1

About to buy a PC!

Shimeshi's Avatar Shimeshi2/8/16 7:30 pm
2/12/2016 4:27 pm
Leeberator's Avatar Leeberator
I've been saving my cans and pennies and finally saved up enough to buy a decent PC. I originally planned to save my money a little bit longer, but then I found this nice little deal on BestBuy.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-y50- ... Id=9640008

So, what I want to know is - should I buy this laptop? I'll be using it purely to play games and do some minor schoolwork. I plan to play H1Z1, Minecraft, Garrys Mod, GTAV, and some other minor stuff.

The reason I'm even making this post is because the PC is on sale currently (It's $850 now, normally $1,150!) and I don't want to spend all of my money only to have made a mistake. I tend to be impulsive when making large purchases, and don't want to do so now. Thanks in advance for any help.
Posted by Shimeshi's Avatar
Shimeshi
Level 42 : Master Nerd
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1
02/12/2016 2:30 pm
Level 46 : Master Button Pusher
Leeberator
Leeberator's Avatar
Try this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-6500 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.98 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z170 Extreme3 ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($124.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Aegis 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($38.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($64.00 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($318.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Deepcool TESSERACT SW ATX Mid Tower Case ($47.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($43.57 @ Mac Mall)
Total: $918.38
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-12 14:28 EST-0500

I included a 212 EVO because it's a good cooler and it fit the budget. You won't need it, but it'll run very quietly and keep your CPU a lot cooler (I use one in my server, and it keeps the Xeon well under 50°C when under load). I was able to use the new Skylake platform with DDR4 memory, and I was even able to include a motherboard that supports SLI (and Crossfire). Will you need SLI? Depends on if you want to run two GPUs, but if you do you'll need a better power supply. If you don't, feel free to swap out the motherboard for something cheaper. I recommend this because it's cheap and has USB 3.1 support.
1
02/12/2016 2:12 pm
Level 42 : Master Nerd
Shimeshi
Shimeshi's Avatar
I'm still on the fence whether I should get the above mentioned laptop, or build a desktop. Regardless of what I go for, I need an exact desktop build to be comparing to. I took CaptainMurica's build and changed it a bit, how does it look? The main thing I tried doing to the build when I changed it was to make it a bit more open for future upgrades, dunno if I succeeded or not xD


PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/LX8QTW
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/LX8QTW/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($188.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($30.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($64.00 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 390 8GB Video Card ($279.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($43.57 @ Mac Mall)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($17.78 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($35.00)
Wireless Network Adapter: Gigabyte GC-WB867D-I 802.11a/b/g/n/ac PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter ($29.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $899.58
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-12 14:02 EST-0500
1
02/12/2016 4:06 pm
Level 27 : Expert Dragon
Drazieth
Drazieth's Avatar
It comes down to personal choice. Of which I personally wouldnt get a Radeon graphics card. Just because it has more VRAM doesn't make the card better and more reliable.
1
02/12/2016 4:27 pm
Level 46 : Master Button Pusher
Leeberator
Leeberator's Avatar
The R9 390 is on par with the GTX 970, and its extra VRAM will help when running in Crossfire. Other than the extra VRAM and slight edge in some games, there isn't really a reason to get the R9 390. The 970 uses a lot less power and supports better features (more complete DX12 support, ShadowPlay, etc.).
1
02/12/2016 2:12 pm
Level 42 : Master Nerd
Shimeshi
Shimeshi's Avatar
After speaking with my brother and parents, I'm now open to the option of building a desktop as opposed to buying a laptop. While I like the build CaptainMurica posted, I'd like to see if anyone else has an idea of what they could do.

What is this computer going to be used for?
Gaming! I'll be playing games such as GTAV, Skyrim, Minecraft, H1Z1, and Civ 5.
What is your budget?
About $1,000 USD, though I'd much prefer to stick below $900 USD.
Where do you live? If in the US, do you have a nearby Microcenter?
I live in the USA, with no Microcenter nearby.
What is included in the budget?
Just the computer and OS. I have a keyboard and mouse that I can use.
Will you be overclocking?
No. I don't want to overclock.
Will you be reusing any parts?
Just a keyboard and mouse!
What OS do you want?
Windows 8 or 10.
Any specific case preferences?
Preferably a full tower, but anything with room to make future upgrades is good with me.
Any other special features that you want in the build?
Nope! Wifi connectivity is a must, though.
1
02/09/2016 1:31 pm
Level 42 : Master Nerd
Shimeshi
Shimeshi's Avatar
CaptainMurica
Shimeshi
Sorry! I skimmed over the end of your post, my Dad actually just got home and was asking for me xD I have, though! I originally planned to get the $800 one, it used to be $700. I switched /primarily/ for the i7. Whatever laptop I get, I will probably not be able to upgrade for 5+ years :\[


Unless you're doing heavy video editing, the difference between the i5 and i7 will be negligible, especially when paired with that GPU. The GTX 860M and 960M are essentially GTX 750 Ti's gimped ever so slightly to lower the power draw. The i5 will easily remain relevant longer than the 960M.

