Thinking of investing in a gaming PC. Help?

So basically, all my life I've been a console gamer and still am today. A part of me feels like I've missed out on A LOT of great PC gaming/titles. I've recently thought about how nice it would be to have a near top of the line gaming PC, so I do slowly want to do some research on how to purchase the right one or which components to purchase if I am to build one myself. Any tips/advice? I'm sort of a major PC gaming noob. Thanks!MaceBwoi

Also, I switched to PC gaming last year and I havent regretted it one bit, its beena  blast and Ive saved a lot of money on games.  I'll still buy a PS4 though considering I enjoy the first party titles they release.

Edit: Here is where you can get help with your build: http://www.gamespot.com/forums/board/314159272/computer-hardware-discussion

These days you can get a decent gaming rig for about $800-1,000 (maybe even less, if you slap the thing together yourself). That'll last you a while. Just don't bother with all the hype about needing the greatest and latest to play pc games. Sure, some compromises will need to be made (playing games on medium to high rather than on high to ultra settings, etc.). Still, no need to break the bank

Also: start playing the back catalogue of pc games. Don't rush out and buy the just released stuff. Be sure, though, to check for compatibility with Win 7/8.

welcome!
Check out NCIX.com and Newegg.com!
Weither you want to put the parts together yourself or have someone do it for ya for $50 after youve picked the parts (NCIX does this), both places are good.

To ask for suggestions on parts check the pc hardware forum on here and also the forum on NCIX, they are very helpful!

DO NOT go prebuilt. and as they said, you're price range is the base of it all.

if you're just spending lots of money to spend it, you may want to go intel\nvidia. many claim they get better performance with Intel hardware while running at the same speeds of AMD hardware and some benchmarks seem to show this.

if you want good prices and good hardware go AMD\ATI. for half the money you can get hardware that will run any modern games at highest settings. with an AMD based system:

$500-600 you can run games,

$600-800 you can run most newer games at combination of med-ultra settings,

$800-1000 you can blow just about anything away up to date,

$1200+ you can customize a silent badass system pretty much however you want it.

make sure you get at least DDR3-1600 RAM. would suggest 1 SSD for OS and more demanding games, 1+ SATA3 HD for storage, backup, and older games.

if you have no clue what i'm talking about; NewEgg.com has a good Do-It-Yourself walkthrough and has mostly the best prices for hardware components.

DO NOT go prebuilt. and as they said, you're price range is the base of it all.

if you're just spending lots of money to spend it, you may want to go intel\nvidia. many claim they get better performance with Intel hardware while running at the same speeds of AMD hardware and some benchmarks seem to show this.

if you want good prices and good hardware go AMD\ATI. for half the money you can get hardware that will run any modern games at highest settings. with an AMD based system:

$500-600 you can run games,

$600-800 you can run most newer games at combination of med-ultra settings,

$800-1000 you can blow just about anything away up to date,

$1200+ you can customize a silent badass system pretty much however you want it.

make sure you get at least DDR3-1600 RAM. would suggest 1 SSD for OS and more demanding games, 1+ SATA3 HD for storage, backup, and older games.

 

if you have no clue what i'm talking about; NewEgg.com has a good Do-It-Yourself walkthrough and has mostly the best prices for hardware components.

elessarGObonzo

The Computer Hardware forum will help you, and there's a sticky that could prove useful to you. You can use plenty of resources out there to see how to build a PC - Google and YouTube are your friends.

Motherboard manual will guide you to pretty much everything. You can't get something wrong if you read the manual fully. Just be sure that the motherboard and the CPU are compatible with each other; look at the type of socket e.g. Socket 1155. Type of RAM such as DDR3, although all motherboards and RAM are DDR3 anyway.

For the PSU, use the wattage calculator to get an idea of how much watts you'll need.

You should also buy an anti-static wrist band to keep yourself grounded when touching sensitive components. Install the PSU first, clip the wrist band to the case and plug the PSU in the power socket, but don't turn it on. Not even standby.

Get a PC nerd friend to help you, is the best way in the beginning.

And is there any way somebody can just give me a point form list of components I would need to purchase to build one fully? I know graphics card, motherboard, and stuff like that, but include those too! :P Thanks guys, I appreciate this!!MaceBwoi

Very rewarding to build it yourself.  Plus, I feel it's one of those basic things that everyone should know.  Like changing the oil out of a car.  Replacing a leaky faucet etc...   Just basic things that if you paid someone else to do you're pretty much going to get ripped off.

