What is the best computer setup if your looking to design games?

Hey everyone,

I'm looking into buying a desktop powerful enough to create my own games. I really want a three monitor setup but I cant figure out whats the most efficient desktop setup that will suite my needs.

Thank you

 

It's not really a game design question, but for what it's worth: I use a MacBook Pro, mid-2012 vintage, with a Samsung external monitor. I prop the laptop up on a stand to get its screen even with the other one, and use an external keyboard and mouse. For a while I had a third monitor plugged in (through a USB-video adapter), but when I moved to a new office I never set it up, and haven't really missed it — I guess that was more screen real estate than I needed most of the time.

 

I am currently using my laptop but its not keeping up to what I'm looking to achieve. So Ive decided to go all out and buy a powerful desktop.

 

If you want to make iOS games, get an Apple computer. Doesn't matter which one, because you're quite obviously not going to make anything huge.
If you're getting a MacBook, it's also a good idea to invest in a monitor and a mouse.

If you want to make "serious" games (read: target desktop/consoles), I have one tip for you:
Don't. Get. A. Laptop.

I know there are many people around here that think laptops are perfectly fine for game development, but they aren't for anything more sophisticated than mobile games. I'm speaking from experience here. 1.5 years of working with a +2000€ premium laptop.
When I switched to a (way cheaper) desktop, it was an upgrade in every way imaginable.

I'm in university with nothing but my phone right now, so I won't go into to detail just yet (touchscreens are awful for writing longer texts).
You'll have to wait till I get home, for a more detailed post.

 

I agree with @TheSniperFan - use an Apple computer to build iOS games.

Get a computer that fits your development process.

If you're going to write casual, mobile games in Starbucks, you can probably get by with your laptop. Another advantage of laptops is that they make it handy to demo your games at conventions, meetups, etc.

If you're going to write desktop games, get a PC that meets or exceeds the Oculus specs:

• NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD R9 290 equivalent or greater
• Intel i5-4590 equivalent or greater
• 8GB+ RAM
• Compatible HDMI 1.3 video output
• Windows 7 SP1 64 bit or newer (I'm happy with Windows 10)

A fast processor, SSD, and 16+ GB RAM are really helpful if you're compiling IL2CPP (e.g., for iOS) and/or building for WebGL.

I love my three monitor setup. It really improves productivity. Make sure to get a video card that can drive three monitors.

Every issue of PC Gamer magazine has three up-to-date recommended builds -- budget, standard, and top-of-the-line -- with suggested hardware and prices. They do a good job of finding hardware that gives you the most bang for the buck. You might find it worthwhile to pick up a copy at the newsstand.

 

Why do you need a new PC? If you have a computer good enough to play games, then you've got what you need to get started. Alternately, you can go to NewEgg to buy the best IBuyPower PC you could afford. If you are building iOS games, you do need a mac. And, +1 to the idea that a laptop is probably not the right choice.

I suspect, since you are posting to this forum, that you already have enough to get started. In which case, you are getting sidetracked - focus on your games.

Gigi

 

I recently updated my build after the motherboard died. With the release of Intel's skylake line of CPUs all the standards regarding motherboards, CPUs and Memory have changed. If you'd like be able to upgrade individual components in the next few years instead of buying a whole new build, You will want to make sure your gear contains a skylake CPU, DDR4 Memory, and a motherboard that is compatible with both of those. (Only motherboards with the Z170 chipset are able to do SLI or Crossfire, if you have multiple GPU's you wanted to use.) If you get a build with older gear, it won't be in compliance with the new standards that all the new CPU and memory components are being made with.

 

That's a good point. In the context of the Game Design forum, you don't need much hardware. Heck, you can do a lot with paper prototyping without any computer at all.

However, if you're talking about making games, you can shave off a lot of compile time and graphics processing time with faster hardware. This really adds up, and you can devote that extra time to more productive activities such as improving designs or quality testing.

 

While I agree with the previous posters in that you should think carefully before throwing money out of the window, I'm still going to post some info here, just in case.
I'm going to stay very general though, because without having any idea what your budget is, any more detailed recommendations are a waste of time. After all, the ceiling for how much you can spend on a quality workstation is high enough, that you could get decent, used cars for less.

Monitors:

• Monitorssssss as in: You want at least two of them
• Buy quality because...
  • you aren't going to replace them anytime soon
  • you are going to spend a lot of time in front of them
  • bad ones can seriously hinder certain kinds of work
• Go with an IPS panel*
• Go with 1440p, if you can afford it; Otherwise use 1080p (or 1920x1200)
• Stay away from 4k**

*There basically are two big fronts when it comes to gaming monitors: The people who prioritize fast monitors vs. those who prioritize good image quality.
The former ones use monitors with TN-panels. Crap viewing angles, crap colors, but fast. That's where you get your 144Hz monitors that are popular among competitive gamers.
The latter use monitors with IPS-panels (or one of the many versions of this technology). Great colors, amazing viewing angles, but slower. 60Hz is all you get (without serious ghosting). 60 Hz is enough for development and the benefits far outweigh the downsides for you.
I can wholeheartedly recommend Dell's U-Series. I use two Dell U2515H monitors with a resolution of 2560x1440.

