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Any Gaming PC Guru's in here?

VT_Hokie

VT_Hokie

With the impending release of both the PlayStation 4 and XBox 720, my friends and I are looking to break away from consoles and into the world of PC Gaming.

We're all new to PC gaming and have no idea what we need or what to look for. Probably wouldn't be a good idea to try and build one, so looking for something out of the box with a warranty.

Gonna be looking for a machine to play games like Call of Duty, Battlefield, Crysis, Arma / DayZ, Minecraft, etc.

Anyone have any buying tips or suggestions for what I need or things that I should be looking for?

Been doing a little research, does this one look any good?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/CyberPo...rive/6898006.p?id=1218811221206&skuId=6898006
 
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V

Village Idiot

Honestly, I'd stay away from Best Buy. Check out www.newegg.com and www.tigerdirect.com. You're likely to find better deals there. Even www.dell.com will probably have better deals as they're always doing sales and you can find coupons by googling "dell coupons".

So what's your budget? The biggest thing will be matching your screen resolution to a video card powerful enough to run everything at as high a setting you can get. Next will be processor. There are some games out there that are processor intensive. Then memory. Those are going to be the three most important things.

I had a 30" monitor that uses a 2560x1600 resolution, so I ended up getting a GTX680 when it was released. I have an old processor and it doesn't affect me too much right now, but I see some performance issues on games like rift and Crysis.

What size monitor are you planning on getting. Also, what kind of games are you looking at playing?
 
Shave_Rat

Shave_Rat

Village Idiot said:
Honestly, I'd stay away from Best Buy. Check out www.newegg.com and www.tigerdirect.com. You're likely to find better deals there. Even www.dell.com will probably have better deals as they're always doing sales and you can find coupons by googling "dell coupons".

So what's your budget? The biggest thing will be matching your screen resolution to a video card powerful enough to run everything at as high a setting you can get. Next will be processor. There are some games out there that are processor intensive. Then memory. Those are going to be the three most important things.

I had a 30" monitor that uses a 2560x1600 resolution, so I ended up getting a GTX680 when it was released. I have an old processor and it doesn't affect me too much right now, but I see some performance issues on games like rift and Crysis.

What size monitor are you planning on getting. Also, what kind of games are you looking at playing?
Click to expand...

+1 on the Newegg/Tigerdirect setups.
 
YetiDave

YetiDave

Probably the best thing to do is getting someone who knows a fair bit about tech and PC building to spec up a machine for you, buy the parts separately and then put it together. It'll likely be a lot cheaper than something pre-built
 
V

Village Idiot

YetiDave said:
Probably the best thing to do is getting someone who knows a fair bit about tech and PC building to spec up a machine for you, buy the parts separately and then put it together. It'll likely be a lot cheaper than something pre-built
Click to expand...

This^

There are usually small computer shops or people around town that will do this for a slight fee that will give you a computer with what you need and not a random assortment of parts that some company put together.

It's really not hard to assemble a computer. I could teach a person how to do it in no time at all. The hardest part is running the power wires and even then most of those have plugs that will only go in to a certain type of device that takes it or they're color matched.
 
smalltank

smalltank

bestbuy is good if you wanna buy your computer and do small payments..works well...frys.com also has good desktops
 
LogisticEarth

LogisticEarth

Also adding in to say that building your own PC is super easy. You just need to turn a few screws and plug your cards into the right slots.

The two hardest parts are probably 1.) Choosing your parts/software correctly, and 2.) Setting the CPU chip, as that can require a steady hand.

Get a friend or geeks on an internet forum to help with #1, and you should be fine with #2 as long as you're careful.

Please note that, even building your own PC, you'll probably still end up spending more than a new console if you're going for mid or top-end gaming equipment. But in general I have found it more satisfying.
 
jstutman

jstutman

do not forget dell outlet. save hundreds on refurbs (1 year warranty-option to buy more) or they even have scratch and dent. be on the look out for coupons at slickdeals
 
VT_Hokie

VT_Hokie

Thanks for all the replies guys.

I'll probably end up going the prebuilt route, whether it be from a bigger company or a local guy. Just not sure its something I feel like tackling myself. I'm much more at home under the hood of a car than I am finesseing delicate components and fiddling with tiny screws while trying to remain patient.

I don't need anything terribly fancy, so I'll look to keep it in the 500-750 range.

After doing some more digging, I see that there are setups that after price checking sites like newegg and td, that they're doesn't seem to be huge markups on pre assembled units.

When I get home this evening I'll do some more research.
 
