So here's the situation:
I'm a soldier in the US Army and I'm currently deployed to Afghanistan. When I deployed, I brought with me my trusty Acer AspireOne Netbook.
Now for the sad part. I recently (like last night) broke my netbook's screen when I closed it too hard on an iPod Shuffle. I wasn't that worried about it, since it was only $300 and I planned on getting a new computer soon.
From an ERE perspective, I view gaming as my only real pastime. I don't eat out, I don't go to movies, I don't drink, I pretty much don't do much of anything else that costs money. Personally, I think I can get a lot more bang for my buck with a good computer than I can with anything else I can buy for entertainment purposes.
I'm now about a month and a half from returning to the States, and I want to make sure I hit the ground running with a new computer. Unfortunately, having been out of the PC gaming loop for a few years now due to being in training and deployed, I have no idea where to start.
What I'm looking for:
-A desktop computer
-Something that can handle games. Not necessarily the latest and greatest games, but a decent gaming computer nonetheless.
-I'm willing to build one myself, since I imagine I need to learn eventually and I used to have no problems working with computers
-Inside $1500, unless someone can give me a pressing reason to go higher. I have plenty of money, but I'm not sure I could justify spending too much on a monster gaming rig.
Thanks in advance for any help anyone can provide.
Buying a New Computer + A Sad Story
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Robert Muir
- Posts: 280
- Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 10:15 pm
Sorry to hear you broke your laptop. Does that mean you have no entertainment until you return home?
Does the $1500 budget need to include a monitor and accessories? I got my PC custom built and including the monitor was about £800 (about $1300): I already had a gaming mouse and okay speakers and headset.
It all depends on whether you buy into the need to get the fastest, most expensive graphics card(s), and whether you will consider an AMD gaming machine rather than an Intel one.
Not sure where you would shop in the US for this, but I would look at something like this:
http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/desktop-p ... computers/
The cheapest one looks a similar spec to the one I have and I can play Left4Dead with no problem on it.
This is for the base unit only, but you can customise the components you choose so upgrade whatever is most important to you if your budget allows.
Does the $1500 budget need to include a monitor and accessories? I got my PC custom built and including the monitor was about £800 (about $1300): I already had a gaming mouse and okay speakers and headset.
It all depends on whether you buy into the need to get the fastest, most expensive graphics card(s), and whether you will consider an AMD gaming machine rather than an Intel one.
Not sure where you would shop in the US for this, but I would look at something like this:
http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/desktop-p ... computers/
The cheapest one looks a similar spec to the one I have and I can play Left4Dead with no problem on it.
This is for the base unit only, but you can customise the components you choose so upgrade whatever is most important to you if your budget allows.
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DividendGuy
- Posts: 441
- Joined: Sun Dec 05, 2010 9:58 pm
I agree with Robert Muir.
I have a cheap, but reliable Toshiba Satellite for my computer needs, which it serves very efficiently. I use a PS3 for gaming needs, and also think gaming is one of the cheapest forms of entertainment and wouldn't give it up. You can find a used PS3/Xbox 360 for a good price and get your gaming needs, minus online MMORPG's and certain strategy based games. Have you thought about this type of set up? You could probably get both for under half what a decent gaming rig would cost.
I have a cheap, but reliable Toshiba Satellite for my computer needs, which it serves very efficiently. I use a PS3 for gaming needs, and also think gaming is one of the cheapest forms of entertainment and wouldn't give it up. You can find a used PS3/Xbox 360 for a good price and get your gaming needs, minus online MMORPG's and certain strategy based games. Have you thought about this type of set up? You could probably get both for under half what a decent gaming rig would cost.
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starshard0
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2010 1:29 pm
- Contact:
I have an X-Box 360 that I got for free, but I really prefer PC gaming because there are a lot of indie games that are on PC that I like to play (Dwarf Fortress, Minecraft, etc.), not to mention all the older games that are for PC that I like to revisit occasionally (Tycoon games, Starcraft, Diablo).
@Shandi76 - I have a DS, and I can use the internet cafe for the internet which I'm using now, but I don't have access to any of my movies or music or games that were on my netbook. Also, I've always been a fan of AMD over Intel.
Basically, I need something powerful, but not necessarily too expensive. I guess for starters, what's a good upper-middle level processor?
@Shandi76 - I have a DS, and I can use the internet cafe for the internet which I'm using now, but I don't have access to any of my movies or music or games that were on my netbook. Also, I've always been a fan of AMD over Intel.
Basically, I need something powerful, but not necessarily too expensive. I guess for starters, what's a good upper-middle level processor?
