Windows desktop with Skyrim capability

• 

  razorack999 on 12/12/2012 - 12:59

  http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/87533 I would think this would be acceptable, for $780

  3rd Generation Intel® Core™ i7-3632QM processor (6M Cache, up to 3.2 GHz)
  Windows® 7 Professional SP1 64bit (English)
  15.6 inch Wide Display FHD (1920x1080) w/anti-glare
  6GB DDR3 SO-DIMM AT 1600MHz- 1x4GB/1x2GB
  750GB 7200RPM SATA HDD Drive with 32G mSata
  AMD Radeon™ HD 7670M 1GB DDR3

  but not a desktop…sorry

• 

  _Bruce_ on 12/12/2012 - 13:11

  My recomendations:

  1: Get an i3. You can get an i5 if you like and there is a good deal, but you are unlikely to notice much difference.

  2: Get an SSD. Doesn't matter which one. Sometimes cheaper/easier to buy a machine without one then buy one from a deal here to add.

  3: Three options for video cards:

  a. Get an i3/i5 with a 'HD 4000' GPU on the chip. These are suprisingly good, but expect lower detail on things like skyrim. Usually only $5 more though, so great value.

  b. Get a 7750 GPU. Good solid performer, will do what you want no problems.

  c. Get a 7850. More expensive, but also significant performance boost. Will be able to run future games at higher detail than the 7750.

  The rest is pretty much just about build quality and cost, whatever you like the look of. At this end of the market you should also consider getting a laptop even if you don't need it as they can be cost competitive. If nothing else it means you can keep using it when the power goes out.

  • 

    lovedbymarylane on 12/12/2012 - 13:32

    Thanks for the advice! I'd be happy with a laptop - I just thought they were generally more expensive.

    With these specs in mind, where should I start looking? Having been a Mac user for a long time, I don't even really know who makes good PCs, let alone where to buy them!

    • 

      _Bruce_ on 12/12/2012 - 14:01

      Keep on eye on laptop specials that come up. Here is an example system from scorptech totals $531.

      CPU Intel - BX80637I33220$119.00
      Motherboard ASUS - P8B75-M-LX$69.00
      Memory G.Skill - F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL$46.00
      Hard Disk SanDisk - SDSSDX-120G-Q25$99.00
      Case Thermaltake - VO750B1W3A$75.00
      Optical Drive Lite-On - IHAS124-OEM(BLK)$24.00
      Video Card Gigabyte - GV-R775OC-1GI$99.00

      Note this does not include labour or an OS.

      Edit: sorry forgot wifi, but really this is a $16 part
      USB:
      http://www.scorptec.com.au/computer/43949-tl-wn722n
      Internal:
      http://www.scorptec.com.au/computer/39783-tl-wn781nd

• 

  lovedbymarylane on 12/12/2012 - 14:19

  Sorry, I'm really not looking to put something together. Just looking for something that's decent value out of the box!

  • 

    _Bruce_ on 12/12/2012 - 14:39

    OK well to add windows (7 or 8) and a wifi and pay for it to be built comes to $733. Most shops will do something like this for you if you tell them what you want. Also you can use a standard setup with/without changes.

    Like this (ask them to add a 7750):
    http://www.scorptec.com.au/system/156

    Or this is almost exactly what you want:
    http://www.msy.com.au/SYSTEMS/INTELAMD-GAMERENTERTAINMENT1.p…
    …but it comes with a monitor for $990, you could ask for a price w/o the monitor (and perhaps adding an SSD).

    Finally you can just order a dell (for example), but you will find that you are paying significantly more for the same thing, which is what ozbargain is all about!

    • 

      lovedbymarylane on 12/12/2012 - 15:43

      Haha but see, the second link was almost completely gibberish to me. I know that putting a computer together yourself (or getting a custom one) is cheaper, but if you're getting more than you're going to use, it's not really a bargain!

      I guess my question is, what's the cheapest / best value computer I can get that will reliably play Skyrim? Wouldn't that be most computers, nowadays? I'm not after something high-performance. When people buy out-of-the-box computers, where do they buy them from? Officeworks? The Good Guys? Or straight from the manufacturer? And what brands should I look into?

      • 

        _Bruce_ on 12/12/2012 - 16:08

        Here is the closest name brand system I could find on Dell's site:

        http://www.dell.com/au/p/alienware-x51/pd?oc=v211291au&model…

        That gives you an idea of the sort of price difference we are talking about here. Might get something cheaper by shopping around. Better off buying the $990 system from MSY (that is a complete built ready to go system) and selling the monitor.

        PS: To be fair the dell is better, but not THAT much better.

• 

  ethereal88 on 12/12/2012 - 16:26

  -1

  All prebuilts are absolute rubbish. Pure junk, they will fall apart if you fart near them, never mind Skyrim and they are loaded with crap. Here, take this parts list to a local store:

  • Intel i5 3570K
  • Asrock Z77 Extreme 4
  • 8GB DDR3 1600MHz RAM kit (2 x 4GB)
  • Sapphire 7870 2GB
  • Seagate 2TB 7200.12
  • Corsair TX 650 v2
  • CM HAF 912 Advanced
  • Win 8 or Win 7 Home Premium 64-bit

  No prices, but this will come to around 950 in any half decent local store and will last a long while, and its all quality.

• 

  _Bruce_ on 12/12/2012 - 16:41

  Found something easier for you!

  http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&c…

  Or if you want more performance (first is perfectly good):

  http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&c…

  ethereal88's system is great, but a lot more than you need. Also I don't agree on the quality comments, but their certainly overcharge you.