Halo 4

[king3pj]

I only play pc games, so can't really get excited about halo 4. What I am looking forward to playing is far cry 3. I think it's coming out Dec 4. Far cry 2 is a big dissapointment in terms of game play, but hopefully fc3 will be a big improvement. But you just don't know with these games sometimes.

I have really been enjoying Halo 4 this week. I've put quite a few hours in already.

I have been thinking about getting a gaming PC for a long time myself though. Any recommended brands or models? Everything I read tells me alienware is a rip off and to build my own. I'd rather not do that though. I built a casual use PC about 5 or 6 years ago and it worked great at first but it didn't last nearly as long as computers I have purchased. I'm sure it had more to do with my ability to build than anything else but I'd rather not sink money into that again. This is the only thing that has kept me from getting a gaming PC for the last year or too. I would also like something I can hook up to my TV and play from the comfort of my couch with a wireless controller. Sitting at a desk after I get home from work with a mouse and keyboard doesn't sound good to me.

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[yourbeliefs]

I have really been enjoying Halo 4 this week. I've put quite a few hours in already.

I have been thinking about getting a gaming PC for a long time myself though. Any recommended brands or models? Everything I read tells me alienware is a rip off and to build my own. I'd rather not do that though. I built a casual use PC about 5 or 6 years ago and it worked great at first but it didn't last nearly as long as computers I have purchased. I'm sure it had more to do with my ability to build than anything else but I'd rather not sink money into that again. This is the only thing that has kept me from getting a gaming PC for the last year or too. I would also like something I can hook up to my TV and play from the comfort of my couch with a wireless controller. Sitting at a desk after I get home from work with a mouse and keyboard doesn't sound good to me.

Sent from my Kindle Fire HD using tapatalk 2

alienware is no more a ripoff than if you get any pc custom built, and to be fair, they are quite rock solid and really made for gaming. Still they are expensive so if cost is an issue they are out the window.

I recently upgraded my Alienware with the following:

CPU http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EBUXHQ/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00

motherboard http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00518M74I/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

ram http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004CRSM4I/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i00

video card http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006KZGH88/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00

power supply http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001IZ7MHU/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00

Now my computer is a powerhouse again like it was 6+ years ago when I first got it. It may make sense for you to go to ivy bridge technology for better efficiency, but for something quick and dirty the specs here should suit you fine for a while. One note though is that if you plan on doing online pc gaming, especially FPS stuff, you better invest in a wireless keyboard and mouse, because you can't really compete with people using those when you just have a game pad. It's like comparing a rifle to a sniper rifle. Also any video card with HDMI output can give you easy tv access, which nearly all of them have now anyways.

OT yes I'm enjoying Halo 4 as well. Somewhat annoyed that I can't duel wield but that's a small complaint.

 

[king3pj]

alienware is no more a ripoff than if you get any pc custom built, and to be fair, they are quite rock solid and really made for gaming. Still they are expensive so if cost is an issue they are out the window.

I recently upgraded my Alienware with the following:

CPU http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EBUXHQ/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00

motherboard http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00518M74I/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

ram http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004CRSM4I/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i00

video card http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006KZGH88/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00

power supply http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001IZ7MHU/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00

Now my computer is a powerhouse again like it was 6+ years ago when I first got it. It may make sense for you to go to ivy bridge technology for better efficiency, but for something quick and dirty the specs here should suit you fine for a while. One note though is that if you plan on doing online pc gaming, especially FPS stuff, you better invest in a wireless keyboard and mouse, because you can't really compete with people using those when you just have a game pad. It's like comparing a rifle to a sniper rifle. Also any video card with HDMI output can give you easy tv access, which nearly all of them have now anyways.

OT yes I'm enjoying Halo 4 as well. Somewhat annoyed that I can't duel wield but that's a small complaint.

Thanks. It's not so much the money that bothered me as the feeling of being ripped off. I have seen websites compare them to things like Bose speakers. They say you pay lots of money for the name when there are better options for less money but they never recommend anything besides home built PCs. It's worth the extra money to me to not build because I am not confident in my ability to do that. I think I will order a mid-range alienware with specs at least as high as the ones you pointed out and save myself the headache.

 

[wallypa]

Thanks. It's not so much the money that bothered me as the feeling of being ripped off. I have seen websites compare them to things like Bose speakers. They say you pay lots of money for the name when there are better options for less money but they never recommend anything besides home built PCs. It's worth the extra money to me to not build because I am not confident in my ability to do that. I think I will order a mid-range alienware with specs at least as high as the ones you pointed out and save myself the headache.

Glad you're enjoying halo 4. I played the first one way back in the early 2k but didn't really follow the series after that. I agree with yourbeliefs. Alienware rigs are awesome machines if money is not an object. I mean they are really geared for gaming. And they look pretty. If your main focus is gaming, and if you're not a Dell hater and not planning to build your own, the Dell XPS desktop models are good alternative. I got an xps 7100 with an amd six core cpu, 8 gigs of ram and an amd hd 5870 gpu nearly two years ago and I'm loving it. No problems at all. I can play crysis 2 (dx11/hi res texture) and still get an average of 35-40 fps. In far cry 2, I get an average of 55-60 fps on very high settings. To me, the key when buying a gaming rig is a decent cpu (not necessarily the latest and the greatest), as much ram as you can slap into the mb (at least 8 gigs) and most importantly, a really good gpu. Emphasis on the gpu. The only issue I have with Dell is the motherboards are proprietary and overclocking the cpu is not an option. Another general beef with Dell is the power supply. The XPS 7100 that I bought has a 450 watt psu which is okay for the components that I have, but a 650 watt psu would have been a big plus. In terms of upgradeability, the xps line has a case a little bit smaller than a mid tower. You can install install a second hd and a second dvd player/writer internally but that's about it. You can install a max of 16 gigs. I'm pretty sure I can upgrade the cpu also, but right now I'm cool with what I have (phenom ii x6, thuban 1035t at 2.6 mhz). I've had good luck with Dell so far. I have bought several Dell desktops and laptops since the mid 90s and so far so good. But like any consumer goods, there's always that chance that you might end up with a lemon.

Good luck and good gaming!