I want a new gaming rig

[Tamas]

I have a laptop that is still ok for games but it is showing its age particularly in loading times and crumbling under CPU heavy stuff like Paradox games.

I have usually been going for "upper middle class" setups in terms of not buying the top of the line stuff, but one or two levels below them, and that has worked out very well.

Soo... CPU. I want quad-core, I think.

Do I HAVE to have an i7? Or i5 would still be good? No, I don't want AMD

[Barrister]

I have a laptop that is still ok for games but it is showing its age particularly in loading times and crumbling under CPU heavy stuff like Paradox games.

I have usually been going for "upper middle class" setups in terms of not buying the top of the line stuff, but one or two levels below them, and that has worked out very well.

Soo... CPU. I want quad-core, I think.

Do I HAVE to have an i7? Or i5 would still be good? No, I don't want AMD

Well for starters take a look at my own "build a new PC" thread where I go through a lot of the same debates.

First - are you looking for a desktop or laptop?

No, there isn't much difference between an i& and an i5.  i7 allows hyperthreading - so your 4 physical cores can be treated by the computer to run 8 separate threads.  But most games hardly use more than a couple of threads anyways, so for that purpose an i5 is probably fine.

I'm sure you know this though, but it's a very misleading naming system since an i7 from now is different from an i7 from 4-5 years ago.  You have to start becoming familiar with generation names like Skylake, Sandy Bridge, and what not.

And of course for what you describe (load times) a SSD HD will make a world of difference.

[crazy canuck]

I agree.  If you want an upper middle class step up BB's setup would be perfect for you.  It also gives you the benefit of the new motherboard chipset (which is about the same price as other older motherboards) for future hardware additions.

[Tamas]

[Syt]

I'm currently looking at this one: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B0156QUMG4/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3HZW7J89FHH20&coliid=I1YF7LQLXVYKR5&psc=1

[CPU] - Intel i7-6700K Quadcore 4x 4.0 GHz, Skylake
[Cooler] - Cooler Master Hyper TX3 EVO, Supersilent
[Memory] - 16 GB DDR4-2666 MHz HyperX Kingston
[GPU] - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980, 4096MB GDDR5
[Mainboard] - ASUS Z170-P
[HD 1] - 250GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD
[HD 2] - 2000 GB SATA3 (6gb/s), 7200rpm, 64MB Cache
[DVD-RW] - 22x DVD-Burner (duallayer) (DVD±R, DVD±RW, DVD+R9, CD-R, CD-RW)

[Case] - Zalman Z11 Plus - Modding Case, Midi ATX, 3x 12cm Coolers (Top, Back, Front); 2x 8cm coolers for HD; 49.8 x 26 x 52.5cm
[Power] - 600 Watt EVGA

Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64-Bit

[Martim Silva]

I'm currently looking at this one: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B0156QUMG4/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3HZW7J89FHH20&coliid=I1YF7LQLXVYKR5&psc=1

[CPU] - Intel i7-6700K Quadcore 4x 4.0 GHz, Skylake
[Cooler] - Cooler Master Hyper TX3 EVO, Supersilent
[Memory] - 16 GB DDR4-2666 MHz HyperX Kingston
[GPU] - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980, 4096MB GDDR5
[Mainboard] - ASUS Z170-P
[HD 1] - 250GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD
[HD 2] - 2000 GB SATA3 (6gb/s), 7200rpm, 64MB Cache
[DVD-RW] - 22x DVD-Burner (duallayer) (DVD±R, DVD±RW, DVD+R9, CD-R, CD-RW)

[Case] - Zalman Z11 Plus - Modding Case, Midi ATX, 3x 12cm Coolers (Top, Back, Front); 2x 8cm coolers for HD; 49.8 x 26 x 52.5cm
[Power] - 600 Watt EVGA

Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64-Bit

That's rather similar to the PC I just bought on Monday 

That said, the PSU is a bit weak there. The newer cpus and gpus take less power (600w should be fine and 750w would cover anything you may take), but the EVGAs could be better. At least it's 80+ certified.

That said, Corsairs and Seasonics still rule, and I would prefer those.

