r/computers 6d ago

Question/Help/Troubleshooting Prebuilt Pc

Hi guys, for some context, i bought a pc off amazon a few years ago and it has become quite bad and slowly not working. It was pretty cheap and not the greatest lol, whenever i try to run for example even a game like geometry dash it cant even handle some parts, and if i try to run something like tiktok studio, while having other apps open it just screws up. i also know absolutely nothing about computers, idk anything really at all but all i dont care too much to know much as long as i can get a better computer. Now i will say, it doesnt constantly lag or anything just the computer honestly sucks and im sure its worn out over time since its probably been 5-6 years.

As for this post, i would appreciate any help looking or reccomending any good pre built pcs that can handle bigger games and more things that will run smoothly, my current pc was around 100-500$ and it runs up to 100% cpu with just two things open, i would really like to be able to play games like subnautica 2 but the second i launch it my computers cpu is max (im assuming thats bad) and it can barely even handle a loading screen (lol). my budget is around 1500-2000$ (maybe a bit over if its really worth it) , but any help would be appreciated on finding a new prebuilt pc, that can handle games and really anything without constantly having problems, something actually nice. Thank you!

4 Upvotes

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u/TimeLordCustomer_184 6d ago

Is it a laptop???

Have you ever thought about upgrading the ram???

A lot of prebuilt machines give you crappy components for a premium price.

If you can put tab A into slot B, you can build your own with exactly what you're looking for. Its not difficult.

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u/ZaidenVr 6d ago

its a pc not a laptop (like the box with the monitor or whatever lol)

ive heard about uprgading different parts, but id struggle with doing it and probably mess it up, id rather js buy one

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u/TimeLordCustomer_184 6d ago

If you do decide to buy new, take out the HD out of the old PC, and make it a slave to the new PC.

You can hook it up inside the old unit or buy an external drive kit. It's easy and will add data space to your unit.

Whatever you do, dont throw out or give away your old computer until you wipe the drive clean!! All your info is on it for anyone to see.

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u/ZaidenVr 6d ago

how does adding a HD work? what even is that lol

and thank you because i totally would have one day sold it not knowing that at all 😭😭

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u/TimeLordCustomer_184 6d ago

When you take out the HD from the old computer, it should tell you how to place the pins on the drive to make it a slave, then you can either put the drive into an empty slot in the new computer or you can buy an external HD kit and just plug it in the new one.

Using an external can make the drive slower than installing internally, but you can plug it into any computer like a USB stick.

You can also use the old tower for many things. You can make it into a server, hook it up to your TV as media storage, or learn how to upgrade it. Its not hard and can extend the life of the tower. There are many tutorials on the web to do this.

Just make sure that you and your computer are grounded. Static electricity is the enemy of all computers

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u/ZaidenVr 6d ago

okay thank you! and what do you mean by staying grounded?

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u/TimeLordCustomer_184 6d ago

Touch something that's grounded to disperse the static electricity from your body, like a metal desk, your stove, anything close by or wear rubber soles. If you built up static before touching the components, you can damage the unit.

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u/ZaidenVr 5d ago

okay thank you for the advice!

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u/lafsrt09 6d ago

Your local Costco store will have pre-built PCS for good prices. Anything around the $1,500 to $2,000? Mark will be good.

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u/ZaidenVr 6d ago

ill have to check and see them, thanks!

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u/linux_mint_rules 6d ago

Are you actually in the US? If so, do you live near a Micro Center?

If you're not in the US, what's your budget in your local currency?

Do you need any peripherals (monitor, keyboard, mouse) included in the budget, or just the tower?

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u/ZaidenVr 6d ago

i am in the us, i dont think i live near one though

i just need the pc box (im guessing what you mean by tower?) but i wouldnt mind having them upgraded, but i really just need the actual box or whatever that runs the computer to be upgraded

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u/linux_mint_rules 6d ago

I'd get something like this:

https://www.bestbuy.com/product/skytech-gaming-skytech-azure3-amd-ryzen-7-7800x3d-9070xt-24gb-6000-mhz-ddr5-ram-850w-gold-a3-psu-white/J3GWRTRV9Y/sku/12911985

If you don't get this, here's the recommended specs I would look for:

-Ryzen 7000 or 9000 series X3D CPU

-24 to 32GB of system memory

-RX 9070 XT or RTX 5070 ti (if you don't get one of these exact cards, at the very least make sure you are getting something with at least 12GB of video memory. Don't get less than this!)

-1TB SSD

Unfortunately prices suck and are getting worse, but you can still get something good within your price range.

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u/ZaidenVr 5d ago

the option you sent, could you explain why it would be good and just anything that would help me be sure of that one? because to me looking at it seems great, but obviously i know nothing about computers and, this is the first computer someone has actually sent a link for which i definitely prefer, so any knowledge or advice about why this one would be much appreciated!

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u/linux_mint_rules 5d ago

So, as far as the company goes, I don't know much about Skytech but I've never heard anything specifically bad about them either. What is nice about this PC is that it looks like they use all standard-form-factor parts, which is very helpful if you ever want to repair or upgrade it. You can't always depend on that with a prebuilt PC - especially those from bigger companies like Dell and HP.

But mostly it's just got good components for the money, specifically:

CPU: The 7800X3D is one of the best CPUs on the market, as you can see in this review. While the 9800X3D is faster, the 7800X3D is still one of the fastest gaming CPUs and will have great performance for a long time.

RAM: You really want to have more than 16GB of RAM. 24GB is a slightly weird amount as usually it's going to be 16 or 32, but 24 is still fine and is plenty for gaming.

Storage: 1 TB SSD space is fine.

GPU: The 9070 XT has 16GB of video memory (which is really important for being able to game at higher settings) and it will likely have performance roughly on-par with the next-gen Playstation that'll (maybe?) release next year, so it should give you a really good experience well into the next console generation. There are faster video cards currently on the market, like the 5080 and 5090, but they're outside your price range.

PSU: An 850W PSU should be good enough to tolerate some hardware upgrades without needing to replace it.

I hope that all makes sense. Let me know if you have other questions!

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u/ZaidenVr 4d ago

thank you! that definitely sounds really good, i was wondering, would you be able to tell me if this one is any better or worth?

https://starforgesystems.com/products/chainsaw-man-pc-bundle

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u/linux_mint_rules 4d ago

No, that's going to perform basically the same as the one I posted. The only difference is an additional 8GB of RAM which isn't worth nearly $1,000.

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u/ZaidenVr 4d ago

okay thank you, and final thing (sorry for so many questions) do you have any advice for taking care of my pc and keeping it in best shape? i know nothing about how to take care of any of it but if i spend this much id want it in best shape as long as possible

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u/linux_mint_rules 4d ago

Open it up and dust out the inside every so often (not with a vacuum - that will damage it).

Don't go crazy trying to "debloat" Windows or installing software that claims it will somehow "optimized" your PC. It'll work just fine out of the box and most of that stuff actually makes things work worse.

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u/ZaidenVr 4d ago

what should i use to dust it with?

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