To the custom computer savy individuals........

Sodium Rising

Sodium Rising

I request some knowledge please!

I am eager to transition into computer gaming. (I am into multimedia, and video editing, but always a gamer at heart)

I am looking to get a gaming PC, but I am not sure what the best avenue is to properly get the ball rolling. I found a great site off a few reviews, but the prices were a little too high for my college student lifestyle sensibilities.

My primary concerns are:

A computer with a decent to good graphic engine (for the sake of rendering, and some crisp visuals that can be ran at some taxing settings)

HDMI outputs for basic connectivity.

Memory/Power : To process videos I edit, and overall speed. Nothing crazy, but nothing snail-like.

I understand the super optimal set ups are pricey, but I was wondering what are some basic options to delve into that can provide near comparable performance.

Please, and thank you.
 
With regards to your needs (or wants) I think you should probably go for an assembled desktop if you can't afford a branded computer. It looks like your looking for a pretty powerful PC, so I guess you should be going for at least 8 GB of RAM to take care of video-editing and gaming. 8 GB will probably get you through for at least a couple of years before you'll need more RAM. Most post-2009 graphic cards do have HDMI outputs, but please check the datasheets before you make your purchase.

The Intel Core i5 3570K is a very good CPU and has an integrated graphics chip which can take care of basic gaming http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Core-i5-3570K-Quad-Core-Processor/dp/B007SZ0E1K/ref=pd_sim_e_3

I suggest you read this article for any caveats on building a PC: http://www.howtogeek.com/173808/htg-explains-should-you-build-your-own-pc/


 
if you give me a budget i can create a mock-up build for you, but i'll need to know if this budget includes peripherals such as a new kb/m or monitor, otherwise i'll be putting all the money into a new tower. i also won't be factoring in the os.
 
If you're feeling brave enough to try and build your own, you can go to http://pcpartpicker.com/ to put together an idea of something within your budget.

You can also refer to
for how to put them together. Lengthy, of course, but worth the watch.
 
obligatory show off pic

JP5rwNG.jpg


anyway, assembling your own computer is easy and fun. You need to have a price point in mind, and if you aren't a computer whiz, note that there will be little support for you when stuff goes wrong. For example, if you bought a Dell computer, you can call Dell if anything goes wrong. But with a custom built computer, you will need to identify the malfunctioning part yourself, and contact the manufacturer. Some of your parts may have different warranties.
 
ShortsTheory said:
Well that is interesting. How do you even use that keyboard lol. And is that a gaming rig? Because I see you're using ubuntu, so I don't really see the point...
Click to expand...

Linux supports Steam now! And it will support Project Phoenix!

I don't play video games though, I need the processing power for programming (esp. running virtual machines, tests, and builds)

I got the keyboard to alleviate pain on my pinkies (http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/advantage.htm). It's the best keyboard ever. I type using the QGMLWB layout (http://mkweb.bcgsc.ca/carpalx/?full_optimization)
 
chaos said:
Linux supports Steam now! And it will support Project Phoenix!

I don't play video games though, I need the processing power for programming (esp. running virtual machines, tests, and builds)

I got the keyboard to alleviate pain on my pinkies (http://www.kinesis-ergo.com/advantage.htm). It's the best keyboard ever. I type using the QGMLWB layout (http://mkweb.bcgsc.ca/carpalx/?full_optimization)
Click to expand...

Cool! Though for some reason, I had the impression that you were a Dvorak user ;) Since you've already migrated from QWERTY, why not give it a shot? I haven't tried Steam for ubuntu yet, because I only have the HD 4000 on my laptop. Middling IvyBridge graphics support and just an entry-level card in general steer me away from gaming on any OS.
 
chaos what graphics setup are you running in that? I would guess you mostly just have a beefy CPU if you're mainly interested in the processing power, but I could be totally wrong with only a vague idea of what you're doing.

