Do YOU know what pc/vid card to buy?

[seth-flesh]

I don't know shit bout puters.

My accountants puter went bad. I'm going to give her mine, p4 3 ghz. I dont what what my vid card is but its like 14 yrs old.

I want to know what tower and vid card I should get, is there some sort of consensus? I went to bestbuy and the two peeps there clearly enjoyed talking about what they know but I could tell they didn't. I am a salesman after all.

I want something thats first person shooter proof for the next five years. That's my only criteria. I'll just be using it for net browsing, email, etc aside from fps games.

Thanks.

Also, if you know where to buy it for a deal lmk.

[haunted]

You should post what you want to use it for specifically, as in.. you can get a board that will run q2 beautifully, you can get an actual relatively decent video card that will handle the vast majority of games, or top of the line.

[seth-flesh]

Good point.

How about this puter gods. If i want to spend 700's total on a tower plus vid card. What would you get? It doesn't count if you have to build it because I can't build it, it has to be something I can just buy online or at a store. If 700s is too low, IDK, then I can go higher but let's start at 700s. Thanks in advance.

[Chargers]

There are other posts on this subject and on almost every gaming or computer forum.  And of course, nearly everyone has an opinion on the subject.
So, I'll try to say something that should be useful to you.

1) I agree with Haunted, no matter who you are, you should buy the computer that matches your individual computer needs.  For most people here, they run Windows7 OS, play current 3D/2D games, watch videos online, listen to streaming music, browse the internet, edit video, etc...

In contrast, if you wanted a Linux webserver, or did extensive video editing, or required special audio recording hardware interfaces, etc... then you would want to customize your purchase to meet those specific needs.

2) Legacy concerns.
a) if you wish to install an earlier OS, (say Fedora9 or WindowsXP), then you need to keep that in mind. Don't get a state of the art RAID or a 3Tb hard drive.  It needs to be hardware that those OSs will have drivers for.
If you are interested in running WindowsXP, then you need:  XP drivers for your motherboard(make sure they exist before you buy it), XP-compatible drivers for your soundcard and graphics card, XP(even XP-SP3, in my experience) cannot install on a partition that is more than 1Tb? in size... it also has issues with some SCSI/SATA/RAID drivers(even with a third-party "floppy" disk).

b) If you plan on running a virtual machine environment(like VMWare or Microsoft's built-in VM) to host an earlier OS inside Windows7, then make sure you get enough RAM to cover that.
Note, only some versions of Windows7 come with the built-in VPC stuff.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/products/compare

3) I play OLD games like Quake3, so the cheapest computer they sell is 10x the computer I need.(with the exception of needing a real(not onboard) graphics card that does 2D and 3D)
My last computer cost me $400 with 512Mb Graphics card included.
But I assume you wish to play the newest games.

a) Make sure you have enough PCI/PCI-e slots.
Sounds silly, but it is easy to buy a computer(especially a little lower-end computer) and not have enough slots for a network card(if not onboard), a good soundcard, a graphics card, and a TV capture card(if you do such things).  Many PCs only have 1 PCI-e slot.

b) If you are MAKING your own computer from parts, make sure you have enough IDE/SCSI slots and power inputs.

c) HD15, DVI-I, DVI-D, HDMI
This is not my expertise, but if you want to use multiple screens or output your computer display to your 65" screen(so your in=laws can watch your EDL games in full glory), then you should consider the right video outputs for your graphics card for your needs.

4) Do just a little homework.
My quick online recommendation is to view the computers that Dell is selling.  Review their Alienware top of the line computers down to the bottom ones.  That way you know what you are getting for the extra money.
It is rarely worth it to buy at the very top end or cutting edge technology.
Don't buy a 1Mb graphics card if you are going to swap in a much better one anyway... same thing with the monitor or the soundcard.
As for what videocard to get, I recommend looking at the min/max specs for the current PC games you are interested in. 

5) Online purchasing
Buying it online is a good deal, but only from a reputable seller.(obviously)
a) WindowsVista/7 removed audio internal DRM recording(eg. ripping audio CDs to mp3s).  You can get around this by having an external jack input capable soundcard.
b) Windows7 requires activation(but you know that already).
c) If you buy from a vendor like Dell, get a re-installation DVD/USB drive.

6) Lastly, I recommend this: http://clonezilla.org/

[[BTF]Sigma]

http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc/

Tonnes of info in the sidebar of this subreddit (subforum). If you are intimidated about building a PC there is a plethora of info to be gleaned from this page.


*here's a helpful plugin that adds features to the reddit.com site (Reddit Enhancement Suite)

[seth-flesh]

Ok, like I said, puters are not my friend and I'm not interested making them my friend atm. I'm trying to get this in languange that I understand.

5 yrs future proff for FPS games other than that just u know itunes, web browsing, emailing, word and excell docs. That's it. The only thing I can think of that might be lame is if my microsoft word and excel etc had to be repurchased because of the operating system. Or, if my speakers mouse keyboard monitor didn't work w the OS. I will make sure it has enough power for the vid card and that it has plenty of pci-e slots.

Maybe we could do it like this, if you were guessing and I gave you a license to be a lilttle inaccurate, what would this 5 yr future proof machine have? What would you need to be a lilttle overkill for todays most powerful fps games?

2 core's or 5 or more?

Nvidia (enterspecialvidcard#s here) or better?

4 gigs of ram or 8 or more?

I'm very sorry if I've let you down, there are people like me who make puter decisions this way. 

[Chargers]

Well, in that case, I would contact one of the many people here that have recently bought/acquired a new computer.  Reflex, VaeVictis, Focolar, etc...
They should have better insight into answering that question that I do.