Get a PC nerd friend to help you, is the best way in the beginning.

LazySloth718

Not only that but local computer stores don't normally charge much to put a PC together if you supply the parts.

If you can't or lack the knowledge/computer nerd friend to help you build a computer, look up on youtube how to build/put together PC's. As some people have mentioned newegg is probably your best bet for computer parts, also for the love of god DO NOT BUY FROM iBuypower they will rip you off.

Thanks for the replies guys, I'm actually pretty excited to start saving for one. Honestly, I'd say my price ranges anywhere from $700-$1200 or so. You think a top of the line gaming PC can compete with the next gen systems coming out this year? I'm hearing that good gaming PCs have been set for years and years and will still be up to par with the next gen. Your thoughts?MaceBwoi

Congrats on making the switch to the dark side (or should that be light side?) What kind of budget do you have in mind? Like otheres have mentioned there are a ton of great guides and youtube tutorials when it comes to building yourself so don't feel overwhelmed or intimidated by it, its really not all that complex once you have a bit of knowledge. I started building rigs when I was 13 (overclocking old school athlon xp cpus!) and never looked back.

Get a PC nerd friend to help you, is the best way in the beginning.

LazySloth718

Sweet. Since I'm being advised to wait a few months until the new GPUs and CPUs come out, do you guys think I should buy other components in increments? Maybe start of with a case, monitor, optical drive, etc?MaceBwoi

AMD FX-8350 cpu

Radeon 7950 or 7970 gpu (i am currently using Radeon 7870 and runs everything new mostly on ultra w\ 2-4x MSAA @ 1080p. and when i say runs, i mean over 45fps)

at least 24" 1080p monitor (look for good tilt, height, and swivel motion)

at least 8GB of at least 1600 RAM

a good case will be from $70-160 (make sure it is good size for your components and has good intake fans and top output fan\fans)

make sure your optical drive has good customer rating\reviews

notice the AT LEAST(s). if you have the money go for bigger\more.

this is not another AMD vs Intel forum so don't start. i said "best bang for your buck". AMD components are much cheaper and run cooler but i'm not suggesting they are better\faster.

Sweet. Since I'm being advised to wait a few months until the new GPUs and CPUs come out, do you guys think I should buy other components in increments? Maybe start of with a case, monitor, optical drive, etc?MaceBwoi

I doubt "waiting a few months" is going to do you much good. Select a price range ($800-$1,000) and start putting components together. Again, $1,000 will get you an excellent gaming rig. 

Also, don't forget the peripherals: monitor, mouse, keyboard, headphones, mouse pad. 

Sweet. Since I'm being advised to wait a few months until the new GPUs and CPUs come out, do you guys think I should buy other components in increments? Maybe start of with a case, monitor, optical drive, etc?MaceBwoi

Honestly I would start with a graphics card. my personal opinion would be a Nvidia  GTX 660 since it would most likely be one of the most expensive parts you can buy (a 660 GC is usually around $200-$260 on newegg) or you could get a Nvidia GTX 680 (which would be around $200 more than a GTX 660) ether GC would last you for a good 5-7 years.

Monitors I would stick with something from Samsung or Sony, Towers/Cases are usually one of the least expensive parts you can grab while building a PC depending if you want it to glow or not (Towers are usually around $60-$100).

Also, don't forget the peripherals: monitor, mouse, keyboard, headphones, mouse pad. 

Ricardo41

a good mouse and good keyboard are a big part of the pc gaming experience. i've tried quite a few gaming mice and the best i've found so far is the Logitech G600. i would suggest you go to an electronics store and try your hand on a few. everyone has different preference with size, weight, and button arrangement. would also suggest getting one with a tilt wheel, those are 2 extra buttons i've growen very accustomed to for quick ingame response and added convenience in windows and web browsers.

if you already have consoles you can find adapters to use your gamepads in windows games very easily also.

[QUOTE="Lach0121"]

[QUOTE="JKnaperek"]tip: Build it yourself, it's more rewarding, you'll learn more, and you'll have a better machine than anything a store can provideMaceBwoi

I agree, especially if its more for gaming. 

However, if you want your pc specialized, in certain ways, it does help to have professionals do it for you.

I have been building mine, even the one I am using. Though on my next one I am seroiusly contemplating, and looking into a certified (steinberg certified) machine, because it will be built for a specific purpose dealing with audio.  However IF I can do everything myself, that they can do, then I will probably go that route. 

