Hi, I'm buying my husband a new desktop for his birthday, which is next week.
I wanted to know if this one, in particular, is acceptable for playing games such as; Skyrim Bioshock Infinite Etc. (Similar titles) Also, I don't know a whole lot about computers, so if someone could tell me how I would add wifi to that, I'd greatly appreciate it. http://www.computeralliance.com.au/systems?sysid=40 Thank you. |
It's ok ... I'd recommend getting a decent gaming mouse and mouse mat though.
Razer Death Adder + Razer Goliathus (Speed Version) is fairly safe. It's the one part of the PC that needs to be physically comfortable and precise. If budgeting I'd go $10 keyboard, $70 on mouse and pad. |
why not on his birthday suggest a nice drive with the excuse you are taking him to a nice lunch (or whatever) and instead drive to the local PC shop and let him pick what he thinks is a good pc? That would be pretty fun
The reason you might not want tojust pick one for him is that some gamers are very tribal about what hardware companies they support and if u get him the wrong GPU, for example, it might not be cool There are many threads already about building a good PC so take a look at those to get a good idea |
Doesn't Computer Alliance have a really bad rep? You might want to try umart or some other places the guys here can recommend. (I haven't been in Bris for about 8 years).
Also I'd +1 the idea of perhaps surprising him with the budget then let him pick the parts, Bookz is quite right that gamers are pretty specific about it all! Find out if the motherboard has on-board wifi, if not get a wifi card or usb adapter to put in. Great gift idea. |
why not on his birthday suggest a nice drive with the excuse you are taking him to a nice lunch (or whatever) and instead drive to the local PC shop and let him pick what he thinks is a good pc? That would be pretty funThe reason you might not want tojust pick one for him is that some gamers are very tribal about what hardware companies they support and if u get him the wrong GPU, for example, it might not be coolThere are many threads already about building a good PC so take a look at those to get a good idea He doesn't care for any company one way or another, just cares if the PC will play the games he likes. |
It's ok ... I'd recommend getting a decent gaming mouse and mouse mat though.Razer Death Adder + Razer Goliathus (Speed Version) is fairly safe. It's the one part of the PC that needs to be physically comfortable and precise. If budgeting I'd go $10 keyboard, $70 on mouse and pad. Would it at least play those games? I have a friend that says it's pretty good for the price, but I like to have multiple opinions, to be sure. |
Doesn't Computer Alliance have a really bad rep? You might want to try umart or some other places the guys here can recommend. (I haven't been in Bris for about 8 years). Also I'd +1 the idea of perhaps surprising him with the budget then let him pick the parts, Bookz is quite right that gamers are pretty specific about it all!Find out if the motherboard has on-board wifi, if not get a wifi card or usb adapter to put in.Great gift idea. Everyone I've spoken to seems to think very highly of Computer Alliance, so I'm not really sure. I'm not from Australia at all, and haven't lived here very long. |
Umart has traditionally been considered one of the better value & better quality PC-parts shops in Brisbane, not sure if that's still true. Here's their choices for gaming PCs at various price points: http://umart.com.au/pro/products_listnew.phtml?id=10&id2=72&bid=2
Even the cheapest one looks like it should handle games from the last few years to me, though the graphics card might be its weakness. |
While $100 over the budget, I feel this is the most balanced around that price range http://umart.com.au/pro/products_listnew.phtml?id=10&id2=72&bid=2&sid=141963
There isn't much shuffle room at $800 as (imo) the next system below has a fail CPU for the future. /2cents |
Go umart. Always used them, never gone wrong, usually the cheapest option or close to it.
