Oh master race please help a lowly peasant

gorfias

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May 13, 2009
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AnthrSolidSnake said:
2. Graphics card is very important. Don't misunderstand, a good CPU is important too, especially for games that use the CPU more, but overall, a graphics card is something you DO NOT want to go cheap on. That i7 or AMD 8350 can only go so far on its own.
Yeah, a guy on on youtube did bench testing on CPUS using the same graphics card. He found a slight difference between a $50 Dual Core and a $1K 6 core 6 threads sort of thing happening there. Slight only. Single core fails. Stick to a $100 quad core at least.


The game is using the GPU hardware and to game, that is what you need.

Now, how much? $600ish for the GTX 780ti would be about the fastest single card you could get right now, but my boy's rig has a $50ish HD 5670 (or is it 5760? I don't recall). Regardless, it can play most games at least as well as a gen 7 console, which should be fine for just about everyone.

GAMES: If you're looking for things that play best on games, RPGS, RTS and Strategy games.

Great things like Batman Arkham City were really meant to be played with a controller. So, for $10 I bought an Xbox receiver that plugs into the PC. Works with a standard Xbox 360 controller. Games tend to look better on PC with a good card than on consoles and cost a lot less.
 

Marcus Kehoe

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Mar 18, 2011
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My advice is to find a shop or a friend and have them help you, it's worth a little extra money to get advice in person.
 
Apr 2, 2012
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IceStar100 said:
First off I want to say thank you to everybody who's been helpful also I hope this helps others in the future but as I said before I don't have the time or the patience to build one and money is not an object for me mainly a bike telling me to stay away from Dell Alienware so I'm not quite sure where to find prebuilt gaming Rigs why I'm saying yes money is an object I've never been one to buy a Rolex when a timeX will do the same thing
You realize that you are pretty much the target audience for the new Steam Machine console that valve is building right? A console gamer who wants to jump ship and doesn't care for the hassles of PC gaming. iBuyPower just released the specs for one of the models they are making which has specs better than Xbone/PS4 for only $500, but Steam Machines won't be on sale till next year sometime.

If you aren't urgent, I would suggest waiting and buying a Steam Machine, otherwise, I would suggest buying a prebuilt, (stay away from alienware tho, ever since Dell bought them they have been rubbish.)
 

SecondPrize

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Mar 12, 2012
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I don't know if this will help at all but I'm not upgrading/building anything new until valve releases the specs/prices for their steam boxes. I've already got a decent steam library so that's playing a part in it, but it may be worth putting your money into one of these instead of a desktop, if you want pc gaming with couchy ease.
 
Apr 2, 2012
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SecondPrize said:
I don't know if this will help at all but I'm not upgrading/building anything new until valve releases the specs/prices for their steam boxes. I've already got a decent steam library so that's playing a part in it, but it may be worth putting your money into one of these instead of a desktop, if you want pc gaming with couchy ease.
Well ibuypower just released the first 3rd party specs.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2427643,00.asp

EDIT: I have been gaming on my laptop for the past 4 years and I am waiting until at least early january for when all the Steam Machine release info is talked about at CES 2014, at which point I will decide whether to buy SM or to build my own. Either way I am getting a Steam Controller, so ill probably end up with a Steam Machine anyway, even if i build it myself.

I kinda like the idea of building my own Steam punk inspired steam machine, complete with a water cooled CPU/GPU hooked up via copper tubing to a radiator head torn off an old motorcycle. Or Just run the coper tubing from an old style Mini-fridge directly inside the unit... REFRIGERATED STEAM MACHINE.
 

blackrave

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Neonsilver said:
My advice for that would be look up some prebuilt pcs and research the components of it. Even if you just copy a prebuilt system you could already save money, but it also provides you a base for your pc that you can modify to suit your needs. For possible modifications look at older or newer components than those in the built. The price rises often with relative minor improvements to the hardware.
O_O
Would you believe that I never ever have thought about this option?
I have built 5rigs in my life (3 assisted and 2 on my own) and I never went this route.
I even feel kinda ashamed now, because it seems like such a no-brainer, but I wasn't smart enough to think about it.

