wonderfield
Supreme [H]ardness
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- Dec 11, 2011
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- 7,396
"Modern games", when that post was written, are today's four-year-old games. BioShock 2 was among the most demanding titles at the time.
COME ON, MAN.
COME ON, MAN.
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Is it really worth buying a high end gaming rig any more?
- Thread starter LordBritish
- Start date
RanceJustice
Supreme [H]ardness
- Joined
- Jun 9, 2003
- Messages
- 6,635
I personally feel that the overall viability of a more modestly priced machine is a great thing. A decade or so ago, you could buy/build a $3000 machine and have difficulty running newest titles on high settings only a year or two later. Today, you can go much farther with much less, and this is fantastic. It means those with less to spend can still actually PLAY the games themselves. Outside of those with integrated-graphics laptops, in the last several years I've rarely run into someone who actually can't join and play a game with me, because their PC isn't up to it...even if said PC is not new or high end.
However, as you can likely see from my specs, there is still value in building the "right" high end gaming rig; I'm still using a first generation Core i7 920 build rig and it has thrived all these years! Sure, it is getting a bit long in the tooth and I am planning to upgrade come Haswell-E / X99, which I am hoping will be the "next" Nahalem / X58 in terms of performance and value. Along the way, the Sandy Bridge (-E) and Ivy Bridge (-E) generations, both "enthusiast" and "mainstream" alike weren't enough of an upgrade to be worth it, because my hardware was still performing admirably and (when it came to enthusiast -E variants) sometimes upgrading would have cost a ton for moderate gains at best.
Building a smart gaming rig can be done these days by an informed builder (or custom/boutique build service), at a variety of price points. While sadly, AMD has left the medium/high end CPU market and Intel seems to be jacking up prices since the golden age of Socket 1366, there are still quite a few options for the mid-high end. Intel's mainstream socket 1150 / Z97 chipset platform is high quality, and Haswell Refresh / Devil's Canyon CPUs, especially the i7 4790k and i5 4690k are good places to start, paired with good Z97 board. Combine one of these with an Nvidia or AMD GPU, and you'll be set for quite some time. I personally feel that the AMD GPUs tend to be better price-performance overall, and the fact you can buy a AMD 270X unit and generally play most everything at 1080p on high/ultra settings, is pretty amazing. Pick a 280X, 290, or 290X and you'll be set for quite some time! In fact, these days the GPU is most likely the thing you will find the need to update first, when it comes to running games on high settings and building a rig between med-high to ultra, but you'll get a lot of mileage even out of a GPU that only costs $200-250! Choose a solid SSD for your OS drive and you'll give yourself a lot of speed and good reliability without spending a fortune - high performance SSDs in the 256gb and under range have finally become affordable for most gaming PC builders, and you won't dedicate much of your budget just to have one! Don't forget to add a quality PSU to ensure clean power and stability for your new rig; a quality PSU will likely last for years and many upgrades if you buy a bit above your current needs. More than ever before, there are enthusiast-feature cases without spending an utter fortune or having to whip out modding tools yourself, which is a plus for many new builders. Even more so, the opportunity to find gaming grade components in space saving form factors like mATX and mITX! Finally, those with the inclination to tweak and overclock can likely to do easier and less costly than ever. For CPUs and GPUs alike, cooling is great these days. For a modest output, you can buy an all-in-one liquid kit that is easier to install than most best-in-class heatsinks, and without the complexity or expense of running one's own loop. Even those on a budget can pick up "good air, cheaply" with the likes of inexpensive heatsink/fan combos which let you OC with a package that may only add $30 to your build or so! Investing in good cooling that allows you to overclock significantly gives your rig even more staying power over the years! Features like multi-monitor, high-res gaming which used to only be viable for those with multi-card GPU kits can be done far less expensive than before, though it will still require more powerful components than less exotic features.
More so than ever, I'd say 2014 is a good time to build a medium+ gaming rig. You have a ton of options to make the money you wish to spend go as far as possible, fit your needs, and its likely your components will give you some pretty excellent mileage for the next few years at least.
However, as you can likely see from my specs, there is still value in building the "right" high end gaming rig; I'm still using a first generation Core i7 920 build rig and it has thrived all these years! Sure, it is getting a bit long in the tooth and I am planning to upgrade come Haswell-E / X99, which I am hoping will be the "next" Nahalem / X58 in terms of performance and value. Along the way, the Sandy Bridge (-E) and Ivy Bridge (-E) generations, both "enthusiast" and "mainstream" alike weren't enough of an upgrade to be worth it, because my hardware was still performing admirably and (when it came to enthusiast -E variants) sometimes upgrading would have cost a ton for moderate gains at best.
