New to PC Gaming - Will this run it?

[iRyzzz 0]

Hi

Im new to the world of PC GAMING.. Dont want to jump in all guns blazing.. I want to buy something cheap initially.

Im an xbox gamer but fell in love with dayz.

Will this cheap ass PC run it and how succesfully do you think??

Link to ebay add:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HP-Dual-Xeon-6-0Ghz-64-Bit-Gaming-PC-NEW-1GB-GFX-4GB-RAM-Desktop-Tower-Computer-/120905829408?_trksid=p5197.m1997&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D16%26meid%3D1459889479421105885%26pid%3D100016%26prg%3D1006%26rk%3D1%26

[hoorah (DayZ) 36]

Its not the best setup. If you're on a super limited budget, you can make it work because those HP towers have nice beefy power supplies, meaning you can just drop a good graphics card in and be on your way. Unfortunately, the seller already put an ATI 5450 in there, which is going to be a bit weak, so that is money wasted since you will need to buy a new one.

Also, the 2x3.0 ghz does not make it a 6.0ghz machine, nor are the xeons from that era particularly fast compared to the i3s and i5s of today.

I actually just put together a very similar computer (xw4300, 2x3.2GHZ Pentium D) for my mother. Its not a horrid experience, but I think it would struggle with DayZ even with a decent graphics card.

A better option would be to pick an amount of money you want to spend. Subtract about $100 (if you're on a low budget) for a graphics card. Take the remaining money and look to find a pre-built system that has a 400W power supply and an open PCI-express graphics slot.

[void.false@gmail.com 300]

Xeon CPUs are designed for server use, multiprocessors systems and to be run at 100% load 24/7. This is not a gaming CPU. And graphic card is pretty weak too. And I don't know who build this PC and why he's calling it a gaming computer. This is a server, definitely.

[JESUSFOOD 12]

Personally that computer is garbage. Everything in it is horribly outdated. If you really want to play Dayz decently you will need probably a $300-600 computer depending on what you can live with visually in game.

For cheap I would build myself (all sorts of videos on how to do this, its very very easy)

On a budget I would go

AMD Proccessor (even top of the line is only like $2xx)

4 GB Ram (doesnt have to be the fastest but need atleast 4 for windows 7, 8GB is better)

Motherboard with internal sound card

Harddrive alteast 300GB but whatever size you want, they are cheap now

Nvidia GTX 560 / ATI equivalent or around there (This is very important that any graphics card you pick is decent, it will make or break the whole thing)

Cheap tower with decent 500-600watt Powersupply

Windows 7 64bit

[Charles Darwin (DayZ) 11]

Don't do it.

That will NOT RUN ArmA3 which is what the stand alone DayZ mod will be using for an engine.

Even if it will play ArmA2 DayZ(which I highly doubt) you will have at most a few months before DayZ ArmA2 is no longer a supported mod as it will be moving to ArmA3 as soon as it comes out.

I know PC gaming is expensive, but cutting corners will not save you money because will end up having to buy a new system every time a new game comes out. Your best bet would be save up money and buy a decent gaming PC, the PC I use now cost me $900, but it will still play games coming out today and it is 6 years old. So that works out to being only $150 a year(I save $200 a year to build a new PC every 6 years as that is how long a really nice gaming PC build will be able to run most new games for)

So my advice is don't skimp, you will regret it, as you will have a PC that will not run any new games, and will only barely run any recent ones.

[JESUSFOOD 12]

I have my computer setup that I will save up and buy the best motherboard and CPU ($500-1000) I can afford and then transfer all my old parts to that computer. Then two to four years later, once games start lagging behind I will then buy the best video card I can afford at that time ($500-600). I will reuse all the same componets from before. Then again a few years later when games start to slow down I will either buy another video card or if games are being held up by the CPU I will upgrade it and the motherboard. I try to use the same harddrive (saves money and I dont need the 600GB I have). Alot of times you can buy a motherboard and after a year or two a new CPU will come out thats a bit faster but will also work with your motherboard and its cheaper to just upgrade the CPU and again reuse your old stuff.

