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I don't wanna build a computer, I just wanna bang on--this joke is bad. Help me buy a PC!

admanbadmanb unionize your workplaceSeattle, WARegistered User regular
in Help / Advice Forum
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.

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    bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    What's your budget?

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
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    Hahnsoo1Hahnsoo1 Make Ready. We Hunt.Registered User regular
    What is your budget? That's the biggest question.

    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.

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    bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    That is the only downside to prebuilt is sometimes the components are shitty so you're probably going to need to pull out the power supply to put in a better one to support a better GPU because the GPU on prebuilt ones will be bad within a year or two.

    So you're looking at doing a lot of internal works, or replacing the PC every 3 years instead of every 6+.

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
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    admanbadmanb unionize your workplace Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    Probably looking to max out around $1,200. Games I might be playing would be like, Guild Wars 2, Dota 2, but nothing really high-end.

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    bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    http://www.amazon.com/Avatar-i5-4677K-Gaming-Desktop-Black/dp/B00CZSQ0CW/

    Maybe something like this?

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
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    admanbadmanb unionize your workplace Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    Those specs look pretty solid. I also like the look of Digital Storm's offerings. Are there any issues I'm not seeing with the Level 3 Vanquish II?

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    bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    A bit overpriced a bit I think. If I was dropping >$900, I'd want an SSD too.

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
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    admanbadmanb unionize your workplace Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    Sure. Though I think 256mb SSDs are down to something like $100.

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    Iceman.USAFIceman.USAF Major East CoastRegistered User regular
    Is there a particular reason you're set on a tower? Laptops have come so very far gaming wise, and you can easily hook it up to your accessories.

    Then you can just grab it when you go someplace!

    Just my .02. I don't know much about pre-built desktops, sorry!

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    admanbadmanb unionize your workplace Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    I have an Air as my primary computer so I don't have a driving need for a laptop -- or at least not one that outweighs the increased cost and reduced ease of repairs and upgrades. :)

    twitter, github
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    QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    bowen wrote: »
    That is the only downside to prebuilt is sometimes the components are shitty so you're probably going to need to pull out the power supply to put in a better one to support a better GPU because the GPU on prebuilt ones will be bad within a year or two.

    So you're looking at doing a lot of internal works, or replacing the PC every 3 years instead of every 6+.

    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.

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    bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    Iceman.USAF wrote: »
    Is there a particular reason you're set on a tower? Laptops have come so very far gaming wise, and you can easily hook it up to your accessories.

    Then you can just grab it when you go someplace!

    Just my .02. I don't know much about pre-built desktops, sorry!

    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.

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
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    Al_watAl_wat Registered User regular
    I disagree. There are laptops which you can game on; just dont expect top of the line performance. Of course it goes without saying that for the same price you can get a desktop with much better performance.

    Honestly though with respect to the OP; on your budget i wouldnt consider a gaming laptop. Stick with desktops.

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    Iceman.USAFIceman.USAF Major East CoastRegistered User regular
    bowen wrote: »
    Iceman.USAF wrote: »
    Is there a particular reason you're set on a tower? Laptops have come so very far gaming wise, and you can easily hook it up to your accessories.

    Then you can just grab it when you go someplace!

    Just my .02. I don't know much about pre-built desktops, sorry!

    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.

    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.

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    fightinfilipinofightinfilipino Angry as Hell #BLMRegistered User regular
    i'd recommend AVADirect for prebuilts. they've got a good rep, and they don't use cheap parts.

    ffNewSig.png
    steam | Dokkan: 868846562
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    Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    admanb wrote: »
    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 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

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    MyiagrosMyiagros Registered User regular
    If you build it yourself you can get something that will be suitable for much longer than the 3 years that everyone seems to think is required for upgrades. Each of my builds have lasted anywhere from 4-7 years without dishing out >$1000. My previous build was around $800 and lasted 6 years before I upgraded although it was still fine for running most games on high. With a $1200 budget you can easily get something that will last a very long time, especially with video cards being the only major improvements coming out. i7, 8GB memory and an SSD plus a $300 video card is an amazing machine and will run anything coming out in the next half decade or more.

    iRevert wrote: »
    Because if you're going to attempt to squeeze that big black monster into your slot you will need to be able to take at least 12 inches or else you're going to have a bad time...
    Steam: MyiagrosX27
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    bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    We'll hold your hand too, it'll be alright.

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
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    CreamstoutCreamstout What you think I program for, to push a fuckin' quad-core? Registered User regular
    I had some trepidation about building my own pc, but after piecing it together and wiring it up I'll never buy a prebuilt rig. The value and sense of accomplishment far outweigh the convenience. Spent around $1200 dollars and have never looked back, by far the best machine I've owned. Gaming is a hobby anyway, unless you are a pro player and you need the rig immediately take your time and do it right.

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    BouwsTBouwsT Wanna come to a super soft birthday party? Registered User regular
    Just thought I'd throw my two cents in, you can get a LOT done with with a core i5, or even the new dual core Intel just released (the Pentium G3258 Anniversary Edition, which I've heard is a great overclocker for the price). There is a TON of value in building a system. I've done base level pre-built, boutique pre-built, and two of my own. I've loved my own like children.

    Between you and me, Peggy, I smoked this Juul and it did UNTHINKABLE things to my mind and body...
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    schussschuss Registered User regular
    Yeah, these days you only have a few choices - AMD or Intel proc, then just what motherboard features you want, then ATI or Nvidia card. Everything else is just variations within those 3 big decisions. Plus, if you can build legos, you can build a computer.