Everyone I've spoken to seems to think very highly of Computer Alliance Have you spoken to a long list of people about computer alliance? Because a quick search reveals crappy reviews, and I remember a thread on another forum with horror stories about the service and people getting screwed. Google is your friend. |
man ph33x looking at how cheap all that gear is makes realise just how outdated my system is... :(
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Go umart. Always used them, never gone wrong, usually the cheapest option or close to it.Have you spoken to a long list of people about computer alliance? Because a quick search reveals crappy reviews, and I remember a thread on another forum with horror stories about the service and people getting screwed. Google is your friend. funny, I hear the same horror stories about umart and their warranty service. |
man ph33x looking at how cheap all that gear is makes realise just how outdated my system is... :( Haha yeah I'm still on an original quadcore from 2007, and a mix of DDR2 ram, and all this stuff seems so damn advanced comparatively, yet stuff still runs generally fine, so I'm not too upset. |
wait.. your letting him play computer games...
please start a blog and tell us how that goes for you over the next 12 months If you dont know anything about computers get a dell |
wait.. your letting him play computer games... Excuse me, we have been together for over 5 years, and he's played games the entire time, and it has never bothered me in the least, so what on Earth are you talking about? |
its true jazz
do not get put off by posts on the internet by randoms you are asking for advice and you will get that but you will get other things that is the internet take the advice and if u interact with the other stuff you will find the other stuff will interact with you so just take the advice yes? |
It's ok ... I'd recommend getting a decent gaming mouse and mouse mat though. this is the worst advice in history. |
You guys actually are being complete d**** for no other reason than to be complete d****.
Some real schoolyard mentality s*** going on here. Maybe try not being complete stains just once in your life. My advice would be for you to ask for advice elsewhere Jazz, you're likely to have to wade through a barrage of retards with personal issues who think they're being clever and funny before you get to any real advice. |
Just be careful of Spooks hands. They wander..
The PC is OK. You will probably get better value if you get someone like Spook to build you one, is your Hubby good with PC's? Perhaps he would enjoy the overall process better if you said here is $800 for a new PC, go nuts. I know I would prefer that. |
Computer Alliance is good. Well they always have been for anyway. Just go at a time when it's not busy though like first thing in the morning because the wait times can suck. Go in and sit down with one of the guys there and see what they can do for you.
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Might get more/better help:
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum/7 If your hubby knows how to build his own PC you're infinitly better off buying parts and putting them together. Much better Bang for Buck. Some places offer a 'Build your PC' service for a fee. Usually still ends up cheaper than buying a pre-built system. Also; http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/rmp_sg_whirlpoolpcs_gaming_configs_1 The system you listed should play those games and similar fine. I would probably want a bigger HDD though... but I download a lot of Movies/TV. If you don't, it should be fine. I prefer a Wired Keyboard and Mouse. Logitech MX518 Mouse and just a standard keyboard would be fine (K120 maybe) As someone else also said... even if you don't think so a lot of gamers have some pretty personal preferences for configurations... Computer Alliance is a good company, though I usually buy my stuff from MSY or uMart as they're cheaper and I don't need the customer service (the only reason you should be shopping at CA over other stores) Don't feed the trools, or they come back for more food. |
Hey Jazz,
First off, the system you have picked isn't terrible or bad. It's a mediocre system that is designed to be a cost effective gaming machine for current titles. My concern with the system you selected is that it's not allowing much room for future titles that come out and it may mean you will end up having to upgrade certain parts in the near future to play the latest and greatest of games. That said it would be nice to know what the full intended purpose of this machine is, if it's meant to be an internet browsing document writing PC first and a gaming PC second, then it's a good affordable pick. If it's a gaming PC first and a document internet browsing PC second then you need to up the budget quite a bit, it will let your husband play games on nice max detail and look all pretty, and it will give him a bit of future proofing for the next few years. When i buy a PC regardless of its intended purpose I always try to get a 4 year life cycle out of it. The last gaming pc i bought was 3 years ago, i spent about 3k and it's only just showing signs of aging now where I'm noticing some of the latest and greatest games can no longer be run on max detail with out it starting to be stutery and jerky. If you'r budget is fixed around the $800 regardless of the intended use then i'd stick to what you have picked, talk to the retailer about getting WIFI added to it. Also Computer Alliance are an ok retailer, you will find them pretty easy to deal with on warranty and such for the pre built machines. |
what groganus said is pretty good
the other thing might be to build the above computer, then for xmas get something a little more punchy in the video card (this will also mean the computer itself will be usable for more time, as the way it is now, the games might start to feel/play poorly in a year or two's time if they play at all) honestly by there there should be a slightly wider choice for an example, (just two i picked at random based on price) http://www.umart.com.au/pro/products_listnew.phtml?id=10&bid=2&id2=247&sid=132476 is a good entry/mid spec gaming card for just over the $100 mark or for just over $300 http://www.umart.com.au/pro/products_listnew.phtml?id=10&id2=247&bid=2&sid=136236 or anything inbetween price wise, which would make a nice xmas pressie (ontop on the sexy lacey things and what not) |
Computer alliance was fine when they had Step Hermi and Koopz working out the back. I wouldnt have taken my gear anywhere else.
