Buying new PC

[deriik2020]

I'm looking for informed opinions from people. I have an older HP pavillion dv7 notebook PC with a AMD Turion II Dual Core Mobile M520 2.3 GHz Radeon HD 4200 Dual core so it's essentially a piece of crap for playing newer games like D3.

The guy on the phone was looking to sell me an intel i (4 or 6 or something) with HD Radeon somewhere in the 6-7000 range (Depending on which i chose). 2.4Ghz Quad Core. I think the RAM was 6 GB

Is this a good enough cpu? What price should I be looking at for a cpu like this or should I go for the Black Pearl or something?

I was looking at a list of top ten gaming PC's and black pearl was number one but the problem is if you want to order one they give you a drop down menu of 300+ choices to custom build the thing and I am utterly clueless (Ok relatively clueless b/c I know some things like that the vid card has to be in the 6-7000 range if I go with another HD Radeon) about what to pick. I don't want to break any forum rules so i won't post a link to the site. But if it's ok to do so then I will post a link

Thanks for any help



Moved from PC Gaming

Anandtech Moderator
KeithTalent

 

[Tweak155]

This is too vague. There are no I 4's or 6's, only 3's, 5's and 7's and it matters if it is 3 and 5 or 5 and 7.

Are you returning to another laptop or is this a desktop?

Also what is your budget?

Way way too vague. You can get an AWESOME card in the Radeon 6000-7000 range or you can get one that is no better than onboard intel.

 

[Dankk]

1) There's over a dozen different Intel CPUs with "i" in the title, so saying that it's an Intel i-"something" processor is a bit vague. We'll need more detail than that.

2) Just because the GPU is in the 6000 or 7000 series, doesn't mean it's good enough for gaming. Each series has it's low-end models and high-end models.

3) I've never heard of a Black Pearl before, but upon Googling it, it appears to be a CyberPower model of computer? I would strongly recommend against buying anything from CyberPower. Their quality has seriously tanked over the past few years.

4) Your post doesn't really belong in the PC gaming forum; but I'm sure a mod would be happy to move it into the General Hardware forum. That would be a good place to go for newbies who need help picking out different specifications and parts.

There are plenty of communities out there who can help you build your own PC. It's significantly cheaper than buying one pre-built, you have total control over the construction, and you'll learn new things along the way. Anandtech is certainly a good place for this. I'd also suggest looking at http://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc.

 

[PhoenixEnigma]

Best bet is to go over to the General Hardware subforum, fill out this form, and start a new thread with it. Folks' get you hooked up.

 

[deriik2020]

I coulda sworn he said Intel i 4 on the phone but his accent stunk but thats apparently not one of the options so it was probably a 5. I couldn't tell what number he was saying unfortunately. Budget wise somewhere from 800-1400. Since my first line of questioning sucked how bout this. For that price range is there a good CPU I could order that would work perfectly for newer games like D3 and of course what would it/they be called? Thanks again. Ill be taking this question over to that gen hardware section

 

[DaveSimmons]

Good idea. If you read a few of the gaming system threads in General Hardware you'll have a much better idea of what you should get in that price range.

 

[Dankk]

For that price range is there a good CPU I could order that would work perfectly for newer games like D3 and of course what would it/they be called? Thanks again. Ill be taking this question over to that gen hardware section

For your price range, the i5 2500k is perfect. In fact you can safely bet that most people will recommend that processor for any standard gaming build.

There's a wonderful infographic right here that list the best parts for different budgets. Take a look at the right-most column where it shows the final price, scroll down until you find the budget that matches yours, and look at the hardware it recommends. It should be somewhere along those lines.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af150/The_FalconO6/CurrentLogicalPCBuyingGuide/Guide.png

 

[DSF]

When you say "is there a good CPU I could order" are you referring literally to the CPU (that is, just the processor) or to the whole box?

 

[deriik2020]

When you say "is there a good CPU I could order" are you referring literally to the CPU (that is, just the processor) or to the whole box?

