Computer Gaming Help!

[nowwhat]

Wanted to add, with a split solid-state/HDD setup, be sure to use the SSD only for Windows files. If you store Steam, or other game libraries there, it will fill up very quickly.

 

[StephF]

I've not bought a pre-built computer ever. I have always bought the parts and put them together myself. Far more rewarding and you know what to expect.

 

[Mr Allen]

I stopped PC gaming about 15 years ago due to problems with Windows XP running anything other than older games.

But IMO you could probably get a decent Desktop rather than a Laptop for gaming for around your Budget.

 

[Questella]

I've not bought a pre-built computer ever. I have always bought the parts and put them together myself. Far more rewarding and you know what to expect.

I wish I had a safe place in my house to work on electronics, I'm starting to wonder about going to a local computer shop and asking about them making me one...

 

[nowwhat]

I wish I had a safe place in my house to work on electronics, I'm starting to wonder about going to a local computer shop and asking about them making me one...

Wouldn't hurt to ask, but it will probably cost more, due to paying for their expert labor and time.

 

[Hopeless_Aspie_Guy]

Ew I didn't even see windows 7, isn't it like 3 os's ago?

There was 'supposedly' a windows 9 released many years ago so the recent O/S went 7,8 and 10. 7 and 10 are good, vista and 8 were train wrecks.

I've not bought a pre-built computer ever. I have always bought the parts and put them together myself.

(Apologies for the sexism here) A woman building a PC

I'm starting to wonder about going to a local computer shop and asking about them making me one

Wouldn't hurt to ask, but it will probably cost more, due to paying for their expert labor and time.

Building a PC yourself isn't for a novice. Also it is in some ways better to get a custom built PC (slightly different from a pre-built one, though I'm not sure of American sites only UK) as they take responsibility for any faults that are deemed manufacturer faults or down to the hardware interaction, normally you can send it back to them for free or you can pay extra for that peace of mind.

 

[Questella]

I used to switch out parts on the computers we had in high school with no problems, as well as cleaning them, until my bf at the time thought he was some kind of comp genius and fried them from taking them apart on the shag carpet then magically couldn't figure out why they never worked again. He never had a computer of his own either btw, just fx'd mine up for me. Computers were my original program in college but I didn't get to go to a good school and the one I did go to was teaching basic computer and completely outdated information in the intermediate classes then they canceled the most advanced classes every semester due to "lack of interest" which is total bs imo. I tried to switch schools but I couldn't get the credits to transfer even though one of that schools main things was supposed to be transferring credits to bigger more recognized schools. I've been out of it for about ten years now though...

I was also the only girl in my shop classes in highschool, lol.

 

[Questella]

That same stupid school wouldn't let me get some Microsoft certification either, I already took nearly every class required for one and kept asking about it but they would just tell me I didn't need it for my degree. Which I never did get because of a handful of classes they refused to offer. I had absolutely no help in high school about finding and going to college because I was in all the "special" classes. Though I was in those classes mainly because they didn't want a weirdo freak in the regular classes with the normal, social students. They had me in special ed study hall (wtf right), math, English, social studies, they even made me take a relationship class which was basically how to live in a marriage and take care if babies (another total wtf). The "special" classes were actually where I got bullied the most. I graduated with kids that couldn't read or write!! I wanted to get a higher up diploma but they refused to let me take foreign languages, geometry, algebra. Just told me I couldn't possibly handle it. I took algebra in college and did just fine, f***ing b***tard.

 

[Full Steam]

In my experience many computer shops charge a fairly small amount to build for you.

They are in a very competitive, price driven market, so they are often very reasonable.

Best place might be a discount warehouse type place that also offers custom builds. Then you can choose the components and get them to build it. Much as I like small businesses, I wouldn't go to a small untrusted shop for a build as there are very dodgy practices that some people do.

Personally I only buy business class Lenovo dell or HP, and you can get them cheap on Ebay. Business class is far superior in terms of quality and resilience.

 

[Questella]

In my experience many computer shops charge a fairly small amount to build for you.

They are in a very competitive, price driven market, so they are often very reasonable.

Best place might be a discount warehouse type place that also offers custom builds. Then you can choose the components and get them to build it. Much as I like small businesses, I wouldn't go to a small untrusted shop for a build as there are very dodgy practices that some people do.

Personally I only buy business class Lenovo dell or HP, and you can get them cheap on Ebay. Business class is far superior in terms of quality and resilience.

I used to know a gut that owned his own shop but he started having lots of health problems then one day his ship was gone. He was actually a regular at the club, very nice, respectful, always gave me a good deal and even did some services for free, his wife was a total sweetheart too. I wish I knew what became of them.

There's a place in the town I'm in thats been open for I think at least 20 years, I'm thinking maybe I could talk to them and feel them out. I went in once to ask about something but they wanted like 50$ before they'd even talk to me, which was just ew, it was the only time I'd been in there though, idk I may try talking to them and maybe some other shops. I really miss my old computer guy.

So Lenovo is very good? I've never been introduced to that brand.

 

[Full Steam]

The business world runs on Lenovo & HP followed by Dell.

Lenovo is what became of IBM's desktop & laptop manufacturing, and I think the best there is.

If you post the specs you're after I can let you know the business machines you'd be looking at.

I sell Lenovo PCs to businesses on occasion. HP & Dell are pretty much as good, but I'm not so familiar with them, and I wouldn't buy anything else personally.

