Opinions on a cheap PC

[Maxwell110]

Sorry for the thread revival, but it's relevant to what the thread has been about.

I'm looking to jump into a bit of PC gaming, with no knowledge or idea of what I'm looking for.

Is a budget of 1000-1500 enough to play the latest games on pretty high settings?

I'd prefer to buy a PC pre-made (links to places that aren't going to rip me off are welcome), but if the price gulf is sizable I might consider building one myself. I have no idea where to start. Try to find a decent website selling PC's that aren't a rip off ( http://www.msy.com.au/home.php, is this site alright? ).

I have no idea what I'm doing. If anyone could help me get a decent computer that plays decent games for a decent price that would be decent. Thanks.

This looks like it's already gotten a pretty decent answer but I just want to throw in my two cents. Give sites like reddit.com/r/buildapc a check to find some similar builds, or even some more help. Msy is a pretty good place to get stuff from, I also got some parts from Amazon because they were pretty cheap at the time, not sure what they're like now the exchange rate has changed a bit. Also, some American things won't work here because we use a different voltage. I remembered this when I bought the most important stuff, but not the speakers. So I basically fried my speakers as soon as I plugged them into the wall and then I remembered the voltage thing.

I'm not too sure about pre-builts, maybe check PC Case Gear? Whirlpool might be a better place to ask about that. I decided to build my own because it's like lego, big expensive lego. Pre-builts can be a better option if you want simple warranties and all that, but it will be cheaper to build your own and you just need to watch over some tutorials on YouTube. Just weigh up the options and see what best suits you.

FWIW my build consists of:
NZXT H440 case - a blue one because I wanted it to look nice, you could certainly get cheaper cases though.
ASRock Z97 Extreme4(?) motherboard - this was fairly cheap, I could have gone cheaper but I wanted a blue one
Intel 4670k CPU - I haven't overclocked it yet, but I certainly could and am looking to do so soon. I have no experience with OCing though. Unless you're certain you don't want to overclock, get an unlocked CPU so you have the potential to OC in the future.
EVGA GTX 770 - Runs games great, I assume you'd be going for a 970 in your price range. Be wary of the 970, I remember there being big issues about the VRAM or something and I don't quite remember what happened with that big shitstorm, or you might be interested in an AMD system. I have little knowledge on AMD so I can't comment.
Some 1TB HDD along with an old 500GB HDD that I wanted to reuse. I really wish I got an SSD and then waited a little longer to get also get an HDD. upgrading from my HDD to an SSD is just going to be annoying task I could have avoided.
8GB Corsair Vengeance RAM - I only chose it because it's blue and matches my case and motherboard. Most RAM is pretty similar though, I'm looking to upgrade to 16GB soon though.
I forgot the PSU, but it's overkill for my system. I could have gone with a lower wattage. Do not skimp out on your PSU, always get a quality one.
For a KB+M I just got some $40 combo thing that has blue LEDs in it and it's served me just fine. I wouldn't mind upgrading the keyboard to a mechanical one.
Some Acer monitor I saw on LinusTechTips that has a magnet in the base.

 

[AngryRanga]

I'm not too sure about pre-builts, maybe check PC Case Gear? Whirlpool might be a better place to ask about that. I decided to build my own because it's like lego, big expensive lego. Pre-builts can be a better option if you want simple warranties and all that, but it will be cheaper to build your own and you just need to watch over some tutorials on YouTube. Just weigh up the options and see what best suits you.

Yeah, I think I'm getting a pre-built one. Just don't have enough of a clue of what's going on to build my own. Thanks for the recommending PC Case Gear, having a look at the site now.

For example, these two are right in the price range.

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php...=31424&zenid=80db20d1dc6abb518ec170fc90c76b6a

http://www.msy.com.au/SYSTEMS/INTELAMD-Gaming2.pdf (The option on the left, no idea what to choose out of Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz (LGA-1150) or Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz (LGA-1150) or Intel Core i7-4790 3.6GHz (LGA-1150) etc jargon etc. )

1. Are these decent prices for pre-built rigs?
2. Which is better? (clearly using laymen's terms here)
3. Do PC's around this range run games better than a PS4 would?

