Help with buying new desktop for gaming

[ScatterBen]

My very first thread, so please be nice. I checked the search bar and it only came up with people requesting help on buying a gaming laptop, which I do not want.

It's been a long time since I've been able to play any sort of game on a PC. The last Windows desktop my family had probably struggled to play Half-Life 2, and you know something's bad when it can't handle Final Fantasy XI altogether (quite an ugly game). We finally stopped using this around October last year, when we bought an iMac for the family. OK, so imagine my excitement a few months later when I found out that Steam would be coming to the Mac. Now imagine my disappointment moments after its release when my iMac struggled to run the free version of Portal even at mid-level settings. Not happy.

So after a couple of months of pondering I've decided that I might try and buy myself a new Windows desktop for games, and I would appreciate any help and advice the people here could give me. I live in Belgium but am actually English, so when referring to cost or any websites specific to a location, Sterling or Euros are my preferred currency. Let's pretend, for now, that cost isn't so much of a matter. I can deal with that later, once I've got all the info.

What I really want is a desktop that will be of decent value, but also last a few years before its processor and graphics card become obsolete, and obviously be able to play recent games at a high level (doesn't everybody?) I know next to nothing about PCs so any help here is great. Can anything think of any specific models or manufacturers (besides Alienware, which seems so overpriced that I don't think I'll consider it) that I ought to look at? What is the most up-to-date graphics card now, and how much does it cost by itself? Sorry if I'm coming across as a noob, just educate me if I am.

Next, I would also like to know if using the monitor from my last system would spoil anything? Really, all I feel I need is the desktop and some new speakers. I have a mouse, keyboard and flat-screen monitor from my old PC, and would rather not have to buy all of that stuff again. I want to keep the cost as low as possible, but I'm still willing to shell out on the desktop itself, providing its worth it. If I do need a new monitor, how much are they and can it wait until a bit after I get the actual computer?

Thanks for any help I get.

 

[rawrnosaurous]

Are you looking for a pre-built pc?

 

[markisb]

atleast a quad core cpu.

 

[RooftopAssassin]

I'll say that keeping all your peripherals from your last system is defiantly a good idea, and an economical one. I know you don't know a lot about PC's, but you should really look into building your own system, it's actually much easier than it sounds. It will also save you money in the long run. If you just don't feel like it, I'd say gateway is a good option. I had a gateway that wasn't even meant for gaming and I could play most games for 5 years before I had to upgrade my graphics card. I'm sure if you get one geared towards gaming it will last almost 8 years before any upgrade is needed.

 

[Hoplon]

Monitors can always wait. but even big ones are pretty cheap these days.

If you are looking for pre-built, and it sounds like you are, it depends on your region.

So where abouts are you? Country wise, no need to be more specific than that really.

once that's clear I'm sure people in the same region could point you in the right direction.

 

[bobdevis]

I live in Belgium but am actually English, so when referring to cost or any websites specific to a location, Sterling or Euros are my preferred currency.

The absolute best place to start planning your computer shopping in your region of the world is the Tweakers.net Pricewatch site.
Here are their prebuild desktop listings; http://tweakers.net/pricewatch/cat/713/desktops.html
There are reviews, and option filters and all that stuff.

If you don't speak Dutch, get the Google Chrome browser and use the translate-site option.

 

[chuketek]

I can only really give advice for custom built PCs which doesn't seem to be the route you're going, however.....
one thing to really bear in mind when building or buying a gaming PC:
The main bottleneck for games performance is almost always the graphics card. So if you're working within a budget (which we all are to some extent) get a midrange motherboard, good enough CPU, a decent amount of memory (memory's pretty cheap) and absolutely the best graphics card you can afford. Plus of course a power supply that'll handle the rest of your shopping list.

For instance I built mine a year ago with:
MSI P55 GD-65 - cheapest motherboard which mounted the CPU I wanted, has good all round features and allows for effective use of multiple graphics cards should I decide to stick another in there
Intel i5 CPU - low power, decent enough speed
Radeon 5870 - The biggest and fastest card at the time of building

And it'll run practically anything on highest quality. The only times I've had any problems with it at all have been when I've overrun the memory, but that's because I use XP and so can't use the full 16GB I could have put in the thing. I'll migrate to 7 eventually...