I mean the entire computer my bad. Here I have been waiting several hours for an answer on this one in another thread but aside from the i5 previously mentioned for 800 I'm thinking of ordering this instead:
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/C...er_Black_Pearl

CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-3820 Quad-Core 3.60 GHz 10MB Intel Smart Cache LGA2011 (All Venom OC Certified)
HDD 1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 32MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Drive)
MEMORY: 8GB (2GBx4) DDR3/1600MHz Quad Channel Memory (Corsair or Major Brand)
MOTHERBOARD (3-Way SLI Support) ASRock X79 Extreme 4 Intel X79 Chipset Quad Channel DDR3 ATX w/ UEFI bios, XFast LAN, Charger, & USB Technology, 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB3.0, SATA-III RAID, 3 Gen3 PCIe X16, 2 PCIe X1 & 2 PCI
SOUNd HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
VIDEO: AMD Radeon HD 6870 1GB 16X PCIe Video Card (Major Brand Powered by AMD)
For 1200


I figure for 1200 bucks if this is really a lot better then I would rather go with this especially if it will be relevant and capable of playing newer games for a longer time. If this computer will allow me to go and play games as well as possible as soon as I get it in then I'm going to go with this one unless someone has any insight/objection

and again thanks for the help folks

 

[lehtv]

First off, start with our questionnaire

The build above isn't good. $1200 for a gaming PC with only a 6870? Ridiculously bad value for money. That's because of the overpriced LGA2011 platform. You will not need an i7-3820 which is a hyperthreaded quad core and games don't need more than four threads, many are still limited to two. Go with LGA1155 and an i5.

Are you willing to build it yourself (saving money in the process), of course with our help in picking you the right parts? The build process itself is not difficult. Even if it is your first build, all you need is a few hours of preparation by reading/watching guides and familiarizing yourself with the basics. If you get into trouble you can always post here.

 

[deriik2020]

First off, start with our questionnaire

The build above isn't good. $1200 for a gaming PC with only a 6870? Ridiculously bad value for money. That's because of the overpriced LGA2011 platform. You will not need an i7-3820 which is a hyperthreaded quad core and games don't need more than four threads, many are still limited to two. Go with LGA1155 and an i5.

Are you willing to build it yourself (saving money in the process), of course with our help in picking you the right parts? The build process itself is not difficult. Even if it is your first build, all you need is a few hours of preparation by reading/watching guides and familiarizing yourself with the basics. If you get into trouble you can always post here.

Just want to order an already built PC to play newer games on like D3, Battlefield, WOW while getting normal performance. Right now im with a Radeon HD 4200 and D3 is like molasses. Im in the US and im from 800-1400 bucks budget wise.

 

[DaveSimmons]

If you want to buy from CyberPower, start with the Zeus 1000 (base price $1125):

- i5-3570K ("free upgrade from 2550K")
- 8 GB RAM
- Z77 motherboard

Upgrade the video card to either a
a) Geforce 560 ti = +$86
b) Geforce 670 = +$310 (slightly over budget)

If you just get the Geforce 560 ti then you could afford a 120 GB SSD boot drive and second 1 TB data drive (+$158 total).

 

[lehtv]

$800 would almost get you a 3570K + 560 Ti custom build... Really, you'd be wasting cash with a CyberPower.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Last time I checked the premium was only about $200 on a CyberPower system, assuming you can't get a MicroCenter deal on the CPU + MB, but that turns a $900 build into an $1,100 one or a $1,100 one into $1,300.

If deriik2020 is willing to spend a couple of hours with a screwdriver then building it him/herself is the better choice but not everyone wants to do that.

 

[deriik2020]

If you want to buy from CyberPower, start with the Zeus 1000 (base price $1125):

- i5-3570K ("free upgrade from 2550K")
- 8 GB RAM
- Z77 motherboard

Upgrade the video card to either a
a) Geforce 560 ti = +$86
b) Geforce 670 = +$310 (slightly over budget)

If you just get the Geforce 560 ti then you could afford a 120 GB SSD boot drive and second 1 TB data drive (+$158 total).

Not married to cyberpower no That was just one cpu I was looking at because when I went online and typed "top ten gaming PC's" ina s earch engine that one won number 1 so I wanted to see if it truly was #1 in your opinions.

Like I said above just want to be able to order a PC for around 1100 give or take a few hundred that will do all the stuff I said above as far as playing games to the point where they don't run at a snails pace. I also am assuming these things work on windows and will let me run all the usual internet browsers and microsoft office, etc..

