Buying a new Gaming PC - Page 2

TheSlyMoogle · 08-11-2011, 04:21 AM

Also for the arguments, I've used ATi cards for years and never had a problem. Usually any driver issues with games will be patched soon after the release within a couple of weeks at most.

Also the only games I've ever heard about issues with were usually games I definitely wasn't interested in (Such as Dirt 3)

TheSlyMoogle · 08-11-2011, 04:23 AM

Also for the arguments, I've used ATi cards for years and never had a problem. Usually any driver issues get fixed pretty quickly after games are released.

Also the only games I've ever heard about issues with were usually games I definitely wasn't interested in (Such as Dirt 3)

Professor S · 08-11-2011, 02:48 PM

Final question: The the $829 AMD build a good deal for a boutique gaming PC?

Vampyr · 08-11-2011, 07:12 PM

This thread has really reignited my desire to build a PC.

My Vaio of the past 2 years is still chugging along beautifully though. Can't really justify replacing it. I finally ran into a game I wanted to play that it couldn't handle, though, Just Cause 2, but I just turned the resolution down a notch and it ran fine.

Professor S · 08-11-2011, 11:09 PM

I ordered the AMD version and after ebates.com discounts and a promo code I basically got shipping for free. Thanks to everyone for their help.

KillerGremlin · 08-11-2011, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Professor S

I ordered the AMD version and after ebates.com discounts and a promo code I basically got shipping for free. Thanks to everyone for their help.

Gives us updates yo.

Also I haven't seen such epic derailment in a thread in a long while. Good job guys!

manasecret · 08-12-2011, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Professor S

I ordered the AMD version and after ebates.com discounts and a promo code I basically got shipping for free. Thanks to everyone for their help.

You shoulda priced the parts and built it yourself. Not a good price. And didn't even include an SSD drive at that price.

But I guess convenience trumps quality yet again.

Professor S · 08-12-2011, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manasecret

You shoulda priced the parts and built it yourself. Not a good price. And didn't even include an SSD drive at that price.

But I guess convenience trumps quality yet again.

You underestimate my lack of confidence and skill, lol.

I did price the parts (on new egg), and I paid about $100 extra (part for part) to have the computer built by professionals for me instead of my fumbling ass putting it together. That $100 probably saved me half a day or more of cursing and stress. That's half a day I can spent fragging noobs or smoking cigars.

Also, it's 10 times the PC I would get for the same price at Best Buy.

Time is money, my friend. Also, not frying my MB with static electricity is a blessing as well...

Vampyr · 08-12-2011, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by manasecret

You shoulda priced the parts and built it yourself. Not a good price. And didn't even include an SSD drive at that price.

But I guess convenience trumps quality yet again.

I have an SSD at work, and one one hand I love the speed and snappiness of it.

On the other, they are much, much more prone to failure, and I live in constant worry it's going to die.

I think for a home PC I'd just go for a 7400 RPM drive. You'll also get a lot more space that way.

Seth · 08-12-2011, 10:08 AM

I've got the Phenom 965 BE running on the ASUS crosshair formula MB. GSkill Ram and an MSI GTX 460 1 gb. Coolermaster storm scout and a 30$ heatsink that works great.

It's a good cpu. The 3.4 can be overclocked to an even 4.

The only thing I would have wanted to know for sure is the gpu brand(asus, msi, sapphire, etc) and the specifics of the motherboard. I noticed it doesn't have usb 3 support and only one 16x slot which limits your option to add a second gpu, which in 2 years would reinvent your rig.
Good choice though, a good gaming rig at a good price.

I'd recommend an aftermarket heatsink(coolermaster) since the extra size won't be interfering with an added jumbo gpu.

KillerGremlin · 08-12-2011, 02:21 PM

Yeah, replacing stock heatsinks and adding thermal paste is an easy and cheap way to improve longevity and durability of pre-built PCs. Fans too.

Professor S · 08-12-2011, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KillerGremlin

Yeah, replacing stock heatsinks and adding thermal paste is an easy and cheap way to improve longevity and durability of pre-built PCs. Fans too.

The case comes with two fans, but I'm waiting to see what I get when it comes to the CPU heatsink. Cyberpower usually includes liquid cooling. At this price point they might have left stock, but you never know.

I'll post pics when it comes.

manasecret · 08-12-2011, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vampyr

I have an SSD at work, and one one hand I love the speed and snappiness of it.

On the other, they are much, much more prone to failure, and I live in constant worry it's going to die.

I think for a home PC I'd just go for a 7400 RPM drive. You'll also get a lot more space that way.

Eh I think the failure rates are overrated. Hard drives fail all the time, too. And you can put a hard disk at 10,000,000,000,000,000 RPM, and it will never match the latency of an SSD drive. The arm will always have to lurch over from spot to spot no matter the RPM. The beauty of SSD is in small, random read/writes, which is what makes using it so snappy.

And you get the SSD for the main local drive. Any other large programs and files go on the regular hard disk.

KillerGremlin · 08-12-2011, 04:44 PM

Yup...my best friend has an SSD drive and it's insane. He uses it solely for the OS and games he installs. All his music and video gets stored on external 1TB Hard Drives. Games load like butter. It really is insane.

Right now the cost of the SSDs is still high, so if you get one use it as a main drive and do mass storage on regular old fashioned HDs.

manasecret · 08-13-2011, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Professor S

You underestimate my lack of confidence and skill, lol.

I did price the parts (on new egg), and I paid about $100 extra (part for part) to have the computer built by professionals for me instead of my fumbling ass putting it together. That $100 probably saved me half a day or more of cursing and stress. That's half a day I can spent fragging noobs or smoking cigars.

Also, it's 10 times the PC I would get for the same price at Best Buy.

Time is money, my friend. Also, not frying my MB with static electricity is a blessing as well...

Lame excuses honestly which deprives you of very useful information and experience going forward in both life and career, but I understand and I am not free from making the same lazy choices. Every time I go to a mechanic, I wish I would just learn to do it myself. That is, if it isn't summer in Houston at the time. I don't have the will power to learn to fix my car in 100 degree weather.

(That's 100 degree temperature, btw, NOT heat index. Add 114% humidity to that... and that week long heat wave of mid-90 degree temperatures that hit the east awhile back can bite me. Houston IS a perpetual heat-wave.

)