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yeah I agree with ph33x, for your budget I would get this... http://umart.com.au/pro/products_listnew.phtml?id=10&id2=72&bid=2&sid=141963
the C/A rig is not really worth it imo. |
I buy from Umart about 3 times a week and computer alliance every now and have never had an issue. Both places are fine in my experience.
Listen to ph33x. He knows his stuff Umart has free system building as of the 21st. |
The best value comes from building the rig yourself rather than buying a prebuilt rig. It's not difficult and there's plenty of great resources between google and youtube to help you.
Aside from that, I've found the best place for PC advice is usually the AtomicMPC forums. The Building and Troubleshooting section has a parts thread that is usually a good place to start when considering a build. http://forums.atomicmpc.com.au/index.php?s=1ac492678f4835272027e52dd5447e15&showforum=58 |
Haha yeah I'm still on an original quadcore from 2007, and a mix of DDR2 ram, and all this stuff seems so damn advanced comparatively, yet stuff still runs generally fine, so I'm not too upset. Reminds me of my mrs system. I just try and keep it going year after year. Good thing she doesn't play anything but wow, wow, wow. |
funny, I hear the same horror stories about umart and their warranty service.I've had to return a video card and a drive in the last 3 months and it was all smooth sailing. Both were more than 12 months old, so it's not like they were DOA either. |
The best value comes from building the rig yourself rather than buying a prebuilt rig. It's not difficult and there's plenty of great resources between google and youtube to help you. spoken by someone who's never had a faulty part on a build. only takes once and you realise its worth the cash getting the system (of your chose parts) built for you. |
spoken by someone who's never had a faulty part on a build. Spoken by someone who's had 2 doa ssds and a doa gpu in separate builds, actually. I'll admit it's a pain in the arse to rma it. But it only takes one perfect build to realise that there is no alternative, building it yourself is by far the best value and tbh pretty fun. edit: I see what you're saying with just paying for umart etc to build it for you. Definately an option if you're not sure about putting one together. I just enjoy unwrapping everything and writhing around in the bubblewrap for a few mins before building. |
But it only takes one perfect build to realise that there is no alternative, building it yourself is by far the best value and tbh pretty fun. While I agree with this sentiment and I always build my own PC's, that does work for everyone. Not every gamer is technically minded (even if it is easy), not everyone is willing to or knows how to research and fix problem they come across. and in this case Jazz obviously doesn't know much about PC's so why even suggest it? pre-built comes with advantages for people who are not technical like, when they buy it it works, if there is a problem its someone else problem to deal with, when it brakes they don't have to waste time trouble shooting off some random web page.. |
Jazz obviously doesn't know much about PC's so why even suggest it? How much does anyone really know about PC's before they build their first one? I knew f*** all, but I followed the steps outlined online and got through it. Now if I have a problem I can troubleshoot it myself rather than pay to have some guy at a shop to do it for me. It might not be what Jazz wants to do, but certainly something to keep an open mind to. |
By what I've seen in dis fred, it still looks like this if the best bang for buck if you don't want to build one yourself.