I would second the notion that building a PC is pretty easy and far cheaper than getting premade. Get a good brand of PSU, a decent graphics card (I have a 660, not sure how anything super recent stacks up against it) and if at all possible, an SSD as well. Even if it's just a small one for the OS it's so worth it for the jump in performance. I'd probably shoot for 16GB of RAM given how cheap memory is getting, but you could cut down to 8Gb if you really need to save costs. i5 is pretty much no contest really, at least if you're gaming. I agree that it would be useful to know that your budget is.
 
cookie said:
nobody needs 16gb of ram, literally nothing will come close to eating that much memory
Click to expand...
They don't really need it now but I'm currently constrained to 4Gb and 4Gb more would not be a feasible upgrade for me, loading things in ramdisk and running servers and such tends to eat up memory I wish I had more of. It's just futureproofing, 3 years ago somebody told me I'd never need more than 4 and look where we are.
 
FastFlygon RAM is not getting any cheaper. RAM prices have stayed at a consistently high price ever since the release of W8. I bought a 16 GB kit last summer for $85. The average price for a 16 GB kit today is about $120.


This should have posted yesterday but Smogon had it as a draft Idk why.
 
RAM was way cheaper like a year and a half ago; it's kind of annoying now, but I guess I'm glad I grabbed my 8 GB before the prices shot up. Unless you do heavy video editing or run lots of virtual machines you shouldn't need more than 8. (And in the case of the former, I'd rather put that extra money into a graphics card...)

FastFlygon said:
I would second the notion that building a PC is pretty easy and far cheaper than getting premade. Get a good brand of PSU, a decent graphics card (I have a 660, not sure how anything super recent stacks up against it) and if at all possible, an SSD as well. Even if it's just a small one for the OS it's so worth it for the jump in performance. I'd probably shoot for 16GB of RAM given how cheap memory is getting, but you could cut down to 8Gb if you really need to save costs. i5 is pretty much no contest really, at least if you're gaming. I agree that it would be useful to know that your budget is.
Click to expand...

Building an entry- or mid-level PC doesn't save you any money over buying one pre-made. I built my current computer (Ivy Bridge i5, AMD radion HD 6670, 1 TB HD) for around 750 including OS (win7 home premium), and that's just for the computer -- no monitor, no keyboard, no mouse. You can buy a computer with the same specs from HP or Dell and have it come with a large monitor, keyboard, and mouse, have it cost the same amount as a home-built computer without those amenities, AND get the benefit of the warranty. Unless you're building to a specific or higher spec (HTPC, high-spec gaming, or if you plan on upgrading individual parts frequently and/or need an especially power part for one particular use case -- see needing lots of RAM for VMs), cost is not a benefit of building your own computer. Doing it for the experience? Sure. Customizability? Sure. Cost? Generally, no.
 
Well. This got crazy helpful lol. Been working/school.

Soooooo my ideal budget is 700-900

I know for the sake of getting decent high end stuff, I am pushing my luck. I do have multiple HDMI Monitors, a magnificent mic, and a great gaming mouse, and controller.

The rig is my initial issue.
 
Given that nVidia did just slash the prices on the new 770/780 range, 700-900 is a good generous range, the hardest part is staying there.

It's worth mentioning that you won't ever need to top-of-the-line spec for anything, especially if all you're going to be doing is some internet browsing and some simple gaming. If you are actually doing quality video editing (and I mean things that you should be paid for, not your regular YouTube stuff), then maybe it'll be worth going up a bit. It's not really super necessary to get the high-end stuff unless you plan on pushing your machine all day without turning it off.

One piece of advice I can give is that you should definitely try to buy a retail-ready CPU. You don't want to tackle the issue of thermal paste and aligning heatsinks on your own.
 
Sodium Rising said:
Well. This got crazy helpful lol. Been working/school.

Soooooo my ideal budget is 700-900

I know for the sake of getting decent high end stuff, I am pushing my luck. I do have multiple HDMI Monitors, a magnificent mic, and a great gaming mouse, and controller.

The rig is my initial issue.
Click to expand...

