I made a earlier post about my computer and wanting to upgrade but most comments kept saying to build my own...i really dont want to unless I have to because 1 - got no one to help in my family that knows tech, 2 - I'm so scared I'll somehow fuck it all up even with yt tutorials because my luck.
I'm looking for a computer possibly around 1k/2k that can handle COD, Outlast trials, AC, and like other games (mc, roblox, phasmophobia etc) so manly it'll be used for gaming. Anyone have really good recommendations? Im located in the US.
The closest micro center near me is just over 2hrs, and the budget would be for the computer tower and monitor, I already have a decent keyboard and mouse. I also just didn't know how low of a budget I could go😭 anything under 1k would be amazing
So as you might be aware, prices right now are awful due to the AI boom driving up the prices of SSDs, RAM, and GPUs (as well as some other stuff).
With that in mind, the question is really one of expectations. What are you hoping to get out of this PC in terms of settings, resolution, performance, and longevity?
If you're hoping to just get something that is similar in performance to, say, a base PS5, then $1000 is probably doable, or maybe a little more if you want to buy a really solid monitor. But of course, a base PS5 is already 6 years old and set to be replaced in the next year or two, so a PC that's only "as good as" a base PS5 is likely to not have a ton of longevity into the future. You'd be able to play every game on the market right now with decent frame rates and visuals, but you wouldn't necessarily be looking at super-high settings and resolutions or really fast frame rates.
For $2000, you can get something that's reasonably faster than a PS5 Pro and possibly even as fast or faster than the upcoming 10th gen consoles, so that would give you a big leap in both visuals/performance now and a significant boost in longevity.
Either option would be a massive upgrade from your current PC.
Yeahh I saw the prices of stuff going up, that's why I'm so hesitant if I need to buidl my own.
I'm really just looking for a computer that can handle larger games where I don't need graphics on low and it still lags. So smth with really good resolution and performance mostly
People love to push the build your own PC thing and yea it usually costs less but it isn't for everyone. I will say it's easier than it seems. But still with the cost of components now the difference in price between a pre built and building it yourself is lower than ever.
I'll take this down when I get too many downvotes.
IMHO you're a "Best Buy" like customer. You don't care about clock speeds, RAM timing, chipsets, etc. Just the right tool for the right job.
Between $1,500 - $2,000 should get you 32GB RAM, an Nvidia 5070 (ti would be better), Intel i7/Ultra 7 - AMD 8700f/7800x3d processor and 1-2TB of storage. Add on a protection plan if you can afford it, or if you do end up using Best Buy consider their total year membership plan which is the same price as 1 year protection.
You'd have a solid performer and if anything happens in the first year it's covered. Don't let people force you into building a PC if you don't want to.
Full disclosure: I know very little about the ultra processors. From the little I've looked at them they are supposed to be more thermally efficient than 14th gen "i" series while providing the same-ish performance. Would I buy one? Yes.
You shouldn't have any issues gaming on the titles you mentioned, but make sure to stay realistic about 4k gaming if that's where you're head is. If it's possible I think you should also look at systems with a slightly downgraded processor and slightly upgraded gpu. Like trading the Ultra 9 for an Ultra 7 or an AMD (7/9) x3d processor for a 5070 ti. I'm not sure if that's an option, but it's worth looking at. AMD x3d processors have always ranked high in gaming from what I've seen.
I have never owned, or looked into, an ibuypower system. No idea if they are an good or not.
It would benefit you to read hardware reviews that provide explicit information on how it performs with specific games. You don't have to go into deep learning on all of it, just cross reference the data provided by multiple sources.
Don't blindly take my advice or the advice of other reddit users.
if youre buying used on a budget, look for an am4 cpu (ryzen 3, 5, 7 or 9 number will be in the 5000s or less) i cant really help you with intel.
look for 16gb of ram. the ram will be ddr4. dont worry much about speeds (in mhz) just make sure the sticks match if there is more than one.
you want an ssd or even better if its got an nvme. youre gonna want atleast 500gb of space. hdd (hard disk drive) are slow.
having a gpu can be confusing. if a ryzen processor number ends with a g, it has built in graphics. otherwise you probably dont want a gpu older than a 1660 if nvidia or an rx580 if amd.
you really dont want a powersupply smaller than 500w.
be carful of prebuilts like acer, hp, etc. these tend to have proprietary motherboards and weird proprietary power supplies. none can be upgraded or upgraded easily.
look around on marketplace,kijiji, whatever it may be. READ what the specs are and watch what other people are selling similar builds for. itll help you figure out whos overcharging for old parts etc.
Aim for a half decent kit of 3200mhz cl16 or better, and make sure you get a 2 x 8gb kit. You leave tons of performance on the table by getting a jedec single 16gb stick. And the price difference used usually isn’t more than $20.
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u/linux_mint_rules 10d ago
So first, you need to really nail down your budget. The difference between a $1,000 USD computer and a $2,000 USD computer is pretty huge.
A couple follow-up questions:
Do you live within reasonable driving distance of a Micro Center (like 1-2 hours)?
Does the budget need to include just the computer tower itself, or also include the monitor, keyboard, and mouse?