I always start off with my usual routine
1.CPU
2.RAM
3.GPU
4.Motherboard (that is compatible with things I want)
[If there are some problems finding motherboard, I pick closest thing and go back to change 1,2&3]
5.HDD
[question: is SSD really worth the price? For my current rig I wanted to get HDD/SSD combo, but then decided to get HDD only]
6.PSU (that can feed all the parts)
7.Misc things (case, ventilation, additional cards, thermal grease, readers, etc.)
8.Ordering parts & putting rig together
[is static electricity that dangerous? I never used bracelet when working with rig, was I just lucky not to ruin anything?]

Few tips I've learned over time
*It's not worth picking questionable quality parts
*There is no such thing as too much ventilation
*Get big case- more space for airflow and hands
*After calculating all power rig will need add 50kW, maybe unnecessary, but I personally just feel safer that way
*UPS is worth investing in (I have one with battery- if power goes down it gives me ~2min to safely turn off my machine)
*Wireless mice/keyboards aren't best choice for gaming, just get ones with a cord
 

Vegosiux

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rhizhim said:
plus stop the pc master race thing. we are just mortals like you.
Shhhhh! If word gets out, the peasants will stop bringing us tribute! What are we going to do then, cook our own food or something? Sheez.

As for my experience with acquiring a new rig this year: I talked to a lot of people, read some reviews, then picked my components along those lines. And the distributor I ordered the stuff from kinda threw in free assembly so I didn't have to worry about that, either. I mean I could do it myself, but if they were willing to do it without charging me extra, that's nice of them.
 

The White Hunter

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Oct 19, 2011
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IceStar100 said:
First off I want to say thank you to everybody who's been helpful also I hope this helps others in the future but as I said before I don't have the time or the patience to build one and money is not an object for me mainly a bike telling me to stay away from Dell Alienware so I'm not quite sure where to find prebuilt gaming Rigs why I'm saying yes money is an object I've never been one to buy a Rolex when a timeX will do the same thing
NCIX has some black friday deals on prebuilts and partsd in the US and canada from what I understand.

Honestly if you give us a budget we can help you out a lot more, giving part suggestions.

I recommend not skimping out on the GPU for games, try aim for a quad core intel i5, or a hex core AMD FX chip (6300, 6350, etc), and try pick up a GPU like a 7950 or 670 on sale as retailers try ditch them for the newer cards. A good motherboard is a necessity and I'd recommend a newer MSI motherboard, my Z87 G45 has been a trusty partner and a pretty damn good overclocker, really looks the part too.

Make sure your PSU is 80+ Bronze rated at the very least, a bad PSU may save $20 on your build but then cost you the entire build later on.

I recommend looking at tutorials on youtube from channels like linustechtips, ncixtechtips and Tek Syndicate, in particular tek syndicate has a concise building tutorial that really helps. If you do build also b e sure to refer to your instructions, they do help.
 

blackrave

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Mar 7, 2012
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Vegosiux said:
rhizhim said:
plus stop the pc master race thing. we are just mortals like you.
Shhhhh! If word gets out, the peasants will stop bringing us tribute! What are we going to do then, cook our own food or something? Sheez.
Wait, your peasants are providing you with food?
My only bring me bones and fat covered in some leather remains.
Lazy, greedy bastards :/
 

Neonsilver

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Aug 11, 2009
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blackrave said:
Neonsilver said:
My advice for that would be look up some prebuilt pcs and research the components of it. Even if you just copy a prebuilt system you could already save money, but it also provides you a base for your pc that you can modify to suit your needs. For possible modifications look at older or newer components than those in the built. The price rises often with relative minor improvements to the hardware.
O_O
Would you believe that I never ever have thought about this option?
I have built 5rigs in my life (3 assisted and 2 on my own) and I never went this route.
I even feel kinda ashamed now, because it seems like such a no-brainer, but I wasn't smart enough to think about it.

[If there are some problems finding motherboard, I pick closest thing and go back to change 1,2&3]

[question: is SSD really worth the price? For my current rig I wanted to get HDD/SSD combo, but then decided to get HDD only]

[is static electricity that dangerous? I never used bracelet when working with rig, was I just lucky not to ruin anything?]
It certainly helped when I put my current PC together, I got the built from a friend and then modified it a little.

