Im looking at getting a pre-built gaming pc and have no idea if its good or not, help!

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ColdFireeee

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Im looking into getting this pre built pc -https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01IPH2700/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza

Im just not sure if its good or not. Im aware that if i build my own pc i would get a better rig however im not comfortable with doing that at the moment. I mainly want to play the Sims 3/4 with all expansions and SimCity. I would however like to play PUBG and more demanding games but not sure if the CPU is good enough or the PSU! im rubbish with all the specs etc.

Also, i would be plugging this pc into my TV, is that a problem with gaming pc's?
 
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photonboy
SIMS 3 stutters like crazy BTW... it's not a fixable issue. It just JERKS as the camera pans and I tried for hours and hours over multiple PC's before finally giving up.

Plugging into your TV isn't a problem per say, but having said that:

1) if it's a 1080p HDTV then you may find the resolution a little low for a game like this (text size etc)

2) if the HDTV is 4K then some games may have a hard time maintaining 60FPS (if that's your goal), such as having VSYNC ON and maintaining a solid 60FPS experience

I've never used an HDTV either so I'm not sure what options you get for RESOLUTION in a game. I'm fairly certain 2560x1440 is not an option like it is with a monitor. Possibly 1080p, but again not sure.

*I also know you can set the...
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photonboy

photonboy

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SIMS 3 stutters like crazy BTW... it's not a fixable issue. It just JERKS as the camera pans and I tried for hours and hours over multiple PC's before finally giving up.

Plugging into your TV isn't a problem per say, but having said that:

1) if it's a 1080p HDTV then you may find the resolution a little low for a game like this (text size etc)

2) if the HDTV is 4K then some games may have a hard time maintaining 60FPS (if that's your goal), such as having VSYNC ON and maintaining a solid 60FPS experience

I've never used an HDTV either so I'm not sure what options you get for RESOLUTION in a game. I'm fairly certain 2560x1440 is not an option like it is with a monitor. Possibly 1080p, but again not sure.

*I also know you can set the NVidia Control Panel to "Scale by GPU" (and scale by ASPECT) at least for a monitor. That may allow you to output at 4K at all times but have in-game resolution options but I'm not sure as I can't test or even find an answer to that.

3) That gaming machine is pretty GOOD relative to what most people have. Here's how the GRAPHICS do:
https://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_1060/17.html

I'm guessing they are using nearly the HIGHEST but not necessarily the highest for every setting. If you use 1080p (which you likely should for most even if a 4K HDTV) then just not the FPS score (60FPS is very good).

*The GTX1060 can get most or all of the visual fidelity in modern games. You will still need to TWEAK the settings though to achieve your goal (may want to learn how to use ADAPTIVE VSYNC per game).

4) I guess you know you need a keyboard + mouse

5) *My only concern is the CPU... it's fine for most games but some games are very demanding. I think I heard PUBG was very hard on the CPU.

Just for fun I'll make a PC build (with Windows which screws up the budget) for the same or slightly more to see what I can do. BUILDING your own PC is actually fairly easy and rewarding.

OTHER:
Building a PC actually benefits in terms of Warranty issues too. Depending on the pre-built system you may need to send the entire thing back for issues you may solve yourself such as replacing a hard drive.

You also need to investigate if opening it voids the Warranty. I'd guess no but I don't want to assume.
 
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Finstar

Finstar

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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i5-8400 2.8GHz 6-Core Processor (£174.76 @ BT Shop)
Motherboard: MSI - Z370-A PRO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£99.98 @ Ebuyer)
Memory: Kingston - FURY 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (£121.98 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: Western Digital - Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£38.34 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB 6GB GT OCV1 Video Card (£264.81 @ CCL Computers)
Case: Deepcool - TESSERACT BF ATX Mid Tower Case (£27.48 @ Ebuyer)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£65.47 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £792.82
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-11-21 08:42 GMT+0000
 
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photonboy

photonboy

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Good balance, however the cost of W10 needs to be included. Sucks right?

(probably my only issue is the case but that's personal preference... plus a DVD drive is pretty cheap so don't forget that if you want one)

Theoretically I think you can still download the "Assistive" version (Google for how) for free which gives a watermark. I know Microsoft said they are putting a stop to it, but I don't think they have yet. It's usably the same as W10 64-bit Home.

UPDATE: the main HARDWARE difference here is the CPU.. it has SIX cores vs FOUR in the i5-7400. The cores are also slightly faster... from what I can deduce they are roughly 25% faster if we account for frequency and IPC..

so I think the i5-8400 will be significantly better in PUBG and some other games. (I'm not certain if you can force all cores to 4000MHz but if possible I'd so so.. you may also want/need a better CPU cooler depending on the noise of the fan though that's a decision you can make later... it's just a NOISE decision. a good one is roughly $45USD)
 
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photonboy

photonboy

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Here's a bare-bones installation guide BTW:

(I'm not including updating the motherboard BIOS but do that if you have Memory issues and consider doing it later.. but for now avoid that as a new builder unless you feel comfortable attempting this)

1. CPU to motherboard (carefully to avoid bending pins)
2. CPU cooler (thermal pad, or if not use the approx 5mm diagonal "pea" method of thermal paste)
3. add DDR4 memory (see motherboard manual for location of two sticks... i.e. 2x8GB)

4. select "XMP" in the motherboard BIOS and save (for Intel systems)
5. run MEMTEST86 via USB stick (or CD/DVD) www.memtest86.com for a full pass or until errors
6. if working hook everything up now (power button etc section of motherboard may be confusing... note carefully the POS and NEG pins. usually NEG is black on the wire)

7. retest MEMTEST86
8. insert W10 USB stick or DVD
9. Follow instructions (**strongly recommend you have a MSN e-mail account prepared already and use the e-mail + password to setup the account during this installation)

I would setup a 200GB (choose 200,000MB) partition during the install and then assign the rest as another partition. Easier than it looks in this link:
https://www.petri.com/creating-a-partition-during-windows-7-installation

WHY?
So you can easily CLONE later to a 250GB SSD. You can put the Steam games on the 2nd partition (i.e. E:\Steam) by setting that up in the Steam library settings. I know it probably sounds confusing right now.

10. install NVidia drivers software from NVidia site
11. install audio software from motherboard site (may want/need other drivers/software but you can ask later)
12. install FAN SOFTWARE from motherboard site and setup CPU (and possibly case fans) profile

13. add Antivirus and other software
14. Steam, etc.
15. If you have another HDD then make a backup Image of the Windows partition (if you later buy an SSD then do it then.. i.e. Acronis True Image or similar to make a compressed backup Image. At the very least use the W7 backup software in W10)

SUMMARY:
I don't have everything, and I know it probably sounds confusing but it's actually very rewarding.
 
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