What parts do I need for a gaming computer?

gaming monitor recommendations image

Gamer197

I'm looking to buy a gaming computer. My money range is $0-$1200 and I want my gaming computer to play most games on max settings and those newer titles such as Battle Field 3 on normal/medium at least.I heard building your own computer is cheaper but I don't know anything about computers. Could someone please help and list good video cards, processors etc. and where to get them. Or you could just put a good pc for a reasonable price. Also can you put the links in your answers.

Answer
here you go:

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K - $225

GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - $130

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL - $47

Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive - $125

ASUS ENGTX560Ti448DC2/2DIS/1280MD5 GeForce GTX 560 Ti - 448 Cores (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card - $280 ($260 after rebate)

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX850M 850W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular High Performance Power Supply - $140 ($120 after rebate)

COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $60 ($50 after rebate)

LITE-ON Internal 24x DVD-Writer 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model iHAS324-99 - $22

Acer S220HQLAbd Black 21.5" 5ms LED Backlight Widescreen LCD Monitor 250 cd/m2 ACM 100,000,000:1 (1000:1) - $120 (1080p monitor)

Logitech Wireless Combo MK260 920-002950 Black 8 Function Keys USB RF Wireless Standard Keyboard and Mouse - $27

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM - $100

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 - $34

ALTEC LANSING BXR1221 15 Watts RMS 2.1 Speaker System - $30

TOTAL :$1200 ($1150 after rebate), this is the best COMPLETE BUILD that I could give you for that price, it is well balanced and it already comes with an aftermarket cooler and speakers. The monitor is 1080p and with the GTX 560 ti 448 cores you could play all games on max settings on 1080p with good FPS.

The GTX 560 ti 448 cores is a DOWNGRADED GTX 570 thus it is only slightly slower than the gtx 570:

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/499?vs=306

BTW, the motherboard that I have provided is SLI ready that is why I have given you the 850w Corsair PSU that is capable enough to support 2 GTX 560 ti 448 cores in SLI on a high end system with overclocking.

And since the GTX 560 ti 448 cores has the same power requirement as that of the GTX 570, then it will be our basis of how much power is needed in SLI:

Here is Guru3D's power supply recommendation:

GeForce GTX 570

On your average system the card requires you to have a 600 Watt power supply unit.

GeForce GTX 570 in 2-way SLI

A second card requires you to add another ~225 Watts. You need a 750+ Watt power supply unit if you use it in a high-end system (800+ to a KiloWatt is recommended if you plan on any overclocking).

http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-570-sli-review/13

So, basically, what I have given you is still upgradeable to SLI and you could still add an SSD (120 gb is good, but this is only optional). =D

Parts and prices came from newegg.com

What components are most important in a gaming computer?

CoyoteHunt

Is the processor as important as a graphics card when building a custom computer? Say you have a Pentium dual core or something close to it, if you get a decent graphics card will games run smoothly? What else is important when choosing what parts to get? Thanks a lot.

Answer
If you want to run high end games you need at lease one really good video card if not 2 or 3. You will need a good cpu. By pentium dual core if you mean a core 2 duo. It may suffice but it all depends on which games you want to run. You should have a fast harddrive, one with a large cache and good access speed. go for sata over ide. Your ram should be a) fast ram and b) running in dual channel (or triple channel if your architecture supports it). You also will need a power supply that can supply the current required by these components and good cooling to keep your components cool and healthy.

check out http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/cyri/ this site has a list of games and tells you if your computer can handle them and even makes recommendations on hardware upgrades if you cant. You will have to install an active x component or use a java plugin to use the service but I assure you its safe. Check ncix.com or newegg.com for barebone systems and look at what they have listed as their gaming computers. Google alot for more information, your situation is yours and unless you explain every little detail, only you can decide what will work for you. I could easily recommend a $2000 system or a $6000 system.

Also I like a decent monitor for gaming.

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What parts do I need for a gaming computer?

gaming monitor recommendations image

Gamer197

I'm looking to buy a gaming computer. My money range is $0-$1200 and I want my gaming computer to play most games on max settings and those newer titles such as Battle Field 3 on normal/medium at least.I heard building your own computer is cheaper but I don't know anything about computers. Could someone please help and list good video cards, processors etc. and where to get them. Or you could just put a good pc for a reasonable price. Also can you put the links in your answers.

