Thinking about getting a new desktop, mainly for games, need opinions

Im currently running an old Gateway computer from around 2005 (give or take a year). In a simple run down, I have a Intel Pentium 4 CPU 3.00 GHz, 4 GB RAM, and put in a Geforce 9500 GT graphics card.

I have been thinking about getting a new computer and wanted yalls opinion on my current choice. Here's a link to the one im pretty sure im going to get (im problably picking it up in-store at Best Buy). www.bestbuy.com...- overview

Summary : This one has 8GB RAM (DDR3 Memory, while my current computer only has DDR), Intel 2nd Gen Core i5, 3GHz, but the graphics are Intel HD Graphics 2000, and also 1TB hard drive size. Also, I read some of the customer reviews, and they said the Hard Drive Speed is 5400.

Im going to use this computer for school work, but mostly going to use this for gaming, (games from 2010 to 2012, specifically "Empire: Total War, and "Total War : Shogun 2". Im pretty sure I will end up buying a new graphics card, problably something like the Radeon HD 6670 2GB DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 Best Buy link to that card or something similar to that power.

The current price for the new computer is around $529 and with the graphics card, itll be another $100-$140 depening on what I decide to buy. Do yall think this is a good investment?

Stick a new grafix card in there and it should be adequate for your needs. The listing doesn't say if the motherboard is crossfire (ati) or sli (nvidia)? I like the option to add another grafix card over time. If your not bothered about DX11 some last generation video cards can be bought pretty cheap.

At the moment I run an Intel q6600 2.4ghz with 8gb ram and two nvidia gtx260's in sli. It handles just about everything I throw at it but the most modern games need the detail turned down a little.

I'm not allowed to make fun of you here, so by saying that, we go from here.

Are you planning on editing Jurassik Park 5 while watching transformers 4, Cocoon 3, Cloverfield 2, and Chronicle 2 all at the same time, while playing WOW and Skyrim.... while also playing solitaire, IMing with your mom, cruising porn, and playing 4 tables of Texas Hold em on Pokerstars?

No? Then you don't need all that crap.

I may be exaggerating slightly, but my point is you don't need anything more than a fancier video card, if you feel yours isn't cutting it. A whole new cpu is never necessary compared to buying newer hardware replacements.

If you got money to burn, feed the hungry kids in Africa.

reply to post by JibbyJedi


But he'll be future proof. I've had my desktop for 5 years, it was cutting edge when I built it and with minimal upgrades its still going strong now.

IMO when buying a new computer you need to get the absolute best you can afford for longevity reasons.

reply to post by Grifter81


Thanks for the reply. From what I understand, the computer im planning on buying has plenty of room for expansion (there's supposed to be alot). A few years from now, Im sure I'll be fine with my school needs, but when 2013, and possibly up to 2014 (as in years) games come out, I'll end up getting another graphics card problably, along with more RAM (this one supports up to 16 GB, DDR3).

Side question : Have you played any of the (new) "Total War" game series on your current computer? (From 2009 to 2011). If you have, how well have they run?

reply to post by JibbyJedi


Haha, that makes my current computer buying decision feel....correct, haha.

The new computer is just about $529, then with an added graphics card, just a little bit more. But im going for a rig that I can upgrade (game wise) to handle the new games coming out in the next couple years.

Originally posted by Grifter81
reply to post by JibbyJedi

 

But he'll be future proof. I've had my desktop for 5 years, it was cutting edge when I built it and with minimal upgrades its still going strong now.

IMO when buying a new computer you need to get the absolute best you can afford for longevity reasons.

edit on 28/4/2012 by Grifter81 because: (no reason given)

Good deal.

My cpu is self built, processor is at least 8 yrs old, HD is 9 yrs old, RAM is 7 yrs old, only 1 gig, broke my 5th video card and am operating only with the on-board temporary backup. A new video card would cost me around $100 to run any game invented. Video cards go quick with a lot of gaming, the rest should last a while.

reply to post by buni11687


I haven't played them I'm afraid, I'm more of a shooter man myself. I can soon download a demo and let you know how it plays though.

Originally posted by buni11687
reply to post by JibbyJedi

 

Haha, that makes my current computer buying decision feel....correct, haha.

The new computer is just about $529, then with an added graphics card, just a little bit more. But im going for a rig that I can upgrade (game wise) to handle the new games coming out in the next couple years.

I can't see any near future game requiring more than 4 gig RAM, hard drive excessive space is unnecessary. Video card specs do matter with upcoming games and that's how they trick people into upgrading entire systems. Only things to consider are RAM, and video card specs, your processor will handle any game in the next decade. Replacement/upgrade parts will run you far less than $500.

When the clutch goes on your car, do you get a whole new car, or just a new clutch?

Better still OP have you considered a self build? You will be able to hand pick components to exactly match your requirements. I haven't bought a complete system for years.

ETA. You may be able to cannibalise your old system for some parts. For example your existing case can probably be reused, even if it's just that it will save you some hard earned cash.

reply to post by JibbyJedi


I see your point. There is also a certain satisfaction in breathing new life into an older system.

reply to post by JibbyJedi

A new video card would cost me around $100 to run any game invented. Video cards go quick with a lot of gaming, the rest should last a while.

My Geforce 9500 GT has lasted about 3 years, but it's too out-of-date now (I didnt really use it as much as I would if I had a better card). If I get the Radeon I want, it comes with a lifetime warranty, (doubt I'll mess it up by spilling my drink on it, but if it malfunctions on itself though, ill be covered)

My current rig has lasted me around 7 years, and Im going for a new one that will last another 7 years, or more.