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    MyiagrosMyiagros Registered User regular
    There's really not anything that can be incompatible these days besides the CPU and Motherboard, and if you are using NewEgg then there is categories that you can use to view what you need. All you need to make sure of is that the CPU socket and Motherboard socket match and that you have a high enough PSU to run everything(450W+ tends to be enough for anything, go with 650W+ if you are concerned).

    iRevert wrote: »
    Because if you're going to attempt to squeeze that big black monster into your slot you will need to be able to take at least 12 inches or else you're going to have a bad time...
    Steam: MyiagrosX27
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    Jebus314Jebus314 Registered User regular
    I'll just throw in my 2 cents as well. Actually buying and building a pc is ridiculously easy. We have a thread in another forum for posting questions/part lists for for what you want to buy. Post there and we can guarantee you will get parts that work together. Or post here.

    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.

    "The world is a mess, and I just need to rule it" - Dr Horrible
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    bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    Meh getting windows up and running is as easy as popping in a DVD and pressing some buttons and then taking a nap for a half hour.

    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
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    donavannjdonavannj Registered User regular
    bowen wrote: »
    Meh getting windows up and running is as easy as popping in a DVD and pressing some buttons and then taking a nap for a half hour.

    Windows 7 has a crazy number of drivers pre-installed, so what Bowen speaks here is essentially the truth.

    steam_sig.png
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    DoctorArchDoctorArch Curmudgeon Registered User regular
    Ditto. Windows 7 just might be the greatest operating system Microsoft has ever made. It just works, and it works well. The only issue it really has during installation is if you want to keep your user folder off your SSD/default drive as that takes a little bit of "follow the instructions" sorcery.

    Switch Friend Code: SW-6732-9515-9697
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    EclecticGrooveEclecticGroove Registered User regular
    Yeah, honestly it's harder to decide what components to buy than to put them together nowadays. There generally aren't things like manual dip switches and jumpers to deal with when building up a system these days. So long as you get compatible CPU/Motherboard/RAM types it tends to all just work. And even that isn't very hard with a tiny bit of reading.

    Most of the complexity comes if/when you feel like tweaking the hell out of the system, overclocking, etc.

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    BouwsTBouwsT Wanna come to a super soft birthday party? Registered User regular
    EclecticGroove wrote: »
    ...
    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.

    Between you and me, Peggy, I smoked this Juul and it did UNTHINKABLE things to my mind and body...
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    kaliyamakaliyama Left to find less-moderated fora Registered User regular
    On average I work 70 hours a week. I build my own PC instead of buying because it saves me time: it's much faster to buy + build parts from newegg or fry's than wait for a dell or an alienware to ship me my PC. and, if they screw anything up (which will happen), I have to ship them back the entire PC to get warranty coverage. if my video card fails on what I built, I can just RMA the video card and swap in a temporary sub.


    fwKS7.png?1
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    MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    I just came here to say that I had never built a PC on my own, let alone used a screwdriver for anything other than putting together Ikea furniture, but the Computer Build Thread in the Technology Tavern here walked me through step by step without any issues.

    I am in the business of saving lives.
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    Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    Myiagros wrote: »
    If you build it yourself you can get something that will be suitable for much longer than the 3 years that everyone seems to think is required for upgrades. Each of my builds have lasted anywhere from 4-7 years without dishing out >$1000. My previous build was around $800 and lasted 6 years before I upgraded although it was still fine for running most games on high. With a $1200 budget you can easily get something that will last a very long time, especially with video cards being the only major improvements coming out. i7, 8GB memory and an SSD plus a $300 video card is an amazing machine and will run anything coming out in the next half decade or more.

    For gaming you DO NOT need an i7. Desktop i5s will run any game you could want.
    donavannj wrote: »
    bowen wrote: »
    Meh getting windows up and running is as easy as popping in a DVD and pressing some buttons and then taking a nap for a half hour.

    Windows 7 has a crazy number of drivers pre-installed, so what Bowen speaks here is essentially the truth.

    8.1 is even simpler. And if you go SSD, it doesn't take half an hour.
    DoctorArch wrote: »
    Ditto. Windows 7 just might be the greatest operating system Microsoft has ever made. It just works, and it works well. The only issue it really has during installation is if you want to keep your user folder off your SSD/default drive as that takes a little bit of "follow the instructions" sorcery.

    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.

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    BouwsTBouwsT Wanna come to a super soft birthday party? Registered User regular
    chrishallett83 wrote: »
    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).

    Between you and me, Peggy, I smoked this Juul and it did UNTHINKABLE things to my mind and body...
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    Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    I got a 256Gb SSD at the end of 2012 for my only drive. I have 22 games installed (on top of the usual utilities like VLC, Steam, Origin, MalwareBytes, about 20 gigs of photos, about 14 gigs of music FLAC files, etc.) including some big titles like Tomb Raider and Sleeping Dogs and still have 63.8 GB of space left. If I had a 500GB SSD I'd have ALL my games installed at once and not have to worry about room.

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    Inquisitor77Inquisitor77 2 x Penny Arcade Fight Club Champion A fixed point in space and timeRegistered User regular
    Once you go SSD you'll never go back. The cost might seem steep but just think of the money you save on electricity because you can shut your computer off when you aren't using it, since booting it up takes all of 10 seconds. Not to mention the time/electricity you save not waiting for loading screens (seriously, they go from 5 minutes to 5 seconds).

    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).

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    QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    edited August 2014
    @admanb‌

    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.

    Quid on
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