Ideal rig for excellent PC gaming?

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RikkiGT-R

RikkiGT-R

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IamValhalla
I'm going to buy a new PC in about 3/4 weeks time. I don't have a budget as such, just a need: a state of the art PC for gaming. I only need the tower (or whatever it's called) as I have everything else.

The thing is, I know nothing about PC set-ups so don't know where to start. Google turns up millions of different sites/manufacturers so I'm a bit overwhelmed by the choice before me.

My current set-up is:

Windows 7 home premium

Rating: 5.1

Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU 530 @ 2.93GHz 2.93GHz

Installed RAM: 4.00Gb

64-bit operating system.

The graphics card is a 1Gb GeForce GT220 (or something like that; the GT220 bit is right, but I forget the rest).

HDD is 500Gb fwiw.


I'm assuming I can go much better than that, but what would be realistic? I'm based in the UK so could someone refer me to a reputable PC manufacturer who would build me the ultimate gaming machine?
 
You want a state of the art computer but you already have the parts?

If you consider that a state of the art computer then whats mine?

  • 3x 120Hz 24" Benq XL240T screens
  • 2x ASUS GTX 580
  • Sabertooth X58
  • i7 950 OC´d to 4.3Ghz
  • 2Tb Hard drive
  • 120Gb SSD main hard drive
  • 6Gigs of ram 1600
  • Soundblaster Fatal1ty Pro soundcard

-

  • Logitech Illuminated
  • QPAD 5K Pro Gaming mouse
  • SteelSeries QcK+ 40x45cm

-

  • Z5500 sound system
  • Beats by.dre
 
hampus_dh
You want a state of the art computer but you already have the parts?

If you consider that a state of the art computer then whats mine?

  • 3x 120Hz 24" Benq XL240T screens
  • 2x ASUS GTX 580
  • Sabertooth X58
  • i7 950 OC´d to 4.3Ghz
  • 2Tb Hard drive
  • 120Gb SSD main hard drive
  • 6Gigs of ram 1600
  • Soundblaster Fatal1ty Pro soundcard

-

  • Logitech Illuminated
  • QPAD 5K Pro Gaming mouse
  • SteelSeries QcK+ 40x45cm

-

  • Z5500 sound system
  • Beats by.dre
Click to expand...

I just mean that I have an excellent monitor and sound system, as well as keyboard, mouse and printer (not that a printer matters for gaming). I just want to remove the tower (is that what it's called?) and install a new super-powered one.

I think you've misunderstood me though. The specs I listed are what I currently have for what is just a basic home PC. I want to upgrade. And for what it's worth I have absolutely no idea what any of that means that you just listed there. You might as well have written in Swahili.
 
I'd wait for AMD's Bulldozer chip. I hear great things about it. It just might be worth waiting for.
 
RikkiGT-R
I just mean that I have an excellent monitor and sound system, as well as keyboard, mouse and printer (not that a printer matters for gaming). I just want to remove the tower (is that what it's called?) and install a new super-powered one.

I think you've misunderstood me though. The specs I listed are what I currently have for what is just a basic home PC. I want to upgrade. And for what it's worth I have absolutely no idea what any of that means that you just listed there. You might as well have written in Swahili.
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Ok so by "tower" you mean the computer?

Well if you want a state of the art computer, buy the stuff i have.
It´s pretty damn expensive though.
 
Solid Lifters
I'd wait for AMD's Bulldozer chip. I hear great things about it. It just might be worth waiting for.
Click to expand...

Well it'll be at least 6 to 8 weeks before I move house, and only then will I be shopping for my new computer. I'll be doing a "restore factory image" erm.. thing? on this one and giving it to my brother. The only thing I'll be taking is the monitor, keyboard, surround sound system, mouse etc. So I have some time.

hampus_dh
Ok so by "tower" you mean the computer?

Well if you want a state of the art computer, buy the stuff i have.
It´s pretty damn expensive though.
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:D

Good. So we're getting somewhere. I'll just remind you:

I don't have a budget as such...
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I still don't understand what all that is that you listed, but could you point me in the direction of a reputable manufacturer? Better still; where did you get yours?
 
Where do you live??

Look not for a prebuilt manufacture stuff.
Either built it yourself or let it built by a friend or computershop.

You may also give us your not existing budget or at least an estimate, cause you can built a good gaming rig for 1000€ or 2000€.

Also you may not need the state of the art latest product or top ranged products (like a i7 980X gulftown), because the specs for pc gaming are moving slowly due to the new console life cycle (so a sandy bridge may be "good" enough).

