Hardcore PC gamers, need your help

[socal87]

I wish more laptop manufacturers provided the option to get the system sans software, just a driver disc. I don't want to pay for yet another Microsoft license.

 

[SuPeR GTi]

i also am into pc gaming and built my machine 2 yrs ago. back then i spent 1k for what is still a monster of a computer. if you go with amd, you will get a more bang for the buck setup, usually. i am currently a pc tech, and see alot of shitty computers getting sold for 500-600$ but can barely run pinball. if you go on newegg.com or tigerdirect, you can piece an entire build together. when you do, post it here and we can make further recommendations.

 

[mycrors7]

This is my build from this past summer


Case: Antec Eleven-Hundred
Mobo: Asus P8Z68-V LX
CPU: Intel i5-3570K @ 4.4ghz
CPU Cooler: Antec H2o Kuhler 620
RAM: G.Skill RipJaw Sniper X Series 2x4GB 1600MHz
SSD(Main): Mushkin Sata III 120gb
HDD(Files/Other stuff): Wedtern Digital Sata III 500gb
Optical 1: Sony CD/DVD Reader
Optical 2: Antec CD/DVD Burner
Video: XfX ATI Radeon 6970 HD
PSU: Corsair 750W(cant remember the exact model)
Case Cooling: Two 120mm Antec "Quiet LED" series fans (Intake); One 200m antec LED fan (Exhaust)

My build cost me around $1200

I run bf3 on ultra at 45fps average
I run skyrim on ultra at 55fps average

After around 30fps, the untrained eye will not notice the difference between 30fps and 60fps

If you are very hardcore, you'll notice the difference between 30fps and 60fps
My computer will boot up in under 7 seconds.
My cpu runs at 35C when I'm gaming.
My gfx card runs around 55C with the fan at 35% when I'm gaming

You can build a pretty nice PC with your budget. If it wasn't for my budget, I would have gone with a z77 instead of the z68 just to have the front mounted usb 3.0 ports, but I just couldn't afford it

Sent via a microwave.

 

[Goobax]

i5 Will save you the money over the i7 and I would highly recommend the 660ti for GPU. I run ultra on every game I play without issues. 8gb ram is enough and a nice 800PSU will be just fine. Everything else is pretty insignificant so piece it together with whatever parts you find within your budget.

 

[Do Work Son]

Okay system builders: last night I got Win8 installed on my new build and was installing updates, drivers, Coretemp, etc when the system just shut off. I tried to turn it back on a few times, the lights came on then went out.

This morning I went to fire it up and the Gigabyte dual bios feature told me the main bios was corrupted and was using the backup to restore it. I rebooted and it tried to start Windows but recovery wanted to refresh it. I let the install disc do the recovery and now the system won't power on at all.

I had this brand new 600w power supply sitting around for what I don't know and used it. Perhaps that's too small? Coretemp said all for cores were running 32-34c and there was no indication of any fault until it just powered down. Would a power supply cause an issue like a corrupted bios? I've never seen this in 13 years.

 

[NCedillos]

I wish more laptop manufacturers provided the option to get the system sans software, just a driver disc. I don't want to pay for yet another Microsoft license.

Sager let's you buy without software, and really are the best laptops for the money. There are tons of configuration options. Build quality on Alienware laptops is still top notch, I just took apart an m17x r3 for a customer a couple weeks ago. Avoid HP at all costs, especially on anything high end.

Edit: on my wife's account, pm me on ehancock if you have any questions about gaming laptops.

 

[socal87]

I would never ever TOUCH an HP. Wife has a Lenovo...I hate the damn thing.

As for FPS, I would aim for 60. While it is true that most people can't distinguish anything higher than 60, and in some cases lower, I personally can't stand any CRT that runs at 60Hz. Nor can I stand fluorescent lighting. Or simple half wave LEDs. Most current generation game consoles run at about 30FPS, and the difference between that and playing on a powerful PC that renders frames at 60FPS or above, combined with a decent display with a high refresh rate and low response time, is night and day. The difference is harder to see on LED/LCD displays since the backlight is always on, so there is no flicker...the only difference you can see is apparent smoothness of motion. If you don't believe me, try playing Battlefield 3 on Xbox 360 on a quality big screen TV. Then connect a high powered gaming rig to the same display, set the render quality to match the Xbox (720p I think, medium or medium low graphics quality) and note the difference.

