I'm looking for opinions that won't seem to just shut all options down, just because I'm not willing to build it.
Thats right. I'm not going to waste tremendous amount of effort trying to find the perfect computer and build it myself, just to find out that it doesn't work because something doesn't fit or work together, or whatever.
I HATE that crap. But no matter where I go, the choices just aren't "good for gaming" if I don't make it myself.
So I'm looking for advice. Good, pre-built computers in that budget that are worth the money. Any suggestions?
But opinions on it when I asked is pretty much "lolno, the graphic cards are not for gaming". And of course, updating the card is apparently not possible because of the power supply. Which brings me to why I despise buying desktops.
You can find a couple of good guides online that have parts that work very well together. I'd recommend the Techspot buying guides. I plan to buy a new computer at the end of the year, and they seem really reliable with their guides.
There seems to be only one problem. There's a gap between the price range you're going for if you don't plan on buying a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and headphones/speakers.
The unfortunate truth is that if you want to buy a pre-built computer for gaming you have to either 1) Pay way too much or 2)get a sub-par system that won't work nearly as well as a self-built system.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My place really was here. I was too foolish and stubborn to notice. But, what I truly hoped for then was here. Why do I always realize it When I've already lost it.
Thanks. I'm not sure I understand you: a gap? If you mean, do I have any need for all that secondary stuff, nah. I already have the screen, mouse, keyboard, speakers and headphones.
Yeah, the price for the Entry level rig is $645 while the price for the Enthusiast's PC is $1258. If you plan on buying this computer solely for playing D3 then purchasing the Entry Level Rig will probably be able to play D3 on near max quality. That is, if you purchase it right before D3 comes out. If you want a computer that will last a while you may need to shell out a few extra bucks.
Of course, this isn't the only buying guide out there. You could probably search for one based on your specific price range.
Edit: About the gap. I was talking about your $800-$1000 price range.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My place really was here. I was too foolish and stubborn to notice. But, what I truly hoped for then was here. Why do I always realize it When I've already lost it.
I've been searching a lot. Its extremely hard to find something I want.
I'd settle for a good dual core that just doesn't have a crappy graphic cards, really. I really want to avoid building it.
Most pre-built seems to have a problem with the graphic cards. And for the record, this isn't for D3. I want it to run more demanding games than that fairly well.
So far it seems that Alienware has a stranglehold on the Gaming PC market. They have ridiculously high prices for a rig that you can build for much less. I may be wrong, or haven't searched enough, but I haven't found a single other company that sells good gaming PCs for a reasonable price.
When you say you don't want to build it, do you mean that you physically do not want to put it together? If so, I believe that there are sites that build the computer for you with the parts that you choose.
If you just don't trust building rigs altogether then I'm probably not the person you want to talk to. My brother and I have been building our own rigs since Diablo 2 came out.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My place really was here. I was too foolish and stubborn to notice. But, what I truly hoped for then was here. Why do I always realize it When I've already lost it.
When you say you don't want to build it, do you mean that you physically do not want to put it together? If so, I believe that there are sites that build the computer for you with the parts that you choose.
I'm not really confident about the whole "building my computer" thing.
If you're willing to spend a lot of time on this then you could research each part, see what gives the best bang for its buck right now. I build a pretty good rig for $966. If you messed around a bit, you could definitely build something to your liking. I hope I was able to help. I'm probably going to log off for the night now however.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My place really was here. I was too foolish and stubborn to notice. But, what I truly hoped for then was here. Why do I always realize it When I've already lost it.
Thanks for the help. I think places like eCollegePC is my best option (if they can ship here). I won't make any hasty decision either, I'll be googling a lot before making my decision. And I'm always open for more people's opinions.
the biggest barrier in buying a new computer is the fact that technology changes so rapidly and increasingly complex its hard to know what hardware is actually better.
naming/jargon:
four digits; first signifies generation (first gen often omits this and is only three digits instead) the second digit is the most important and signifies performance, also intel icores, "k" signifies if the processor is unlocked for overclocking
i recommend looking a benchmark website as it will give you a good idea of the hardware you are looking at the give a good basis for comparing different hardware. link below has cpu & videocard benchmarks, i like this site causes if also gives you pricing from newegg and amazon, a preformance to price ratio and pricing trend
when picking out a computer the most important thing is the cpu/motherboard (as you will not likely change those parts until you decide to get a new computer because its likely that next gen cpus will have different sockets whereas ram and vid cards are pretty much standard), but end of the day, best deal will be to build it yourself (business that assemble customs pcs have to make money somehow).
