Cheap rig for Skyrim
April 15, 2011 12:31 AM Subscribe
Sub-$700 Skyrim computer?
I will likely have a bit of money at the end of this month. I'd like to use it to buy a new desktop PC, the first I'll have bought in about nine years. Requirements:
I will likely have a bit of money at the end of this month. I'd like to use it to buy a new desktop PC, the first I'll have bought in about nine years. Requirements:
- Not more than US$700.
- I generally prefer Intel and Nvidia.
- Ideally, I'd like it to be able to run Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim when that game comes out later this year. (I know we don't know the specs for Skyrim yet, but it's possible to make educated guesses.)
- I'd prefer not to build it myself; I don't want some dumb mistake on my part to lay waste to my CPU or something.
I generally prefer Intel and Nvidia.
AMD/ATi products seem to be extremely competitive at lower price points, so you should at least keep them in mind.
Ideally, I'd like it to be able to run Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim when that game comes out later this year. (I know we don't know the specs for Skyrim yet, but it's possible to make educated guesses.)
I'd say that any reasonably good system you can buy now will be able to run Skyrim okay when it releases. I'm assuming there will also be console versions of the game, so I don't think the basic code will be too taxing at low or medium graphics settings. It's another matter, though, if you want to be able to run the game well - i.e. at high graphics settings with a decent frame rate - because, as you mention, the system requirements simply haven't been released yet.
If playing Skyrim is the main reason why you want this computer then I really would recommend waiting until we have a better idea of the system requirements. It's difficult to guesstimate at this stage because it isn't properly known how much extra effort is being put into the graphics of the PC version.
I would hazard a guess, though, that a $700 system might not be enough to run a very graphically intensive game at high settings (sorry!), so instead you'll want to look at performance benchmarks conducted using the finished game to try and squeeze as much performance out of your budget as possible. Plus, if you wait then components might fall in price (graphics cards, in particular, seem to get cheaper very quickly) and you'll be able to afford a slightly better system.
posted by fearthehat at 1:49 AM on April 15, 2011
AMD/ATi products seem to be extremely competitive at lower price points, so you should at least keep them in mind.
Ideally, I'd like it to be able to run Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim when that game comes out later this year. (I know we don't know the specs for Skyrim yet, but it's possible to make educated guesses.)
I'd say that any reasonably good system you can buy now will be able to run Skyrim okay when it releases. I'm assuming there will also be console versions of the game, so I don't think the basic code will be too taxing at low or medium graphics settings. It's another matter, though, if you want to be able to run the game well - i.e. at high graphics settings with a decent frame rate - because, as you mention, the system requirements simply haven't been released yet.
If playing Skyrim is the main reason why you want this computer then I really would recommend waiting until we have a better idea of the system requirements. It's difficult to guesstimate at this stage because it isn't properly known how much extra effort is being put into the graphics of the PC version.
I would hazard a guess, though, that a $700 system might not be enough to run a very graphically intensive game at high settings (sorry!), so instead you'll want to look at performance benchmarks conducted using the finished game to try and squeeze as much performance out of your budget as possible. Plus, if you wait then components might fall in price (graphics cards, in particular, seem to get cheaper very quickly) and you'll be able to afford a slightly better system.
posted by fearthehat at 1:49 AM on April 15, 2011
Wait until the game comes out because their schedule will possibly slip a bit, and you'll always get more graphical bang for the same buck if more time passes. I would never want to be locked into a purchasing decision (or any decision) whose correctness is dependent on how close a sandbox-y RPG sticks to its estimated launch date.
posted by Your Time Machine Sucks at 2:13 AM on April 15, 2011
posted by Your Time Machine Sucks at 2:13 AM on April 15, 2011
Another reason to wait until the game is out: you'll get more powerful hardware for the same money, as technology marches on, relentlessly on.
There's no real argument for buying a computer NOW to use LATER. If you're worried about not having it later, put your "PC money" in the bank, on a credit card, or in the freezer until the game and its inevitable urgent bug fix actually exist.
posted by rokusan at 4:33 AM on April 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
There's no real argument for buying a computer NOW to use LATER. If you're worried about not having it later, put your "PC money" in the bank, on a credit card, or in the freezer until the game and its inevitable urgent bug fix actually exist.
posted by rokusan at 4:33 AM on April 15, 2011 [1 favorite]
Just as a comment to the above, my game rig buying timetable depends on currency fluctuations. the Australian dollar has fluctuated between 60 cents to more than parity with the US dollar. Obviously, buying when the currency is high is going to get me as much as 50% more value.
AMD used to dominate the value segment by a huge margin - their price / performance ratios on their Phenom2 chips were miles ahead of Intel ... however now with the release of Sandy Bridge, I'd definitely be buying that chip instead. Aim for an Intel i5 2400 or 2500 and you're golden, definitely do NOT buy any Intel chips with the 3 digit model codes.
The rest of the parts, it's more or less "you get what you pay for". There aren't any other significant bumps in the price / performance curve you need to be aware about.
posted by xdvesper at 4:55 AM on April 15, 2011
AMD used to dominate the value segment by a huge margin - their price / performance ratios on their Phenom2 chips were miles ahead of Intel ... however now with the release of Sandy Bridge, I'd definitely be buying that chip instead. Aim for an Intel i5 2400 or 2500 and you're golden, definitely do NOT buy any Intel chips with the 3 digit model codes.
The rest of the parts, it's more or less "you get what you pay for". There aren't any other significant bumps in the price / performance curve you need to be aware about.
posted by xdvesper at 4:55 AM on April 15, 2011
well, keep in mind that Skyrim is coming out on the consoles too, so it likely will work on relatively low power systems. I wouldn't sweat it too bad and just make sure you don't get a system where you are stuck with integrated graphics, thats probably the only real purchasing mistake you could make.
posted by yeahyeahyeahwhoo at 6:40 AM on April 15, 2011
posted by yeahyeahyeahwhoo at 6:40 AM on April 15, 2011
If that is your budget including *everything*, it's gonna be tight. (you need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, copy of windows, etc?) That's seriously going to eat into the budget. You definitely need to wait until we are closer to releaser.
In the world of cpu's, nothing major is going to come out before Skyrim, but with any luck prices are going to go down. With that sort of budget, you will likely be best served by going AMD.
In the vidya card world, there should be new stuff out before Skyrim, so even if you aren't going for that bleeding edge card, today's cards should drop in price at least some.
posted by utsutsu at 7:31 AM on April 15, 2011
In the world of cpu's, nothing major is going to come out before Skyrim, but with any luck prices are going to go down. With that sort of budget, you will likely be best served by going AMD.
In the vidya card world, there should be new stuff out before Skyrim, so even if you aren't going for that bleeding edge card, today's cards should drop in price at least some.
posted by utsutsu at 7:31 AM on April 15, 2011
Check woot every day. They had a gaming PC the other day for around $650. They tend to put up desktop pcs every few weeks.
I got a refurbed HP from there for about $400 and added on a $200 videocard from new egg and i'm pretty happy with how it runs most games (even crysis 2)
posted by empath at 10:49 AM on April 15, 2011
I got a refurbed HP from there for about $400 and added on a $200 videocard from new egg and i'm pretty happy with how it runs most games (even crysis 2)
posted by empath at 10:49 AM on April 15, 2011
Response by poster: As a general note: I really would prefer a prebuilt computer from an online retailer, and I'd like recommendations for which one is best. Building it myself or buying from a local retailer isn't much of an option, as I explain below. So I'd especially like to hear your experiences with Centaurus, iBuyPower, etc.
krilli: "I'd try to find a trustworthy local shop. If something goes wrong, it's easier to deal with a local shop. If they're good."
When I bought my current desktop, a few things did go wrong and it was good to be able to schlep it in to their store and get repairs. But I haven't been anywhere near them in years, and I've gotten pretty good at diagnosing and repairing things myself. (Not good enough to build a PC from scratch, though. I really would prefer a prebuilt computer.) None of the local shops I've seen offer deals anywhere near as good as those ones I pointed to online, and service has been surly at best.
"I would try to get a 460 or a 560 or above."
I've been guessing the requirements for Skyrim won't be higher than those for Dragon Age II, which specifically recommend a 460 and above. Yeah, I've been trying to price out machines with 460s or better.
T.D. Strange: "Tom's always has you covered"
I actually tried asking this question on their forums, and the only response I got was someone telling me that I'm a big dumb stupidhead if I don't build it myself, and telling me to spend a bunch more money than I'll actually have. The answers here have been vastly better on all fronts. That article looks good, though; I'll check it out, thanks.
utsutsu: "If that is your budget including *everything*, it's gonna be tight. (you need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, copy of windows, etc?) That's seriously going to eat into the budget. You definitely need to wait until we are closer to releaser."
I don't need a monitor, keyboard or mouse. Windows, though, I will need. So yes, that limits what else I can spend money on.
For various reasons, I don't want to wait until closer to the release. What I need is to get the PC while I can. I might be able to wait a couple weeks, but waiting several months won't work.
posted by jiawen at 11:51 AM on April 15, 2011
krilli: "I'd try to find a trustworthy local shop. If something goes wrong, it's easier to deal with a local shop. If they're good."
When I bought my current desktop, a few things did go wrong and it was good to be able to schlep it in to their store and get repairs. But I haven't been anywhere near them in years, and I've gotten pretty good at diagnosing and repairing things myself. (Not good enough to build a PC from scratch, though. I really would prefer a prebuilt computer.) None of the local shops I've seen offer deals anywhere near as good as those ones I pointed to online, and service has been surly at best.
"I would try to get a 460 or a 560 or above."
I've been guessing the requirements for Skyrim won't be higher than those for Dragon Age II, which specifically recommend a 460 and above. Yeah, I've been trying to price out machines with 460s or better.
T.D. Strange: "Tom's always has you covered"
I actually tried asking this question on their forums, and the only response I got was someone telling me that I'm a big dumb stupidhead if I don't build it myself, and telling me to spend a bunch more money than I'll actually have. The answers here have been vastly better on all fronts. That article looks good, though; I'll check it out, thanks.
utsutsu: "If that is your budget including *everything*, it's gonna be tight. (you need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, copy of windows, etc?) That's seriously going to eat into the budget. You definitely need to wait until we are closer to releaser."
I don't need a monitor, keyboard or mouse. Windows, though, I will need. So yes, that limits what else I can spend money on.
For various reasons, I don't want to wait until closer to the release. What I need is to get the PC while I can. I might be able to wait a couple weeks, but waiting several months won't work.
posted by jiawen at 11:51 AM on April 15, 2011
Yeah, doesn't sound like the type of local shop I was hoping you could find.
I just wanted to add one thing: the Ars Technica System Guide has just been updated for March 2011. You can essentially trust it blindly. Their budged box should be able to do anything, really. It's around $600 w/o the monitor! I'd use it as a baseline - If you find an online retailer that has the same or very similar config for a good price, and you can find reports from satisfied customers regarding returns and service, then it's reallllly hard to go wrong.
Looks like that particular motherboard is available with reasonable integrated graphics too, to which you could add whatever the $150-video-card-du-jour is when the game is released if you're interested in that optimization.
posted by krilli at 4:03 AM on April 16, 2011
I just wanted to add one thing: the Ars Technica System Guide has just been updated for March 2011. You can essentially trust it blindly. Their budged box should be able to do anything, really. It's around $600 w/o the monitor! I'd use it as a baseline - If you find an online retailer that has the same or very similar config for a good price, and you can find reports from satisfied customers regarding returns and service, then it's reallllly hard to go wrong.
Looks like that particular motherboard is available with reasonable integrated graphics too, to which you could add whatever the $150-video-card-du-jour is when the game is released if you're interested in that optimization.
posted by krilli at 4:03 AM on April 16, 2011
Response by poster: Good article! Their assumptions are a little different from mine -- no need for a monitor, for example -- but it's very good to read through their reasoning. Thank you!
posted by jiawen at 9:58 PM on April 16, 2011
posted by jiawen at 9:58 PM on April 16, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
I'd try to find a trustworthy local shop. If something goes wrong, it's easier to deal with a local shop. If they're good.
IMO: The exact CPU won't matter so much. Any modern one will do for Skyrim. The graphics card will probably have the biggest effect. I am an NVIDIA guy myself as I develop for CUDA, so I don't know about ATI, but I would try to get a 460 or a 560 or above. The x50/x40 and below cards don't give quite as much bang for the buck (but that's from a GPU computing point of view - for games it might not matter as much.)
If you get a computer with integrated graphics now and buy the graphics card later, when the game is out, you'll get more bang for equivalent bucks.
posted by krilli at 1:32 AM on April 15, 2011