Answer
here you go:

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K - $225

GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - $130

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL - $47

Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive - $125

ASUS ENGTX560Ti448DC2/2DIS/1280MD5 GeForce GTX 560 Ti - 448 Cores (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card - $280 ($260 after rebate)

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX850M 850W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular High Performance Power Supply - $140 ($120 after rebate)

COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $60 ($50 after rebate)

LITE-ON Internal 24x DVD-Writer 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model iHAS324-99 - $22

Acer S220HQLAbd Black 21.5" 5ms LED Backlight Widescreen LCD Monitor 250 cd/m2 ACM 100,000,000:1 (1000:1) - $120 (1080p monitor)

Logitech Wireless Combo MK260 920-002950 Black 8 Function Keys USB RF Wireless Standard Keyboard and Mouse - $27

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM - $100

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 - $34

ALTEC LANSING BXR1221 15 Watts RMS 2.1 Speaker System - $30

TOTAL :$1200 ($1150 after rebate), this is the best COMPLETE BUILD that I could give you for that price, it is well balanced and it already comes with an aftermarket cooler and speakers. The monitor is 1080p and with the GTX 560 ti 448 cores you could play all games on max settings on 1080p with good FPS.

The GTX 560 ti 448 cores is a DOWNGRADED GTX 570 thus it is only slightly slower than the gtx 570:

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/499?vs=306

BTW, the motherboard that I have provided is SLI ready that is why I have given you the 850w Corsair PSU that is capable enough to support 2 GTX 560 ti 448 cores in SLI on a high end system with overclocking.

And since the GTX 560 ti 448 cores has the same power requirement as that of the GTX 570, then it will be our basis of how much power is needed in SLI:

Here is Guru3D's power supply recommendation:

GeForce GTX 570

On your average system the card requires you to have a 600 Watt power supply unit.

GeForce GTX 570 in 2-way SLI

A second card requires you to add another ~225 Watts. You need a 750+ Watt power supply unit if you use it in a high-end system (800+ to a KiloWatt is recommended if you plan on any overclocking).

http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-570-sli-review/13

So, basically, what I have given you is still upgradeable to SLI and you could still add an SSD (120 gb is good, but this is only optional). =D

Parts and prices came from newegg.com

What components are most important in a gaming computer?

CoyoteHunt

Is the processor as important as a graphics card when building a custom computer? Say you have a Pentium dual core or something close to it, if you get a decent graphics card will games run smoothly? What else is important when choosing what parts to get? Thanks a lot.

Answer
If you want to run high end games you need at lease one really good video card if not 2 or 3. You will need a good cpu. By pentium dual core if you mean a core 2 duo. It may suffice but it all depends on which games you want to run. You should have a fast harddrive, one with a large cache and good access speed. go for sata over ide. Your ram should be a) fast ram and b) running in dual channel (or triple channel if your architecture supports it). You also will need a power supply that can supply the current required by these components and good cooling to keep your components cool and healthy.

check out http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/cyri/ this site has a list of games and tells you if your computer can handle them and even makes recommendations on hardware upgrades if you cant. You will have to install an active x component or use a java plugin to use the service but I assure you its safe. Check ncix.com or newegg.com for barebone systems and look at what they have listed as their gaming computers. Google alot for more information, your situation is yours and unless you explain every little detail, only you can decide what will work for you. I could easily recommend a $2000 system or a $6000 system.

Also I like a decent monitor for gaming.

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Would buying an ultra HD monitor be the wise choice with my system?

gaming monitor recommendations image

Leo

HP Pavilion p6674y Desktop PC
HP 2010 Series Wide LCD Monitor
Windows 7 Home Premium
ATI Radeon HD 4200 video card

My computer can play HD videos (720p and 1080p) but the colors are always REALLY dark or the playback is choppy. My drivers are up to date, but I can't help but think the problem is the monitor (which I assume is pretty middle-of-the-road quality). I want to be able to watch clear 720p and 1080p videos.

I'm looking at the Asus VS247H-P 24-Inch Full-HD LED-Lit Monitor, but don't want to spend the money if it's my whole CPU that's the issue.

Thanks!

