Gaming PC/Laptops

[tjs09]

So, after years of living under a rock, I recently discovered Steam. I downloaded a demo onto my Presario CQ60 and (surprise!) it plays like crap, even on the lowest resolution and settings. So I've decided to get a computer that can handle a game. However, I know absolutely nothing about gaming laptops/PCs and there's nothing worse than being stuck with an $800 defective machine.
So, escapists, I need your help..

PS: I've heard of Alienware.. are their products any good?

 

[Veloxe]

I don't really have the time to go through all the stuff but I'll say this right off the top: Unless you absolutely need the system to be portable don't get a laptop, you're just pissing money down the drain that could be spent on performance. Unless someone out there knows of some awesome deal on a gaming laptop I don't know of.

 

[Azure-Supernova]

You'll get mixed responses about Alienware, take each and every one of them with a grain of salt, including mine. I've not had good experiences with them, but I've heard others have. They're a tad pricy.

And you'll also hear a lot of 'Build your own gaming desktop!'. Do not ignore these people. Why just today I assembled a decent gaming PC for just over £300 (about $460). If you're going for a laptop then I'd advice to shop around, read reviews and look at benchmarks. If you don't mind having a desktop then take some advice and build one. I did it completely unguided my first time, it's as simple as a Lego construction kit.

Unless you absolutely need the system to be portable don't get a laptop, you're just pissing money down the drain that could be spent on performance.

This is valuable information.

 

[Weaver]

IMO Alienware is overpriced. They got bought by dell and their costs DID drop, but they're still too much.

If you don't know much about computers, I'm sure people on here will be able to spec one out for you (I would but I'm at work right now ). After, if you don't know how to build a PC yourself, try to find a local PC store (a real computer store, not a best buy) that will custom build you a computer. The fees are usually quite reasonable and what you'll get will be likely better quality than a pre-built for a good price.

Alternatively, you could bite the bullet and learn how to build a PC on your own. There are excellent (and free) resources out there to help you learn how if you are so inclined.

If you're dead set on a Laptop, I recommend Asus's Gaming Line of Laptops. They're priced pretty good for what you get. The downside is they can be a bit ugly.

 

[tjs09]

You'll get mixed responses about Alienware, take each and every one of them with a grain of salt, including mine. I've not had good experiences with them, but I've heard others have. They're a tad pricy.

And you'll also hear a lot of 'Build your own gaming desktop!'. Do not ignore these people. Why just today I assembled a decent gaming PC for just over £300 (about $460). If you're going for a laptop then I'd advice to shop around, read reviews and look at benchmarks. If you don't mind having a desktop then take some advice and build one. I did it completely unguided my first time, it's as simple as a Lego construction kit.

I don't mind using a desktop at all, especially if it cost's less. Where'd be the best place to build one?

 

[PettingZOOPONY]

Alienware can suck a dick. Bought my wife a M17x R2 laptop and the piece of shit had BIOS problems right out the gate that Dell knew about but still shipped the thing anyways. Took them 4 months to finally fix the damned thing.

 

[Goody]

I don't mind using a desktop at all, especially if it cost's less. Where'd be the best place to build one?

Buy all the parts seperate as cheap as you can find them, and the best place to build it is in your own house (or a friend's who knows what he's doing)

 

[tjs09]

IMO Alienware is overpriced. They got bought by dell and their costs DID drop, but they're still too much.

If you don't know much about computers, I'm sure people on here will be able to spec one out for you (I would but I'm at work right now ). After, even if you don't know how to build a PC yourself, try to find a local PC store (a real computer store, not a best buy) that will custom build you a computer. The fees are usually quite reasonable and what you'll get will be likely better quality than a pre-built for a good price.

Alternatively, you could bite the bullet and learn how to build a PC on your own. There are excellent choices out there.

If you're dead set on a Laptop, I recommend Asus's Gaming Line of Laptops. They're priced pretty good for what you get. The downside is they can be a bit ugly.

Is that the only downside to Asus? Because that doesn't seem too bad. I'm mostly concerned with performance and price

 

[Goody]

If you're dead set on a Laptop, I recommend Asus's Gaming Line of Laptops. They're priced pretty good for what you get. The downside is they can be a bit ugly.

I'd say go MSI for laptops, about as good as alienware for about a 3rd of the price.