But yea, if it is just for normal pc uses, and gaming then you might want to seriously consider building it yourself.

Asfor the GPU, I would say that Nvidia is supposed to have some come out June the new 700 series... (it wouldn't be a bad idea to see what they have in store, especially since it is just around the corner)

Actually no, you can buy other components now,  Just 2 things to be aware of though.  (and they are allowances for size and power of your the gpu that you choose to actually buy)

1.  Make sure your PSU (powersupply) is of a good brand SeaSonic, Corsair, Cooler Master etc (and is atleast 80+ certified).   Make sure it has enough wattage, enough pci-e connectors, and it has adequate +12v rating on its rails.   (sounds hard at first, but it really isn't that difficult)

2.  Make sure your CASE, is big enough to support the larger (more powerful) GPUs.  The more room, the better the airflow, if you have it snug in there with little room, then it will affect airflow. 

But literally every component you can buy before getting the gpu, if you keep those 2 rules in mind. 

Personally, i start with the absolute best graphics card available, or that i could afford, and then build the rest of the pc around it. Don't go cheap or you will regret it later.

Bare minimum these days for me would be GTX680, then get a nice I5 or I7 cpu. You can save money on a Motherboard with a single slot pci-e, as i do not believe sli is necessary. Then get 8 gig of ram and a nice power suppy ( the new video cards dont require huge power supplies anymore; 650 watt should be more than fine.) Then all the details such as the operating system, case, cooling, mouse and keyboard and gamepad, hard drives, monitor ( you can use your hdtv too ) are where you can be flexible with your spending.

tip: Build it yourself, it's more rewarding, you'll learn more, and you'll have a better machine than anything a store can provideJKnaperek

I agree, especially if its more for gaming. 

However, if you want your pc specialized, in certain ways, it does help to have professionals do it for you.

I have been building mine, even the one I am using. Though on my next one I am seroiusly contemplating, and looking into a certified (steinberg certified) machine, because it will be built for a specific purpose dealing with audio.  However IF I can do everything myself, that they can do, then I will probably go that route. 

But yea, if it is just for normal pc uses, and gaming then you might want to seriously consider building it yourself.

Asfor the GPU, I would say that Nvidia is supposed to have some come out June the new 700 series... (it wouldn't be a bad idea to see what they have in store, especially since it is just around the corner)

[QUOTE="JKnaperek"]tip: Build it yourself, it's more rewarding, you'll learn more, and you'll have a better machine than anything a store can provideLach0121

I agree, especially if its more for gaming. 

However, if you want your pc specialized, in certain ways, it does help to have professionals do it for you.

I have been building mine, even the one I am using. Though on my next one I am seroiusly contemplating, and looking into a certified (steinberg certified) machine, because it will be built for a specific purpose dealing with audio.  However IF I can do everything myself, that they can do, then I will probably go that route. 

But yea, if it is just for normal pc uses, and gaming then you might want to seriously consider building it yourself.

Asfor the GPU, I would say that Nvidia is supposed to have some come out June the new 700 series... (it wouldn't be a bad idea to see what they have in store, especially since it is just around the corner)

The +12v rating is probably the most over-looked thing by beginngers, when pairing their PSU, and GPUs together.  (IMO)  Even more so when they go multi-gpu, aka SLI or Crossfire.

It is difficult to know for certain what the +12v requierment for the 700 series will be.  But I would just take the top single gpu of the GTX 600 series, and see what its +12v requirements are, and just make sure you get a PSU that has at least that amount (would be better to have more).

Also it may have been just my experience, but it definitely seems as if your power is more stable/steady if you get a PSU with a +12v rating on a single powerful rail, as opposed to having it spread out among several rails.

Anyone have some suggestions for graphics cards? I'll look to purchase one next week but I want to make sure it's top notch!MaceBwoi

dont listen to people about needing a professional built machine. all they are doing is offering slightly easier warranty options because everything is handled by them, not through the separate retailers and manufacturers you would be deciding to use if you shop around. any sound dampening or extra cooling and lighting a prebuilt machine may include is easily done at home. you will be charged an extraordinary amount for these additions from someone "professional".