**As of today, there are two big problems with 4k monitors. Firstly, there are still applications that don't support HDPI resolutions. Secondly, driving one of those things with high framerates is hard (read: expensive) enough as it is, but running more than one of them simultaneously?


Keyboard:
Be sure to invest in a mechanical one, if your budget allows for it. It's totally worth it. After all, you're going to use it a lot.
I own a Steelseries 6GV2 (uses MX Black switches; no tactile feedback). Amazing for its price.


CPU:
You don't want to overclock, because stability, reliability and durability are of higher importance to you, than a couple more FPS. If you go with Intel (which you should, if you buy a PC right now since AMD sadly hasn't gotten their S*** together yet), go with either an i5, i7 or Xeon. Be careful about the chipsets, because Intel put arbitrary restrictions on them since the Xeon E3s were basically better i5s which undermined their sales.


RAM:
Either 2x4GB or 2x8GB. That is assuming you use a mainboard with 4 slots (which you should). Don't fill out everything at the time of purchase, so you still have room for a future upgrade.
Go with 16GB, if you can afford it. 8 would suffice though.


GPU:
Nothing special here. The same rules as for gamers apply. Look up what's the hot stuff right now and make your choice based on your requirements and budget. There isn't a reason to go with anything but AMDs/Nvidias consumer cards, unless you're doing some very specialized work (in which case you'd know what you're doing and wouldn't ask us here).


PSU:
DO. NOT. GET. A. CHEAP. ONE. DO. NOT. GET. A. CHEAP. ONE. DO. NOT. GET. A. CHEAP. ONE. DO. NOT. GET. A. CHEAP. ONE. DO. NOT. GET. A. CHEAP. ONE. DO. NOT. GET. A. CHEAP. ONE.
And by "cheap" I mean "low quality", not "low price". There are so many gamers that buy expensive firecrackers instead of quality PSUs, because they have "more Watts" and "higher numbers mean better, am I right?"


Storage:
SSD for your operating system/s, development related applications and currently used data. HDD for everything you finished and the rest. What I said about CPUs applies here too: Durability > performance. Don't get storage that is known for high failure rates, regardless of how fast it is.
If you can afford it, set up a RAID array (RAID 1) with two HDDs, and regularly replace the older one. By regularly I mean after two thirds of its warranty. If your HDD has 3 years of warranty, make sure no disk is in use for more than 2 years. Buy a new one, take the old one out, label it so you know the date at which it was taken out and store it somewhere safe and rebuild the RAID array. You can go the extra mile and set up a NAS for additional safety.
Why all of this?
If you are serious about developing games, the data of the current project is one of the most important things there are. If it is lost during a late stage of development, your career is probably over. You probably won't be able to develop a new game from scratch before running out of money.


That's all I can think of right now.
Hope it helps.

 

The ASUS ROG PG279Q is 2560 by 1440, 144Hz, and is IPS. It's expensive but you only need one. You can always use lower quality monitors for displaying your documentation, code, forums, etc.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9710/asus-announces-two-new-rog-gaming-monitors
http://www.frys.com/product/8682640

 

@Ryiah :
I just glanced over an in-depth review (link below) and stand corrected. They finally managed to build a fast IPS that doesn't look like crap.


Prad is one of the best, if not the best, website for monitor reviews. Unfortunately they stopped translating their reviews some time ago, because they couldn't afford it. Here's the link for those of you who speak German.
The gist of it:
The endresult is a 4/5. The actual response times (not the ones the manufacturers give you) are good enough. "Good enough" means that the problems are small enough, not to be a nuisance while gaming.
The main weaknesses are related to the image quality itself. The panel doesn't produce a homogeneous image and both, the brightness levels and colors, have some serious variations.

I still don't think I would recommend it to a developer. For gamers, sure. Go for it, if you can afford it. But for developers? The high refresh rates aren't really that much of a deal for your job and you could spend those hundreds of dollars much better elsewhere. If money isn't a problem, then...well...money isn't a problem. But if it is?

For the current price of this monitor, I could have gotten my two U2515H's (which are excellent) and two 2TB Western Digital Red HDDs to make a RAID array which would allow me to sleep better at night.

At the end of the day, it's your money and you know your priorities best (at least you should). If you think that a fast IPS panel is important to your development process, then buy it. It's a good monitor.

 

Wow!

A huge thank you to everyone who posted within this forum. You have all been a great help. I have a decent budget for this build. I also know that I want at least two monitors, but I wasn't sure as to the setup of my desktop I know I need at least 16G Ram to do what I want and I really don't have much desire to work in IOS at the moment. But thank you again to everyone who has posted you guys have at least pointed me in the right direction. I really appreciate the input.

Drew

 

Pencil and paper. Some index cards are a good idea. Multi-sided dice are exceptionally useful for simulating RNGs. Most importantly, though, your Mk.1 Human Imagination.

Game design is the creation of what the player is going to experience. As such, your need of technology is low. You can design a game that is digital or physical, like a card or board game. You can create custom games of tag or four-square - those are perfectly legitimate games.

