34 replies to this topic

[Snow Bunny]

why the hell do people give me computer games for christmas when A) i havent played games in months and B) i have a business laptop?

i was given BF3, Skyrim, Metro 2033, Saints Row 3, Deus Ex, Crysis, Crysis 2, and starcraft 2.

what kind of video card am i going to need to play these so that they look half-decent? i use a dell latitude with a decent video card but LOL if it's going to play any of those.

i have a TV that i can use for a monitor, and i have a keyboard and mouse, but ill need to buy a tower, OS, processor, gpu, cpu, whatever, etc (and ill have to build it LOL). it. how much would a decent set-up sufficient to play these at high quality cost me? i guess i only really care about playing skyrim and deus ex so yeah

edit apparently an asus (?) G74 will run it but damn $1300 is very pricy when i already have a notebook and id prefer the desktop so anyone i bring home doesnt ask me why i have 2 laptops

Edited by Snow Bunny, 26 December 2011 - 08:30 PM.

[Naoroji]

If you don't really care that much about Metro 2033 and/or Crysis and/or Crysis 2, the specs of your hypothetical desktop will be *much* lower,... Can I have confirmation on that (You really don't care about them being close to max graphics)? :p

[Snow Bunny]

no man i just care about skyrim and deus ex. thanks

[stormglory]

Snow Bunny said:

why the hell do people give me computer games for christmas when A) i havent played games in months and B) i have a business laptop?

i was given BF3, Skyrim, Metro 2033, Saints Row 3, Deus Ex, Crysis, Crysis 2, and starcraft 2.

what kind of video card am i going to need to play these so that they look half-decent? i use a dell latitude with a decent video card but LOL if it's going to play any of those.

i have a TV that i can use for a monitor, and i have a keyboard and mouse, but ill need to buy a tower, OS, processor, gpu, cpu, whatever, etc (and ill have to build it LOL). it. how much would a decent set-up sufficient to play these at high quality cost me? i guess i only really care about playing skyrim and deus ex so yeah

edit apparently an asus (?) G74 will run it but damn $1300 is very pricy when i already have a notebook and id prefer the desktop so anyone i bring home doesnt ask me why i have 2 laptops

The games you mentioned as the most important to you are all notoriously processor-intensive games that require a bit less of your video card. Metro 2033, BF3, and the Crysis games are much more stressful for your entire system.

The systems we normally tend to suggest around this forum for gaming would be around $800-1000 but you might be able to cut that down considerably to meet your specific needs. Skyrim and Deus Ex: Human revolution would really benefit from a very strong processor, such as a Core i5-2500k. You could skimp a little on the video card though; I feel weird suggesting older hardware, but I play both of those at 1080p with more or less everything maxed out on a (now $150) Geforce GTX 460 and a weaker processor. You'd benefit in the other games by going with a GTX 560 Ti though.

Depending on whats in your Dell you may already be able to play Deus Ex and Starcraft II, they aren't terribly difficult to run.

[al capowned]

I have 4 laptops...but to answer your question you should look at this thread.

The Comfy Chair was nice enough to put together a list of components that will run a good number of the games you mentioned. It's in Euro's but it would cost you roughly $700 and all components can be found on Newegg.com if you are in the US.

[Unreal Warfare]

I would look at getting an i5 2500k and something along the lines of a HD6870 (or the Nvidia equivalent).

Don't bother spending the earth on RAM, motherboards, etc if you aren't really too bothered about owning top of the line gear and overclocking etc. Just make sure you have a decent PSU and that everything's compatible.

[Snow Bunny]

stormglory said:

The games you mentioned as the most important to you are all notoriously processor-intensive games that require a bit less of your video card. Metro 2033, BF3, and the Crysis games are much more stressful for your entire system.

The systems we normally tend to suggest around this forum for gaming would be around $800-1000 but you might be able to cut that down considerably to meet your specific needs. Skyrim and Deus Ex: Human revolution would really benefit from a very strong processor, such as a Core i5-2500k. You could skimp a little on the video card though; I feel weird suggesting older hardware, but I play both of those at 1080p with more or less everything maxed out on a (now $150) Geforce GTX 460 and a weaker processor. You'd benefit in the other games by going with a GTX 560 Ti though.

