclocking, more so then the 3200 which has a 10 multi.

Soundcard? HDA Mystique punks an Audigy all day long.

Hardrive? Why an overpriced Raptor when 2 7200's in a RAID offer more space and speed?

You see where im getting at? I would conclude, if you want to play BF2 and your system doesnt meet the min specs or is a tad sluggish, just anty up, get a new midline video card of choice and wait for prices to fall in Sept with intro to new tech.



Did you read the article? everything you critized was explained

The ATI card for SLI due to next generation.
I recomended a raptor or a seagate, not to mention I also added that RAID does not offer more spped in the desktop world as you stated, read the article by Anand himself if you do not believe me. I also stated the price/GB ratio that the poster above me has suggested

There is also no reason to include Intel, becuase recomending someone to go down that route would be absolutely insane unless they are doing heavy video editing.

I also mentioned buying Value or regular VX RAM which is argueably the best overclocking ram for the price.

Originally posted by: dguy6789
I dont see why we need a buyers guide on this than any other game.

I agree also, but considering the amount of "help me, i want to play BF2!" threads i thought this might help guide some.

Thank you for your suggestions though, I appreciate you taking your time.
-S.o.N.


In a nutshell, you have no idea what youre even talking about, therefore, ill let this sink like the titantic. No use arguing with a noob with no clue.
 

wetcat007

Diamond Member
Nov 5, 2002
3,502
0
0
I would actually recomend goin over 1gb of ram, 1.5-2gb would really run it idealy, the demo is a hog on ram...
 

Bucksnort

Golden Member
Aug 17, 2001
1,062
0
0
Originally posted by: dguy6789
I dont see why we need a buyers guide on this than any other game.

You forget its eA games. Why do ppl never learn? Spend your money on a new system if u like but why throw it away
?:laugh:
 

Regs

Lifer
Aug 9, 2002
16,665
21
81
Raid?....pft...That's liek ... sooooooooo 3 months ago on desk tops man.
 

SVT Cobra

Lifer
Mar 29, 2005
13,264
2
0
Originally posted by: Venomous
Originally posted by: Son of a N00b
Originally posted by: Venomous
Good start. I think you will have to alter the motherboard. Youre a bit BIAS. Im no Intel lover by any means, however, you should list multiple platforms along with various graphic options, etc.

You recommend a DFI board, which is SLI, however you point to an ATI card.

You recommend a Athy64 3200, but since its going to be use on a DFI, why not a 3000+ venice? It will be overclocked, no?

Again, the ram you recommend which is TCCD based, is perfect for a 9X multi on the 3000+ for overclocking, more so then the 3200 which has a 10 multi.

Soundcard? HDA Mystique punks an Audigy all day long.

Hardrive? Why an overpriced Raptor when 2 7200's in a RAID offer more space and speed?

You see where im getting at? I would conclude, if you want to play BF2 and your system doesnt meet the min specs or is a tad sluggish, just anty up, get a new midline video card of choice and wait for prices to fall in Sept with intro to new tech.



Did you read the article? everything you critized was explained

The ATI card for SLI due to next generation.
I recomended a raptor or a seagate, not to mention I also added that RAID does not offer more spped in the desktop world as you stated, read the article by Anand himself if you do not believe me. I also stated the price/GB ratio that the poster above me has suggested

There is also no reason to include Intel, becuase recomending someone to go down that route would be absolutely insane unless they are doing heavy video editing.

I also mentioned buying Value or regular VX RAM which is argueably the best overclocking ram for the price.

Originally posted by: dguy6789
I dont see why we need a buyers guide on this than any other game.

I agree also, but considering the amount of "help me, i want to play BF2!" threads i thought this might help guide some.

Thank you for your suggestions though, I appreciate you taking your time.
-S.o.N.


In a nutshell, you have no idea what youre even talking about, therefore, ill let this sink like the titantic. No use arguing with a noob with no clue.


please explain to me how i do not know what i am talking about?