Glad to see some other gamers on the board. I prefer PC gaming to consoles as well, more strategy, more variety, better interface. Though consoles are definitely better when you've got friends over. Anyway, you can definitely build a great pc for less than $1,500.
I don't know if you guys have access to many magazines over there but if you can find a copy of PC-Gamer laying around it's an ok way to keep up with hardware advances, they usually dedicate the last 4 or 5 pages of each issue to hardware info.
I like building PC's, so I'd definitely say build your own. You get more bang for your buck when it comes to high-end hardware. I usually look around Price Watch, which lists pretty much every computer component and its price at dozens of different stores.
The three big choices, as you prob know, when you build a gaming pc are basically picking out the CPU, Graphics Card and Motherboard. A decent hard drive (deciding whether or not to splurge for a SSD) is somewhat important, and then the type of RAM, case, optical drives aren't a big deal.
Back in the day it was pretty easy to figure out which CPU was the best, you just get the one with the biggest numbers. Now it's a nightmare trying to figure it out. Basically every time I build a PC (every 3 or so years) I just have to re-learn all the new specs they're using because I can't keep up with it all.
Tom's Hardware usually has some good information. Check out their guide to gaming cpu's.
They also have a pretty good forum over there. Here's a thread of a guy in November asking about Mother Boards and CPU's for building a gaming rig.
The nice thing about being familiar with building your own is it gets really cheap in the future to upgrade and it's easier to troubleshoot on your own. My gaming rig I built 3 years ago, had to buy the case and optical drives and all. But now, since I've got the case, dvd-drive and RAM, all I had to do six months ago was drop a few hundred bucks on a MoBo, CPU and graphics card and it's like a brand new, top of the line setup which should last another 3 or so years.
With digital downloads, PC games are getting extremely inexpensive. It's definitely got to be one of the cheapest hobbies there is in terms of $-spent per hour of entertainment.
Plus you've got a powerful PC laying around if you ever want to do some video or photo editing or whatever.
If you have to get a monitor too, I'd go with at least 24", I play on a 27" screen which I've had for years and it doubles as a nice TV. It makes all the difference, I could never go back to playing on a 17" or 19" screen. I also have a little surround sound setup which I can't imagine gaming without, it's creepy to hear the footsteps coming up behind you or bullets whizzing by from various directions.
If you did want to just buy one, I have a friend who got a pretty good deal and had no trouble with Cyber Power PC and I've heard good things about Digital Storm Computers.
Sounds like you're up for some fun either way you go.
I don't know if you guys have access to many magazines over there but if you can find a copy of PC-Gamer laying around it's an ok way to keep up with hardware advances, they usually dedicate the last 4 or 5 pages of each issue to hardware info.
I like building PC's, so I'd definitely say build your own. You get more bang for your buck when it comes to high-end hardware. I usually look around Price Watch, which lists pretty much every computer component and its price at dozens of different stores.
The three big choices, as you prob know, when you build a gaming pc are basically picking out the CPU, Graphics Card and Motherboard. A decent hard drive (deciding whether or not to splurge for a SSD) is somewhat important, and then the type of RAM, case, optical drives aren't a big deal.
Back in the day it was pretty easy to figure out which CPU was the best, you just get the one with the biggest numbers. Now it's a nightmare trying to figure it out. Basically every time I build a PC (every 3 or so years) I just have to re-learn all the new specs they're using because I can't keep up with it all.
Tom's Hardware usually has some good information. Check out their guide to gaming cpu's.
They also have a pretty good forum over there. Here's a thread of a guy in November asking about Mother Boards and CPU's for building a gaming rig.
The nice thing about being familiar with building your own is it gets really cheap in the future to upgrade and it's easier to troubleshoot on your own. My gaming rig I built 3 years ago, had to buy the case and optical drives and all. But now, since I've got the case, dvd-drive and RAM, all I had to do six months ago was drop a few hundred bucks on a MoBo, CPU and graphics card and it's like a brand new, top of the line setup which should last another 3 or so years.
With digital downloads, PC games are getting extremely inexpensive. It's definitely got to be one of the cheapest hobbies there is in terms of $-spent per hour of entertainment.
Plus you've got a powerful PC laying around if you ever want to do some video or photo editing or whatever.
If you have to get a monitor too, I'd go with at least 24", I play on a 27" screen which I've had for years and it doubles as a nice TV. It makes all the difference, I could never go back to playing on a 17" or 19" screen. I also have a little surround sound setup which I can't imagine gaming without, it's creepy to hear the footsteps coming up behind you or bullets whizzing by from various directions.