$1000 is not going to get you a very high quality prebuilt machine, maybe mid-level. but $1000 home built "do-it-yourself" will get you nearer to top of the line hardware. especially if you avoid intel. you will see slightly better benchmark results for intel based components but those stats don't figure in the price range.

a 600 series Intel 2GB GPU @ 1000\1200: $400+. a 7000 series AMD 2GB GPU @ 1000\1200: $200+. so figuring you put that $200 you just saved into an even better graphics card and your AMD selection blows away the Intel.

you really need to research from multiple sources instead of just asking in a place like this. and beware your sources aren't funded by any particular manufacturer because they will mislead you to buy their own products. also that any article you read isn't posted by a fanboy of a particluar manufacturer because they will give you one-sided facts.

go to tom's hardware or a similar site and start researching on your own.

Honestly do make the switch, I was a console gamer for over 10 years and I started PC gaming 2 years ago. Granted I do have an Alienware M14x (Don't hate me!!) but I want to build a desktop sometime this year for Christmas. I love the feel of K+M and the graphical potential computers have. Welcome to your 2nd family :D

Investing?  Purchase stocks or bonds.  Maybe real estate.  Electronics are not an investment.  They are simply a purchase that will depreciate quickly.

Honestly do make the switch, I was a console gamer for over 10 years and I started PC gaming 2 years ago. Granted I do have an Alienware M14x (Don't hate me!!) but I want to build a desktop sometime this year for Christmas. I love the feel of K+M and the graphical potential computers have. Welcome to your 2nd family :D

csadhoo

[QUOTE="MaceBwoi"] What are you guys gonna end up doing? Say when new games come out like Battlefield 4 later this year. Will your current set up be able to run it (do you think?) or are you going to be upgrading parts once the next gen hits to compete....man, I must sound like a total noob here.... I just want to make sure that if I shell out this much money, it is definitely going to be worth it in the long run. I think it will...

I've been a PC Gamer for a very, very, very long time, and I've long since stepped off the "OMIGOD, can my PC run this???????" hysteria. There is absolutely no need to constantly upgrade parts. Buy the best rig that YOUR money can buy, install a game, and start playing with the settings. Find the sweet spot at which you get smooth gameplay and are enjoying the graphics. 

Keep in mind that a PC will do all the things your console can do and then some: you can write, edit videos and pictures, etc. If you need a console fix, buy a wireless controller and use it with your pc game. Or, hook your console up to your pc monitor. What I'm saying is: you can be BOTH a PC and a console gamer.

For starters, google "mid range gaming pc" or "mid range gaming pc for $800" and take a look at the specs that folks are suggesting. Then decide whether you want to build it yourself, or get help in putting it all together. Then, do the same with " affordable but keyboard mouse combo for gaming", and " good but affordable monitor". Crowdsource it. The answers are all out there.

Since when did intel make graphics cards..?kraken2109

[QUOTE="MaceBwoi"]Anyone have some suggestions for graphics cards? I'll look to purchase one next week but I want to make sure it's top notch!elessarGObonzo

dont listen to people about needing a professional built machine. all they are doing is offering slightly easier warranty options because everything is handled by them, not through the separate retailers and manufacturers you would be deciding to use if you shop around. any sound dampening or extra cooling and lighting a prebuilt machine may include is easily done at home. you will be charged an extraordinary amount for these additions from someone "professional".

$1000 is not going to get you a very high quality prebuilt machine, maybe mid-level. but $1000 home built "do-it-yourself" will get you nearer to top of the line hardware. especially if you avoid intel. you will see slightly better benchmark results for intel based components but those stats don't figure in the price range.

a 600 series Intel 2GB GPU @ 1000\1200: $400+. a 7000 series AMD 2GB GPU @ 1000\1200: $200+. so figuring you put that $200 you just saved into an even better graphics card and your AMD selection blows away the Intel.

you really need to research from multiple sources instead of just asking in a place like this. and beware your sources aren't funded by any particular manufacturer because they will mislead you to buy their own products. also that any article you read isn't posted by a fanboy of a particluar manufacturer because they will give you one-sided facts.

go to tom's hardware or a similar site and start researching on your own.

Since when did intel make graphics cards..?

[QUOTE="MaceBwoi"] What are you guys gonna end up doing? Say when new games come out like Battlefield 4 later this year. Will your current set up be able to run it (do you think?) or are you going to be upgrading parts once the next gen hits to compete....man, I must sound like a total noob here.... I just want to make sure that if I shell out this much money, it is definitely going to be worth it in the long run. I think it will...Ricardo41

[QUOTE="kraken2109"]Since when did intel make graphics cards..?elessarGObonzo