(best ones i've seen were alienware £2500 and MSI £800 for similar specs)

also captcha: iplifi desxvalyl (what the hell is it doing now)

 

[omicron1]

You'll get mixed responses about Alienware, take each and every one of them with a grain of salt, including mine. I've not had good experiences with them, but I've heard others have. They're a tad pricy.

And you'll also hear a lot of 'Build your own gaming desktop!'. Do not ignore these people. Why just today I assembled a decent gaming PC for just over £300 (about $460). If you're going for a laptop then I'd advice to shop around, read reviews and look at benchmarks. If you don't mind having a desktop then take some advice and build one. I did it completely unguided my first time, it's as simple as a Lego construction kit.

I don't mind using a desktop at all, especially if it cost's less. Where'd be the best place to build one?

Take a good long trip to Tom's Hardware [http://www.tomshardware.com/] - they'll tell you which CPU, GPU, etc. to get. You could even follow one of their PC construction guides...

...When you know what you want (assemble a list, know their prices/price ranges), either look on Newegg or similar (online) or take a trip down to your local Fry's Electronics. (Or both!). I'd recommend the latter - nothing beats browsing a store full of every PC component under the sun.

Remember, when putting your motherboard in, be sure to use spacer bits to keep it separated from the back of the case. (I went through two motherboards the first time, thanks to unintentional frying)
And when attaching the fan to the CPU, you'll probably need thermal paste - google it and you should find a helpful guide.
Finally, memory only goes in one way. There's a notch in the memory sockets on the motherboard, and a matching one on the memory; use that to figure out which way it goes.

 

[gigastar]

PS: I've heard of Alienware.. are their products any good?

Supposedly they make the best gaming PC's and Laptops that arent supercomputers.

Some rooting around indicates that their products live up to thier reputation.

 

[Wolfram23]

Here's a great starting point:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/budget-gaming-pc-phenom-ii-radeon-hd-6850,2903.html

$500 gaming PC.

I'm actually just about done on a "how to" for building your own gaming PC. I'm done with the slides now so just have to record my voice over... hopefully it helps people like the OP.

Also, http://cyberpowerpc.com isn't bad, and I think cheaper than Alienware.

 

[tjs09]

You'll get mixed responses about Alienware, take each and every one of them with a grain of salt, including mine. I've not had good experiences with them, but I've heard others have. They're a tad pricy.

And you'll also hear a lot of 'Build your own gaming desktop!'. Do not ignore these people. Why just today I assembled a decent gaming PC for just over £300 (about $460). If you're going for a laptop then I'd advice to shop around, read reviews and look at benchmarks. If you don't mind having a desktop then take some advice and build one. I did it completely unguided my first time, it's as simple as a Lego construction kit.

I don't mind using a desktop at all, especially if it cost's less. Where'd be the best place to build one?

Take a good long trip to Tom's Hardware [http://www.tomshardware.com/] - they'll tell you which CPU, GPU, etc. to get. You could even follow one of their PC construction guides...

...When you know what you want (assemble a list, know their prices/price ranges), either look on Newegg or similar (online) or take a trip down to your local Fry's Electronics. (Or both!). I'd recommend the latter - nothing beats browsing a store full of every PC component under the sun.

Remember, when putting your motherboard in, be sure to use spacer bits to keep it separated from the back of the case. (I went through two motherboards the first time, thanks to unintentional frying)
And when attaching the fan to the CPU, you'll probably need thermal paste - google it and you should find a helpful guide.
Finally, memory only goes in one way. There's a notch in the memory sockets on the motherboard, and a matching one on the memory; use that to figure out which way it goes.

I worded that wrong (Sorry), I meant to ask where's the best place to have one built for me. The DIY option sounds viable, but I am pretty accident-prone.

 

[New Vegas Samurai]

So, after years of living under a rock, I recently discovered Steam. I downloaded a demo onto my Presario CQ60 and (surprise!) it plays like crap, even on the lowest resolution and settings. So I've decided to get a computer that can handle a game. However, I know absolutely nothing about gaming laptops/PCs and there's nothing worse than being stuck with an $800 defective machine.
So, escapists, I need your help..

