Build a PC for Knights of the Fallen Empire:
This is an older article from the original release of Star Wars The Old Republic. If you’re looking for up to date PC builds for the new Knights of the Fallen Empire, then please visit the updated Gaming PC Builds of the Month articles. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any further questions.
Jump to: The Introductory Build (Build One) – The Mid Range Build (Build Two) – The Ultimate High Settings Build (Build Three)
The long awaited game title where you are the hero of your own Star Wars saga in a story driven massively multiplayer online game brought to you by BioWare and LucasArts. Whether you choose to be a Jedi or a Sith, one of the most important aspects of being able to play a game like this is having the right hardware to play it at the quality this game deserves.
So in this article I am going to discuss a few gaming builds that you can use to play SWTOR at several different settings; these builds will determine whether you want to play the game on a introductory level or at the maximum possible settings. So I am going to organize these builds on these three assumptions: (all builds will include a Processor, Motherboard, Graphics Card, Hard Drive, Power Supply , Optical Drive and Computer Case)
Star Wars: The Old Republic Build One: The Introductory Build
This build will be of the assumption that you want to play SWTOR, however do not want to spend more than you have to, or have a lower budget. The thinking behind this build will be looking at the minimum system requirements to play and putting together a minimum build.
Star Wars: The Old Republic Build Two: The Mid Range Build
This build will be a mid range build able to play SWTOR at relatively higher settings while being able to keep within a mid range budget. You may even be able to play at the higher setting levels, but may have a lower FPS in more areas with more activity (large battles etc).
Star Wars: The Old Republic Build Three: The Ultimate High Settings Build
The third build will be the the build of builds for SWTOR. If you are wanting to build your gaming pc for this game and want to play it at the highest possible settings at all times, then this is the build for you.
Starting: Know the Minimum System Requirements:
As you can see on the SWTOR minimum system requirements page following is the minmum system requirements for Star Wars: The Old Republic:
| Processor | AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 4000+ or Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz or better |
| Operating System | Windows XP or later |
| RAM | Windows XP: 1.5 GB RAM Windows Vista and Windows 7: 2GB RAM*note: If you are using integrated graphics it is recommended that you have a minimum of 2GB of RAM |
| Graphics Card | ATI X1800 or better nVidia 7800 or better.Intel 4100 Integrated Graphics or better*note: The Old Republic requires a video card with a minimum of 56MB of on-board RAM with support for Shader 3.0 or better. |
| Internet Connection | You must be connected to the internet to play Star War The Old Republic |
Star Wars: The Old Republic Build One:
After taking a look at the minimum system requirements for SWTOR above, you can see that you really do not need much to play the game. The build I am providing below will allow you to play the game without any troubles, however do not expect to play at higher settings.
Gaming PC Build Recipe: SWTOR Introductory Build
| Estimated Price: $ 390 (Prices will vary and are accurate as of December 2011) |
The SWTOR Introductory Hardware Overview:
AMD Athlon II X2 250 Processor (ADX250OCGMBOX)
The AMD Athlon X2 is pretty much the minimum processor in terms of CPU power to play SWTOR. As well, this processor is worth every penny and cannot be beaten in terms of price.
