1
New Computer?
Hey!
So recently for my birthday, my parents have agreed to help me afford a new computer -- something I've been looking forwards to for a long time! (My computer is a Mac Mini from 2009).
I've already decided that I want a prebuilt desktop. I need it to run minecraft at high graphics w/ shaders, and record default minecraft pretty smoothly. (It doesn't need to be able to record shaders).
I have around $1200 (US money) and my parents have agreed to pay for the rest of the cost, but I don't want to buy some 10k desktop.
Any suggestions? Also, don't try to say like, "Oh you can build a computer for much less", because I've already made up my mind about building my own, thanks.
So recently for my birthday, my parents have agreed to help me afford a new computer -- something I've been looking forwards to for a long time! (My computer is a Mac Mini from 2009).
I've already decided that I want a prebuilt desktop. I need it to run minecraft at high graphics w/ shaders, and record default minecraft pretty smoothly. (It doesn't need to be able to record shaders).
I have around $1200 (US money) and my parents have agreed to pay for the rest of the cost, but I don't want to buy some 10k desktop.
Any suggestions? Also, don't try to say like, "Oh you can build a computer for much less", because I've already made up my mind about building my own, thanks.
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53MP3RF1OP, I highly recommend you build a computer. Like others have said, it's really not a good idea to buy a pre-built - if you absolutely HAVE to, you should get one with a good processor and then inquire to see if you can put an r9 290 inside of it. A solution is to either build one yourself or go to a tech store and see if they'll build it for you.discOtter
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/vtbTZL
That's a horrible build. For $1200, you shouldn't be getting an AMD CPU, especially not one that requires 125 watts of power. You also don't need a $170 motherboard if you're not overclocking - a $70 or $80 one should do it and probably support a modest OC. There's no SSD in your build either - for such a high budget, it'd be really silly to not have one. Getting a 780 isn't going to help either, when you could get an r9 290x for the same price and it performs better.
Here's a build for $1000 that isn't overclockable, but it will do everything you need and much, much more.BuildPCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PERFORMANCE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($70.00 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP600 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 290 4GB PCS+ Video Card ($369.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($37.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Micro Center)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1044.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-14 14:12 EDT-0400
Here's a build for $1100 that is overclockable, and will allow you to get somewhere in the 4 gigahertz range.OC'able BuildPCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($6.73 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 Guard-Pro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP600 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 290 4GB PCS+ Video Card ($369.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($37.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Micro Center)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1105.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-14 14:13 EDT-0400
Here's a build that will push your budget to $1200 and will do everything you need it to for a long, long time.To The MaxPCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($6.73 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 Guard-Pro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP600 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290X 4GB Tri-X Video Card ($538.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($37.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Micro Center)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1274.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-14 14:15 EDT-0400
In all honesty, I'll admit that I set that part list up a while ago (back when the 700 series launched). Yeah, you've got me beat with your part list.
53MP3RF1OP, I highly recommend you build a computer. Like others have said, it's really not a good idea to buy a pre-built - if you absolutely HAVE to, you should get one with a good processor and then inquire to see if you can put an r9 290 inside of it. A solution is to either build one yourself or go to a tech store and see if they'll build it for you.discOtter
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/vtbTZL
That's a horrible build. For $1200, you shouldn't be getting an AMD CPU, especially not one that requires 125 watts of power. You also don't need a $170 motherboard if you're not overclocking - a $70 or $80 one should do it and probably support a modest OC. There's no SSD in your build either - for such a high budget, it'd be really silly to not have one. Getting a 780 isn't going to help either, when you could get an r9 290x for the same price and it performs better.
Here's a build for $1000 that isn't overclockable, but it will do everything you need and much, much more.BuildPCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PERFORMANCE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($70.00 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP600 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 290 4GB PCS+ Video Card ($369.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($37.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Micro Center)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1044.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-14 14:12 EDT-0400
Here's a build for $1100 that is overclockable, and will allow you to get somewhere in the 4 gigahertz range.OC'able BuildPCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($6.73 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 Guard-Pro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP600 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 290 4GB PCS+ Video Card ($369.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($37.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Micro Center)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1105.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-14 14:13 EDT-0400
Here's a build that will push your budget to $1200 and will do everything you need it to for a long, long time.To The MaxPCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($6.73 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 Guard-Pro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP600 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290X 4GB Tri-X Video Card ($538.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($37.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Micro Center)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1274.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-14 14:15 EDT-0400
What this guy said.
