New Gaming Computer $1200 MAX

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Matt Keeler

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Nov 7, 2014
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Need some guidance in purchasing a new computer for my son. He is NOT a hardcore gamer, in fact, other than minecraft, I dont think he does much gaming at all. When I mention that to him, he gives me the proverbial "if I had a better computer, I'd play more games"

That said, I KNOW that I can build a computer for cheaper and with better parts than if buy one built. However, due to some family issues I just will not have the time to do it. As such, I have been looking at the typical players, and after reading several thread/complaints about CyberpowerPC, they are out. Right now I am looking at this configuration from Ibuypower

Case 1 x Chimera Inferno 4SE Gaming Case - Flame
iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction X
iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion X
Processor 1 x Intel® Core™ i5-4690K Processor (4x 3.50GHz/6MB L3 Cache) - Intel Core™ i5-4690K
iBUYPOWER PowerDrive 1 x PowerDrive Level 1 - Up to 10% Overclocking
Processor Cooling 1 x Asetek 510LC Liquid CPU Cooling System [SOCKET-1150] - Standard 120mm Fan
Memory 1 x 8 GB [4 GB x2] DDR3-1600 Memory Module - Corsair or Major Brand**Free Upgrade to DDR3-2133 G.SKILL RipjawsX.
Video Card 1 x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 - 2GB - Single Card
Motherboard 1 x ASUS Z97-P - FREE Upgrade to ASUS Z97-K -- 2x PCIe x16, 4x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0
Intel Smart Response Technology X
Power Supply 1 x 600 Watt - Standard - *Free Upgrade to 700 Watt Standard 80 PLUS* (Save $20)
Primary Hard Drive 1 x 1 TB HARD DRIVE -- 32M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s - Single Drive
Data Hard Drive X
Optical Drive 1 x 24x Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW - Black -- Free Upgrade to LG Blu-ray Reader

There are some more things, but the bottom line, I can get that for $1200. I am also looking at Xidax as well. Digitial Storm might be too much for what I am looking to spend ($1200 ).

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
 
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Kohwali
You're a parent who wants your son to play more games?! I'm so jealous right now...

Anyways, how old is your son? He could build the PC himself - I did my first build this summer and I'm 16. My parents bought the parts, from there Google and YouTube led me to the promised land. It's not difficult as long as you are careful with some parts.

@g-unit1111, not trying to nitpick but I wouldn't recommend a H440. Matt comes off as a person who cares a lot about efficiency and practicality, so I think a case with more functionality is a better idea. Like for mid-towers a Fractal R4 or NZXT Phantom 410.
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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Jul 27, 2011
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Seriously, build your own, you can get much better hardware for the same price, like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.95 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Phanteks PH-TC12DX_BL 68.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z97 EXTREME4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($123.79 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($82.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($349.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT H440 (Blue/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($119.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: EVGA 850W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($94.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1280.66
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-07 16:04 EST-0500

A little bit more but you don't have to deal with Cyberpower, much better GPU and PSU (no name PSU = automatic red flag), and better case, and I even matched a black / blue color scheme.
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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Jul 27, 2011
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If you're getting an R9-270X for that budget, you're getting ripped off there. That's why I don't advise people to purchase rigs like this. Prebuilt manufacturers like this hose you on important parts like the GPU and CPU, while also throwing mystery PSUs and SSDs into the mix, it's not good. An R9-270X is a $200 card, it does not belong in a $1300 system. That is a major, major ripoff.
 
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g-unit1111

g-unit1111

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Jul 27, 2011
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104,940


If you're that dead set on getting pre built, I guess there's no changing your mind, but at the same time I will say that you are wasting your money. It's like the people who want to buy the 5K iMac - sure you could but it's expensive for what you get and it will be obsolete before you take it out of the box. Even if you don't want to build the system yourself, you can buy the parts and have a local shop build it for you for a small fee, or you can have someone you know in IT build it for you. There's lots of options out there.
 
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Kohwali

Kohwali

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Jun 15, 2014
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You're a parent who wants your son to play more games?! I'm so jealous right now...

Anyways, how old is your son? He could build the PC himself - I did my first build this summer and I'm 16. My parents bought the parts, from there Google and YouTube led me to the promised land. It's not difficult as long as you are careful with some parts.

@g-unit1111, not trying to nitpick but I wouldn't recommend a H440. Matt comes off as a person who cares a lot about efficiency and practicality, so I think a case with more functionality is a better idea. Like for mid-towers a Fractal R4 or NZXT Phantom 410.
 
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