The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
Please vote in the Forum Structure Poll. Polling will close at 2PM EST on January 21, 2025.
I don't wanna build a computer, I just wanna bang on--this joke is bad. Help me buy a PC!
admanb
unionize your workplaceSeattle, WARegistered User regular
unionize your workplaceSeattle, WARegistered User regular
So, my eight-year-old iMac that I've been using to watch Netflix and such in the bedroom finally gave up over the weekend and this has coincided with a renewed interest in PC gaming (of the Divinity/Wasteland 2 variety) so I'm looking for a midrange PC that can handle games, but I don't need it to go crazy. However, the thought of having to build and configure my own PC fills me with nausea and dread -- I just don't have the time or interest for that process anymore. Thus, I'm looking to you, fair forum, to point me to a manufacturer and maybe even a specific model to buy.
It's worth noting that I have a rather nice 30" monitor and plenty of mice and keyboards, so I'm only looking for a tower.
It's worth noting that I have a rather nice 30" monitor and plenty of mice and keyboards, so I'm only looking for a tower.
0
Posts
Is this going to primarily be a gaming machine? What kind of games do you want to play, and at what level of detail? MMOs require more horsepower, for example, than most shooters and RTS games.
Are you against refurbished machines (do you want something brand new)?
Depending on the parts, building it yourself will probably be the cheapest option, but there are some boutique computer outlets that can build and deliver a PC pretty close to what you'd get on sale at Newegg, like Digital Storm's entry-level Vanquish II line (runs at around 700 bucks without tax/shipping).
The cheap pre-assembled option typically will come in the form of a Dell (possibly Acer... not sure how Acer refurbs are) refurb, with an aftermarket video card to beef up its graphics capability. You can find a lot of these at Dell's own outlet website or at websites like overstock.com.
So you're looking at doing a lot of internal works, or replacing the PC every 3 years instead of every 6+.
Maybe something like this?
Then you can just grab it when you go someplace!
Just my .02. I don't know much about pre-built desktops, sorry!
Not really. Outside of a new video card that's all I've replaced on my PC after seven years. It's just a matter of paying attention to the components when buying.
Laptops are never price point competitive. Or good for gaming.
If you want mobility, get a laptop.
If you want to game, get a desktop.
If you want to game while on the move, pick up a 2ds or something.
Honestly though with respect to the OP; on your budget i wouldnt consider a gaming laptop. Stick with desktops.
Let's just agree to disagree on that.
Anyway, back to the OP. No need for portability, got it. I've had some friends with great luck with ibuypower. Even their "base" models are pretty solid spec wise.
steam | Dokkan: 868846562
It's a damn shame you don't want to build your own. With your budget you could build a really nice rig, good for a few years at least.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/YMgXVn
There are a few steps in the actually building processes that might cause some trepidation, but posting any questions, and watching some youtube videos should get you through with almost no real effort.
Installing software and getting everything up and running on the other hand, is kind of a pain in the ass. It's usually not too difficult, but some problems can be hard to figure out. I say this not to discourage you from building, because it really is pretty easy and will net you the best pc for the lowest price, but in all fairness it will probably involve half a day of figuring stuff out. Some people choose to pay a premium for prebuilts to have a working pc the second it arrives with no work required, and it's really just a preference call at that point.
Windows 7 has a crazy number of drivers pre-installed, so what Bowen speaks here is essentially the truth.
Most of the complexity comes if/when you feel like tweaking the hell out of the system, overclocking, etc.
And even that is getting stupidly easy, with most motherboards coming with overclocking software out of the box. Granted they wont be the absolute BEST overclock compared to someone with experience and time, but it will be solid, and it will be EASY.
For gaming you DO NOT need an i7. Desktop i5s will run any game you could want.
8.1 is even simpler. And if you go SSD, it doesn't take half an hour.
Forgo an internal platter drive and get a big SSD. Then don't even bother with that step. The I/O lifespan of quality SSDs these days makes them more reliable with a longer life than a platter drive.
Big ditto on the SSD. Get a platter drive when you need to back stuff up, but absolutely make an SSD your primary drive (or your only drive, if you're planning on a single drive set-up).
A backup media drive to store everything not OS/gaming related (and as an overall backup) is also super-cheap, if you're worried about needing extra space or the SSD failing somehow (which they generally don't do anymore).
Concerning your actual question I last went through ibuypower.com about seven years back and haven't been disappointed outside of the semi gaudy case. I can't link it from my phone but I was able to put together a PC on their site with an Nvidia 760, i7 core, terabyte hard drive, and 8 gigs of memory for $1,047.
That should easily max out the games you're playing and not need any upgrades (longer if you're fine lowering graphics settings) for several years.