I would say a SSD is certainly useful and if you have the extra money go for it, but do some research on the manufacturers. My PC has a SSD that I got cheap but it took me about a week until I got it running properly. At first the PC was crashing at least once per day. It was fixed with a firmware update for the SSD and a bios update for the mainboard. I can't say how much a SSD improves the PC the only comparison I have is an old laptop that is barely running anymore, but it's noticeable when turning it on.

Static electricity isn't that dangerous. While a discharge on the hardware can damage it, it's easy to prevent that. Just keep some skin contact with the PC case while putting the hardware in. If there is any static electricity in you it goes in the case (assuming it's made of metal of course).

captcha: no-brainer interesting
 

DarkhoIlow

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Dec 31, 2009
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One thing you shouldn't do is buy a prebuilt PC with a brand on it. They are more expensive and aren't worth the money.

You are better off if you buy individual pieces and if you don't know how to assemble it either go to a PC store and pay for that guy to build it for you or ask a friend.

PS: The good people of the Escapist helped me quite a lot when I bought this PC that I am buying so just tell them the budget and they will try to find out the best parts for it.
 

Raioken18

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Dec 18, 2009
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I feel like all these, "Build your own" posts are quite ignorant of peoples usually skill set.

As someone who once built a computer that cost an extra $400 in replacement parts (it wasn't my own, lol) let me say... and this is only if your new... DON'T BUILD YOUR OWN COMPUTER!!

It's like a saving of $50-$100 and really not worth it considering you get a collective 3 year warranty parts n labor and a free service every 3 months, as opposed to about 10 individual part 1 year warranties... With no one to help you ever.
Which sending away for them is such a pain especially when it takes suppliers months to get back to you...

The actual installation of the OS n drivers is much more simple, but will take a little while your first time to go through and double check everything. (it can be a bit finicky on the order you install your drivers in).

Then if something goes wrong you need to take it apart each time and assess properly what is causing you grief.

So buying a pre-build PC... totally worth the extra dough.
 

BloatedGuppy

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Feb 3, 2010
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Raioken18 said:
I feel like all these, "Build your own" posts are quite ignorant of peoples usually skill set.
I gotta agree with this. It costs me like...an extra $50-100 to get the thing built and tested for me. In time saved ALONE that's worth it, never mind any possible aggravation. Having a warranty from the store who built it for you vs manufacturer warranties (that they always seem to want to fight you tooth and nail on) is also a blessing.

Ultratwinkie said:
Okay, graphics cards will be the most confusing.
I've always found this to be pretty invaluable for deciding on a video card.

http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

I just roll down that list until I find a price performance sweet spot. Which in this case would be the 670 or 7870, depending on my budget.
 

Griffolion

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Aug 18, 2009
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IceStar100 said:
Lot's of conflicting info here.

Judging by your requirements (low hassle, budget not an issue), going pre-built will be the way to go for you.

Don't go to a big brand name, like Dell, or Alienware (Dell). Go to smaller builder companies that really put time and effort into what they build for you. Try somewhere like [a href="http://www.originpc.com/"]Origin PC[/a]. They specialise in high end, high quality builds. If you have the budget, they are pretty awesome.

If on the off chance you feel like self building (which is a challenge, but rewarding), feel free to PM me. I'm qualified (as in officially) with regards to these things, and am more than happy to help. Self building can be daunting to a newbie, but its bark is a million times worse than its bite.

Best of luck. PC Gaming has never been stronger & healthier, contrary to what people say.
 
Aug 1, 2010
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The real question is whether you want to build your own machine or not.

To be honest, both sides are overstating their case a bit in this thread. No, it isn't vastly better to build your own. The prices won't differ THAT much. However, if you do build and you really put some time into it, you can end up with a cheaper and more powerful machine that, most importantly, you know inside and out.

When you build something piece by piece, you [i/]know[/i] that machine. You know the weaknesses, you know the strengths and again, most importantly, you know how the inside went together. This is highly important for when you want to upgrade. I've helped a few friends take apart their pre-built machines and it's often extremely difficult to replace any parts.

