technology Gaming PC Help

[Raritas 6,820]

Hey everyone! I'm hoping to get a new computer soon, and I'm planning on building it myself. I know the basics and what is what, I just need advice on what would be decent things to choose for a first PC.

 

My budget will probably be around £500-£600 ($800-$969) and I'm looking for it to be able to run most games somewhat decently. Right now my laptop isn't too great. I was initially looking to get something with these sorts of specs:

• 1TB Hard drive
• 6GB of Ram
• Perhaps and Intell processor, I'm currently on an i3
• If I could, 2GB of video ram

These were what I was kinda looking for. If I could get some advice on what components would be a good selection, I'd appreciate it.

 

Thanks a lot, I've probably missed out some key info, if I have, please say so.

[Courageous Thunder Dash 7,824]

You might also want quite a bit of storage as well and an HD graphics card. Alienware has some pretty decent stuff. 

[long gone 8,929]

You might also want quite a bit of storage as well and an HD graphics card. Alienware has some pretty decent stuff. 

I personally cannot recommend Alienware. They're way too overpriced for the performance they give. It'd be better (and cheaper) to just build your own PC. Here's a good-value build, right here. Although, if the OP wants to stick to their budget and not go below it (dunno why, it'd give them more money for more Steam games... not that they're expensive, but there's supposedly a sale right around the corner), then there's this build.

 

First build should comfortably run anything on high, while the second should be able to max out anything as long as you don't go for something crazy like 1440p or 4K.

[Gay Bird 421]

I don't really know of any PCs you can just buy cause all my desktops I've ever had I built myself (which I highly recommend). Check out newegg's how to build a computer tutorial. It's actually very easy. Anyway, parts.

 

I recommend going to newegg to decide what parts you want. They have lots of info, searching based on selectable parameters, and something is always on sale. For the hard drive, always go for western digital. They make the most reliable hard disk drives out there. RAM is pretty easy, and also cheap, so I'd get 2 sticks of 4 GB ram, at least 1333 Hz. For the processor, an i5 would be the best for you. Even two generations back the processors can still handle almost all games on appropriate graphics settings. the 2550 is the model I would recommend for a budget, but feel free to chose one that fits your budget. For graphics, I'd recommend an AMD card for budget computers. Look at game benchmarks for the graphics card you want before you chose one so you can get an idea how well it will perform and how far down you'll need to take your graphics settings. Finally, get a CD drive to install your OS (which is basically windows 7 or 8), a motherboard that supports all the parts you have, and a power supply that's 80+ certified, and a case to hold it all in. You might have to do a bit of shopping if you want something around your price range, but it shouldn't be too hard.

 

If you don't want to build it yourself, feel free to check out sellers that will build it for you.

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Alienware has some pretty decent stuff

 

Alienware is good quality - no doubt about it. Price wise though... well, the less said, the better.

 

Arbico is a decent site: thats where I got my last prebuilt from. I'd advise something like this:

 

Processor: I5 is the way forward for budget gaming. Solid processors, more than enough for current gen.

Graphics card: Any Geforce X60 model (460, 560, 660) or one of the more modern X50 models (550, 650).

Minimum of 2GB RAM - I recommend no less than 4GB. Going higher is nice, but you hit a 'soft cap' at 2GB on most systems - the other 2 is for your background processes like antiviruses.

Minimum 500gb Hard drive - I recommend 1TB, but really, you can always uninstall games you don't play any more to save space: and adding a new HDD later on is easy. Skimping on HDD space early on is a good way to save money that could be better spend on a more powerful system.

 

Personnal suggestions

 

- if something says 'Integrated Graphics' then avoid it like the plague or your going to have a bad time gaming.

- SSD Hard drives are nice and all, but not remotly worth the cost if you are on a budget.

- The most important part of a gaming rig is the graphics card. The 550 / 660 region are solid, current cards. They will need replacing for next-gen games, but they pack a punch for a fraction of the cost of the newer cards.

Edited November 25, 2013 by Cinderscribe

[Ezio Auditore 702]

I personally cannot recommend Alienware. They're way too overpriced for the performance they give. It'd be better (and cheaper) to just build your own PC. Here's a good-value build, right here. Although, if the OP wants to stick to their budget and not go below it (dunno why, it'd give them more money for more Steam games... not that they're expensive, but there's supposedly a sale right around the corner), then there's this build.

