It all depends on what you mean is running fine. The more money you spend on a PC, the higher quality settings you will be able to set in games without losing performace (and that can have a really huge impact on they way they look) and the longer it will be up to date. Generally, a high end PC would run every game at the time it comes out on maximum to very high settings, and games that come out later (up to 1 - 2 years) on minimum high.

If you do not care about the graphics, then $800 will get you a mid end PC that should run all the games for 2 - 4 years on at least low settings.

The most important thing in a PC when it comes to games is the GPU, and it should be the most expensive part in the build. The GPU model has the highest impact on performance and maximum settings. Next important tuning is the CPU - while games depend on GPU a lot more, if the CPU is too weak it can potentially be a bottleneck for the GPU and the GPU won't be able to use it whole potential.

Other parts are not as important. Today, 4 GB of RAM is the lowest standard, and 8 is a very reasonable number. The frequency of the RAM doesn't really matter, 1333 MHz is as good as 1600 when it comes to games. The HDD speed won't be noticeable in games, aside from loading screens (SSDs can pretty much reduce them by half). The motherboard should be reliable, but unless you are planning to over clock your CPU (and since you are a begginer, I would not reccomend that), you don't need higher end models. The Power Supply Unit (PSU) should have enough power to run everything (500 W+) and it should be manufactured by a known company (eg. CoolerMaster, Corsair, OCZ, be Quiet etc. When in doubt, ask) to avoid your computer getting burned (beware of cheap Chinese PSUs!).

Don't forget that you'll be able to replace the parts in your PC later (every PC, it doesn't matter if it is custom build or pre-made). For example, two years ago I switched the GPU in my old computer and I could increase the settings in Battlefield 3 from the lowest to high.

When I say that a computer can run a game on x settings, then I mean that the game will run smoothly (45 - 60 FPS) on those settings.

Hope that helps!

 

Hi Yard1, thanks for the response.

 

What I mean by "to run fine" is I would like to perhaps run the game at 1080p, 45-60fps, without any lagging or other issues. Basically, I want my game to run as smooth those popular YouTube channels.

 

By GPU, I'm assuming you mean the graphics card? What's a good GPU that will allow me to run my game according to my expectations (1080p, 45-60 fps, no framerate or lag or other annoying issues).

 

If the CPU and GPU are both complimentary to each other, what would you recommend for both? Again, I don't really plan on playing many PC games and I am solely building this PC for LCPD:FR so I'd like parts that will help run the game on optimal settings.

 

Thanks.

i built my pc(not knowing anything, just watched some youtube videos) its really easy just got to take your time. When i built mine it was about $1000 but i have upgraded alot in it!

What i started with:

Intel pentium dual core clocked at 3.0Ghz

8gb of Kingston HyperX ram

250ssd from Crucial OS Drive

MSI H77MA-G43 motherboard

Amd 7770hd 1gb of vram

Nzxt Phantom 410 case

cd drive

Thermaltake 750watt Gold Rated PSU

some cpu cooler dont really need unless you overclock! IMO

i now have a 

Intel I5 3570k Quad Core Clocked at 3.4ghz

16gb of Kingston HyperX ram

250ssd from Crucia lOS Drive

250ssd Kingston Hyper X

2 1tb Hard drives from Western Digital

MSI H77MA-G43 motherboard

Amd 7970hd 3gb of vram

Nzxt Phantom 410 case

cd drive

Thermaltake 750watt Gold Rated PSU

some cpu cooler

It is really easy to do, I have learned alot from youtube videos!

this guy dose a very good job explaining every thing

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmWNCO9wSjzOz1UV8jCvIHA

also just google how to build you will get a ton of answers!!

 

i use a controller as well mine is wireless with the adaptor for it but i had a wired one before

Yes, a GPU is a fancy word for a graphics card (Graphical Processing Unit).

 

Do you want to run GTA IV on highest settings? That won't be hard, seeing as it is a 5 year old game.

 

I would recommend getting a mouse anyway. A controller can't fully replace it.

