I've been in IT for almost 30 years and I've built more PCs than I can remember, including my last three gaming PCs. There are lots of advantages to building your own rig, but my experience has been it doesn't necessarily save money.
My recommendations would be:
- It's generally one or the other, but not both
While I'm sure there are a lot of people who game on both consoles and PCs, for most it's going to be one or the other. While console gamers are a huge market, consoles will never have the power of high-end gaming PCs where games tend to look, sound and perform better. Consider this might be the point where you switch from console to PC for the majority of your activity
- Buy a big name brand
One problem with building your own rig is the lack of tech support. This is one of the biggest reasons I think you're on the right track. Since you're not super technical, you will want support if you run into a problem. While calling tech support is rarely fun, the big brands (e.g., Dell, HP, etc) have far more resources and generally get things done
- Budget for an extended warranty
This is a big investment and you want it to last. Spending the extra $100-$200 to extend the warranty by a few years is always a good idea
- Have appropriate expectations
While your budget is absolutely reasonable, you're not going to game at 4k on a 60 inch screen. But, you don't really need to. I game at 2k on a 27" screen and the game looks wonderful. Granted, I have really good GPUs (dual RTX 2080 Ti), but playing at 2k on a less powerful GPU is completely realistic
- Future-proof your investment
Buying a computer to play a game today is fine, but you'll want it to play games tomorrow, too. Video games are the primary driving force behind the rapid advancement in video cards and continually push manufacturers to come out with higher specs.
- Consider your time
If you've spent 90 weeks in-game, that's over fifteen thousand hours. Unless you don't sleep, that means this is where you spend the majority of your time. Hell, even with sleep, that's where you spend the majority of your time. If that's the case, spending more isn't a waste of money. It's an investment in your primary activity
- Buying the computer is just the beginning
The big benefit of PC gaming - and one of the biggest problems with it - is once you move off of console, you open up an entire world of options for gameplay that just aren't available to you now. I think one needs a HOTAS to get the best experience from the game and I've spent more than I'll ever admit on those controls. You don't have to have this stuff... but getting accessories and building out a rig is actually fun
I did a
quick config on an Alienware desktop and for $1,299 the specs are: i5-11400F, 8GB RAM, 256GB NVMe, GTX 1660 Ti. Not a super beefy machine, but not bad... it will definitely run Horizons well and should be good for Odyssey, too. If it were me, I'd try to squeeze a little more out of my piggy bank and try to hit a $2,000 budget. I'd add the following (in order of priority):
- Upgrade to 512GB storage: +$30 (total $1329)
- Upgrade to 16GB RAM: +$100 (total $1429)
- Upgrade to RTX 3060 Ti: +$350 (total $1779)
- Upgrade to i7-11700F: +$150 (total $1929)
I think most people would say "Buy that video card first!", but 256GB of storage is not nearly enough and at $30, that's a steal. Ditto for RAM. The single most effective thing you can do to boost overall computer performance is to add RAM, and doubling your memory for $100 is a good deal.
Keep in mind, Alienware is a little on the pricey side, so you can probably find a similar computer for less. But, if you took all of those options you would have a really, really nice gaming rig that will not only play EDO today, but anything else you want to play.... at 4k (maybe 2k for EDO).
Also, this doesn't include extending the warranty.
Good luck with the purchase - I played exclusively on consoles for a long time. Once I invested in a high-quality gaming rig, I never looked back.
o7
EXCELLENT write up, bud, I'd only disagree on one item, and it is strictly my opinion the OP may or may not find helpful.
Do not buy an Alienware.
I am currently a console only player, and completely resonate with OP - I'm debating getting a PC (again) myself - but know this: the PC I
quit was an Alienware. Don't get me wrong, that machine was
stupid powerful (I spent $4k building it) and loved it for all of
two years. Then something broke, no big deal, call support.
Not good. Really, really, REALLY not good. I cannot overstate how disappointed I was (and continue to be as I hear from friends I led down that road with me) how bad of a purchase this was. The price isn't unfair in terms of hardware they offer (to me), but boy you don't get
diddly for customer service. So, from a previous user to a potentially new one,
shop something else. The custom cases are amazing to look at, but often create enormous issues...especially once support fails you and you're trying to work it out yourself. This is the
only machine I couldn't take to a local shop because, literally, its built in such a way as to be a pain to work on.
It's weird, because I've actually never had issues with Dell. Half the reason I bought the Alienware was because I had great experiences with my prior
three Dell PCs (proprietary power supplies that only fit their cases and all). Dunno why there's such a huge gap between the two, but that's my feedback.
HP is ok, usually priced excellent, and I think you get what you pay for. Toshiba laptops are always a great buy if you want to be economic, but you may struggle to find something with the beef you want to really enjoy PC gaming. To reiterate what Darth Wonko said, squeeze your budget up if you can. It really does pay in enjoyment and satisfaction to have a rig capable of today
and tomorrow's games.
Lastly, you can't go wrong with a big box store purchase. Really. Just check the specs against "can i run it" and you'll be fine. For the grumpy old man (or woman) who can't be bothered, drop $1,500 at Best Buy or whatever your tech store is on the one with the flashy yellow sticky star, "Great for Gaming!". Pay for the extra warranty and Geek Squad/whatever support...go home, play games, be less grumpy! When it breaks, drop it off and yell at them to fix it. Well, don't yell...grumble, maybe.
And remember that buying a gaming PC is a bit like buying a motorcycle.
It's just a down payment on the accessories.
Keep that in mind as you evaluate your finances.
thepcenthusiast.com