here are my recommendations from newegg if you change you mind for a solid pc on a budget (hard drive not included:
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Galaxy 60XGH3HS3CUD GeForce GTX 465 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL
ASRock P67 PRO3 SE LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost)
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus
785.58 (tax + shipping w/o rebates)
*EDIT
just checked ecollegePC, if you do go with that site or any other custom pc site, you should at the very least, buy the vid card through newegg or some other site. as it will probably save you ~ 40 dollars and installing a vid card is pretty easy
Lately I am learning more about SSD harddrives and how badly I want one for the new PC I'm building. I know, you're not going to build one, but you may want to look into the difference between a HDD harddrive and an SSD one. I might even get a hybrid for now to save some money.
Lately I am learning more about SSD harddrives and how badly I want one for the new PC I'm building. I know, you're not going to build one, but you may want to look into the difference between a HDD harddrive and an SSD one. I might even get a hybrid for now to save some money.
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Galaxy 60XGH3HS3CUD GeForce GTX 465 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL
ASRock P67 PRO3 SE LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost)
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus
785.58 (tax + shipping w/o rebates)
Is that built by newegg or I'd have to build it? Thats the only thing that wasn't clear, but very informative post.
I'm definitively not going to be buying through a site like Dell, not worth it. But I'm still steps away from building it myself.
I've been toying around with eCollegePC built but the biggest problem was the Motherboard and the Powersupply. But its the kind of website I'll be using. I just need to find the perfect build.
Case: Apevia X-Dreamer 3
Processor: Intel Core i5-2500
Fan: Intel LGA1156 Certified CPU Fan & Heatsink
Motherboard: MSI P67A-GD55 (B3)
Memory: 8GB DDR3/1600MHZ
Video Card: 460GTX 1GB
PSU: Corsair 650W
HD: 1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s
DVD: 24X Double Layer
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit)
Pick all Ultra Care Options. Enter Code 'Instant' at checkout.
Comes out to $1,004.15 + Shipping. If you make that build though you have about $50-$150 in mail in rebates though.
Cost looks slightly too high compared to eCollegePC prices. I don't necessarily need a new HD either. I think I can squeeze him a slightly better deal.
If anyone can bother, go here: http://www.ecollegepc.com/, Custom Builder, i5/i7, whats the best I can get here, and what motherboard/powersupply would work? Heck, I don't even know if the fan takes the one extra heatsink.
I can get something like this as a minimum, but I didn't choose another Motherboard or Powersupply, I have no idea which one is ideal for now and for the future.
3.3Ghz Intel Core i5-2500 6MB Cache Quad-Core
Stock Intel LGA1155 Heatsink and Fan
MSI H61M-E23(B3) (Intel H61, HDMI, DVI, PCI-E, 4xSATA, 2xDDR3)
4GB (2GBx2) PC3 10666 DDR3 1333Mhz Memory Lifetime Warranty
22X LG SATA Dual Layer DVD+/-RW/CDRW w/Nero
1GB GeForce GTX 460 GDDR5 PCI-E Dual-DVI (Major Brand)
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 32bit
Foxconn Black FX-TS001A (3 5.25, 5 3.5) Fan, Front Audio/USB
ISO400 Foxconn Stock Power Supply
Onboard LAN included
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1
Wires and Cables neatly tied up away from fans
3 Year Parts and Labor Limited Warranty
If I want a potential upgrade or not depends only if I can afford the motherboard with my budget.
I don't overclock. I was told i5-2500k is recommended for that, but I never overclocked anything, never felt safe with the idea and I'm always worried about overheating issues.
Is there any disadvantage to 64 bit at all? Does it prevent running anything, old or new, that requires 32 or even 16 bit?
i am an intel fan, but AMD is the way to go in ur case.
a nice 6x core is cheap to pre-build, or build ur self... so look into 1090T or 1100T Phenom II x6.
as the guys said above, its a good idea to buy parts and find some1 to build it for u, will coast u much less (i looked into the prebuild stores, its a ripoff)
and even if u do choose to use prebuild options, dont buy graphic cards from them, can buy 1 from newegg, or if u find a CanadaComputers store near u they offer good prices.
