Best gaming PC for around $800

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The Outlaw

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Hey guys. I'm in the market for a gaming PC and was looking to get some ideas on what would be my best options for around $800. The PC games I will be playing will be racing sims like Rfactor, Iracing, GTR Evo, etc. to hold me over until GT5 comes out. Hopefully for around $800 dollars I will be able to get a PC capable of maxing out the graphic capabilities of each game...although I wouldn't mind spending a bit less if there was a really good deal out there of course :) Also, I will likely be connecting the PC to my 42" LCD HDTV for now...so HDMI output would be nice.

I had talked to another member on here and he suggested the CyberpowerPC Gamer Ultra 2024 Phenom II: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229134 from Newegg. He also gave me a few options as far as building my own PC as well, which sounded a bit interesting after thinking it over.

Now my question is - What would be the best pre-built PC for $800 or less? Also, how much would I be saving by building my own system in that price range? Reason I ask is because if it will only save me $100 when it's all said and done I rather just get something pre-built and not have to hassle with putting it together. Now if I can save say $200 or more by building my own system I might consider going that route, and either saving a bit of money, or spending the extra money to get better components versus what I would get with a $800 pre-built PC.

Anyways, if anyone can help me out or give me any advice I would greatly appreciate it! :cheers: Thanks in advance.
 
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I think you might get more answers here.

I too will be buying a new PC, but it will after the summer and it'll be one I build myself. I hope 6 months from now prices on i7 processors have gone down a bit so that I can build a monster rig at an affordable price to play FSX at max settings without any lagg whatsoever.
 
Dont forget to check some local PC-gaming forums. There is always someone selling his setup which is DIY-high end machine from 1-2 year ago, cause he want to get newest components... those are cheapest machines I suppose. (I bought my PC about 400) Those gaming experts also knows how to put their PC to 'point zero', so you can start with machine which basicly is 'new'. You also may get some priceless new skills if you put some interest about whats inside your PC. I can promise to you that DIY PC's aint rocket-science in the end! :) (even I thought so just year ago)

My specs:

Corsair 650w
AMD athlon dual core 7750 (overclocked to 2,95Ghz)
Nvidia 8800gt (nowadays ATI radeon 4890... cheap second-hand from some PC-freak who wanted to buy 5000-series)
2Gb DDR3
XP 32


ps. Beware of turning to be computer-nerd... it just happens easily after you realize how simple it is to tune your PC! My friends just cant believe that I'm serious when I start to ask about their PC's specs and talk about buying maybe new motherboard and cpu. (iRacing is huge cpu-monster because of physics-engine. I have stable 80-100fps with shadows off, and some candies in medium with large fields... but hunger grows what more you eat. :D )
 
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I was looking for about the same thing.

I found a thread indeed of Justin himself in the link from Bram_Turismo:
https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=125153&page=2

Does not help me in Europe.

I was looking around and the prices here jump from 700€ low (no serious graphics) end to 1400€ high end (overprised).
Some things in between were interesting, but missed the combination that I had in mind.

I hoped to find a i7 920 together with a GeForce 9800 GT or GeForce GTX 260, reasonably priced. No such luck till now.
 
My friend, 3 things are to be careful about gaming PC:
1) CPU must have 3 or 4 cores and >=2.8GHz
2) GPU >=$160 (how much above depends on your screen resolution)
3) HDD (1TB last gen, RAID0 or SSD)
 
2.8Ghz, is that overclocked or in normal running mode? I've been looking at the i7-920 processor which I believe gets up to 3.8Ghz overclocked (correct me if I'm wrong though). I really hope prices on those will drop a bit, I don't want to get an i3 or i5 processor, turn settings to ultra-high in FSX and then find out my framerate won't go over 30fps...
 
You should never go off clock speed alone; an Intel Core i5 750 (2.66GHz) is slightly faster than an AMD Phenom II X4 965 (3.40GHz). Anyway, I'd go for the Core i5 750 over the Core i7 920 because it's barely any worse and it should be a reasonable amount cheaper.

