DBO Forums - Seconding the ease

Seconding the ease (reply)

marmot 1333 — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 18:08:00 +0000

I built some computers in the early 2000s--it was nerve wracking.

Then I built a computer in mid-2017 and I was amazed how easy it was. There are even color-coded parts now!

Both buying or building a new computer is a big investment, and these days there is not as much reason to upgrade quickly, so whatever you get--you'll probably have it for a while.

If you build yourself you can get exactly what you want and you can save a lot of money. (I got a ridiculous amount of RAM and a good SSD for the primary/OS hard drive.) I would advise you to watch some videos about it before you spend the money on a pre-built.

Some options: (reply)

cheapLEY — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 05:51:10 +0000

I googled "Custom built PC" and it returned this article from Lifehacker (nearly five years old, now). I clicked through some of their stuff, it all looks fine, as far as I can tell. It's pricey, but that's going to be the case if you buy a prebuilt gaming rig.

There's also CyberPowerPC, which I've heard good things about.

This beast is currently $1725. It's labeled as the daily deal, so no idea what it'll be priced at tomorrow.

Still Looking (reply)

Harmanimus — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 05:08:13 +0000

PC Part Picker

This is the one that I have gotten the most recommendations for. There are build examples, and other information, price comparison tools, etc.

Front page has "Magnificent Intel Gaming/Streaming Build" for 1842.82 (roughly your price range) which, likely, you could get for about 1-200 less if you part hunt.

Still Looking (reply)

Morpheus — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 02:24:35 +0000

I was able to get an extra $500 for my birthday, so I’m a little better off right now. Looking at a few sites, most of them had just info about cases and “We’ll build it for you for as much as a car”. I have to admit I’m nervous about something like this. I don’t know where to begin, only what I need.

Gaming PC Advice (reply)

Harmanimus — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 17:57:41 +0000

Youtube has lots of stuff on it. And most people who like to build PCs will chase an excuse to build a new one. I doubt you couldn’t find someone willing to help or guide the process more directly than forum posts.

Most importantly, building a PC is now much, much easier than it used to be. The parts are designed much more friendly.

Gaming PC Advice (reply)

Morpheus — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 15:10:03 +0000

More than likely, but unfortunately I have no knowledge of assembling computers whatsoever. Like, nothing! One time my disc tray got stuck and I spent 15 minutes peeling the skin off my index finger before I found the paper clip release. Ugh.

If I was confident enough to build my own PC without somehow managing to set something on fire, I'd be happy to. lol

Gaming PC Advice (reply)

cheapLEY — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 02:52:00 +0000

$1300 could build a pretty beastly PC if you can assemble it yourself.

Gaming PC Advice (reply)

Harmanimus — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 02:39:30 +0000

Not on anything specific, but on average if you build it yourself you can stretch your money a lot better. PC part finders, compatability checkers, and a little time hunting for parts can get you what you’d pay 2000 for from a company at half that. The last PC I built was 800 with the capabilities of a number of pre-built machines at twice the price (when I built it a couple years ago)

I mean. If you are trying to get the most bang for the buck.

Gaming PC Advice

Morpheus — Sat, 23 Mar 2019 02:05:42 +0000

Hey guys, I think it's about time to get a new PC, since my old one fuzzed out and my downgrade is making life so much worse. I was able to scrounge up about $1,300, which was pretty much the price of my last PC(which wasn't gaming, but still pretty powerful) and I figured that this would be a good time to go exploring for possibilities.

So yeah, I'm looking for a high-spec gaming PC ASAP--like, one of those Saw Bitch Workhorse-type megaliths, something nice and powerful, that can run games and/or editing programs efficiently and maybe some decent editing/animation options as well.

Space isn't too much of a factor, especially considering how many external hard drives I have...but it would be nice for me to see my Steam Library again. So while a terabyte would be nice, I'd much rather have the hardcore strength to run Dolphin at max settings or give FaceRig or SFM a shot.

Obviously $1,300 won't be enough for something that strong, but if nothing else, I could either do some financing or possibly barter for some negotiations and such. My quandary though, is the long-run planning. It took quite a bit of time to save up that much at once, without some major emergency or something immediately draining it out. I don't want to put down at least a thousand dollars on a computer without knowing firsthand whether it's really a powerhouse or a penguin. Which leads me to my main dilemma: I've heard of places that sell high-end PC's like Best Buy and stuff, but I've also found out about gaming companies that lease-to-own powerful PCs. I doubt I'd be able to pay off a full priced computer for $1300, but I can shop around for options. The lease companies would end up charging much more in the end, but they'd be in small dependably easy payments that I could handle without much (if any) issue. So what I'm trying to figure out is: Do I go to a full price retail store with what I have and schmooze my way towards something substantial(or perhaps settle?) or do I go for the lease-to-own and pay more, but in smaller payments?