GIGABYTE GA-M68MT-S2P AM3 NVIDIA GeForce 7025/nForce 630a chipset Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
The Gigabyte GA_M68MT-S2P motherboard will support the AMD Athlon X2 with ease. At its fine price point it is the perfect choice for the introductory SWTOR build because it comes at a price low enough to be worthy of this classification and includes everything you need. The following are the technical details for this motherboard:
- CPU: Support for AMD AM3/Phenom II/Athlon II processor. Chipset: NVIDIA GeForce 7025/nForce 630a chipset
- Memory: 2 x 1.5V DDR3 DIMM sockets supporting up to 8GB of system memory, Dual channel memory architecture, Support for DDR3 1333(OC)/1066/800 MHz memory modules
- Audio: Realtek ALC889 codec, High Definition Audio, 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel. LAN: Onboard Realtek RTL8211CL (10/100/1000Mbit)
- Expansion Slots: 1 x PCI Express x16 slot, running at x16. 2 x PCI Express x1 slots. 1 x PCI slot
- Storage Interface: 4x SATA 3Gb/s connectors. Support for RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10 and JBOD
- Back Panel Connectors:1 x PS/2 keyboard port/1 x PS/2 mouse port/1 x serial port/1 x D-Sub port/4 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports/1 x RJ-45 port/3 x audio jacks (Line In / Line Out / MIC In)
- Internal I/O Connectors:1 x 24-pin ATX power connector/1 x 4-pin ATX 12V power connector/4 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors/1 x CPU fan header/1 x system fan header/1 x front panel header/1 x front panel audio header/3 x USB 2.0/1.1 headers/1 x parallel port connector/1 x clearing CMOS jumper
- USB: Up to 10 USB 2.0/1.1 ports
XFX ATI Radeon HD 5670 1GB DDR3 VGA/DVI/HDMI PCI-Express Video Card HD567XZNL3
The Radeon HD 5670 1GB is actually a tad more than required by the minimum system requirements for Star Wars: The Old Republic, however it is actually one of the best graphics cards in this price range at this point in time. You want to play SWTOR? Then this will do the trick!
Kingston ValueRAM 2GB 1333MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL9 DIMM Desktop Memory
Kingston ValueRAM is unbeatable in this situation since it it literally the minimum requirements and all you need to play SWTOR. This single stick of RAM contains 2GB of memory and is only $13.99 at the time of writing this article. If you are only looking to play the game at its minimum settings then this will work perfectly. If you want to double the RAM to 4GB you could also just buy another stick of this later on. You may also find a separate dual channel 4Gb bundle for around $24 if you don’t mind spending the extra cash now.
Western Digital 320 GB Caviar Blue SATA 6 Gb/s 7200 RPM 16 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive – WD3200AAKX
320GB should be all you need for an introductory gaming pc build. If your primary concern is to only play SWTOR then you should be in the clear for now as all you would need is to instal the game and the operating system you use (most likely Windows 7) to play. 320GB however will also allow much more more and if you ever need more you can always add another drive to the mix (especially if prices drop later on)
Cooler Master Elite 460W ATX +12V V2.31 SATA, PCI-E Power Supply RS460-PSAR-J3-US
This Cooler Master Elite 460W PSU is all you need for this gaming pc build. 460W should be plenty to power the following hardware components and does not take a very big hit on your pocket. Also, at the time of writing this Amazon has it ranked with 54 reviews and over 4.5/5 stars.
GAMMA Classic Series ATX Mid Tower Interior Steel Chassis (Black)
The GAMMA Classic series case always fits the bill for any budget gaming pc build if you ask me. It is generally priced around $35 and it a quality computer case for this price range (as an introductory gaming pc build). I have used this case in my previous build recommendations several time and will continue to do so.
LG Electronics GH22NS50 22X SATA Super Multi DVD+/-RW Internal Drive – Bulk with Software (Black)
The LG Electronics optical DVD drive is a basic optical drive that will be able to burn and utilize any CD or DVD you throw at it. I chose this optical drive since it is just like the rest, except comes with a quality brand at a greta price level.
Star Wars: The Old Republic Build Two
The goal of this build is to provide you with the requirements to play SWTOR at mid range and acceptable level at the higher graphics settings. These results are actually based on my gameplay experience with my current build of which my recommendations are based on.
In this build I will provide you with the recommended hardware as well include the 60 second benchmarks I took during some gameplay on my gaming pc. I was able to play SWTOR at all of the highest settings, however it would slow down some at higher gameplay scenarios.
Gaming PC Build Recipe: SWTOR Mid Range Build
| Estimated Price: $ 590 (Prices will vary and are accurate as of December 2011) – This is by far the best bang for buck gaming PC for SWTOR |
The SWTOR Hardware Mid Range Overview:
AMD CPU HDZ955FBGMBOX Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition 3.2GHz AM3 125W Retail
The AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition processor has een the ultimate gaming pc bang for your buck processor for the past long while. In fact, this processor is the exact one I have been using for a while and it has never failed. I have played SWTOR and this processor held up to the task at all the highest settings, however did slow in larger traffic intensive situations. At the end of this segment please look for the benchmarks I took for my gaming p build playing Star Wars: The Old Republic.
ASUS M4A87TD/USB3 – AM3 – AMD 870 – DDR3 – USB 3.0 SATA 6 Gb/s- ATX Motherboard
The Asus M4A87TD motherboard is perfect for the Phenom X4 processor and as I had said with the Phenom X4 proessor above, I also own this motherboard and am currently using it in my build. I have had zero problems with it and have no complaints. The only downside I can think of is the one PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot (as to only have one graphics card; which is ok if that is all you are going to use).
HIS Radeon HD 6770 1 GB (128 bit) GDDR5 Eyefinity DisplayPort 2x DL-DVI (HDCP) HDMI PCI Express X16 2.1 Video Card – H677FN1GD
The Radeon HD 6770 is fantstic graphics card by anyones standards. This card will play so many games at the highest setting right now; especially for the $100-$120 price range. Unlike the previous processor and motherboard this is not the exact graphics card I have right now, but it is very similar. The Radeon HS 6770 graphics cards is directly related to the Radeon HD 5770 graphics cards of which I currently use and have benchmarked with SWTOR.
Corsair Vengeance 4 GB PC3-12800 1600mHz (PC3 12800) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1.5v Dual Channel DDR3 Memory Kit for Intel and AMD 4 Dual Channel
The Corsair Vengeance memory is the perfect set of Dual Channel DDR3 memory set for most game out at the moment. Right now all I am using is a set of 4GB DDR3 G Skill RAM, and it has worked perfectly. If you also purchase the ASUS motherboard I have noted above, you may also upgrade to 8GB in the future easily as there would be 2 slots open for more RAM. The Corsair Vengeance RAM has been highly rated with a 5/5 stars on Amazon.
Western Digital Caviar Blue 500 GB SATA III 7200 RPM 16 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive – WD5000AAKX
500Gb for a mid range build is plenty if you ask me. After all, this build is specifically for SWTOR, so 500Gb to install this game and the OS is way more than you need. However, if you are in fact building a gaming pc in the price range you mise well have a few extra GB so as to install future games, music, movies, software etc. Western Digital is a highly recommended hard drive by me and runs very stable.
Antec 750W Power Supply (EA-750 Green)
So yes I have used the Antec 750W power supply in previous builds (the gaming pc builds of the month) and the background behind this piece of hardware speaks for itself. The reviews and quality of this PSU is fantastic and even though it looks rather plain the actual qualifications surpass this. It has been my opinions and many other that you should not skimp when it comes to purchasing a good PSU, as it is the devise that powers every piece of hardware running your gaming pc.
Thermaltake V4 Black Edition SECC/Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case VM30001W2Z (Black )
Ok, so the Thermaltake V4 Back Edition case is not the case of all cases, but for $46 this is the perfect mid tower ATX case to hold this build in tact. With a slight blue glow you can feel the power behind a solid build to play Star Wars: The Old Republic. It has always been my opinion that a case is highly personal until it comes to the perfect amount of cooling. That is you choose the case that fits your personality, until you need a higher quality case to keep that processor of your cool enough when over-clocking or pushing it to its limits and this case fits that bill.
LG Electronics GH22NS50 22X SATA Super Multi DVD+/-RW Internal Drive – Bulk with Software (Black)
The LG Electronics optical DVD drive is a basic optical drive that will be able to burn and utilize any CD or DVD you throw at it. I chose this optical drive since it is just like the rest, except comes with a quality brand at a greta price level.
