Getting a new desktop pc

[Gizmo007666]

Greetings fellow escapists.

I'm looking at making a move into gaming more on my computer, which will require me to get a new pc since the current laptop has a terrible graphics card.

I am aware that I could build one myself, however I don't think I would be overly confident in doing this from scratch and if one component was faulty I wouldn't know where to start on finding out which one it is.

Given that I was wondering if anyone couple offer an opinion on the following:

http://www.freshtechsolutions.co.uk/custom-built-computers/new-computers-chosen-by-us-for-you/intel-ivy-bridge-i5-3570k-gaming-pc-1tb-8gb-gtx-550-ti-1gb-galaxy-z77-computer.html

Anything obviously cheap and would need replaced? Also I take it I would need to get a network adapter for going wireless?

Any other advice or recommendations on this or other builds, you could make would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

EDIT: http://www.freshtechsolutions.co.uk/custom-built-computers/new-computers-chosen-by-us-for-you/intel-ivy-bridge-i5-3570k-windows-7-home-gaming-pc-1tb-8gb-ddr3-gtx-550-ti-1gb.html

Same build but with OS included

Asus P8Z77-V LX Motherboard Technology
Intel Ivy Bridge I5 3570K Unlocked CPU
1tb Sata Hard Drive
8gb DDR3 1333 Memory (Patriot)
Nvidia Geforce GTX550 TI 1gb GDDR5 with HDMI
Galaxy 3 Gamers Style Case
24x Dual Layer Sata DVD Writer
750 Watt Branded Power Supply (Possibly CiT)
Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit With Disc and License

 

[ohnoitsabear]

The price seems decent enough for what your getting, but I have never heard of that brand before, so it could be absolute gold or complete shit loaded with bloatware and that will crap out in less than two years. The parts seem to be decent enough, but the fact that I don't know anything about the power supply is kind of worrying. Somebody with more knowlege on this brand would have to tell you about that.

In regards to the wireless, yes you will need to buy a wireless adapter if you want to use wireless. However, I would recommend using a wired connection if you can, as they are at least 2-3 times faster than a wireless connection. If you are using your own router and you don't have room for more ethernet cables but still need wireless, you can pick up a splitter for fairly cheap.

However, if a wired connection isn't an option, then I would get a USB wireless dongle, as they are just about as good as a normal wireless network card, but much less hassle.

I don't know a ton about graphics cards, but from my understanding, the bare minimum you would want to use for gaming is a GTX 560 Ti. I don't really have enough knowlege to comment on the rest of the build, though.

Finally, I would still say build your own computer. It's usually cheaper, you know the parts will be quality, and the computer won't come loaded with a bunch of software you don't want. There are plenty of guides out there (that I'm too lazy to search for at the moment) that go in depth on what parts you should get, and if you ever run into any trouble, help is usually just a google search away.

 

[Total LOLige]

It doesn't look too bad I'd say go for it. However that PC doesn't come with an operating system so you'd have to put up another £80 for windows 7.

 

[Gizmo007666]

Cheers for the comments. I think I may go for it and look at upgrading the graphics card and power supply later on.

 

[ohnoitsabear]

Cheers for the comments. I think I may go for it and look at upgrading the graphics card and power supply later on.

Well, if the power supply is good quality, you won't need to upgrade it, as 750 watts is more than enough, especially if you aren't using two graphics cards. The problem with lower quality power supplies, though, is if they go bad, they'll probably take the rest of the computer with them, or at least your motherboard.

However, judging by the quality of the rest of the parts in that computer, I wouldn't be too worried.

 

[Vaishnav Reddy]

Maybe you should check out some others before getting this one.
And the graphics card is definitely going to be a bottleneck in games , the 550 ti is shit at full HD.
Look for a PC with a previous gen INTEL processor , they are adequate and something with a more powerful graphics card , like a HD 6870 or GTX 560 at minimum if you are playing at full HD.
The thing is the video card matters the most during gaming, not the CPU.
And i was too lazy to look through the listing , but the fact that they didn't mention the power supply is highly suspect. Wattage isn't the only thing that matters in a power supply. You also need the number of +12 v rails and the total amperage output.
it isn't all that hard to put a computer together , just buy the parts and if they dont work , you can return them. after you receive the parts just take them to a computer shop and ask them to put it together.
that way it's much cheaper and you get a substantial difference in performance .
you should look up ndividual parts on neweg.com.
Good luck!

 

[Gizmo007666]

Maybe you should check out some others before getting this one.
And the graphics card is definitely going to be a bottleneck in games , the 550 ti is shit at full HD.
Look for a PC with a previous gen INTEL processor , they are adequate and something with a more powerful graphics card , like a HD 6870 or GTX 560 at minimum if you are playing at full HD.
The thing is the video card matters the most during gaming, not the CPU.
And i was too lazy to look through the listing , but the fact that they didn't mention the power supply is highly suspect. Wattage isn't the only thing that matters in a power supply. You also need the number of +12 v rails and the total amperage output.
it isn't all that hard to put a computer together , just buy the parts and if they dont work , you can return them. after you receive the parts just take them to a computer shop and ask them to put it together.
that way it's much cheaper and you get a substantial difference in performance .
you should look up ndividual parts on neweg.com.
Good luck!

Thanks for the advice. My only issue is that, unless I'm looking in all the wrong places, building the same build myself with a decent power supply and gtx 560 is looking to cost £750+. Dropping to an older processor only seems to save me £20-30. I'm suspect the psu is a cheap CiT one but I should be able to replace that for £70-100 and still be better off. If the quality of full hd is as apparent as you suggest then I can always upgrade the card if I find a good deal or once they've dropped in value.

I appreciate the advice, I'm just having difficulty in finding the savings in self building, might just be an area that the UK charges more than other countries for components or I've found a deal which outweighs the usual savings to be made from a self build... or it's a con and they're going to try and steal my money

 

[Vaishnav Reddy]

Well

Maybe you should check out some others before getting this one.
And the graphics card is definitely going to be a bottleneck in games , the 550 ti is shit at full HD.
Look for a PC with a previous gen INTEL processor , they are adequate and something with a more powerful graphics card , like a HD 6870 or GTX 560 at minimum if you are playing at full HD.
The thing is the video card matters the most during gaming, not the CPU.
And i was too lazy to look through the listing , but the fact that they didn't mention the power supply is highly suspect. Wattage isn't the only thing that matters in a power supply. You also need the number of +12 v rails and the total amperage output.
it isn't all that hard to put a computer together , just buy the parts and if they dont work , you can return them. after you receive the parts just take them to a computer shop and ask them to put it together.
that way it's much cheaper and you get a substantial difference in performance .
you should look up ndividual parts on neweg.com.
Good luck!

Thanks for the advice. My only issue is that, unless I'm looking in all the wrong places, building the same build myself with a decent power supply and gtx 560 is looking to cost £750+. Dropping to an older processor only seems to save me £20-30. I'm suspect the psu is a cheap CiT one but I should be able to replace that for £70-100 and still be better off. If the quality of full hd is as apparent as you suggest then I can always upgrade the card if I find a good deal or once they've dropped in value.

I appreciate the advice, I'm just having difficulty in finding the savings in self building, might just be an area that the UK charges more than other countries for components or I've found a deal which outweighs the usual savings to be made from a self build... or it's a con and they're going to try and steal my money

Well , they just released a new family of processors and video cards so you can expect prices to drop significantly in the coming months .
Also full HD isn't really nessacary for an enjoyable gaming experience.720p is more than enough. And if you pick 720p you can cut the cost of your build by almost half. In the end it comes down to number of pixels vs quality.