I noticed that Alienware has recently been including TWO HDMI ports on their laptops...one in and one out, so you can use the laptop display as a TV. Very cool. I do wish they weren't overpriced, though...a Sager NP9370 with similar options to an Alienware M17x will cost around $500 less. Seriously, RAM isn't that expensive, and I highly doubt that Alienware is using high end Corsair memory...Same for hard drives.

@NCHancock/Ehancock, do the Alienware rigs still have mini PCI-e slots? My Inspiron 1720 has 3, with antenna cables for Bluetooth, wireless N, and WLAN, plus the ability to host a Flash Cache Module in one of the slots.

 

[Buferd]

I actually do IT work as my job (Finishing my degree as well) and so I thought I would add to the list of input.
First off if you have enough curiosity to learn yourself and take the time, building your own is so rewarding and can save you money (like anything you can do on your own their is always someone that you can pay to do it for you if you decide your time is worth more than paying someone else to do it than please follow what you know will be best for you)
With that being said there are so many videos and how to's for people that have NEVER built their own PC.
Half the fun for me is seriously just getting my part list and building it!!
I have always had very very good luck with PCs I have built because you decide every component that goes into it and know what the warranty periods are (again this will cut into your time supporting your own PC). If you like working on your own things this might be a route that you want to look into (Newegg even sells DIY kits pretty much ready to go).

Now, onto the other options. If you are more of the person that doesn't just dive into everything when it comes to computers There is no shame in that at all. We all have our areas of skill and things we excel in. I would do most basic maintenance on my R, but ask me to switch out a turbo or something like that... forget about it, I'll pay someone else to do it. To me my time is worth more (and lack of investing in the proper tools that I won't get my moneys worth out of) makes me go to others for that stuff (not to mention the lack of stress).
So if you decide to go the pre-built route, their are options.

Some people mentioned the big pre-built names and they are all pretty solid choices although, you will find yourself paying a premium (most of the time) for these companies to build your PC.



DigitalStorm is one of the great choices to go with and seem to have amazing support for after the sale.

iBuyPower and CyberPowerPC are both good as well and will give you some competitors to compare for the custom built route.

Your 3rd option is to simply go down to Best Buy, buy something decent around your price range (keep in mind you'll need some wiggle room for a better graphic card), buy the tower, research some graphics cards for what you want to play on Tom'sHardware before you decide to go this route, buy the graphics card at Best Buy or Newegg and install it when you get home and get the PC setup. This is probably the easy route for most because you can get your hands on the product before you buy it and can purchase a protection and support plan through the store and have a local place to go to for issues. I have seen some decent pre-built PCs last a while and i have also seen total garbage.

If you have questions or need help let me know and I'll try to help along when you decide on at least a route to take. This is a starting point.

 

[Buferd]

Okay system builders: last night I got Win8 installed on my new build and was installing updates, drivers, Coretemp, etc when the system just shut off. I tried to turn it back on a few times, the lights came on then went out.

This morning I went to fire it up and the Gigabyte dual bios feature told me the main bios was corrupted and was using the backup to restore it. I rebooted and it tried to start Windows but recovery wanted to refresh it. I let the install disc do the recovery and now the system won't power on at all.

I had this brand new 600w power supply sitting around for what I don't know and used it. Perhaps that's too small? Coretemp said all for cores were running 32-34c and there was no indication of any fault until it just powered down. Would a power supply cause an issue like a corrupted bios? I've never seen this in 13 years.

You could be under powering it (not likely with a 600w unless you have a custom system) or the power supply could have bit the dust too (causing some weird bios issues). You could also be looking at some bad components on the motherboard that decided to give way with the new power supply. If you have a spare power supply you know is good, start there by swapping it out and give that a shot first. I'm not a fan of Windows 8 yet BTW

 

[socal87]

Something worth noting...if you build your own machine, be prepared for RMA. Don't expect everything to work perfectly the first time you put it together. Companies like Newegg are really good about replacing defective hardware, so patience is in order.

