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Post by 1D3chan on Feb 27, 2017 10:10:28 GMT -6
Geek Squad,
This is sort of on topic, and I have this intuition that there are probably some people here who know a lot about this, or at least enough about it. Whereas I know very little / next to nothing.
I want to play Dawn of War 3 when it comes out - plus Total War and probably some other 40k and non-40k computer games. However, I do not have a PC yet.
I have always played computer games, even the original Dawn of War series, on regular old PC's. You know, Microsoft XP, literally nothing fancy. I don't have those anymore anyway, so I'll need to get something new.
Nowadays, this whole "Gaming PC" is apparently a very real thing, at least as far as a market is concerned. Is it mostly Kool-Aid, or do you really need a "Gaming PC" now to play games instead of regular PC's? I also hear most people suggest building your own, which I have no aptitude to do, so I'd have to buy one mostly pre-built. I've also heard, for whatever reason, that "Alienware" is cancerous and I am a complete fool if I get one.
So, the TL;DR -
1. Do you have any suggestions on a gaming PC for games like the Dawn of War series and Warhammer Total War? 2. I heard the difference is a "GPU" - is it possible to buy one and insert it into a regular PC, thus turning it into a Gaming PC? 3. What is the difference between a Graphics Card and Video Card?
By the way, I have also done some research myself on this, so I'm not using you guys for google. But first hand experience and consumer recommendations are extremely powerful resources.
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Post by Nathan on Feb 27, 2017 10:23:44 GMT -6
Are you looking for a laptop or a desktop?
Yeah you can insert a gpu in to a desktop and make it run games better. but generally a "gaming pc" is just higher preformance parts.
Its an interchangeable word.
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Post by Nick P on Feb 27, 2017 10:37:49 GMT -6
*cracks knuckles* you've come to the right place!
As an avid pc gamer and builder of several rigs over the last 10 years, I can tell you that it really is a thing and not just kool-aid. While I also game on my 3DS and xbox, there is a bonus to having a custom built gaming rig that no other console can touch - you have the control over what it can do. You can plug and play different parts to make it yours, rather than being stuck with whatever Microsoft or Sony decided goes into it. That is a very useful power to have, and generally means that PC rigs will be more powerful, have faster frame rates, and have better visuals than anything a console can touch.
Building your own is definitely the route to go - the parts themselves bought whole sale are actually pretty inexpensive, its the labor that goes into building them, and shipping them, that you end up paying for with companies that will build them for you. You can cut the cost of the build almost in half by just buying the parts yourself, and they go together VERY easily, its basically lego. All you need are the parts, and a phillips head screw driver. Literally that's it - if you can build warhammer, or do anything musical, you can build a PC. Also any of us can probably find the time to help you, and walk you through it, over some beerskis.
On to your questions:
1. If you absolutely are going to buy one from a company that pre-makes "custom" PCs, CyberPower or iBuyPower are decently priced - I'd stay away from Alienware (you pay for the brand, not the quality) and the usual Dell HP and Microsoft computers etc.
2. GPU = graphics processor. Basically, your video card. This is basically the difference between your mom's HP desktop and a gaming rig - buying a used game rig and updating the GPU will do on a budget, but really to get the most of your machine you'll also want the right (and updated) CPU, Motherboard, RAM, and cooling system. Also, you have to make sure that your motherboard/CPU and power source will work with the GPU in question.
3. Every computer has a video card - but a graphics card is specifically designed to take over for the stock video cards from the motherboard and process the video/images for...well, everything. Its basically just a powerful add-on to your motherboard to process the video/graphics on all of your media; they are bulkier and more powerful and require more power from your power source, but are also more efficient and can process more data faster.
If you're interested, I'd be happy to list out the things you'll need to make your own gaming rig, and I'm also happy to offer suggestions for parts that will be inexpensive but give you some longevity for your gaming. In my experience, a decent build with future proofing in the right places (RAM, Power source, CPU) can simply be updated once every 4-5 years with a new GPU and be good to go. I built my 2nd gaming PC back in 2009, updated the GPU and operating system in 2013, and updated the RAM in 2015, and it runs total war, skyrim special edition, shadows of mordor, just cause 3, farcry 4, all at max settings and close to 60 fps.
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T1m
new guy
Posts: 302
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Post by T1m on Feb 27, 2017 10:47:24 GMT -6
If you want to go pre-built I would say that you could go to this link and take a look at things. Like Nathan said a gaming pc is just a pc with better parts in it, like faster RAM and processor. You could insert a video card into an existing computer in theory, but there are factors to consider such as does your current computer have the appropriate slot for a video card, does it have a large enough power supply, is the case physically large enough, etc. Like you wouldn't want to just get a cheap computer from Dell and throw in a video card. Do you have a budget in mind? I built my computer a year ago and it runs everything just great, but of course things change so quickly it's hard to know what a comparable one would cost.
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Post by Nick P on Feb 27, 2017 10:50:48 GMT -6
Also, snarky as they may be, PCmasterRace on reddit has a solid guide for a mid-range PC that can run games better than an Xbox 1 or PS4, and updates it regularly with new parts to keep it current. The first part of the guide is more of a circle jerk about "why PC is better and how to feel superior about your ability to play more games faster etc", so you can probably skip it: www.reddit.com/r/pcmasterrace/wiki/guide
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cj
neophyte
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Post by cj on Feb 27, 2017 12:45:01 GMT -6
I'm thinking about this as well for after I move into the new place. Where on the bell curve of expense would the point of diminishing returns hit? What would it cost to have something that would run new games for the next 3-5 years on reasonable quality levels?
