I’m in the market for a new computer, and I’d like to get one that runs games like FFXI, Oblivion, and Portal with acceptable speed and graphics quality (I’ve been playing FFXI for about 4 years on the lowest possible settings).
Problem is, I can’t afford the steroid-fueled monster machines that so many games are requiring for optimal gameplay nowadays. I’m looking at an HP dual-core (about $900 base), but it’s been so long since I’ve actually had to buy a computer that I don’t even know what to look for anymore.
I don’t really want to build a machine from the ground-up, since there would be no tech support if something craps out.
So, two questions I guess: What components should I look for in a fairly decent gaming machine, and who should I buy from to get a good one for less than a grand?
Have you considered buying the $900 computer you site and picking up a game console in addition? It would allow you to play a huge variety of games for a relatively low price. The Xbox 360 and PS3 offer visuals that rival most top of the line PCs for a fraction of the cost, and the Wii is even cheaper and offers some unique gaming opportunities.
A GeForce 8600GT graphics card can be had for about $100. It will fit into a PCIe slot, and most new machines will have such a slot available. You may have to replace an existing card and possibly void your warranty, but that upgrade will go most of the way towards guaranteeing you can run those games at a fine level. I don’t know what dual-core machine you’re looking at so I can’t make specific recommendations, but you’ve probably got more CPU than you need. You can save some cash by going with a lower-end CPU and upgrading later when that CPU style is near its end of life. For example, Socket 939 was new and sexy two or three years ago, but now it’s obsolete – so you can get the best CPU that will fit the socket for under $250 (used to be $800+).
For reference, I played Portal on an Athlon Socket A with a GeForce 6600GTX (that is, a CPU and GPU both at least two generations old) and had no problems.
If you’re not comfortable with changing the innards of your computer, I’d recommend Dell. They have a startling array of different upgrades to a computer. Primarily, I’d go for more RAM and a good (not “top of the line”, as you get diminishing returns on your money) video card, which should not be terribly expensive.
But, you really don’t need to spend more than $1000 to play games. Hell, do you think they sell millions of copies that way? You don’t need to play every game at “wow the water is amazing and hypnotic and I could watch it for hours” levels of video. Oblivion is particularly one where the graphics range is not “poor to great” but “amazing to transcendent”.
You can definitely build a very good PC for under $1000, especially if you don’t need a monitor. Check out this article, it spells out exactly what to get:
I don’t have the money for a 360 or PS3. I was considering getting a Wii, but it’s more of a novelty than anything else.
Awesome! I will definitely keep the 8600GT in mind! Thanks!
Yanno, I used to swear by Dell (my family and I have owned at least 6-7 Dell computers between us), but now I really don’t like their bait-and-switch pricing tactics, steep decline in customer service, and the fact that HP offers you twice the computer for half the price (roughly). I don’t mind changing in and out hardware components myself, but the names and acronyms confuse the hell out of me. N9IWP, control-z, and Yag Rannavach, I’m looking through those guides now. Thanks to everyone so far!