Daedalus1882
Member
Hi guys,
I would really appreciate any advice regarding buying a new desktop PC.
I currently have a laptop but it is on its last legs and I really want to switch to a desktop in order to get something more powerful to work/play with. As I am starting out from scratch in terms of a desktop, I need everything including an OS and also a monitor.
I am a heavy computer user and tend to do a lot of multitasking. The computer will be intensely used for long periods of time, and will have to cope with both work and play. I wouldn't describe myself as a 'gamer' as such, but I am definitely a casual gamer and this is going to be a factor in my choices. I mainly play the Football Manager series (so need high processor and RAM) and also Minecraft. Neither game has state of the art graphics(!) and so I imagine that I would be able to buy a budget graphics card to do a good job on these games. I do, however, have dreams of running Minecraft on all of the high settings, with far render and fancy graphics, so I'd appreciate any help in order to achieve that!
I would really like to hear your opinions on the following selections:
Intel Core i5-2400 Quad Core (3.10GHz, 6MB Cache + HD Graphics)
Asus P8P67 LE:USE 3.0, SATA 6.0GB/s, CrossFireX
8GB Samsung DDR3 Dual-DDR3 1333MHz (2x4GB)
1GB Nvidia Geforce GT 520 - DVI, HDMI, VGA - 3D Vision Ready
1TB Serial ATA 3-Gb/s Hard Drive with 16MB Cache (7,200rpm)
24 x Dual Layer DVD Writer
Internal 52 in 1 Card Reader
350W Dual Rail PSU + 120mm Case Fan
Intel Socket LGA1155/1156 Standard CPU Cooler
Onboard 6 Channel (5.1) High Def Audio (as standard)
Onboard Gigabit LAN & Wireless 802.11N 300Mbsp PCI Card
6 x USB 2.0 standard
Windows 8 HP 64bit
19" Widescreen TFT 1360x768 2MS, D-Sub, DVI, 18/5 Panel
Logitech MK250 Wireless Keyboard and Mouse combo
I picked fairly standard, default choices for most stuff unless it was something I knew about (which, to be honest, isn't much actually!) It comes to around £690. Does that represent decent-ish value in your opinion guys?
There are a few things that I'm not sure about.
First of all, the graphics card. I picked one of the cheaper ones. Is that going to be all right for FM and Minecraft? I'm desperate to have Minecraft running smoothly on far render with fancy graphics!
Secondly, the sound card. I just went for the default onboard setting. Is that going to be okay or would I be better with something else? I'm not that bothered about sound. To be honest, I prefer to put my headphones on when on the computer, so I probably won't even bother buying speakers.
Thirdly, is the monitor all right? I'm guessing I could probably get a better deal elsewhere, so I might not bother with the monitor. I wondered specifically about the resolution 1260x768. Would I be better off with 1920x1080?
Finally, I had no idea about the motherboard, so I take it the default choice will be adequate for my needs?
Thanks in advance for any advice/opinions/support. It will be much appreciated.
Cheers,
D.
I would really appreciate any advice regarding buying a new desktop PC.
I currently have a laptop but it is on its last legs and I really want to switch to a desktop in order to get something more powerful to work/play with. As I am starting out from scratch in terms of a desktop, I need everything including an OS and also a monitor.
I am a heavy computer user and tend to do a lot of multitasking. The computer will be intensely used for long periods of time, and will have to cope with both work and play. I wouldn't describe myself as a 'gamer' as such, but I am definitely a casual gamer and this is going to be a factor in my choices. I mainly play the Football Manager series (so need high processor and RAM) and also Minecraft. Neither game has state of the art graphics(!) and so I imagine that I would be able to buy a budget graphics card to do a good job on these games. I do, however, have dreams of running Minecraft on all of the high settings, with far render and fancy graphics, so I'd appreciate any help in order to achieve that!
I would really like to hear your opinions on the following selections:
Intel Core i5-2400 Quad Core (3.10GHz, 6MB Cache + HD Graphics)
Asus P8P67 LE:USE 3.0, SATA 6.0GB/s, CrossFireX
8GB Samsung DDR3 Dual-DDR3 1333MHz (2x4GB)
1GB Nvidia Geforce GT 520 - DVI, HDMI, VGA - 3D Vision Ready
1TB Serial ATA 3-Gb/s Hard Drive with 16MB Cache (7,200rpm)
24 x Dual Layer DVD Writer
Internal 52 in 1 Card Reader
350W Dual Rail PSU + 120mm Case Fan
Intel Socket LGA1155/1156 Standard CPU Cooler
Onboard 6 Channel (5.1) High Def Audio (as standard)
Onboard Gigabit LAN & Wireless 802.11N 300Mbsp PCI Card
6 x USB 2.0 standard
Windows 8 HP 64bit
19" Widescreen TFT 1360x768 2MS, D-Sub, DVI, 18/5 Panel
Logitech MK250 Wireless Keyboard and Mouse combo
I picked fairly standard, default choices for most stuff unless it was something I knew about (which, to be honest, isn't much actually!) It comes to around £690. Does that represent decent-ish value in your opinion guys?
There are a few things that I'm not sure about.
First of all, the graphics card. I picked one of the cheaper ones. Is that going to be all right for FM and Minecraft? I'm desperate to have Minecraft running smoothly on far render with fancy graphics!
Secondly, the sound card. I just went for the default onboard setting. Is that going to be okay or would I be better with something else? I'm not that bothered about sound. To be honest, I prefer to put my headphones on when on the computer, so I probably won't even bother buying speakers.
Thirdly, is the monitor all right? I'm guessing I could probably get a better deal elsewhere, so I might not bother with the monitor. I wondered specifically about the resolution 1260x768. Would I be better off with 1920x1080?
Finally, I had no idea about the motherboard, so I take it the default choice will be adequate for my needs?
Thanks in advance for any advice/opinions/support. It will be much appreciated.
Cheers,
D.