I still have a i7 920 OC to 3.33Ghz and it still runs everything. Have the same specs for 2 years now , and it sill runs strong.
I just may change my graphics card now, i want dx11. (still have a 280Gtx)

If i would have to rebuilt a pc i would go for a

i7 970 gulftown
570 gtx
10gb ram
BluRay burner
Antec or Thermaltake case

= +- 1500€

Change the i7 970 to a 960
the 570 to 470

and you are around 1100€

I know you have a monitor, but i would recommend this one : ACER GN245HQ
3D for PC (1080p 60hz) and PS3 (game 720p 60hz, movie 1080p 24p)
 
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I live in Northern Ireland.

I have a computer shop close by, but that is where I got my current system last summer. I told them the exact same thing then; "build me a great gaming PC..." and this is what I got. So I'm not going back to them.

It's only as I joined gaming forums and such that I realised my PC is actually rubbish for gaming so I'm going for another set-up, but I'm seeking advice first, from guys who know what they are talking about, before I part with any more money
 
RikkiGT-R
I have a computer shop close by, but that is where I got my current system last summer. I told them the exact same thing then; "build me a great gaming PC..." and this is what I got. So I'm not going back to them.
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Did you give them a budget?

RikkiGT-R
It's only as I joined gaming forums and such that I realised my PC is actually rubbish for gaming so I'm going for another set-up, but I'm seeking advice first, from guys who know what they are talking about, before I part with any more money
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It's actually not that bad. If the CPU was overclocked a bit and the graphics card was better, you would have a pretty good system for gaming. The main thing is that the graphics card is very weak.
 
Good fast computer and Good price:

-Intel I5 750
-Nvidia 450GTS (or 460GTX)
-WD 1000gb 64mb cache
-4gb Ram DDR3 (1333mhz)
-600 Watt (Ocz)

I favorite rig! :sly:
 
ROAD_DOGG33J
Did you give them a budget?



It's actually not that bad. If the CPU was overclocked a bit and the graphics card was better, you would have a pretty good system for gaming. The main thing is that the graphics card is very weak.
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Yeah, given that most games are GPU limited now. You'd be fine just upgrading the graphics card. Then in time source an old i5-750/870 when they get cheap.
 
I recommend you get an Intel Sandy Bridge Computer. Something like the Intel Core i5 2500K processor and a latest revision P67 Motherboard. For graphics get a high priced ATI 6XXX series or Nvidia 5XX series graphics card depending on budget. Obviously make sure to get a computer with a good power supply, 700Watt minimum and from a reputable brand. The Sandy Bridge Quad Core processors are much faster than the previous generation i7 Quad Cores due to it being 32nm and also take less power to run too. If you overclock these processors they are as fast or faster than the Six Core i7 980X from the previous generation due to a superiour architecture.

This place seems quite good on prices but I haven't really checked the others out.

http://www.computerplanet.co.uk/custom/intel_h67_p67/step1.html
 
Was that MPlex by any chance?

The problem with computer is, anything you buy and install is quickly outdated 2-3 months down the line. So you really do need to splash out big time to get the best that will hold its value better. If say you ever decide "Ok, I need to cut the games and get a normal everyday use tower".

I work with computers everyday but I dont do PC gaming. Not something I've ever been intrested in sadly :(

Off Topic.... Keep Kinect cameras for the Xbox.... Microsoft have big things planned for that.
 
Jay
X58 isn't state of the art any more.
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Maybe not but it sure holds up just fine and i see no reason to change at all.

Honestly if you want a really fast computer but sort of sensible. Buy the stuff i have. I garantuee you that you will not get dissappointed. My computer has enough power to power a hole city lol.


*ibo* S3 Racer
Where do you live??

Look not for a prebuilt manufacture stuff.
Either built it yourself or let it built by a friend or computershop.

You may also give us your not existing budget or at least an estimate, cause you can built a good gaming rig for 1000€ or 2000€.

Also you may not need the state of the art latest product or top ranged products (like a i7 980X gulftown), because the specs for pc gaming are moving slowly due to the new console life cycle (so a sandy bridge may be "good" enough).

I still have a i7 920 OC to 3.33Ghz and it still runs everything. Have the same specs for 2 years now , and it sill runs strong.
I just may change my graphics card now, i want dx11. (still have a 280Gtx)

If i would have to rebuilt a pc i would go for a

i7 970 gulftown
570 gtx
10gb ram
BluRay burner
Antec or Thermaltake case

= +- 1500€

Change the i7 970 to a 960
the 570 to 470

and you are around 1100€

I know you have a monitor, but i would recommend this one : ACER GN245HQ
3D for PC (1080p 60hz) and PS3 (game 720p 60hz, movie 1080p 24p)
Click to expand...


You dont need a 970, buy a cheaper 950. OC it to 4.3 Ghz and you will enough CPU power for a while.

You don´t need 10Gigs of RAM either. It´s overkill times ten and has no effect in game performance. 4 or 6 will do just fine.

Then you might want to consider a 120Hz screen instead of 60Hz. This will be one of the biggest "wows" out of all the new parts you will buy.
 
hampus_dh
You dont need a 970, buy a cheaper 950. OC it to 4.3 Ghz and you will enough CPU power for a while.

You don´t need 10Gigs of RAM either. It´s overkill times ten and has no effect in game performance. 4 or 6 will do just fine.

Then you might want to consider a 120Hz screen instead of 60Hz. This will be one of the biggest "wows" out of all the new parts you will buy.
Click to expand...

I think his CPU is good for another 1 year and than he could simply upgrade the CPU later.
But as we wants a new PC and give this one to his brother, i would either go for a 1155 or a 1366 socket or go with AMD.

You never have enough GB Ram :D

The screen i noticed in my post is a 120hz
Acer will get out a 27" in a few weeks, Samsung will follow a few weeks later.
The best about these are the 3D. 1080p60hz via PC over nvidia dual dvi and you can attach 3d consumer electronics via HDMI 1.4a (aka ps3 👍)
 
*ibo* S3 Racer
I think his CPU is good for another 1 year and than he could simply upgrade the CPU later.
But as we wants a new PC and give this one to his brother, i would either go for a 1155 or a 1366 socket or go with AMD.

You never have enough GB Ram :D

The screen i noticed in my post is a 120hz
Acer will get out a 27" in a few weeks, Samsung will follow a few weeks later.
The best about these are the 3D. 1080p60hz via PC over nvidia dual dvi and you can attach 3d consumer electronics via HDMI 1.4a (aka ps3 👍)
Click to expand...

Lol unless your a editing pro that does it for a living you don´t need that much ram ;) Might aswell take the money and burn it up.

Many people are missing the good thing about 120Hz screens and think it´s only good for 3D.

Having 120Hz in regular gaming is like night and day compared to 60Hz and you will wonder how the hell you could play with a screen that non responsive ;)

It´s just that good! Just make sure you have a computer that can provide 120Hz in most games. You can also set it at Vsync. The input lag **** is gone. It super direct, super smooth super everything.
 
120Hz is nice, but I prefer the more accurate colors of eIPS. But I also do a lot of photography related stuff.

As for RAM, 4 gigs is more than enough for most people. I have 8 gigs at the moment and rarely use more than half of it unless I'm just leaving stuff open left and right (easier to do on 3 monitors)

Could very easily get away with a graphics card upgrade for the OP and then update the processor as i5's get cheaper. Though I'd also suggest to the OP that you read around a bit and learn some about the specs and system bits because rarely will you get what you want at a fair price if you just walk into a computer shop.

Building a system that will play most games smoothly and building a start of the art bleeding edge system have a price difference of a few thousand dollars usually. My current setup at home does what I want to just fine - runs Source games smoothly, plays SC2 smoothly, and lets me do a lot of power user editing and such with the triple monitors. The tower is under $600 at the point, while 2 of the monitors (21.5 inches) were 250 each and my keyboard (an improted Filco) is about $180.

Lots of ways to spend the money.
 
Will be able to try out 120hz in a few weeks as i will order the 27" display from Acer.
Eager to find out about 120hz, 1080p60hz3D and playing Gt5 and KZ3 in 3d.
though it will change from my 40" bravia :(
Go to switch between the 2 often i suspect.

120Hz is nice, but I prefer the more accurate colors of eIPS....
while 2 of the monitors (21.5 inches) were 250 each
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Sure IPS are alot nicer for TN displays, but they cost soooo much.
Ok you start at 250? € (the cheapest i can get it is viewsonic 24" for 244€) but you can easily go up to 1000€+.
I would also love one for my photos, but i can have everything. Sadly.
 
Azuremen
120Hz is nice, but I prefer the more accurate colors of eIPS. But I also do a lot of photography related stuff.

As for RAM, 4 gigs is more than enough for most people. I have 8 gigs at the moment and rarely use more than half of it unless I'm just leaving stuff open left and right (easier to do on 3 monitors)

Could very easily get away with a graphics card upgrade for the OP and then update the processor as i5's get cheaper. Though I'd also suggest to the OP that you read around a bit and learn some about the specs and system bits because rarely will you get what you want at a fair price if you just walk into a computer shop.

Building a system that will play most games smoothly and building a start of the art bleeding edge system have a price difference of a few thousand dollars usually. My current setup at home does what I want to just fine - runs Source games smoothly, plays SC2 smoothly, and lets me do a lot of power user editing and such with the triple monitors. The tower is under $600 at the point, while 2 of the monitors (21.5 inches) were 250 each and my keyboard (an improted Filco) is about $180.

Lots of ways to spend the money.
Click to expand...