TitanREW: I never liked AMD. I'd rather avoid it. Always seemed to be a little bit less reliable and have more issues.
Don: Alright, thanks. I also read there is an issue with 64-bit that it won't install drivers not signed by Microsoft, but that can be bypassed. 64-bit it is.
I plan on spending 250$ tops for a computer, i expect it to run diablo 3 as well as 3d programs and a lot of other games,
1000$ + computers are overrated
I plan on spending 250$ tops for a computer, i expect it to run diablo 3 as well as 3d programs and a lot of other games,
1000$ + computers are overrated
Most likely. I don't even think I need to upgrade to play D3.
But me and my friend just won 2100$ in an online poker tournament, he was the one playing though (I was coaching him), right before the tournament he said "if I win, I'm buying you a computer". He made 2nd place, and he gave me a max of 1000$ for it.
Its free money. Might as well use it and get something that can last a bit. I'm planning to play more than just D3.
whats your max budget? and what kind of more demanding games are you planning to play, and the resolution? a 460gtx probably wont cut it. you might need at least a 560ti or 6950,
i live in calgary, and i do all my hardware shopping at memoryexpress, they have a price match deal, so if you find the same component online from other stores like ncix or canadacomputers for cheaper, they'll beat it by 25% of the difference (this works for online orders as well).
i know that once you have your parts, they build your system for 40 dollars, most of those computer stores should do something like that.
Thats right. I'm not going to waste tremendous amount of effort trying to find the perfect computer and build it myself, just to find out that it doesn't work because something doesn't fit or work together, or whatever.
I HATE that crap. But no matter where I go, the choices just aren't "good for gaming" if I don't make it myself.
So I'm looking for advice. Good, pre-built computers in that budget that are worth the money. Any suggestions?
EDIT: My friend thought that one was good: http://configure.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=dxps8300_f_2e&c=ca&l=en&s=dhs&cs=cadhs1&model_id=xps-8300
But opinions on it when I asked is pretty much "lolno, the graphic cards are not for gaming". And of course, updating the card is apparently not possible because of the power supply. Which brings me to why I despise buying desktops.
Here's a link:
http://www.techspot.com/guides/buying/
There seems to be only one problem. There's a gap between the price range you're going for if you don't plan on buying a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and headphones/speakers.
The unfortunate truth is that if you want to buy a pre-built computer for gaming you have to either 1) Pay way too much or 2)get a sub-par system that won't work nearly as well as a self-built system.
Of course, this isn't the only buying guide out there. You could probably search for one based on your specific price range.
Edit: About the gap. I was talking about your $800-$1000 price range.
I'd settle for a good dual core that just doesn't have a crappy graphic cards, really. I really want to avoid building it.
Most pre-built seems to have a problem with the graphic cards. And for the record, this isn't for D3. I want it to run more demanding games than that fairly well.
When you say you don't want to build it, do you mean that you physically do not want to put it together? If so, I believe that there are sites that build the computer for you with the parts that you choose.
If you just don't trust building rigs altogether then I'm probably not the person you want to talk to. My brother and I have been building our own rigs since Diablo 2 came out.
That place seems to do that: http://ecollegepc.com/
But I effortlessly seem to get above the prices of pre-built computers.
EDIT: Wait, maybe I can. But I'm not sure with every options.
Can't find if they ship in Canada either.
naming/jargon:
four digits; first signifies generation (first gen often omits this and is only three digits instead) the second digit is the most important and signifies performance, also intel icores, "k" signifies if the processor is unlocked for overclocking
i recommend looking a benchmark website as it will give you a good idea of the hardware you are looking at the give a good basis for comparing different hardware. link below has cpu & videocard benchmarks, i like this site causes if also gives you pricing from newegg and amazon, a preformance to price ratio and pricing trend
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/
when picking out a computer the most important thing is the cpu/motherboard (as you will not likely change those parts until you decide to get a new computer because its likely that next gen cpus will have different sockets whereas ram and vid cards are pretty much standard), but end of the day, best deal will be to build it yourself (business that assemble customs pcs have to make money somehow).
here are my recommendations from newegg if you change you mind for a solid pc on a budget (hard drive not included:
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Galaxy 60XGH3HS3CUD GeForce GTX 465 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL
ASRock P67 PRO3 SE LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost)
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus
785.58 (tax + shipping w/o rebates)
*EDIT
just checked ecollegePC, if you do go with that site or any other custom pc site, you should at the very least, buy the vid card through newegg or some other site. as it will probably save you ~ 40 dollars and installing a vid card is pretty easy
Siaynoq's Playthroughs
Case: Apevia X-Dreamer 3
Processor: Intel Core i5-2500
Fan: Intel LGA1156 Certified CPU Fan & Heatsink
Motherboard: MSI P67A-GD55 (B3)
Memory: 8GB DDR3/1600MHZ
Video Card: 460GTX 1GB
PSU: Corsair 650W
HD: 1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s
DVD: 24X Double Layer
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-Bit)
Pick all Ultra Care Options. Enter Code 'Instant' at checkout.
Comes out to $1,004.15 + Shipping. If you make that build though you have about $50-$150 in mail in rebates though.
Aren't SSD comparatively quite expensive?
Is that built by newegg or I'd have to build it? Thats the only thing that wasn't clear, but very informative post.
I'm definitively not going to be buying through a site like Dell, not worth it. But I'm still steps away from building it myself.
I've been toying around with eCollegePC built but the biggest problem was the Motherboard and the Powersupply. But its the kind of website I'll be using. I just need to find the perfect build.
Cost looks slightly too high compared to eCollegePC prices. I don't necessarily need a new HD either. I think I can squeeze him a slightly better deal.
If anyone can bother, go here: http://www.ecollegepc.com/, Custom Builder, i5/i7, whats the best I can get here, and what motherboard/powersupply would work? Heck, I don't even know if the fan takes the one extra heatsink.
I can get something like this as a minimum, but I didn't choose another Motherboard or Powersupply, I have no idea which one is ideal for now and for the future.
3.3Ghz Intel Core i5-2500 6MB Cache Quad-Core
Stock Intel LGA1155 Heatsink and Fan
MSI H61M-E23(B3) (Intel H61, HDMI, DVI, PCI-E, 4xSATA, 2xDDR3)
4GB (2GBx2) PC3 10666 DDR3 1333Mhz Memory Lifetime Warranty
22X LG SATA Dual Layer DVD+/-RW/CDRW w/Nero
1GB GeForce GTX 460 GDDR5 PCI-E Dual-DVI (Major Brand)
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 32bit
Foxconn Black FX-TS001A (3 5.25, 5 3.5) Fan, Front Audio/USB
ISO400 Foxconn Stock Power Supply
Onboard LAN included
Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1
Wires and Cables neatly tied up away from fans
3 Year Parts and Labor Limited Warranty
812$. Could use lots of refining.
I don't overclock. I was told i5-2500k is recommended for that, but I never overclocked anything, never felt safe with the idea and I'm always worried about overheating issues.
Is there any disadvantage to 64 bit at all? Does it prevent running anything, old or new, that requires 32 or even 16 bit?
a nice 6x core is cheap to pre-build, or build ur self... so look into 1090T or 1100T Phenom II x6.
as the guys said above, its a good idea to buy parts and find some1 to build it for u, will coast u much less (i looked into the prebuild stores, its a ripoff)
and even if u do choose to use prebuild options, dont buy graphic cards from them, can buy 1 from newegg, or if u find a CanadaComputers store near u they offer good prices.
budget? go amd. monster? go intel.
Don: Alright, thanks. I also read there is an issue with 64-bit that it won't install drivers not signed by Microsoft, but that can be bypassed. 64-bit it is.
1000$ + computers are overrated
Most likely. I don't even think I need to upgrade to play D3.
But me and my friend just won 2100$ in an online poker tournament, he was the one playing though (I was coaching him), right before the tournament he said "if I win, I'm buying you a computer". He made 2nd place, and he gave me a max of 1000$ for it.
Its free money. Might as well use it and get something that can last a bit. I'm planning to play more than just D3.
i live in calgary, and i do all my hardware shopping at memoryexpress, they have a price match deal, so if you find the same component online from other stores like ncix or canadacomputers for cheaper, they'll beat it by 25% of the difference (this works for online orders as well).
i know that once you have your parts, they build your system for 40 dollars, most of those computer stores should do something like that.
i would personally recommend a amall ssd for bootdrive, but thats just me, but if you are looking into a ssd, i would suggest avoid OCZs since you seem like a guy who dont want hardware trouble
http://www.behardware.com/articles/810-7/components-returns-rates.html
edit:
just saw your $1000 budget, are you willing to add money yourself to that?