OP, I highly recommend you build a computer. Like others have said, it's really not a good idea to buy a pre-built - if you absolutely HAVE to, you should get one with a good processor and then inquire to see if you can put an r9 290 inside of it. A solution is to either build one yourself or go to a tech store and see if they'll build it for you.
That's a horrible build. For $1200, you shouldn't be getting an AMD CPU, especially not one that requires 125 watts of power. You also don't need a $170 motherboard if you're not overclocking - a $70 or $80 one should do it and probably support a modest OC. There's no SSD in your build either - for such a high budget, it'd be really silly to not have one. Getting a 780 isn't going to help either, when you could get an r9 290x for the same price and it performs better.
Here's a build for $1000 that isn't overclockable, but it will do everything you need and much, much more.
Here's a build for $1100 that is overclockable, and will allow you to get somewhere in the 4 gigahertz range.
Here's a build that will push your budget to $1200 and will do everything you need it to for a long, long time.
discOtter
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/vtbTZL
That's a horrible build. For $1200, you shouldn't be getting an AMD CPU, especially not one that requires 125 watts of power. You also don't need a $170 motherboard if you're not overclocking - a $70 or $80 one should do it and probably support a modest OC. There's no SSD in your build either - for such a high budget, it'd be really silly to not have one. Getting a 780 isn't going to help either, when you could get an r9 290x for the same price and it performs better.
Here's a build for $1000 that isn't overclockable, but it will do everything you need and much, much more.
Build
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PERFORMANCE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($70.00 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP600 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 290 4GB PCS+ Video Card ($369.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($37.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Micro Center)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1044.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-14 14:12 EDT-0400
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock H97 PERFORMANCE ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($70.00 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP600 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 290 4GB PCS+ Video Card ($369.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($37.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Micro Center)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1044.89
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-14 14:12 EDT-0400
Here's a build for $1100 that is overclockable, and will allow you to get somewhere in the 4 gigahertz range.
OC'able Build
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($6.73 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 Guard-Pro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP600 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 290 4GB PCS+ Video Card ($369.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($37.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Micro Center)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1105.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-14 14:13 EDT-0400
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($6.73 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 Guard-Pro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP600 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon R9 290 4GB PCS+ Video Card ($369.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($37.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Micro Center)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1105.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-14 14:13 EDT-0400
Here's a build that will push your budget to $1200 and will do everything you need it to for a long, long time.
To The Max
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($6.73 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 Guard-Pro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP600 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290X 4GB Tri-X Video Card ($538.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($37.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Micro Center)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1274.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-14 14:15 EDT-0400
CPU: Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 High-Density Polysynthetic Silver 3.5g Thermal Paste ($6.73 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: MSI Z97 Guard-Pro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: A-Data Premier Pro SP600 256GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($79.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($51.98 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon R9 290X 4GB Tri-X Video Card ($538.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cougar Solution (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($37.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($54.99 @ Micro Center)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NSB0 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ NCIX US)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1274.61
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-14 14:15 EDT-0400
Oh man, with $1200 you could be running a GTX 780 Ti. I really encourage you to have a nearby tech shop assemble it but if you don't have one near you, I'll both create a part list and assemble it for you as long as you're willing to pay shipping, handling and assembly. I've done several builds in the past and am always glad to help someone get started with a new system (especially when I have something to gain). Contact me via PM if you'd like to discuss this further.
EDIT
Will this satisfy your needs?
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/vtbTZL
EDIT
Will this satisfy your needs?
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/vtbTZL
Never get a Alienware.
If you don't want to build why can't you see if a local tech shop would put together the computer for you? That way you can get a computer that fits your needs and uses higher quality parts than a prebuilt for cheaper. Will you be playing other games or just MC?
Is there some way I can check if I have a tech shop near me? And I'm probably not going to play any incredibly high-resolution games, the highest probably around Dota2 level graphics, but I will be playing other games.
Just google tech shops in your area. Trying looking for computer repair/maintence or something along those lines and just call/email them to ask if you brought them the parts would they put it together (for a small fee).
There are no nearby Tech Shops near me. I know you (and probably everyone else) will say it's bad, but is the Alienware Aurora have good specs for what I want to do?
Yes but it is extremely overpriced and I would never buy it even if I had to buy a prebuilt. There is much better for the price and you're paying for a brand name and flashy colours.
No, unless you wanna pay an extra 600-2000 dollars for an Alien head sticker, and a light that changes. (You could buy those yourself for around 15 dollars)
KernalPadTheViridianUse a Raspberry Pi, they're far superior to any sort of gaming computer.
(sssssshhhh, i was joshing. xD)
TheViridianUse a Raspberry Pi, they're far superior to any sort of gaming computer.