Either of the Dells will get you more bang for your buck. The extra VRAM will definitely come in handy for VRAM-hogging games like GTA, and the faster storage will mean faster boot times and responsiveness when launching applications.


I've been comparing them and talking with friends about it, and it seems like you linked me the perfect one! The extra 2GB VRAM will definitely help, and I can always upgrade storage at a later time. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015PYYDMQ/ref ... B019BLB0SY
1
02/08/2016 11:08 pm
Level 46 : Master Button Pusher
Leeberator
Leeberator's Avatar
Shimeshi
Sorry! I skimmed over the end of your post, my Dad actually just got home and was asking for me xD I have, though! I originally planned to get the $800 one, it used to be $700. I switched /primarily/ for the i7. Whatever laptop I get, I will probably not be able to upgrade for 5+ years :\[


Unless you're doing heavy video editing, the difference between the i5 and i7 will be negligible, especially when paired with that GPU. The GTX 860M and 960M are essentially GTX 750 Ti's gimped ever so slightly to lower the power draw. The i5 will easily remain relevant longer than the 960M.

Either of the Dells will get you more bang for your buck. The extra VRAM will definitely come in handy for VRAM-hogging games like GTA, and the faster storage will mean faster boot times and responsiveness when launching applications.
1
02/08/2016 8:12 pm
Level 39 : Artisan Dragonborn
beeamo
beeamo's Avatar
So about this Laptop I personally own this laptop you are about to buy With almost the same deal as you are getting. With my experience the games you wish to play should be able to be played easily and the screen size is small in my opinion so i use my 70 in television but over all it is a great computer it runs all my games but i personally can't tell you for every game for the reason of i don't use it as much as my desktop.
1
02/08/2016 10:53 pm
Level 42 : Master Nerd
Shimeshi
Shimeshi's Avatar
Thanks for your opinions on it! I've seen some great reviews on it, and some bad ones.
1
02/08/2016 7:54 pm
Level 46 : Master Button Pusher
Leeberator
Leeberator's Avatar
That'll do you fine, but if you want the most out of your money, you'll be best off building a desktop.

If you go that route, I suggest this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4590 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($169.58 @ Micro Center)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-B85M-DS3H-A Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($59.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($32.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial BX100 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.99 @ B&H)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.89 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($328.58 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master N200 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($43.26 @ Mac Mall)
Power Supply: EVGA 500W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($45.59 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($35.00 - from /r/microsoftsoftwareswap)
Total: $834.37
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-02-08 19:54 EST-0500


If you need a laptop, then I suggest either of these over the Lenovo:
Dell Inspiron w/Skylake i5, GTX 960M 4GB, 1TB SSHD (8GB SSD cache)
Dell Inspiron w/Skylake i5, GTX 960M 4GB, 256GB SSD

They're a bit cheaper, have faster storage, and more graphics memory. If you ever have an issue with your computer, I've found Dell's support to be the second best I've dealt with (the best being EVGA).
1
02/08/2016 7:59 pm
Level 42 : Master Nerd
Shimeshi
Shimeshi's Avatar
While I'd LOVE to build a desktop, I need a laptop because I have various things I do weekly that require me to have a laptop, as well as I share a bedroom and wouldn't be able to use the monitor when I needed/wanted to! Thank you for your input, it's very much appreciated!
1
02/08/2016 8:04 pm
Level 46 : Master Button Pusher
Leeberator
Leeberator's Avatar
Fair enough. I'd still suggest you take a look at those laptops I linked.
1
02/08/2016 10:52 pm
Level 42 : Master Nerd
Shimeshi
Shimeshi's Avatar
Sorry! I skimmed over the end of your post, my Dad actually just got home and was asking for me xD I have, though! I originally planned to get the $800 one, it used to be $700. I switched /primarily/ for the i7. Whatever laptop I get, I will probably not be able to upgrade for 5+ years :\
1
02/08/2016 7:42 pm
Level 21 : Expert Fish
MrCatSquid
MrCatSquid's Avatar
Looks okay for gaming. Idk about GTAV though.
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