 

First build should comfortably run anything on high, while the second should be able to max out anything as long as you don't go for something crazy like 1440p or 4K.

 

I'm on an Alienware laptop right now, I would agree they are a bit overpriced, however in 2 and a half years I haven't had a single problem with it, it still runs like new and can play any game on max settings.

 

That being said I also would recommend building one, it's cheaper, however I do think that an Alienware is a good purchase as well. 

[Milk Wave 454]

@@Raritas, 

 

First of all, I want to ask where you live.

 

Because the things you have in the computer, isn't even close to being worth 800-900 dollars unless you get a super high priced motherboard and a super high priced PSU and case. In Europe, I can understand some things will be a little more expensive, but I still want to help you on it.

 

Also, i'm a full on AMD fan, but for now since people are pretty much saying: Intel, Intel, and you have one already posted, we'll stick with it.

 

I'm also a full Radeon fan as well, so I might as well reccomend you a 7770 or 7790 2GB edition.

[long gone 8,929]

I'm on an Alienware laptop right now, I would agree they are a bit overpriced, however in 2 and a half years I haven't had a single problem with it, it still runs like new and can play any game on max settings.

 

That being said I also would recommend building one, it's cheaper, however I do think that an Alienware is a good purchase as well. 

I'm on a MSI laptop. It's a bit overpriced too, but honestly, PC gaming as a whole is making up for the price with better performance and lower prices on games. Not to mention the friendlier community, you wouldn't believe how many console gamers I've amazed by showing them screenshots of people saying "gg" at the end of a round and that there are almost no pre-pubescent kids saying they slept with my mom last night

 

You might find that a lot of "hardcore" PC gamers (as in, $700 - $1200 builds) dislike Alienware for their poor price-performance ratio, but meh. If you like Alienware, then that's your choice... same with me and MSI.

Edited November 25, 2013 by Daring

[FoxyCryptid 4,330]

 

Alienware is good quality - no doubt about it. Price wise though... well, the less said, the better.

 

Arbico is a decent site: thats where I got my last prebuilt from. I'd advise something like this:

 

Processor: I5 is the way forward for budget gaming. Solid processors, more than enough for current gen.

Graphics card: Any Geforce X60 model (460, 560, 660) or one of the more modern X50 models (550, 650).

Minimum of 2GB RAM - I recommend no less than 4GB. Going higher is nice, but you hit a 'soft cap' at 2GB on most systems - the other 2 is for your background processes like antiviruses.

Minimum 500gb Hard drive - I recommend 1TB, but really, you can always uninstall games you don't play any more to save space: and adding a new HDD later on is easy. Skimping on HDD space early on is a good way to save money that could be better spend on a more powerful system.

 

Personnal suggestions

 

- if something says 'Integrated Graphics' then avoid it like the plague or your going to have a bad time gaming.

- SSD Hard drives are nice and all, but not remotly worth the cost if you are on a budget.

- The most important part of a gaming rig is the graphics card. The 550 / 660 region are solid, current cards. They will need replacing for next-gen games, but they pack a punch for a fraction of the cost of the newer cards.

 

I WOULD NOT go below 8GB for a current gen gaming computer(and I'd really go for 16GB if I could afford it). Even some tail-end last gen stuff lists 4GB as a requirement. This thing here is considered "home use" computer for internet/movies/music/office work and what not and it's even got 4GB. Even though you could get away with 4GB for a little while it's going to need upgraded pretty quick by the looks of the gaming market.  

Edited November 25, 2013 by Shoboni

[Raritas 6,820]

I personally cannot recommend Alienware. They're way too overpriced for the performance they give. It'd be better (and cheaper) to just build your own PC. Here's a good-value build, right here. Although, if the OP wants to stick to their budget and not go below it (dunno why, it'd give them more money for more Steam games... not that they're expensive, but there's supposedly a sale right around the corner), then there's this build.

 

First build should comfortably run anything on high, while the second should be able to max out anything as long as you don't go for something crazy like 1440p or 4K.

 

Them builds look pretty cool, that's what I'd probably be looking at. The first one looks very good value, I'll keep an eye on that one. All I really want is to be able to run most games. I'm not to bothered about 1440p or anything like that.

