PC Building: Turning a page?

[GTaudiophile]

Every 2-3 years since around 1998, I've built a new rig for myself. My last one was built in 2009, so a few days ago I began my research, decided on the new parts, had a lot of items in my New Egg wish list, and just needed to press the buy button. But now I'm hesitating.

This would be my first build as a 30-something. I don't really game anymore aside from firing up Steam once every 4-6 months to enjoy the "classics" like Portal, Day of Defeat, CS, etc. I'm the old fart still waiting for Half-Life: EP3 to come out!!! I still think that Battlefield: 1942 is the best of that series!!! I just never got hooked into the newer, flashier games that (to me) often seem poorly coded and buggy.

Another big factor is that I have so much going on in life that I hardly have time to start a new game and I no longer live amongst a group of gaming friends.

The most "intensive" thing I do with my machine is Photoshop!

So do I want to sink another $1k (give or take) into a decent mid-level box (Core i5/SSD/Radeon 7850)? The more I think about it I think the answer is no. I think I've turned a page of sorts. I am getting older!

Alternatives include a HTPC/DVR/CAPS rig or a newer laptop. The former would provide me with a cheaper TiVo alternative (don't have cable nor a DVR) but would also become CAPS/Computer Audiophile rig capable of providing clean lossless audio to a future Naim DAC + Naim integrated amplifier.

 

[Vdubchaos]

I'm exactly where you are.

I build a new rig last year and every since I hardly EVER play. When I do it's mostly Day of Defeat Source, Red orchestra 2 and Chivalry. All of which I can easily play with my older 3 rigs (kids PCs at this point).

I hate what EA has done to BF3 and COD...expansion pack crap really pisses me off (rip off). I simply refuse to even play it (even on free to play weekend). I still think original COD/UO was the best COD of all time (and I still play it from time to time).

I don't see myself building a new rig for MANY years to come. But my gaming interest is really dying at this point......I'm getting old maybe, who knows.

There really isn't much innovation in the gaming world, just new ways to make more money (as I see it). Bleh

It also seems like Hardware and Devs are in bed as these games don't really get much better at all (even from Graphics perspective) yet they require latest/greatest hardware. Past 3-4 years the hardware specs have doubled (if not tripled) yet the graphics are "little" better. I just don't get it.

 

[dbk]

i last built around 09 as well and have just been upgrading here and there.. ssd gfx card ram case... q6600 still with 5870 and ssd. i dont game much but it still runs sc2 skyrim bf3..good enough for me

 

[exdeath]

You aren't getting old. Games just kinda suck right now. Stagnated with unimaginative copy paste shooters and sequels, milked with DLC, etc. My PC and 360 haven't been turned on for like 6 months but I've managed to keep busy with PS3 and DS.

I know its not getting older because every once in a while I will disappear for days into another world still with the right game. The problem is that my tastes in games hasn't changed while the industry moved on to cater to the casuals and won't produce anything that isn't an established lowest common denominator franchise and guaranteed to sell a billion preorders.

 

[lxskllr]

My C2D still handles everything I want. I'll build my next machine also, but I don't know when that'll be.

 

[adairusmc]

I usually upgrade once a year or so just because I like to tinker with the new hardware (and I get everything at cost from work), but that is starting to slip to about every two years now. Just other priorities. Last rig I have built is still my i7 2600k system, and it is still running strong.

I do have two HTPCs in the house, and they get used in conjunction with my homebuilt NAS more than any other systems I have combined. Definitely something for the OP to look into.

If the OP is interested in an i5 build with a 7850 and SSD, there is a guy in FS/FT somewhere selling a complete system with those specs for $650.

 

[purbeast0]

once i stopped caring about gaming on pc (which was nearly a decade ago) my upgrade cycle was much shorter. i've probably upgraded 2x in that time period. the most recent one was like 2 years ago and i don't plan on upgrading any time in the near future.

 

[Eureka]

You aren't getting old. Games just kinda suck right now. Stagnated with unimaginative copy paste shooters and sequels, milked with DLC, etc. My PC and 360 haven't been turned on for like 6 months but I've managed to keep busy with PS3 and DS.

I know its not getting older because every once in a while I will disappear for days into another world still with the right game. The problem is that my tastes in games hasn't changed while the industry moved on to cater to the casuals and won't produce anything that isn't an established lowest common denominator franchise and guaranteed to sell a billion preorders.

No, it's called getting old.

The game scene is always changing. Even if you don't buy into the DLC, the games are already far more complex than what they were 10 years ago. And there were plenty of copy and paste in the past, but there's more now since the gaming population has gotten large since then.

What was popular 10 years ago is not really popular now, and may never be popular again.

 

[Zorander]

I usually upgrade when my current system no longer copes with whatever computational demands I have at the time. My current system is Lynnfield-based and still coping nicely with today's games (I do keep up-to-date with video cards however), so there is no need yet to upgrade.

 

[vi edit]

I finally upgraded my old C2D box that was a Dell XPS 410 from around 2007 just this spring. Moved up to an i5 3750k and 16 gig of RAM and a Samsung Pro SSD. My Blu Ray rip and encoding times went from like 8 hours to 2.5. That was well worth the price...which wasn't that bad anyway. I have about $700 in the box. I don't really game at all.