Anyone willing to put together a list of good pre built computers to order online based on that criteria? Much appreciated

So one thing I have picked out thanks on your responses is go with an i5. Woo we're narrowing down the list. Also what's the lowest video card I could get? Like the HD Radeon has tons in the 6000 range. I originally thought I'd be good if I'm in that range but is it maybe a case where a 62ish is too cruddy and the minimum I should get is a 6700? Or is it now more about getting a 7000+. I know nothing about the Geforce other than what this post just said. I obviously don't want to get a vid card that is going to still be crappy after all of this but I dont even know what the minimum would be for a good card. Also is there an advantage to the Geforce over the Radeon? On top of getting a new computer I am also trying to learn how this all works. I've been trying to watch videos and read articles about stuff but it's a very long slow process because Im starting with a knowledge base of 0

 

[DSF]

I hope this comment doesn't come off as snarky, superior or sarcastic, because I don't intend for it to be any of those things.

You're coming to a forum populated by people who enjoy building and tinkering with their own machines, and asking for advice about who sells the best prebuilt gaming PCs. It's not that we don't want to be helpful, but I would venture to guess that most of the regulars here don't have a truly informed opinion about who makes the best prebuilts.

If you're deadset on getting it prebuilt, here are the two routes I would probably take:

1) Let us help you come up with a parts list as though you were building it yourself that's about $200 below your budget. That should leave enough room in the budget for a building service. Then shop that list of parts around the various online prebuilt stores and see who can give you the best deal, or the best combination of machine and warranty. (Not that I encourage spending extra on generally unnecessary protection plans, but if one company throws in a three year warranty, that's something to consider if you don't want to deal with troubleshooting yourself.

2) Get that parts list from us as in step 1, and then go talk to some local mom and pop computer stores near you. The ones I know of in my area do custom builds, and they may be willing to work with you on price.

 

[deriik2020]

I hope this comment doesn't come off as snarky, superior or sarcastic, because I don't intend for it to be any of those things.

You're coming to a forum populated by people who enjoy building and tinkering with their own machines, and asking for advice about who sells the best prebuilt gaming PCs. It's not that we don't want to be helpful, but I would venture to guess that most of the regulars here don't have a truly informed opinion about who makes the best prebuilts.

If you're deadset on getting it prebuilt, here are the two routes I would probably take:

1) Let us help you come up with a parts list as though you were building it yourself that's about $200 below your budget. That should leave enough room in the budget for a building service. Then shop that list of parts around the various online prebuilt stores and see who can give you the best deal, or the best combination of machine and warranty. (Not that I encourage spending extra on generally unnecessary protection plans, but if one company throws in a three year warranty, that's something to consider if you don't want to deal with troubleshooting yourself.

2) Get that parts list from us as in step 1, and then go talk to some local mom and pop computer stores near you. The ones I know of in my area do custom builds, and they may be willing to work with you on price.

I posted a link earlier from a cyberpower website where the site offered the chance to custom build the computer from basically 0. You could choose the casing, vid card, processor, etc. So I was hoping someone with knowledge of individual parts would see this plethora of part options and tell me what I should be getting. Then I would click all those choices and order the PC pre built based on the individual parts you guys tell me to get. Several people seemed meh on cyberpower so since they know ordering from cyberpower is meh I figured they might direct me to better websites after all if they have knowledge that cyberpower stinks perhaps they'd know which site is good as far as ordering custom PC's.

I might have actually found a friend to help me self build but same thing applies I still was looking for a list of individual parts that would result in a good modern gaming PC.

I tried originally going off of what tiny amount of knowledge I have to pick my own parts and simply get an opinion from you guys (see earlier in this thread) but my choices were apparently pretty crappy (I figured they would be haha) so I'm now at "Get an i5" and so now my more recent question is in my previous post about video cards.

I AM looking to order a pre built PC but I am also looking to pick each individual part that will go into this pre built PC. Essentially I have a "friend" who is willing to build me a PC (I might actually have one who is also willing to show me how to build it in person tho i'm not sure bout that) but first I need all of the parts. Is this scenario a little bit better?

