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How strong a rig do we need for modern gaming?
Alex
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Hi everybody, it's my first poast here at PA, and I've been lurking for a while.
Thing is, my parents pretty much trashed our current PC with random downloading, so I've been considering buying a replacement. I have a decent 27 inch monitor/keyboard/mouse, so I pretty much just need the actual tower. I've never actually bought a gaming rig before (I used Dell clones my whole life) so I was wondering how powerful a machine I needed to game for the next 3-4 without worrying about system requirements (and hopefully run games like Crysis). Do you guys know any approximate (or specific) video cards/processor specs/etc. that I might need? Sorry, I'm completely clueless to PCs, as a console gamer for my whole life. I have about $1500 atm, but I can spend up to $2000 if that's absolutely necessary.
Also, I know going to a major store is a just plain stupid, but is it better to go get a shop to put it together for you, or just order from something like tigerdirect? If I order online, do the parts come with instruction manuals?
If I've broken any forum rules or anything (i.e. doesn't belong in G&T), sorry.
Thanks :P
Thing is, my parents pretty much trashed our current PC with random downloading, so I've been considering buying a replacement. I have a decent 27 inch monitor/keyboard/mouse, so I pretty much just need the actual tower. I've never actually bought a gaming rig before (I used Dell clones my whole life) so I was wondering how powerful a machine I needed to game for the next 3-4 without worrying about system requirements (and hopefully run games like Crysis). Do you guys know any approximate (or specific) video cards/processor specs/etc. that I might need? Sorry, I'm completely clueless to PCs, as a console gamer for my whole life. I have about $1500 atm, but I can spend up to $2000 if that's absolutely necessary.
Also, I know going to a major store is a just plain stupid, but is it better to go get a shop to put it together for you, or just order from something like tigerdirect? If I order online, do the parts come with instruction manuals?
If I've broken any forum rules or anything (i.e. doesn't belong in G&T), sorry.
Thanks :P
Alex on
0
Posts
Realistically, you're probably going to spend between $500-$750 for an above average machine.
This thread will probably get moved to the Tech subforum, and I'm sure that the guys there would be way more capable of helping you out than I am.
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Holy shit.
God... I remember when a "decent" computer would set you back $3000.
Honestly, I would go for 3 gigs of ram(~60), an AMD x2 5000+(Black box edition)(~120), and an 8800GT 512mb(~270). Add in a nice large hard drive, CD/DVD burner, nice case and power supply, and an OS if you don't have one. Probably run you $800-1000, and you'll have no problem playing games for a good long time(Especially since the black box is such an overclocked. Unnesseccary at the moment, but easy way to get a longer life span in the future).
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It all comes down to how much you're willing to pay for picture quality. There isn't a game made that won't run on $500 PC these days.
but if i order to parts online and try to build it myself, where can i get instructions on how to actually put it together? like... part A goes in slot B sort of thing.
He'd be better off going for two sticks of 2GB to take advantage of dual-channel, and a Socket-775 processor, rather than any AMD chip currently out there. Much better to get a quad-core Intel processor for that kind of money - you know that Intel won't be changing sockets any time soon, so he can be assured of buying a much faster processor for the same socket, for a much cheaper price, at some point next year or whenever he feels like it.
Nothing's forgotten, nothing is ever forgotten
Wound up coming to about the same as if i would have built it, Plus a 2 year warranty. IT'll more than play anything out now and for some time to come.
I had 0 help or instructions when I decided to make my computer. The only problemsI ran into when putting it together were:
* Connecting the tower to the motherboard. Those tiny connectors...I couldn't figure out where/what order they go in BUT I figured it out by downloading the manual for the motherboard online.
* Properly setting the hard drive in the tower. It looks like my hard drive was literally 1mm wider than the slot alotted so it's just sitting in the tower away from all the cables and junk.
Aside from that, as long as you know what is compatible with what and the basic stuff, then its just screw in and plug in for the most part.
That's not bad, but with Dells you have to wipe them after you open the box. There's a LOT of spyware/adware/preinstalled crap on those things.
Right, i have to do a re-install as soon as i get it anyway to enable the raid functionality that's supposed to be built into the mobo, there's a thread recognizing the problem on their forums but they're not doing anything about it unless you pay for a raid setup from them.
Here is an awesome place to start to give you the run down on good parts and where your money should be focussed. It was last updated mid-november so I'd say it's still fairly concurrant.
Best advice would be to decide on your spec after reading through that and then post what you're planning to buy. Someone can offer advice if they think there's a better option.
Basically, $2000 is a LOT of money to spend on a tower, you don't want to go SLI, and Crysis will eat even top of the line PC's at Very High settings (Although with a top spec PC you should be easily able to set everything to "High" and it still looks freaking sweet).
Actually putting everything into the tower isn't all too complex. I'd advice getting at least an anti-static wrist-strap though. Although I know that some people might consider me paranoid for saying so, they're cheap anyway, so it's hardly an inconvenience.
I have built every PC I've ever owned until the last one which I got from Dell.
Spent 5 mins online and found a $350 off $1000 purchase or more coupon and put together a really good PC for $800 WITH a nice monitor.
There's no way I could put this together for $800 from just parts
Thing is, he's already got the monitor, which is usually a large part of the expense (especially if it's a whopper 27" monitor). I reckon the actuall case components would be cheeper to procure than getting a pre-made box from Dell. Plus he can guarantee the spec he wants AND make sure that there's no skimping on things like PSU (very important) and motherboard quality.
I'm not saying it's impossible to find a pre-made dell cheaper (heck, especially if you've managed to get a massive rebate), but my own personal preference is to make sure I've got good quality components that match the spec I'm going for.
As for not building one if you're not sure, well, there's only one real way to learn to build a PC, and it's really not the most complicated thing to do.
Plus if he's building it himself he'll have basically infinite upgradability. Not necessarily true with a prebuilt.
I've looked at "gaming computers" that are prebuilt, and I've never, ever, ever seen one that can match specs with a custom built without costing more. The prebuilts have shit that I don't need a lot of the times, and they pass shit like the 8600s off as "CRAZY XTREEEM PERFORMANCE"
And yeah, there is no excuse for playing the lack of technical experience card with a PC. Can you plug in any electronic item into a wall? Congratulations, that's 90% of building a computer, just smaller.
The manuals for every part you buy have instructions on how to install them. Computers, in this way, are kind of on the level of those bookshelves and such that you assemble at home on your own. Only, I think they're easier.
My recommendation for when you're building it is to have an anti-static wrist-strap. If you don't have one, you should probably look for one (I don't know where to go for those; I got one in a tool kit from when I went to college) (someone here can provide the answer).
Don't build the computer in your room or anywhere that's carpeted; tile or wooden floors are best. Build it up on a clear table too.
Edit - And, if those manuals are ever unclear about anything in their instruction, just swing on over here. We're all easily available to give you help.
I can upgrade this Dell just as much as I can upgrade the custom PC next to it.
I'm not against building your own PC but the price I got on this one (even excluding the monitor) was awesome.
If you're only looking at stuff branded as "gaming" then chances are you're going to pay a premium. I got what is basically a mid-level desktop tower and 'upgraded' stuff like the video card, hard drive, tv tuner and capture card, and ram. So what I have is a case with plenty of room for more storage and support for a the next 2 (hopefully) iterations of dx10 cards when this one gets too slow.
You'll load it up, crank up the graphics, and then feel a punch in the face as your game runs like a powerpoint presentation.
Crysis is a beastier beast than any beast that currently beasts.
beast.
More on topic, quite recently my old PC conked out, and i spent around £1000 pounds on a new one (thats 2000 dollerydoos) and it really was a fucking amazing experience, running some shithot games with liquid framerates, graphics that make your eyes melt. Mmm, it was Zesty.
Good times are ahead for you.
NO. NO
I'm a bloody amd fanboy and I think it's fucking stupid to buy an AMD processor for gaming right now.
If you have $2k to spend, go all out. get an intel quad core, an 8800GTX, 4GB of ram, and be amazed.
Buy components from these companies. Trust me.
Same. I'm a huge AMD fanboy, but I'd go with Intel right now. I'm sitting on an FX-60 Processor, but you can't find those for less than $300 as of late.
Quad core processors are cheap and extremely efficient.
Crysis is a very good measure of how long your PC will last, however. I can play the game on 1280x1024 resolution, with 4x AA (8x makes my FPS go from ~30 to ~3), and everything on High. So I think I'm set when it comes to PC gaming for a little while. This is DX9 though, since I don't have Vista.
http://slickdeals.net/?permadeal=11339#direct_deal_11339
1. You have to make sure that all the parts are compatible with each other. I like to use AMD's system compatibility section when I'm building my systems (I'd assume you can find this information for Intel-based systems as well). It's especially important to make sure that your motherboard and processor are compatible, and that your motherboard has the proper slot for your preferred graphics card. Memory can also be complicated/picky, so read the instructions in your motherboard manual carefully before purchasing or seating RAM.
2. Motherboard manuals have a tendency to be written poorly, so be prepared to ask a few questions about terms that the manual uses but doesn't define, or simply having to decipher poorly written sentences by non-native English speakers.
Good luck!
Quick summary (since I like AMD)
6400 black edition processor - $170
Foxconn AM2 mobo - $140 newegg varies and can be priced from 140 to 209
4gb gskill ram 800MHz $100
800w rosewill psu - $135
Creative 7.1 soundcard $130
Nvidia 8800gt XFX xxx edition video card - $320
74GB raptor drive $100 (many says it is a waste, but shortened load time = win)
additional hdd's depending on your media needs = ???
Awesome case = $100~
Replacing stock case fans and a new processor fan = $100~
This is a simple summary and at the bare mimimum before speakers and additional hard drives, the total is roughly $1300. I pc game on a 65" hdtv and my computer (with similar specs) can handle displaying 1920 x 1080 resolutions at very smooth speeds. So with $2K to burn, you can be a god.
oh sweet jesus. I wish tax money was in right now instead of 4-6 weeks from now.
fuck. fuck. fuck.
That's the machine i mentioned earlier in the thread and pulled the trigger on a few days ago. It's an awesome discount.
For basic reference, my comptuter has an AMD 3800+ processor, 2 Gb RAM (which I'm also planning on adding to), currently has a 7600 GS card. And Vista (yes, yes, I know).
IOS Game Center ID: Isotope-X
On the one hand, you're stuck with the Blu-Ray. On the other hand, those things alone cost $200 and Blu-Ray is totally going to win the format war.
Edit: GoodOmens, buy an 8800GT. Best price/performance ratio by far of any card these days.