I just bought a Nvidia 580GTX Lightning (that I overclock) that was about $500 on ebay. I bought at the time the 6 core AMD processor that was the fastest they made. I plan to move to Intel eventually as AMD is getting a beat down at the moment but right now no game pushes my computer. I can play Arma 2 maxed out other then AA and all that goofy stuff that blurs out the grass and trees. Games like Crysis, Mass Effect 3, Battlefield 3 all run maxed out with 4AA and 16AF. Anyway point being is I spend about $500 every 2-3 years and can always play the latest and greatest without much of a problem.

Edited August 22, 2012 by JESUSFOOD

[Charles Darwin (DayZ) 11]

Indeed that is a good way to save money that I didn't mention. My experience with Intel is that they change their sockets often enough that by the time the CPU starts lagging the fastest CPUs are on a new socket type making only updating the CPU not possible.

As a matter of preference I prefer a whole new system to upgrades. This also helps as I can then sell my old gaming PC for 1/4 or so the initial cost. Although I do remove the larger Hard drives and now that I run SSDs in it I will be removing those as well before I sell it. However, saving money for 6 years/upgrading every few years is really a matter of personal preference.

The one thing I think everyone will agree on though, PC gaming can be expensive, but vs the dumbed down games you find on consoles, nothing will ever replace the PC

[IIII_joshua 16]

Will not run any games worth playing.

PC gaming is not cheap. A solid low budget for a gaming PC is ~US $500. Sometimes you can do better with seasonal sales, but generally this is about what it costs to put your first one together. (it's cheaper when you have left over parts to re-use)

Currently I'm running Dayz @ 30-50 fps with an Intel G860 & Nvidia GTX 560 @ 1600x900 (My GPU is over spec because I'm upgrading my CPU and going to 1920x1080)

If you want the bare minimum you should consider an Intel Sandy Bridge Pentium chip (like mine) plus a slightly cheaper GPU. My GPU is a bit more expensive but that's because I'm about to be playing at 1080p. Game performance is very dependent on screen resolution. The bigger the resolution the more work that has to be done. For example a 1600x900 screen has about 30% less pixels than a 1920x1080 screen.. meaning 30% less hardware power needed to get the same FPS.

tomshardware.com has a very good budget charts that tell you the best CPU / GPU for your money or screen size (Resolution):

here is the best graphics card for you money August article: http://www.tomshardw...eview,3107.html

and the best CPU for your money July (most recent): http://www.tomshardw...clock,3106.html

that's the best place to start researching for a gaming PC.

EDIT:: I just want to warn you of the temptation to get a cheap quad core AMD chip over a cheaper Intel Pentium.

For some reason gamers just can't stand the word Pentium, no matter what the benchmarks say..

but the unfortunate truth is that benchmarks prove that Sandy & Ivy bridge have no AMD comparison for gaming. It's not that I don't like AMD -- or that I wouldn't be really excited to see a competitive top end AMD chip, but that when you put even a cheap Sandy bridge dual core with a good GPU.. only the top of the line AMD quad cores (the expensive ones) clearly best it.

Yes the more expensive AMD chips can beat Intel pentiums but then you drop in an Intel i3-2100 (dual core budget chip) and it beats or nearly matches every single AMD CPU for gaming. Not even talking about Intel Quad cores which are in a tier where the AMD side is blank (no competition).

Edited August 22, 2012 by IIII_joshua

[Charles Darwin (DayZ) 11]

Indeed! excellent post :) If you are not comfortable picking your own parts you can sign up for Tom's forums and some very smart people will help you out, just tell them what games you would like to play, what resolution you want to play at, and how much you have to spend and they will offer some suggestions.

If you have never put a PC together from parts don't worry it is actually very simple, like level 2 legos really, just get an anti static strap and follow instructions! If you have some friends ask them if they have ever done anything with computers chances are you know someone who has messed around inside their PC enough to know what they are doing and most geeks will do it for free just to have the chance to mess with new hardware!