Side note: Ive also been looking into Intel Core i7 processors, but those are alot more expensive than the i5s. Example : I looked at the "Intel - Core i7 I7-720QM 1.60 GHz Processor - Socket PGA-988" (Best Buy)... it's over $750 just for that, just the processor. I may wait a month or 2 to see if the price on i7's go down, but is there really much of a difference between them and an i5, atleast for what Im going for at the moment?

reply to post by Grifter81

Better still OP have you considered a self build? You will be able to hand pick components to exactly match your requirements. I haven't bought a complete system for years.

I havent had much experience bulding my own desktop. With my current computer, since around 2005, Ive installed a 425 power supply (it came with a 400), installed one old Nvidia graphics cards like 5 years ago, replaced it with the Geforce 9500 GT, and added 4 GB of Ram (it came with 1024 MB). I havent had the opportunity to attempt to install a processor yet....im still a bit of a n00b.

reply to post by buni11687


Honestly there's nothing to it really. If you can successfully handle upgrades then its not a big step to build yourself a system from scratch.

Do some research on it, its rewarding to complete your own project.

reply to post by buni11687


I started to reply earlier saying to look at Newegg and I came up with a system around same price as yours without a video card. But... if you have a case and possible a power supply, DVD, you can save and reuse. Apply the savings to get a better video card than the onboard.
I can't tell you how much I hate Best Buy.
As for the argument as what is the best upgrade. Hands down if you play games, invest in a good graphics card. A faster hard drive improves overall performance. A few seconds here and there with programs loading adds up. SSD if you can. Then RAM.

You should build your own pc for gaming. Overall you will get far superior results than buying off the shelf rubbish.

For the cpu an i5-2500k is perfect for gaming, this cpu is unlocked and can be overclocked quite a bit. If you are unfamiliar with overclocking ect, bundle it with a motherboard like the ASUS P67-B3. These boards come with software you can use to autotune the pc for very fast and stable speeds.

Get yourself a decent power supply unit (psu) of around 600w and 8 gigs of quality ram. For the hard drive pick up a Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB SATAIII 6Gb/s 16MB Cache 3.5 inch Internal Hard Drive OEM and a copy of widows 64-bit OEM version for system builders, it is a very cheap way of doing it.

For the graphics card i recommend a gtx560 ti, this is the card i use and it can run anything i throw at it with ease, very good card for the price.

You will also need a new tower case to house all these new components, they start off very cheap if you just want a standard looking case, or you can opt for something more fancy if you have the money to spare. You will also want to get a decent cpu cooling fan/heatsink, the ones that come with the cpu are crap, you can pick up a decent one for about $20 i would think.

Putting all this together is as easy as making something out of lego, just watch a few youtube guides beforehand so you understand what's what. You should be able to build a pc for less that $1000 and will be happy with the results. If you bought a similar spec pc off the shelf it would be more like $3000.

I would say it hardly depends on your OS and prefered type of architecture.

Because my father goes out of hospital sooner then thought, I will have to drive tomorrow instead of today. Transforming the visit drive to a we-head-back home drive. This is your luck because it gives me time:

Running XP on x86
While WinXP x86 (32bit) can only use 4GB of Ram, and current 32bit Games can only reserve 2GB of it, you are pretty fine with your current config of RAM. I would consider to:
-Upgrade Graphiccard
-Upgrade PowerSupply(it may be needed for the newer cards)
-Upgrade HDD (best would be a common harddrive for long time storing and a fast SSD or SSD Hybrid drive for OS and Games.

Running XP on x64
XP x64 can use up to 128GB RAM. I don´t know if most Games are written for x64 by now but I highly doubt it*.
This gives you the option to use more RAM. If you have 3 slots aviable, then stick another 2GB to it. If its only two, your best take is discard the old ones (probably 2x 2GB) and buy two identical 4GB bars for dual channel or how its called today.
-Optional RAM upgrade
-Upgrade Graphiccard
-Upgrade PowerSupply
-Upgrade HDD (best would be a common harddrive for long time storing and a fast SSD or SSD Hybrid drive for OS and Games.

Running Win7 on x64
-Definitly upgrade Ram, 4GB is the requirement, use 8GB
-Upgrade Graphiccard
-Upgrade PowerSupply
-Upgrade HDD (best would be a common harddrive for long time storing and a fast SSD or SSD Hybrid drive for OS and Games.


Do you have atleast SATA2 aviable?
Do you have USB3.0 devices or do you plan to buy one the next years?
Because if you dont have SATA2 or you want USB3.0, you need to replace your mainboard. Find one with matching CPU socket for your old CPU. If you give me some more informations about CPU and HDD, I´ll look for one.
Then you need DDR3 probably, and your new Graphics card. With a great change, you´ll need a new power supply, too.


*Based on no evidence

reply to post by Atzil321


That's good advice for the OP. It is cheaper overall to build your own rig.

I was thinking of swapping out my gtx260s for one gtx560 to take advantage of dx11. Would you say the 560 is worth the upgrade?

reply to post by Atzil321

I forgot about the tower. An old CS 601 would definitly honor the old hardware in service.

reply to post by verschickter


The min RAM for windows 7 on 64 bit is 2 gig not 4

reply to post by buni11687


I would go for 8 , thats what i have in my gaming and and it works great with win 7.

Get a 1 gig video card if you are running 1 monitor and possibly 2 gig for you are running 2 monitors.

Get 2 solid state drives , 1 for your operating system and 1 for you games. Dont put your games on the same drive as your OS if you can afford it ,this will give you a performance increase. SD drives are expensive at the moment so hybrid drives are pretty fast as well.