Purchasing a new (gaming) computer

[Overread]

Soooo computers have all changed again and I'm all out of the loop and need some tips:

I'm looking for:

Laptop
UK based source
£750ish budget.

Capable of playing modern games as well as games like Fallout 3, Skyrim etc....

[andy089]

I'd still build one myself, especially as it's not really rocket science anymore, as far as I know.
I haven't got a clue about pre-built stuff and especially not in UK. Sorry about that...

[Overread]

Annnnnnd my hunting orders are changed to a laptop instead of a PC

[Rakuall]

I can't offer a specific model, but look for something with an 'intel core i7' processor running at least 3 GHz, a bare minimum of 6GB of RAM (8 or 12 is better), and an nVidia 260 (or higher, ie 280). Those a re the major things to watch for, as hard drive space can be increased (externally if need be). Also listen to the techies if the tell me I'm wrong, I have what I like to call a functional knowledge of technology. As long as it's functioning reasonably, I know all about it. When it breaks, I phone a friend.

[Loplod]

Don't try and build your own laptop. Too many specialized parts.

That's all I can really offer, just don't get one that looks shady or too good to be true.. because it will be.

[Tizheruk]

i would recommend a desktop as they are cheaper and more powerful, but if you're looking for portable look into a cyberpower laptop (or desktop, whichever you want)

their website is cyberpowerpc.com

[andy089]

Whatever you do, DO NOT get a Dell/Alienware!!
I think I don't know a single person who is actually happy with their Dell (including myself)...

[Overread]

Thanks for the advice guys

Out of interest I keep mixing up the two names, but Acer and Asus - I think the latter is generally regarded as the better brand of product am I right?

[andy089]

Well Acer is more a cheaper business thing. Well at least as far as I know.

Asus is quite good actually, even though I wouldn't recommend the new Transformer Prime.
Not sure how much that one would be:
ie.asus.com/Notebooks/Gaming_Powerhouse/G75VW/
^^

EDIT: forgot the 750pound limit. You might want to look into something second hand? =/

[Overread]

I don't think I'd inspire much confidence getting second hand - new might cost a bit more, but it at least comes with a warranty and no problems from a previous user.

Also I've noticed that Win 7 has pushed 64 bit OS far more into the common domain over the 32bit; how does this affect gamers? Does it mean a lot of older 32 bit games might have a problem running or might have graphical oddities? (Yes it has been a long time since I last bought a computer and Win 7 changed all the rules! )

[andy089]

Well as far as I know most things are downward-compatible, i.e. 32bit games should work on 64bit computers and stuff.

Really, what you get from 64bit, especially in Win 7 is more useable RAM. Before 3Gb+ didn't make much sense and stuff.
Also, Win 7 has RAID 0 and RAID 1 "addons" built in. Which you want, unless you're getting SSDs (I suppose I am getting too much into the "build it yourself" thing again...sorry ^^)

Please - if anyone knows better, tell me I'm wrong! I am no expert by any means!

[krakenfiend]

Typical "gaming" computers will want/need the following:

64 bit OS
8-16 GB of DDR3 Memory
SSD for OS and primary applications
HDD for storage (RAID config as needed)
powerful graphics cards in the Radeon 7000 series or Nvidia 600 series.
Intel core i5 CPU equivalent or better

Manufacturers to look at:

ASUS: Motherboards and Monitors
Intel: CPU, SSD, Cooling solutions
Western Digital: HDD
Corsair: SSD, Cooling Solution, Case, Memory, Power Supply
G. Skill: Memory
SeaSonic: Power Supply
Radeon: Graphics Cards, Multi-Monitor Display options
NVidia: Graphics Cards
Mushkin: SSD
Noctua: Cooling Solutions
Logitech: Keyboard and Mouse

I built a new desk top PC this past April-May and it works fantastically...if you have quesstions about stuff for PC's shoot me a PM.

krakenfiend

[carnogaunt]

Aug 4, 2012 20:18:58 GMT Overread said:

I don't think I'd inspire much confidence getting second hand - new might cost a bit more, but it at least comes with a warranty and no problems from a previous user.

