PC1 Starting from 0, what do you recommend?

[Rodriggo]

Hello forum,

So, I'm done with consoles and I really want to get into PC gaming but I am a complete noob.

I'm starting to do some research on a rig and found the Alienware X51, which seems appealing b/c it's ready to go, relatively affordable, and apparently customizable.

If I wanted to play Project C.A.R.S. at "max settings" or at a quality that's comparable to current consoles, what should I be looking out for in terms of specs? (Something that gives me good fps and good graphics)

For the $700 model X51 it's this:

Processor: i3-2120 3.3 GHz
Memory: Up to 8GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM at 1333Mhz - 2 DIMMS
Video Card: 1GB GDDR5 NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 545
Sound Card: Internal High-Definition 7.1 Performance Audio with WAVES MAXX Audio (Standard)
OS: Windows 7

I know these type of requests are annoying but I'd appreciate any help regarding this.

Well, back to Youtube to search Project C.A.R.S. videos like a junkie looking for his next fix.

Thanks

 

[EIF]

For pCARS I'd recommend a system with an i5 2500K and P67 or Z68 motherboard for overclocking, 8GB of DDR3 ram since its so cheap and any graphics card from the GTX460 or HD6850 and up. Buying the individual parts and building it yourself should save you some money.

 

[Rodriggo]

Thanks Elfion.

i5 2500K
P67 or Z68 motherboard
8GB of DDR3 ram
GTX460 and up

What gaming case do you recommend?

Do I have to buy an OS also?

Sound card as well?

Is any soldering involved?

 

[EIF]

No soldering needed and its really quite simple, youtube has lots of good guides. I built mine last summer as a complete noob and its still running fine.

Soundcard isn't really neccessary and best left out if on a budget. You will need an OS (Windoews 7 64bit) and of course a case (any will do really), HDD, disc drive and power supply (500 to 600W should be enough)

 

[Rodriggo]

Thanks Elfion!

 

[Marian Zelenka]

Yeah, I build mine too, it's cheaper. It's not hard if you have good components. There are good step-by-step guides in motherboard manuals. You can download a manual and look for yourself if you understand it. And OS installation in easy too. Almost automatic.

 

[Rodriggo]

So I went on NewEgg.com and this is what I came up with:

Am I missing something? Anything I'd be grossly overpaying for?

 

[Devil_Dog]

Get at least an 750-800w psu.

 

[Peter]

Why a micro-ATX motherboard in a HAF 912 tower, I have a Asrock P67 Pro3 in an HAF 922.

 

[Rodriggo]

Why a micro-ATX motherboard in a HAF 912 tower, I have a Asrock P67 Pro3 in an HAF 922.

You're asking me? I have no idea.

By all means please elaborate, I definitely want to learn. I just picked stuff out based on price/rating and other recommendations in this thread.

 

[Andy_J]

You dont want a micro ATX board. Go for a full size board. Personally I feel alienware are way over priced.

 

[John Robertson]

I would recommend a better power supply, at least 600 watt and 80 plus bronze certified.

I don't know what all you plan to have on your computer, but a terabyte HDD is still REALLY big. you're probably fine with a 750 gig or 500 gig. But do make sure it's 7200 r/m or above, for faster read/write performance.

Also, I always get refurbished stuff if I can...i know some won't go that route but I haven't had any problems yet.

 

[Rodriggo]

Thanks everybody, I'm definitely only just starting to research this so all your insight helps me out a lot.

 

[Sleuth]

Was wondering how you went with your pc build? As I have recently done something similar and that being moved away from console gaming to pc gaming and also built my own pc, as a complete noob... Was fun and saved each fortnight to afford to buy the parts. Ended up with a good gaming pc. Hows yours coming along?

 

[Flawl3ssVctry]

Here is what I just built:

CPU: i5-3570K + CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler
GPU: 2x GTX580
SSD: Samsung 128GB (good price)
Motherboard: Biostar TZ77EX4 (good price, nice layout)
RAM: 2x4GB GSkill Ripjaws
PSU: Corsair HX850 (80+ Silver)
Case: CoolerMaster 690 II Advanced USB3.0

I didn't pick a traditional HDD but that's because I have a WesterDigital Caviar Black 650GB that I will bring from my old computer. The SSD are so quick and the price wars are unbelievable, every new PC should include at least a 128GB SSD (Crucial M4 is also popular)

I game at 1920x1080 so the 2 GPU cards are a bit much but I will probably go to triple screens next year.

This machine plays pCARS (and almost anything) really well. To cut some costs you can downgrade the GPU to maybe a GTX560Ti (plays pCARS pretty good). If you're really interested in pCARS then I would STRONGLY recommend only Nvidia GPU, for some reason AMD GPU are not doing as good. This will be fixed later in the project but I gave you a fair warning.

 

[David Ignjatovic]

Shouldn't people be buying the newer Nvidia stuff?

 

[Flawl3ssVctry]

depends, prices are steep now. I'll unload the 580 cards to my buddy next year when 6xx series comes down more. Time's on my side. You won't catch me standing in line for the iPhone5 today!