 

 

 

Alienware is good quality - no doubt about it. Price wise though... well, the less said, the better.

 

Arbico is a decent site: thats where I got my last prebuilt from. I'd advise something like this:

 

Processor: I5 is the way forward for budget gaming. Solid processors, more than enough for current gen.

Graphics card: Any Geforce X60 model (460, 560, 660) or one of the more modern X50 models (550, 650).

Minimum of 2GB RAM - I recommend no less than 4GB. Going higher is nice, but you hit a 'soft cap' at 2GB on most systems - the other 2 is for your background processes like antiviruses.

Minimum 500gb Hard drive - I recommend 1TB, but really, you can always uninstall games you don't play any more to save space: and adding a new HDD later on is easy. Skimping on HDD space early on is a good way to save money that could be better spend on a more powerful system.

 

Personnal suggestions

 

- if something says 'Integrated Graphics' then avoid it like the plague or your going to have a bad time gaming.

- SSD Hard drives are nice and all, but not remotly worth the cost if you are on a budget.

- The most important part of a gaming rig is the graphics card. The 550 / 660 region are solid, current cards. They will need replacing for next-gen games, but they pack a punch for a fraction of the cost of the newer cards.

 

Them specs sound decent. I'm going to have to look up Graphics card makes, I'm useless with them. Don't worry, I know all about integrated graphics, sadly I didn't when I brought my laptop 2 years ago XD Thanks for the info, I'll take a look at an i5 as well.

 

 

@@Raritas, 

 

First of all, I want to ask where you live.

 

Because the things you have in the computer, isn't even close to being worth 800-900 dollars unless you get a super high priced motherboard and a super high priced PSU and case. In Europe, I can understand some things will be a little more expensive, but I still want to help you on it.

 

Also, i'm a full on AMD fan, but for now since people are pretty much saying: Intel, Intel, and you have one already posted, we'll stick with it.

 

I'm also a full Radeon fan as well, so I might as well reccomend you a 7770 or 7790 2GB edition.

 

I live in England, don't worry, I know they're probably no where near worth that much, that budget was just a maximum I would spend on it. Yeah, things seem a bit more expensive over here though.

 

AMD seem pretty good. I was thinking about an AMD processor, although I don't think they're as good as Intel, are they? 

Radeon cards seem pretty awesome as well. I'm gunna have to put some research into graphics cards soon.

 

 

 

Thanks for all the help already everyone!

I don't really know of any PCs you can just buy cause all my desktops I've ever had I built myself (which I highly recommend). Check out newegg's how to build a computer tutorial. It's actually very easy. Anyway, parts.

 

I recommend going to newegg to decide what parts you want. They have lots of info, searching based on selectable parameters, and something is always on sale. For the hard drive, always go for western digital. They make the most reliable hard disk drives out there. RAM is pretty easy, and also cheap, so I'd get 2 sticks of 4 GB ram, at least 1333 Hz. For the processor, an i5 would be the best for you. Even two generations back the processors can still handle almost all games on appropriate graphics settings. the 2550 is the model I would recommend for a budget, but feel free to chose one that fits your budget. For graphics, I'd recommend an AMD card for budget computers. Look at game benchmarks for the graphics card you want before you chose one so you can get an idea how well it will perform and how far down you'll need to take your graphics settings. Finally, get a CD drive to install your OS (which is basically windows 7 or 8), a motherboard that supports all the parts you have, and a power supply that's 80+ certified, and a case to hold it all in. You might have to do a bit of shopping if you want something around your price range, but it shouldn't be too hard.

 

If you don't want to build it yourself, feel free to check out sellers that will build it for you.

 

I'll have to have a look at Newegg, that sounds cool. I'd probably need something like that when choosing. RAM I was looking at 4 or 6GB, depending on the price. AMD graphics cards do look good, but I'll have to put some more research into them first. I can look at can you  run it for games I want I guess. Skyrim will probably be the main game I'm looking at right now. Motherboards as well. I'm going to have to research them as well. Thanks for the help, I'll keep it all in mind

[Milk Wave 454]

Them builds look pretty cool, that's what I'd probably be looking at. The first one looks very good value, I'll keep an eye on that one. All I really want is to be able to run most games. I'm not to bothered about 1440p or anything like that.

