I'm contemplating whether to buy a custom gaming PC or a PS4/XBOX1 to play D3, but I also want to play other games such as the new DOOM, Starcraft 2, Fifa, Fallout 4, Evolve, etc.
I'm trying to look at value for money in regards to performance, graphics, reliability, but not sure which system offers the best of the three. Could anyone help advise me as I'm not the most tech savvy.
U dont have to be tech savvy to know u should get an PC over an console, not playing the PCgamingMasterRace-card, but u get so much more from an PC, also, superior controls with mouse and keyboard for FPS games (for FIFA i cant comment, dont play sports games)
And L O T S of cheap games, get an AAA game for 75% discount 9months after release, ull never see that on an console (i think, dont play console)
And decent PC will cost u more than an console, but look at it as an investment in future fun time for years if u dish out 1500-2000euro u get an PC that will last for a good time while ability to run most games on high/ultra.
For parts an gtx970 and an i5 or i7 will last u for some time, would prolly get the i7, just dont skimp out on GPU or CPU or ull regret it down the line.
How much RAM on the Graphics Card? I would hope at least 2 GB.
Not sure if you can negotiate with them, but you should dump the optical drive and opt for an SSD.
250 GB are about 75USD and is a huge improvement over running your OS on a HDD.
TBH, 500GB are are going for close to 100USD, so better price point.
But, if you are negotiating a trade, the 250 GB is good enough for the OS and a few games you play.
I doubt they would go for the upgrade all the way to 500GB.
Just a negotiating strat, get the 250GB and offer the price difference to get 500 afterwards.
If you need an optical, just get a USB one, they are cheap, now. You only need them to load games.
Most games are downloaded online these days and dumped to local storage.
The PC with the specs OP posted wouldn't even be able to play Diablo 3 without lagging even on lowest resolution and settings.
The APU is crap.. The PC doesn't even have a dedicated GPU since the GPU listed is the integrated one in the APU.
You would get under 30fps in Diablo 3 even on lowest settings and low resolution.
Instead of spending money on upgrading to a SSD on that PC you could just add 100-150 extra AUD and buy a computer that can play the game at 1080p 60fps.
What is your budget? I can put together a build on PCPartPicker for you.
My budget would be about $800 AUD. Best I can do.
Also, how do you guys learn so much about computers and parts? all of this talk about optical drives and GPU's, I've got no idea what this means. Has anyone got a good site that teaches all of this kind of terminology?
The pc will play diablo 3, tou that video card sux. Don't know much on Australian dollar, but u should pick something better than that. For and example: gtx 760+, or at least one of the news gtx 950 that should be cheap and play every single game out there. Motherboard is not good, it just basic to that processor. Processor is not good, if u going to get amd, it should be at least one FX 6300, or FX 8230+, but that motherboard is not compatible with one. If possible buy intel, really hurt to say that. ^^
Make a huge search for info on the internet and ask friends who bought, or work with it will make the difference in good choice and a super mistake. Compare, compare and compare like there is no tomorrow.
What is your budget? I can put together a build on PCPartPicker for you.
My budget would be about $800 AUD. Best I can do.
Also, how do you guys learn so much about computers and parts? all of this talk about optical drives and GPU's, I've got no idea what this means. Has anyone got a good site that teaches all of this kind of terminology?
Do you need a monitor and peripherals or can all of the budget go to PC parts?
Will setup a build on PCPartPicker for you. http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/TYcMzy <- I haven't chosen a case for it, but there are about 50AUD left in the budget for a case. It's hard to choose a case for someone else since they are up to personal preference.
Mostly learned from experience, but great places to learn are subreddits like /r/buildapc
Do you know anyone that can build the PC for you? Like a friend or family member. If you don't then I suggest watching Youtube guides on building a PC, it's actually really simple, kinda like building with lego.
If you don't want to order parts from several different sites I could give you a list of parts from a site of your choosing, just give me a link.
Thanks Xd, and I've got a monitor so the money is just for the tower. Will check out that subreddit
Make a post on that subreddit and ask for help on improving the build, the guys over there are better than me at finding the best price to performance ratio. So just link them the list I made and let them improve upon it.
