Gaming PCs
Feb 21, 2009 13:46:21 GMT -5
Post by punk/core on Feb 21, 2009 13:46:21 GMT -5
So, let me start this off by saying I know jack shit about computers. I know how to go online, send e-mails, write stuff for school in Word, and a few other simple things... but ask me about ANYTHING technical, or fix even the most basic of problems if something goes wrong, and I'm completely lost.
Anyway, I had a desktop that I'd purchased back in 2001 that lasted me for quite a while, but about a year and a half ago I decided it was time to move on-- I was having a lot of problems with it, and since it was old I figured I'd just get something new-- so I got a laptop, just for the ease of being able to take it on campus and stuff like that.
Recently I picked up a newer PC game, but realized after installing and playing it that--
a) I have more than enough RAM and processor speed to run games just fine...
b) ...but the video card in this laptop isn't worth a damn. I hadn't really anticipated wanting to game on this thing, and never even gave the video card a second thought when I'd bought it.
I even went into the options, turned down the graphics quality and all that stuff all the way down, but everything was still so choppy that it was basically unplayable.
That's ok though, because I'd always planned on getting a new desktop eventually. My question is, what kind of specs should I look for in a PC (sorry all you hardcore Mac fans... I've got absolutely nothing against them, but since one of the main reasons I want to get this is for gaming, Apple isn't really an option) that would be able to handle some good gaming without any slowdown, something I wouldn't have to upgrade for a few years and something that isn't going to bankrupt me? I was looking at a few sites like Alienware* and CyberPower PC, but I'd like to hear some input from you guys that know about this kind of stuff.
*Just for kicks, I went to Alienware's website, picked their most expensive system, then customized it with all the highest-quality stuff they had. The total ended up at almost $8,000. This just seemed ridiculous to me. Do people really pay this much for computers just for gaming? I almost seems like... you could buy that computer, but it would be akin buying a $500 computer right now, then going back in time to 1983. Sure, you'd have the most powerful thing by far, but nothing has even been invented yet that can take advantage of all that power. But like I said, I know basically nothing about this stuff, so maybe I'm wrong.
Anyway, I had a desktop that I'd purchased back in 2001 that lasted me for quite a while, but about a year and a half ago I decided it was time to move on-- I was having a lot of problems with it, and since it was old I figured I'd just get something new-- so I got a laptop, just for the ease of being able to take it on campus and stuff like that.
Recently I picked up a newer PC game, but realized after installing and playing it that--
a) I have more than enough RAM and processor speed to run games just fine...
b) ...but the video card in this laptop isn't worth a damn. I hadn't really anticipated wanting to game on this thing, and never even gave the video card a second thought when I'd bought it.
I even went into the options, turned down the graphics quality and all that stuff all the way down, but everything was still so choppy that it was basically unplayable.
That's ok though, because I'd always planned on getting a new desktop eventually. My question is, what kind of specs should I look for in a PC (sorry all you hardcore Mac fans... I've got absolutely nothing against them, but since one of the main reasons I want to get this is for gaming, Apple isn't really an option) that would be able to handle some good gaming without any slowdown, something I wouldn't have to upgrade for a few years and something that isn't going to bankrupt me? I was looking at a few sites like Alienware* and CyberPower PC, but I'd like to hear some input from you guys that know about this kind of stuff.
*Just for kicks, I went to Alienware's website, picked their most expensive system, then customized it with all the highest-quality stuff they had. The total ended up at almost $8,000. This just seemed ridiculous to me. Do people really pay this much for computers just for gaming? I almost seems like... you could buy that computer, but it would be akin buying a $500 computer right now, then going back in time to 1983. Sure, you'd have the most powerful thing by far, but nothing has even been invented yet that can take advantage of all that power. But like I said, I know basically nothing about this stuff, so maybe I'm wrong.