Hardware Building a Sustainable Gaming PC

[Wizerzak]

I know of the falcon guide, and have read numerous other threads etc. but none seem to answer the question of how long the PC will last. In about 6-10 months time I will be looking to build a high-spec gaming PC that will last a long time (even if I have to upgrade parts from time to time). So the question I'm asking is:

How much will it cost to buy a gaming pc (that will run max graphics on new games) that will last me a long time, and how long is this time? Also, how often will I have to upgrade the PC and how much will this cost?

Thanks,
Wizzerzak.

 

[FireGrey]

You're look at something around $1200
As for how long they will last, the graphics won't get worse, they will always be the same.
How long you can play on max settings though will depend on how fast games get better graphics.

 

[Lanlan]

I think the best answer is to buy a pair (or more, depending on how well the performance scales) of the best cards available and crossfirex or SLI them and buy the best i7 and overclock it.

 

[ComeTurismO]

What games are you trying planning to play? Sometimes it actually depends of the game.

 

[The Pi]

First step: don't listen to Lanlan

You should know that there is very little difference between max/ultra and high.

Go no higher than i5 2500k/3570k, i7 brings nothing to the table gaming wise, focus more of your money on the GPU as that's what really matters

As for the GPU don't bother getting the "best" card at the time, get somewhere in the mid-high tier as that's where you'll get value for money and upgrade when you need to (i.e when the graphics of the games you want to play don't please you)

Ram: 8GB is good enough 1333/1600 MHz makes little difference get what ever is cheapest (

 

[Wizerzak]

What games are you trying planning to play? Sometimes it actually depends of the game.

I'll be looking to be able to play newly released games (this is theoretical, so game that haven't been released / announced yet) on max settings.

Also, thanks for the info Pi. Though as I won't be buying anything until quite a while I'm guessing the parts will change by then, will the prices stay about the same (relative to how good the specs are at the time, if you know what I mean)?

 

[Lanlan]

Don't listen to that other guy. If you want something that'll last a long time and still play everything without needing to upgrade for quite some time, listen to me. I know. I have like a whole quarter of a semester of college under my belt so I know my stuff.

 

[LockeCole_101629]

don't listen to them all, buy a console!

thing such a sustainable enough for a gaming PC is kinda joke
even with latest rig, in the end they will decode everything to a console standard.

You probably already know enough what you want, but still in doubt do you even need it.

 

[Rydian]

STOP.

LOGIC TIME!

1) Diminishing returns: The more money you spend on computer hardware, the smaller and smaller your performance increases become. For example, in regards to multi-GPU setups, after your second graphics cards the performance gains are often mere fractions of what each extra card is capable of due to both hardware and software limitations. There's a certain point where you have to consider whether spending another $500 for a 3% frame rate improvement is really a smart purchasing decision.

2) Rapid obsolescence: PC hardware becomes out dated VERY quickly. If you spend $7000 on a computer now, in 2 years time (possibly less) you could build a computer for $2000 (possibly less) that would handily outperform the $7000 system. It would be MUCH smarter to build a completely new $2000 computer every year for 3 years than spend $7000 on one computer and expect it to last you for 3 years.

3) Overclocking is a high-end NECESSITY: If you want the best performing PC you can buy, then spending $1000 on a processor is NOT the best option. Not when a $300-$400 processor can be overclocked (with adequate cooling and knowledge) to outperform the $1000 processor. It doesn't even have to be a big difference.

As an example, the Core i7 930 ($300) and the Core i7 960 ($600) are architecturally identical. They are the exact same chip. The 960 is simply set to a higher default clock speed and sold for twice as much money as the 930. However, you could overclock the i7 930 to match the clock speed of the i7 960 and save yourself $300. But why stop there? If you overclock that 2.8 GHz processor to 3.6 GHz (not the least bit unreasonable actually) you now have a processor faster than anything else Intel has on the market. As far as gaming goes, it will literally outperform $1000 processors (right now that's Intel's six-core i7) without breaking the bank. If you really wanted to you could still spend $1000 on a processor and overclock it as well, but why would you waste the money?

The other part to this is that high-end configurations will usually entail running multiple graphics cards. When it comes to games and graphics the modus operandi is generally "the more graphics power the better". But at a certain point you actually become limited or "bottlenecked" by other hardware in your computer, namely your processor. Overclocking your processor will generally garner performance improvements, but those improvements can be dramatic when multiple graphics cards are in use. And at that point it's less about extreme CPU performance and more about making sure you're getting everything out of what you've paid for.

(I know the guy that wrote this and personally trust him, if that counts for anything.)

 

[Wizerzak]

STOP.

LOGIC TIME!

--snip--

(I know the guy that wrote this and personally trust him, if that counts for anything.)

OK, great info thanks, but I'm not sure what exactly to make of that, should I not spend £750 on a PC? Do I need 2 GPUs?

 

[Deleted_171835]

Honestly I would wait until the next-gen consoles comes out (2013 or so). If you build a mid-range PC now, by the time those consoles come out, it'll likely be obsolete.

 

[Originality]

There's a rule of thumb when looking into future-proofing. Technology raises the bar every 2-3 years. A high end graphics card in 2 years will become mid-range. Another 2-3 years and it'll be old but still viable for nearly all games ( think vista and crisis). Budget systems last a year.

Diminishing returns is right. To save money, go mid-ranged and keep it for 3-5 years.

Multi-GPU rigs for nothing but gaming is plain stupid. Driver issues, games not making use of it, microstuttering, heat produced and overall price value make it a bad road to go down. Don't.

 

[Wizerzak]

There's a rule of thumb when looking into future-proofing. Technology raises the bar every 2-3 years. A high end graphics card in 2 years will become mid-range. Another 2-3 years and it'll be old but still viable for nearly all games ( think vista and crisis). Budget systems last a year.

Diminishing returns is right. To save money, go mid-ranged and keep it for 3-5 years.

Multi-GPU rigs for nothing but gaming is plain stupid. Driver issues, games not making use of it, microstuttering, heat produced and overall price value make it a bad road to go down. Don't.

OK, I'm starting to get it now. So, bearing in mind I won't be buying the PC for a while (up to 10 months), would you still say £750 will cover everything and play on high graphics? Then 2 or 3 years later buy a new GPU for about £150-£200?? (I haven't really looked at costs for GPUs)

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

My advice is just build something nice and don't worry about what will come out in a year or two, things are a lot less "Upgrade now or be left behind!!!" than they used to be. Odds are your PC you build today will outclass any consoles coming down the pipe. So really that would be my target, just slightly better then the next Xbox or Playstation machine, if you are worried about games, going over those two machines or the Wii-U will get you almost nothing since most games will just be ports from those machines anyway.

 

[Originality]

Games are mostly GPU orientated, so get a good enough CPU (e.g. E8400, i5-2500K, i5-3750K) and motherboard (Asus Maximus V Gene) and 8GB of RAM and that'll be the backbone of your system for a long time (4-7 years). HDD is cumulative - I'm currently filling all 6 SATA slots. The case, as long as it has good enough ventilation, you will never replace. The PSU, if it's from a good brand with a high enough wattage, will also last you ~10 years.

All that's left is the graphics. Current CPUs (except Bulldozer) all have built in graphics, which are good enough for basic gaming but you wouldn't rely on it. For real gaming, you need a graphics card. The higher up the scale you go, the more it'll cost and the lower the % performance increase gets (diminishing returns). Generally it's best to go as high as you can afford, aiming for the midrange graphics which are known to last long enough to make it worth the money. The best example of this was the GTX 460, followed by the 560. Rumors of the GTX 660 are around the corner, but nVidia can be a bit slow incorporating flagship technologies in their mid-range line.

Also, just saying... I had my E8400 (followed with a HD 4870) for many years. I only upgraded because I got a stable job and suddenly I had more money than I knew what to do with. I could still play any game on high settings for a couple more years with that build.

 

[Wizerzak]

Games are mostly GPU orientated, so get a good enough CPU (e.g. E8400, i5-2500K, i5-3750K) and motherboard (Asus Maximus V Gene) and 8GB of RAM and that'll be the backbone of your system for a long time (4-7 years). HDD is cumulative - I'm currently filling all 6 SATA slots. The case, as long as it has good enough ventilation, you will never replace. The PSU, if it's from a good brand with a high enough wattage, will also last you ~10 years.

All that's left is the graphics. Current CPUs (except Bulldozer) all have built in graphics, which are good enough for basic gaming but you wouldn't rely on it. For real gaming, you need a graphics card. The higher up the scale you go, the more it'll cost and the lower the % performance increase gets (diminishing returns). Generally it's best to go as high as you can afford, aiming for the midrange graphics which are known to last long enough to make it worth the money. The best example of this was the GTX 460, followed by the 560. Rumors of the GTX 660 are around the corner, but nVidia can be a bit slow incorporating flagship technologies in their mid-range line.

Also, just saying... I had my E8400 (followed with a HD 4870) for many years. I only upgraded because I got a stable job and suddenly I had more money than I knew what to do with. I could still play any game on high settings for a couple more years with that build.

Thank for the reply, very informative.

If it makes any difference I currently have a DELL XPS 720:

Spoiler

+1TB external HDD

I was thinking of selling this as I've seen them go for about £150-£200 on eBay recently (I bought it off of eBay Dec 2010 for just £200, cheap for the time). If I could get even £100-£150 for this in 6-10 months time then that would probably be better than upgrading it (especially as I'd rather something smaller, the case is massive and weighs about 25kg and it sells for up to £70 O.o).

 

[LockeCole_101629]

with another new lineup from AMD & Intel
AM3+ is near the end line and FM1 can't be considered as future proof either since it's mainly use for HTPC/Green Edition computing era, considering Intel never really care about previous line up, they might come up with new socket... again.
DDR3 also going to be replaced by DDR4 this year, confirmed by JEDEC. Although everything is based on consumer demand. New technology always got their price on 1st release.

Actually I quite surprised you are using that GTX for a long time, I couldn't stand sound of FAN from 88GT yet GTX.
Since I pay my own bills, I prefer low consumed power for my computer, 300-380w is a MAX.

If I were you I'll just replace GPU, any mainstream GPU nowadays can beat that GTX performance.
but your consideration to sell everything also good idea while it still have some value.

if you need new computer urgent, just throw some mid-range choice for your new PC.
I've lost my interest for updating my knowledge for gaming system eversince developers mess up with their Console-PORT game.

I'm not expert for new rig, so go right here: http://www.hardware-revolution.com/budget-gaming-pc-july-2012/
browse through that site, you might find what you want for your available budget.