 

[KeypoX]

I always upgraded due to some game, since 96ish. Now I don't think I need to upgrade I'm not crazy about a little bit better graphics.

Next console gen will really help with decision. Right now my PC is mostly a HTPC, browser, storage, limited gaming. New video card, faster processor, more ram not needed.

 

[purbeast0]

No, it's called getting old.

The game scene is always changing. Even if you don't buy into the DLC, the games are already far more complex than what they were 10 years ago. And there were plenty of copy and paste in the past, but there's more now since the gaming population has gotten large since then.

What was popular 10 years ago is not really popular now, and may never be popular again.

uh oh you may have just opened a can of worms...

 

[exdeath]

No, it's called getting old.

The game scene is always changing. Even if you don't buy into the DLC, the games are already far more complex than what they were 10 years ago. And there were plenty of copy and paste in the past, but there's more now since the gaming population has gotten large since then.

What was popular 10 years ago is not really popular now, and may never be popular again.

No. Its called if I like sports cars and they stop making sports cars in favor of mass producing Civics and SUVs to rake in money hand over fist with volume sales from mouth breathers, its called being left out in the cold by a greed infected industry.

 

[Vdubchaos]

No. Its called if I like sports cars and they stop making sports cars in favor of mass producing Civics and SUVs to rake in money hand over fist with volume sales from mouth breathers, its called being left out in the cold by a greed infected industry.

Ding Ding Ding

 

[Eureka]

No. Its called if I like sports cars and they stop making sports cars in favor of mass producing Civics and SUVs to rake in money hand over fist with volume sales from mouth breathers, its called being left out in the cold by a greed infected industry.

What exactly have they stopped making that you can't play anymore?

 

[Vdubchaos]

What exactly have they stopped making that you can't play anymore?

Quality games/innovation .......without bunch of repetitive BS and DLC.

 

[exdeath]

uh oh you may have just opened a can of worms...

Don't worry, they won't stop making your Master Chief and Markus Fenix undies any time soon.

 

[randomrogue]

I'm in the same spot. I built my last rig in 2009 as well but without the push from gaming there's not that much of a need for an upgrade. Photoshop could use some more memory but that's about it.

How about just buying one of these new large monitors?

 

[exdeath]

What exactly have they stopped making that you can't play anymore?

Good immersive single player games, for starters. And I don't mean a ground up vs mode online game that had a 5 minute story and some bots thrown into both teams for offline play either.

 

[Eureka]

Good immersive single player games, for starters. And I don't mean a ground up vs mode online game that had a 5 minute story and some bots thrown into both teams for offline play either.

Quality games/innovation .......without bunch of repetitive BS and DLC.

There are plenty of them.

If nothing else, old games WERE repetitive. The original Doom was about 50 levels of room-clearing. And no, while you didn't have DLC, you had expansion packs for a couple extra levels and items.

Games that were honestly new or refreshing, that I can remember and I actually played in the last few years alone:

DoW, DoW2, AC1/AC2, TR, Crysis & Crysis WH, COD4, Bastion, Portal & Portal 2, Bioshock, Metro 2033, Spec Ops: the Line

Games that were sequels or rehashes:
CS:GO, Deus EX:HR, SC2, TW2,

For games I haven't personally played, there's plenty more. Keep in mind I don't even keep up with the gaming scene all that much, I only got back into it after a 3 year hiatus and I've found non-stop games to play. I don't play multiplayer other than CS:GO or TF2.

If you don't think BF3, or TR, or the new Bioshock, or Witcher 2, all games from the last 2 years alone, were great immersive single-player experiences... I have no idea what you want then. They had far more detailed stories and environments than any game I played 10 years ago, except maybe HL2.

 

[exdeath]

Last PC games I've played and enjoyed for 100+ hours were Borderlands and Fallout 3 BTW. And even then they are compromises for me because they are both still FPS at their core. That's the root of the problem. Even when companies do attempt to innovate, they still dont stray too far from the safe and easy FPS template.

You can't play solitaire these days without it being behind a FPS hud.

What I want is (J/C)RPGs, and even though I know its never been a PC thing to begin with, the PC shooter glut seems to have infected home consoles too now. Nowhere is safe.

 

[TwiceOver]

It's been a long time since I custom built a PC. I don't really game anymore at all. Every time I even turn on my xbox there's a boat load of updates so I just end up turning it off.

There's definitely better ways to spend your time/money.

 

[olds]

I am 54 and still game. I built a gaming, htpc a couple of months ago. Fits in my entertainment center.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

If you're computer does what you want it to, instead of working on a schedule, just save the money and either upgrade it when you need to, or fix it when it breaks.

If that's not a concern and you've got $1k burning a hole in your pocket, try a hobby that's more the "new" you. Home brewing, carpentry, model trains, whatever.

 

[ajskydiver]

... the games are already far more complex than what they were 10 years ago...

Games are far, far less complex than they've ever been.

When you have games from 10+ years ago that used a mouse and/or joystick PLUS a keyboard where many, if not all, of the keys "did something", you can't argue these games are less complex than today.

Almost all new games can be used with an Xbox controller or just a mouse.

"Old" games had manuals that you had to have and not just for copy protection. A classic example is any of the great simulators: Gunship, Falcon series, etc.

And it wasn't just the simulators that were more complex.

Yes, games have changed but not necessarily for the better.

Coding-wise, games are more complex...gameplay, not so much.