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Question

help in buying gaming computer

Jul 5, 2016 2:32PM PDT

I have been trying to educate myself on specs needed for a decent gaming computer. Its a little overwhelming and am asking for help in how to go about this. So far i understand I need a quad core processor, 8gigs of ram and a dedicated video card. I can not spend more than $550. I would rather find a way to pick the specs I want and have someone build it for me, but I don't know where to go. I have also checked out CybertronPC and have no problem buying one of these, but I want to make sure the video card is decent. I don't need max settings, but maybe medium to high. Any help would be appreciated.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Build your own (Cheap and Fun!)
Jul 5, 2016 3:05PM PDT

The best kind of gaming PC is one that you configure exactly to your liking. There's a website I recommend called pcpartpicker. From here you can configure a computer with any parts you want, and the website will tell you if parts won't work with each other, so it's a lot of fun to mess around with. For your first gaming computer, you don't want to go overkill and get power you'll never use. I built my own rig from this site, and here's my configuration:

http://pcpartpicker.com/list/mhBVYr

Processor: A Skylake Intel Core i3 running at 3.7GHz is more than enough for intensive multitasking and gaming performance. I can hit around 32fps on GTA 5 using high settings on 1080p, which is really good for this price point! (Intel Core i3-6100 - $110)

CPU Cooler: The "ARCTIC Alpine 11 Pro" is a must for keeping the processor cool. These coolers are highly acclaimed and are better than many of the stock coolers that come in normal PCs. (ARCTIC Alpine 11 Pro - $13)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX. This is a basic motherboard that has everything you need and nothing you don't. This motherboard doesn't support overclocking the processor, but for a first time gamer it's not necessary at all. (Gigabyte GA-H110M-A Micro ATX - $50)

Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133. Nothing fancy, but this ram has good reviews and comes from a trusted company. Plus, it's the latest and greatest DDR4 ram! (Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 - $31)

Storage: Sandisk Z400s 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive. Solid state drives make all the difference in performance. Boot times can be as low as 5 seconds, game load times are dramatically reduced when compared to hard drives, and 256GB of storage is more than enough to hold 4-5 Triple-A titles and several casual games. (Sandisk Z400s 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive - $73)

Graphics:EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card. These are among the best budget graphics cards out there. The GTX 750 still kicks *** on games like GTA 5 and Rocket League on medium-high settings, and has a while before it becomes obsolete! (EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card - $110)

Case: Rosewill Galaxy-01 ATX Mid Tower Case. The case isn't terribly important; heck, some people stick their components on a wooden board and leave it like that, but this case is cheap and comes with fans, which is perfect for a starter build, plus it has blue LEDs on the front, which is a nice touch. (Rosewill Galaxy-01 ATX Mid Tower Case - $49)

Power Supply: EVGA 430W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply. This power supply can easily handle everything in the computer and then some. It's 80+ certified and really efficient, which makes this a top pick for a beginner. (EVGA 430W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply - $30)

Total Price: $462 (including tax and shipping). You have an extra $88 to spend on games and accessories for your computer. I've had this build for about 2 months and no problems at all! I hope this guide helps you and feel free to ask me any questions you may have.

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build your own
Jul 6, 2016 2:22PM PDT

ty this really helps. Cool website! I really need to educate myself further about the computer components in order to make good decisions. I may need someone to hold my hand through this lol

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build your own
Jul 6, 2016 2:50PM PDT

I responded before I realized that you were making a recommendation for a good computer for the price I am looking at. Thank you for your clear explanation of each part. Did you build the computer yourself?

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Answer
For 550!
Jul 5, 2016 7:01PM PDT
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reading material
Jul 6, 2016 2:23PM PDT

this is going to be really good reading for me. I am doing a lot of this right now Happy

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Answer
Budget
Jul 5, 2016 8:52PM PDT
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gaming computer
Jul 6, 2016 2:28PM PDT

this one looks really great. I am learning about benchmarks and the graphics card is nice. Someone suggested this same computer for me on Tom's Hardware, so I may really consider it.

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Buy or build
Jul 6, 2016 5:57PM PDT

If you buy a pre-built you buy the package.

There are some sites that will let you pick parts from a limited selection and they will build it for you.

If you decide to build it your self you have a large selection of parts to pick from.

Your 550 budget is going to be the limiter on how high up the gaming ladder you can go.

So do some shopping around and then it's your call.