If you did want to just buy one, I have a friend who got a pretty good deal and had no trouble with Cyber Power PC and I've heard good things about Digital Storm Computers.
Sounds like you're up for some fun either way you go.
I'm actually selling my ps3 on ebay right now and just sticking with my PC. It's almost 2 years old, but similar in horsepower to a PS3. I'm preparing for my pending ERE to start in the coming year, and am really paring things down so I'm more mobile. A good PC can be a great gamer, a HTPC media center, a phone (google voice), etc.... all in one box. I really like messing with the PC, so I tend to buy pretty high end... just below the point of diminishing returns (current gen chips, but not highest clock speed) every 5 years or so. Could even stretch that, but I like a snappy machine.
The PS3 was nice... I just wasn't using it for anything anymore.
You can definitely get a great PC for $1300 though!
The PS3 was nice... I just wasn't using it for anything anymore.
You can definitely get a great PC for $1300 though!
IMO, AnandTech has the best guides to building your own system. Check out their latest one here:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4025/holi ... ders-guide
It has a number of different systems at different price points. Even if you tweak the components a bit, it's a great starting point.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4025/holi ... ders-guide
It has a number of different systems at different price points. Even if you tweak the components a bit, it's a great starting point.
Based on what you have said so far (PC doesn't need to be top of the line just good and willing to build) I would go with one of the kits from Tigerdirect. They are cheaper and give you almost everything you need to build your own computer (some don't have a graphics card, case, etc., so you would need to do some research).
I would also go AMD over Intel. Cheaper and the processors seem to be less important than they used to be.
I would also go AMD over Intel. Cheaper and the processors seem to be less important than they used to be.
Starshard0,
You can build a machine capable of handling ALL of today's gaming needs for approx. $1,000. Including a good monitor will raise the price, but that's your choice. You can get something capable of most for around $750 including taxes and shipping.
Dell.com is simply a great choice for building a machine to meet your needs.
You'll want to look for a decent graphics card, and processor primarily. My laptop runs an intel i7-640m dual core 2.8ghz processor, with an ATI radeon 5850 graphics card. It handles nearly all games perfectly. You can achieve this setup in a desktop for around $750. The other biggie for gamers is your screen, which you'll want HD ready. The price range for something quality here is around $250. Most desktops come with plenty of memory and hard disk space assuming you wont be rendering massive industrial level graphics in photoshop or downloading a million movies. Good luck!
You can build a machine capable of handling ALL of today's gaming needs for approx. $1,000. Including a good monitor will raise the price, but that's your choice. You can get something capable of most for around $750 including taxes and shipping.
Dell.com is simply a great choice for building a machine to meet your needs.
You'll want to look for a decent graphics card, and processor primarily. My laptop runs an intel i7-640m dual core 2.8ghz processor, with an ATI radeon 5850 graphics card. It handles nearly all games perfectly. You can achieve this setup in a desktop for around $750. The other biggie for gamers is your screen, which you'll want HD ready. The price range for something quality here is around $250. Most desktops come with plenty of memory and hard disk space assuming you wont be rendering massive industrial level graphics in photoshop or downloading a million movies. Good luck!
You can keep PC gaming costs under control by always lagging one generation behind the cutting edge. You can get 3+ year old games and parts dirt cheap. You also benefit from the hindsight of others, since you can avoid duds and focus on whatever became a classic.
For the software, check out Good Old Games (gog.com). I am a Blizzard fan and you might consider always playing their second-newest game. Now that StarCraft 2 is out, WarCraft 3 is selling for $12 on eBay, and the system requirements are low.
The CPU, motherboard, and memory are tightly coupled and often need to be acquired as a matched set. The video card is probably the most important component of a gaming rig. A top of the line model from 2+ years ago is usually a good value. These draw a lot of current so research your card's power supply requirements. You may need a gaming-branded power supply. Cases, drives, cables, fans, keyboards, and mice are interchangeable and you can find them free if you know where to look.
For the software, check out Good Old Games (gog.com). I am a Blizzard fan and you might consider always playing their second-newest game. Now that StarCraft 2 is out, WarCraft 3 is selling for $12 on eBay, and the system requirements are low.
The CPU, motherboard, and memory are tightly coupled and often need to be acquired as a matched set. The video card is probably the most important component of a gaming rig. A top of the line model from 2+ years ago is usually a good value. These draw a lot of current so research your card's power supply requirements. You may need a gaming-branded power supply. Cases, drives, cables, fans, keyboards, and mice are interchangeable and you can find them free if you know where to look.