 

[Delusibeta]

On the monitor question, if it's an old style, bulky CRT type monitor, you'll probably have to replace it. If it's an LCD type, you could probably get away with it. As for the machine itself, if you're looking for a pre-built machine, you probably won't be satisifed from the range of desktops from the mainstream manufacturers, and so you'll probably be looking for specialists, for example Overclockers. Alternatively, you can buy a mainstream basebox and swap in a graphics card, it's fairly easy to do, if somewhat fiddly. Should be plenty of tutorials on the internet. As ever, your mileage may vary.

One thing you should focus on is processers. Pay good money for them, they're a pain in the arse to upgrade. You really should be looking at quad core processors now, although you can probably still get by with recent dual cores. Be warned: Intel tends to change the socket design for processors fairly regularly, another reason why upgrading a processor is a pain in the arse. On comparing graphics cards, Tom's Hardware's probably the go-to site. Have a look around for their comparison charts.

 

[AcacianLeaves]

If you have the knowledge and patience to build your own machine, that's the cheapest way to go. It's not necessarily the easiest or the most reliable (if something goes wrong its your fault and no one will help you), but it has its merits.

If you aren't going custom built I would go with Dell or ASUS. Stay far the fuck away from HP or Gateway. I purchased and ASUS Essentio CG5275 and upgraded it with a Nvidia 9800GT and it works beautifully. The most graphics intensive game I've played so far is Mass Effect 2 and I had no problems running that at max settings. It comes loaded with an intel i5 processor but I believe there is a model that has an i7, which if you get that you shouldn't have to upgrade for a good long while. I've had the system for 6 months now and have encountered zero problems. So my recommendation goes for the ASUS Essentio line. Cheap priced, very upgradeable, relatively high-end systems that should be good for many years to come.

The easiest way to know what you want in a new computer is to go out and find a game you want to play. Write down its recommended system requirements, and try and have your computer exceed that.

 

[Ashsaver]

You could try asking around the department stores that specifically sell PC hardware, ask for their input on a new rig.

Tell them how much budget you have,Or bring your old rig with you to ask them for any possible upgrades with your current budget,then they'll come up with a list of stuffs you could buy. (At least that's how things work in my country.)

You probably won't need to change your old mouse and keyboard,but you said your monitor was a flat screen right? not LCD? or anything HDCP support? then you you definitely should buy yourself a new monitor.

You can hooked said monitor to play Xbox360,PS3 and Wii too. I have my Xbox360,PS3 and PC all hooked into my monitor.


here is my list of stuffs for your new rig,it's not the best rig in the world, but it's decent,can play most games and not too expensive.You can write it down and show it to your local PC hardware store for their input,and adjust it for your own taste. Monitor excluded.

Main Board: GIGABYTE MA78LMT-S2
CPU: AMD ATHLON II X3 440
RAM: G.SKILL DDR3 4RL/1333
VGA: SAPPHIRE 5750 512MB D5
HDD: SEAGATE 500GB 7200.12 16MB NCQ (or use your old one if it has more than 100GB free space)
DVD-RW: DVD-RW LITEON 24X LIGHTSCRIBE (or use your old one if you like)

PSU: If your old one can't supplies enough power for your new rig then buy a new one that can.
CASE: Use your old one if applicable,or buy a better one

 

[ScatterBen]

As most of you have guessed, I was planning on getting a pre-built desktop. I'm not really a tech guy and wouldn't trust myself, or any of my friends, to try and assemble something worth so much. Out of curiosity, though, how much money could I save if I were to build my own?

On the question of the monitor - I'm not sure if it's LCD or not. However, I may be able to plug it into my Panasonic Viera (which I use for my PS3) and then use a wireless keyboard and mouse. Would anybody advise this? It could actually be preferable, since finding a place for it in the house could be a pain, as well as having to buy another desk.

So far, I've only looked at Dell, but could someone tell me which of their standard desktop lineup would be the best for gaming, just so that I know what I'm looking for in others that I look at? I'm guessing that the most expensive one would be the obvious choice, but if I were to compromise on other aspects and concentrate on the processing power and the graphics card, which would be the best value?

