New Computer?
June 10, 2011 6:57 PM Subscribe
I want to buy a PC. I want it to play video games.
I have been a dedicated Mac user for a long time. I get my gaming fix from DOSbox and SNES emulators, and from time to time on an old PS2.
However, recently I've gotten more interested in newer games andI've installed them with crossover games- Half-Life 1, Morrowind, Thief. They play great on my current computer, a 5yr old intel based mac.
Now my desires are getting the best of me, and I want to get an affordable ($400? $500?) PC, desktop or laptop, doesn't matter which, to play Half-Life 2, Portal, Fallout 3 and hopefully Skyrim when it comes out.
Should I get a 360 instead? It would be more affordable but I'm worried about playing the games as they're released with the inability to patch.
What do you think?
I have been a dedicated Mac user for a long time. I get my gaming fix from DOSbox and SNES emulators, and from time to time on an old PS2.
However, recently I've gotten more interested in newer games andI've installed them with crossover games- Half-Life 1, Morrowind, Thief. They play great on my current computer, a 5yr old intel based mac.
Now my desires are getting the best of me, and I want to get an affordable ($400? $500?) PC, desktop or laptop, doesn't matter which, to play Half-Life 2, Portal, Fallout 3 and hopefully Skyrim when it comes out.
Should I get a 360 instead? It would be more affordable but I'm worried about playing the games as they're released with the inability to patch.
What do you think?
I literally just finished playing Half-Life 2 and Portal off the Orange Box a couple of days ago, using a laptop I picked up on sale for about $150 over your preferred range. Even though it's not the latest and greatest processor (Core i5, not the Sandy Bridge one) it had no problem whatsoever with that era of games. I haven't tried anything more recent yet. If you put that money into a desktop, you could get much more computer for it...and, y'know, you could still have emulators on it.
posted by mittens at 7:12 PM on June 10, 2011
posted by mittens at 7:12 PM on June 10, 2011
What Elminster said, although I'm coming at it from the other direction.
If you want the best bang for your buck, and you want to spend $400 or $500, get a console (you might consider a PS3 as well).
Let me re-emphasize, too, that patches are issued through Xbox Live.
posted by box at 7:13 PM on June 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
If you want the best bang for your buck, and you want to spend $400 or $500, get a console (you might consider a PS3 as well).
Let me re-emphasize, too, that patches are issued through Xbox Live.
posted by box at 7:13 PM on June 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
How powerful and up to date is your Mac? I have Windows 7 installed on my 27" quad-core iMac and it (Windows 7) runs Portal 2 with no problem.
posted by dfriedman at 7:19 PM on June 10, 2011
posted by dfriedman at 7:19 PM on June 10, 2011
Mod note: answer the question without being a jerk to other commenters please, thank you.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:53 PM on June 10, 2011
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:53 PM on June 10, 2011
Hi! I've been a PC gamer since the days of the 486, and I've never spent more than about $500 on a computer in aggregate. However, I also typically am not bothered by not playing things like Skyrim When They Come Out. I play them, but I play them later on and I'm fine with that. $20 for Dragon Age: Origins? Yes please.
The other thing to keep in mind is that I tend to piece my own boxes together.
It's definitely possible to shop carefully through the eMachines lineup and whatever other Acer computers on sale at BB and Micro Center and make select upgrades to them, typically this is just going to be adding a decent videocard. But in order to do this you need to be willing to ask the sales guy to crack open the case so you can see how many expansions slots and which sort of expansion slots are available. And again, with your budget it may be tough to play Skyrim when it comes out.
The advantage is that PC graphics are going to be better than xbox graphics, and computer monitors are substantially higher resolution than the latest 1080p TVs. Mouse and keyboard is also often better than controller, IMO.
Good luck!
posted by kavasa at 9:16 PM on June 10, 2011
The other thing to keep in mind is that I tend to piece my own boxes together.
It's definitely possible to shop carefully through the eMachines lineup and whatever other Acer computers on sale at BB and Micro Center and make select upgrades to them, typically this is just going to be adding a decent videocard. But in order to do this you need to be willing to ask the sales guy to crack open the case so you can see how many expansions slots and which sort of expansion slots are available. And again, with your budget it may be tough to play Skyrim when it comes out.
The advantage is that PC graphics are going to be better than xbox graphics, and computer monitors are substantially higher resolution than the latest 1080p TVs. Mouse and keyboard is also often better than controller, IMO.
Good luck!
posted by kavasa at 9:16 PM on June 10, 2011
Obligatory: Tom's Hardware Forums
There are tons of people there who can help you find or build a gaming PC for $500 and get you the best possible system. Tip: Make sure to follow their style guidelines on how to post, they have a tendency to be picky about that.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 11:26 PM on June 10, 2011
There are tons of people there who can help you find or build a gaming PC for $500 and get you the best possible system. Tip: Make sure to follow their style guidelines on how to post, they have a tendency to be picky about that.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 11:26 PM on June 10, 2011
You'll likely be able to put together a well-chosen computer for $500 (assuming you don't need a monitor) that will play 3 of your 4 selected games. I would be doubtful about its ability to run Skyrim without an upgrade, though. Bethesda puts out minimum requirements, but then their games tend to run quite poorly (or not at all) on them. If you're ok with possibly having to do an upgrade when Skyrim rolls out, then I'll just nth Tom's Hardware forums as a good place for specific budget recommendations.
Would also encourage you to reconsider the Xbox 360, though.
posted by asciident at 1:06 AM on June 11, 2011
Would also encourage you to reconsider the Xbox 360, though.
posted by asciident at 1:06 AM on June 11, 2011
Previously: http://ask.metafilter.com/183497/Cheap-rig-for-Skyrim
Do this:
1) Follow the Ars Technical System Builder's guide, build the Budget Box.
2) When Skyrim is out, upgrade the GPU.
You don't need to spend that much. The GPU is the bottleneck. Any modern computer can do anything.
posted by krilli at 1:39 AM on June 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
Do this:
1) Follow the Ars Technical System Builder's guide, build the Budget Box.
2) When Skyrim is out, upgrade the GPU.
You don't need to spend that much. The GPU is the bottleneck. Any modern computer can do anything.
posted by krilli at 1:39 AM on June 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
Aim for about $1200 and you can play anything the day it comes out on high settings for about a year, "medium-high" for quite a while thereafter. It's my favorite spot in the range. I build a computer about once every 5-6 years.
posted by sonic meat machine at 5:09 AM on June 11, 2011
posted by sonic meat machine at 5:09 AM on June 11, 2011
Best answer: You absolutely do not need to spend $1000+ on a gaming PC. I built a solid gaming rig 5 years ago for about $800 ($200 was the monitor) and still have no issue running modern games on it. Knowing what I know now, and having just done a price estimate on newegg, I'm pretty sure I could do it now for $400-500 (without the monitor).
A few things to know:
-Don't buy a brand name PC. They all use mediocre components, and are difficult to upgrade. It will definitely be obsolete within a few years. If you can't build yourself (insert silly dig at mac users here), consider finding/hiring a friend who can.
-If you want your graphics to look as good as xbox/ps3, then yes, you will need to spend a lot of money. Otherwise, you just run games with med-high settings and appreciate being able to afford 4x as many games as consoles. Most of the time, you can't tell the difference between med and high settings anyway.
-PC games are generally cheaper if you don't need to play the latest games as soon as they come out. I don't think I've paid more than $15 for a PC game in a long time.
-You can save a bunch of money if you already have a monitor and whatever accessories you need. You can also save a lot of money if you buy a case second-hand. Check on ebay and amazon sellers.
-If you plan right, you won't need to upgrade as often and your system will pretty much always be backward compatible with older games ;-)
-Seconding Tom's Hardware. They have plenty of guides on PC building for different types of PCs. There's a lot of information, and if you want to get the best bang for your buck, read it all.
