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Okay, so I know nothing about computers, But i have two alternatives... buy one from best buy, or get one built. A friend of mine put together a PC on newegg that ill post here.
I only play SC2, my goal is to stream, run sc2 on high, and music,programs,etc
no other games, or no future intent to purchase any games as i only play sc2
it wont be used for anything more.
ALTERNATIVE A) THE BEST BUY COMP
Click Link to see specs
the comp is no longer selling as refurbished at bestbuy stores near me
ALTERNATIVE B) The BUILT PC
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL
Item #:N82E16820231277
$49.99
OCZ Fatal1ty OCZ550FTY 550W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V SLI Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
Item #:N82E16817341022
$69.99
ASUS M4A79XTD EVO AM3 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard
Item #:N82E16813131402
$118.00
SAPPHIRE Vapor-X 100283VX-2L Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ Eyefinity
Item #:N82E16814102898
$129.99
Thermaltake V3 Black Edition VL80001W2Z Black Computer Case With Side Panel Window
Item #:N82E16811133094
$39.99
Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" SATA 6.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #:N82E16822136769
$39.99
SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black EIDE/ATAPI Model SH-S222A
$19.99
AMD Phenom II X6 1090T Black Edition Thuban 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor HDT90ZFBGRBOX
Item #:N82E16819103849
$199.99
Grand Total: $668.92
so its eitehr 799 or 668... but i get a warranty and i can return it at bestbuy if i dont like it, i also get the comfort of not having to build it (i wouldnt be able to and have to get someone else to), and i dont have to wait for parts to ship, etc
the 668 price includes rebates on all parts... itll be closer to 700-800 without rebates (rebates will be a hassle as well)
my question is: is the built PC that much better then the bestbuy pc for what i want ? just streaming and high graphics, and running youtube and shit at the same time...
will the best buy pc be capable to do this easily ?
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HD 5450 on the Best Buy computer isn't going to run anything more than low settings, while alternative B will do what you want.
Also, you can get a slightly better computer than alternative B for slightly less money by picking better components on newegg.
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Is there anything you'd recommend I change?
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newegg.ca? If you're in Canada, NCIX is usually better. Or are you buying from US newegg.com?
edit: sorry, I just noticed that. Usually when people say newegg, I assume US.
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general rule: A self build pc is always much cheaper and got at least the power of a complete set (which costs 200-300$ more) if not even more.
The system ur friend put together is fine for starcraft 2 I think. I'm not so much into AMD cpu's so..
I would consider a better gpu. (Geforce 550 ti, 560 ti, HD6850)
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On April 10 2011 16:56 Troopi25 wrote:
general rule: A self build pc is always much cheaper and got at least the power of a complete set (which costs 200-300$ more) if not even more.
The system ur friend put together is fine for starcraft 2 I think. I'm not so much into AMD cpu's so..
I would consider a better gpu. (Geforce 550 ti, 560 ti, HD6850)
A couple hundred isn't the main decider for me, I just wanted to know if the bestbuy can run sc2 on high graphics and streaminggg
I don't mind paying 100-200 for convinience 
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You could do better by using www.ncix.com, pricematch using www.shopbot.ca, and paying them $50 to assemble it.
NCIX has stores located in both Ontario (Markham & Scarborough) and BC (Vancouver, Richmond, Langley, etc) so you could pick up / easily return to them as well if you live in those areas.
You are able to build a PC yourself, it's like assembling lego pieces. You're just refusing to do it because you're lazy.
The Bestbuy PC is terrible. a 5450 will struggle even at low settings in 1v1.
Here's a configuration that I recommended not to long ago to another person on this forums. It is better in every aspect to the bestbuy PC and the PC your friend recommended:
+ Show Spoiler +
If you need to lower the price further, you could easily shave $100 off your total by dropping down to a core i3 2100 and a gts 450 / gtx 550 / radeon 6790 / radeon 5770. With these changes, this configuration would still outperform both of those that you listed.
