[SOLVED] Looking to buy a pc

[Mike675]

Hi, I've been in need for a PC since forever, and I finally managed to get some cash from here and there
I have almost zero experience in computers, and I found some people selling theirs online.
Anyway my budget is around 3500 AED, which is around $1000
I found this one online for 2000 AED ($550)

Here are the specs:
Processor: i5 8400
8gb RAM
Nvidia Gtx 1050 ti
1tb hdd
Msi motherboard (didn't specify)
What do you guys think

 

[Lutfij]

Make and model of the PSU in that system? Looks more like a second hand system. If it's brand new then you're system above is built with aging parts off the shelf.

Please follow through this thread and stylize your post like wise. We can move forward from there.

 

[Mike675]

Make and model of the PSU in that system? Looks more like a second hand system. If it's brand new then you're system above is built with aging parts off the shelf.

Please follow through this thread and stylize your post like wise. We can move forward from there.

He didn't specify the psu unit, I'm going to his house today to test it.
May I ask what parts you think are not the best?
If I'm gonna buy it, I'll modify to add more RAM up to 16 GB, and add ssd.

 

[ConanLock]

The GPU is probably the limiting factor. Also, make sure that the RAM is 2 matching sticks, as this is where you get the best performance.

 

[Mike675]

The GPU is probably the limiting factor. Also, make sure that the RAM is 2 matching sticks, as this is where you get the best performance.

I heard that the 1050 ti isn't that bad, its close to the 1060.
Like I want to know if it can run for example gta or witcher 3 on high settings smoothly.
Also, please bear with me lol, but what are matching sticks RAM?

 

[cryoburner]

Having a pair of matching RAM sticks allows them to operate in "dual-channel" mode, which improves performance of the CPU a bit. Usually it shouldn't make a huge different with that CPU though, and with a graphics card of that performance level, I would expect the graphics card to be limiting performance more than the CPU in most games.

As far as the system's overall specs go, the CPU is fine, though the graphics card seems a bit low-end. There's a fairly large difference between the performance of a 1050 Ti and a 1060. In general, I would expect a 1050 Ti to provide about 40% lower performance than a 1060 6GB, or around 33% lower performance than a 1060 3GB. A 1060-level card would be pretty good for running most recent games at 60fps with high settings at 1080p resolution, though with a 1050 Ti, you would need to cut back the settings or the resolution quite a bit to maintain those kinds of frame rates in the more demanding titles. Also, 8GB of RAM is a bit low for a gaming system in 2019, and while most games will still run pretty well on 8GB, I would ideally want 16GB if buying a system this year, as games will undoubtedly demand more in the future. You could always install more RAM later though.

I can't say whether the pricing of that system is alright, since I don't know how the prices of new components and systems compare in your region, but if you are willing to spend up to around US $1000 you could likely do quite a bit better. Typically, the graphics card makes the most difference to game performance, so you don't want to cheap out too much on that component. An Nvidia GTX 1060 or AMD RX 580 would be about the minimum I would consider worth looking at for a 1080p gaming system currently, and you could likely do even better than that within a $1000 budget.

 

[cryoburner]

I'm assuming you are in the UAE, so I had a look at pricing on amazon.ae, and it does look like computer prices may be more expensive there. I saw just one system within your AED 3500 budget with a 1060, but it otherwise had rather similar specs to this one, including just 8GB of RAM.

So, assuming that pricing is typical for stores there, this system might not actually be a bad option for AED 2000 with the 1050 Ti. If you wanted to get more gaming performance out of the system, you could likely replace the graphics card with an even better performing model. It looks prices for a GTX 1660 start around AED 900 on amazon.ae, and those cards should be around 15-20% faster than a GTX 1060 (or about double the speed of a 1050 Ti). Or there's the GTX 1660 Ti, which are around 15% faster than the regular 1660, starting at a little over AED 1100. Either upgrade option could keep you within your budget, and you could likely sell the 1050 Ti to make some of that back. This is assuming the system you are looking at is easily upgradable though, with a standard case that can fit full-size video cards and about a 450 watt PSU or better to handle a more powerful card.

 

[ConanLock]

I heard that the 1050 ti isn't that bad, its close to the 1060.
Like I want to know if it can run for example gta or witcher 3 on high settings smoothly.
Also, please bear with me lol, but what are matching sticks RAM?

Yes it will run them smoothly, at 1080p Medium, which I think is good enough. However, it is still the limiting part, as it will be at 100% while the CPU is at around 50%.

View: https://youtu.be/T3zbfMJ6RU0


Matching sticks of RAM are just two of the exact same RAM sticks. They can then work together, in dual channel mode, effectively doubling the bandwidth of data to the CPU. When you test it, look inside the case to see if there are two of the same sticks of RAM.