The Benchmarks from My Star Wars: The Old Republic Gameplay
These benchmarks were taken using my current pc build (as seen in the Newb Computer Build About page) using the FRAPS video game recording software. As you can see the average 42.167 FPS for this 60 second interval is not too bad at the highest settings using the current pc gaming setup!
| Frames | Time (ms) | Min | Max | Avg |
| 2470 | 60000 | 13 | 59 | 41.167 |
Star Wars: The Old Republic Build Three
If you are reading this Third Build for playing the Star Wars: The Old Republic then you are most likely interested in playing at the highest possible settings smoothly and at ease. The build i am going to provide here is going to provide you with the best possible gaming quality in this game guaranteed. And even though your main plan is going to want to play SWTOR at max settings, it will most likely play many others at the same rate.
Gaming PC Build Recipe: SWTOR The Ultimate High Settings Build
| Estimated Price: $ 1250 (Prices will vary and are accurate as of December 2011) |
The SWTOR Hardware Mid Range Overview:
Intel Core i5-2500K Processor
The Intel i5-2500K processor is the top of the line in not just a processor for paying SWTOR, but for gaming pc’s everywhere! This is because it has an unlocked CPU multiplier that make it an easier CPU to over-clock. That is, in the future if you need more processor juice, this can be easily accomplished here. The Sandy Bridge line of SPUs is by far the best by right now for any gaming pc!!
ASUS LGA 1155 Intel Z68 DDR3 2200 SATA 6Gbps and USB 3.0 Supported ATX Motherboard P8Z68-V
Just the some of the monthly gaming pc builds I chose the ASUS 1155 Intel Z68 P8z68-V motherboard to pair with the Intel Core i5-2500K processor. This mobo supports up to 2 PCIe 2.0 x16 ports, four memory slots (allowing up to 32 GB memory), plenty of USB ports, and a Z68 north bridge. This means the future proof of this board is phenomenal; you can add another graphics card in the future for double the graphics capability, or double or even triple up the RAM in the future. (Never mind that its a Z68 mobo!)
Radeon XFX HD 6970 2 GB Graphics Card
For SWTOR, the Radeon 6970 will blow this game out of the waters (of space…of course!) This is honestly all you need to play this game at whatever graphics settings you desire. Toms Hardware has even voted this graphics card as Excellent at 2910×1200 resolution in most games of which I wholly agree.
Kingston Technology HyperX Blu 8GB 1333MHz DDR3 Non-ECC CL9 DIMM (Kit of 2) KHX1333C9D3B1K2/8G
This Kingston 8GB dual channel package of memory is perfect for the ultimate SWTOR gaming pc build since it is..yes triple the minimum requirement for the game of 2GB RAM. Never mind that this package of memory roughly $39 for the full 8GB and has an Amazon rating of 5/5 stars.
Western Digital Caviar Blue 500 GB SATA III 7200 RPM 16 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive – WD5000AAKX
As per the last build I have again chosen a 500GB Western Digital Hard Drive. Yes, I understand that I should have up the space for this build, however it is not needed for a game specific gaming pc build. As well, at the time of writing this article hard drives are at an all time low in supply (due to shortages where they are produced) so the prices are inflated. Therefore, I would not recommend any more than a 500GB Hard Drive with an upgrade when you need it.
A Corsair 850 Watt Modular Power Supply Unit is perfect for this SWTOR gaming pc build (of the ultimate quality). This is because 85) watts is more than plenty to power all of this hardware, modular is the power supply of the future (as to rid your computer case of the mess of unused cords) and the Corsair Enthusiast power supply brand is highly recommended for its quality and reputation (the ultimate status of a PSU!).
Corsair CC600TWM-WHT Special Edition Graphite Series 600T Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case – White
The Corsair 600T Special Edition case cannot be a better fit for the ultimate SWTOR gaming pc build. I mean just take a look this picture of a 600T StarWars Case Mod posted here at Newb Computer Build with a Strom Trooper look; really cool! Plus the Corsair 600T Gaming PC Case is one of the top gaming pc cases as of right now. It looks very sleek, is of a very high quality and comes with these Product Features:
- User-swappable side panel window or mesh insert housing up to four 120mm fans
- Optimize airflow and keep your system neat and tidy using the intelligent cable management system.
- Front panel includes USB 3.0, USB 2.0, Headphone, Mic, and a four-channel fan controller.