Building your own PC isn't all that difficult if you have basic knowledge of computer components...just be aware that even with all the DIYs in the world, there is a lot of trial and error and nothing will go perfectly the first time.

I strongly suggest that you test everything before installing it. Start with the basics; set up your motherboard on top of its shipping box (or if you have sheets of poly foam, that works too), install the processor and RAM, and if the motherboard has onboard video, connect a display, otherwise install your video card. Connect the power supply and turn the system on (you may have to use a jumper to short pins on the front panel header) and make sure everything works. Run diagnostics to verify the integrity of the RAM, then once you've determined everything is good, go from there. It's much easier and simpler to bench test components, since if anything is defective you can easily package it back up and return it, instead of having to remove everything from the case.

 

[Do Work Son]

Everything was fresh out of the package except the video card. I'm going to get another PSU tomorrow to test that but everything worked for an hour. That means nothing was broken outright, I might be 4-6 weeks without a computer if I have to RMA the motherboard

Xbox it is!

 

[Buferd]

i also am into pc gaming and built my machine 2 yrs ago. back then i spent 1k for what is still a monster of a computer.

I still am running my Q9550 build that I did in 2008 and it still runs almost everything on ultra settings (granted I sold the old GPU and upgraded it over a year ago for a 6950 2GB). Only upgrades I have done are that (the gpu) and a SSD for my OS and using my HDD that I had, for the files. I am still amazed at how well this rig does to this day. I have the itch to build a new PC (just because I love doing it so much) but I just can't tell my self it is worth it to replace mine yet.

 

[Buferd]

Everything was fresh out of the package except the video card. I'm going to get another PSU tomorrow to test that but everything worked for an hour. That means nothing was broken outright, I might be 4-6 weeks without a computer if I have to RMA the motherboard

Xbox it is!

:lol:

Yeah it sucks I know. So let it begin, the process of troubleshooting.....:thumbdown:

 

[mycrors7]

Something worth noting...if you build your own machine, be prepared for RMA. Don't expect everything to work perfectly the first time you put it together. Companies like Newegg are really good about replacing defective hardware, so patience is in order.

Building your own PC isn't all that difficult if you have basic knowledge of computer components...just be aware that even with all the DIYs in the world, there is a lot of trial and error and nothing will go perfectly the first time.

I strongly suggest that you test everything before installing it. Start with the basics; set up your motherboard on top of its shipping box (or if you have sheets of poly foam, that works too), install the processor and RAM, and if the motherboard has onboard video, connect a display, otherwise install your video card. Connect the power supply and turn the system on (you may have to use a jumper to short pins on the front panel header) and make sure everything works. Run diagnostics to verify the integrity of the RAM, then once you've determined everything is good, go from there. It's much easier and simpler to bench test components, since if anything is defective you can easily package it back up and return it, instead of having to remove everything from the case.

mine booted up almost perfectly the first time i put it together.

the ONLY thing i cant do is boot into my bios
asus said my mobo might be defective.
i just been too lazy to take apart the entire computer for it. plus with asus suite, i can access almost everything i need from the BIOS.

everything else was perfect though.

 

[Buferd]

Something worth noting...if you build your own machine, be prepared for RMA. Don't expect everything to work perfectly the first time you put it together. Companies like Newegg are really good about replacing defective hardware, so patience is in order.

Building your own PC isn't all that difficult if you have basic knowledge of computer components...just be aware that even with all the DIYs in the world, there is a lot of trial and error and nothing will go perfectly the first time.

I strongly suggest that you test everything before installing it. Start with the basics; set up your motherboard on top of its shipping box (or if you have sheets of poly foam, that works too), install the processor and RAM, and if the motherboard has onboard video, connect a display, otherwise install your video card. Connect the power supply and turn the system on (you may have to use a jumper to short pins on the front panel header) and make sure everything works. Run diagnostics to verify the integrity of the RAM, then once you've determined everything is good, go from there. It's much easier and simpler to bench test components, since if anything is defective you can easily package it back up and return it, instead of having to remove everything from the case.

^This. Again, for some people the stress of building it on your own and having stuff not work is worth having someone else do it. If you are ready to have stuff not work possibly then building is so rewarding when your shit fires up and works!:happyanim: