s about Star Citizen
s about Star Citizen
For both inquiries it’s tough to judge clearly now since it remains an alpha. It largely depends on your budget but... Q1) GTX970s work well right now; you’ll need extra RAM as usage often surpasses 9GB, and some players face issues even with 8GB in the Arena Commander version. The person I spoke to mentioned they haven’t had problems in Arena Commander, suggesting a fix with an SSD and larger page file. If you wait until the next release or just before it, you’ll be in a stronger position to purchase hardware, as right now everything is uncertain and new faster models will likely appear by year-end. Q2) Mustang beta, Aurora ES/LX, 315p, Constellation Aquila, Freelancer DUR, Carrack (or larger options) would all be solid picks based on your budget and group size. At this stage it’s hard to label anything as clearly good or bad because the exploration feature isn’t available, and once it is we’ll be able to customize our ships freely. Right now, ship descriptions are the most reliable guide for selection. Also remember, everything can be earned in-game, so you don’t need to buy the absolute best ship—earning it later makes sense.
@ Nirjhor Grrizz has a good point about GPUs. It really depends on how high your resolution goals are. If you aim for 1080p with medium details, you can wait a bit and adjust as the game evolves—better optimization will help, and newer GPUs will arrive. For smoother performance, go with a 290x or a 970 display. Of course, you’ll need at least 8GB RAM; 16GB is ideal but not mandatory. The 960 screen size is around 290, the 290x matches 970, and 970 sits between 980 and 980sli. The AMD line tends to use more power than the NVIDIA side. Free-sync is AMD, G-sync is NVIDIA—so if you’re considering monitors with those features, that matters. Beyond that, your choice hinges more on the games and software you like. For gaming, it usually doesn’t matter much. The 970 and 290x are pretty close, even with the 3.5 + .5 issue. This isn’t a huge concern long-term. The 980 remains the top choice for 4K unless you’re aiming for the Titans.
Resolution notes (based on NVIDIA):
- 960 ≈ 1080
- 970 ≈ 1440
- 970sli < 295x < 980sli
- 980 = 4K (good for decent FPS)
For the next question... As Grrizz said, it comes down to your main objective. Are you aiming for a large fleet or just a single ship? Do you want to play with others or go solo? Think about whether you’re into combat/pvp or exploration. Check out: https://robertsspaceindustries.com/ship-specs
Ship types in order of size:
- Orion (mining)
- Reclaimer (salvage)
- Endurance (hospital/science)
- Constellation (multi-use)
- Carrack (exploration)
- Redeemer (troop transport, flying brick)
- Retaliator (bomber + large fighter)
- Vanguard (recon & long-range)
- Freelancer (space trucker)
- Caterpiller (modular, less strict rules)
- Starfarer (liquid/gas transport)
- Cutlass (merchant/pirate/militia, good stealth)
Smaller ships in order:
- Mustang (agile starter)
- Aurora (balanced starter)
- Reliant (third starter)
- Karthu-al (light scout)
- M50 (fast light fighter)
- 300-series (light agile, fighter jet look)
- Avenger (warthog-like)
- Gladius (light-med fighter)
- Hornet (medium fighter)
- Vanduul Scythe (medium fighter)
I missed a few but tried to cover the list.
Don’t forget to join the forums and follow threads—this helps you stay updated and see when people respond. Otherwise, you’ll only get notified when quoted or mentioned.
Your setup includes an AMD 1090T with a Formula IV motherboard, 16GB RAM, a single dedicated SSD, and you're playing Star Citizen XFX R9 290X. The game is performing well now—consider upgrading your CPU and motherboard if you want further performance improvements. You should look into the latest compatible parts for your system.
If it works well, I wouldn't act right away. I'd hold off until it's finished.