4. And lastly on my list of dumb questions, do these things have USB ports and an optical drive?


I feel extremely embarrassed even writing this post. With console gaming, I go out, buy my console, come home and it plays all my favourite games in 480p 21fps. This isn't my element.

*Sorry for being annoyingly clueless.

 

[Maxwell110]

Yeah, I think I'm getting a pre-built one. Just don't have enough of a clue of what's going on to build my own. Thanks for the recommending PC Case Gear, having a look at the site now.

For example, these two are right in the price range.

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php...=31424&zenid=80db20d1dc6abb518ec170fc90c76b6a

http://www.msy.com.au/SYSTEMS/INTELAMD-Gaming2.pdf (The option on the left, no idea what to choose out of Intel Core i5-4460 3.2GHz (LGA-1150) or Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz (LGA-1150) or Intel Core i7-4790 3.6GHz (LGA-1150) etc jargon etc. )

1. Are these decent prices for pre-built rigs?
2. Which is better? (clearly using laymen's terms here)
3. Do PC's around this range run games better than a PS4 would?
4. And lastly on my list of dumb questions, do these things have USB ports and an optical drive?


I feel extremely embarrassed even writing this post. With console gaming, I go out, buy my console, come home and it plays all my favourite games in 480p 21fps. This isn't my element.

The PCCG one looks like it'd be the best option because it offers a better video card. The processor on the PCCG option looks like it should be plenty good enough for gaming.

Just a side note on the CPUs, the i5 4690k is pretty popular for gaming PCs. Also, the k just means it's the version of the CPU meant for overclocking and that generally means it will go with a Z97 motherboard (I could be wrong on that part). The i7 4790k is usually bought by people who plan to do some video editing, but not enough to warrant paying for the higher level up of processors.

1. I can't quite comment on the prices, I've been out of the loop on computer prices, but they look decent enough. Considering you'll need to get some peripherals they should be in the right range.
2. I realised I kind of answered this above, but the PCCG one is the one I'd go with because of the video card and another point I'll touch on below.
3. The PCCG pre-built would smash a PS4 I think. With the GTX 960 you should get 1080p 60fps on High settings in GTA V for example.
4. It's good you brought this up, the PCCG option doesn't offer an optical drive with it, however you could easily get an external one, or possible even install an internal one if you want. They have a link at the bottom of the page leading to their range of optical drives. The MSY option does offer an optical drive. The USB ports will be on the back of the case, sticking out from the motherboard and generally there will also be USB ports and a headphone jack somewhere near the power button. Something important I noticed about the two build is the operating system. For the PCCG option, windows 7 comes with it and that will do you just fine. You'll also get a free upgrade to Windows 10 in a few months with that. The MSY option on the other hand doesn't include an operating system, and you have to add the cost of Windows 8 to the price. So it would be much easier just to get the PCCG computer. I don't know if the PCCG computer would come with windows 7 and the drivers pre-installed, or if they will give you a USB that will contain Windows and you install it yourself. You may want to ask them about that just to see. Also, the PCCG computer will allow you to get the The Witcher 3 for free if you buy it before the end of the month, and that is a great game IMO. The two previous games in the series will probably go on sale on Steam for like 2 or 3 dollars each during the Summer (our Winter) sale.

One more tip: when you plug your monitor in make sure you plug it into the port on the graphics card, not the motherboard. It doesn't get mentioned much from what I see, so quite a few people make this mistake.

 

[AngryRanga]

..

Can't thank you enough mate, lot's of really helpful stuff

 

[Mighty P]

I'd go the PCCG 960 one too, price seems ok, but remember they've probably added $100+ for building it.

 

[Valentino Dmitri]

Hi guys - have a question and was wondering if someone smarter than me (ie: anyone) might be able to help:

Was thinking about buying this computer

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1411&products_id=31627

System Components:

• CPU: Intel® Core™ i5 4460 Processor
• Motherboard: MSI H97M-G43 Motherboard
• Graphics: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 Superclocked ACX 2.0 4GB
• Memory: Kingston Hyper X Fury HX318C10FWK2/8 8GB (2x4GB) White
• Solid State Drive: Samsung 850 EVO Series 250GB SSD
• Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 2TB ST2000DM001
• Power Supply: Be Quiet! Pure Power L8 600W Power Supply
• Case: NZXT S340 Mid Tower Case White
• Additional Lighting: Silverstone 30cm 15 LED Flexible Strip White
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit OEM License
• Warranty: 2 year return-to-base warranty on assembly, see individual product pages for warranty duration on each component

The motherboard appears to support 2 graphics cards, and I have an EVGA 970, however it is not the superclocked version. Will they run together or does it need to be exactly the same version?