Answer
I really wish people would stop using the term "CPU" to refer to their entire machine. But that's besides the point...

I doubt that the monitor is your problem (your monitor doesn't really have much of a say over how choppy your video is). If I had to venture a guess I'd say the problem if your graphics card: the Radeon 4200 is kind of lower end.

My recommendation would be to buy a new graphics card. If all your doing is watching videos then you don't need to spend money on a gaming card or anything - just a basic $30-$50 card should cut it for you.

What card do I need if i were to play these games on this monitor?

Adam

I want to play far cry 2, world at war, left 4 dead 1+ 2 and fallout 3 on as high details as i can on a 1920 x 1080 24 inch monitor without going as high as a radeon 5870. I only want to buy radeon and can't go too high on pricing. £350 is the absolute max. Any recommendations?

Answer
Normally, avergae video cards can run the games mentioned at good settings, but high details at 1080p is more demanding. So, I recommend the ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2. It's enthusiast level and isn't too expensive. Hope I helped!

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What kind of components and such would i need to build a computer specifically for gaming?

gaming monitor recommendations image

Justin

i i know theres a lot of stuff for computers but i want recommendations on what hardware and components to make a custom computer that does the gaming at high levels like the best graphic and gameplay for any computer game (like starcraft 2). budget isen't really a concern i just want to know what to look for.

Answer
I'll make this very simple. You haven't got to know what it means, it's just something to look out for. Price may be very expensive depending on the hardware you chose. Please bare in mind when you reach a certain point, small upgrades become very very expensive just for that little boost.

CPU - Intel Core i3 / i5 / i7 @ 2.66GHz or faster (or 2.4GHz i7 or better)
RAM - 4GB DDR2 Minimum, best to go 1333MHz DDR3 4-8GB
Graphics - at least 1GB graphics best to be 1.5-2.0GB at fastest possible MHz
Sound - depends on your speakers. You shouldn't be paying more than £40 tops ($68) for a sound card
Motherboard - intel extreme (one that supports i7) this supports the full 1333MHz ram too
Case - your choice of case depending on taste. Ensure that there is plenty of room for ventilation and lots of fan spaces. Style should not outweigh function
Monitor - any monitor that supports 1920 x 1080 natively. Any higher and your games will have to be upscaled and will become blurry and horrible to play.
Keyboard and mouse - your choice on comfort and style, generally gamers prefer wireless devices.
Hard drive - 500Gb - 2Tb , this will vary depending what you store on the computer. Most people can get by on 500-1tb, but if you're a music or movie freak with tons and tons of data, you might wanna get a 2tb drive or 2 x 1tb drives. Make sure they are SATA 7200RPM or faster. If you chose Solid state you will be paying a LOT and you won't get as much space, but the performance will be epic
DVD drive. - 2 is preferred, or 2 blu ray supported drives with speeds of a minimum of 24x
Speakers, I'd reccomend creative surround studio, (and creative soundcard to match) to get really decent sound. Creative know their sound stuff.

Hope this helps, and happy shopping

Is it possible to build a gaming pc for under a grand?

Rachel

Is it possible to build a gaming pc for under a grand? This computer will be used from graphic design/multimedia (flash video creation, photoshop, etc.) It will also be playing games such as WoW, Portal 2, and maybe even Crysis 2. Any recommendation on how this could be done would be greatly appreciated. If you believe the system I'm looking for will cost over 1,000 please explain why. And thank you!

Answer
Yes, It is, IF you choose the right spec and build it your self. And If by "under a grand" you mean under 1000 $, here's my recommendation :

AMD Phenom II X4 955 3,2 ghz
MoBo Biostar TA890GXB
HDD 1TB WD
RAM DDR3 2x2 GB
XFX HD6850 GPU
PSU CORSAIR pure 600W

In total, it's about 8.2 million rupiahs....roughly US$950, includes the chassis, DVD Drive, logitech Mouse+Keyboard & logitech Speaker. US$1070 with windows 7 home premium. (Excluding the Monitor)

Yeah maybe that price is a bit...high, but you'll be able to play heavy games like crysis 2 on full HD and high settings without lags or something like that.

Also, these I got these price from a local store here in Indonesia. You might be able to find cheaper ones online, or where you live.

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