So me and the boyfriend are thinking about investing in a new PC that we can play proper PC games on. His is supposed to but I think the video card is broke so nothing runs properly! It is Nvidea which I've heard can be bad for breaking.

So we are gonna get some specifications together and get a few quotes from guys that make PCs rather than get a standard shop bought one. We want one specifically for games. We don't need a massive amount of memory as we don't download movies or loads of music.

We are quite computer savvy so know roughly what we want, however I am not really a PC gamer so some advice would be nice. So what do you suggest with regards to things like Video card, RAM, soundcard, processor etc? Any ideas?

I"m not a huge PC gamer so when I got my new computer in November I got it with 4 GB of RAM and a low end ATI Radeon 256MB card; but if you're gonna be playing a lot of games you def want a much better card. I"m guessing you'll probably have to spend a few hundred for the video card.

I found this site that tells you about the top 10 best video cards:
http://internetgames.about.com/od/hardware/tp/tpvideocards.htm

Alienware supposedly makes the best comps for gaming so you might want to check out their high end rigs and take a look at their specs

Alienware is best for gaming, honestly. You're not only paying for the computer though; you're also paying for the tech. support, and you might even be able to get a warranty on it as well.

My boyfriend is very much a PC gamer, whereas I'm more of a console gamer. However, we're also living paycheck to pacycheck. We bought a cheapie off the walmart shelf, and as new games came out, we just bought new hardware. Installed some more memory, got a new video card, etc.

It's an emachine if that tells you anything. I'm not sure what the specs are, or all the hardware he put into it...he's sleeping right now, but when he wakes up, I'll ask him.

I recommend checking out this thread over at CAG: http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=226363

Lot of people over there build their own.

Thanks for the advice, I will check out the websites. We just figured as we know a few people who make them we may as well try to get the exact one we want rather than waste money on a cheaper one that won't run the games he wants to play. Worth getting a few quotes anyway.

So what did you end up getting?
I just bought my awesome beast at digitalstormonline.com - best decision I have ever made.
I paid a lot for it though. I lurked in their configuration forum for days before pulling the trigger...their forum community is super knowledgeable...
I have become a total fan girl of theirs.
My computer runs all my games like a hot knife cutting through butter.

I'm hoping to get an Alienware laptop sometime next year.. they're so expensive.. but there's nothing else better out there if need something mobile. :(

maribel21 - 13 August 2010 07:55 AM

So what did you end up getting?

A friend of my Dad's built one for about £700 including widescreen 19" monitor, wireless keyboard and mouse, windows 7. Games run on it no bother at all, it's great and way cheaper than Alienware.

Rock on! I love it when peeps build their own...so much of a better value.