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Post by 1D3chan on Feb 27, 2017 12:53:24 GMT -6
Awesome, thanks. Yes, everyone who is knowledgable about the subject says to build one - you get better parts and it's cheaper. But that's not just time, it's knowledge that I don't have. If it's going to save me hundreds of dollars, I might find a way to muddle through it.
I decided then I'm not going to buy a crappy PC and try to insert a GPU, that sounds like the worst idea possible . More than likely, I'd buy a lower end pre-built Gaming PC, that already has a Nvidea or Radeon (sp?) GPU, 8-16gb RAM and an intel i5 to i7 chip (these are three things I've picked up on) and then I think maybe replace parts out of it if they needed to be replaced/upgraded. That's a hell of a lot less daunting than trying to build one from scratch.
If I did somehow go piece by piece route, would it look like this: 1) Intel i5 to i7 "Processor" = ?$ 2) 8GB-16GB RAM = ?$ 3) High End Nvidea GPU = ?$ 4) MotherBoard/CPU = ?$ 5) Case? 6) Fan/Cooling Device
Besides monitors, keyboards etc, is anything missing from this list?
For a price gauge, I can get the Lenovo Y700 for like $700 new (GF discount) or the HP Omen for around the same price. They are their lower end models but I think they have the i5, 16gb and a decent GPU. Now I know these aren't top of the line machines, but that's a pretty low price tag and if I can play my warhamz on them, they'd probably win out. If I built a computer, could it even touch that price range?
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T1m
new guy
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Post by T1m on Feb 27, 2017 13:11:34 GMT -6
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Post by Nathan on Feb 27, 2017 14:00:36 GMT -6
Yeah right now a 10 series graphics card performance is well worth the cost of going with an older generation card imo
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Post by Nick P on Feb 27, 2017 14:09:14 GMT -6
This is great, I 99% agree with Tim - my only change would be an AMD GPU; I have had nothing but trouble with Nvidia cards over the years, from certain games needing certain drivers or older drivers or having new drivers fuck up the graphics on newer games, etc etc. And it was just always a pain. My AMD Radeon r9 280X I bought 2-3 years ago has been purring like a kitten for even the latest games, and I can't recommend AMD cards enough. As far as pricing, yes you can build a solid gaming PC - good enough to run Total War and DOW3 on ultra settings, and should be future proof for a good 2-3 years - for like $700 buckeroos. And it will be vastly more powerful, with more storage, better cooling, and more RAM, than anything you could buy premade for the same price. And I really can't recommend building it yourself enough - it might sound daunting, but its really just like building an erector set. You screw the motherboard to the case with the hardware it comes with, you stick the heat sink and the CPU to the motherboard with the hardware it comes with, you plug in the GPU, Power Source, HDD, and Fans to the motherboard in the color-coded slots labeled GPU Power HDD and Fans1-5 (or 6 or whatever), click the RAM into place (they literally click in like lego), and you're done. I would hate for either of you to end up buying a lower scale machine for the same price, just because you felt overwhelmed by the thought of building it yourself. It is really really simple, and especially with any of us to give pointers and youtube tutorials etc to follow, you'll be surprised how easy it can be.
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Post by 1D3chan on Feb 27, 2017 14:12:27 GMT -6
That's amazing dude. Thank you. How much more is the i7 than the i5 and is it worth it / does it make a difference?
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T1m
new guy
Posts: 302
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Post by T1m on Feb 27, 2017 14:23:57 GMT -6
That's amazing dude. Thank you. How much more is the i7 than the i5 and is it worth it / does it make a difference? An i7 is about $100 more, and from what I understand there difference doesn't justify the cost, unless you are gaming at super high settings, but even then you'd be wanting a much more expensive video card as well. As far as Nvida vs AMD goes, they are both pretty good. I used AMDs forever, but my current card is Nvidia. So you can go with whatever best meets the price you are looking for. Editing to add that from what I understand AMDs are cheaper for performance, but also tend to me less efficient power-wise and generate more heat/noise than Nvidia.
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Post by 1D3chan on Mar 2, 2017 12:50:41 GMT -6
Tim, I cross checked this list with some other opinions who said it looked fantastic except for the Video Card - that I too should get at least a 1060 if not a 1070. When I go to "switch card" it obviously shows me tons of options. Some of which say 1050, 1060, 1070 but most of which don't - they have other numbers and codes on them. Basically, is there a good 1070 card you would suggest replacing the parts list you gave me with? Or 1060? I live by a place called PC Mart, it's like Micro Center. I'm wondering if I bring them the parts sheet from NewEgg like you have, if they'll match it.
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T1m
new guy
Posts: 302
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Post by T1m on Mar 2, 2017 13:13:43 GMT -6
Tim, I cross checked this list with some other opinions who said it looked fantastic except for the Video Card - that I too should get at least a 1060 if not a 1070. When I go to "switch card" it obviously shows me tons of options. Some of which say 1050, 1060, 1070 but most of which don't - they have other numbers and codes on them. Basically, is there a good 1070 card you would suggest replacing the parts list you gave me with? Or 1060? I live by a place called PC Mart, it's like Micro Center. I'm wondering if I bring them the parts sheet from NewEgg like you have, if they'll match it. Ok, here is the link with a 1060 and here is the 1070I personally have an MSI branded card and it's been great, but there are other companies like EVGA, ASUS and Gigabyte which are also good as well. Do you know if you'll be running at 1080p resolution or will you be going higher? Because if it's just 1080p then you wouldn't need a 1070 unless you were going to get VR down the road.
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Post by 1D3chan on Mar 2, 2017 15:23:28 GMT -6
Awesome, thank you. Probably no VR so I'm sure the 1060 will be fine. Thanks for your help
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