[DazTroyer 227]

Xeon CPUs are designed for server use, multiprocessors systems and to be run at 100% load 24/7. This is not a gaming CPU. And graphic card is pretty weak too. And I don't know who build this PC and why he's calling it a gaming computer. This is a server, definitely.

There are a lot of these on ebay, some in new cases like this and some in the old ones, its all recon gear. My mate was gonna get one, i advised him to not bother. Seems to me someone is trying to make a quick buck out of folk who don't really know what they are buying.

(Nice to know my i5 3450 and MSI GTX 560 Ti 448 Twin Frozr III was a pretty good choice, just shows what a bit of reading can do lol. I've been a 360 guy up until recently)

Edited August 22, 2012 by DazTroyer

[ocelot07 60]

Hi

Im new to the world of PC GAMING.. Dont want to jump in all guns blazing.. I want to buy something cheap initially.

Im an xbox gamer but fell in love with dayz.

Will this cheap ass PC run it and how succesfully do you think??

Link to ebay add:

http://www.ebay.co.u....&prg=1006&rk=1

DO NOT BUY THAT PC!!!

Please consider building a PC. If it is light PC gaming your after then maybe look at the old Core 2.

PC building is very very easy I only learned how to build one last year and I have built plenty since then. Look on youtube there are some guides on how to build PC's ect.

LGA 775 Quad Core Q6600 ( can be had for around £40 - £50 )

Cheap £25 LGA 775 motherboard

Cheap 4gb RAM about £15.

Cheap hard drive 500gb £30.

Power Supply can get a decent brand 400watt for around £30

Cheap Ass PC case (ebuyer has lots of there from £10).

Graphics Card ATI 6670 2gb DDR3 can be had for around £50.

Windows can be had cheap now.

So for that build your looking at £200 for that build but it is better than the one you are looking at on ebay. Now this is ok for gaming am using 6670 and Q6600 CPU for now and runs ARMA 2 and DayZ on High Settings on a 42" HDTV and am getting on average 45FPS.

This set up is also fine for playing games like Fallout New Vegas, Crysis, GTA IV ect.

But I will be upgrading to a i5 on Friday.

Edited August 22, 2012 by ocelot20

[PoisonedAl 128]

When buying a gaming rig, don't by the most expensive parts. Usally the stuff a few tiers under the top of the line stuff is almost as good but can be half the price. That said, try to make something future proof. If you build a rig that can last 3 or 4 years with only the odd upgrade you will save yourself a lot of time and hassle. You will also save money in the long run. Gotta love those Steam sales.

[JESUSFOOD 12]

I actually bought a 580GTX lightning (which is overclocked from the factory with alot better cooler) on ebay as a RMA unit. The company actually sends in bad cards and when they get a new one they sell the new one for $150-200 off. There are lots real good deals out there, just have to keep your eyes open.

As it was also said, you dont have to buy the top of the line card, just top of the line is a little more future proof. Its kind of funny though all benchmarks show the top teir card getting say 120FPS in a game at 1920x1200 resolution. However the next one down gets 93FPS same resolution and settings but cost $150 cheaper. Now anything over 60FPS the eye cannot pickup. So unless you plan to keep the card forever you can get the cheaper one and it will still last a long time.

[SteveLord 32]

I really wish people would stop using the "human eye can/cannot see X amount of fps" line. Because it has nothing to do with why 60fps is the standard and why attention is given to framerate in general.

Framerate numbers are not about what the eye can or cannot see. Higher framerate gives you more headroom in situations where your system gets taxed heavily by a game. (Large amount of AI, explosions, firefights, combination of them all, etc.) A system with 60fps average has a higher chance of experiencing visual (this you CAN see) slowdown in those situations versus a system that runs 120fps average.

The first thing one should do is determine the size monitor they use or plan to use, as that gives a native resolution to work with. Since you'll generally always want to run at your native resolution, you can easily determine what hardware you would need to run games smoothly at that resolution. And at what level of detail one would be comfortable with.

The next thing is budget. Spending more will generally net you better performance. However, there are diminishing returns as you go up...which some people here touched upon already.