Make sure that you tell them your budget and that it's in AUD not in USD so you get accurate responses.
Apart from all the PC benefits decribed above, I would never play Diablo on console. There are not even seasons and plus the game has been completely broken imo due to hacks for OP weapons, items etc
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Truth is like a lion. Don't try to defend it. Let it loose. It will defend itself" Augustine of Hippo
PC or Console?
Answer: My peronsal opinion is PC. Not only can you use it for things outside of gaming, but games allow for more control and you can easily upgrade individual components as needed. I, personally, hate console gaming. I don't like the way the games play and I don't like spending so much money on something that I can't do other stuff with (video editing, e-learning, etc.).
Should I get that local pc?
Hell no. That's a major rip off.
Which processsor/graphics card should I get?
Most games now do not have the CPU as the bottleneck, though D3 leverages a decent chunk of the CPU. If you plan on doing anything like streaming, video encoding, etc., then I would still recommend a quad-core proc over 3GHz. However a good dual-core CPU will do fine for just gaming. Graphics cards depend on the resolution and quality that you want for the game. If you are doing 1080p and want the settings really high, then a GTX 960 or Radeon R9 380 (slightly better #'s than the 960) will do the trick. If you are going beyond that resolution, then I would look into the GTX 970 or R9 390 (or 390X). 4K resolution will probably put you into the ~$600+ cards or SLI/Crossfire realm.
How much memory do I need for my graphics cards?
There have been a good number of benchmarks on this that show you don't get much improvement on 1080p past 2GB (4GB vs 2GB is about 1-3% improvement). If you are playing at a higher resolution, then go for a 4GB card (or higher for 4K).
Should I get an SSD?
Yes. Even if you don't use it for your system drive, putting the games that require quick loading times or high I/O (calculations) on it will greatly improve the experience. Fallout4 and D3 are good examples of those.
What can I get for 800AUD (~575USD)?
That will keep things tighter. Here is a good spec for that price point: http://www.gamersnexus.net/pc-builds/2164-budget-gaming-pc-build-for-fallout-4 The CPU is a dual-core but allows for hyper-threading. You don't get an SSD, but you won't be able to find a good one with decent storage unless you up your budget to allow for it. Also, if you decide to go Crossfire/SLI later, then I recommend you upgrade the power supply to give you more Amps on the 12V rails and put a buffer between your overall system usage and the 80% efficiency mark.
Hey Thornagol, just looking at those two PC's you posted. Can I buy those built from that site or do I have to buy them and build the PC myself? as I've never put a PC together before, I'm afraid of wiring the wrong components together and frying the parts. Does that site sell the parts or do I have to use another?
Hey Thornagol, just looking at those two PC's you posted. Can I buy those built from that site or do I have to buy them and build the PC myself? as I've never put a PC together before, I'm afraid of wiring the wrong components together and frying the parts. Does that site sell the parts or do I have to use another?
If u don't know how to, u better go to a pcshop and hire their service. First show them the pcbuild you have chosen if it really is compatible and blablabla. Again, try to search for better price, ofc taking a good look if the specs are exactly the same.
Hey Thornagol, just looking at those two PC's you posted. Can I buy those built from that site or do I have to buy them and build the PC myself? as I've never put a PC together before, I'm afraid of wiring the wrong components together and frying the parts. Does that site sell the parts or do I have to use another?
I don't think you can buy from that site, since they are just a forum. However, you can reach out to place like www.cyberpowerpc.com and they have a configurator tool that will help. It will cost more for you to have someone else build it than do it yourself, so keep that in mind when you are looking at the overall cost. If you can find someone locally to build it with you parts you order, then it could be cheaper. However, if in doubt, I would go with someone who makes it their business like cyberpower.
Also, unless you find an amazing deal on it, stay away from places like alienware. They are overpriced for what they offer.
Personally I am not much on PC gaming, probably because I prefer using a Mac, which we all know is crap for gaming. That being said, you should 100% get a PC over a console for D3.
