Looking at some Gaming computers

[Skwink]

So this Christmas (and birthday) my parents would like to get me a new computer. If I got one, it'd be a not to expensive PC mainly for gaming on. If $700 is the limit, what would be some desktops or laptops that could run games like TF2, CS:GO, Portal 2, GTA4, etc. games pretty well?

I don't need something that can play Skyrim on Ultra High graphics, just something that could play most new game on Med-Low settings and older games on Med-High settings?

I'd also like it to be able to run HL3 when it comes out.

EDIT: and no, I'm not gonna build one. No.

 

[GoodGame]

So this Christmas (and birthday) my parents would like to get me a new computer. If I got one, it'd be a not to expensive PC mainly for gaming on. If $700 is the limit, what would be some desktops or laptops that could run games like TF2, CS:GO, Portal 2, GTA4, etc. games pretty well?

I don't need something that can play Skyrim on Ultra High graphics, just something that could play most new game on Med-Low settings and older games on Med-High settings?

Anything currently at the store could play TF2. Probably the same for CS:GO.

You're mainly looking at any computer that has at least a $150 Nvidia/Radeon video card and probably an Intel iCore 2nd gen with about 4 GB RAM. $700 is a good budget for something like that under warranty plus a decent LED screen (at least 24") bought from the store unless you give it to a bandit.

Something like an i5 with 4GB of DDR3 RAM, and probably 500GB to a terabyte of hard drive space on one to two drives, an a bona fide video card (not on-board or on chip graphics).


You could maybe save $50 on the video card but then check the software specs to be sure that what you get has enough on-board ram and shader support.

If you don't need portability, then I wouldn't recommend getting a laptop, since that adds a bit to the price if you're really looking for an entertainment PC.
But if you really want a lap-top then quality of build, company rep for support, battery life, keyboard, and any review-noted quirks are really important since each laptop model is something of a unique design.

I'd also like it to be able to run HL3 when it comes out.

Troll

 

[Skwink]

I'm completely serious on the HL3 thing. It's my main reason for wanting to get a new computer

 

[Skwink]

How does this look?

Also, if I did get it, would my old Dell monitor be able to plug into it? It's connector is blue and the metal part of it looks to be about an inch long and a centimeter tall.

 

[cardgame]

Not bad at all for a pre-assembled at $520. Everything should still have VGA monitor ports, no worries there (but double check in the tech specs just to be sure). My only recommendation would be a better video card as the 6670 is a bit old now, but given the kinds of games you'll be running, it should be just fine.

 

[Zelig]

Lots of things don't have VGA ports, I would never buy anything that still has them.

I'd even prefer no DVI, only mini-displayport.

 

[tokala]

EDIT: and no, I'm not gonna build one. No.

Even adding a video card to an otherwise pre-built system isn't an option?


If not, this one here is probably about as powerful as it gets within the given price limit, for $650 much faster than the AMD machine for $540.

 

[illram]

Get a desktop with the highest graphics card you can find. Even the cheapest current generation Intel desktop chip (celeron G series) will be fine at medium to high-ish settings on new games if paired with a good GPU. On old games it will be smooth as butter.

 

[Mr.WorldWide]

Lots of things don't have VGA ports, I would never buy anything that still has them.

I'd even prefer no DVI, only mini-displayport.

The sad thing about being on a budget is you cannot get everything you want, you have to make some compromises. But I suppose that's never happened to you so....

@OP, just remember not to buy the PC at Best Buy. They try to scam you into protection plans when the PC is still under manufacturer warranty.

 

[corovanrobber]

Anything with Radeon HD7850 or Geforce 660GTX is worth buying for this budget. Those integrated videochips (radeons starting on G, intel HD's) and very low-budget cards like 6670 (which still is produced because it needs no additional power from power supply) are jokes compared to HD7850. Radeon HD7770 should be a minimum for any gaming configuration if no offers for 7850/GTX660.

 

[tokala]

If I got one, it'd be a not to expensive PC mainly for gaming on. If $700 is the limit, what would be some desktops or laptops that could run games like TF2, CS:GO, Portal 2, GTA4, etc. games pretty well?

I don't need something that can play Skyrim on Ultra High graphics, just something that could play most new game on Med-Low settings and older games on Med-High settings?

at least a $150 Nvidia/Radeon video card

Get a desktop with the highest graphics card you can find.

