[hunter301]

Originally Posted by HertogJan

That's not a easy question...

Main question is… what’s the price range, what’s the main usage of the rig (although I think I can guess that one), do you want one that’ll keep you going game wise for a long time.
Most pre-built PC’s will be outdated after 1 or 2 years and you’ll end up having to buy a new PC because it can’t handle the newer games and graphics.

What I used to do is set two price ranges and look for a pre-built PC in the top and middle of that range Then I take a look at both hardware specifications. Why is PC one cheaper then PC two?

Now the hard part starts… Can I do better than the best pre-built without too much extra costs if I buy a custom built.

Motherboard:
I’ll check different brand motherboards and compare them:
Chipset, what CPU can it handle (can I upgrade to a better one later (when they are cheaper)) and what kind of memory can it handle (can I add memory, or better yet, can I change to better/faster one’s later on).
While you’re looking at the spec’s don’t forget to check the BIOS version of the new mobo (go to the manuf’s site for that and check the upgrades, read about the different versions on the forums, one might be worse or better then the other) ask what BIOS version is on it when you buy it at your computer store and don’t let them tell you it has the latest version, you need proof!
A good salesman (computer nerd) will be able to tell you what version it has and when and if you want to upgrade or downgrade they should be able to do that for you (for a little extra).

CPU:
AMD or Intel? (check clock and bus speeds)

Memeory: (RAM)
2GG, 3GG, 4GG, 8GG whatever (always compare brands, check the clock and bus speeds too)!

GPU:
AMD or Nvidia (AMD is cheaper but run’s a bit hotter so you’ll need a good airflow inside).
PS_ Its always better to have excessive airflow, good for cooling when overclocking.

HDD:
What kind of harddisk do you want (I haven’t bought a new PC in a long time but I heard there’s a new type of HDD chip onboard which makes HDD (in its old form) obsolete and is much faster aswell.


One thing you have to remember which is very important.
The PC you buy (either pre-built or custom built) will only be as fast as its slowest component.

For example:
You could have the best mobo with a CPU monster and a great GPU but your RAM is crap, the rig will be crap.
You could have the best mobo with the best RAM and a great GPU but you CPU is crap, the rig will be crap.
You could have the best mobo with a CPU monster and the best RAM but a crap GPU… your system will be ok but game wise it will not be what you expect it to be and will not be able to play a game at its highest settings.

And to be honest, a ‘gamers rig’ isn’t a gamers rig if you can’t set everything to MAX.


Good luck and let us know what you've decided to buy.


HJ

WHY CAN'T I JUST LOAD UP A GAME AND PLAY IT!!!
WHHAAAAAAAA!!!!!!:wa h:

I never wanted to be a computer tech. Gives me a freekin headache.
ALL I WANT IS TO PLAY THE GAME!!!!
WHHAAAAAAAA!!!!!:wah :