Author Topic: Need help finding a good computer.  (Read 2408 times)

Offline Beefcake

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Need help finding a good computer.
« on: January 05, 2015, 10:50:08 PM »
Well after 6 years I've decided to put my old gaming rig out to pasture, she's been good but lately has become rather unreliable. I'm looking for help finding a good company that produces decent gaming rigs for around $700 dollars. I know that won't get much but money is tighter than my underwear and I need something less crash-happy than my current rig.

I know some of you will recommend that I build my own but I'm just not comfortable doing that as I destroyed the motherboard on the last PC I tried to upgrade. I just want something I can open the box and go.

Anybody have some recommendations?
Retired Bomber Dweeb - 71 "Eagle" Squadron RAF

Offline BaldEagl

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Re: Need help finding a good computer.
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2015, 12:20:58 AM »
Depending on where you live your best bet would be to go to a local independent computer shop, tell them what you want, what you want to do with it, what your budget is, and see what they can put together for you.

If you can give them specs on what you already have they might even be able to suggest recycling some parts from your current machine but that would certainly negate at least portions of whatever warranty they'd offer.  At the least you could recycle keyboard, monitor, mouse, speakers/headset/mike and possibly even optical drives with no loss of warranty.
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Offline Bizman

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Re: Need help finding a good computer.
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2015, 02:51:30 AM »
+1 to supporting your local indy builder. One good thing is that they (usually) don't fill the computer with crapware like the brand manufacturers do!

If you're uncertain of their quality, get a parts list from them and send it here to be evaluated. Or you can use tools like pcpartpicker's builder to compile a system fitting your budget, let us evaluate it and then go to your local shop with the list to ask for their price and possible suggestions.


Offline 1Cane

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Re: Need help finding a good computer.
« Reply #3 on: January 06, 2015, 01:14:18 PM »
I would call Dell or cyber power.  Talk with a sales Rep give them your budget and Tell them the game you want to play.  Be sure to get a dedicated video cards.
My second computer was a dell and it played the game quite well with moderate settings and a frame rate of 60.  I believe I got it for less than $600  :airplane:
My current machine I got from  cyber power and I have been quite happy with it.
« Last Edit: January 06, 2015, 01:16:10 PM by 1Cane »
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Offline BuckShot

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Re: Need help finding a good computer.
« Reply #4 on: January 06, 2015, 01:49:48 PM »
I had great luck with cyberpower PC.
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Offline MrRiplEy[H]

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Re: Need help finding a good computer.
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2015, 02:06:04 PM »
I had great luck with cyberpower PC.

Dell and cyberpower are great options if you want to spend 100 bucks of your 700 buck budget to the company profit.
Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. –W. Clement Stone

Offline BuckShot

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Re: Need help finding a good computer.
« Reply #6 on: January 06, 2015, 02:09:40 PM »
Didn't mind at all! Don't have the time or patience to build one from parts.
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Offline MrRiplEy[H]

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Re: Need help finding a good computer.
« Reply #7 on: January 06, 2015, 02:15:13 PM »
Didn't mind at all! Don't have the time or patience to build one from parts.

I can understand that. But then again if you would have spent 2 hours studying and built your first own computer, you would have saved 100-150 bucks OR MORE on every future computer from that point on.

Learning to build your own is not only savings, it's a future investment!
Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. –W. Clement Stone

Offline Beefcake

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Re: Need help finding a good computer.
« Reply #8 on: January 06, 2015, 04:05:18 PM »
Well in regards to local shops, I've had some issues when them in the past and I really don't want to have work done by them. I know it'll cost more money than building it myself, but I really just want to order one out of a box.

I'm looking at Cyberpower right now and they seem to have some good PCs in my price range.