Originally posted by: Bucksnort
Originally posted by: dguy6789
I dont see why we need a buyers guide on this than any other game.

You forget its eA games. Why do ppl never learn? Spend your money on a new system if u like but why throw it away
?:laugh:

EDIT:
speak for yourself, a lot of people enjoyed the orginal bf and are looking forward to bf2, i believe it is EA's only good game
 

rise

Diamond Member
Dec 13, 2004
9,116
46
91
i appreciate the work you put into it. if i may, just a couple things-

-the dfi, as much as i love it, may not be the best bet for a lot of people. especially the full blown version. at the very least i'd tell them to get the UT versions of the board or the ultra-d.

-similarly, the vx ram is not for everyone and any recommendation of it should include the need for extra cooling to run it properly.

-of course if you recommend a dfi nf4, which has the excellent karojen audio module, why have them shell out $60+ more for a sound card that won't help them in games, if that is what this rig is for.

-the psu recommendation is "ok" but you don't mention that all nf4 mobo's at least recommend, if not require, a native 24 pin and future cards from nv at least are specing 26a i think.

and if its a true buyers guide, you should remove the shots, legitamate they may be, at intel, like "burning a prescott sized whole" (wth does that mean anway?)

i think it would be best if you just consolidated a bunch of links to relevant pages of reviews really and add a brief side note as to your reasoning.

anyway, its obvious you put some time into it so thanks.
 

Azsen

Member
Sep 20, 2004
176
0
0
Originally posted by: wetcat007
I would actually recomend goin over 1gb of ram, 1.5-2gb would really run it idealy, the demo is a hog on ram...

Seconded. 2x1GB would be nice. It will help make gameplay smoother when you enable high textures & details because at the moment even with 1GB it will use the swap file a lot so this results in stuttering in the game. It's not good when you're flying around then it stutters, causing you crash into a mountain.

Soundcard? HDA Mystique punks an Audigy all day long.
I agree with this as well if you have a receiver and speakers attached to that &/or Logitech Z-5500s etc. Admitedly it doesn't have EAX4 or whatever this game supports but it does have EAX2 and miles better driver support than Creative. Damn it sounds fantastic on my setup, the jets, afterburners & missile sounds are awesome. Infantry rifles sound bad though - sounds really tinny and has no bass, but that's battlefield for you.
 

SVT Cobra

Lifer
Mar 29, 2005
13,264
2
0
Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Originally posted by: Son of a N00b
Mommy, these boys don't play fair. :(

RAID article
Text

to the last poster, yes you may be right about the full blown board, but many people complain that the onboard sound is crappy on the DFI boards, at least when they first came out...

prescott sized hole as a joke
but hey thats me

Originally posted by: Azsen
Originally posted by: wetcat007
I would actually recomend goin over 1gb of ram, 1.5-2gb would really run it idealy, the demo is a hog on ram...

Seconded. 2x1GB would be nice. It will help make gameplay smoother when you enable high textures & details because at the moment even with 1GB it will use the swap file a lot so this results in stuttering in the game. It's not good when you're flying around then it stutters, causing you crash into a mountain.

yes i agree, but i was trying to keep the costs down, but you are correct, if you can afford iit 2GBs is the way to go

thanks for the input i appreciate it
reguards,
son
 

hurtstotalktoyou

Platinum Member
Mar 24, 2005
2,055
9
81
Wow... it looks like whoever made this "buyer's guide" got *everything* wrong (except maybe the video card). Geez.
 

SVT Cobra

Lifer
Mar 29, 2005
13,264
2
0
Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou
Wow... it looks like whoever made this "buyer's guide" got *everything* wrong (except maybe the video card). Geez.


then what would you recomend?
 

hurtstotalktoyou

Platinum Member
Mar 24, 2005
2,055
9
81
Originally posted by: Son of a N00b
then what would you recomend?