If so, will I need to buy additional cables to plug it into the motherboard?

EDIT: also will that power supply be enough to run 2 graphics cards? The whole reason I'm looking at this computer is that my tiny little alienware computer's power supply can't deal with a 970, and keeps dying, haha

I hope that makes sense.

 

[Mighty P]

You mean running 2 different graphics cards?

 

[Mighty P]

I'd probably aim for a better PSU if you plan on running 2 cards as well, especially if they burn a lot of energy.

 

[Valentino Dmitri]

You mean running 2 different graphics cards?

Thanks for your reply - I mean that I want the 2 graphics cards in SLI, but wasn't sure whether or not it was possible since the one I currently own is not superclocked, while the one in that new PC is.

re: the power supply, sounds like it might end up being just as easy to build a new pc from scratch maybe.

Again thanks very much I appreciate it!

 

[Gold Member]

Hi guys - have a question and was wondering if someone smarter than me (ie: anyone) might be able to help:

Was thinking about buying this computer

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1411&products_id=31627


The motherboard appears to support 2 graphics cards, and I have an EVGA 970, however it is not the superclocked version. Will they run together or does it need to be exactly the same version?

If so, will I need to buy additional cables to plug it into the motherboard?

EDIT: also will that power supply be enough to run 2 graphics cards? The whole reason I'm looking at this computer is that my tiny little alienware computer's power supply can't deal with a 970, and keeps dying, haha

I hope that makes sense.

This comes before your other questions and before you go any further....

The motherboard is not certified to run nVidia SLI. I'm not sure if that means that it can't but SLI certification appears to command a $20 premium at RRP.


To answer your questions.
SLI requires two of the same chip to work. so 970 + 970SC is fine. 970 + 960ti is not.
That PSU comes with 4x PCIe 6+2 power connectors (2 per GPU) and specifically states AMD CrossfireX certification for multi GPU setups. Would be running pretty close to max capacity though and it's generally recommended that 750w is a minimum for dual GPU configurations. I'm a big fan of the Silverstone Strider modular range and personally run an 850w incase I want a second GPU in the future.

 

[Gold Member]

sounds like it might end up being just as easy to build a new pc from scratch maybe.

Much better

 

[Valentino Dmitri]

This comes before your other questions and before you go any further....

The motherboard is not certified to run nVidia SLI. I'm not sure if that means that it can't but SLI certification appears to command a $20 premium at RRP.


To answer your questions.
SLI requires two of the same chip to work. so 970 + 970SC is fine. 970 + 960ti is not.
That PSU comes with 4x PCIe 6+2 power connectors (2 per GPU) and specifically states AMD CrossfireX certification for multi GPU setups. Would be running pretty close to max capacity though and it's generally recommended that 750w is a minimum for dual GPU configurations. I'm a big fan of the Silverstone Strider modular range and personally run an 850w incase I want a second GPU in the future.

Wow 750w minimum, my current 350w power supply definitely isn't up to the task then...

Thanks very much for your help, especially re: sli certification! Bit of a learning experience.

 

[Gold Member]

Wow 750w minimum, my current 350w power supply definitely isn't up to the task then...

Thanks very much for your help, especially re: sli certification! Bit of a learning experience.

no probs.

What sort of games you playing at the moment and at what resolution?

A single 970 is the equivalent to my R9 280X and it pretty much crushes most titles I throw at it without breaking a sweat...

 

[Gold Member]

Also what specs is your Alienware to possible recycle bits and pieces or would you just keep it for general internet & Facebook stuff?

 

[Valentino Dmitri]

no probs.

What sort of games you playing at the moment and at what resolution?

A single 970 is the equivalent to my R9 280X and it pretty much crushes most titles I throw at it without breaking a sweat...

Try to have things running at 1080p, since I have the computer hooked up to the tv, and it is a cheap ass Kogan where things look really pixelated when running at less than that resolution. Really wish I'd saved a little more and bought a quality TV!