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On April 10 2011 17:01 skyR wrote:You could do better by using www.ncix.com, pricematch using www.shopbot.ca, and paying them $50 to assemble it. NCIX has stores located in both Ontario (Markham & Scarborough) and BC (Vancouver, Richmond, Langley, etc) so you could pick up / easily return to them as well if you live in those areas. You are able to build a PC yourself, it's like assembling lego pieces. You're just refusing to do it because you're lazy. The Bestbuy PC is terrible. a 5450 will struggle even at low settings in 1v1. Here's a configuration that I recommended not to long ago to another person on this forums. It is better in every aspect to the bestbuy PC and the PC your friend recommended: + Show Spoiler +If you need to lower the price further, you could easily shave $100 off your total by dropping down to a core i3 2100 and a gts 450 / gtx 550 / radeon 6790 / radeon 5770. With these changes, this configuration would still outperform both of those that you listed.
Why that mobo seems a weird choice? was it solely based on price?
Also why bother with 64bit if you aren't going to utilise more than 4 GB of ram
I mean according to that site its a saving of only $5 but still seems worth it if you dont need 64 bit.
Also damn your stuff is cheap compared to australia
more on topic: Personally I feel that it is always best to buy parts than a pre-made PC even if you can't build it yourself. You can always pay like as someone else has said to get it built for you or you could learn how to build one. It's so easy it can take a decent amount of time but its useful to know how to do it.
Only real draw back from doing it yourself is that if you don't focus on cable management box can become a complete mess
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A 64-bit operating system is necessary for anyone that is getting a modern discrete graphics card. A 32-bit operating system cannot utilize more than 4GB of memory. This memory includes the graphics card memory, system RAM, and headspace for other components / operating system.
How is the motherboard a weird choice? The core i5 2400 has a locked multiplier so there is no reason to get a more expensive P67. Asrock has one of the most feature-fledged H67 board at a very affordable price. There is the option of getting a less expensive H61 board if he feels like giving up SATA3 and USB3.
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Well 716$ is a lot less then what I thought I'd be paying, that coupled with the rebates makes a really cheap purchase imo
Thanks so far for all the feedback guys
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Note of warning: some of those deals are over (though you can find reasonable replacements). Also, you're going to want a quad-core i5-2x00 and not a dual-core i3-2100 for streaming your games.
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Personally I would just build it myself, even though I won't actually save that money. I'd just spend it on better stuff such as Case, PSU and GPU.
Case and a Modular PSU is really important for me because I am into cable mangement. As in hiding cables in the back panel or tieing them down. It's good because it doesn't block air flow, attract dusts, and very easy to clean or add additional hardwares.
Might not be so big of deal, but dusty heat sinks reduces performances, and it's hard to clean with all those cables laying around.
There won't be any cable mangement on those pre-built pc, and you'd have to pay extra to get that done in computer shops.
For me building PC is fun, I also learn alot in the process.
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On April 10 2011 17:16 skyR wrote:
A 64-bit operating system is necessary for anyone that is getting a modern discrete graphics card. A 32-bit operating system cannot utilize more than 4GB of memory. This memory includes the graphics card memory, system RAM, and headspace for other components / operating system.
I agree with the 64-bits operating system. Ram is so cheap now days I don't see any reason on holding back. Even you might not need it now, you might want to in a year.
64-bits is really well supported now days compare to few years ago. Now days I never run into any problems because I am using a 64 bit OS. All I see is a lots of missing potential if you go for 32-bits.
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So is it concrete that the best buy computer can't handle high graphics and streaming/youtube simultaneously?
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High grahpics and 5450 doesn't go together.
Edit: Lets put it this way, you'd most likely be disappointed with the grahpics performance of your new PC.
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For starcraft, a Radeon 4800 should handle maxed details with problems. Too often I have bough a newest card just to get games that make use of its power 2 years later.
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If you're just going to play sc2 and nothing else, than go w/ intel cpu and nvidia gpu. both made for blizzard games.
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On April 10 2011 18:10 NaYeBo wrote:
So is it concrete that the best buy computer can't handle high graphics and streaming/youtube simultaneously?
See HD 5450 performance here (note: 6450 is what's highlighted):
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4263/amds-radeon-hd-6450-uvd3-meets-htpc/11
It can't do medium settings smoothly, even at a low screen resolution of 1280x1024.
Phenom II X6 1045T is a bad value compared to a Core i5-2300/2400/2500, but it should play SC2 and be able to stream in most game situations (the new Core i5 would do better at that). It's the HD 5450 that's terrible for any modern 3D gaming.