If you want brute power in a desktop, look for any of the above's "Workstation" ranges. HP Z, Dell, T (I think), Lenovo P range (NOT IBM P which is something very, very different).

You often get ex lease, ex business or ex goverment stuff on Ebay, and they prices are cheap. Consumer's don't know what they are, and they hit the market in huge numbers when the big guys do equipment refreshes.

I've bought $2700 rrp laptop for c$300 AUD that's 3-4 years old. Even that old it's still much more powerful than most consumer stuff and can take a lot of abuse.

 

[Questella]

The business world runs on Lenovo & HP followed by Dell.

Lenovo is what became of IBM's desktop & laptop manufacturing, and I think the best there is.

If you post the specs you're after I can let you know the business machines you'd be looking at.

I sell Lenovo PCs to businesses on occasion. HP & Dell are pretty much as good, but I'm not so familiar with them, and I wouldn't buy anything else personally.

If you want brute power in a desktop, look for any of the above's "Workstation" ranges. HP Z, Dell, T (I think), Lenovo P range (NOT IBM P which is something very, very different).

You often get ex lease, ex business or ex goverment stuff on Ebay, and they prices are cheap. Consumer's don't know what they are, and they hit the market in huge numbers when the big guys do equipment refreshes.

I've bought $2700 rrp laptop for c$300 AUD that's 3-4 years old. Even that old it's still much more powerful than most consumer stuff and can take a lot of abuse.

How about this Lenovo Micro Center - Computers and Electronics that was suggested? I'm trying to play WoW and would like it to continue playing good for the next couple x-pacs.

 

[Mr Allen]

If I was to get a new PC (And I actually want a Windows 10 Laptop for game development using Unity) I'd get one pre built from somewhere like PC World, I trust those small Backstreet shops about as far as I could throw one of their so called "support" monkeys, after being badly let down by a local shop nearly 20 years ago when I got my first Internet PC on AOL Dial up.

 

[Full Steam]

How about this Lenovo Micro Center - Computers and Electronics that was suggested? I'm tryivbIAAOSw241YVBW5

nd would like it to continue playing good for the next couple x-pacs.

Im not familiar with that model as it a consumer one. If I was buying consumer I'd buy Lenovo. They also do a Y series for gamers, but again I have no experience with them.

If you are happy with second hand, buy a Lenovo Workstation, if you want new, then I would buy something like the one you linked or a Y series.

This is the kind of thing I'd buy. Workstations are server quality components, built for extreme reliability and speed, but cost a fortune new.

Note, this is small form factor, so make sure you can get the video card you want in half height card.
Lenovo ThinkStation P300 SFF Workstation Core i7-4790 3.6GHz 16GB Win10 WARRANTY

Workstation with xeon chip, which is a server CPU which you absolutely don't need.
Lenovo ThinkStation P500 Xeon E5-1607 v3 16GB 2TB Workstation Win8.1 Pro 3Year | eBay

If you do buy business class, check the video card is good enough for gaming, and you'll be set.

 

[Full Steam]

If I was to get a new PC (And I actually want a Windows 10 Laptop for game development using Unity) I'd get one pre built from somewhere like PC World, I trust those small Backstreet shops about as far as I could throw one of their so called "support" monkeys, after being badly let down by a local shop nearly 20 years ago when I got my first Internet PC on AOL Dial up.

It's a tough business with low margins, huge competitors who all buy cheaper due to volume and customers who expect the earth but are not willing to pay for it. Manufacturers who sell to the channel also sell direct and undercut their retails and distributors all the time.

Additionally it has low barriers to entry and people seem to think that building a few PC's makes them good enough to charge others for their services.

Some great people and some monkeys fighting over scraps, and the big guys doing very well.

Hideous market to be in unless your very niche or very big.

 

[Questella]

So Wooo, I finally got something. I was trying to get the Levano from Microcenter but that store was just like total too much and they ended up talking me down to that PowerSpec one but then I took it home and it didn't even work so I ended up taking it back and getting a full refund and saying **** Microcenter. That store was just like wtf, within 5 seconds of walking in I had over a dozen employees bugging me what I needed. What I needed was a second to find what I was looking for, then my stupid boyfriend ended up going and getting more employees to bother me then I just ended up confused and wanting to leave more than anything so I got the one then took it back. Then I went back on Best Buy's website and low and behold they do carry gaming computers. When I initially went looking for one, one of their own employees told me they didn't carry gaming computers and told me to go to Microcenter, wtf dude, I hope he got fired. So after the Microcenter nightmare I went back to the Best Buy website and found this Asus - G11CD Desktop - Intel Core i5 - 16GB Memory - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 - 512GB Solid State Drive + 1TB Hard Drive - Silver/Red ASUS there so that's what I've ended up with. It's last years model and I also got the floor model so with taxes I got this one for 900$. So that's where I am. Trying to get WoW installed, I swear this game takes 12 hours to install. Thought I'd share. :3

 

[Streetwise]

You're not as daTed as me IM stuck in the 80s when there were no dvd/cd roms modem via telephone and pac man was the only game i ever liked
still seems wrong to be able to connect a laptop to a tv
the inside of computers overwhelm me

 

[Questella]

still seems wrong to be able to connect a laptop to a tv

Still can't hook one up to a picture tube tv though (which is all I have atm)