LogisticEarth

LogisticEarth

VT_Hokie said:
After doing some more digging, I see that there are setups that after price checking sites like newegg and td, that they're doesn't seem to be huge markups on pre assembled units.
Click to expand...

For the low end systems in the $500-1000, this is true. If you start getting up into performance systems, then you can get some significant savings. Specifically, manufacturers like Alienware get away with murder.

There are other advantages to building your own system. You really get to know your PC, so if something goes wrong, you have a better chance of fixing it yourself. If your power supply goes or you want to bump up your RAM or GPU, then replacing/upgrading becomes a lot cheaper. If building your own seems intimidating for a first purchase, then consider it for your next machine. I would also suggest staying away from some of the big guys like Dell, as their computers often have hard to find or proprietary parts. Should you wish to try upgrading your machine later, that could cause problems.
 
jlanger

jlanger

I started out with cheaper builds from Best Buy Circuit City Etc, eventually "frankenstiening" a few EMachines, one so much it really wasn't an Emachine anymore (lol) 1000 watt PSU, FX64 chip, monster gfx card etx. It actually still works lol. Though now I've moved on to my own build.

Cyberpower is a pretty good place to start if you want a decent build, Newegg and Walmart (lol) sometimes actually have better prices on them than BB does and they usually have slightly different builds. Though if you have BB card, I totally understand, I've been there done that;) Biggest thing I'd do is whatever system you get, make sure it's expandable, i.e. you can add more ram, or a new GFX card should you chose, IMO the CPU is a lesser matter, especially for most of the games you're talking about, CPU does make a difference, but the GFX will matter more. Just remember PC gaming is a lot more money and investment than consoles, if you do it long enough you will have to face the fact that you current machine will suck and you will have to upgrade considerably to continue having fun with new games. I probably stick 200-300 every year or two into my build, I've currently have the same MOBO I put into it 4 years ago, but have upgraded CPU's and GFX cards 2x now. My next upgrade will be a lot more money as I'm going to have to go to DDR3/4 RAM and a whole new MOBO and CPU setup, IT'll be fun but not cheap :(
Anyways, welcome to the PC world, it's very fun, the expandability and preciseness of PC gaming will blow you away.
 
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V

Village Idiot

VT_Hokie said:
Thanks for all the replies guys.

I'll probably end up going the prebuilt route, whether it be from a bigger company or a local guy. Just not sure its something I feel like tackling myself. I'm much more at home under the hood of a car than I am finesseing delicate components and fiddling with tiny screws while trying to remain patient.

I don't need anything terribly fancy, so I'll look to keep it in the 500-750 range.

After doing some more digging, I see that there are setups that after price checking sites like newegg and td, that they're doesn't seem to be huge markups on pre assembled units.

When I get home this evening I'll do some more research.
Click to expand...

Have you ever replaced a diverter valve on a MKV VW? One arm up between the sub frame and exhaust while trying to remove four tiny hex bolts with a hex bit on an extension where you're feeling around because you can't see? Then having to hold the diaphram and springs in place while reassembling the new unit? Gah....it would be easier to assemble a PC blindfolded. :biggrin1:
 
sychodelix

sychodelix

To get a system for that price that's still capable of gaming, you'll have to build it yourself. Honestly the guides on what parts work and what you have to do are out there, you just have to research. If you end up buying a pre built for that range, expect you will have to replace some parts (psu) on it anyway, so there are hidden costs involved. If you want a pre built, save your money.
 
Infernal2

Infernal2

If you are worried about putting it together the right way, I can promise you that the systems have become so idiot proof as to remove 99% of the problems that used to occur. Really, the only thing difficult about assembling a PC these days is hooking the power/reset/light cables to the motherboard and only because the things are usually so small.

Check out Maximum PC, they have a yearly "Budget Gaming PC" article that usually runs between 500 - 700 dollars. If you follow the directions, even if you don't end up with the exact same components, you'll be fine.
 
GuanYu

GuanYu

+1 on building your own. The individual parts will have good warranties, you'll learn how it all goes together and works so you don't have to call a technician when something fails, you'll get a better machine for the money, and you'll be able to customize it!

I just build my first pc a couple months ago. It's awesome! I couldn't have gotten something this good unless I spent twice what I did. I'd suggest going with a full size atx mother board, an ssd, and a good enclosed watercooling system or an aftermarket aircooler (i'm running the noctua nh-d14 w/ a i5-3570k on a asrock extreme6 mobo). Also, don't skimp on the cpu & case--you can use them again and again.

edit: try looking at the deals @ microcenter & newegg. that's where i got most of my parts @ awesome deals. tigerdirect had some good ones too...
 
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