Building a smart gaming rig can be done these days by an informed builder (or custom/boutique build service), at a variety of price points. While sadly, AMD has left the medium/high end CPU market and Intel seems to be jacking up prices since the golden age of Socket 1366, there are still quite a few options for the mid-high end. Intel's mainstream socket 1150 / Z97 chipset platform is high quality, and Haswell Refresh / Devil's Canyon CPUs, especially the i7 4790k and i5 4690k are good places to start, paired with good Z97 board. Combine one of these with an Nvidia or AMD GPU, and you'll be set for quite some time. I personally feel that the AMD GPUs tend to be better price-performance overall, and the fact you can buy a AMD 270X unit and generally play most everything at 1080p on high/ultra settings, is pretty amazing. Pick a 280X, 290, or 290X and you'll be set for quite some time! In fact, these days the GPU is most likely the thing you will find the need to update first, when it comes to running games on high settings and building a rig between med-high to ultra, but you'll get a lot of mileage even out of a GPU that only costs $200-250! Choose a solid SSD for your OS drive and you'll give yourself a lot of speed and good reliability without spending a fortune - high performance SSDs in the 256gb and under range have finally become affordable for most gaming PC builders, and you won't dedicate much of your budget just to have one! Don't forget to add a quality PSU to ensure clean power and stability for your new rig; a quality PSU will likely last for years and many upgrades if you buy a bit above your current needs. More than ever before, there are enthusiast-feature cases without spending an utter fortune or having to whip out modding tools yourself, which is a plus for many new builders. Even more so, the opportunity to find gaming grade components in space saving form factors like mATX and mITX! Finally, those with the inclination to tweak and overclock can likely to do easier and less costly than ever. For CPUs and GPUs alike, cooling is great these days. For a modest output, you can buy an all-in-one liquid kit that is easier to install than most best-in-class heatsinks, and without the complexity or expense of running one's own loop. Even those on a budget can pick up "good air, cheaply" with the likes of inexpensive heatsink/fan combos which let you OC with a package that may only add $30 to your build or so! Investing in good cooling that allows you to overclock significantly gives your rig even more staying power over the years! Features like multi-monitor, high-res gaming which used to only be viable for those with multi-card GPU kits can be done far less expensive than before, though it will still require more powerful components than less exotic features.
More so than ever, I'd say 2014 is a good time to build a medium+ gaming rig. You have a ton of options to make the money you wish to spend go as far as possible, fit your needs, and its likely your components will give you some pretty excellent mileage for the next few years at least.
Godmachine
[H]F Junkie
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2003
- Messages
- 10,472
Wow didn't notice that it was a bump from 4 years ago. Either way that card couldn't do 30 fps at 2560x1600 4 years ago so it holds even today
MavericK
Zero Cool
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2004
- Messages
- 31,910
Also, $100 for 4 GB of RAM? Presumably he meant 8 GB...
EDIT: LOL I got necro-trolled as well.
Godmachine
[H]F Junkie
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2003
- Messages
- 10,472
Also, $100 for 4 GB of RAM? Presumably he meant 8 GB...
EDIT: LOL I got necro-trolled as well.
Heh can't read every date posted I just assumed. Didn't expect someone to bump a 4 year old thread in this sub forum.
OP wants PC for surfing/email and a console for gaming.
I mean, I guess you could...if you wanted sub-par gaming.
NastyNative
Gawd
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2009
- Messages
- 522
I wouldn't call console gaming subpar!
If you plan on using a PC for surfing the web then there is absolutely no need for a gaming rig.
Consoles are a perfectly way to enjoy video games.
I personally prefer a BEAST PC standing next to me, so that when I turn it on the lights in the house dim!
Priceless!!!
If you plan on using a PC for surfing the web then there is absolutely no need for a gaming rig.
Consoles are a perfectly way to enjoy video games.
I personally prefer a BEAST PC standing next to me, so that when I turn it on the lights in the house dim!
Priceless!!!
D
Deleted member 83233
Guest
I would call consoles par, and PCs above par. Poorly executed mobile gamery would be sub-par.
MavericK
Zero Cool
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2004
- Messages
- 31,910
I think it depends on the game. FPS on a console is definitely sub-par, IMO, because of the controller.
D
Deleted member 83233
Guest
Mouse+Keyboard are controllers.
Define shitty graphics. If you're talking about inferior lower-res versions of games that look better on the PC, then I'm right with you. There are many games on consoles though that are gorgeous. My perspective is a little skewed though because I play mostly Nintendo games when not on the PC. (so they're gorgeous, but not particularly demanding either.) I also enjoy a gamepad on my gaming HTPC for the types of games it's well suited for.
(I play 95% of my games on the PC, but I still play a bit on consoles on occasion... Only what I can't get on the PC though (Wii-U))
Define shitty graphics. If you're talking about inferior lower-res versions of games that look better on the PC, then I'm right with you. There are many games on consoles though that are gorgeous. My perspective is a little skewed though because I play mostly Nintendo games when not on the PC. (so they're gorgeous, but not particularly demanding either.) I also enjoy a gamepad on my gaming HTPC for the types of games it's well suited for.
(I play 95% of my games on the PC, but I still play a bit on consoles on occasion... Only what I can't get on the PC though (Wii-U))
Worth it to whom? Not worth it for most folks. But for the type of gamer who regularly comes to this site a high end gaming PC is still worth it. For many of us building, maintaining, and upgrading PC's is a massively enjoyable hobby. So it goes beyond simply playing the games. Check out the pictures in the case mod gallery to see the pride and artistry that goes into our computers.
http://hardforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=76
http://hardforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=76