I have definitely been open to option 1 and as far as option 2 that's what I've been wanting to do only I was looking to do it through an online store instead of a local place tho if I can find a local place (Or a friend) capable of doing so I would go to them instead of the online thing.

 

[lehtv]

Even if you're ordering prebuilt, you should still answer the questionnaire I linked. I didn't post it for no reason. In particular, info we don't yet have:

- monitor resolution?
- do you want overclock the CPU?

I can't recommend any build, custom or prebuilt, before I know answers to these.

 

[deriik2020]

I was looking at a list of top ten gaming PC's and black pearl was number one but the problem is if you want to order one they give you a drop down menu of 300+ choices to custom build the thing and I am utterly clueless (Ok relatively clueless b/c I know some things like that the vid card has to be in the 6-7000 range if I go with another HD Radeon) about what to pick. I don't want to break any forum rules so i won't post a link to the site. But if it's ok to do so then I will post a link

Thanks for any help

See from the start I was looking for someone to tell me what individual parts to order and I've been very open about my cluelessness

 

[deriik2020]

Even if you're ordering prebuilt, you should still answer the questionnaire I linked. I didn't post it for no reason. In particular, info we don't yet have:

- monitor resolution?
- do you want overclock the CPU?

I can't recommend any build, custom or prebuilt, before I know answers to these.

I did several times but I dont know enough to say what the monitor resolution is I assumed you guys knew what the bare minimums would be, what's normally acceptable, etc and based on my price and the website link I provided pick up from there again I don't know what I'm doing at all nobody seems to want to believe me when I say that haha. I said all I want is to be able to play games I didn't originally know if that requires overclocking or not but based on what I know now it would seem that just to play games would not require overclocking provided I order the right stuff. I did not even know overclocking existed when I first asked so I did not know to ask about it. After reading the questionairre I honestly thought I had provided enough info so it's not that i'm ignoring your questionairre apparently thanks to my lack of knowledge I thought I had answered it but am so lost here that I left out what likely seems like basic info to you but might as well be chinese to me

Again Im clueless and hoping you guys could give a list of acceptable parts that when assembled result in a PC capable of just playing some games at a normal acceptable speed. You can really pick any parts you want and go nuts doing whatever just so long as it stays within a 900-1400 range. I obviously dont want to do anything crazy with the PC, don't want to overclock (now that I know what that is woo learning as I go). Just want to play some D3, browse the internet, do my usual work on word, excel and powerpoint. So really go nuts If you know a good website where I can pick and choose parts (Like the cyberpower link I provided as an example) you could direct me to that site with a list of parts to choose. I'm trying to be as explicit as possible to help you guys help me I'm sorry if I leave anything out just keep telling me (Like you did with this overclocking issue) and I'll keep clarifying. Again I'm sorry I keep thinking I've been clear but I just don't even know the basics which makes it hard for me to be as clear maybe as you are used to.

 

[deriik2020]

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

Just the games and of course normal PC stuff like internet browsing, word, excel, powerpoint, thats really about it.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
800-1400
3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
Doesn't matter. I'm in America but don't care. if I order from wherever

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
Nope too clueless to be one

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
See aforementioned cluelessness haha. No
*

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
I now know that definitely not b/c all I;m doing is playing some games at normal settings.

8. What resolution will you be using?
Don't know what would be good? Based on whatever PC you tell me to build and what my PC needs would require

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Within a two week span I would hope

 

[mnewsham]

Not married to cyberpower no That was just one cpu I was looking at because when I went online and typed "top ten gaming PC's" ina s earch engine that one won number 1 so I wanted to see if it truly was #1 in your opinions.

Like I said above just want to be able to order a PC for around 1100 give or take a few hundred that will do all the stuff I said above as far as playing games to the point where they don't run at a snails pace. I also am assuming these things work on windows and will let me run all the usual internet browsers and microsoft office, etc..