 

After working on a ~40" 4K, I could never go back to anything less.

 

Remote server backups beat anything you can do in your own system.

 

what is the best car for ... A to B?
You want to go fast? You want to carry many people around? Do you need a car you can fold and... ah well
edit: you like a shiny one, a M(a)cLaren wrapped in aluminum ? --->

Personally I like my MacBook. I love it, I love how a Mac just works. + Unity 4.7 final build and and I can focus on my project - 100%
(and really, with a mac you can build for ios, mac, windows, android...)

Did I mention I like macs?

 

Even if you don't speak German you might want to have a look because imho they have the best and most standardized test photos for viewing displays at an angle etc.. I highly recommend the website!

 

What kind of hammer should you use? One that can pound nails.

Although, I strongly suggest a hammer with SSD.

 

I do all of my dev work on a laptop. Have for over a decade now both for job and personal.

Just got a new personal laptop last summer.

I don't know if this site is any good to order from... it is just the first that came up with exactly what I got (including the Xotic PC Redline Performance enhancements).

I actually ordered mine from Amazon. Unfortunately, it is no longer in stock there. I can tell you though this laptop is a joy to develop on. Very fast. Very good graphics card. The SSD makes Windows boot up in a few seconds. 16 GB RAM handles many different applications open at one time with no issues at all.

And the 17" monitor is excellent to work with. Of course, after it arrived I did my own performance optimizations killing services that I don't need as well as customizing it to have a Start Menu and so forth (Win 8.1). Anyway, it is very fast.

 

I developed my latest offering, Tilt-a-cube, on a laptop with 8 GB of RAM and found the experience was good when paired with a 46" tv which I had sticking around.
However, the frequent compiles to web player/Android and by that I mean 50+ versions along the way,did fry the motherboard eventually just before releasing the game....
Which leads to my next point, which someone alluded to with the mention of the NAS. Backups. It doesn't matter whether you use a flash drive, extra hard drive, online storage, a floppy disc, a raid array, a San or NAS, or your phone's extra storage, Backup your project every day! I told myself that I had a good machine and I did, but I am telling you, the inevitable happens! Twice, I was sick to my stomach desperately looking for a backup copy of my project after I/hardware/software glitched and I lost a day's work.... Twice. It will happen to you. Get your backups on!

Good luck with your game development and I hope you'll be putting updates on it within the "work in progress" area.

 

Overheat?

 

This is why I use Git to an external repository (mine are usually hosted on GitHub, but there are other options.) Additionally, version control systems act as a fallback point for when you're developing and do something dumb...as I did during a game dev livestream, on camera!

Lesson: Version control. You need it. No, not Dropbox, that's not version control.

 

What a beautiful guide!

What do you think about this Ram? https://www.amazon.de/Ballistix-16G...-19200)+DIMM+288-Pin+BLS2K16G4D240FSC+(White)

and of course this PSU:
EVGA Supernova 850 watt G2 80 Plus Gold? Recommend anything better for the buck?

 

Hi all. Im hoping to piggy back on this thread,

is there anywhere specific people would recommend for getting the computer from or just where you can find?

 

Can you explain why, please? Like the biggest advantage of it?

 

I can't speak for 4K, I imagine just cause it's pretty. But I can say having the extra width is awesome- I used to have a dual monitor set up and that was great- I usually had Unity open on one screen and the scripting reference on the other. This is a must for doing art of any kind I'm told.

Windows 10 actually has some features for dividing the screen up and expanding windows just vertically or just horizontally.

 

Same concept as multiple monitors only with a single monitor (a 4K is basically four 1080p monitors) but with the added bonus you can have a single app take up the entire thing if you don't want multiple applications visible.

 

Oh my god, this.
If you get a crappy power supply, your computer WILL spontaneously shut down. My wife has an off-brand powersupply in her tower, and even doing moderate 3D work in Maya will lead to her computer shutting down every 30-60 minutes of work. Without fail.
Also, find a tool to estimate your computers consumption. Across the board, power supplies will last the longest and run the most efficiently at ~50% usage.
So while you do not want to skimp on the PSU quality, you don't want to get one with just enough wattage.

 

What desktop(s) are the industry standard for mainstream/Oscar-nominated films or AAA games?

I'm working with a budget of $60,000 for my game. So it wouldn't hurt to go for something fairly cheap.

Thanks in advance, all.

 

My dream setup would be a curved wide screen with a wacom touch screen under it, laid flat. And then a slide out tray for the K&M.

Also, I'd want to thin client my laptop so I can lounge with my lady and work at the same time.

Oh, and of course tons of RAM, a good CPU, and a Mid Range ($400) GPU.

 

I see! Thank you for your answer!

 

Thank you! Did not know about multiple applications thing.

 

Lots of cores, SSD (not HDD), lots of RAM, high powered video card, and multiple monitors. Personally I prefer my setup where my primary monitor is a 52" TV, with two standard sized monitors off to the side, but YMMV.

A laptop is fine for development when you're on the road, or want to do a little more code before going to sleep, but it will slow you down as your primary development machine.