- 5,677
- United Kingdom
- Dragonistic
For a while now I've been considering getting involved with PC gaming, though I don't have the money to do so right now it hopefully won't be to long until I can, within the year hopefully, though I'm thinking way ahead of myself there's alot of things I should probably know before I decide to save up the money for it.
I have no real knowledge of building a system and frankly I don't want to put in too much time in to making a system when I don't really know what I'm doing, so I'm happy to pay a premium for a system which is pre-built but powerful enough to be future proof for at least a couple of years. I know how to use a computer properly, I'd call myself an advanced-ish user of normal computers but I don't claim to know it all. My noobish in gaming PCs unfortunately means I know of only 1 brand to get such a product built and to my door (flamesuit on) which is Alienware. Where else can I get a good gaming PC out of the box/built for me?
I don't plan to buy cheaper and upgrade early, I'd rather buy a pretty powerful system from the start and upgrade later so we're talking pretty big money in the UK. Similarly, what should I invest money in to? Here's an example of the specs if I did buy an Alienware machine at current prices for a cool £1600 but if it would last many years I'd be happy to do so and upgrade much further down the line if I had to. I'm sure I must be able to get similar specs cheaper, particularly if I built a system myself but I really would have no knowledge of what I'm doing and don't have anyone to nanny me through.
Key Questions:
Is it right to pour money in to the graphics card? Would I need a better processor/RAM prior to a high end graphics card (or 2)?
AMD vs Nvidia Graphics cards, dual cards vs single card, pros and cons?
Where else can I get a similar system other than Alienware in the UK?
What else do I need other than a monitor, headset/speakers, gaming mouse and keyboard?
When I get a system, what programs should I make sure I have? Is Free security software good enough? (I know how to use a computer, I've used AVG free for years and never had a security problem)
How much could I save if I built the system myself? Could I even do it with no help or technical knowledge?
Requirements:
- Performance, plenty of it. Enough to run something like BF3 at max with at least 60FPS but preferably much more given the next requirement. Also want to use dual monitors with one on the game another for browsing, Skype etc.
- Future proofing and longevity. Minimum 2 years before I need to upgrade to keep up with new releases, but the more the better. As a long time console gamer I don't want to be constantly replacing or upgrading bits.
- Easy set-up and upgrade-ability. When the time does come I want to have to upgrade as little as possible, with as little hassle as possible. In other words easy to just take a part out and replace it right away which is why in the above build I opted for the more expensive chassis available as it claims upgrading will pretty much be slide out and slide in.
- Price. Though I'm prepared to price for quality, if I can get the same quality cheaper why not?
The reality is by the time I get a system all the actual prices won't be right, so general information is what I'm aiming for here. A to-do list of things to do, places to look, things to concentrate on and generally what to avoid doing.
Any input would be appreciated. It's essentially going to be my first gift to myself after I start working after I get necessities sorted first.
I have no real knowledge of building a system and frankly I don't want to put in too much time in to making a system when I don't really know what I'm doing, so I'm happy to pay a premium for a system which is pre-built but powerful enough to be future proof for at least a couple of years. I know how to use a computer properly, I'd call myself an advanced-ish user of normal computers but I don't claim to know it all. My noobish in gaming PCs unfortunately means I know of only 1 brand to get such a product built and to my door (flamesuit on) which is Alienware. Where else can I get a good gaming PC out of the box/built for me?
I don't plan to buy cheaper and upgrade early, I'd rather buy a pretty powerful system from the start and upgrade later so we're talking pretty big money in the UK. Similarly, what should I invest money in to? Here's an example of the specs if I did buy an Alienware machine at current prices for a cool £1600 but if it would last many years I'd be happy to do so and upgrade much further down the line if I had to. I'm sure I must be able to get similar specs cheaper, particularly if I built a system myself but I really would have no knowledge of what I'm doing and don't have anyone to nanny me through.
Included in your system:
English Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium (64 BIT)
Intel® Core i7-3820 Processor (4 Core, 10MB Cache 3.60GHz)
Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD® Radeon HD7870 CrossFireX - Curiously, dual 1GB 6870s are more expensive, any reason for this?
8192MB (4x2GB) 1600MHz DDR3 Quad Channel
1TB SATA 6Gb/s (7200RPM) 32MB Cache
DVD+/-RW (Read/Write) 24x
Integrated HDA 7.1 Dolby Digital capability
802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 2.1 EDR USB Combo Adapter - EUR
No Security/Anti-Virus Protection
1 yr Next Day In-Home Hardware Support
Alienware Aurora ALX Matte Black 875W Chassis
Key Questions:
Is it right to pour money in to the graphics card? Would I need a better processor/RAM prior to a high end graphics card (or 2)?
AMD vs Nvidia Graphics cards, dual cards vs single card, pros and cons?
Where else can I get a similar system other than Alienware in the UK?
What else do I need other than a monitor, headset/speakers, gaming mouse and keyboard?
When I get a system, what programs should I make sure I have? Is Free security software good enough? (I know how to use a computer, I've used AVG free for years and never had a security problem)
How much could I save if I built the system myself? Could I even do it with no help or technical knowledge?
Requirements:
- Performance, plenty of it. Enough to run something like BF3 at max with at least 60FPS but preferably much more given the next requirement. Also want to use dual monitors with one on the game another for browsing, Skype etc.
- Future proofing and longevity. Minimum 2 years before I need to upgrade to keep up with new releases, but the more the better. As a long time console gamer I don't want to be constantly replacing or upgrading bits.
- Easy set-up and upgrade-ability. When the time does come I want to have to upgrade as little as possible, with as little hassle as possible. In other words easy to just take a part out and replace it right away which is why in the above build I opted for the more expensive chassis available as it claims upgrading will pretty much be slide out and slide in.
- Price. Though I'm prepared to price for quality, if I can get the same quality cheaper why not?
The reality is by the time I get a system all the actual prices won't be right, so general information is what I'm aiming for here. A to-do list of things to do, places to look, things to concentrate on and generally what to avoid doing.
Any input would be appreciated. It's essentially going to be my first gift to myself after I start working after I get necessities sorted first.