I'm currently looking at this rig which seems pretty decent, what do you guys think?

https://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/Mega_Special_II/
Retired Bomber Dweeb - 71 "Eagle" Squadron RAF

Offline Zoney

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Re: Need help finding a good computer.
« Reply #9 on: January 06, 2015, 04:22:25 PM »
I'm on a computer I bought new 2 years ago from Best Buy.  I called up the local best Buy and asked for their best computer guy who was also a gamer, then I set an appointment with him, went in, pulled up Aces High website and showed him what the game was and told him I would be in the following day to make my purchase from him to let him study the specs.  I told him how important the game was to me and that I wanted a system twice as fast, and twice as powerful as the game would demand.  The next day I came in and he had 3 options laid out with 3 different price ranges.  I reminded him I played Aces High 100 hours a month and I wanted the system to be stout and fast and asked him what he would buy.  He pointed to the middle system.  I spent about $2400 including a warranty and free service maintenance (clean-up) warranty.  I take the tower back to the original guy every 6 months, he checks everything out for free and tidies up stuff I don't even know about.

Sure I could have spent less and yes, at one point you have to trust someone to actually be selling you the right stuff.  Now, I've established a relationship with this Best Buy and one particular salesman who knows my name and what I am there for.

My experience with Aces high is unencumbered with anguish and strife from a system that does not work well or that I cannot trust.

I'm not interested in computers, only what they can do for my gaming experience, and that experience is currently only Aces High.  I have been following Star Citizen closely and I know I will jump in and give it a go at some point.  Even that I am trusting to someone that knows more than me, my friend and squad mate Wiley.  At one point I know he will tell me to "Try it now", and I will annoy the crap out of him making him teach me everything he knows.  This, depending on how good it is may impact my game time on Aces High, but I will always be in the FSO's  (and JG11), if and until it is no more.
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Offline The Fugitive

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Re: Need help finding a good computer.
« Reply #10 on: January 06, 2015, 05:00:04 PM »
Brother in law bought this one. He is happy with the computer, and the service. Runs AH with almost everything turned on with out an issue.

http://www.digitalstormonline.com/vanquish-ii.asp

Offline BuckShot

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Re: Need help finding a good computer.
« Reply #11 on: January 06, 2015, 08:39:45 PM »
I'm on a computer I bought new 2 years ago from Best Buy.  I called up the local best Buy and asked for their best computer guy who was also a gamer, then I set an appointment with him, went in, pulled up Aces High website and showed him what the game was and told him I would be in the following day to make my purchase from him to let him study the specs.  I told him how important the game was to me and that I wanted a system twice as fast, and twice as powerful as the game would demand.  The next day I came in and he had 3 options laid out with 3 different price ranges.  I reminded him I played Aces High 100 hours a month and I wanted the system to be stout and fast and asked him what he would buy.  He pointed to the middle system.  I spent about $2400 including a warranty and free service maintenance (clean-up) warranty.  I take the tower back to the original guy every 6 months, he checks everything out for free and tidies up stuff I don't even know about.

Sure I could have spent less and yes, at one point you have to trust someone to actually be selling you the right stuff.  Now, I've established a relationship with this Best Buy and one particular salesman who knows my name and what I am there for.

My experience with Aces high is unencumbered with anguish and strife from a system that does not work well or that I cannot trust.

I'm not interested in computers, only what they can do for my gaming experience, and that experience is currently only Aces High.  I have been following Star Citizen closely and I know I will jump in and give it a go at some point.  Even that I am trusting to someone that knows more than me, my friend and squad mate Wiley.  At one point I know he will tell me to "Try it now", and I will annoy the crap out of him making him teach me everything he knows.  This, depending on how good it is may impact my game time on Aces High, but I will always be in the FSO's  (and JG11), if and until it is no more.