- Install or upgrade your CPU heatsink quickly with the easy-access backplate cutout.
- Keep your system cool with the dual 200mm fans and rear 120mm fan
- Access your hardware faster than ever with easy side panel removal.
- Built-in compatibility for SSDs in the six hard drive bays gives you the flexibility you need.
- Easily accessible dust filters keep the cool air flowing over your valuable components.
LG Electronics GH22NS50 22X SATA Super Multi DVD+/-RW Internal Drive – Bulk with Software (Black)
I used this LG Electronics optical DVD drive for both of the previous builds for the Star Wars: The Old Republic gaming PC builds. The only reasoning behind this is because optical drives now have all become relatively similar and in my opinion do not vary too much. By choosing a reputable brand like LG at a price like this you cannot go wrong within budget. Really, the only improvements over a drive such as this is to go Blu-Ray and this is not needed in a gaming pc build such as this; unless you want it.
The Star Wars: The Old Republic Gaming PC Builds Conclusion:
After reading all three of the gaming pc build provided here I hope that you have found what you need in order to play SWTOR at the setting you want to in the price range you have. If your main goal is to purchase separate hardware parts to just play the game, then you should be ok if you follow any of the hardware recommendations above, or else you can also refer to the minimum system requirements for the game provided before the article build or here.
I wish you luck when purchasing your hardware for SWTOR and if you need any pointers or help choosing the right hardware pelase leave a comment below or get in contact with me via the comment form.
If you enjoyed reading this article please support Newb Computer Build whether it is subscribing by entering your e-mail in the top right form, liking us on facebook or joining our circle on Google Plus. Also, if you have any suggesitons or a gaming PC build that works really well for you or you think would work better please leave a comment below I would love to hear from you. Thank you!
Good Luck and may the force be with you.
Comments 21
With Knights of the Fallen Empire in full swing, could we get an updated PC build for SWTOR please. I want to invest in a gaming pc soon and I’m pretty much doing it only for this game.
Author
Makes perfect sense to me Justin, as these are relatively outdated now. I’ll have to do some research and or benchmarking and see if I can post a revised build.
So I’m sure this is a tad late, but I always wanted to play SWTOR on really high settings. I always played on the minimum ultra low settings because thats what my basic computer could pull off. Could I get a build for the highest settings please? I’m assuming since the game is several years old, the parts wouldn’t need to be on the level of the highest ones needed for the newest gen type of games.
Thanks man
Corey,
We are 4 months out from your SWTOR recommended builds. Would you be inclined to do an updated version? Or, would an updated SWTOR build just prove to be identical to your APR build of the month? Thanks for all of your guidance on the website. I hope you somehow make a million dollars 🙂
Author
Hey John,
And those four months have gone fast! I would most definitely be inclined to do some updated builds and no they would not be exactly alike to the April builds. This is because I structured these SWTOR builds based on Low, Medium, and High settings gameplay as to include everyone who would possibly want to play SWTOR.
I will (because of you!) write up another updated version of the builds, but probably not until beginning of next monthish since throughout this month there are going to be several anticipated hardware releases that may or may not influence what I recommend.
That being said, I could recommend something specifically for you if you are looking to by as soon as you can. Just let me know your budget and any other specifics you would like.
And a million dollars sure would be something to dream of, so thank you!
Love this guide! I was wondering, do you think an AMD FX-4100 (or an AMD FX-6100, I would rather not go to the 8100) would be able to play SWTOR on medium settings with decent fps? By “decent” I mean 30+
I have no problem with getting a new graphics card, but my motherboard has an outdated cpu socket so I have to replace that as well.