Get something refurbished by the manufacturer if you can. The majority of refurbished products are simply not in their original packaging, either because the packaging was damaged at a warehouse or because the product was returned under a typical 30-day policy. In most cases it will still get a warranty. Be wary though of products refurbished by a third party (you find a lot of these on Amazon/eBay).

Also I've noticed that Win 7 has pushed 64 bit OS far more into the common domain over the 32bit; how does this affect gamers? Does it mean a lot of older 32 bit games might have a problem running or might have graphical oddities? (Yes it has been a long time since I last bought a computer and Win 7 changed all the rules! )

The difference between 32-bit and 64-bit systems is the amount of physical RAM that they can address. 32-bit systems can use a maximum 4GB (2^32 Bytes) of RAM. 64-bit systems have a very large theoretical limit; in all cases the amount of RAM you can install is going to be limited by either the processor or the chipset on the motherboard.

32-bit games will run exactly the same as they do on 32-bit systems. This means that they can't take advantage of the larger amount of RAM. Typically, each 32-bit program can use a maximum of 2GB.

Another thing to note is that the majority of games (even the newer ones, I believe) don't use more than two threads. This means that a quad-core (physical or virtual) CPU is really overkill for just gaming, because chances are your game can't take advantage of all the cores. Multiple-core CPUs are more useful for multi-tasking.

So, I would suggest something like this:

Any version of 64-bit Windows will work.
An Intel Core i5 is in all likelihood more than sufficient.
Either 6GB RAM, or 4GB upgradeable to 8GB will give you some future-proofing.
Wireless N is a good investment; most laptops will have it, but you should double-check.
Unless you store a lot of media (HD movies, etc.), any computer in the price range that includes the above will have a sufficiently large HDD.

I don't know a whole lot about graphics cards. I do know several of the Intel Core i-series chips have integrated graphics, all of which outperform the Radeon HD 4200 chip on my laptop. For a general comparison, my computer runs Dark Crusade at any settings without noticeable lag, with the exception of maximum persistent bodies. I've heard that Dark Crusade isn't terribly graphics-intensive, so I don't know if that's useful information or not. I'm not much of a gamer.

At a cursory glance, a laptop like that would cost me around 800 USD. I don't know what taxes are like in the UK, but 750 GBP should be plenty to cover it.

[krakenfiend]

Good points Carnogaunt....if you want a point to start at...and work your way DOWN from this is the parts list i used for the computer I just built in March-April:

Rosewill Thor V2 Case
Intel i7-3930k CPU
ASUS X79 Rampage IV Extreme Motherboard
Corsair Force GT 240GB Solid State Drive
32 GB G. Skill DDR3 RAM
2x VisionTek ATI Radeon 6970 Graphics cards
Western Digital Caviar Black 7200 RPM SATA III Hard Disk Drive
SeaSonic X-1250 Power Supply
Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 Heatsink and Fans
2x Sony Black 12X BD-RE BluRay Burners
3x Asus VS248H-P 24 inch Monitors
Windows 7 Ultimate OS
Logitech 920-000914 Keyboard
Logitech G9X Mouse
2x Noctua NF-P14 FLX Case Fan
Sunbeam MFPP Adapter Fan Hub
StarTech Minidisplay Port to DVI Acitve Adapter (Eyefinity)

Now one thing to understand is...nobody really needs a computer this insane (except me of course) and to build this particular system WILL put you in the poor house...I waaay over engineered my computer...but it does crush everything I throw at it...I anyone has questions as to the parts I chose..lemme know as I can advise well...

krakenfiend

[questioner]

My reccomendation is Novatech. Not sure how price compares, but I have never had any problems. They are UK based, and delivery is usually fast- Ordered my laptop on the Tuesday, I had it the next day. On standard shipping.