Do I need a graphics card?

theCosmicRasin · Jun 19, 2017

I own a lenovo T410 and have been using it as a gaming rig. Wondered if I should get a better pc or a graphics card for this one.
the biggest reason I want a PC is expansion, but if a graphics card will make the performance considerably better I might stick with that. you can see all the stats for my PC here...
http://www.anandtech.com/show/2976/lenovo-thinkpad-t410-built-for-business/2

Herc08 · Jun 19, 2017

You will not be able to add a graphics card to that computer, because it is a laptop. In fact, that's a 6 year old laptop. You could try to add more RAM, but doubt you will see any improvements. Your best bet is to get a new system altogether.

theCosmicRasin · Jun 21, 2017

Any suggestions for a good first gaming rig? Looking for something that can perform decently on games like Skyrim as well as some more demanding games.

Herc08 · Jun 21, 2017

What is your budget? Just to let you know, if you want demanding games, I strongly recommend setting aside 600-800 for the PC, monitor, keyboard/mouse, and Windows.

theCosmicRasin · Jun 22, 2017

hoping to stay below $1,000 however if there is a significant jump in quality after $1000 I would be more than willing to go a bit over.

Herc08 · Jun 22, 2017

This is a bit overbudget. However, the reason is that graphics card are getting marked up because of low supply due to mining. So I figured why not go with teh GTX 1080 which is a beast in itself. It will handle any game at 1440p, and even some titles at 4K. You can step down to a 1060, but you will have to lower your settings. This does NOT include Windows, monitor, keyboard and mouse.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600 3.2GHz 6-Core Processor ($199.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: MSI - B350M GAMING PRO Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard ($79.99 @ B&H)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($126.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung - 850 EVO-Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($99.89 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($48.44 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB WINDFORCE OC 8G Video Card ($524.98 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT - S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1215.25
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-06-22 09:30 EDT-0400

theCosmicRasin · Jun 22, 2017

I am currently running Windows 7 but was thinking about upgrading to 10 with the computer. However, I'm not sure what the advantages with 10 are or which version I should buy a licence to. I was thinking probably home but as all the PC's I've ever used were hand-me-downs I don't really know. I was also hoping there would be a way to transfer Windows 7 to my next PC but that's probably not doable.

Herc08 · Jun 22, 2017

Yes it is. I would recommend getting Windows 10. If Windows 7 is legit, you can do a free upgrade using: https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/accessibility/windows10upgrade

I would strongly suggest upgrading. I have Windows 10 on 4 computers, and have had no issues. Some people don't like the look, but it is very customizable. If you do upgrade, you can follow these steps: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/20530/windows-10-reactivating-after-hardware-change

theCosmicRasin · Jun 22, 2017

how would I move it between computers

Herc08 · Jun 22, 2017

It's in that second link on how to move licenses. But first you should upgrade to Windows 10

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