Edited August 22, 2012 by SteveLord

[JESUSFOOD 12]

I really wish people would stop using the "human eye can/cannot see X amount of fps" line. Because it has nothing to do with why 60fps is the standard and why attention is given to framerate in general.

Framerate numbers are not about what the eye can or cannot see. Higher framerate gives you more headroom in situations where your system gets taxed heavily by a game. (Large amount of AI, explosions, firefights, combination of them all, etc.) A system with 60fps average has a higher chance of experiencing visual (this you CAN see) slowdown in those situations versus a system that runs 120fps average.

Sorry I should have been more specific in that 60FPS is what minimum frame rate should be. Anything below is noticeable if it goes from 60 to say 20 then back up to 60. But anything between 60 to 120+ is not noticeable. A slow SOLID framerate (locked at a constant 30 like Halo) is better then a higher peak but bounces between 5-105 FPS. I was mearly saying that in most reviews they show a card gets 120FPS in a game and another may get 90 in the same game same settings. Some sites even show the minimum which still may be 80 for one card and 50 for the other.

[SteveLord 32]

Agreed. Sorry I came off like a dick. Appreciate you not responding like one also. ;)

[AllMightyKnox 218]

Hey man you get what you pay for. Check out this website maybe your own computer already can run it or maybe you just need to update a

few parts. Check out this website look for the game you want to run and run it. If it don't work it will tell you what parts you need to update

in order to play the game.

http://www.systemrequirementslab.com/cyri/intro.aspx

[Guardian angel 7]

IT's shit waste imo.

[iRyzzz 0]

Hey guys, I am delighted with the responses.. Obviously I didnt buy this system.. I really really want to build my own computer, But im afraid of being overwhelmed with the amount of work involved. Like I can buy the main parts - graphics card, RAM, hardrives etc but the small little screws etc? linking up power etc.. I know I would fuck it up!!lol

[Zeppa 562]

About those framerates.

Most flatscreens on pc use run at 60hz so its 60fps, it doesnt matter how much higher you go from that it wont show... but it can result tearing or other symptoms on the screen when new frame is sent before the old one has shown completely. This is why when you have lots of headroom and you wont go below 60fps you should use Vsync that ties the game fps to your monitor refresh rate and makes it "smoother".

If your fps runs under 60fps there is no point of using vsync. If you jump like 40 - 70 fps then its up to you if you want to to use vsync.

Ofc there is monitors that can do high refresh rates, then higher fps is option.

And what comes to that pc, dont bother... build your own, its not hard.

You cant build it wrong, the components are designed so that theu are almost fool proof and the necessary accessory are provided with the components.. so build all the parts and you will complete the whole thing without problem.

Meaning so that you really have to do work to connect them wrong... just ask for help chosing the parts and you are fine.

Edited August 23, 2012 by Zeppa

[JESUSFOOD 12]

Hey guys, I am delighted with the responses.. Obviously I didnt buy this system.. I really really want to build my own computer, But im afraid of being overwhelmed with the amount of work involved. Like I can buy the main parts - graphics card, RAM, hardrives etc but the small little screws etc? linking up power etc.. I know I would fuck it up!!lol

When you buy a tower it comes with all the little screws and directions on how to bolt the motherboard into the case. Its very easy to do. The hardest part is making sure you buy the correct motherboard for the processor. You need to make sure the "CPU Socket Type" is the same for both the processor and motherboard. For example an Intel Core i5 CPU Socket Type is "LGA 1155" so I just need to find a motherboard that supports that socket type.

I use www.newegg.com which only ships to the US I believe. However most computer hardware sites will even recommend motherboards to go with whatever CPU you pick. You can always go on tech websites and get help too.

If you view this page

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116505

It shows you what Motherboard, Ram and other goodies that will work, if you scroll down there is a little tab that says "Details" if you click that it shows you which CPU socket type that processor is. You can then take this info and find motherboard in your budget that fits this CPU. etc etc.This honestly is the hardest part is just making sure it will all work together. Assembly is very easy and so is formatting.