PS: I've heard of Alienware.. are their products any good?

alienware = thief bait
Don't get me wrong alienware can be awesome, but losing a pricey laptop will hurt your wallet

if your ok with a desktop there are tons of budget gaming pcs out there that you can make yourself, or better yet, get a friend to help you pick parts and learn maintenance from him, the rig I'm using right now only cost $837 at rough estimation and right now all the parts I bought are WAAAAY cheaper than they use to be.

if you can shell out even 350-450, you can get a decent PC up and running quite quickly.

In fact, go an check out websites like tomshardware.com and other techy sites, they have some pretty good ideas on great machines for cheap prices

Here's a great example
http://www.hardware-revolution.com/budget-gaming-pc-q4-2010/

 

[Callate]

I recently got an M11x and have been quite happy with it, but honestly I haven't been playing the most demanding games on the world on it as yet. Supposedly it's capable of running Crysis on medium settings with a decent frame rate, but about the most demanding thing I've done with it so far is C&C Red Alert 3.

It has been cool to be able to watch Hulu and Netflix and the like through it through the HDMI out, though.

If your computer doesn't need to be portable, though, the people saying to build your own desktop aren't off base. It's a great time to be doing so- AMD's new six-core processors are nipping at the heels of Intel, and even Intel's "i" line is starting to come down a bit in price. And with the delay on the new generation of gaming consoles, most games that come out leave plenty of breathing room on the current generation of video cards.

ADD: the last two times I've built computers, I've been pretty well served shopping for the parts from TigerDirect and NewEgg. Tiger in particular loves to offer deals on "barebones" systems- just be sure to check the details on the parts to be sure you'd be getting what you really need.

Also, the magazine "PC Gamer" puts out a pretty good guide to PC building every year.

 

[Lord Doomhammer]

SAGER [http://www.sagernotebook.com/] a cheep plastic shell filled with arguably the most top of the line hardware available for a laptop (depending on your price of course).

I got a NP5170 with an i7 and Nvidia GT450 and 8gb ram for less than 1400 last year. In my expirince they work really well and are way cheaper than an ailenware. They're not pretty, and you can feel how cheep the plastic is but compared to an ailenware they really are cheep!

 

[Silas13013]

Just as a note, it is indeed very possible to get a gaming laptop without paying out the nose. I myself own the ASUS G73HJ and it runs Crysis Warhead on the max graphics without a hitch. I can even run it through the HDMI out onto my 50" TV and it will still run perfectly on the "High" graphics setting. Best part is, it only cost me 1000$, which is still more than you would pay for a desktop of comparable performance but if you want a laptop, it's the way to go.

As someone stated earlier, ASUS laptops can get a bit... dodgy in terms of aesthetic appeal but that's completely opinion based so it's really up to you.

However, the way to go in terms of overall savings is a desktop. The Intel and AMD 6 cores are virtually identical for most everything (the intel did a little better when testing max load hyperthreading but not enough to make a huge difference, and AMD can be overclocked easier) and AMD 6 cores can be had for under $200 at 3ghz and some package deals will get you a very nice motherboard in there too for under $290.

The biggest thing though is to shop around. You can most certainly make a blazing fast gaming desktop for under $800, and if you want mobility, gaming laptops for under $1200 or so.

 

[Azure-Supernova]

I worded that wrong (Sorry), I meant to ask where's the best place to have one built for me. The DIY option sounds viable, but I am pretty accident-prone.

If you know anyone local who will help then that'd be great, a friend or relative. But I'd seriously consider the DIY option, that way you know there's been no tampering and when it comes to hardware troubleshooting you'll be accquainted to the guts of your machine. It really is as easy as people are saying. Talk about accident prone, I somehow managed to get get thermal paste on my fingers xD But now having built a few machines I'm confident enough to help others and I make a little bit of pocket change out of family and friends with PC problems.

 

[psicat]

I worded that wrong (Sorry), I meant to ask where's the best place to have one built for me. The DIY option sounds viable, but I am pretty accident-prone.

If you don't want to try the DIY option: http://www.ibuypower.com/IbpPages/CustConfig.aspx

 

[Smooth Operator]

There was a recent thread "gaming PC for 500$" or something similar, it should get you what you need, if not there are plenty of other sites that have these sort of threads.

Couple of things I can add:
- don't buy some fancyname BS(Alienware and such), they only put the standard components you can buy anywhere in their pretty case then pull your pants down on the price, so unless you like forced anal I advise a custom build
- unless you absolutely need it portable get a PC, you will get 2x more bang for your buck