I bet there are about 100 threads about this, but I couldn't find any using the search function. I'm back to EQ after a long, long break. I'm currently using a 10-year-old el-cheapo laptop I originally bought just for testing web apps against IE (I usually run Mac). I don't like the graphics lag with this machine when running around POK and am considering doing a build. The "recommended system" for EQ seems to be 2004 technology. Is that graphics lag going to just flat out disappear with even low end, modern hardware? (Think AMD Ryzen 3 with integrated graphics.) Or is it worth it upgrading to (for instance) a Ryzen 5 3600 with an AMD RX-570 GPU? How far up the CPU / GPU food chain do I need to go to get the graphics lag down to something that isn't going to annoy me? Note: I'm not using a high-end monitor.
SSD isn't going to change video lag, but I can't imagine building a modern machine with a hard drive. Gross. Definitely SSD.
an AMD Vega 11 (in 3rd gen Ryzen 5) is around 23% faster than AMD Vega 8 (3rd gen Ryzen 3). Both can easily play EQ. however, a discrete/dedicated GPU is still a better choice of you plan on playing any games other than EQ. an RX 570 is a decent GPU, as are the newer XT 5600 +, the nVidia 1660's and 2060. I have 2 systems used for friends and grand kids to play on that are pretty old (Phenom II x4,3Ghz 8gb RAM and a GTX660ti 2gb GDDR5 and GTS450 1gb GDDR5, respectively). so, it really comes down to your budget and if you will want to play other games as far as GPU. as others mentioned a SSD is a good idea, as is 8+ GB RAM. EQ likes RAM, and fast CPU cores. a quad core is a good idea if you plan on running more than one client at a time. the GPU on a Ryzen 5 3600 should actually be fine for you, and a discrete GPU can be added later as well. there a plenty of comparisons between these onboard/integrated GPU's on line. here is a comparison with Notebook version and desktop version of AMD APU (CPU+GPU) ranked along side other hardware to give you an idea of capabilities. https://www.notebookcheck.net/Vega-8-vs-Vega-11_8144_8470.247598.0.html as far as lag? well, that is not really on client side to change much.
If nothing else, please see the text in red at the bottom... Video lag is CPU / GPU. Imagine standing in PoK and turning around in a circle. When you begin to face the main bank with 40 people standing around, the laptop has a serious frame rate issue. If I build a machine, it will probably be: -B450 Tomahawk Max motherboard -16 GB RAM -Fast (but not insane) SSD The question is CPU and GPU. I know it's a matter of getting what I pay for, but I don't want to pay for more than I need. I'm not worried about other games. I don't know if I'd be horribly disappointed with a Ryzen 3 3200G for about $95. (Newegg). Next step up would be Ryzen 5 1600 (6 cores, 3.2 GHz) for $130 plus a GPU. Top that could conceivably be necessary (and is probably overkill) is Ryzen 5 3600 for roughly $175. For GPUs, a low-end GPU to pair with the Ryzen 3 3200G might be an RX 550 at $85. Midrange is an RX 570 at $120. Top end might be an RX 590 at something around $200 or $225. Price range is from $95 to $400 for CPU, GPU, and cooling. I'm not opposed to saving money. Because the game is playable on the laptop (which is far less capable than the least machine I could conceivably build), I'm not worried about playable. And yes, I know, in modern terms, even $400 for CPU + GPU is considered low end, but the "recommended" machine is based on 2004 standards. (See link.) https://help.daybreakgames.com/hc/e...minimum-system-requirements-to-run-EverQuest- I'm curious just how far up the CPU / GPU food chain I need to go before that video lag drops from "yuck" to "playable" to "what video lag?"
the Ryzen are very capable chips and forget the fan boi clap chap. I use Intel and AMD. personally I prefer discrete GPU vs onboard. the AM4 is to support new Ryzen's as well, so a AMD x450 or newer chipset + Ryzen 3 3rd gen and a GPU with at least a 128 bit memory interface and GDDR5 + (2gb buffer). Aside from my workstation which I use to multi track (Pro Tools), I do not build for a single use or application. the CPU's can be upgraded as well as GPU's as prices come down. a motherboard with a B450 or newer chipset (I personally would want PCIe 4.0) and 4 memory slots (adding RAM is much easier/cheaper). a Ryzen 3 (faster the better) quad core and a RX 550 (as long it has 128 bit mem interface), i have seen 570-580's going for 129-ish in 4gb models. there are very real benefit to having more GPU RAM and memory bus of +128 bit but, 128 bit with GDDR5 is a solid choice for EQ. for comparison : 550 vs 570 https://www.game-debate.com/gpu/ind...ompare=radeon-rx-550-4gb-vs-radeon-rx-570-4gb out of curiosity, are you opposed to nVidia as an option? there are some good deals on DX 12 "Kepler" and newer which are good performers as well. I box on this laptop (2 clients) dual screens 1080p i7 2820QM, 16gb DDR3 and a R9 m280x 4gb easily. and have run x4 on occasion without any hindrance to game play, i just suck at boxing more than 1. in the end it is budget and what you are comfortable with.
Variety of different reasons for the video stuttering and workarounds, most has to do with code (spaghetti) which has definitely not been optimized to take advantage of a majority of GPU benefits. Build the PC for other potential games and it will work for EQ with some tweaks. If only for EQ, no need to burn up funds. 1st. Directx 9c (June 2010) will need to be installed - utilize the redistribution package - Windows 10 comes with a basic Directx 9, as it was introduced with XP but does not include the all the modules. 2nd CPUAffinity 0 = -1 / CPUAffinity 1 = - 1 in the eqclient.ini file. Spreads the work out over all the cores instead of being locked to one core. 3rd, System Power Options, set to High Performance - helps stop CPU parking/throttling due to overall CPU usage dropping below a threshold. 4. Shadows - even now it is the most unoptimized POS, and that was introduced years and years ago. Only a few peoples could run with it successfully due to all of their parts working great together. One player had build 3 computers.. All the manufacture components, software but only one could fine with Shadows enabled while the others too a severe hit. And this is after running them through stress programs, etc.
>>>> $458.94 <<<< for a computer that will absolutely smash EQ. I have built several of these and can personally vouch for their performance. You still need a keyboard, mouse, monitor, headphones/speakers, and the operating system of your choice. This is a low-cost-oriented build that still uses quality components. To those stating APUs are junk I can only surmise you have never played EQ with this APU.
I run a pretty high-end system (Intel 9900K overclocked to 5GHz, 2080ti, 64GB RAM, NVMe M.2, etc). And for whatever reason, the little Ryzen 3200G feels snappier in EQ than my system does. It might simply be the on-package GPU with such low latency. But framerates on the 3200G are outstanding, even in the lagpile zones. You don't have to spend a lot these days to get great performance, you just have to spend smart. Pairing the Ryzen 5 1600 ($113 right now on newegg) with a 570 or 580 would be sweet, but it's honestly completely overkill for EverQuest. Not a bad combo though if you plan to run more modern titles. Keeping that 1600 and even going to VEGA like a 5600XT would be a champion system on a shoestring budget and would run any modern title - ANY.