Anyone willing to put together a list of good pre built computers to order online based on that criteria? Much appreciated

So one thing I have picked out thanks on your responses is go with an i5. Woo we're narrowing down the list. Also what's the lowest video card I could get? Like the HD Radeon has tons in the 6000 range. I originally thought I'd be good if I'm in that range but is it maybe a case where a 62ish is too cruddy and the minimum I should get is a 6700? Or is it now more about getting a 7000+. I know nothing about the Geforce other than what this post just said. I obviously don't want to get a vid card that is going to still be crappy after all of this but I dont even know what the minimum would be for a good card. Also is there an advantage to the Geforce over the Radeon? On top of getting a new computer I am also trying to learn how this all works. I've been trying to watch videos and read articles about stuff but it's a very long slow process because Im starting with a knowledge base of 0

to make it simple for you I preconfigured a system I would personally not mind buying (tho I would build myself and save a few hundred bucks)
It has windows 7 64bit and all the goodies, only thing it is missing is a solid state drive, but if you have never used a computer with an SSD you wont miss it.

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/saved/1E6FG5
This link is good for 7 days ONLY. after that the link will expire.

for anyone who doesn't wanna browse it is:
i5-3450
2x 6950
8GB RAM
windows 7
1TB HDD

$1243


EDIT: since I see it looks like you need a monitor throw this in for about $110
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824009306
Use promo code "EMCNEJB45" If you're buying it today, if not it will be around $120

 

[lehtv]

Oh, I thought you already had a monitor for this build. That explains a lot. If you don't have one, buy a 1080p monitor, as in 1920 x 1080 pixels as that is the standard these days .

OK, not overclocking. I can quote you a build from CyberPowerPC and an equivalent but inevitably less expensive custom build from newegg in case you decide to build it yourself or have someone build it for you. It's not that difficult even for first timers and it saves you money, so I will of course recommend it over CyberPowerPC, take from that what you will.

Now you don't need a monster PC to play D3. It's a fairly low-requirement game. But given your budget it's a good idea to exceed D3 requirements so that you're not running an obsolete system too soon.

CyberpowerPC build $1177 incl. monitor, mouse, keyboard, OS

Will edit soon with equivalent custom build

edit: and here's the custom build

CPU i5-3450 $190
Mobo Asrock H77 mobo $95
RAM 2x4GB DDR3 $43
GPU Sapphire 6950 2GB $200
HDD WD Caviar Black 1TB $120
Optical drive: Samsung DVDRW $17
PSU: PC P&C 500W $48 after rebate
Case: Fractal Design Core 3000 $70

OS: Win7 64bit OEM $100
Monitor: Asus VH238H $165 after rebate
Mouse and keyboard: basic $20

Total = $1068

So you'd save about $100, partly because of getting to choose from a wider selection of components. Surprisingly good deal from Cyberpower though. Given that you get 3-year warranty and technical support from Cyberpower, perhaps it is the better choice for you

 

[Pr0d1gy]

For what it's worth I joined this community in 2005 in anticipation of running a huge BF2 clan from early beta, to infinity, AND BEYOND.

Seriously though, I put together my own PC for the first time a couple or few months later, not sure exactly when, I finally threw it all together and it ran at blazing speeds for almost 7 years before it finally went bye-bye. I built this computer with advice from here for an initial investment of about $700. I bought a new processor, which is what they mean when they say CPU, and a new video card which obvioulsy does the movies, games, vids, etc, for about $250 a year later and switched it out myself and had the top end gear that sold for $3000 the year before in a bunk little plastic and aluminum case and it always ran hot....but it ran fast and strong and kicked so much ass until the last month or two before it died.

It was a great experience but it is a time investment and that is what you must determine. Probably 1 to 5 hours to put it together and load up Windows if you are well prepared. After that it should just be the usual stuff you do now with your computers for the most part but, and this is the really good part, if something goes wrong you can fix it yourself. If you want to upgrade you can do it yourself with a strongly future-proofed motherboard. It is another hobby basically, one with tremendous benefits. I certainly could not afford to build the PC I wanted when I came here in 2005, but with some great advice here I got exactly what I wanted long term and got it for a fraction of the cost.

Obviously though, I had plenty of time on my hands and not a lot of disposable cash. If your situation is different than mine was and losing your PC in 3 years wouldn't bother you then you might want to opt for the prebuilt.

 

[deriik2020]

Good news is I found someone who can help me build it so i don't butcvher it and this advice has been great sorry for any lack of clarity earlier.