Depending on whats in your Dell you may already be able to play Deus Ex and Starcraft II, they aren't terribly difficult to run.

the dell is a 2.4ghz i5 thing with 4GB RAM, graphics is a nvidia quadro nvs3100. according to system requirements lab deus ex will run as will skyrim but i want this stuff to be pretty.

the mid-high range system is 1000 dollars in that guru thread; i may as well just buy the asus machine for the extra 300 and save myself the labor and stress. thoughts?

[tijo]

The mid-range desktop will destroy the Asus in terms of performance. Desktops always pack more punch for the price than laptops, it's simply a matter that the heat output of components in laptops has to stay relatively low whereas in a desktop, you have more room for cooling, thus you can have higher performance components that generate more heat.

For reference, a GTX560m has performance similar to a desktop GT450. It is still a decent GPU, but it won't give you the same settings that you could attain with a dedicated gaming desktop.

[Elder III]

Well, start off by selling all the games that you don't want to play.  You should be able to get enough from them on EBAY to buy a decent video card.  If you really wanted to, you could sell your current laptop and put it all towards a gaming laptop....  As stated by the above posters, buying/building a desktop is easily your best long term route for gaming (or anything really_.

To answer your question, $800 is a good budget to have in mind if you wish to build yourself a decent gaming rig.... $1000 would be all the better, but it's more or less diminished returns after $800 or so.

[DarkWasp]

Most importantly, this computer is going to last you through GW2, so what do you want out of GW2? Full settings?

If so, go no lower than the nvidia's 560 or AMD's 6870.

The cheapest way to get the most power is to look into getting 2x 6850s. Most games have pretty good CrossfireX (AKA 2x card) support so you won't run into too many problems. There is a way to disable it for individual games too.

Otherwise, an HD 6870 is likely your best price/performance choice.

Pre-builts and laptops tend to get way overpriced. I have only ever seen Acer, iBuyPower and CyberPowerPC come close to the part price in PCs.

Everyone is going to suggest the i5-2500k but you can also look at the i5-2500 (without the K). You'll probably need a good CPU for GW2 and you will DEFINITELY need a good CPU for Skyrim.

4 GB of RAM is fine, there are only a few very rare cases where you see much of a performance increase in 6GB or 8GB of RAM.

(Optional) If you like fast boot-ups, snappy windows responsiveness, incredibly fast load times and little to no choke in GW/GW2 when approaching a crowded area: Get a Solid State Drive.
(Just don't put Crysis 2 on it, that game keeps the same load times as it has on a HDD somehow.)

[DarkMarauder]

DarkWasp said:

Everyone is going to suggest the i5-2500k but you can also look at the i5-2500 (without the K). You'll probably need a good CPU for GW2 and you will DEFINITELY need a good CPU for Skyrim.

Honestly i wouldnt agree with that, dont really think many others here would either, the cost difference between the i52500 and i52500k is negligible. Far better of spending the extra $10 on the K so you can increase performance in the future when required rather than shooting yourself in the foot straight off.

[DarkWasp]

DarkMarauder said:

Honestly i wouldnt agree with that, dont really think many others here would either, the cost difference between the i52500 and i52500k is negligible. Far better of spending the extra $10 on the K so you can increase performance in the future when required rather than shooting yourself in the foot straight off.

I guess that's true. Considering Intel keeps changing the sockets so upgrading without a new motherboard is never going to be an option.

[Unreal Warfare]

DarkWasp said:

The cheapest way to get the most power is to look into getting 2x 6850s.

I'd personally rather buy a crossfire capable board and buy one HD6870 with the intent/option to buy a second later.

Also the HD6870 isn't much more expensive than the HD6850 so he may aswell just buy the HD6870. If he does decide to buy the HD6870 and crossfire they scale really well aswell.

[Lord Sojar]

DarkWasp said:

I guess that's true. Considering Intel keeps changing the sockets so upgrading without a new motherboard is never going to be an option.

Ivy Bridge can be dropped into the ASRock Gen3 boards with full support + enabling PCIe 3.0 support.  They are full of win.  A few other companies have Gen3 boards too, but I wouldn't trust them.