 

Well, i tried to build a PC for you that would run every game on max settings and which you won't need to replace for I guess 6 years (it should run the games on medium then).

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4F42WZ - now it features the right card!
 
It costs about $1350, but it includes the OS, keyboard and mouse. Without them, it is about $1150.
 
What you get:

• A great CPU with a huge price/quality ratio,
• A great motherboard from a reliable company,
• 8 GBs of RAM,
• 1 TB HDD (that is a lot!),
• A KILLER card, one of the best on the market,
• Awesome case,
• Really good and reliable PSU,
• Nice & cheap optical drive

 

I could try to build one for $1000 or $800, however the OS, keyboard and mouse cost about $200, so if I were to build a $800 PC, then the actual parts would cost about $600.

 

Also, it looks like I dun goofed and got you a different GPU, the one I meant to give you costs $100 less. I have edited the post.

Hi Yard1, thanks for the response.

 

What I mean by "to run fine" is I would like to perhaps run the game at 1080p, 45-60fps, without any lagging or other issues. Basically, I want my game to run as smooth those popular YouTube channels.

 

By GPU, I'm assuming you mean the graphics card? What's a good GPU that will allow me to run my game according to my expectations (1080p, 45-60 fps, no framerate or lag or other annoying issues).

 

If the CPU and GPU are both complimentary to each other, what would you recommend for both? Again, I don't really plan on playing many PC games and I am solely building this PC for LCPD:FR so I'd like parts that will help run the game on optimal settings.

 

Thanks.

You can build a PC identical to mine for like $900, I can run most games on high with 40-60 FPS. Whatever you do don't buy a prebuilt, build your own. Computer companies often cut corners on key components like motherboards and powers supplies to save money, that is why I never recommend going with a prebuilt unless you are getting a laptop. Building your own PC is very easy, as I always say it is like building something with expensive legos. I built mine like 4 months ago and don't regret it one bit, it was first time building and I didn't mess up anything. I made a build list for you that is similar to my build with a few changes as my build is outdated, still the same price though. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/mrYqP6

aCoDProdigy, you could change the CPU to non-K version (as there won't be any OCing to be done), it would save $20 :)

 

Also, while the computer you posted costs about $900, with OS, keyboard and mouse it would cost $1100, which is just about as this build (OS, keyboard and mouse included) - http://pcpartpicker.com/p/nc42WZ

 

The only thing changed, compared to the build I posted earlier, is the GPU. Instead of R9 290X, I opted for almost $200 cheaper R9 280X. It is worse, but it is still overkill and it should run most, if not all games on very high settings. Also, the GPU in aCoDProdigy's build is way worse than R9 280X in mine (no offense).

 

One more thing - if you are not planning on overclocking the CPU, you won't need additional CPU cooling. The one that comes with the CPU will suffice.

Yes, a GPU is a fancy word for a graphics card (Graphical Processing Unit).

 

Do you want to run GTA IV on highest settings? That won't be hard, seeing as it is a 5 year old game.

 

I would recommend getting a mouse anyway. A controller can't fully replace it.

 

Well, i tried to build a PC for you that would run every game on max settings and which you won't need to replace for I guess 6 years (it should run the games on medium then).

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4F42WZ - now it features the right card!

 

It costs about $1350, but it includes the OS, keyboard and mouse. Without them, it is about $1150.

 

What you get:

• A great CPU with a huge price/quality ratio,
• A great motherboard from a reliable company,
• 8 GBs of RAM,
• 1 TB HDD (that is a lot!),
• A KILLER card, one of the best on the market,
• Awesome case,
• Really good and reliable PSU,
• Nice & cheap optical drive

 

I could try to build one for $1000 or $800, however the OS, keyboard and mouse cost about $200, so if I were to build a $800 PC, then the actual parts would cost about $600.

 

Also, it looks like I dun goofed and got you a different GPU, the one I meant to give you costs $100 less. I have edited the post.

