It is time to update my OLD rig

[j500ss]

So my HP Pavilion is on her last legs.  It's at least 6 years old, and has been slightly upgraded over the years.   I am one of those who just has no time and desire to build my own rig.  I have been told that Cyberpower and Asus are pretty good for off the shelf, and should be fairly easy to upgrade.

Now please note, the only gaming I do is AH.  Otherwise it is just a PC for general everyday web surfing and what not.  I like the looks of the game now on my rig with the NVIDA GeForce 9400GT card I have, but I know there is much more to see than what I am seeing and experiencing.

My basic confusion starts with processors, does a person want i5 or i7?  Quad core?  I know I would prefer to go with a NVIDA card personally.   I am also aware I am stuck with Windows 8, but that is ok.  I'm coming off Vista  

I have thus far found things like:

   http://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberpowerpc-gamer-xtreme-desktop-intel-core-i5-8gb-memory-2tb-hard-drive/6750096.p?id=1219238018386&skuId=6750096

   http://www.bestbuy.com/site/cyberpowerpc-zeus-mini-desktop-8gb-memory-1tb-hard-drive/4233005.p?id=1219097024689&skuId=4233005

These 2 fall into the max $$$ amount I want to spent, and I am assuming that because they have the GTX 760 cards, they should out perform the 750's that most other desktops have.

So with that, will the 760 work with a HDTV?  I have  like a 32" Insignia LCD sitting behind me doing nothing at the moment

I know they are off the shelfs, but will they do?  and are they a big improvement over what I have is the real question

Thanks

JDog

[Serenity]

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Black_Friday_AMD_8-Core/

This is what I got, and so far, it's great! No issues at all, and I'm running it on a 32" LCD TV. The resolution on the desktop is rather crappy, but I think that's more a factor of the TV than the computer, and I have a better 32" LED coming in the mail tomorrow.

If you would rather Nvidia, they have this on sale as well:

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Black_Friday_Deal_Z97-I5/

[MrRiplEy[H]]

For gaming (especially AH) a high clock speed i5 gives you more bang for buck than an i7. Ready built computers are always a tradeoff with quality and price. If you can build yourself or get someone to build for you (even an independent computer store) you'll get a lot more computer for your dollar.

[j500ss]

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Black_Friday_AMD_8-Core/

This is what I got, and so far, it's great! No issues at all, and I'm running it on a 32" LCD TV. The resolution on the desktop is rather crappy, but I think that's more a factor of the TV than the computer, and I have a better 32" LED coming in the mail tomorrow.

If you would rather Nvidia, they have this on sale as well:

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Black_Friday_Deal_Z97-I5/

Your rig was ready to plug and play when you got it?   

One of my huge  issues with building my own is I have zero clue as to what is compatible with what.   I have always kind of been lead to believe certain components work well with each other, and that changes on a nearly daily basis.

3 blocks away is a small computer shop, they advertise that they do custom builds.  I have no real clue what exactly to tell them I would want to use in terms of components.

Though the i5 processor is a good start it seems

[The Fugitive]

This is the one my brother in law got a few months ago, was a bit cheaper back then.

https://www.digitalstormonline.com/configurator.asp?id=995475

A couple months after he had it it got messed up due to one of the kids, a phone call later it was all up and running. He gets good numbers flying AH with it and has most of the eye candy turned on. Good service, worked strait out of the box, decent price.

[Gman]

That link from Fugitive isn't that bad of a deal TBH.  Pretty decent components overall IMO.

As mentioned, you can build your own, or have a custom shop build it for you for a small fee - my shop I've used for 17 years now will assemble/install/update current drivers for 50$ Canadian, which makes it worth my time/money, as I can easily do it myself, however if any components don't work out of the box they instantly replace them, as well as test everything prior to sending it out the door.  Like a previous poster has said, you can pick and choose the exact/best components you wish this way, and usually end up with a better more purpose built gaming machine for your money in many cases.

Look up Kool's thread here, a lot of great info and a superb system built for around 11-1300 in that thread.  It's similar to the box Fugitive recommended but with a 970 vid card and a few other changes.

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z97X-UD3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  (Not yet purchased)
Video Card: 970 video card - not sure which he bought.
Case: Corsair C70 Military Green (Green) ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Corsair 760W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply

Also, Karaya put up a recent build for around 1300$ that is pretty much one of the better gaming budget machine builds you can do right now IMO.  It comes with a decent sized SSD drive, and nearly all quality Corsair parts, except the CPU cooler, which is a still excellent Cooler Master 212, one of the most popular in the price range.  If you can stretch a couple hundred from your budget, this here system will last you much longer than any other option in the price range out there, as well as give you SSD performance and great game performance - you'll be able to run anything at max or close to it IMO.  This build stands  head and shoulders above the first couple links in the OP IMO.  