Still, take it. The build is very good, even though you'll end up adding more RAM.

Tamas, the new Skylake CPUs are a good option since the previous generation of Intels (Browadwells) got bogged down in development and came out just 2 months before these.

If you want a laptop things may get iffy for the time being.

Personally, what I do is have a laptop for work and a desktop at home for all other needs, including gaming.

Would you like to keep your current laptop for work and go for a desktop for your games?

[Barrister]

I'm currently looking at this one: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B0156QUMG4/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3HZW7J89FHH20&coliid=I1YF7LQLXVYKR5&psc=1

[CPU] - Intel i7-6700K Quadcore 4x 4.0 GHz, Skylake
[Cooler] - Cooler Master Hyper TX3 EVO, Supersilent
[Memory] - 16 GB DDR4-2666 MHz HyperX Kingston
[GPU] - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980, 4096MB GDDR5
[Mainboard] - ASUS Z170-P
[HD 1] - 250GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD
[HD 2] - 2000 GB SATA3 (6gb/s), 7200rpm, 64MB Cache
[DVD-RW] - 22x DVD-Burner (duallayer) (DVD±R, DVD±RW, DVD+R9, CD-R, CD-RW)

[Case] - Zalman Z11 Plus - Modding Case, Midi ATX, 3x 12cm Coolers (Top, Back, Front); 2x 8cm coolers for HD; 49.8 x 26 x 52.5cm
[Power] - 600 Watt EVGA

Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64-Bit

Nice rig, but there's nothing "middle class" about it.

[crazy canuck]

I'm currently looking at this one: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B0156QUMG4/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3HZW7J89FHH20&coliid=I1YF7LQLXVYKR5&psc=1

[CPU] - Intel i7-6700K Quadcore 4x 4.0 GHz, Skylake
[Cooler] - Cooler Master Hyper TX3 EVO, Supersilent
[Memory] - 16 GB DDR4-2666 MHz HyperX Kingston
[GPU] - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980, 4096MB GDDR5
[Mainboard] - ASUS Z170-P
[HD 1] - 250GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD
[HD 2] - 2000 GB SATA3 (6gb/s), 7200rpm, 64MB Cache
[DVD-RW] - 22x DVD-Burner (duallayer) (DVD±R, DVD±RW, DVD+R9, CD-R, CD-RW)

[Case] - Zalman Z11 Plus - Modding Case, Midi ATX, 3x 12cm Coolers (Top, Back, Front); 2x 8cm coolers for HD; 49.8 x 26 x 52.5cm
[Power] - 600 Watt EVGA

Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64-Bit

Nice rig, but there's nothing "middle class" about it.

He went with the home version of windows instead of the pro 

[Martim Silva]

Nice rig, but there's nothing "middle class" about it.

Oh, come on.

It only has 16 gb of RAM. And a 980 gpu, not a 980 ti. The SSD is only 250 GB, and it stays with a 2 TB hdd, while keeping a 600w PSU.

Nothing extravagant for a modern rig.

Besides, that motherboard should be able to take upgrades for years to come, so it´s good value for money.

Clearly Middle-Class for a 1st World Standard.

If you want less, I'd call it a budget option. At which point I'd recommend waiting for Christmas promotions, then getting an older i5 Haswell (the 4XXX series) cpu, with 8-16 gb ddr3 ram, a 128 GB SSD and 1 tb hdd, plus something between a gtx 960 and a 980 nvidia gpu, with a 500-600w Cooler Master PSU.

With that you can run modern games, but in 3 years you'd need an upgrade.

[Barrister]

Nice rig, but there's nothing "middle class" about it.

Oh, come on.

It only has 16 gb of RAM. And a 980 gpu, not a 980 ti. The SSD is only 250 GB, and it stays with a 2 TB hdd, while keeping a 600w PSU.

Nothing extravagant for a modern rig.

Besides, that motherboard should be able to take upgrades for years to come, so it´s good value for money.

Clearly Middle-Class for a 1st World Standard.

If you want less, I'd call it a budget option. At which point I'd recommend waiting for Christmas promotions, then getting an older i5 Haswell (the 4XXX series) cpu, with 8-16 gb ddr3 ram, a 128 GB SSD and 1 tb hdd, plus something between a gtx 960 and a 980 nvidia gpu, with a 500-600w Cooler Master PSU.

