Gaming computer specs

[LBgames]

Old pc died..hubby having one made for me..I play oblivion, skyrim, second life, and will play teh new online elder scrolls when out..im not extreme but like good graphics and smooth play..I was told the ctx 670 windforce 3x was good for all of them but beyond that I am clueless . I am giving the specs to someone else to build, and they are pros, but I dont want to get * over ..so asking the pros thanks for answers..

 

[LukeDJ]

What is your budget for the PC?

 

[LBgames]

He did not give me one. But he likes to keep me happy lol

 

[oldikes]

A 670 windforce will chomp through elder scrolls games with no problem.

 

[LukeDJ]

My suggestion:

CPU: A core i5-3570k will supply all the gaming CPU power you will need, but if your budget allows it, a core i7-3770k is as good as you can get without going extreme.

Motherboard: A good Z77 motherboard (such as this one or this one) will serve you well and allow for the best overclocking.

CPU cooler: A Hyper 212 Evo is cheap and effective.

GPU: Yes, a 670 windforce will chew through Skyrim with no problems. However, a HD 7970 windforce is around the same price, and offers better performance in nearly all games (including Skyrim)

Memory: 8G of ram should be plenty, however if you want 16G then go for it, just make sure it is decent quality

PSU: A good 650 watt PSU will give you heaps of juice for a single graphics card, however a 750 watt will leave some headroom if you ever plan to get a second. *****GET A QUALITY POWER SUPPLY**** Make sure that it is at least 80 plus bronze, preferably 80 plus gold. Cheap power supply's draw more power from the wall, and aren't as safe for your system.

SSD: A must for system these days. The OCZ vector is about as good as you can get, and it's capacity is up to you and how much you are willing to pay. (128G is a good capacity for a boot drive and a few programs)

HDD: Again, how big your HDD is depends on how much you are willing to pay. Just make sure it is a quality one and that it is 7200rpm.

Optical drive: A cheap optical drive will serve you fine, but you will have to pay extra if you want to watch blue ray disks on it.

Case: This is left much to personal preference, as aesthetics vary greatly among different cases. Corsair and Cooler Master cases are my personal favorites, as both offer nice looks and great cooling. Choose one in your price range.


Without budget, it's difficult to recommend specific parts, but hopefully this gives you something to work with.

 

[Rage_3K_Moiz]

Check out my build in my profile, I bought a new CPU, motherboard, RAM, power supply, case and cooler. Cost me around USD 700 for everything.

Add in a new GPU ($200-450, depending on what you choose) and a HDD ($100-300, depending on the capacity), and I think it'd be a pretty nice system for you to get.

Factor in the cost of the monitor and peripherals too, if you haven't already.

 

[Jad Chaar]

A 670 windforce will chomp through elder scrolls games with no problem.

AMD is the king when it comes to skyrim, especially with the 12.11 driver. Do not spend money on a 670 when there is a 660ti, it is throwing out money basically

 

[Wendig0]

Do not spend money on a 670 when there is a 660ti, it is throwing out money basically

Unless you want the extra memory bandwidth, that is. That extra memory controller might seem insignificant in most games, but you will probably find the extra bandwidth will help in the large map open world games, and the 670 shows pretty significant framerate increases over the 660ti at higher resolutions. I'm not sure how that would be "throwing out money". There is no such thing as overkill

 

[oldikes]

AMD is the king when it comes to skyrim, especially with the 12.11 driver. Do not spend money on a 670 when there is a 660ti, it is throwing out money basically

In that price range any card will really be able to top out skyrim. or it should be able to.

 

[Jad Chaar]

Unless you want the extra memory bandwidth, that is. That extra memory controller might seem insignificant in most games, but you will probably find the extra bandwidth will help in the large map open world games, and the 670 shows pretty significant framerate increases over the 660ti at higher resolutions. I'm not sure how that would be "throwing out money". There is no such thing as overkill

true, but for the average consumer, it wont make a difference

 

[oldikes]

true, but for the average consumer, it wont make a difference

anyone buying a GTX 660 TI or a GTX 670 is not the average consumer...

 

[Jad Chaar]

anyone buying a GTX 660 TI or a GTX 670 is not the average consumer...

lol

 

[klepto12]

true, but for the average consumer, it wont make a difference

anyone buying those cards over there amd equivalents are crazy 7950 same price range as 660ti has higher amount of ram and a larger memory bandwidth not to mention it can be overclocked like a king to make the 660ti cry. Also the 7970 can be had for the same price as a 670 but once overclocked to the ghz edition spec out performs a stock 680 for $100 less.

 

[Jad Chaar]

anyone buying those cards over there amd equivalents are crazy 7950 same price range as 660ti has higher amount of ram and a larger memory bandwidth not to mention it can be overclocked like a king to make the 660ti cry. Also the 7970 can be had for the same price as a 670 but once overclocked to the ghz edition spec out performs a stock 680 for $100 less.

Yeah, but some people prefer nVidia drivers since they provide a clean install option and are much more consistent (ex: less often, more thought is put into them rather than getting them out on time). I like AMD though personally b/c of the price.