 

[rookie.of.the.year]

I know not much of computers and the like but i know a little bit since i just had the same experience but in the laptop world,

If you could go walking into the shop and ask... you want something with 4GB RAM, with 1GB dedicated graphics, make sure its not integrated.
The processor: Core i5 or more, preferably core i7

I think this one would do but I don't know how much you're wanting to spend...
http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/minicat/new/upsell/inspiron-580-D005827?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs

 

[ScatterBen]

I think this one would do but I don't know how much you're wanting to spend...
http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/minicat/new/upsell/inspiron-580-D005827?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs

Really? Jesus, I was thinking I'd have to spend about £1000 for something that would last. That's a big relief.

With where it's going to go in my house (the basement) I'm going to need wi-fi, as well. I haven't ever been in the market for a desktop (my dad and older brother got the last one), but is that a standard these days or will I need to get that separately?

 

[rookie.of.the.year]

I think this one would do but I don't know how much you're wanting to spend...
http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/minicat/new/upsell/inspiron-580-D005827?c=uk&cs=ukdhs1&l=en&s=dhs

Really? Jesus, I was thinking I'd have to spend about £1000 for something that would last. That's a big relief.

With where it's going to go in my house (the basement) I'm going to need wi-fi, as well. I haven't ever been in the market for a desktop (my dad and older brother got the last one), but is that a standard these days or will I need to get that separately?

Nah, with 6GB ram in that i'm pretty sure it will last
I think you're buying a mac experiences skewed your normal world prices

hmm... pretty sure wireless is a standard in desktops now... but im not 100%

 

[ScatterBen]

Nah, with 6GB ram in that i'm pretty sure it will last
I think you're buying a mac experiences skewed your normal world prices

hmm... pretty sure wireless is a standard in desktops now... but im not 100%

Yeah, thanks a lot. My laptop is a Mac as well so maybe I had convinced myself it was going to be ridiculous.

Can anyone else recommend a desktop of those specs? How far do you think the graphics card would take me?

Thanks a lot for all the help, everyone. It's sort of opened my eyes to the realities of buying a PC.

 

[chuketek]

The basic stats of that computer look pretty good, but as I mentioned before I'd really recommend a decent graphics card.

There's no option to upgrade that particular model before you buy and a Radeon 5450 isn't going to get you very far these days. Will it play more or less anything? yes. Will it play it well at higher detail settings, not really.

The other problem is that the Radeon 5450 is an extremely energy efficient card. This may seem like a good thing, but if you tried to swap it out with a more powerful card you'd also have to worry about it getting enough power, so you'd probably need a new power supply (I don't know exactly what motherboard and power supply they use, so I can't say 100%, but I would think that if they could easily have put another, bigger graphics card in the machine, it would have been on the upgrade list). Upgrading it wouldn't be simple is what I'm saying.

This is my problem with ready made systems. They seem to either not really be up to hardcore gaming, or trying to cater for people who want to absolute best of everything, even when it's not necessary, with a ridiculous price tag.

You asked before how much money you'd save making your own machine. There are a few ifs and buts associated with that question.
If you want a new low end machine it is actually usually cheaper to buy ready made PC. But as soon as you start putting in upgrades, or move to a more powerful model, it starts to get expensive, fast.
However the main problem for building your own isn't actually the hardware, it's the OS and Office. If you buy ready made Windows is almost always included, if you don't then you have to sort something out yourself. (Search Amazon for new Windows licenses and prepare to be shocked.) I had an old copy of XP lying around so it didn't matter to me, but if you don't have access to windows for cheap or for free then building yourself might get expensive. The other however though is that although Dell etc. PCs have Windows, that copy of Windows is only for that specific machine. If your machine dies, your copy of Windows goes with it. If you buy it yourself though you can put that copy of windows on as many successive machines as you like.

So yeah, to sum up. If you just want a machine that will manage pretty much all games, maybe not at the highest settings, but well enough, then I think that Dell mentioned before is fine. But be aware that the potential for upgrading it is probably extremely limited. If you want something higher spec I recommend you do some research into self building, (required components, price of components, specifications vs what you want it to do) and have a hard think about it.