Buying a new PC

[attimes_bracing]

I like macs.  I have everything mac.  I also want a PC for games (with a small g I'm not a Proper Gamer - I like hidden object and time management games - juvenile I know) and for open university stuff which DEMANDS a pc type platform and to play movies while I work on my mac.  My current windows laptop is 6 years old and decaying (possibly due to the fermented goat yoghurt it experienced 5 years ago in foreign parts.  Have already had to fix a few registry issues, overheats and is needy.

My mac has 4GB (two vacant slots) and 1TB and can be a bit slow but that's another story.  I like my mac and will keep it for delicous library, scrivener and dragon dictate.

I will buy a pretty monitor and hide the pc desktop under the desk so it can be fugly as all get out.  The thing is that if I look at an HP envy with 16GB and 3TB running windows 8.1 and a processor speed of 3.6GHz.  These cost £999 up to £1200 and don't include a monitor.

But there are other options: I found a brand called Vibox which is a Gamer PC and  comes in at about £600-700 with the same spec but a faster processor(4GHz) .  Ok it tries to look like optimus prime - but for such a price difference - what am I missing?

NB I have discounted Zoostorm as a brand due to appalling feedback.

Comments

[sbisson.livejournal.com]

I tend to buy from Scan - they do decent hardware at reasonable prices: like these.

For the tape of gaming you're talking about, these days, I'd recommend a Core i5 box, and then stick a decent graphics card in it. Should be around £550 or so from a reputable dealer.

[andrewducker]

Yeah, I wouldn't spend more than £600 on a gaming PC that'd aimed at the low end.

In fact, anything from the bottom end of that range there would do the job perfectly if you want it for Sims and clicking adventure type things.

[uitlander]

Yes, you will want a high spec graphics card. The best you can afford as over time it will start to groan with the load, no matter how mild your gaming is. A big case is best, as that helps keep it cool inside. I'd have a look at overclockers as well, and probably Dabs once you have a spec in mind.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

I definitely wouldn't look at Zoostorm for a games machine - the one I have works OK for my purposes but it doesn't have enough spare wattage on the power supply for a really good graphics card.

[andrewducker]

Oh. And if the recent fuss has taught us anything it's that we're _all_ gamers. And that differentiating based on whether your games involve shooting people in the face is harmful :->

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

Playing movies - why not use VLC in a window on the Mac?

Playing games - dual boot or some of the more recent virtual PC things like Parallels do pretty well if you're not trying to play the most recent or graphics demanding games.

Friends don't let friends install windows ;-)

[murphys-lawyer.livejournal.com]

VLC's good for videos on a Mac.

For serious Windows gaming, a dedicated Windows PC is preferable to putting Boot Camp on a Mac. The graphics options will allow for so much more, especially the framerate on the higher level games.

Windows 7 and 8.x are also much better from a security point of view than their predecessors, just as OS X seems to have gotten worse. Most of keeping secure on any computer is mostly common sense: don't log in as an Administrator and only run programs as one if you have to, use a good AV program and keep it up to date, pick hard to guess passwords and never use them with more than one account, and remember Mrs Chastity McKee does not have umpteen millions she wants to share with you.

Your eyeballs will thank you

[nojay.livejournal.com]

Spend most of the money on a kickass monitor. You're going to be looking at it for hours each day and it's not something you can upgrade later if you decide you need more and better, unlike a PC where pretty much everything can be swapped out and/or upgraded at a later date.

I'm about to buy a 4k IPS monitor from a Dell refurb reseller called NRG-IT, it will cost me about 750 quid delivered. It will eat my desk with a 31.5" diagonal but, well 4k and IPS/IZGO colour performance... I've bought from NRG-IT before, they're the cheapest supplier I trust, very helpful and responsive when deliveries go wrong.

You can connect your Mac(s) to a 4k screen too, assuming they've got DisplayPort or a suitable adaptor is available for the proprietary Apple video connectors.