http://umart.com.au/pro/products_listnew.phtml?id=10&id2=72&bid=2&sid=141963 1 Years return to base Warranty It doesn't have wireless, but I got a D-Link Wireless N USB stick from JB HiFi for like $20 and it came with a short USB extension cable for best signal. Runs fine for what I need it for. Typically for gaming though I'd always recommend a wired connection. This CPU performs the same as an i7 2500K, so anything less will start to see compromises in games that are on the way. (The next CPU down form this is even slower than a Core i3) **AMD FX-6300 Six-Core - 6,399 points **Intel Core i5-2500K @ 3.30GHz - 6,369 points If someone can actually find a better system for the money, can they link it? I think building a system is out of the scope of this thread. If she indicated she could build one without a hassle I'd go there, but let's not.. Not including eBay or shady sellers. Back to base warranty of 1 year. PCCG can't match this system for the price even. |
How much does anyone really know about PC's before they build their first one? I knew f*** all, but I followed the steps outlined online and got through it. mmmm, thats not really smart though.. I'm glad it worked out for you but it could of easily gone wrong and it is never something I or anyone else should recommend to a novice. Too many times have I see people put ram in the wrong way, or a mixture of other really silly mistakes. With ram in particular the best case scenario is you fry the ram, the worst case scenario is you fry the ram slots and need a new board. I've seen so many cpu's with bent pins, I've seen a number of people put modular power cables in upside down (yes it is possible). Then there are a million other things that can go wrong... Yes, building a computer can be easy, so easy it is common for people to make silly and costly mistakes, I even seen people who work fixing machines daily do dumb silly things that end up being costly.. and 9/10 those people are the ones with no former technical training and have never been ingrained with the basic principals. Now if someone asked me "Hey I want to upgrade my ram but a shop wants to charge me $50 on top of what it costs to buy it to install it.. can I do it myself and save $50." I'd size the person up and there technical abilities based on what I know of them.. then maybe encourage them to do it, and warn them about how you must make sure it goes in the right way, and that is in all the way before turning the PC on.. also the dangers of static and so on and on and on. In saying all of this, I don't think you are a fool for giving the advice (because parts of it is very true).. but taking the advice would be a foolish thing to do. |
I don't think you are a fool for giving the advice (because parts of it is very true).. but taking the advice would be a foolish thing to do. That's cool, I understand what you're saying, and I agree not everyone has the desire or patience to build their own PC. I just think that there is enough, detailed information on the steps involved in building a PC online (even in the manuals) that, a reasonable person, using common sense (RAM only goes in one way, for example, so you'd have to force it pretty hard to seat it backwards) would be able to build a pc and have it POST. At the end of the day, it's up to Jazz, and the prebuilt PC Ph33x linked seems like great value anyway. |
By what I've seen in dis fred, it still looks like this if the best bang for buck if you don't want to build one yourself.http://umart.com.au/pro/products_listnew.phtml?id=10&id2=72&bid=2&sid=141963It doesn't have wireless, but I got a D-Link Wireless N USB stick from JB HiFi for like $20 and it came with a short USB extension cable for best signal. Runs fine for what I need it for. Typically for gaming though I'd always recommend a wired connection. Pretty much exactly this. It has pretty solid specs for a pre-built and it's pretty decently priced. Also, again +1 to the whole "don't game on wireless" bit. I tried it and it was pretty average. It's worth running the cable in the long run. Also, sorry about all those muppets being... well, muppets. Welcome to Ausgamers. Where men are boys. |
Also, again +1 to the whole "don't game on wireless" bit. I tried it and it was pretty average. It's worth running the cable in the long run. Worst part about wireless that I found was some routers don't like a s*** ton of pings at once on the wifi. Sometimes loading a masterlist of game servers would cause intermittent dropouts and headaches "on some routers." |
Yep plug in +1
So what did jazz end up buying? |
I used to build my own PC's but not anymore.
