Hi All,
As the many other noobs seeking advice I am looking for advice on a prebuilt system vs a homebuilt system. I have several friends who have offered to help me build a desktop or at least suggest parts. But I was wondering if there are any existing systems you all might be aware of that would fit my needs better than the hassle of building my own.
Firstly, the main reason I wouldn't build my own is lack of insurance or tech support if part of the system breaks. Secondly, even though I have friends who have offered to help me build it, if I want to upgrade or preform maintenance on it, let's just say I have trouble working a fax machine.
I'm just going to post the general requirements, if that will help you guys determine how completely inept I would be at building my own system. (I had to google what CPU was).
I would mainly be running Photoshop and possibly Final Cut Pro or After Effects for photo and video editing, but would store most of my work files on external HD, so having a 1TB HD is not that important to me. Secondarily, I would like to run a few games like Skyrim, Team Fortress 2, and Battlefield 4, but this machine would not primarily be a gaming computer.
Any advice on prebuilds or simple yet upgradable homebuilds would be appreciated!
Approximate Purchase Date: e.g.: This coming fall or this coming year (2015)
Budget Range: Under 1200
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Photoshop, Internet Surfing/video streaming, After Effects, Light Gaming
Are you buying a monitor: Yes, this summer, still not decided.
Parts to Upgrade: CPU, RAM, graphics card
Do you need to buy OS: Yes Windows 8 (possibly Linux partition later)
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: none
Location: City, State/Region, Country - Providence, RI.
Parts Preferences: None
Overclocking: No
SLI or Crossfire: Maybe
Your Monitor Resolution: Not sure yet
Additional Comments: lightweight and if possible mid tower or small form factor, but not vital.
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: This is a secondary computer (to a 2012 macbook) so I really am not willing to spend more than 1200, and then wait a few more years and upgrade specific things like the graphics card and CPU.
I had looked at things like Chronos Origins and the iBuyPower series, but mainly I was wondering if there were other desktops that were passable as light gaming computers, but could have specific parts upgraded (namely graphics card, CPU, and RAM). I'm a super indecisive person so I appreciate all the help!
As the many other noobs seeking advice I am looking for advice on a prebuilt system vs a homebuilt system. I have several friends who have offered to help me build a desktop or at least suggest parts. But I was wondering if there are any existing systems you all might be aware of that would fit my needs better than the hassle of building my own.
Firstly, the main reason I wouldn't build my own is lack of insurance or tech support if part of the system breaks. Secondly, even though I have friends who have offered to help me build it, if I want to upgrade or preform maintenance on it, let's just say I have trouble working a fax machine.
I'm just going to post the general requirements, if that will help you guys determine how completely inept I would be at building my own system. (I had to google what CPU was).
I would mainly be running Photoshop and possibly Final Cut Pro or After Effects for photo and video editing, but would store most of my work files on external HD, so having a 1TB HD is not that important to me. Secondarily, I would like to run a few games like Skyrim, Team Fortress 2, and Battlefield 4, but this machine would not primarily be a gaming computer.
Any advice on prebuilds or simple yet upgradable homebuilds would be appreciated!
Approximate Purchase Date: e.g.: This coming fall or this coming year (2015)
Budget Range: Under 1200
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Photoshop, Internet Surfing/video streaming, After Effects, Light Gaming
Are you buying a monitor: Yes, this summer, still not decided.
Parts to Upgrade: CPU, RAM, graphics card
Do you need to buy OS: Yes Windows 8 (possibly Linux partition later)
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: none
Location: City, State/Region, Country - Providence, RI.
Parts Preferences: None
Overclocking: No
SLI or Crossfire: Maybe
Your Monitor Resolution: Not sure yet
Additional Comments: lightweight and if possible mid tower or small form factor, but not vital.
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: This is a secondary computer (to a 2012 macbook) so I really am not willing to spend more than 1200, and then wait a few more years and upgrade specific things like the graphics card and CPU.
I had looked at things like Chronos Origins and the iBuyPower series, but mainly I was wondering if there were other desktops that were passable as light gaming computers, but could have specific parts upgraded (namely graphics card, CPU, and RAM). I'm a super indecisive person so I appreciate all the help!
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram