New pc advice needed

[ET2SN]

Originally Posted by John Pancoast

Laptop preferred. I know; but I like the flexibility it provides.
But desktop advice would be appreciated too. OS ability to run DosBox is must.

Game interests: SH series, especially 3. Maybe get back into racing/flight sims too.

The good news is the old game has changed a bit.
You don't need a ton of boutique hardware to get good frame rates and smooth gaming.

The bad news is that you're stuck buying your gear at a bad time. A lot is going to depend on what you'll be able to find.

With all of that in mind, the first thing to concentrate on is CPU CLOCK SPEED. A stock-clocked CPU running close to 4 GHz is what you're looking for. Cores really don't mean squat if you're playing games coded to run on a single core.

Here's another shocker- if you wind up going the desktop route, DON'T SWEAT THE GPU/VIDEO CARD. In most cases, in a modern rig, you don't even NEED a separate GPU to play older games. If anything, match your GPU to your monitor.

All of that gives you some power when it comes to buying a new rig.
Check the on-line stores (AMZ, New Egg, etc.) to see what they have available. Look for pre-built BACK TO SCHOOL and Biz (bargain) specials. Pay attention to the CPU clock speed. You might be amazed at what's being sold as a bargain rig.

As an example, I bought a "bare bones" pre-built desktop almost five years ago. The CPU is an i3 stock clocked at 3.95 GHz. My video card is an ultra cheap ($40) fanless unit that I bought because it gave better display options.
All I've done to this rig is throw an additional 8 Gigs of RAM at it and change the CPU battery.

I play games like Dangerous Waters and Flight Sim 2002 and 2004. On FS, I have the games set to run at 60Hz and they do just fine.