Attn: PC Gamers

Discussion in 'Video Games' started by SawdustMan, Mar 28, 2013.

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  1. SawdustMan

    SawdustMan #ChampChamp

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    So I'm thinking about getting back into PC gaming and am planning to purchase a dedicated gaming desktop. Been away from it for awhile so I'm way behind the times. I don't know what the best graphics cards are or any of that kinda stuff. What would you say are the minimum specs needed to be able to run most current games smoothly? I'm not looking for top of the line. I'm just looking for an an adequate setup where I'm not going to be behind the times in a year. And I don't want to have to run every game on the low resolution setting. A "mid-level" machine is what I'm looking for I suppose.

    And what about Alienware? Are their machines worth the $$$? Or can I build one from another brand with similar specs for a lot cheaper?
     
  2. JCBRAVE

    JCBRAVE goTitans 2019 Survivor Champion

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  3. KamikaZ

    KamikaZ Ex-Hall of Famer

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    Don't buy Alienware, unless for some reason you want a gaming laptop. Friends don't let friends buy gaming laptops. You can get a drastically better machine for hundreds, sometimes a thousand, less


    You can get a decent rig together for about $500. Graphics card and graphics RAM is where you want your hard earned cash to go. Processor and memory is secondary, but fortuneately cheaper. Do a lot of research into graphics cards, but don't think you have to blow over $400 to have a good time.

    Check out Tom's Hardware and it's forums for ideas on a good budget rig. They have some fine builds that won't bankrupt you.
     
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  4. Titans Eternal

    Titans Eternal Got the swagger of a cripple

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    Alienware used to be great. Now it is overpriced crap.


    http://www.xoticpc.com/

    That's the site you need. I'm on the go fleeing from the cops VERY often, so I dropped 1200 and got me a solid gaming laptop, but a desktop is better( and cheaper) without question if you don't mind being in one spot.

    Depending on what you want to spend, a 600 series nvidia gcard will run most current games on medium/high, and its fairly cheap. You want 8+ gigs of ram, avoid windows 8 as your os.

    Browse over that site, they give you avg benchmark fps for any rig/game you're interested in buying.


    AND THEN WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF FREE VIDEO GAMES!
     
  5. Alex1939

    Alex1939 Space Invaders Champion

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    I built my through CyberPower and have no complaints.

    Intel I7 3.4 GHZ
    1TB Hard Drive
    32 GB Ram
    AMD Radeon HD6970

    This cost me $2800 back on 11/15 2011. I also added nice speakers and a bunch of internal fans and cool stuff that was not necessary. Could have bought the PC for just 2000 with those specs.

    Runs GW2 at full settings and flawlessly and I can't think of a better game right that would push it further.
     
  6. Aqutis30

    Aqutis30 Do you mind - NOT being a Motaur?

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    You don't even have to go as far as Alex, in my opinion that's wayyyy overkill, but he is covered for awhile from having to upgrade. I run a simple AMD Athlon II X4 645 CPU with 8GB of RAM and GT430 vid card. I run GW2, at max settings with minimal fps issues in WvW and 60-75fps in Counterstrike Source on a 26" monitor. My total cost? About $600. Alex system is nice though, I'd like to have it. :)
     
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  7. Alex1939

    Alex1939 Space Invaders Champion

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    Oh i definitely went overkill.

    Did the same thing in 2005 and it lasted me close to 6 years. If I can get 5 years out of this beast it will be worth it. And sadly the computer gaming industry is on a decline. I still play games from early 2000s more regularly than anything new. Outside of GW2.
     
  8. madeupdreams

    madeupdreams Starter

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    You could always take the plunge and try building your own system. Its extremely easy and you can find numerous guides on the web on how to do it.

    I finally upgraded my system back in November after four and a half years. Bought the parts during Newegg's Thanksgiving sale and ended up spending around $800, for everything except the GPU and OS. I picked up a GTX 580 early last year for $300 off eBay and its still smoking anything I've thrown at it. For the OS I just used a copy of Windows 7 that I had lying around already.

    Anyway, for the money I spent I got some nice parts.

    i5-3570k(running at 4.2 GHz)
    Cooler Master CPU Cooler
    120 GB SSD
    2 TB HDD
    16 GB RAM
    Corsair Carbide 400R Case
    Corsair TX750 PSU
    Asrock Z77 Extreme4 Mobo

    If you build it yourself you'll save quite a bit cash. Sites like tomshardware.com usually have lists of the best parts for the price in each build category, ie. high-end, mid-range, etc. If you decide to go that route, just spend a little time with Google and you'll reap the rewards.
     
  9. Alzarius

    Alzarius Pro Bowler Tip Jar Donor

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    Do NOT buy Alienware. They have become **** since they were bought out. My wife tried to surprise me with a new alienware.

    The machine I built, 17 months before getting the alienware, runs a LOT faster than my alienware. And with inferior processor, ram, and video card. Avoid them at all costs.

    I eventually got sick of it and gutted it and rebuilt it myself.

    Are you scared of building your own? (by scared, I mean would you be willing to do it if you were shown how simple it is... or would you rather buy one completely built)


    Edit:

    http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/


    I have been out of computer geek mode for some time... but there are also sites like the one I linked.

    If you are serious about it... build one within your price range. Go to www.tomshardware.com and register, post it and ask if it would do what you want to do. Computer geeks galore over there
     
  10. Titans Eternal

    Titans Eternal Got the swagger of a cripple

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    irkenopuppy

    add me on steam bros.
     
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