-Get a decent (but not top-of-the-line), reputable motherboard, Power Supply Unit, and Processor. Read the reviews for your components from several different sites (I use toms, newegg, amazon) and make sure they do what you need them to do.
-Spend between $100-150 on your video card. Any less won't be powerful enough, and any more will be a waste of money for a smaller performance gain. Keep in mind that the card within a series are all the same (they are all made by Nvidia or ATI) regardless of the branding; if the model number matches, it's the same card. No need to pay an extra $40 for a "high-end" brand when you can get the same card with another brand for cheaper.
-Now is the time to buy your components. Summer (particularly post-4th-of-July) is when all the retailers are trying to clear their stock and prepare for the fall "sales". Compare prices and take your time.
Good Luck!
posted by monkeyagent at 6:28 AM on June 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
A few things to know:
-Don't buy a brand name PC. They all use mediocre components, and are difficult to upgrade. It will definitely be obsolete within a few years. If you can't build yourself (insert silly dig at mac users here), consider finding/hiring a friend who can.
-If you want your graphics to look as good as xbox/ps3, then yes, you will need to spend a lot of money. Otherwise, you just run games with med-high settings and appreciate being able to afford 4x as many games as consoles. Most of the time, you can't tell the difference between med and high settings anyway.
-PC games are generally cheaper if you don't need to play the latest games as soon as they come out. I don't think I've paid more than $15 for a PC game in a long time.
-You can save a bunch of money if you already have a monitor and whatever accessories you need. You can also save a lot of money if you buy a case second-hand. Check on ebay and amazon sellers.
-If you plan right, you won't need to upgrade as often and your system will pretty much always be backward compatible with older games ;-)
-Seconding Tom's Hardware. They have plenty of guides on PC building for different types of PCs. There's a lot of information, and if you want to get the best bang for your buck, read it all.
-Get a decent (but not top-of-the-line), reputable motherboard, Power Supply Unit, and Processor. Read the reviews for your components from several different sites (I use toms, newegg, amazon) and make sure they do what you need them to do.
-Spend between $100-150 on your video card. Any less won't be powerful enough, and any more will be a waste of money for a smaller performance gain. Keep in mind that the card within a series are all the same (they are all made by Nvidia or ATI) regardless of the branding; if the model number matches, it's the same card. No need to pay an extra $40 for a "high-end" brand when you can get the same card with another brand for cheaper.
-Now is the time to buy your components. Summer (particularly post-4th-of-July) is when all the retailers are trying to clear their stock and prepare for the fall "sales". Compare prices and take your time.
Good Luck!
posted by monkeyagent at 6:28 AM on June 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Tom's Hardware really is a great place for info. Besides the forum the site itself has lots of reviews and comparisons of various compenents.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card-game-performance-radeon-hd-6670,2935.html
This link is to the monthy Best Video Card for Your Money review. There is some really good stuff here, just look it over find the range you want to spend in and the amount of power you need and pick one that matches both.
I grabbed a great card for 100 bucks that has done wonders for my computer gaming. It is no where near top of the line but since I had been struggling with the generic on board video since day one it is like the sun shining down instead of the weak flashlight that it had been. ...and I knew I wouldn't hav eto upgrade the power supply withthe one I picked.
posted by Blackie at 8:07 AM on June 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card-game-performance-radeon-hd-6670,2935.html
This link is to the monthy Best Video Card for Your Money review. There is some really good stuff here, just look it over find the range you want to spend in and the amount of power you need and pick one that matches both.
I grabbed a great card for 100 bucks that has done wonders for my computer gaming. It is no where near top of the line but since I had been struggling with the generic on board video since day one it is like the sun shining down instead of the weak flashlight that it had been. ...and I knew I wouldn't hav eto upgrade the power supply withthe one I picked.
posted by Blackie at 8:07 AM on June 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: You will not be able to run Skyrim with acceptable levels of performance with a $500 PC.
This is complete bullshit. I bought a $400 PC from woot and slapped a $200 video card in there and I'm running every game out now at highest settings with no problem.
Just get any refurbed PC (watch woot for sales -- they have them every couple of weeks) and put a decent video card in there and you're fine.
posted by empath at 12:44 AM on June 12, 2011
This is complete bullshit. I bought a $400 PC from woot and slapped a $200 video card in there and I'm running every game out now at highest settings with no problem.
Just get any refurbed PC (watch woot for sales -- they have them every couple of weeks) and put a decent video card in there and you're fine.
posted by empath at 12:44 AM on June 12, 2011
woot is a rare case--your machine you got is probably worth more than $400. And yes, a $200 video card goes a long way.
However I think you are incorrect about running every game out now at highest settings with no problem. Try running Crysis 2 at full everything. Also, the next generation of games is about to roll out...Battlefield 3, Skyrim, etc. These games require serious horsepower and I think you are underestimating them.
Also, in terms of monkeyagent's post, I'll mention that you'll constantly encounter the build vs buy argument. From my standpoint, I make a nice living, my free time is extremely limited and therefore I value it highly--I do not want to waste a weekend trying to assemble a machine, and then have no tech support if something goes wrong. If you are of a more technical bent with an abundance of free time, have at it.
You should also think about how pretty you want things. I want my games running as smooth as glass at 100+ FPS on max settings. You may not need that. Either way, I think there are a lot of variables here in what you are looking for that will help inform your budget range. Want top-end performance on the newest games? Be prepared to pay for it.
Also, not all "brand name" machines suck. There are some high-end brands that use very high-quality components that most of the DIYers would use as well. For examples, check out Origin PC and Falcon Northwest (notice I did not say Alienware).
posted by Elminster24 at 10:04 PM on June 12, 2011
However I think you are incorrect about running every game out now at highest settings with no problem. Try running Crysis 2 at full everything. Also, the next generation of games is about to roll out...Battlefield 3, Skyrim, etc. These games require serious horsepower and I think you are underestimating them.
Also, in terms of monkeyagent's post, I'll mention that you'll constantly encounter the build vs buy argument. From my standpoint, I make a nice living, my free time is extremely limited and therefore I value it highly--I do not want to waste a weekend trying to assemble a machine, and then have no tech support if something goes wrong. If you are of a more technical bent with an abundance of free time, have at it.
You should also think about how pretty you want things. I want my games running as smooth as glass at 100+ FPS on max settings. You may not need that. Either way, I think there are a lot of variables here in what you are looking for that will help inform your budget range. Want top-end performance on the newest games? Be prepared to pay for it.
Also, not all "brand name" machines suck. There are some high-end brands that use very high-quality components that most of the DIYers would use as well. For examples, check out Origin PC and Falcon Northwest (notice I did not say Alienware).
posted by Elminster24 at 10:04 PM on June 12, 2011
Try running Crysis 2 at full everything
That is true. I had to knock down the anti-aliasing a bit and lower the resolution to get to 60fps.
posted by empath at 6:08 AM on June 13, 2011
That is true. I had to knock down the anti-aliasing a bit and lower the resolution to get to 60fps.
posted by empath at 6:08 AM on June 13, 2011
I sent you a MeMail about this a couple days ago if you didn't happen to see it.
posted by BeerFilter at 8:47 PM on June 13, 2011
posted by BeerFilter at 8:47 PM on June 13, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
You will not be able to run Skyrim with acceptable levels of performance with a $500 PC. You can get a pretty decent gaming experience from a $1k machine for those other games you mentioned as long as you focus on RAM and graphics card specs. You will need a fairly high-end machine to play Skyrim.
You didn't clarify on the inability to patch concern, but all 360 games can be patched through Xbox Live. In fact, a large part of the Xbox experience is their Live service.
If you have a limited budget and still want triple A games, get an xbox 360--you will get better performance on games that are optimized for the system.
If you want an awesome PC gaming experience, be prepared to $1k+, but know that it will last you a lot longer, be infinitely more upgradable than a 360, and be useful for much much more than playing games.
posted by Elminster24 at 7:04 PM on June 10, 2011 [2 favorites]