 

Wow, you actually built/priced out a whole build for me, thanks a lot!

 

1350 seems a little bit steep for me, are there any parts on that list that I can do without, but still run LCPD:FR the way I want to?

 

You mentioned that the card you put was the incorrect one. The link shows "ASUS Radeon R9 290X 4GB DirectCU II". Thats the right one?

 

Again, all these parts will allow me to run LCPD:FR @ 1080p with 45-60fps and no lag/crashing issues? I jsut want to make sure before I spend that money.

 

Thanks again for that effort you put in

Yes, the "ASUS Radeon R9 290X 4GB DirectCU II" is the right card.

 

Check my post above, it costs $200 less!

 

With either of those builds, you will be able to run GTA IV with mods and almost every other game on the market on maximum settings without any performance issues (60 FPS rock solid)

 

One thing though - don't forget that GTA IV is a very bad port, and sometimes it will crash when overmodded. No hardware can remedy that issue.

aCoDProdigy, you could change the CPU to non-K version (as there won't be any OCing to be done), it would save $20 :)

 

Also, while the computer you posted costs about $900, with OS, keyboard and mouse it would cost $1100, which is just about as this build (OS, keyboard and mouse included) - http://pcpartpicker.com/p/nc42WZ

 

The only thing changed, compared to the build I posted earlier, is the GPU. Instead of R9 290X, I opted for almost $200 cheaper R9 280X. It is worse, but it is still overkill and it should run most, if not all games on very high settings. Also, the GPU in aCoDProdigy's build is way worse than R9 280X in mine (no offense).

 

One more thing - if you are not planning on overclocking the CPU, you won't need additional CPU cooling. The one that comes with the CPU will suffice.

Seagate is honestly in my eyes one of the worst companies when it comes to reliability. If he gets the K version he can overclock later if he wants to, if he doesn't have it then what will he do if he needs more power. Dual channel ram is always better than single channel, so you might as well change that. When it comes to a PSU I would go with Corsair or Seasonic ones, just because I have had the best experience with them.

Yes, the "ASUS Radeon R9 290X 4GB DirectCU II" is the right card.

 

Check my post above, it costs $200 less!

 

With either of those builds, you will be able to run GTA IV with mods and almost every other game on the market on maximum settings without any performance issues (60 FPS rock solid)

 

One thing though - don't forget that GTA IV is a very bad port, and sometimes it will crash when overmodded. No hardware can remedy that issue.

 

""One thing though - don't forget that GTA IV is a very bad port, and sometimes it will crash when overmodded. No hardware can remedy that issue.""

 

What is considered "overmodding"? Can it be quantified? Say, 5 different mods? 10?

""One thing though - don't forget that GTA IV is a very bad port, and sometimes it will crash when overmodded. No hardware can remedy that issue.""

 

What is considered "overmodding"? Can it be quantified? Say, 5 different mods? 10?

By overmodding he means like 50 car models and 10 different scripts.

Seagate is honestly in my eyes one of the worst companies when it comes to reliability. If he gets the K version he can overclock later if he wants to, if he doesn't have it then what will he do if he needs more power. Dual channel ram is always better than single channel, so you might as well change that. When it comes to a PSU I would go with Corsair or Seasonic ones, just because I have had the best experience with them.

 

I had a Seagate HDD for 4 years and it is still working without problems.

 

True, but I would not recommend over clocking to a beginner. Still it is only $20, so he can go for it if he wants. He would also have to get a CPU cooling then.

 

I agree with the RAM, I though I have put in 2x4 GB.

 

The PSU is a matter of preference.

I had a Seagate HDD for 4 years and it is still working without problems.

 

True, but I would not recommend over clocking to a beginner. Still it is only $20, so he can go for it if he wants. He would also have to get a CPU cooling then.

 

I agree with the RAM, I though I have put in 2x4 GB.

 

The PSU is a matter of preference.

The PSU has zero reviews, I would go with something with good reviews over something without them.

By overmodding he means like 50 car models and 10 different scripts.

 

Thanks Prodigy. And thank you for your earlier response as well.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/c3g4YJ

 

Changed the PSU to Corsair (+$10), changed the RAM to 2x4 GB, and changed the HDD to Western Digital (+$10).

 

Try to get all the parts from one retailer, you'll save money on shipping.

 

That CoolerMaster I posted earlier had good reviews on some Polish sites

 

 

 

 

Yes, the "ASUS Radeon R9 290X 4GB DirectCU II" is the right card.

 

Check my post above, it costs $200 less!

 

With either of those builds, you will be able to run GTA IV with mods and almost every other game on the market on maximum settings without any performance issues (60 FPS rock solid)

 

One thing though - don't forget that GTA IV is a very bad port, and sometimes it will crash when overmodded. No hardware can remedy that issue.

 

I just double checked both of your build posts for me, and it seems like the Motherboards are also different. Is that a mistake, or are they the same motherboards?

 

In one post you have ""MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard""

 

In the other you have ""Asus Z97-K/CSM ATX LGA1150 Motherboard""

 

The price difference between the 2 motherboards is about $3.

I opted for MSI later due to higher number of positive reviews, but Asus is one of the best companies out there. Both are great motherboards.

I just double checked both of your build posts for me, and it seems like the Motherboards are also different. Is that a mistake, or are they the same motherboards?

 

In one post you have ""MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard""

 

In the other you have ""Asus Z97-K/CSM ATX LGA1150 Motherboard""

 

The price difference between the 2 motherboards is about $3.

 http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Xqrnyc I was able to get the price even lower with better parts. You don't need a gold rated power supply, or a full tower case.

And here is my final proposition - http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4NsxRB
 
Differences when compared to aCoD Prodigy's build:

• Better CPU at a lower price
• Better GPU (one performance tier higher)
• Different RAM (matter of preference)
• Windows 8 instead of 7 (matter of preference)
• Different Mouse

$50 more expensive than Prodigy's.

 

The CPU is not K (overclockable), as you would also have to buy a better CPU cooling, as the stock one would not suffice if you want to overclock. The K version is $20 more.

 

aCoD, I like this friendly competition we are having xD

 

I just double checked both of your build posts for me, and it seems like the Motherboards are also different. Is that a mistake, or are they the same motherboards?

 

In one post you have ""MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard""

 

In the other you have ""Asus Z97-K/CSM ATX LGA1150 Motherboard""

 

The price difference between the 2 motherboards is about $3.

 

I have the MSI board (that exact one) and it's great.  Looks nice too, has high quality components, and easy overclocking if you want to.  Opt for the "K" processor, and you can overclock with one-click of the mouse with that motherboard.  I have a Core i5 4670K 3.5GHz stock OCed to 4.5GHz easy with it.

And here is my final proposition - http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4NsxRB

 

Differences when compared to aCoD Prodigy's build:

• Better CPU at a lower price
• Better GPU (one performance tier higher)
• Different RAM (matter of preference)
• Windows 8 instead of 7 (matter of preference)
• Different Mouse

$50 more expensive than Prodigy's.

 

The CPU is not K (overclockable), as you would also have to buy a better CPU cooling, as the stock one would not suffice if you want to overclock. The K version is $20 more.

 

aCoD, I like this friendly competition we are having xD

First of all, you don't need an aftermarket cooler to have a K version of a CPU. Just because it is unlocked doesn't mean you need extra cooling for it, you only need extra cooling if you overclock the unlocked CPU. I am trying my best to help him prepare for the future, the way things are going the second you build or buy a PC it is outdated. With the K version he would have the option to overclock the CPU if needed for more power later when he is still trying to play all the games on high settings. When I think of building a PC I think of how I can save money by going with good parts to begin with so you don't have to upgrade as much. I don't see how $20 could hurt now instead of having to spend $200 later down the road for a new CPU because he needs more power.

Edited July 20, 201411 yr by aCoD Prodigy