What’s your feelings on a ssd cache for i5, would it help the planet loads
Performance etc…
Ty Ty
Author
Hey Dave,
The planet load times actually seems to be a widespread problem without much of a consensus, which to me begs the question of whether it actually the servers taking so long to load content rather than your PC (which could still be part of the reason) If you have not already read this forum post: http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=226439
So all in all it does not seem that purchasing a SSD will actually help those load time specifically, however may help overall loading times slightly. As for your question you left on the February 2012 Gaming PC Builds comments regarding what on the high end build would increase loading times more – well everything would…the Intel i5 2500K processor, the radeon hd 7950, the ram etc. The high end build would actually be way more than you need to even play SWTOR flawlessly at the highest settings at resolutions higher than 1920X1080 easily. Perhaps you are asking what you need on your current PC to upgrade to make things faster? If so let me know what you have.
Good luck with those planet loading times!
I was wondering what nvidia gpu you could recommend or is ati that much better? My hope is to play on my 47′ lcd tv.
Author
Hey Jerry,
Since I am assuming your 47′ lcd tv is 1080p, I am going to recommend an NVIDIA GTX 570 as is it is the most similar to the Radeon HD 6970 in the top build above. Also, if you want to venture into doing SLI you may want to try two GeForce GTX 460’s as they will offer slightly better performance.
Let me know if this helps or you have any more questions.
Yes its 1080p, so running the 2 lower end cards in sli would be better? Also been out of the pc world for a few years so Radeon vs Nvidia is there a clearly better one? Been on Mac for the last few years bootcamping, but though my mac can play SWtOR I have a lot of frame dropping on high. So building my 1st new pc in 10yrs.
Author
Yeah the benchmarks for two of the NVidia GTX 460’s in SLI slightly out perform a single NVidia GTX 570 and one reason I do not include them in these builds is to make it slightly easier for an overall builds (as you don’t have to worry about doing SLI).
The differences between Radeon and Nvidia nowadays is slim and very seldom can be game dependent, but sometimes can differ. For example I just wrote an article recently on Battlefield 3 PC builds and they were predominately Nvidia cards due to the benchmarks ran for that specific game as it is a demanding FPS game that for some reason the AMD Radeon cards could not keep up with the MSAA (multisample anti-aliasing). However, for SWTOR the two types of cards are very similar and both with play the game seamlessly. For example I am running a Radeon HD 5700 (year and half old mid range card) and it ran SWTOR great on my 42 inch 1080p (although FPS could have been little higher).
I feel you with the bootcamping haha, I have done the same on my macbook pro as I prefer it for more work related tasks, although for gaming nuh uh. Good luck Jerry if you continue in your build and keep in touch if you need more help or are successful!
Thx I’ll let you know how it turns out.
Hey man its me again so i built my new rigg, but i planned on using IDE cord from and old harddrive and dvd drive, but turns out my new mother board doesn’t support that(only supports SATA), should i just buy some addaperts or but a new hardrive? Will adapters slow my comp down?
Author
Hey Eric,
If you have not already come up with a solution I would suggest buying a new hard drive as speeds will be quicker and you can still use your IDE drive in an external drive for backup if you like. An adapter for the DVD would not hurt performance as it does not matter too much, however DVD drives are only $20 and adapters can cost half that if not more.
(Don’t fret I did the exact same thing building a pc for my parents recently wanting to reuse old junk parts from an older pc, however no IDE so I ended up buying a new HD used and skipped on the DVD drive).
Hey mate, found your website very helpful quick question though. Should an AMD Radeon HD 6850 be able to “blow this game out of the water” also? Because i am currently building a comp to play tor and mid. to high end settings and I’m not sure if it could?
Author
Hey Eric,
Yes the Radeon HD 6850 will be able to play SWTOR perfectly as well and you can save significantly price wise from the Radeon HD 6970 posted in the highest settings build above.
Have fun building your gaming PC for SWTOR as well as playing 🙂
Thanks alot, will defiently recommend this website to any of my friends who are building gaming computer.
Author
Much appreciated Eric, thank you very much.
You have listed the minimum requirements, and stated that vista or higher was required but I don’t see where you listed that in the builds. So is that already figured in the estimated prices? Thanks!
Author
Hey Aaron,
Sorry no the operating systems are not factored into the prices, although I did include them in the requirements for the game. So if you do not already own an operating system, or cannot borrow from a friends you would have to factor in another approximately $100 for Windows 7.