Anything with Radeon 7850 or Geforce 660GTX is worth buying for this budget.

Reality check anyone?
A GTX650 or HD7750/7770 would easily match the given requirements, try for more and you will be stuck with a first gen bulldozer as a CPU, not exactly the best choice for a gaming system (If you can find anything at all fitting the budget)

Video card performance increases much faster with time than CPU performance, i.e. a given video card will also get obsolete/too slow much faster than a given CPU.

Much more sensible to start with a decent CPU and upgrade the video card some time down the road.

 

[illram]

A cheap Intel G series should be fine for those games and for moderate gaming for the next few years at least.

 

[tokala]

For these games, most likely.

For years to come, fairly unlikely.

Both Intel and AMD have pushed 3-4 threaded CPUs down to lower mainstream/ upper entry-level for at least two years now.
Consoles have used multi-core CPUs even longer.

Modern big budget games mostly scale well with multiple threaded CPUs, and a few already struggle with only two threads.

On the other hand, most older and a few new games need good single threaded performance, so the AMD multicores aren't a good idea.

The nasty thing with insufficient CPU power is that turning down the graphics options helps much less than with unsufficient GPU power.

Even on a modest budget, a computer intended for gaming for the next years should have at least an i3, which isn't that much more expensive than a Pentium G.

 

[Zelig]

I can't find any game benchmarks showing minimum frame rates being CPU limited below 60 frames per second on the $120 AMD 5800K.

 

[tokala]

Anno, SC2 MP, Shogun 2:

http://www.pcgameshardware.de/FX-8320-CPU-256470/Tests/Test-FX-8320-FX-6300-FX-4300-Vishera-1032556/
http://www.hardware.fr/articles/880-15/jeux-3d-total-war-shogun-2-skyrim.html

Civ5: http://www.techspot.com/review/320-civilization-v-performance/page12.html

Not included there, but would likely be in the 25-30 fps ballpark.

Keep in mind that gaming benchmarks on most websites use scenarios with very low CPU load (timedemos, mostly graphics load), and report avg fps only.
The few sites that bench realistic scenarios (real gameplay in addition with pathfinding, AI, physics load) routinely get min fps below 30 on the weaker CPUs.

 

[Zelig]

I don't count civ5 as a game.

Good links otherwise - though what I'd really like is some benchmarks showing min fps above 60 for some set of cpus, and below 60 for some other set.

 

[tokala]

It won't get that clear cut.

You always have a mixture of performance characteristics on different games, or even in different scenarios of the same game.

You cannot generalize that CPU X is good for Y fps in all games.

Better CPUs will give you more reserves for those worst case scenarios and games, but it is correct that even budget CPUs are good enough to run something like 90% of all current games with a decent framerate most of the time

 

[hobbsyoyo]

I would avoid a laptop as Goodgame points out. You pay a premium for the portability and if it's going to be used for gaming, you really won't miss that much. Plus, you're paying a premium for portability at the expense of performance.

A desktop can also be upgraded much more easily and cheaply than a typical laptop and upgrading is as simple as opening the case, sliding out a part and sliding another one in. You might have to connect a power cord or two, but it's really simple.

In fact, I know you don't want to hear it, but building an entire PC is absurdly easy. I'm barely computer literate and I built my own by watching youtube videos and putting 15 minutes worth of thought into the parts I bought. Assembly took an hour and I saved myself a ton of money on a top-notch rig. Anywhoo, I'll go away now.

 

[leif erikson]

Just happened to be reading this article today at Tom's Hardware.

They built three PC's: a $500.00 Gaming Rig, a $1,000.00 and a $2,000.00 and compared them and posted results about their value. Probably do not need to know about all the stats, but their conclusion that the Video card is as important as the processor was interesting. The components are all listed with links to specifics, so it may help you to learn what to look for.

Wish I was getting a new one for Christmas.
Just a little envy...

 

[GoodGame]

Just happened to be reading this article today at Tom's Hardware.

They built three PC's: a $500.00 Gaming Rig, a $1,000.00 and a $2,000.00 and compared them and posted results about their value. Probably do not need to know about all the stats, but their conclusion that the Video card is as important as the processor was interesting. The components are all listed with links to specifics, so it may help you to learn what to look for.

Wish I was getting a new one for Christmas.
Just a little envy...

Video card being about as pricy and important to 3D gaming, as the CPU, is not a new phenomena.