The saving you'd be making on building your own PC varies widely depending on the components used - if you build a computer with good components then you're not going to be saving too much over a shop bought computer, but then at least you'll know that they are good components. That aside, it's also fairly easy to build your own computer.

AMD Phenom II X4 955 CPU - $160
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103808

MSI 760GM-E51 AM3 Motherboard - $70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130254

HIS ATI HD4870 GPU - $155
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161292

G.Skill 4GB 1600MHz DDR3 RAM - $105
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231277

Corsair 450VX PSU - $65
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139003

Sony Optiarc DVD Burner - $26
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118030

WD Caviar Black 1TB HDD - $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284

Antec Three Hundred Case - $55
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

The HD4870 is a little expensive at the moment, so you might want to consider the HD5770 as an alternative, or drop down to a HD4850 which is only about 15% worse and would save you 50%. You can also get a cheaper hard-drive if you want, but the Caviar Blacks are reliable and fast. The Phenom II X4 955 is a bit more than i'd have wanted to go for, but the AMD Phenom II X3 720 for $105 is OEM so you'd need to buy a CPU cooler separately which would add another $30 or so, so you may as well take the plunge.
 
Just came across:
ACER Pc ASM7721 Core i7 920 /6G /1T5/ HD5850-1024/ W7Prem
under 1000€ (France internet)

Intel Core i7 - 920 (2.66Ghz)
SATA II, 2 x 750Go (7200 tpm)
DDR3, 6 Go, 1066Mhz (3x2048Mo Triple Channel – jusqu’à 12Go max)
ATI™ Radeon HD 5850 1Go DDR5
Graveur DVDRW 16X DL (technologie Label Flash™)
LAN 10/100/1000
Windows 7 Home Premium

Very tempted, certainly now that my motherboard is crying instead of running for the moment.

==============================

Edit: Looking into it, CyberpowerPC Gamer Ultra 2024 Phenom II, NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT 1GB, seems quite OK, find 4GB looking a bit low though.
In reviews the i7 9XX came out quite strong, that is why I prefer these. Not clear if all games use the technology that makes them superior.
Other configurations I looked at generally had 9 or 12GB, but let down on the processor (older models) or graphics card (not gaming, 0.5GB, ...).
 
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Hi mate! I have have bought this one last year but its still very good! Check it out:tup:!


http://www.frescadica.com/produtos,Informatica-e-Hightech-DESKTOPS-PCs-ACER-Aspire-M5711-Q9550-6GB-750GB-NV-GT130-Window-Ref-92-VJW7T-OAP


CPU quad core 2.83GHz http://processorfinder.intel.com/details.aspx?sSpec=SLAWQ
6GB DDR2
HDD 750GB
Super multidrive (dual layer)
Nvidia Gforce GT130 1.5GB http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_geforce_gt_130m_us.html
Windows vista 64bits (now with windows 7 64bits)

I bought it for 799 euros at the time! Now its around 700euros!

The recomendation of your post is a good choise too:)!
 
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Edit: Looking into it, CyberpowerPC Gamer Ultra 2024 Phenom II, NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT 1GB, seems quite OK, find 4GB looking a bit low though.
In reviews the i7 9XX came out quite strong, that is why I prefer these. Not clear if all games use the technology that makes them superior.
Other configurations I looked at generally had 9 or 12GB, but let down on the processor (older models) or graphics card (not gaming, 0.5GB, ...).

In games, the Core i5 750 pretty much EXACTLY equals the Core i7 920. 4GB of RAM these days is still fine; far better than the relatively poor (in comparison) 9800GT... It's certainly not a limitation in nearly any game in the world, whereas a 9800GT most certainly is.
 
Anyone specialist that can lead to a site that compares correctly CPU and graphics cards performance for games (rather tests on rFactor, iRacing, GTR ...).