With that you can run modern games, but in 3 years you'd need an upgrade.

Gamers.

A 980 NVidia GPU is going to run you about $500 US.  You can buy an entire system for $500.  It is not a budget card by any stretch.

Here's my rig, copied over from my thread:

CPU: Intel 6600K
Motherboard: Gigabyte GAZ170XP-SU (chosen because it was a bundle on Newegg with the CPU)
Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu (chosen because it's a bit hit on silentpcreview.com, and the 6600K doesn't have a stock cooler)
RAM: G.Skill 8GB 2400 (DDR4)
HD: Samsung 250GB (I dunno - Samsung was a familiar name)
HD: Seagate 2TB (was cheap, and I went with Viper's advice to get 2TB)
GPU: EVGA GTX 960 (cheapest 960 I saw, seemed decent)
Case: Fractal Design R5 Titanium (very good reviews, willing to spend a bit on the case)
PS: Fractal 550W (I had no idea - same manufacturer as the case)
DVD: Samsung (was only $20, otherwise might have skipped)
Keyboard: Logitech (realized if I sell the Mac Pro, I have to get rid of the Mac keyboard - so this was cheap)

I haven't really stressed it too much beyond running Elite: dangerous, but it runs it on 1080p on max settings flawlessly.  You really don't need to move beyond a 950 or 960 unless you're running multi-monitors or resolutions above 1080.

My system isn't too far off your so-called "budget" PC, and it still cost me $1600 CDN.

A true budget PC is something like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883230032

A Haswell i5, no SSD, still has a discrete graphics card.  You could still play any modern game, just not on max settings.

[crazy canuck]

I thought I was splurging getting the 970 

[Grey Fox]

I have a 400$ laptop. Martim is insane.

[Martim Silva]

$1600 CDN is much? Tell me BB, how much is that in your hourly fees? 3 hours? 4?

Not much for the typical 1st World middle-aged income level, really.

Question for Tamas (and I guess Syt) is: you just want to play OK the games that exist now, or you want to have a PC that will last you 5-6 years?

Because if you start with a PC whose specs are already in the "recommended" list of the current games, then you can be sure it won't last beyond 3 years before an upgrade (if that). You have to aim for better than that.

And if you like strategy games, which are CPU intensive, always go for the best CPU avaliable, since that speeds up the AI turns (remember those 1700 'Pride of Nations' AI turns that took 5 minutes and made the game unplayable?)

As for Grey Fox... nice to recommend a $400 PC. I am sure it's lovely to spend that and find out that you can't play half the current games, let alone those that will be released it the future.

Or you just play browser games/Hearthstone/old 2007 games that are on sale on Steam.

IMO any rig under $800 is junk and made for people that will use it for work/old games - which is the case of the 'gamer Xtreme' PC that BB linked to. With 4gb RAM you're already out of the recomended specs for lots of current games, and the Radeon gpu forces you to go to 'Low' settings for most modern games - can't even run some of the most demanding, in fact. Not good if you're now getting a new PC.

[Grey Fox]

Your price ladder is not leaving any place for highend stuff.

[Barrister]

Martim, you seem to want to build a system that will still be ideal in five years.  That's a ridiculous level of future-proofing, and probably impossible in any event.

Rather than spend $800 or more on a top of the line graphics card now, I spent $300, and then in 3-5 years I expect I'll replace it with a new one for around the same price.

New CPUs show as being only 5-10% faster than a previous years.  There's really no point in upgrading a CPU unless it is many years old.


As for my hourly fees... I'm a public servant.  I don't charge hourly rates.  And even when I did, my hourly rate was not the same as my take-home pay.  I got maybe a third of it.  Plus if I was a single guy I might not bat at eye on spending $2000 or more on a computer, but with three kids and bills it was tough to justify wat I did spend.


None of which is meant to tell Syt that the rig he was looking at isn't very nice and I'd be a bit jealous.     Plus I now see I was confused about the "middle class" comment, which was said by CC, not Syt.