Configuration #: 1GF6HT
Configuration URL: http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/saved/1GF6HT
Product Name: CyberPower Z97 i5 Configurator (NO MONITOR)
Price: $1,391.00
_____________________________ _____________________________ ____________

*BASE_PRICE:[+715]

CAS:Corsair Carbide 300R w/ USB 3.0 [+30]
CD:24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLACK COLOR)
CPU:Intel® Core™ i5-4690K 3.5 GHz 6MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1150 (All Venom OC Certified) [+20]
CS_FAN:Maximum Corsair AIR Series AF120 Performance Edition 120MM High Airflow Case Fan [+39] (Maximum Corsair AIR Series AF120 Performance Edition 120MM High Airflow Case Fan)
FAN:* Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler w/ PWM fan  - Efficient Cooling Performance [-3]
HDD:256GB ADATA SP610 SSD + 1TB SATA III Hard Drive Combo [+97] (Single Drive)
KEYBOARD:AZZA Multimedia USB Gaming Keyboard
MEMORY:8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/2133MHz Dual Channel Memory (Corsair Vengeance [+43])
MOTHERBOARD:* GIGABYTE Z97X-UD3H-Black Edition ATX w/ Intel GbLAN, 3 PCIe x16, 3 PCIe x1, 1 PCI, 1 x M.2, 1 x SATA Express, or 6x SATA 6Gb/s (Extreme OC Certified) [+75]
MOUSE:AZZA Optical 1600dpi Gaming Mouse with Weight Adjustable Cartridge
OS:None - FORMAT HARD DRIVE ONLY
POWERSUPPLY:750 Watts - Corsair RM750 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Fully Modular Ultra Quiet Power Supply [+96]
SERVICE:STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR [3 Year Labor, 1 Year Parts] LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
VIDEO:NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 4GB GDDR5 PCIe 3.0 x16 Video Card (Maxwell) [+279] (Single Card)

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Your rig was ready to plug and play when you got it?   

One of my huge  issues with building my own is I have zero clue as to what is compatible with what.   I have always kind of been lead to believe certain components work well with each other, and that changes on a nearly daily basis.

3 blocks away is a small computer shop, they advertise that they do custom builds.  I have no real clue what exactly to tell them I would want to use in terms of components.

Though the i5 processor is a good start it seems

Talk to the custom shop, they'll know exactly which components you can use. It's not rocket science really although can feel intimidating if you haven't done the research.

Tell them you want this much ram (8-16Gb) this much hdd space (or ssd) this much clock speed or higher (3Ghz for example) and a display card (GTX770,970 or Radeon 270x, 280x etc) and an optical drive capable of burning at least dvds. Bluray is still expensive. They'll give you prices on the components and the job cost.

[Serenity]

Your rig was ready to plug and play when you got it?   

One of my huge  issues with building my own is I have zero clue as to what is compatible with what.   I have always kind of been lead to believe certain components work well with each other, and that changes on a nearly daily basis.

3 blocks away is a small computer shop, they advertise that they do custom builds.  I have no real clue what exactly to tell them I would want to use in terms of components.

Though the i5 processor is a good start it seems

Yep. All of the parts were assembled, the drivers were installed, I literally just plugged it in, turned it on, downloaded AH and was playing within 20 minutes.

[Bizman]

Your rig was ready to plug and play when you got it?  

One of my huge  issues with building my own is I have zero clue as to what is compatible with what.   I have always kind of been lead to believe certain components work well with each other, and that changes on a nearly daily basis.

If they match both physically and numerically, they'll work together. Fine tuning is for those who care about the last frame. Play with http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/, they have a nice builder which can be set to only show compatible parts. That will help you get the best bang for your buck. We'd like to see your compilations here for evaluation, too.

3 blocks away is a small computer shop, they advertise that they do custom builds.  I have no real clue what exactly to tell them I would want to use in terms of components.

Though the i5 processor is a good start it seems

Three blocks away, and you're planning to let your future rig tossed around across the continent?!? Show your neighbour that you appreciate them being around by making yourself their valued customer instead of being a number in an enormous database.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

If they match both physically and numerically, they'll work together. Fine tuning is for those who care about the last frame. Play with http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/, they have a nice builder which can be set to only show compatible parts. That will help you get the best bang for your buck. We'd like to see your compilations here for evaluation, too.Three blocks away, and you're planning to let your future rig tossed around across the continent?!? Show your neighbour that you appreciate them being around by making yourself their valued customer instead of being a number in an enormous database.

Yup many times smaller busineses are so hungry for customers that they come to switch your broken parts for you if need be. I've had small companies come to fix stuff even on weekend.

[BowHTR]

Here is my new rig: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-essentio-desktop-12gb-memory-2tb-hard-drive-black/5818001.p?id=1219159703994&skuId=5818001

It runs all the settings maxed out at about 50fps. Ive had it for about a month now and have been very happy with it.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Here is my new rig: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-essentio-desktop-12gb-memory-2tb-hard-drive-black/5818001.p?id=1219159703994&skuId=5818001

It runs all the settings maxed out at about 50fps. Ive had it for about a month now and have been very happy with it.

The graphics card is a 30 dollar part. It will probably have problems with the next AH generation. This is the problem buying ready built computers - it comes with subpar parts but you may not be able to upgrade the computer if the power supply is only enough for the R9 255.

[BowHTR]

The graphics card is a 30 dollar part. It will probably have problems with the next AH generation. This is the problem buying ready built computers - it comes with subpar parts but you may not be able to upgrade the computer if the power supply is only enough for the R9 255.

When you go to order the PC, there are 2 different types. The AMD version and the one that i have, which is i7 with NVIDIA GTX750.

Here is my current one: http://www.asus.com/Desktops/M51AD/overview/
Here is the other version: http://www.asus.com/Desktops/M51BC/

[MrRiplEy[H]]

When you go to order the PC, there are 2 different types. The AMD version and the one that i have, which is i7 with NVIDIA GTX750.

Here is my current one: http://www.asus.com/Desktops/M51AD/overview/
Here is the other version: http://www.asus.com/Desktops/M51BC/

Even the 750 retails sub 100 bucks and has only 1 Gb display memory. A very poor choice for the i7. A smarter build would have the much cheaper i5 and at least a 770 for about the same money, preferably 970.

[ebfd11]

I have to agree Ripley on the choice of the 970 .. I have one now and it works great ...