Gaming computers? I have no clue. Christmas present

[bczoom]

The only thing my son has been asking for for Christmas is a gaming computer.

I look around online and see everything from $350-$5000.

I have no clue what's decent. I do figure they become obsolete as fast as a regular computer (about the day after you get it).

Any ideas on things to look for or are important to maintain a decent longevity using today's games?

 

[tiredretired]

Read and weep.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2393552,00.asp

If money is no object I would go with the Talon. Very future proof. That is the machine I would buy right now if I were looking at a gaming computer, which I am not. Notice the only con is that it is not flashy looking. Seriously? That thing has all the toys and with 10 cores!! Oh yeah.

Be prepared to buy a nice 4K monitor to go with that bad boy as well. Gaming nirvana BC that is what it is.

 

[Doc]

I suppose he already has the dedicated gaming systems? They seem (to me a non gamer) much more adapt to kids gaming.

 

[Ironman]

The more money you spend, the better it will be.

Like buying a boat motor. How fast do you want to go? How much money do you have?

 

[bczoom]

I suppose he already has the dedicated gaming systems?

If you mean things like XBox, yes, he has those.

The cheapest one in that list stretches the budget but son agreed to kick in. He's mentioned the AlienWare computers so that one may be viable.

 

[tiredretired]

The more money you spend, the better it will be.

Like buying a boat motor. How fast do you want to go? How much money do you have?

There used to be a sign above the counter at a local speed shop I frequented. It said and I quote: "Speed costs money, how fast do you want to go"?

If you mean things like XBox, yes, he has those.

The cheapest one in that list stretches the budget but son agreed to kick in. He's mentioned the AlienWare computers so that one may be viable.

Alienware is still good stuff. Is he aware of the Alienware Steam Machine? If he is a gamer I am sure he is, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention it.

 

[bczoom]

I don't know if he's familiar with the Steam Machine but that's new to me.

Reading about it brought something up to me. It says no keyboard or mouse. Are all these "gaming" computers made specifically for gaming using a controller or can they do traditional things a normal home PC would do (using Windows and MS Office)?

 

[tiredretired]

I don't know if he's familiar with the Steam Machine but that's new to me.

Reading about it brought something up to me. It says no keyboard or mouse. Are all these "gaming" computers made specifically for gaming using a controller or can they do traditional things a normal home PC would do (using Windows and MS Office)?

Gaming computers come with Windows 10 and can do all the things a normal computer can do. It is just they have upper end processors, tons of RAM and higher end graphics capabilities. All a waste of money if all you are looking for is web browsing, email and a little word processing. Not a waste for gaming. Think of them as the Ferrari of cars.

They do come with a keyboard and mouse because there is a plethora of gaming keyboards and mice out there and each gamer has their preference so no sense including them for extra cost.

The Steam machine is a computer in the literal sense. It runs Win10. It is just configured like a gaming console and is upgradable for future needs. They would not be my first choice but a lot of folks like them and thought it worth mentioning.

 

[k-dog]

My brother built a couple gaming machines and he said that a really nice video card is a must. His video card actually has its own dedicated fan to keep it cool. You can have tons of memory and a fast processor but it won't mean much of the video card isn't up to par. He also said do a desktop if you are serious gaming with corded mouse and keyboard as wireless has a slight delay. The laptops are nice but desktops give you more power and options for the serious gamer.
He's not into the gaming like he used to be, but still keeps up with it some.

 

[Bamby]

There used to be a sign above the counter at a local speed shop I frequented. It said and I quote: "Speed costs money, how fast do you want to go"?



Alienware is still good stuff. Is he aware of the Alienware Steam Machine? If he is a gamer I am sure he is, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention it.

Exactly,,, but I've failed to see where anybody asked or suggested what kind of bandwidth you have available. A Ferrari isn't going to perform up to snuff if you can only provide it regular fuel.

 

[tiredretired]

Exactly,,, but I've failed to see where anybody asked or suggested what kind of bandwidth you have available. A Ferrari isn't going to perform up to snuff if you can only provide it regular fuel.

Of course. I forgot to mention that a 56K modem will be required. Just kidding. LOL

Broadband is a must for online gaming, of that there is no doubt. Good point.

 

[bczoom]

Our internet package is:
200Mbps download
20Mbps upload
500G of data/month

Once we upgraded to this package, no more latency issues.

 

[tiredretired]

Our internet package is:
200Mbps download
20Mbps upload
500G of data/month

Once we upgraded to this package, no more latency issues.

Gotta love Xfinity High Speed.

 

[love705]

The cheapest way to go is to build your own PC, pre built computers are over priced and usually under powered and there are a ton of places that will help you with this. An important thing is having a good mouse and keyboard because they can make all the difference.

Corsair is quite a popular company that has cases just look here. the Razer Deathadder is one of the most popular mice for gaming you can read bout it here and mechanical keyboards are popular like the Corsair Vengeance K95.


There are forums such as this will be glad to help you.