I would think that you would want:
- Windows7 64bit (not sure which, perhaps Ultimate or just Premium)
- Intel i7 processor at at least 3.4Ghz speed
- at least 8GB RAM
- a graphics card with at least 2Gb RAM
- extras like a BluRayRW drive and a solidstate hdd are a waste of money and have limitations, IMHO.
- soundcard quality, wireless capabilities, monitor type and size, SD card readers(memory cards that are in your digital camera), number of USB ports, etc... are to a purchaser's needs and personal taste.  (most of these will come with your computer whether you want them or not)

good luck.. and I disagree.

[seth-flesh]

Thanks Elysium.

Sounds like maybe i should upgrade the processor and get the v card to 2gb ram. Maybe get a m board with more slots as well. Any idea howmuch that would cost?

When I look at prices at say dell or best buy, in terms of Ram, vid card, cores (which is all i somewhat understand) it looks like i can get more for my money than what you suggested. Is this because the other parts involved are sub par? Also, which is more important for my goals? More cores, ram, better vid card, or are the other components just as important or more important?

[yahoo]

I want something thats first person shooter proof for the next five years. That's my only criteria.

idk about fps games but from what i had observed, in generality, everytime they come out with a new game, it demands more hardware most specially on the vid card requirements. 5 years may a bit long.

[adz1La]

ELYSIUM ONE VERSUS ONE BRO?!

[seth-flesh]

Thanks a bunch ely. I'm just going to take your build and your hierarchy chart to the store tomake sure it's apples to apples. Thanks again man.

[seth-flesh]

what do you think of this build? it includes $70 for expedited shipping anything you would add/subtract? Price wo shipping is about 1130, it's the best I've found w/vid card for the money... based on the little i know...ofc

Configuration
•CPU: Intel® Core™ i5-3570K 3.40 GHz 6MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1155 (All Venom OC Certified)•HDD: 1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 32MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Drive)•MEMORY: 8GB (2GBx4) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory [-2] (Corsair or Major Brand)•MOTHERBOARD: * [CrossFireX] Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H Intel Z77 Chipset DDR3 ATX Mainboard w/ IRST, Lucid Virtu MVP, Ultra Durable4 Classic, 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, 2x Gen3 PCIe x16, 3x PCIe x1 & 2 PCI (Extreme OC Certified)•SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO•VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 1.2GB 16X PCIe Video Card [+207] (MSI Twin Frozr II OC 750 Mhz Powered by NVIDIA)
•*BASE_PRICE: [+749]
•BLUETOOTH: None
•CAS: Thermaltake Level 10GTS Mid Tower Gaming Case w/ EasySwap HDD bays, 2x Front USB 3.0 Ports, & Headset Holder (White Color)
•CASUPGRADE: None
•CD: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLACK COLOR)
•CD2: None
•COOLANT: Standard Coolant
•CPU: Intel® Core™ i5-3570K 3.40 GHz 6MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1155 (All Venom OC Certified)
•CS_FAN: Default case fans
•ENGRAVING: None
•FA_HDD: None
•FAN: Asetek 510LC Liquid Cooling System 120MM Radiator & Fan (Enhanced Cooling Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA) (Single Standard 120MM Fan)
•FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)
•FREEBIE_CU: None
•GLASSES: None
•HDD: 1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 32MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Drive)
•HDD2: None
•IEEE_CARD: None
•IUSB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
•KEYBOARD: Xtreme Gear (Black Color) Multimedia/Internet USB Keyboard
•MB_SRT: None
•MEMORY: 8GB (2GBx4) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory [-2] (Corsair or Major Brand)
•MONITOR: None
•MONITOR2: None
•MONITOR3: None
•MOTHERBOARD: * [CrossFireX] Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H Intel Z77 Chipset DDR3 ATX Mainboard w/ IRST, Lucid Virtu MVP, Ultra Durable4 Classic, 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, 2x Gen3 PCIe x16, 3x PCIe x1 & 2 PCI (Extreme OC Certified)
•MOUSE: XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse
•NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
•OS: Microsoft® Windows 7 Home Premium [+104] (64-bit Edition)
•OVERCLOCK: No Overclocking
•POWERSUPPLY: 1,000 Watts - Standard Power Supply - SLI/CrossFireX Ready [+67]
•RUSH: RUSH!!! READY TO SHIP IN 3 BUSINESS DAYS [+69]
•SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
•SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
•SPEAKERS: None
•TEMP: None
•TUNING: None
•TVRC: None
•USB: None
•USBFLASH: None
•USBHD: None
•USBX: None
•VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 1.2GB 16X PCIe Video Card [+207] (MSI Twin Frozr II OC 750 Mhz Powered by NVIDIA)
•VIDEO2: None
•VIDEO3: None
•WNC: None
•_PRICE: (+1194)
•_view_: {F5E4A1C0-4752-4574-8C20-F872C77035E8}
•_load_: 5/30/2012 2:58:41 PM

[seth-flesh]

Thanks bro, you've always been a stand up guy and I appreciate it.

I'll make the ram change.... I had a feeling it was better in the diff config but wasn't sure. Also, the power supply required according to the site for the vid card is 698 watts, so the question is, which unit should I get with that in mind? I'll change the case, I have no idea about that. Also, does the type of ram matter? for 8 ram the cost diff is negligible changing from 1333mhz to 1600mhz to 2000mhz or different brands for example.

Thanks.

[seth-flesh]

It's done!

Switched the ram

paid an extra 20 to get a corsair 750 watt

paid another 30 to get noise reduction stuff added, since this is for my office

Be here next week! I can finally leave q2 now, lol

[seth-flesh]

what does 3.0 do?

Does the case I bought have 3.0 on the back? for the mouse and keyboard n stuff.