Off the shelf PC to run ED

Garybee

G
Hello all. A long time since I last posted here but now that the new elite is out I'm looking to buy a pc that can run it. I don't have an interest in PC games generally so it would only be used for ED. With that in mind I've decided that anything over about £400 would be silly. Is it possible to buy an 'off the shelf' PC that will run it for this amount? I already have monitor, keyboard etc. so only need the base unit.

Thanks in advance

Gary
 

CMDR WelshSossy

CMDR WelshSossy
I bought a system from aria.co.uk for about £450 (was reduced from £550 at the time. On my phone so can't remember exact specs but came with Geforce Gtx660 and I'm getting 60fps+ on max settings (45-60fps in space stations).
 

TheArtist

T
Definatly. Each Intel i3 with something around a GF660 will run Elite pretty smooth. Maybe not fully maxed, but feel free to up the gfx card a notch.
I build such a system for a pal last week for around 330€. Not sure how much thats in a 3rd world currency...
 
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adoredtv

adoredtv
If you aren't building it yourself, check eBay. I used to sell PC's there and it is really cut-throat - you get way more PC for the money than elsewhere. Some of these guys must literally be making £20 on each one.
 

Steve50

Steve50
Tips fwiw:-

1: don't buy a laptop
2: don't buy an "off the shelf PC"

Why 1? Well imo desktops are far more suited to gaming than laptops and way away easier to upgrade later on when you want a better gpu.

Why 2? You'll find the majority of budget off the shelf PCs are poor and at best their gpu is either lousy or integrated.
I highly recommend you buy parts and build one, for a start it'll be cheaper, more power for your money and more reliable in the long run. Even if you've not built one before they are virtually idiot proof these days with colour coded cables, plugs that only fit into one socket and one way around, you really can't go wrong and it's not hard either, you can do it in under an hour or a couple of hours if you want to go very slow and carefully.

Good luck
 

Garybee

G
Thanks all. I've had a look at the online shops mentioned above but there doesn't seem to be anything with graphics spec's equal to ED's requirements without spending a lot more.

I've spent a bit looking on ebay but everything that claims to be a gaming pc seems to have integrated graphics. Are they now good enough?

Building my own just doesn't interest me. Although it may be possible to physically put it together in a couple of hours the time spent faffing getting all the parts together will not be negligible.

TheArtist...The pound is a lot stronger than the generic/nondescript currency of nations without national identity. About 1.3 credits(or whatever they're called) to the GBP at the mo.
 

adoredtv

adoredtv
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S.H.A.D.O

S
I'd avoid it mate, that gpu is really trash. I guess you could buy that pc and fit a new gpu ..providing its psu is good enough?
 

vitch

V
Garybee said:
Thanks for those suggestions, that's getting pretty close actually. On a slightly different tack, would this make the basis of a good system?


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201237124630?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
Click to expand...

I'm no expert, built my system 3 years ago and it still plays everything on High (rather than Ultra)....

Quick look at your ebay link tells me you are only after the 'box', you've got the monitor/mouse/keyboard etc.

This also tells me you've got a PC now with HDD, Optical drive, RAM sticks, OS etc...

This means you can use these bits in a new build, ok you might only have a £100 worth of internal stuff but it gives you much more scope in speccing a new system.

Check your local area, Newspaper, Facebook etc and you'll find someone who does PC builds as a hobby/supplimentary income (<cough> no VAT) who could help you rebuild your system for you using the bits you already own.
 

Garybee

G
I'd assumed that was an integrated gpu actually and would need a graphics card fitting. Is it normal to have to upgrade the power supply at the same time?

This is exactly the kind of reason why an off the shelf system appeals. I'm just not interested enough in PCs to faff with this.
 

vitch

V
Garybee said:
I'd assumed that was an integrated gpu actually and would need a graphics card fitting. Is it normal to have to upgrade the power supply at the same time?

This is exactly the kind of reason why an off the shelf system appeals. I'm just not interested enough in PCs to faff with this.
Click to expand...

Much like your ship, you need to upgrade your Power Plant if you want to add more powerful components.

I guess if you are not comfortable with all this, 'off the shelf' is the way to go.

January sales coming so you should be able to pick something up at a discount, but beware all the unneeded extras you get in a shop bought PC.
 

Lordmonkus

L
http://www.logicalincrements.com/

Check this site out for a parts list in the price range of something you might be interested in. Select your country in the drop down menu in the upper right to get the currency you are looking for. From there find a local computer shop or tech to put it all together for you if aren't comfortable with building it yourself. You can easily build a PC to play Elite within your budget.
 
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Garybee

G
vitch said:
I'm no expert, built my system 3 years ago and it still plays everything on High (rather than Ultra)....

Quick look at your ebay link tells me you are only after the 'box', you've got the monitor/mouse/keyboard etc.

This also tells me you've got a PC now with HDD, Optical drive, RAM sticks, OS etc...

This means you can use these bits in a new build, ok you might only have a £100 worth of internal stuff but it gives you much more scope in speccing a new system.

Check your local area, Newspaper, Facebook etc and you'll find someone who does PC builds as a hobby/supplimentary income (<cough> no VAT) who could help you rebuild your system for you using the bits you already own.
Click to expand...

You're very close with that summary. The only difference is that my PC contains nothing of use (except for maybe the dvd drive). As I'd therefore have to buy everything I had thought that it would probably end up costing similar or less to buy complete.

A local 'hobby build' sounds like a recipe for a overheating, failed pc with no route for recourse. I appreciate that some will be fine (I've built automotive ECUs for engines I've built myself) but in the event of failure it would be irritating.
 

TheArtist

T
Garybee said:
Thanks for those suggestions, that's getting pretty close actually. On a slightly different tack, would this make the basis of a good system?


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201237124630?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
Click to expand...

Stay away from AMD. They shot both their knees many months ago. Hate to say so because I supported them for nearly 20 years. Their CPUs are mediocre, no matter how many they stuff in. Will just raise your power bills. Start with an Intel i3.
 
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