Yea i guess choosing between LCD or IPS depends on what you will do.

But for gaming, today, IPS screens are to "slow". 2-5ms is where you should look if your planning on using it mostly for gaming that is.

And vice versa, IPS screen just rapes gaming screens when it comes to picture quality etc.
 
ROAD_DOGG33J
Did you give them a budget?
Click to expand...

No, because I didn't really have a budget then. Nor do I have one now.

I just want to buy an excellent 'tower' for gaming. Money isn't an object/barrier, but I'm not intending to spend, say, £2000 if it's totally unnecessary.
 
why do you call it a tower?

Tower is the case, only the case and when you say tower you refer to the tallest cases you can buy pretty much.

computer should do the trick instead.
 
hampus_dh
why do you call it a tower?

Tower is the case, only the case and when you say tower you refer to the tallest cases you can buy pretty much.

computer should do the trick instead.
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I dunno - I thought that is what it's called. I'll use computer from now on.

DQuaN
Novatech is where I get all my parts from, they do good systems too. www.novatech.co.uk

If you really want a gaming powerhouse then go to www.overclockers.co.uk

No budget? Try this!... Or even THIS!!!! :eek:
Click to expand...

Cheers 👍

Finally someone links me to reputable dealers/manufacturers. But to be fair, the ones you suggested are a bit overkill :D

This is a bit more realistic - http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/pc/range/ireign.html
 
The first suggestion is pretty much the same computer as i have.

Don´t know why anyone would buy a i7 990X OC´d to 4.2Ghz.

I can get that out of my i7 950 without any problems. Even 4.3 should be possible.

If you want to save money, build the computer by yourself.
 
RikkiGT-R
I dunno - I thought that is what it's called. I'll use computer from now on.



Cheers 👍

Finally someone links me to reputable dealers/manufacturers. But to be fair, the ones you suggested are a bit overkill :D

This is a bit more realistic - http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/pc/range/ireign.html
Click to expand...

That computer seems quite expensive for the performance you are getting as well as it having an outdated processor. It won't have a good resale value as it is already the old generation.

Just get a Core i5 2500K system and it will beat that i7 950 by quite a bit, it even beats the Six Core i7 980x while using less power and if you overclock it should run rings around the 950.

You can build a GTX 580 system with 2500K processor for the same price as the system you linked at computerplanet.co.uk .

Best thing is if it is true you can upgrade your CPU later to an Ivy Bridge processor which should bring at least 30-40% boost while taking just the same power in a years time. If you sell the 2500K in a years time, you should be able to get at least £100 for it and then you can get an Ivy Bridge CPU for about £160.

Upgrade your GPU to a 28nm graphics card in 2012 and it should give another 40% boost and lower power consumption too. Even if you don't do it yourself, you should be able to get someone upgrade the graphics card and CPU for you in a years time and you will get at least a 30-40% boost in both processor and graphics while your computer being much quieter when web browsing due to taking a lot less power. If you do it yourself it won't cost too much to upgrade, about £100 if you are wise selling the parts and buying them.

Personally I would get something like HD 6870, because it takes very little power and you get a lot of performance per watt. Best thing is though, you have a lot less money to lose come a years time when graphics cards like the GTX 580 will be like half the price. Whatever you do don't get an old generation system, get a Sandy Bridge system which most likely will be faster than AMD Bulldozer when it comes out too.
 
Or, you can wait 5 years and it will destroy everything you can buy today.

Basically. Technology is always improving. There is no "right" time to buy anything. It´s not only improving, it´s accelerating so at the end of the day it doesn´t really matter what you buy since it will be old tomorrow.
 
hampus_dh
Or, you can wait 5 years and it will destroy everything you can buy today.

Basically. Technology is always improving. There is no "right" time to buy anything. It´s not only improving, it´s accelerating so at the end of the day it doesn´t really matter what you buy since it will be old tomorrow.
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Well you can buy all the things I listed above now. Why buy nearly 2 year old outdated parts for the same money as the newer faster ones currently out on the market which is about only a month old? Sandy Bridge will be only old next year, and the best thing is the CPU will be upgradeable to the next-generation without having to buy a new motherboard if the sources are true.

Anyway the tips I gave above, if kept too every year or so will keep your computer current and it is not much hassle and you will lose a lot less money while gaining 30%+ performance every year depending on good the manufacturing technology improves. As far as silicone goes, in a few years from now, it will hit a dead end and a new material will have to be used.
 
So it´s possible to buy 28nm graphics cards that will arrive in 2012, right now?

I´m not saying he shouldn´t buy the stuff you said. I just said that it really doesn´t matter since technology accelerates. Meaning everything that´s newer will also get older more quickly.

Basically, buy what´s in store now and be happy.
 

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