PC Gaming

[Jackhepburn]

What do you guys think of this combination so far? Unsure on a graphics card yet but these parts tally up to £350, then I would probably add another £100 on a graphics card



AMD FX-6350 3.9GHz 6-Core Processor

MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard

G.Skill Ares Series 8gb (2 x 4gb) DDR3-1333 Memory

Seagate Barracuda 1tb 3.5" 7200rpm internal HDD

Zalman Z9 ATX Mid Tower Case

Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply

Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer

 

[Mr. Green]

What do you guys think of this combination so far? Unsure on a graphics card yet but these parts tally up to £350, then I would probably add another £100 on a graphics card



AMD FX-6350 3.9GHz 6-Core Processor

MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard

G.Skill Ares Series 8gb (2 x 4gb) DDR3-1333 Memory

Seagate Barracuda 1tb 3.5" 7200rpm internal HDD

Zalman Z9 ATX Mid Tower Case

Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply

Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer

I think u should choose SSD hard drive. Upgrade to SSD and u'll impove a lot.

 

[darthviper107]

SSD doesn't improve things that much, it's better to have a better graphics card than an SSD

 

[HODLr]

SSD doesn't improve things that much, it's better to have a better graphics card than an SSD

An SSD will speed up Windows, games loading, etc. but won't add any FPS. I boot into Windows in around 15 seconds. Everything loads much faster, then you can hand off the gaming to a better GPU.

 

[Kibagami]

for maximum productivity

He's a developer. Like me. Sometimes I feel I need more than two to work better.

 

[Solidus]

What do you guys think of this combination so far? Unsure on a graphics card yet but these parts tally up to £350, then I would probably add another £100 on a graphics card



AMD FX-6350 3.9GHz 6-Core Processor

MSI 970A-G43 ATX AM3+ Motherboard

G.Skill Ares Series 8gb (2 x 4gb) DDR3-1333 Memory

Seagate Barracuda 1tb 3.5" 7200rpm internal HDD

Zalman Z9 ATX Mid Tower Case

Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply

Pioneer BDC-207DBK Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer

That's a good start, Jack. Although, I would highly recommend ditching the AMD processor and going for an Intel i5, instead. AMD has a notorious reputation of combining outdated CPUs into multiple cores. So, if you can manage the funds for it, go for an Intel Core i5-4690K, and a compatible motherboard.

Also, a solid state drive might be a bit costly for your set-up. So, I'd recommend a SSD hybrid drive as a more cost-effective solution. Like this one from Seagate that's only $74.99:

Seagate 500GB Solid State Hybrid Drive-2.5 Form Factor, SATA III 6 Gb/s, 5400 RPM, 64MB Cache -ST500LM000-ST500LM000 at TigerDirect.com

Choose one of these instead of the mechanical drive that you have listed.

 

[Solidus]

How's it running?

I just got it installed, so I'll have to test it out on some games. But, it was such a tedious process just getting the card to fit inside the case, because it's completely lacking wire management. I really do need a better case than the one I have right now... that's the next thing I'll have to upgrade.

 

[darthviper107]

An SSD will speed up Windows, games loading, etc. but won't add any FPS. I boot into Windows in around 15 seconds. Everything loads much faster, then you can hand off the gaming to a better GPU.

All my games are installed on a regular 1TB disk drive and they load up really fast anyways,

 

[Solidus]

All my games are installed on a regular 1TB disk drive and they load up really fast anyways,

I guess what's "fast" is subjective. But, you can notice up to 50% faster boots and load times with a SSD as compared to a regular mechanical drive.

 

[Jameson Rook]

Did you guys saw the Alienware console? What do you guys think?

 

[Solidus]

Alienware is like a swear word around these parts . That console thing is very overpriced at $550, as it comes with a dual core i3 processor, a mobile GPU, and only 4 gigs of ram . You can build a significantly better PC for yourself at that price.

 

[Jameson Rook]

Alienware is like a swear word around these parts . That console thing is very overpriced at $550, as it comes with a dual core i3 processor, a mobile GPU, and only 4 gigs of ram . You can build a significantly better PC for yourself at that price.

I suspected as much. Sorry for the noob question, but are all Alienware products geared towards the casuals and impressionable? I remember they were quite popular about a decade ago.

 

[Solidus]

I suspected as much. Sorry for the noob question, but are all Alienware products geared towards the casuals and impressionable? I remember they were quite popular about a decade ago.

Well, Alienware is generally marketed to folks who're ill-informed about PCs and have lots of money to waste . Avoid them at all cost.

I do remember Alienware being advertised in gaming magazines back in the early 2000s. They were really expensive, too...

 

[Jameson Rook]

Well, Alienware is generally marketed to folks who're ill-informed about PCs and have lots of money to waste . Avoid them at all cost.

I do remember Alienware being advertised in gaming magazines back in the early 2000s. They were really expensive, too...

Oh yeah! They were all over EGM, PSM, Gamepro, etc. The ads made them looked sooo cool. Anyway, thanks for the warning, brother Solidus.

 

[Solidus]

Oh yeah! They were all over EGM, PSM, Gamepro, etc. The ads made them looked sooo cool. Anyway, thanks for the warning, brother Solidus.

They did look pretty impressive back then . And No prob. Like I said, whenever you're ready to build a gaming PC of your own, I'll be there to help . You can build a good one for practically any budget, and it'll be much better than Alienware's offering.

 

[apellica]

As others have said, Alienware is way overpriced for what they give you. Their fancy designs and light up kits is what draws people in. I would stay away and build the computer yourself. If you are not comfortable with building one, then buy from a reputable custom pc builder. One that comes to mind is CyberPowerPC - UNLEASH THE POWER - Create the Custom Gaming PC and Laptop Computer of your dreams.

I have not ordered from them personally, but I've heard good things about them and the forums are quite lively and informative. Might be worth checking out for your needs.....

 

[Solidus]

Ugh, I'd avoid Cyberpower, too. Usually those PC companies add in extra charges for workmanship, amongst other things. However you look at it, you'll save more money by researching and building you own PC to suit your needs. Anyone can do it. It's not like fixing a car, or building a rocket ship. Just fit a motherboard into a case, buy compatible components, plug them onto the motherboard, and you're all set..

 

[Jameson Rook]

 

[Shropt]

As others have said, Alienware is way overpriced for what they give you. Their fancy designs and light up kits is what draws people in. I would stay away and build the computer yourself. If you are not comfortable with building one, then buy from a reputable custom pc builder. One that comes to mind is CyberPowerPC - UNLEASH THE POWER - Create the Custom Gaming PC and Laptop Computer of your dreams.

I have not ordered from them personally, but I've heard good things about them and the forums are quite lively and informative. Might be worth checking out for your needs.....

I bought my gaming PC from them. My hard drive and my power supply both died within 6 months. I ended up not going through their warranty policy and just buying better, higher rated products and replacing them myself.

Very easy website though and great communication. Just didn't see the point in shipping parts back to them and waiting weeks to get potentially just as crappy parts back.

 

[Something Sexy]

for maximum productivity

Actually...ya.