Now comes the question of difficulty and honestly, I think it comes down to the person. There's fantastic tutorials and it honestly isn't [i/]that[/i] difficult, but there is one simple fact: You are going to have problems during the build. [b/]Something[/b] is going to go wrong. It could be major, it could be minor. The key is you. How well you handle the problems determines the ease of the build.

One final thing to note is how time consuming it is. People will tell you the build takes 1 - 3 hours and this is totally true... After you have all the parts. In order to make a home built computer truly better and cheaper than a pre-built, you are going to have to spend some time. A LOT of time. Picking parts, comparing parts, throwing out parts, re-picking parts asking people for advice and deciding which advice is better.

In the end, I do and always will believe it is worth it. Between the incredibly low priced games, the exclusives and the mods, I love my home built PC with all my heart. But it may not be the right move move for you.
 

DanielBrown

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Dec 3, 2010
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www.systemrequirementslab.com is a great site for checking if your PC can handle certain games. If it fails it'll tell you why and what is required. I recently got a gaming PC myself(bought a monster computer á la mid-2012 which was a return copy, so it wasn't that expensive, a couple of months ago) since mine had gotten extremely outdated and became amazed by how much it handles. Been able to play all my games at max settings, including Tomb Raider with all the wonderful hair physics on.

Apart from that I got nothing. Computers are still a huge mystery to me. Before I bought this one I spent days comparing graphics cards and trying to understand it.

Edit: Just did a quick check to see how it handles some current 8th gen games. Doesn't have any issues at all playing AC:IV Black Flag or Call of Duty: Ghosts. Not intrested in them, but it was the only ones I knew. :D
 

Voulan

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Jul 18, 2011
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I'm going to hop to PC gaming as well, since I don't want to have to pay to go online now with the PS4. But there's no way in hell I would be able to build my own. I do already have a laptop that my parents got for me, and since its only 3 going on 4 years old, is it still current enough to be okay for gaming? I don't have access to specs right now, but when my friends look at it they say it should easily handle most games. All I remember is that it's a 7 core CPU. Its brand is a Dell XPS.

Sorry for the vague information, but should I be good to go? I don't know how often it's necessary to upgrade a PC, but surely it's okay after that long? It works perfectly well, so there seems to be no legitimate reason to replace it.
 
Apr 2, 2012
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Raioken18 said:
I feel like all these, "Build your own" posts are quite ignorant of peoples usually skill set.

As someone who once built a computer that cost an extra $400 in replacement parts (it wasn't my own, lol) let me say... and this is only if your new... DON'T BUILD YOUR OWN COMPUTER!!

It's like a saving of $50-$100 and really not worth it considering you get a collective 3 year warranty parts n labor and a free service every 3 months, as opposed to about 10 individual part 1 year warranties... With no one to help you ever.
Which sending away for them is such a pain especially when it takes suppliers months to get back to you...

The actual installation of the OS n drivers is much more simple, but will take a little while your first time to go through and double check everything. (it can be a bit finicky on the order you install your drivers in).

Then if something goes wrong you need to take it apart each time and assess properly what is causing you grief.

So buying a pre-build PC... totally worth the extra dough.
Exactly. I estimated that it would take me at least 10 hours to build my own PC,
a few hours to get up to speed on hardware that I can buy, A few hours to decide what components I want to buy and make sure everything is compatible, i want a slimline case so i need to make sure everything will fit inside the case, so a few hours to do all this and to order everything(considering I live in new zealand I just lost a lot of money shipping lots of parts separately). A few hours to put everything together, and install an OS on it.
Now assuming that everything went according to plan, and that I didn't have problems that took me even more time, I'm spending 10-12 hours on this thing. Unless this is something I really enjoy, its just not worth it to me, in terms of an hourly age, I can spend an extra few hundred dollars on my prebuilt PC instead no problem.

That being said, I really like fabrication, so I may build my own PC, but only because I want to make a custom case and cooling unit using an absorption refrigeration cooling unit so that it becomes a 0 decibel system, with all the pipes and tubing would work into building it into a steampunk style unit.
the actual computer fab means nothing to me.