switching to pc

[devonVP]

I am a console gamer changing to the PC. But im on a budget so is this alienware x51 worth it because it has cool features and its small and a cool looking case with a (intel core i5 -4460 processor 6mb cache up to 3.4ghz) (windows7 64bit) (gtx745 with 4gb ddr3) (8gb of 1600 mhz ram)with wifi (1TB hardrive 7200rpm 64mb cache) and its only 824$ is that a good deal

 

[Demorthus]

Hello, first off I'd like to congratulate you for wanting to switch to PC! The pre-built PC you mentioned is OK, yet the graphics card on it is weak. Also, I'd recommend you build your own pc (it sounds intimidating but it's not hard- at all) For less than the cost of $824 you can build even better than what that alienware pre-built offers. Not to mention you can use whatever money is left for anything else, or add it again into your PC for things like more storage, beefier graphics card, or maybe even something like a new mouse or keyboard

 

[Demorthus]

Here's a very basic little build for $533.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/MxtgQ7

Keep in mind, at any point you can change anything. You can go with a 4670 (non 'k' if you don't want to OC). OR maybe a 6-core FX 6300. Or maybe a gtx 760. Or even an SSD. The above build is really just a spreadsheet for what you can do. If you want you can put an i3 or i5 with it's appropriate motherboard etc. (The build above is also a micro ATX size, less expand-ability but much smaller if that's what you're looking for.)

 

[jaraldo]

Hey,
I agree with Demorthus that building a computer would be a much better option.Prebuilts are usually 15-25% more expensive than custom made ones.
http://www.build-gaming-computers.com/
That's a site I used for learning during my first build then came to TomsHardware for them to review it 😛 (lots of things got changed lol)
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Pentium G3220 3.0GHz Dual-Core Processor ($54.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI H81M-P33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($43.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 750 Ti 2GB Video Card ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Rosewill FB-03 ATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($102.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $506.91
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-07 16:09 EDT-0400)

It is upgradable for the CPU and I put in a good quality 550w so for a system with only 1 GPU you should be fine with some higher level graphics cards if you choose to upgrade. ($300 ones)
I know that the g3220 won't bottleneck(slow down) this system paired with the 750ti either, the r9 270x might be a bit of a bottleneck if you try to play anything really intensive or on high settings, but otherwise it'd be a good choice. The r9 265 is another good option which maybe be found cheaper.

Either way, I hope you end up building a PC, It's really a rewarding experience and builds good skills

Edit: but for a $800 budget you could have a similar build to the alienware but with a better processor, a MUCH better graphics card and a real power supply. The PSU they put inside prebuilts should be outlawed...

 

[devonVP]

Well thanks guys but if u guys could do me a 750$ build like demorthus ill build a comp cuz that pc demorthus did was good and it was 533$ the pc would be really good if it had a 750$ budget

 

[rulejunior]

Hi, really wanted to stick my nose in on this one. Linked below is a build that is similar to what I'm running. The main differences is that The power supply, the Rosewill Hive 650 (Which I threw in for a little expansion room), I have the next step up the 750 which I bought on Black Friday, and I'm running the FX-6300 instead of the FX-4100 I linked for you. The R7 260x, don't get me wrong, but I'm hitting high to ultra at at least 30 fps at 1080p single display, and the card doesn't get hot either. Hope you enjoy (P.S, little bit of money left over for a nice keyboard or mouse, sidewinder x4 from Microsoft makes for a great basic board)

http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/

 

[jaraldo]

Hey, can you use the permalink so we can see the list? The link you gave only works for you. Top left is the permalink.

 

[rulejunior]

Yeah sure, my apologizes. Here is the list for all to see. Completely forgot about the permalink. Thanks for catching that.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sJ6snQ

 

[jaraldo]

If the budget is now $750 and you want and AMD CPU, try this out

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($149.29 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3P ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($77.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston HyperX 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Micro Center)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: HIS Radeon R9 280 3GB IceQ OC Video Card ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Thermaltake Commander MS/I Snow Edition (White/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Micro Center)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.98 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $767.16
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-06-07 23:54 EDT-0400)

The PSU is fine as long as you don't overclock
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2142290/xfx-550w-psu-good-8350-280x-gtx-770.html

That mother board is the best cheap one for the FX 8 cores. Not really much chance of over heating.
https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AgN1D79Joo7tdE9xMUFlMEVWeFhuckJEVF9aMmtpUFE&gid=3

you can do crossfire in the future if you upgrade the PSU.
http://www.ocaholic.ch/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=1300

8gb of memory is all you need for games these days.
That 1tb is $25 cheaper
The graphics card is far better than the r7 260x, about 4 tiers higher than it.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html

A case is just a personal touch to me and that one is like most other $35 ones.

Enjoy

 

[rulejunior]

@Jaraldo I wouldn't even consider pairing a FX-8320 to a 970 board out of the shear fact I'm having problems with a FX-6300 and my 970 board. Also, I wouldn't be so sure about your cpu and gpu combo with that power supply. It is way to low for it. I think you may want something in the 650 to 700 wat range to make sure you have plenty of power. I am also not doubting Seagate in any way, but cheaper is always better. I personally, along with plenty of my friends and colleagues have had a better track record with Western Digital drives, so thats about 30 guys right there. Jaraldo, your build is good but I wouldn't use that psu for piece of mind reasons.

 

[jaraldo]

Sure it's fine, it's your opinion.

But I'll just give my own. Considering I actually give links to facts/tests/threads, I consider my information more reliable for me.

I can't go around saying to people "why the heck would you get a seagate when 30 of my friends say WD is better", personal experience is great if you are face to face with a guy, but on the internet I prefer hard facts.

You can say what you want about the PSU to, but the fact is that the r9 280 will use 250w and the CPU will use 125w.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-750-ti-review,3750-21.html
This will be close to 400w + all your other stuff. The reason the graphics card companies overestimate wattage by so much is that there are SOOOOO many terrible PSUs in the market that they have to! Otherwise, someone would buy a 550w of a terrible brand and have it blow up in their face
So I would use this XFX 550w at stock, but not for any overclocking.

All 970 boards are created differently, look up the board I recommended, Heat sinked with 8+2 VRM. No problems with the 8320
https://spreadsheets.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AgN1D79Joo7tdE9xMUFlMEVWeFhuckJEVF9aMmtpUFE&gid=3

Either way I respect your point of view but unless someone comes to me with facts to prove me otherwise I see nothing wrong with my recommendations in any threads.
One thing you could argue is that AM3+ is an old chipset and the newer intels are better. A few links to wikipedia would confirm this. Since devonVP made a 2nd thread about this subject, I made him an intel build for $800.
http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-2172696/good-build.html

Have a good day