 

 

 

Them specs sound decent. I'm going to have to look up Graphics card makes, I'm useless with them. Don't worry, I know all about integrated graphics, sadly I didn't when I brought my laptop 2 years ago XD Thanks for the info, I'll take a look at an i5 as well.

 

 

 

I live in England, don't worry, I know they're probably no where near worth that much, that budget was just a maximum I would spend on it. Yeah, things seem a bit more expensive over here though.

 

AMD seem pretty good. I was thinking about an AMD processor, although I don't think they're as good as Intel, are they? 

Radeon cards seem pretty awesome as well. I'm gunna have to put some research into graphics cards soon.

 

 

 

Thanks for all the help already everyone!

AMD Processors are for budget gaming PC's. If you want to see, look up the Athlon x4 750k or 760k and you'll see what I mean. If you are going for AMD, then you need a new motherboard, get about an 80-100 dollar one if you can by ASUS or MSi. 

 

Also, 8GB of RAM is what you need. 16GB and 32GB is for servers, and super super heavy multitasking. I guarantee you won't need it though, look for 8GB DDR3 1600 memory, probably by G-skill.

 

Power supply if you're going for something like it, go for a Corsair CX 600 or CX 750, very good, very reliable. 1TB hard drive, go for Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB or Black 1TB, most reliable and such for the price.

 

All in all, it will help you out a lot :3

[Chacobos 160]

AMD processors put out a lot more power and more cores for the price but also put out more heat. Intels pack less power for the money but always keep their processors from not putting out not nearly as much heat as an AMD. Really what processor depends on your budget for one, got over 200 to spend on one? Go with Intel. Got a budget less than 200? Go with AMD

[long gone 8,929]

 

 

AMD seem pretty good. I was thinking about an AMD processor, although I don't think they're as good as Intel, are they? 

 AMD has been fixing their bad performance as of late. I've seen more builds using AMD as the processor manufacturer than Intel these days. Personally, I'm an Intel fan, but I'm not completely biased towards them; if someone wants to go for an AMD processor because of budget reasons or personal preference, good for them.

 

And glad I could help. Remember that due to the nature of the PC any builds here can be expanded later if you need better performance or more storage. Like right now I'm on a dual hard drive setup, with one dedicated to Windows and applications while the other is dedicated to Steam, Steam games and other PC games. Having dedicated storage for each is what I'd personally recommend.

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

AMD seem pretty good. I was thinking about an AMD processor, although I don't think they're as good as Intel

 

I prefer Intel. Simple preference: they are better supported and a lot of mainstream games are optimized for Intel: but AMD tend to have a little more raw power for price.

 

It's the same way with Nividia and ATI - Nividia are a little more reliable - but you tend to get a little less power for the same money. If your careful with your rig you'll probably get a little more for your money with ATI and AMD, I just like Intel and Nividia for their endurance - and its not that huge a difference. Both are good brands and whichever you choose will serve you just fine.

 

AMD processors put out a lot more power and more cores for the price but also put out more heat. Intels pack less power for the money but always keep their processors from not putting out not nearly as much heat as an AMD. Really what processor depends on your budget for one, got over 200 to spend on one? Go with Intel. Got a budget less than 200? Go with AMD

 

Pretty much this.

Edited November 25, 2013 by Cinderscribe

[Milk Wave 454]

@, 

 

Actually AMD processors and Radeon GPU's have some nice reliability. My friend has an old Athlon dual from 8 years back, and it's still running quite well. It's on constantly 24/7, so yeah :3

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

@@Milk Wave,

 

Oh I not suggesting they aren't reliable: I just know that my Intel / Nividia comba should have melted long ago with what I put it through, and it hasn't. You can really push them to the extreme.

 

In the same sense, I'm not suggesting that Intel and Nividia have terrible performance: It's a narrow margin either way.

[Raritas 6,820]

AMD Processors are for budget gaming PC's. If you want to see, look up the Athlon x4 750k or 760k and you'll see what I mean. If you are going for AMD, then you need a new motherboard, get about an 80-100 dollar one if you can by ASUS or MSi. 