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starshard0
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2010 1:29 pm
- Contact:
Here's what I've put together as kind of a test. Does anyone have any recommendations?
BLUETOOTH:None
CAS:Apevia X-Plorer 2 Mid-Tower Case w/ Side-Panel Window and MultiMeter Display [+12] (Green Color with 200mm UV Green LED Fan)
CASUPGRADE:None
CD:24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLACK COLOR)
CD2:None
CPU:AMD Phenom™II X6 1075T Six-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology [+20]
CS_FAN:Default case fans
FA_HDD:None
FAN:XtremeGear Liquid Cooling System 120MM Radiator & Fan (Enhanced Cooling Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA)
FLASHMEDIA:INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)
FLOPPY:None
FREEBIE_CU1:FREE Game: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
FREEBIE_VC1:StarCraft II Free Trial Coupon with purchase of NVIDIA GTX460 video card or above
FREEGAME_VC02:None
GLASSES:None
HDD:300GB Gaming Western Digital VelociRaptor 10,000RPM SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache WD3000GLFS [+150] (Single Hard Drive)
HDD2:1TB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD [+65] (Single Hard Drive)
IEEE_CARD:None
KEYBOARD:None [-4]
MB_ADDON:None
MEMORY:4GB (2GBx2) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory Module (Corsair or Major Brand)
MONITOR:24" Widescreen 1920x1080 Sceptre E246W-1080P (23.6" Viewable)(Black Color) LED Backlight, Built-in Speaker, DVI, HDMI Input [+219]
MONITOR2:None
MONITOR3:None
MOTHERBOARD:(3-Way CrossFire Support) Asus Crosshair IV Formula AMD 890FX Chipset CrossFireX Support DDR3 Socket AM3 ATX w/ 7.1 Audio, GbLAN, IEEE1394a, USB3.0, SATA-III, RAID, 3 Gen2 PCIe, & 2 PCI [+150]
MOUSE:XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse
MULTIVIEW:Xtreme Performance in SLI/CrossFireX Gaming Mode Supports Single Monitor
NETWORK:Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
OS:Microsoft® Windows® 7 Home Premium [+104] (64-bit Edition)
POWERSUPPLY:* 750 Watts - Corsair CMPSU-750TX 80 Plus Power Supply - Quad SLI Ready [+109]
RUSH:5% Instant Rebate for Non-Rush Delivery Order over $999 - Ships within 3 Weeks - Must Enter Coupon Code "NORUSH" during checkout
SERVICE:STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SOUND:* Asus Xonar DX 7.1 Channels PCIe Card [+89]
SPEAKERS:None [-5]
TEMP:None
TVRC:None
USB:Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
USBFLASH:None
USBHD:None
USBX:None
VC_PHYSX:None
VIDEO:NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE 1GB 16X PCIe Video Card [+102] (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
VIDEO2:NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE 1GB 16X PCIe Video Card [+177] (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
VIDEO3:None
WNC:None
BLUETOOTH:None
CAS:Apevia X-Plorer 2 Mid-Tower Case w/ Side-Panel Window and MultiMeter Display [+12] (Green Color with 200mm UV Green LED Fan)
CASUPGRADE:None
CD:24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLACK COLOR)
CD2:None
CPU:AMD Phenom™II X6 1075T Six-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology [+20]
CS_FAN:Default case fans
FA_HDD:None
FAN:XtremeGear Liquid Cooling System 120MM Radiator & Fan (Enhanced Cooling Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA)
FLASHMEDIA:INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)
FLOPPY:None
FREEBIE_CU1:FREE Game: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
FREEBIE_VC1:StarCraft II Free Trial Coupon with purchase of NVIDIA GTX460 video card or above
FREEGAME_VC02:None
GLASSES:None
HDD:300GB Gaming Western Digital VelociRaptor 10,000RPM SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache WD3000GLFS [+150] (Single Hard Drive)
HDD2:1TB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD [+65] (Single Hard Drive)
IEEE_CARD:None
KEYBOARD:None [-4]
MB_ADDON:None
MEMORY:4GB (2GBx2) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory Module (Corsair or Major Brand)
MONITOR:24" Widescreen 1920x1080 Sceptre E246W-1080P (23.6" Viewable)(Black Color) LED Backlight, Built-in Speaker, DVI, HDMI Input [+219]
MONITOR2:None
MONITOR3:None
MOTHERBOARD:(3-Way CrossFire Support) Asus Crosshair IV Formula AMD 890FX Chipset CrossFireX Support DDR3 Socket AM3 ATX w/ 7.1 Audio, GbLAN, IEEE1394a, USB3.0, SATA-III, RAID, 3 Gen2 PCIe, & 2 PCI [+150]
MOUSE:XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse
MULTIVIEW:Xtreme Performance in SLI/CrossFireX Gaming Mode Supports Single Monitor
NETWORK:Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
OS:Microsoft® Windows® 7 Home Premium [+104] (64-bit Edition)
POWERSUPPLY:* 750 Watts - Corsair CMPSU-750TX 80 Plus Power Supply - Quad SLI Ready [+109]
RUSH:5% Instant Rebate for Non-Rush Delivery Order over $999 - Ships within 3 Weeks - Must Enter Coupon Code "NORUSH" during checkout
SERVICE:STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SOUND:* Asus Xonar DX 7.1 Channels PCIe Card [+89]
SPEAKERS:None [-5]
TEMP:None
TVRC:None
USB:Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
USBFLASH:None
USBHD:None
USBX:None
VC_PHYSX:None
VIDEO:NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE 1GB 16X PCIe Video Card [+102] (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
VIDEO2:NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 SE 1GB 16X PCIe Video Card [+177] (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
VIDEO3:None
WNC:None
I'd advise against a VelociRaptor, an SSD is a much better option. 60GB should be comfortable.