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I just want to say Skyr's suggestion is great and you really should look into it. The i5 2400 is extremely good, even at the level of older i7s... Which is thousands of times better than the prebuilt PC. Along with the 5850, which is a great GPU, you won't have trouble running Ultra settings or streaming as long as your Internet connection allows it. Also he found some real bargains for the other things.
And yes, like stated several times, the AMD CPU that comes with the best buy computer us crap. It's not even for playing games but more like surfing the web. You'll be getting lag 15 minutes into the game IMHO. Hope it helps
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Third skyR's suggested build. I recently built a computer using a modified version of it (just to shave down prices), and it's working fantastically. I'm able to hit 140 fps on ultra/extreme with extremely cool temperatures on CPU and GPU. If I needed to build another though, it would definitely be skyR's build. And yea, you don't really need a P-series motherboard because the Intel Sandy Bridge processors can't be overclocked.
EDIT: I have mixed feelings about building computers though. This was my first build and I had some issues getting the damn thing to work. But if you have the patience to follow through, it is one of the most rewarding feelings you can get to build your first computer.
TL:DR Building a computer makes you feel like a badass.
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Well, skyr mentioned I can choose the parts and get it built for 50$, so I'd probably go with that route.
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My next question is would an i7 be warranted over an i5 in skyrs build?
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The Sandy Bridge i7 is phenomenal, and you'd have no problems streaming on that kind of processor. The i5, however, should be sufficient (provided you get an appropriate graphics card). Personally, I consider the extra $100 not to be worth it (then again I'm a poor college student strapped for cash), but it will do a great job in future-proofing your system.
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On April 11 2011 02:50 NaYeBo wrote:
My next question is would an i7 be warranted over an i5 in skyrs build?
The i7 2600(k) you'll see probably a 25-35% performence increase.
For the extra 120+ dollars it's not worth it, especially considering the current mobo doesn't support OC.
My recommendation would be, if you want a better CPU... The i5 2500k is great, it's performence OCed is that of the i7 2600k, and it's $240 ish I think? The problem is, if you want to OC, you'll need a P67 motherboard, and those go for approximatly the $200 mark.
Edit: Overall it's a very solid build much better than the one on the site. And I think you'll be very pleased with the build there. The i5 2500k if you choose to get it will last you years, but I think for your needs it is slight overkill.
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i7-2600 over i5-2500 is a very small difference in most applications including games and is definitely not worth the $100 price premium unless your budget is large or you're a professional user. All you get is 100 MHz higher, 2 MB more L3 cache, and hyperthreading. And hyperthreading is only good if you're running workloads that actually can have more than 4 threads running in parallel (and if the first 4 threads get stuck waiting on RAM/HDD access or something).
Only in the most favorable well-threaded conditions do you get anything like 25% more performance with a i7-2600. Usually the difference is more like 0-3%.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/288?vs=287
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honestly man stick with the custom built pc, the mobo is amazing(i have it), thats the most ideal ram to get, the vid card well its optional, theres a lot of good vid cards out there that will stream/sc2 just fine. the processor is good too, u could even get away with the quad core phenom2 965 and save about 40 bucks that could be used on 8gigs of ram instead of 4. the i7 is strong, but the price increase i think is not worth it. yet another amd vs intel thread? i hope not.
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5770 is much better than 5450, which can barely run on low. so get the custom-built.
An alternative is to get the best buy comp, then buy a separate 5770 and install that. you'd probably need to get a better power supply too though... so this is a lot more expensive. just get your friend to help you make the custom built lol
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Something is really wrong here. 17% savings on custom building for parts after rebates? *checks op's link* The Dell is refurbished. That explains a lot.
If you can get a brand new pc for that cost you are better off with that; but the warranty for refurbished items usually blows compared to brand new items.
It's not hard to build a new pc but there are frustrations you might have to stomach since this would be a first time for you. On top of that your parts are of higher quality than what the prebuilt is offering.
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On April 11 2011 05:08 mutantmagnet wrote:
Something is really wrong here. 17% savings on custom building for parts after rebates? *checks op's link* The Dell is refurbished. That explains a lot.
If you can get a brand new pc for that cost you are better off with that; but the warranty for refurbished items usually blows compared to brand new items.
It's not hard to build a new pc but there are frustrations you might have to stomach since this would be a first time for you. On top of that your parts are of higher quality than what the prebuilt is offering.