 

Also, 8GB of RAM is what you need. 16GB and 32GB is for servers, and super super heavy multitasking. I guarantee you won't need it though, look for 8GB DDR3 1600 memory, probably by G-skill.

 

Power supply if you're going for something like it, go for a Corsair CX 600 or CX 750, very good, very reliable. 1TB hard drive, go for Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB or Black 1TB, most reliable and such for the price.

 

All in all, it will help you out a lot :3

 

Oh ok cool, that's what I'm looking for. I'll have a look at the Athlon thanks. All I was looking for was perhaps 6GB of Ram, that's all I need. Power supply's are what I also need to research. I'll take a look at those ones. Thanks for the help again.

 

 

AMD processors put out a lot more power and more cores for the price but also put out more heat. Intels pack less power for the money but always keep their processors from not putting out not nearly as much heat as an AMD. Really what processor depends on your budget for one, got over 200 to spend on one? Go with Intel. Got a budget less than 200? Go with AMD

 

AMD will probably be what I go with. I've heard that Intel are less value for money like you said. Thanks

 

 

I prefer Intel. Simple preference: they are better supported and a lot of mainstream games are optimized for Intel: but AMD tend to have a little more raw power for price.

 

It's the same way with Nividia and ATI - Nividia are a little more reliable - but you tend to get a little less power for the same money. If your careful with your rig you'll probably get a little more for your money with ATI and AMD, I just like Intel and Nividia for their endurance - and its not that huge a difference. Both are good brands and whichever you choose will serve you just fine.

 

 

Pretty much this.

 

Ah ok then, that's good to know thanks. I've always heard that Nividia are good. I'll have to take a look at both. I guess right now I'm looking for reliability rather than endurance. 

Thanks for the help guys, I've taken notes on all the stuff you guys have said. When I eventually get the things, I might need a hand later on, but I'll see how it all goes. Thanks again!

[Katana 298]

Yeah, in terms of brands, both CPUs and GPUs (aka Graphics Cards, Video Cards) are in a two-horse race.

 

Intel and NVidia both tend to be the "high-quality" brand that's "most directly supported" by individual games. That's why their logos tend to appear in the opening cinematics of many PC games. This does *not* make them best, or strictly most reliable, but in NVidia's case, there are a number of card-specific features you get; most recently including "ShadowPlay", a program that lets you record a game into a high-definition MP4 file with no framerate loss in recording. Both of them tend to be the more expensive brand, so overall "less bang for buck"

 

AMD and...well, AMD (the graphics division used to be a separate company called "ATI" that was bought out) are more bang for buck and tend to be the better consideration when people just want to run all modern games at a more-than-reasonable framerate. I've used AMD processors for a while - mine eventually crapped out, and that could certainly be something to do with me. Overall, I think you'll hear a lot of personal anecdotes about any brand, but both manufacturers have a proven track record.

 

I'll also just mention my favorite store for parts; Newegg.com has been great for me in all respects. I'll recommend them mainly for their easy searching functions to find something in your range, but you'll likely buy from them whatever you find. They tend to have very good customer service too.

 

EDIT: OH, and of course! Do *not* buy anything today. But if you do plan to buy something in the next month or so, it's really recommended you do it on "Black Friday". That's this coming Friday, and tends to involve some very steep discounts. Many retailers will keep their sales going for the next few days afterward, so it's not exactly a rush to do it ON that day.

Edited November 25, 2013 by Katana

[Raritas 6,820]

Yeah, in terms of brands, both CPUs and GPUs (aka Graphics Cards, Video Cards) are in a two-horse race.

 

Intel and NVidia both tend to be the "high-quality" brand that's "most directly supported" by individual games. That's why their logos tend to appear in the opening cinematics of many PC games. This does *not* make them best, or strictly most reliable, but in NVidia's case, there are a number of card-specific features you get; most recently including "ShadowPlay", a program that lets you record a game into a high-definition MP4 file with no framerate loss in recording. Both of them tend to be the more expensive brand, so overall "less bang for buck"

 

AMD and...well, AMD (the graphics division used to be a separate company called "ATI" that was bought out) are more bang for buck and tend to be the better consideration when people just want to run all modern games at a more-than-reasonable framerate. I've used AMD processors for a while - mine eventually crapped out, and that could certainly be something to do with me. Overall, I think you'll hear a lot of personal anecdotes about any brand, but both manufacturers have a proven track record.