For the sake of something like $60 to build it for you its better than accidentally breaking your $900 video card or something silly |
You guys actually are being complete d**** for no other reason than to be complete d****.Some real schoolyard mentality s*** going on here. Maybe try not being complete stains just once in your life.My advice would be for you to ask for advice elsewhere Jazz, you're likely to have to wade through a barrage of retards with personal issues who think they're being clever and funny before you get to any real advice. Yeah, it's weird. Usually in threads like these there will be brand wars and "just wait, new stuff is coming vs don't bother waiting" wars. IDK wtf is up. +1 for razer goliathus mouse mat. I have one and it's great. My only gripe is that my previous mat was a solid base where this one is all floppy to roll up for transport. My desk has 2 different sections and the mat sits across them so you feel the bump. Might not matter if your desk is perfectly flat. However! You can't really go past an MS intellimouse v3 for a more casual gamer. I've got a G500 which I also love but I would be happy with both (if you don't need 1000000000000 buttons on your mouse for WoW). This was posted in another thread: http://piclair.com/data/d5t71.jpg |
someone else mentioned a bad choice in mice, it's perfectly relevant. silence! I keeeeel you.
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Umart has free system building as of the 21st. Haha I had my new system built by them and picked it up two days before they decided to do that. Had to pay $80 for the build and $100 for the three year warranty. Do they still charge for the warranty too? |
I used to hate building PCs myself but I read the manuals and became functional at it. It's quite satisfying to BYO and have it switch on.
Plus saving on the labour means you can afford to buy better parts. |
This thread reminds me of that GA thread on some mobile game that I can't remember. It ended up with a similar "no offending the grannies" post, and a ninja admin running around with a banhammer. Good times.
Oi Baz, Is there room for another up there? |
ha and it was i who got a swipe from that hammer for 7 days lol and joaby said he couldn't help because the ninja admin was a bigwig down at the office and was just too hard to have a quiet word to. But we never did see that ninja admin again.
Here is how it went down: the OP posted up an obvious advert for their new mobile game along the lines of "here is this new game everyone play it" and all the regulars (those who were sane) quickly realized it was spam advertising and reacted accordingly - which is to say not friendly like. But a dissident disruptive poster one made a fuss over our collective dis of the spammer and apparently dobbed us all in. Then that ninja admin came in telling us we were all bad people - even though we could see it was spam and had good cause - and so when i told the guy to shove off and we were just acting as a GA immune system in rejecting bad/ spam posters he gave me a ban He was wearing no admin tags or anything to say he was admin and the funny thing is if he would have made his admin status known i would of moderated my tone because even if you dont respect the person (and he really was acting obnoxious) or what they are saying (who sticks up for spammers?) you always have to respect the badge. |
That's the exact reason why you have a rule along the lines of.. don't post in spam threads, let the thread die off the front naturally.
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yeah we didn't have much in the way of "forum rules" backed up by admin action back on GA
It was more community moderated among peers. That is to say it was built on respect and good forum etiquette. That is everyone from the newest poster to the 20k regulars and even the admin were all equally treated based on their commitment to the forum and quality of posts and how each argument they made in discussion panned out. hence if a new poster acted silly they didn't get respect but that went for the oldest / longest posters too. If they had silly opinions and bad form they lost respect but if they had a good form and good logic they gained respect. If you happened to not agree with someone in one thread you didn't hold a grudge that carried over to another thread as that was seen as poor form. Which is only sensible. Under this system the forums worked very well for years. |
Under this system the forums worked very well for years. Oh yeah, worked great. Everyone from AG knows when someone from GA turns up here. You know, them 15 people at max. Note this thread: It went back to topic, until Mathelus (from GA) posted in it. --------------------- More gaming computers in here, and public hormonal outbursts here: http://www.ausgamers.com/forums/general/thread.php/3367725 |
Personally I'd much rather use the cash to upgrade specific components. As I did just recently with a $300 gpu and $400 monitor. Just those 2 items and I am once again happy with my systems performance.
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I've got that razor deathadder black edition, inherited it from a mate, it's a pretty sweet mouse I reckon.
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