Yeah, the stores are offering it brand new here, but a lot of people said it won't run on ultra graphics?
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On April 11 2011 05:16 NaYeBo wrote:Show nested quote +On April 11 2011 05:08 mutantmagnet wrote:
Something is really wrong here. 17% savings on custom building for parts after rebates? *checks op's link* The Dell is refurbished. That explains a lot.
If you can get a brand new pc for that cost you are better off with that; but the warranty for refurbished items usually blows compared to brand new items.
It's not hard to build a new pc but there are frustrations you might have to stomach since this would be a first time for you. On top of that your parts are of higher quality than what the prebuilt is offering. Yeah, the stores are offering it brand new here, but a lot of people said it won't run on ultra graphics?
If you buy off ncix and they build it for you there is practically no hassle. I think at this point it should he a no brainer for you. I think you should evaluate that build that was suggested, see how it fits your budget - If there's any upgrades you want etc, but again it's solid if they do all those price matches.
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Sorry I'm unsure what the concept of price matches are? I'm guessing if I show them those prices... They'll match them?
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It can't run the graphics at ultra settings.
This review is slightly outdated because some optimizations have been made. Yet you can see the lowest end card listed here (which is going to better than 5450) has no chance of being improved enough to playable levels on a low resolution.
Your custom build is a lot more cost effective.
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On April 11 2011 06:16 NaYeBo wrote:
Sorry I'm unsure what the concept of price matches are? I'm guessing if I show them those prices... They'll match them?
Pretty much. Usually though when you price match you puck items that are on sale from another site, and therefore the same price may not apply anymore. Also Ive had some trouble with other price matching on other sites so maybe Im just paranoid xP.
I mean your other alternative - is buy that computer, I never realized how good that CPU actually is (equivalent of i5 2500 - got my modems mixed up. I'm just not am AMD fan so not sure what to think)... And then sell the 5450 and buy a 460gtx, which would be expensive... Nvm scratch that.
But I do recommend doing some research on that GPU... Its a 60 dollar one, and practically the worst on the market.
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On April 11 2011 05:16 NaYeBo wrote:Show nested quote +On April 11 2011 05:08 mutantmagnet wrote:
Something is really wrong here. 17% savings on custom building for parts after rebates? *checks op's link* The Dell is refurbished. That explains a lot.
If you can get a brand new pc for that cost you are better off with that; but the warranty for refurbished items usually blows compared to brand new items.
It's not hard to build a new pc but there are frustrations you might have to stomach since this would be a first time for you. On top of that your parts are of higher quality than what the prebuilt is offering. Yeah, the stores are offering it brand new here, but a lot of people said it won't run on ultra graphics?
It may be brand new, but the whole computer is just sooo old it's not even funny.
If you build your pc, you can almost have double performance.
I mean look at the 5450 graphic card : 5770 is like what ? $40 more, but it outperforms in everyway the 5450.
I'm already having troubles streaming at medium setting with a 5750 with 50 fps (let's be honest : 40 fps is the true average imo). I can't imagine how you'd stream with ultra with such a low graphic card that 5450 is.
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Another point against pre-built machines:
Pre-builts from the big brands (acer, gateway, hp, dell) always come with the cheapest possible no-name power supplies and motherboards. This leaves you with a higher chance of failure and little room to upgrade (if you want to upgrade the gpu you need to replace the power supply as well).
Pre-builts from the high-end/enthusiast brands like cyberpower will have better parts but are way more expensive.
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The biggest reason I prefer building a computer is because it's just easier to fix if something breaks.
If you buy a prebuilt computer and it has an issue, you can't open it and fix it yourself... unless you want to void the warranty. On the other hand, you CAN do that with a built computer, and most of the time you can still use the computer after taking out whatever is damaged while waiting for the replacement.
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Warranty voiding is dependent on the company. Lenovo and HP (which is the brand the OP was looking at) provide manuals on how to take apart their machines to make upgrades. They are less concerned about machines being opened up unlike Apple or Emachines.
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Building a computer is always 100% a better choice. You get to pick your components and get quality ones at that. When you buy a prebuild PC you will most likely get a Cheap PSU or a bad Video Card. When you build you can pick good manufacturers and select everything you want. The only upside of getting a prebuilt is you get Windows with it most of the time... Build the Comp Always the better choice.
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EPT