I'd watch slickdeals for a while... You are in the US now? If so taking advantage of rebates can really help with costs. MicroCenter stores have the best deals on processors.
If you don't mind waiting I'd look for good deals (often with rebates) in order of least price decay: case -> PSU -> PCI cards (ie: WIFI) -> CPU cooler -> optical drive (I'd get a BluRay, I've seen them as cheap as 30) -> hard drive(s) -> MOBO -> RAM -> CPU -> GPU.
I'd avoid liquid cooling. More than adequate results can be obtained from air cooling, at much lower cost, complexity and with a higher MTBF. Bluetooth isn't needed IMO. Sound cards are nearly obsolete, great sound is built into motherboards. 2 video cards is a waste. At best 30-40% performance increase for 200%+ cost... Just get 1 decent video card.
Get a good case, it will be with you for a long time. I like a simpler, more classical looking case, than one that looks like a dragon eating an alien.
I'd watch slickdeals for a while... You are in the US now? If so taking advantage of rebates can really help with costs. MicroCenter stores have the best deals on processors.
If you don't mind waiting I'd look for good deals (often with rebates) in order of least price decay: case -> PSU -> PCI cards (ie: WIFI) -> CPU cooler -> optical drive (I'd get a BluRay, I've seen them as cheap as 30) -> hard drive(s) -> MOBO -> RAM -> CPU -> GPU.
I'd avoid liquid cooling. More than adequate results can be obtained from air cooling, at much lower cost, complexity and with a higher MTBF. Bluetooth isn't needed IMO. Sound cards are nearly obsolete, great sound is built into motherboards. 2 video cards is a waste. At best 30-40% performance increase for 200%+ cost... Just get 1 decent video card.
Get a good case, it will be with you for a long time. I like a simpler, more classical looking case, than one that looks like a dragon eating an alien.
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starshard0
- Posts: 45
- Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2010 1:29 pm
- Contact:
If you are still looking for a computer, here is a top of the line kit (i7 950 chip, Nvidia 1GB graphics, 12 GB DDR3 RAM, etc.) from TigerDirect that will play any game on the market or in the near future without a problem for a $1,000. It's significantly cheaper than assembled systems.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications ... &CatId=333
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications ... &CatId=333
If you havent already made your purchase, I would suggest youlook for the sweet spot.
What ami ttalking about? The best and newest parts comand top dollar, but after about 6 months they have been superceeded with a new and improved version and have drop drasticaly in price. This is the sweet spot (great parts and value for money)
My nephew wanted to buy a kick arse gaming machine, was going to spend $5k AUD on it. Told him he was wasting his money and explaned the sweet spot to him. in the end he bought a custom built $1800 AUD machine that he plays all his games on has all the bells and whisles and left him with coin in his pocket.
What ami ttalking about? The best and newest parts comand top dollar, but after about 6 months they have been superceeded with a new and improved version and have drop drasticaly in price. This is the sweet spot (great parts and value for money)
My nephew wanted to buy a kick arse gaming machine, was going to spend $5k AUD on it. Told him he was wasting his money and explaned the sweet spot to him. in the end he bought a custom built $1800 AUD machine that he plays all his games on has all the bells and whisles and left him with coin in his pocket.