I have been a console gamer for years using my computer for email and word processing only. Six months ago I was turned on to Joint Operations a P.C. game and now I am hooked. I have cable internet connection and need advice on building a computer strictly for gaming. I have my eyes on few new titles I'd like to buy, but need better than 17 FPS, expecially on games like Joint Operations. So I would appreciate suggestions on any computers I should buy/build. I am able to check my email and play games, other than that I am a computer nube. So keep that in mind when you give me suggestions. Thanks in advance guys.
firstly you need a decent grfx card (NOT onboard), at least an AMD 3000, plenty of RAM (at least 1Gb, but 2Gb is better, the faster the RAM the better) mobo doesn´t mak that much difference (i think) but a good PSU is a must Antec make some bloody good PSU´s (although i think their Smart Power ll is better than their True Power ll (but i could be wrong) Big B is da man when it comes to choosing a PSU
for the power supply, newegg have got the best bang for buck (As big b stated in another thread) so it shud be the first priority. it will handle a highly speced non sli system easily and even a low-medium sli system. other choices cue be antec neo he, enermax 535watt and maybe hiper 580watt (but i dont really like it that much, keeping in mind that i no offense to any people who have this psu). get a 7900 if u can afford it or at least a 7600. get amd athlon 3800+ as it pretty cheap in newegg (than in the uk, the cheapest in britaing that i cud find was £75 whilst if u convert newegg's it about £57, big price fluctuation) asus m2n-e is my favorite for the mobo 1-2gb of a good branded ram, ocz, corsir, crucial 160gb hard drive wud be enuff for u unless u plan on storing games on ur hard drive, then get a 300gb (western digital is my preference)
Yeah, I was about to ask that myself. Despite what you might think, the CPU's speed isn't nearly as important as it used to be. Getting at least 1GB of RAM is what you want to start with for gaming, although if your budget allows, yes, 2GB would be a very wise investment. Next to that, the video card would be a high priority item as far as gaming performance. A third factor is the power supply. You can't drop anything in and prepare to go full force. This part affects the stability and well-being of your computer, and for a worthwhile unit, expect to pay somewhere between $80-120 for a good unit. Make sure you keep this part in mind for your budget. There's an extensive link to why the PSU is important in my sig. But, yeah, what kind of budget are you looking at and what are you looking to upgrade.
I would like to keep the total between 1,000 and 1400 U.S. I am not sure what I can get in that price range, but anything beyond that would be a stretch. Also, you guys mentioned newegg, if I buy the various components from there will they put everything together or will I have to do this?
You'll have to do it yourself, as long as you buy compatible components (sockets that match pretty much) you should be fine. Any problems or questions that may come up don't hesitate to ask us here, there are many knowledgable posters here that can help you assemble your PC. If you prefer prebuilt, there are companies online that can do that, but its more expensive and it can be easily done on your own.
Can I get a list of compatible components to build my computer within the budget I have specified? You guys have given various suggestions, but if I pick and choose I am sure to have problems. Again my main goal is to have a good gaming computer that will allow me to compete online with other gamers. I know playing Joint Operations having that split second advantage as far as FPS and no lag increases your kill %. Thanks again.
Basically you'll be looking for things that fit into your motherboard according to teh CPU you want. First you'd have to decide whether to go with AMD or Intel. Then you have a slew of processors that go with those brands. Memory: will depend on which motherboard for above mentioned CPU you get, and what type of RAM you want. If you want DDR2, then get a motherboard that supports DDR2, if you want DDR, then get a motherboard that supports DDR. These types of RAM are NOT interchangable, the pins don't match so don't attempt to mix and match, you'll break 'em. Graphics: simple, its a modern system so it'll be PCI-Express. You're choice between one card or two.(overboard in my opinion) Your choices are between ATI and NVIDIA graphics cards. Hard drives: depends on what you want, most people go for SATA nowadays. You can get a PATA but that depends on how many available slots you have on your motherboard. Its probably better to leave the PATA slots for optical drives and have the SATA for hard drives. Pretty much all the latest motherboards support both SATA and PATA but carry fewer PATA slots. These are just the basic components. I think Big B covered Power Supplies. Hope this helps some. Keep the Q's comin' if i can't answer someone else definitely will.
My brain hurts from reading that last post. I do not know the difference between intel and Nextel... I guess what I am asking is if you were building this computer what specifics you would choose. I dont have the knowledge or experience to have any preferences so if I could get your particular choices and let other weigh in on this than I think I could use this in building my new computer. Thanks
yeh i did giv u some pecifics, here they are agen for the power supply, newegg have got the best bang for buck (As big b stated in another thread) so it shud be the first priority. it will handle a highly speced non sli system easily and even a low-medium sli system. other choices cue be antec neo he, enermax 535watt and maybe hiper 580watt (but i dont really like it that much, keeping in mind that i no offense to any people who have this psu). get a 7900 if u can afford it or at least a 7600. get amd athlon 3800+ as it pretty cheap in newegg (than in the uk, the cheapest in britaing that i cud find was £75 whilst if u convert newegg's it about £57, big price fluctuation) asus m2n-e is my favorite for the mobo 1-2gb of a good branded ram, ocz, corsir, crucial 160gb hard drive wud be enuff for u unless u plan on storing games on ur hard drive, then get a 300gb (western digital is my preference)
First of all, what can you salvage off your old machine. How big is your hard drive, can you still use the case? The best thing to do when building a new budget PC is seeing what you already have and what you can use, then only upgrading the parts that you dont have / might need. I built my pc for about $1600 and I think everyone would agree that it's a pretty decent setup. See http://www.hardwareforums.com/85940-show-post-15/ But you probably dont need a new case, and you probably don't need the more expensive case fans, you might need a new PSU as suggested. You might be able to get away with whatever hard drive you have (mine cost about $200, but you definitely dont need to get the one I have ~ you'll save about $100 there). You dont need the expensive RAM that I purchased (you can save $1-200 there). And you can get a lower end CPU if wanted. With all those suggestions you can put a decent system together for around $1000 or even less (all depending on what you can save)
Something to start you off on. MoBo EPoX EP-MF570SLI Case XION XION _ Solaris XON-403 CPU AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ Windsor GPU eVGA 512-P2-N568-AR 7900GT KO 512MB Ram CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 Hdd Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB CD/DVD Pioneer Black x2 Cooling APEVIA(ASPIRE) CF12SL-UGN 120mm x2 PSU Antec SmartPower 2.0 SP-500 ATX12V 500W Extra Microsoft Keyboard + Mouse These are the spec I am planing to use on my PC unless someone differs. All from newegg. Just around $1250