 

I'll also just mention my favorite store for parts; Newegg.com has been great for me in all respects. I'll recommend them mainly for their easy searching functions to find something in your range, but you'll likely buy from them whatever you find. They tend to have very good customer service too.

 

EDIT: OH, and of course! Do *not* buy anything today. But if you do plan to buy something in the next month or so, it's really recommended you do it on "Black Friday". That's this coming Friday, and tends to involve some very steep discounts. Many retailers will keep their sales going for the next few days afterward, so it's not exactly a rush to do it ON that day.

 

Yeah I've noticed the logo's on many games I've played before. I was never sure which one was better. I was considering AMD because they appear to be more value for money, and I guess it doesn't have to be perfect for a first PC. I've heard a lot of stories regarding different types, and it seems like AMD is the correct choice for me at the moment. I'm not entirely sure about Black Friday. I don't think they do it over here in the UK. I'll have a look though, I guess I could buy the parts off of an American website if I decide by then haha. 

 

Thanks for the info, much appreciated

[Milk Wave 454]

Yeah I've noticed the logo's on many games I've played before. I was never sure which one was better. I was considering AMD because they appear to be more value for money, and I guess it doesn't have to be perfect for a first PC. I've heard a lot of stories regarding different types, and it seems like AMD is the correct choice for me at the moment. I'm not entirely sure about Black Friday. I don't think they do it over here in the UK. I'll have a look though, I guess I could buy the parts off of an American website if I decide by then haha. 

 

Thanks for the info, much appreciated

Here's a good 'bang for the buck' moment for you. Same Graphics card, extremely similar motherboard, and the rest (power supply, stuff like that) the same.

 

AMD FX-6100 vs Intel i7 3770k.

 

In terms of general computing and single threaded stuff, Intel wins a decent bit. The FX 6100 still does good and performs very fast, but it's Intel's top of the line so it's better and stuff. Gaming wise though, Battlefield 3. Intel had 5-15 FPS higher then the 6100, for... 200 dollars more.

 

If you get the FX 6100, you can save yourself 200 dollars, or buy a better graphics card to get a higher framerate. Dun dun dun, better gaming performance, happier person.

 

That's what AMD does best, and I love it :3

Edited November 26, 2013 by Milk Wave

[Raritas 6,820]

Ok everyone. I've been doing some research, and I'm not too sure what to do yet XD I found this PC, which my friend has and says is really good (apparently). Can someone tell me if they think it is worth it? Thanks. The only big issue I see with it is the Processor:

 

http://www.chillblast.com/Chillblast-Fusion-Firefly.html

Edited November 29, 2013 by Raritas

[repsol rave 2,963]

@@Raritas, yeah the processor and the graphics card are kinda modest, but then again, the asking price is only 500 dollars.

i think it's pretty good value for your money, but it won't run games like crysis 3 on high settings 

Edited November 29, 2013 by repsol rave

[Raritas 6,820]

@@Raritas, yeah the processor and the graphics card are kinda modest, but then again, the asking price is only 500 dollars.

i think it's pretty good value for your money, but it won't run games like crysis 3 on high settings 

 

Yeah that's the only issue I have with it, and it's 500 pounds, I think that reflects to $800. I'll keep an eye on this one, I'm not really bothered too much about Crysis right now, I've seen it run Skyrim on ultra-high, I'm happy with that XD Thanks for the help

[Chacobos 160]

I wouldn't base a PC's ability off of Crysis 3 or something because that game requires a lot more than the average to play on ultra. Just like Planetside 2, it requires a behemoth of a powerhouse to run at max. But what you have should be fine if it's for Skyrim, But what games do you exactly want to play besides Skyrim? This helps a lot when looking for what you want in your rig. 

[Milk Wave 454]

Yeah that's the only issue I have with it, and it's 500 pounds, I think that reflects to $800. I'll keep an eye on this one, I'm not really bothered too much about Crysis right now, I've seen it run Skyrim on ultra-high, I'm happy with that XD Thanks for the help

$800 bucks for what i'm seeing, that's fairly worth it I guess. Building your own PC is almost always cheaper, and Intel stuff is generally more expensive with Nvidia, even performing the same.