Olde school customer service, good stuff.
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Offline Brooke

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Re: Need help finding a good computer.
« Reply #12 on: January 12, 2015, 05:04:37 PM »
Here's what I'd do:

Dell Inspiron Desktop 3000.  ($530.  Has an i5-4460, 8 GB RAM, 1 TB hard disk, case, kb, mouse, Windows 8.1, DVD+/-RW drive.)
500W ATX12V power supply.  (20+4 pin style, Seasonic, Antec, Thermaltake, or Corsair, 4 star rating or above, from Newegg.com, $60, to beef up the power.)
NVidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti graphics card.  ($120-$145 depending on brand from Newegg.com.)

total about $725

I don't think that you can beat the performance/price of this setup by building it yourself.

Offline MrRiplEy[H]

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Re: Need help finding a good computer.
« Reply #13 on: January 12, 2015, 05:41:38 PM »
Here's what I'd do:

Dell Inspiron Desktop 3000.  ($530.  Has an i5-4460, 8 GB RAM, 1 TB hard disk, case, kb, mouse, Windows 8.1, DVD+/-RW drive.)
500W ATX12V power supply.  (20+4 pin style, Seasonic, Antec, Thermaltake, or Corsair, 4 star rating or above, from Newegg.com, $60, to beef up the power.)
NVidia GeForce GTX 750 Ti graphics card.  ($120-$145 depending on brand from Newegg.com.)

total about $725

I don't think that you can beat the performance/price of this setup by building it yourself.


There are several downsides to the Dell.

The upgrade path is probably limited. It can't be overclocked - the proprietary Dell bios is locked down and stripped. It will have very limited features and all components are cheapest of cheap you can find. For about the same money you can do a home build that has actual quality off the shelf components with no Dell bloatware preinstalled. You're going to spend half a day just removing all the Dell junk off that computer.
Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. –W. Clement Stone

Offline Brooke

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Re: Need help finding a good computer.
« Reply #14 on: January 12, 2015, 07:40:07 PM »
There are several downsides to the Dell.

The upgrade path is probably limited. It can't be overclocked - the proprietary Dell bios is locked down and stripped. It will have very limited features and all components are cheapest of cheap you can find.

I have almost never upgraded a computer.  By the time it needs upgrading, I have always wanted to upgrade pretty much everything (cpu, memory, bus speed, slot types, new connector types, etc.) and so just got a new system (at $500) and used the several-years-older one (now worth maybe $100) as a media machine or gave it away to friends or relatives.  Upgradability isn't bad, but it does come at a price.  It depends if that price is worth it.  I wouldn't spend an extra $100 for upgradability on a system that costs $500.

Quote
For about the same money you can do a home build that has actual quality off the shelf components with no Dell bloatware preinstalled.

Can you put together a list of the following that adds up to $530 or less?
motherboard
i5-4460
8GB Dual Channel DDR3 1600MHz
1 TB 7200 rpm HD
300 W PSU
case
keyboard
mouse
Windows 8.1
DVD+/-RW drive

As for quality, I bought my first Dell when it was called "PC's Limited" in 1985.  I (or my company) have bought hundreds of Dells over the subsequent 30 years, some for home use and most for business use running 24 hours a day, and some of them running mission-critical equipment 24 hours a day where even one hang or failure of the computer results in the loss of up to $35,000 of product.  Not only are those computers run for 24 hours a day, but they are run that way for, in some cases, more than 5 years that way without any replacements.  Out of those thousands of computer-years of Dell use, I have had so few failures that I can only recall about five machines failing.  There might be more than that, but they are just so rare that it is almost nothing.

Can you buy a better keyboard or mouse, or a case that costs you more money?  Sure.  Does it add reliability?  Apparently not.

Quote
You're going to spend half a day just removing all the Dell junk off that computer.

A wild exaggeration in two ways.  You don't need to remove much of anything at all, and if you choose to do so, pressing an "uninstall" button isn't much effort.

I understand that you prefer "build it yourself" machines.  There is nothing wrong with that.  I will likely have my daughters do that when they are old enough.  But you wildly misrepresent Dells.  I am giving you (and have given you before) information and statistics from thousands of machine-years of use of Dells spanning decades.  That data is statistically very solid.