Most Z68 and P67 boards support Ivy Bridge drop in upgrades though.  Intel decided not to be total dicks this time around, lol.

[Snow Bunny]

k people

A) not selling my laptop. people hate dells but this machine has treated me very well.

B) im not playing gw2. i have other things in my life.

C) this is just to get bf3, skyrim, and deus ex on high or whatever.

i dont need to know the intricacies of the specs; i just need to know what i need to buy. im thinking ill be buying an intel processor. im not tech-savvy so you guys have to just lay it out for me. im not going to overclock or anything. im going to put the games, itunes, and internet on the thing. not a serious gamer

Edited by Snow Bunny, 27 December 2011 - 02:46 AM.

[DarkMarauder]

Someone not planning on playing GW2 on the GW2 forums? *gasp* xD

[Lord Sojar]

Snow Bunny said:

k people

A) not selling my laptop. people hate dells but this machine has treated me very well.

B) im not playing gw2. i have other things in my life.

C) this is just to get bf3, skyrim, and deus ex on high or whatever.

i dont need to know the intricacies of the specs; i just need to know what i need to buy. im thinking ill be buying an intel processor. im not tech-savvy so you guys have to just lay it out for me. im not going to overclock or anything. im going to put the games, itunes, and internet on the thing. not a serious gamer

Overclocking an Intel Corei5-2500k is retardedly easy.  My grandmother could do it, no joke.  You just raise a little multiplier a few times, and poof, overclock.  

But I digress....

How much do you have to spend total for this tower?  Give me a budget, I'll give you a build.

[Quaker]

Snow Bunny said:

i just need to know what i need to buy.

it depends upon your budget, but an i5-2400/2500(K) with 4gigs of DDR3-1333 RAM and a GTX 560 or better video card would be what to aim for.
If you don't plan to overclock, the stock CPU cooler will do fine, and you only need basic 'value' RAM (without the shiny heatspreaders), and a basic motherboard, so you can keep the cost around $800 or so.
Also, you don't need a really large expensive case. A basic $75 case (without power supply) is just fine. Get a good quality 500watt power supply.

And check the Recommended builds sticky on here.

[Snow Bunny]

Lord Sojar said:

Overclocking an Intel Corei5-2500k is retardedly easy.  My grandmother could do it, no joke.  You just raise a little multiplier a few times, and poof, overclock.  

But I digress....

How much do you have to spend total for this tower?  Give me a budget, I'll give you a build.

800 would be acceptable. 900 would be "ok." i would be a little exasperated @ $1000 but id still be ok with it.

[Lord Sojar]

Snow Bunny said:

800 would be acceptable. 900 would be "ok." i would be a little exasperated @ $1000 but id still be ok with it.

K then, here we go:

RAM:
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820231314

HDD:
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822145304

Case:
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811208036

Mobo:
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813157271

CPU:
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819115072

PSU:
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817371044

GPU:
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814125406

DVDRW:
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16827151244

Grand Total (including shipping and BEFORE Mail in Rebates): $971.00

You'll get $52 back in rebates, bringing the final price down to the "ok" range.

Do keep in mind that while a cheaper rig is possible, the performance you're wanting isn't easy to get.  A $1,000 rig should be able to push BF3 at a nice mix of Ultra, very high and high.  This rig will destroy Skyrim and Deux Ex and will run SC2 buttery smooth as well.  

Metro2033 and Crysis will cripple it at extreme settings, but you'll still be able to play them at mostly high settings assuming you use 2-4x AA at a 1920x1080 or lower resolution.

If you want to perk up the performance, especially for heavy loading games like Skyrim, and don't mind being squeezed for HDD space (or have an external for storage), toss an SSD in there.  An OCZ Vertex 3 will do nicely for that role, they are about $90 more than the Hitachi drive I have on the build, but are only 120GB.   It's a tradeoff between speed/responsiveness of the system and storage space.  Personally, with current HDD prices, I'd go with the SSD, but to keep it in budget, I went with the 1TB Hitachi.