Mostly play RPGs and it's only been since Dragon Age came out last year where I've had to turn detail down to about medium to get games running at 60 frames at 1080p. Figured that with Nvidia giving away copies of Witcher 3 with the gtx 970's it was a good time to upgrade, and there was a fair bit written about 970's being able to work with alienware x51's.

I'd only given other games a quick run with the 970 I bought, but it seemed to run them great - Witcher must be far more intensive though, since the computer dies completely a few seconds into the prologue! Turning the settings of the game down doesn't seem to help at all.

Worst of all though, the graphics card along with the extra cable doesn't fit into the alienware case properly and I have to leave it open, can't imagine that would be good for the system with dust etc.

Also what specs is your Alienware to possible recycle bits and pieces or would you just keep it for general internet & Facebook stuff?

Will need to check exactly what I've got BUT pretty sure the cpu is a third generation i7. 8gb of ram, I've had a quick google and not sure about what speed it is, or how many channels (god I hope that makes some kind of sense, haha). The hard drive seems okay, it's 1tb and I also have a new SSD.

Do you think it's worthwhile sticking with that stuff, and getting a new motherboard? the one below apparently takes the old 3rd generation cpu's

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=138_1183&products_id=19859

 

[Gold Member]

Try to have things running at 1080p, since I have the computer hooked up to the tv, and it is a cheap ass Kogan where things look really pixelated when running at less than that resolution. Really wish I'd saved a little more and bought a quality TV!

Mostly play RPGs and it's only been since Dragon Age came out last year where I've had to turn detail down to about medium to get games running at 60 frames at 1080p. Figured that with Nvidia giving away copies of Witcher 3 with the gtx 970's it was a good time to upgrade, and there was a fair bit written about 970's being able to work with alienware x51's.

I'd only given other games a quick run with the 970 I bought, but it seemed to run them great - Witcher must be far more intensive though, since the computer dies completely a few seconds into the prologue! Turning the settings of the game down doesn't seem to help at all.

Worst of all though, the graphics card along with the extra cable doesn't fit into the alienware case properly and I have to leave it open, can't imagine that would be good for the system with dust etc.



Will need to check exactly what I've got BUT pretty sure the cpu is a third generation i7. 8gb of ram, I've had a quick google and not sure about what speed it is, or how many channels (god I hope that makes some kind of sense, haha). The hard drive seems okay, it's 1tb and I also have a new SSD.

Do you think it's worthwhile sticking with that stuff, and getting a new motherboard? the one below apparently takes the old 3rd generation cpu's

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=138_1183&products_id=19859

I'd be loathe to recommend that mobo.... so old to be spending $100 on it and still no SLI compatability.
Older 1155 socket 77 series motherboards are pretty hard to find....

Can you "Start Menu" then "Computer" then "System Properties" to find out more about your current setup....?

I'm beginning to think the best course is to buy a new power supply and firstly get all the things you already have working properly. Don't stress leaving the case open short term, maybe even point a desk fan at it incase you're getting thermal throttling!!!
A 3rd gen i7 with a GTX 970 really should eat up those games for breakfast at 1080p.....

Beyond that it's probably a question of budgets v requirements.

PS. Please get an actual PC monitor. You won't believe the difference

 

[Valentino Dmitri]

I'd be loathe to recommend that mobo.... so old to be spending $100 on it and still no SLI compatability.
Older 1155 socket 77 series motherboards are pretty hard to find....

Can you "Start Menu" then "Computer" then "System Properties" to find out more about your current setup....?

I'm beginning to think the best course is to buy a new power supply and firstly get all the things you already have working properly. Don't stress leaving the case open short term, maybe even point a desk fan at it incase you're getting thermal throttling!!!
A 3rd gen i7 with a GTX 970 really should eat up those games for breakfast at 1080p.....

Beyond that it's probably a question of budgets v requirements.

PS. Please get an actual PC monitor. You won't believe the difference

i agree that seems to be the most sensible thing to do. - i thought i was stuck with this rubbish power supply and didn't realise it could be replaced and shifted into a new case. reading on other tech forums just now it seems as though others have done exactly this.

hopefully the change over will not be too difficult, but if it means not spending over $1000 im willing to give it a go!

again thanks heaps for your help mate

 

[SamiSam]

:-~