Writing this I finally came across these:
Graphics cards: http://service.futuremark.com/hardware/
Processors: http://www.tomshardware.com/
Both: http://www.extremetech.com http://benchmarkreviews.com

I found it quite difficult to follow arguments above:
e.g.:
horde_r35 => Nvidia Gforce GT130 is good
3D mark from Graphics site above: 2118
Shokz => relatively poor 9800GT
3D Mark 9800 GT: 5242

Proposed build above HD4870: 7082

My choice: HD 5850: 14482
========================================
With rapidly-increasing prices over $200 offering smaller and smaller performance boosts in games, we have a hard time recommending anything more expensive than the Core i5-750. This is especially the case since the Core i5-750 can be overclocked to great effect if more performance is desired, easily surpassing the stock clock rate of the $1,000 Core i7-975 Extreme.

So Core i5-750 seems a very good tip, thanks.

But AMD's offerings shine below the Core i7's price segment, especially when budgetary constraints mean that buying a Core i7 requires sacrificing a balanced graphics card. We can build a killer Phenom II system for hundreds of dollars less than a Core i7 if we go with an AM2+/DDR2 Phenom II or the Phenom II X3.

= take an AMD and better graphics in stead off an Intel and poor graphics.

0,1425,i=223898,00.jpg

intel_core_i5-750_everest_fpu.jpg

0,1425,sz=1&i=219549,00.jpg


=========================================================

Conclusion: Take a comparison like the ones above.
Graphics: GTS250 and above
CPU: i5 750 or one that is better if included in a configuration,
Phenom II X4 965 or above to lower the budget.


N.B. in the most PCs I find something like NVIDIA GeForce G210 at 634 score
 
That's why i said "relatively poor" :P It's about half as good as the best cards that are out these days.

Horde is simply wrong, the GT130 is a bad card full stop.

It's best to look up reviews for specific cards, they'll give comparisons for many different games and you can get a more well-rounded opinion. Same for different CPUs.
 
That's why i said "relatively poor" :P It's about half as good as the best cards that are out these days.

Horde is simply wrong, the GT130 is a bad card full stop.

It's best to look up reviews for specific cards, they'll give comparisons for many different games and you can get a more well-rounded opinion. Same for different CPUs.

It works fine by me and i can play any game at 1920x1080. So its good to me! Dont care if its the best or not.
 
It works fine by me and i can play any game at 1920x1080. So its good to me! Dont care if its the best or not.

Horde, I believe you state the essence. You stated (all the time) this works for you, that is correct. You do not need the best toy all the time and probably when you choose it, it was a good choice.

Shokz
Horde is simply wrong, the GT130 is a bad card full stop.

Shokz, it seemed uncalled for to mention Horde on this; the truth is not always black or white. See my opinion above, sorry if my previous statement "quoting/interpreting" Horde lead to misunderstandings.

"GT130 is card that is not anymore to current standards, some recent games might not play optimally with this hardware, a 3D mark of well above 5000 is now recommended (reference http://service.futuremark.com/hardware/)" seems to be the statement you wanted to make.

==========================

My post was just to clarify this, I believe Horde and Shokz gave valuable input, it is up to the people buying to find the right & current references and form their own opinion on this.

So please try to include references if possible (show a review you trust or state it is your experience using it for ...)
 
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Horde, I believe you state the essence. You stated (all the time) this works for you, that is correct. You do not need the best toy all the time and probably when you choose it, it was a good choice.
Indeed mate! I bought my PC last year in August, so at the time it was a good choise to me:)!

Shokz, it seemed uncalled for to mention Horde on this; the truth is not always black or white. See my opinion above, sorry if my previous statement "quoting/interpreting" Horde lead to misunderstandings.
Thanks for clearing that up! My posts lead to that must of the times... its up to the people who read them to interpret, therefore you can see what kind of people are in this forum too;)! Well written:tup:!
 
For $800 you could build a powerful PC that would include a HD5850 DX11 GPU and max out the latest games.

That pre-built you link has a decent CPU but the Graphics card is a re-branded 8800GT from years ago.

