What PC Should I Get?

[NoahtheBoah36]

Not so much of a tech support question as it is a tech question in general.

I know literally fuck all about computer stats or capabilities. I currently play on a multiple year old Dell laptop with windows ten, only really able to use it thanks to a cooling pad which keeps it functional, a mouse and a keyboard attached to it, plus a pretty simple headset plugged into the jacks. Needless to say this thing is clearly a piece of junk as far as gaming PC's can go.

If somebody who is a wise master could please give me a good place to potentially buy a new computer, preferably cheap yet quality so I don't get 30 fps on Gmod, that would be great. Thanks!

 

[rang]

You could go for a i5 with a GTX 900 series, 8 or 16 GB of RAM. Should be enough to be honest, will run most video games - just not on the highest graphic.

 

[gExile]

You could go for a i5 with a GTX 900 series, 8 or 16 GB of RAM. Should be enough to be honest, will run most video games - just not on the highest graphic.

Just a little add to rang here
You probably can build a PC with the same specs as a pre built one for much cheaper, so ye
If you want a lower budget pc that runs shit okay go for a AMD card lije i did, ex. R9 380, 390 etc instead of Nvidia

 

[Muffin]

In terms of processors, it is best to do your own research based on reviews and statistics but in most scenarios the processor isn't as important as the graphics card is, a decent i5 should do the work fine if on budget. Also, 30-40 fps on gmod is a good thing, gmod will destroy your pc regardless of how good your specs are unless you're willing to dish out over a thousand to buy an over-the-top-destroy-anything-pc.

What I use: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Intel-4690K-Processor-LGA1150-Socket/dp/B00KPRWB9G

I definitely recommend the 970 if you can afford it, heck even the new 1000 series cards are supposedly very decent, but again this is working with a budget and in most cases the 970 should be able to handle anything for the next year or so (likely longer). Just don't expect maximum quality.

What I use: https://www.amazon.co.uk/MSI-GTX-970-Graphics-Express/dp/B00NOP536Y

The motherboard and the rest are rather simple, the ram should be at least 8-16 gb and if you can afford it I always recommend people to use an ssd even if only for the operating system as it makes things much, much faster. For reference though:

mobo: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gigabyte-Z97X-Gaming-LGA1150-Motherboard-USB3-0/dp/B00K2RQDXY
cooler: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ARCTIC-Freezer-Pro-Rev-Multicompatible/dp/B002G392ZI
psu: something like 600 watts is fine unless you want SLI, i cant remember what mine is called.

Have fun building the computer.

im in no way a computer expert, or claim to be, therefore im not responsible for any potential fuck-ups you may incur by following the above information, this is just my experience

 

[Chester]

but in most scenarios the processor isn't as important as the graphics card is

contrary to popular belief the processor is just as important, you don't want bottlenecking which results in inferior performance

moving on, if you're on a budget then i'd research and compare gpus/cpus that you've got a keen eye for on CPUBoss and GPUBoss

whilst AMD CPU's are very budget-orientated, it lacks the performance given by their Intel counterparts - but alas are more pricey in return

get yourself a decent quad-core, keep in mind as you go towards newer/recent processors like the 4690K and the 6600K (both i5's) the price premium rises in conjunction so if you're on a budget keep snappy and compare

you don't need a gaming motherboard unless you're keen on overclocking, and whilst gaming mobos offer a far more advanced suite in terms of technology (usb 3.0, integrated wi-fi chips, PCI-E/M.2 SSD support) it doesn't really much of a difference if you're just casually gaming

something simple like a Hyper 212 Evo or what Muffin suggested would do, no need for watercooling unless you're planning to seriously overclock (ergo taking a 4690k from 3.5ghz to 4.5ghz)

if you want better cable management and less clutter go for a semi-modular or a modular power supply although it's more expensive than just your average non-modular fixed PSU, i find it a good trade-off for ditching PSU cables that i don't need however

r9 200/300 or gtx 900 series is good enough for GPU

since DDR3 ram is relatively cheap nowadays, 8gb or 16gb will suffice although the latter would be your best bet due to games beginning to recommend 16gb memory in recent titles

also even with my own R9 290X and i7-4790K i still run WW3RP on 30/40FPS at the most populated zones, so upgrading doesn't make much difference in that aspect although it definitely helps

pre-built computers are usually a con, utilising smart marketing tactics like "LIGHTNING FAST THUNDER BOLT SUPER SANIC 3.6GHZ AMD ATHLON II X2 280 DUAL-CORE CPU" when in reality the performance is absolutely piss-poor, build it yourself imho and source cheap parts and price-match with retailers if you can