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/mikenike/saved/2Gyj

Prices are going to fluctuate, so if you were to buy this exact system 2 weeks from now I wouldn't be able to estimate the cost. You can save some money if you don't plan to overclock by getting rid of the H50 and replacing the 4670K with the regular 4670, so I left you that option. I would NOT recommend overclocking with Haswell as it is, but I gave you some leeway if you wanted too. The H50 is not a high end cooler by any means but it's better than something like a CM Hyper-212 EVO given the size of that heatsink, your case and the memory I chose. Depending on what video software you will be using will depend on the best GPU for you. I picked out the 7870 for the best bang for the buck + OpenGL support, but you could throw in a 760 if you were using software that utilizes CUDA and be perfectly fine.

Hope I helped.
 
Ok, so I'm looking to upgrade my graphics card to better run games I play most of the time. I have a dell inspiron N7110 laptop with these specs. I know my friend has basically my exact same setup with an i7 core instead of an i7 and he runs an nvidia card instead of the basic intel. Also I'm pretty sure that the computer I have can run an nvidia GT 520m OR an intel hd 3000, and I have the basic intel. I understand that if I upgrade at all I need to make sure that my computer is capable with what I select, but I really have no idea how graphics cards work and what the requirements are and I'm not really in the mood to research exactly how everything works. Can anyone give me a suggestion on what the max I can upgrade to in terms of graphics without changing anything else about my computer? Price isn't really an object.

Edit: after additional research I can see what a terribly stupid question this is.
 
Last edited:
GatoDelFuego said:
Ok, so I'm looking to upgrade my graphics card to better run games I play most of the time. I have a dell inspiron N7110 laptop with these specs. I know my friend has basically my exact same setup with an i7 core instead of an i7 and he runs an nvidia card instead of the basic intel. Also I'm pretty sure that the computer I have can run an nvidia GT 520m OR an intel hd 3000, and I have the basic intel. I understand that if I upgrade at all I need to make sure that my computer is capable with what I select, but I really have no idea how graphics cards work and what the requirements are and I'm not really in the mood to research exactly how everything works. Can anyone give me a suggestion on what the max I can upgrade to in terms of graphics without changing anything else about my computer? Price isn't really an object.

Edit: after additional research I can see what a terribly stupid question this is.
Click to expand...

er, i am actually sorry, but it is nigh impossible to upgrade a dedicated graphics card on a laptop which doesn't have one already. the motherboard of your laptop probably isn't designed for a dedicated card and it probably doesn't have a cooling solution (i.e. heatsink leading to the cooling fan) or even a slot to support one. so i guess you would HAVE to get a new laptop to get a new card.

however, the cpu is a different story. the cpu can be replaced (check your laptop's maintenance service manual online to see if it's possible). it may not be possible for you to get an ivybridge cpu in there if the motherboard doesn't support it, but you should be fine with getting a faster clocked sandybridge core-i5 or even the i7 2620m since both are dual core processors and will likely have the same cooling and power requirements as your current laptop cpu. quad core i7s have a higher power draw than dual cores so it may not be feasible. i guess they require more cooling too.
 
throwing this out there: DO NOT BUY THE GTX 560 TI
it's a great card for running modern games on, but it's unstable as fuck when it's not really doing anything. Every day or so the driver crashes and the screen goes black, no matter what version driver I use. The best I can do is find a version that crashes the least often. It's really bizarre how it's not once failed me when playing games, but when I'm fucking browsing the internet it crashes or I get loads of green/purple squares all over the screen. NVidia keeps trying to fix the issue with new drivers but the one shipped with the hardware (~August 2012) seems to work best for me.
 
cookie said:
throwing this out there: DO NOT BUY THE GTX 560 TI
it's a great card for running modern games on, but it's unstable as fuck when it's not really doing anything. Every day or so the driver crashes and the screen goes black, no matter what version driver I use. The best I can do is find a version that crashes the least often. It's really bizarre how it's not once failed me when playing games, but when I'm fucking browsing the internet it crashes or I get loads of green/purple squares all over the screen. NVidia keeps trying to fix the issue with new drivers but the one shipped with the hardware (~August 2012) seems to work best for me.
Click to expand...
Are you sure its not just your GPU? I haven't had one issue with mine since I got it last year in May.
It's already outdated, you can get more bang for your buck with the higher end cards anyways.
 
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