fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #3023 ]

⌈ Secret Post #3023 ⌋

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yes, I'm actually typing this on a computer I built myself. There are a few sites that offer builds for different price ranges that they've matched together from parts if you're not interested in doing the research yourself [or you could probably go to pc part picker and see what builds other people have done and go from there].

With regards to building one being cheaper...sort of. It can still run fairly high price wise if you're looking for something that will run modern games on higher settings, but you *will* get much better performance for the same price since a lot of companies [like Dell/Alienware] will use little tricks like focusing on having the newest cpu and a graphics card that isn't so strong...despite graphics cards being more important when it comes to running a game.

tl;dr: You get more bang for your buck, and you can find sites that'll help. The actual building isn't so hard once you get the parts [unless your doing a ridic. fancy case or something.]

It depends a lot on the game. I gave up on Wildstar because CPU was the bottleneck any time I went to town (which is often the case for MMOs). 4X games tend to get memory or CPU bottlenecks with big maps because the computer has to process the entire map every turn. Path of Exile and Shadowrun Dragonfall:DC seem to be hitting a problem with hard drive. I might get an SSD with my tax return.

My opinion is that unless you want multiple monitors or want to drive a huge high-resolution screen that paying more than ~$150 on a video card is diminishing returns. Not to mention a monster video card might have additional cooling and power costs. I upgraded to a GTX 750 Ti primarily because it was slot-powered. Tom's Hardware Guide usually runs a monthly feature that gives a good idea about what to expect at different price points.

It turns out that Tom's agrees with me that you get diminishing returns past ~$150, but if you want to pay for maximum bling, you pay for maximum bling. Most games will be playable on a mid-range card since cross-platform PC/console is common for AAA titles.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-8.html

It does depend on the game, as well as a few other things. For example, I ended up giving up on Wildstar because - at the time - the computer I was using's graphics card just couldn't do it - but the CPU was fine. I can't say I've had any issues with the other two games you mentioned, though - and I hope an SSD does help you out there!

Honestly, I just speaking to what I've, and people I know who are far more into this than I am, have generally seen be the issue - which is that games tend to be more GPU intensive than CPU intensive.

I think part of the problem was I picked up an AMD CPU and Wildstar was notorious for bad optimization for AMD. Other than that, I've not had any CPU bottlenecking except in a few 4X near the endgame.

(Oh, and Sims save-game bloat, but that's an EA Games problem.)

Edited 2015-04-15 04:52 (UTC)

Mmm, I find going with a good case to be a sound investment. My ex got my case for the last computer I built, *mutter*, but it's screw-free, which makes dealing with components sooooo much easier. See, cases stay relatively standard, and you can usually swap through several rigs in one case. Also, having that case probably saved my computer when we moved; it's made of very solid metal, and something fell on it. It only dented the upper side corner; if it had been a cheaper case, it probably would've caused damage to the components. I got a similar case for the new rig, but this one's on fucking wheels (THANK GODS).

As far as cheap... for the OP, I would go with not the best parts available but second or third down. Those tend to be a lot more affordable, because they're not bleeding edge. I built a computer this way in 2007 and I didn't replace it save for upgrading the CPU about two months later (because back when quad cores cost $300, our local computer shop had a sale for $150 -- yoink) and then the graphics card in 2008 (nVidia 9800GTX) -- this rig lasted me until 2012. So, if you have the option, I'd go for good, solid components that are relatively future-proofed (though there's no guarantee there) and you probably won't have to upgrade for awhile. (IIRC it cost about $800-1k to build the rig in question.)

Oh -- piece of advice. One place NOT to skimp on: The PSU. I have seen too many people get cheap PSUs and have a power surge take out their entire computer. I have a particular love for Antec (I'm still using the PSU from my old rig, until I get the components I'm missing for the new one, and without being on a UPS, it's been through a LOT of power surges; I really do need to get a UPS, though), but Cooler Master is also good.

[ SECRET POST #3023 ]

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