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NineSteelDragons

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Oct 21, 2014
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4,510
I'm interested in building my own computer but don't know where to start. I'd love a tower+monitor and OS all for around $1,000.00 if possible. I'd love to be able to play Skyrim on high or ultra settings.

Side note, I don't know if you can use flat screens as a type of monitor replacement. If you can, I wouldn't need a monitor and the budget could remain the same.

I appreciate any and all help.
 
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NineSteelDragons

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Oct 21, 2014
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4,510
Yeah, it's got all of that. I just wasn't sure if it would provide the same picture or not. I'm completely clueless when it comes to PC gaming. I take the easy way out with a console, but I'm tired of it.
 
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Because0789

Because0789

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Apr 2, 2014
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Link us the model of your current monitor and we can try to figure out if you need to upgrade.
 
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NineSteelDragons

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Oct 21, 2014
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4,510
Yeah it's a 50 inch 1080p flat screen with all the ports.

I don't have a monitor right now, that's why the flatscreen question was pertinent. (Not being a smart@$$) so if the flatscreen didn't work, I would need one for sure.
 
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rockie_

rockie_

Splendid
Sep 20, 2014
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27,960
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.00 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 Anniversary ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($84.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($81.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($54.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB Twin Frozr V Video Card ($349.99 @ B&H)
Case: Corsair SPEC-01 RED ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX XTR 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1000.90
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-10-21 19:58 EDT-0400
 
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menetlaus

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Jul 19, 2007
683
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19,360


That TV will be fine to play on. Though you may want to look at an actual monitor later. I've got my PC setup to a 47" LCD TV and 24" monitor (both at 1080P) and for casual stuff the TV works fine - but it is hard to use a keyboard and mouse from a couch if trying to play any twitch games or for longer periods of time (IMHO)
 
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menetlaus

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Jul 19, 2007
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Rockie has a nice build there.

Only thing I might do is drop the 970 down to a 280X - you will give up some graphics performance but there have been some 280X's this week for under $250.

The savings could then go into a 4670K and coolermaster 212 cooler to overclock the CPU (though this wouldn't help you game much), or to get a 120GB SSD for the boot drive (though this is trivial to upgrade to later).

Most of the parts in his build can easily be replaced with something else depending on sales at the time - but he has all good quality parts there so I'm definitely not opposed to any of it.
 
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NineSteelDragons

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Oct 21, 2014
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4,510
Thanks for the honest opinion Menetlaus.

Alright my second question is how difficult would it be to upgrade an Alienware Laptop that my girlfriend purchased a little while ago? Should I start a new thread, or could you guys help me with that as well?
 
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menetlaus

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Jul 19, 2007
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Probably best to start a new thread (if you haven't already).

Laptop upgrades are typically limited to storage (HDD/SSD) and RAM. Some models have a removable optical drive and can support crossfire/SLI graphics using a special insert.

There are a few laptops that have upgradable CPU/GPU, but my advice for most users is to buy a new laptop if you need better CPU/GPU performance as the cooling system in the one you have now is not going to cope well with the added heat (if, emphasis on if, they even can be upgraded).

FYI - I tend to stick with the lowest ram and cheapest HDD in laptops when I buy them as the cost to upgrade the RAM/HDD is often more expensive than buying new and doing it yourself. Bonus points if you get a laptop with a mSATA or M.2 port (or open 2.5" drive bay) available as it is easy to add in a SSD and get more storage at a better price than from the vendor.
 
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