Those games you mention don't require todays hardware so a 8800GT/9800GT graphics card would be good on a $400 dual core setup. You could use a 80-160GB HDD, cheap keyboard and mouse, existing windows XP (assuming you own a copy) and save some money. Or buy a used gaming rig for $300-400.

Depends what you need or what games you like in the future are that are coming. F12010 could be a fairly testing game on PC so $800 with a HD5850 would be a sweet rig. Dirt 2 at 1080p is great but old or low budget PC sims can be run from $200-400 rigs depending on your needs and sources.

Another thing is the latest DX11 ATI GPUs have no competition at the moment. Nvidia has been struggling to release their latest GPU and is bringing two out in a few weeks to compete with ATI. So in a few months the competition could bring prices down unless the ATI cards are still offer obvious value for money, then ATI will just laugh and keep prices the same.
 
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Currently I'm looking at an AMD Phenom II X4-965 processor. The specs looks awesome on this thing, and above all: where I live it's 2,5 times cheaper than the i7-870 and half the price of the i7-860. The i5-670 looks very nice also, but again it's much more than the AMD's price for what seems to be an equivalent speed. As I have absolutely no knowledge of processors, does someone bother to speak his mind on these options?

Oh, and instead of going with the HD4870X2 which they don't sell in my store, can I go with two GT240s, two GTS250s or two HD5770 instead? I'm looking at a crapload of graphic memory to not keep updating my rig so often so that I can easily play the latest games on highest settings.
 
As I have absolutely no knowledge of processors, does someone bother to speak his mind on these options?

That is why I was looking for this:
0,1425,sz=1&i=219549,00.jpg


Not certain either this is the best benchmark, but the i7-860 comes out 20% better performance then the AMD Phenom II X4-965.

I was hoping someone was knew a gaming CPU benchmark we could easily consult.

However what I understood from the specialists is, AMD + good graphics will help you better then Intel + crap graphics.
If you have and want to spend the money, Intel and good graphics seems the recommended choice at this moment.
 
Are those results based on FPS in games? Since I'm looking for a gaming rig, I'll be pretty much looking for parts that give me highest FPS for a decent price.
 
The i7 won't offer anything for gaming over the AMD Phenom II X4-965. The GPU is the most important part as the AMD is more than capable.

i7 is for faster multi-tasking, converting video etc, or PC enthusiast. If you have the money then Intel is the best you can buy.
 
Shokz, it seemed uncalled for to mention Horde on this; the truth is not always black or white. See my opinion above, sorry if my previous statement "quoting/interpreting" Horde lead to misunderstandings.

Sorry Horde, i was a bit harsh - i understand if you're happy with the card - i'm a person that likes to game with all the eye candy on so i guess i'm not viewing the topic perfectly objectively.

At the others (Chromatic and Vince), you're right about processor and graphics card combinations - by all means, go for a Core i5 750 / Core i5 860 / Core i7 920 if you have the cash available, but if going with such a processor is going to mean sacrificing the graphics card performance somewhat then it's always best to go with a worse CPU rather than a worse GPU. For gaming, it's far better for the graphics card to be held back a little by the CPU than have the CPU flying along and the graphics card being a non starter.

Even relatively "budget" CPUs these days are better than my Core 2 Quad Q6600 from a couple of years ago and it's supporting a GTX260 fine (the only games that suffer noticeably from the poorer CPU are Crysis (i get the same performance whether i have 0xAA or 8xAA turned on) and GTAIV). A Phenom II X3 720 is a great CPU to go for considering its price.
 
Went for the i7 920 /6Gbytes / HD5850 offer. A bit over budget, oh well, but quite convinced the HD5850 will be a blast.

When needed it seems possible to: Core i7-920 CPU managed to increase its clock speed by 40% reaching 3.8GHz. (even found 4.1 Ghz, but there you need better cooling)

===================
Misunderstood the ordering on the site, the PC has been travelling all around France, but does not seem to find its way to me :yuck:

===================

Got Money back from first order and picked it up elsewhere. Great graphics on this thing and quick with the i7 920 and Windows 7!
 
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