If you want to cut the price a bit more, you could go with a 500GB HDD, that might save you $20 or so.  You could go with a cheaper case, but be aware, cable management is important and looks nice to boot.  Most cases under the $80 range have horrible cable management features.  You could save a bit more money going with a lower CPU too, but it will adversely affect performance, and without the ability to overclock, you'll lose some longevity out of the CPU (ie, you won't be able to boost the speed up as it gets older to compensate for its age)

Edited by Lord Sojar, 27 December 2011 - 11:52 PM.

[Twisted Metal]

I would do the same build as lord sojar, just change the case to something like
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811154098

and the graphics card to:
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814102948

And the mother board to:
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813157279

And add Windows 7 if you don't have a copy:
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16832116986

And the total should be around $867 USD Before shipping.
add another 120 USD if you want to keep the 560Ti Sojar linked.

[Snow Bunny]

oh tytyty FRIENDS

re: case, anything less gamer-looking? none of my friends play video games and neither the "friends" i bring home. my apt is not large enough to hide it in a back room

[Kattar]

Sup. http://www.newegg.co...aspx?Brand=1375

I haz K58.

[tijo]

A bit more expensive, but quite discrete and professional looking: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811352013. Only gamers will know that fractal design is a brand liked by gamers who don't like flashy stuff.

[Lord Sojar]

That HD 6870 recommended above won't be close to maxing BF3, etc.  It will however, handle Skyrim and to a lesser extent, Deus Ex (though, I'm not really sure how it will fair on that particular title.  I know even a vanilla GTX 560 struggles with it at times, the 560 Ti 448 core will blast it into oblivion)

I'd say the extra cost for the 448 core GTX 560 Ti is worth it considering what games you want to play.  If this was a GW2 rig, then I'd say the savings the HD 6870 offered would be worth it.

As an aside, I actually tried to price in 2x HD 6850/6870s for you, but couldn't manage it without sacrificing too much from the rest of the build... which would negate the gains on the GPU side.

And yes, Fractal Design cases are impeccable.  My next case will likely be one!   This one actually:  http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811352018  Soooo purdy, and so many HDD cages!  What?  I'm a data hording whore... sue me.

This one is tiny bit cheaper (lol $2 after shipping...sigh) than the one tijo linked, and comes in a purdy gun metal gray (which I think is oh so sexeh)

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811352014

Edited by Lord Sojar, 28 December 2011 - 04:36 AM.

[tijo]

Gah, seeing the Define R3 makes me want to ditch my p183 :(. The thing is almost brand new too... (august) Not that the p183 isn't sexeh, the R3 is just sexier. I need to mod it with green LEDs though, my keyboard's backlight is green. Back on topic, if you look around a bit, there are quite a few professional looking cases out there. Look at the Antec p series, Silverstone cases aside from the Raven series and Corsair. Lian-Li has already been suggested.

Edited by tijo, 28 December 2011 - 04:38 AM.

[Lord Sojar]

tijo said:

Gah, seeing the Define R3 makes me want to ditch my p183 :(. The thing is almost brand new too... (august) Not that the p183 isn't sexeh, the R3 is just sexier.

Inorite?  I have a HAF932 and am seriously pondering ditching it when Ivy Bridge hits. SIGHHHH.  The Fractal XL is so nice... especially from this angle:



Granted though, I'd be getting rid of that top angle fan, plumbing it for a 1" LCS and doing Mylar wrapped zone enclosures.

Edited by Lord Sojar, 28 December 2011 - 04:43 AM.

[tijo]

Those HDD bays and cable management are making me drool. Geeking out much :D

[Lord Sojar]

tijo said:

Those HDD bays and cable management are making me drool. Geeking out much :D

You should see the inside of my rig right now... lol.

Here's a picture for your viewing pleasure.  Note, this is sans upgrades (less my free GTX 580, lol) since I decided to wait until Ivy Bridge for the Z79 chipset and I can't fit my other GTX 580 without crippling my Revodrive, so that's in my wife's PC atm.  

[tijo]

Well here's mine, it isn't bad by any stretch, but the p183 is a pain to wire:



We're getting a bit off topic, but if the pics help the OP with his wiring it's to the good.

Edited by tijo, 28 December 2011 - 04:58 AM.