Well, it really depends on your budget, other system uses, upgrade plans, etc. One of the biggest glaring flaws, though, is that Raptor hard disk. Also, if you're not going to overclock, why go with the Lanparty? If you don't plan on upgrading any time soon, you should probably get the 3400+ (which is cheaper than the s939 3200+). And, like the Raptor, that Audigy 2 is too overpriced.

But, like I said, it depends on too many other variables. I didn't mean to sound too harsh, but I guess I just don't think you can pick out components that will work for anyone and everyone.
 

SVT Cobra

Lifer
Mar 29, 2005
13,264
2
0
Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou
Originally posted by: Son of a N00b
then what would you recomend?

Well, it really depends on your budget, other system uses, upgrade plans, etc. One of the biggest glaring flaws, though, is that Raptor hard disk. Also, if you're not going to overclock, why go with the Lanparty? If you don't plan on upgrading any time soon, you should probably get the 3400+ (which is cheaper than the s939 3200+). And, like the Raptor, that Audigy 2 is too overpriced.

But, like I said, it depends on too many other variables. I didn't mean to sound too harsh, but I guess I just don't think you can pick out components that will work for anyone and everyone.



number one, i reccomended the raptor for someone who wants the flat out speed and does not want price, if you have never owned one you are going to be against it
As for someone that wants a good $/GB drive i ALSO recomened the seagate which is also a very good drive.

The Lanparty is a great board for OC'ing or non Oc'ing, it runs vert stable at stock speeds and offers many features that you cannot get with a lower end board. Granted a gigabyte, MSI, or chaintech would work just as well, but many people recomend the DFI board here, and the difference between the flagship and lower end SLi board is about 10-20 dollars in most cases, not much

The audigy two is only about 60$ OEM, it provides better sound then onboard, especially if you have speakers, and many people prefer a soundcard over onboard for its other features. like i said, for those that do not want onboard sound, i recomneded it to.

As i stated, its a guideline, not set in stone.

In most people's opinion the 3400+ is a waste of money when the 3000 will OC to that just as well, mot people who surf these boards who do not know how to OC will eventualy learn.

BTW you dont need a 24 pin native PSU. While good to have one it is not neccesary, just like dual 12v rails
 

Pixle

Senior member
Apr 9, 2004
435
0
0
At least he made a post that the other "Is this BF2 Computer" threads can look at. I think it's a great guide for people looking to game BF2...

Although I can play it with medium settings with a p3 1ghz, 512 rd ram, 9800 AIW pro. :)

Pixle.
 

Googer

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
12,576
7
81
Um, unless you have a PC slower than Miine; Then there is no need to upgrade.

PIII Tualatin (S-Version!) 512k Full speed cache running at 1.4ghz
512mb CAS2 Crucial PC133 RAM (Single stick, Double Sided)
Crucial ATI 9700PRO
Intel D815EEA2U Motherboard (Rock Solid Stable, never crashes)

I Get 80-90 FPS @ 800x600 60hz The game play is smooth, but only if I could say the same thing for my network connection........

(Bright House Networks Cable 6Mb/s Down 384Mb/s UP)
 

SVT Cobra

Lifer
Mar 29, 2005
13,264
2
0
Originally posted by: Googer
Um, unless you have a PC slower than Miine; Then there is no need to upgrade.

PIII Tualatin (S-Version!) 512k Full speed cache running at 1.4ghz
512mb CAS2 Crucial PC133 RAM (Single stick, Double Sided)
Crucial ATI 9700PRO
Intel D815EEA2U Motherboard (Rock Solid Stable, never crashes)

I Get 80-90 FPS @ 800x600 60hz The game play is smooth, but only if I could say the same thing for my network connection........

(Bright House Networks Cable 6Mb/s Down 384Mb/s UP)


yeah but some people want to play the game at at least 1024x768, plus if you are buying a new computer are you really going to buy a really old CPU?

but yes you are right, you can play it with the detail settings low on a low end comp...