Reasons Why Console Diablo is the Worst
Modding - The lack of attention paid to modding by blizzard is off-putting. But, they can't actually do anything to prohibit modding and hacking OP weapons. Because of modding, there is 0 reason to ever play a public online game on Diablo. Doing so will result in paragon boosting your character 1000 levels in under 30 seconds.
No Seasons - There is no way to implement seasons on consoles due to the modding and offline play capabilities. Even if we could play seasonal diablo on consoles, models would ruin that experience as well.
Legit Community - Although there are some who play the game as it is intended, finding players who are active gamers is another reason not to get a console version. And if you think they are legit, 9/10 times they have mail duped items or hacked amounts of materials to endlessly reforge legendaries with Kanai's Cube until desired rolls are obtained. There is no way to tell who is doing this either.
The last reason and the biggest reason in my opinion to not get the console version,
Nehalem Glory - Different from PC, NG orbs (double damage) drop after obtaining a kill streak of 15/20/30/40/60/80/100 kills. Once you've gotten to 100 kills orbs will spawn at slower rates 150/200/250/300. Now you may be asking how is double damage a problem? If you use any damage over time gems, effects, skills, passives, they will constantly refresh your kill strings, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT ATTACKING. Still not convinced NG is a problem? Once you progress past GR 55 solo or 60 in a group, NG hinders your ability to progress any further. Not only do you have to worry about stopping your kill strings once they surpass 100 kills in order to start another kill string to benefit from the NG drops from 0-100 kills, your teammates also must be under the 100 kill count ceiling as well. Now, that can be mitigated by using a mic and headphones to tell your party to stop killing things to stop kill strings, but in my experience, over half the people who play on consoles choose not to use headsets (which makes no sense because the console comes with one). Still not convinced? Add in your groups usage of DOT skills and gems, and kill strings never reset. While there are skepticisms about if it truly is double damage, the fact that it is in the game is a problem. Blizzard and many others suggest that PC and Console monster HP is identical. If that were the case, with the addition of NG double damage, console players should be able to exceed PC GR levels easily. However that is not the case, whether it is due to monster health being doubled on console, or monster health being identical to PC there is an issue. Some believe monster health is doubled and others believe that it is identical across both platforms, however console damage output is halved initially, and the addition of NG double damage puts you at normal PC damage. Now there is no way to support either of these claims, other than if the health, gear, and paragon points are identical from PC to Console, the NG buff should mean console players surpass GR levels PC players are unable to hit. Either way, NG is the primary reason why you should NOT get diablo 3 for console. There is nothing being done about it by the devs nor are they even aware it's been a long-standing issue for over 2 years.
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I'm contemplating whether to buy a custom gaming PC or a PS4/XBOX1 to play D3, but I also want to play other games such as the new DOOM, Starcraft 2, Fifa, Fallout 4, Evolve, etc.
I'm trying to look at value for money in regards to performance, graphics, reliability, but not sure which system offers the best of the three. Could anyone help advise me as I'm not the most tech savvy.
U dont have to be tech savvy to know u should get an PC over an console, not playing the PCgamingMasterRace-card, but u get so much more from an PC, also, superior controls with mouse and keyboard for FPS games (for FIFA i cant comment, dont play sports games)
And L O T S of cheap games, get an AAA game for 75% discount 9months after release, ull never see that on an console (i think, dont play console)
And decent PC will cost u more than an console, but look at it as an investment in future fun time for years if u dish out 1500-2000euro u get an PC that will last for a good time while ability to run most games on high/ultra.
For parts an gtx970 and an i5 or i7 will last u for some time, would prolly get the i7, just dont skimp out on GPU or CPU or ull regret it down the line.
There is a local gaming PC store that is selling this for $405 (AUD)
CPU
AMD APU A4-7300 Dual-Core CPU, 3.8 GHz, Max Turbo 4.0 GHz
Motherboard
All-in-one A58 Chipset Motherboard
Major Big Brand: ASUS / Gigabyte / Asrock / MSI
RAM
8GB DDR3 Memory/RAM PC-12800 (1600MHz) with Life-time Warranty
Major Big Brand: Crucial / G.Skill / Kingston / ADATA
Video card
AMD® Radeon Graphics HD8470D 1080p Full HD DirectX 11
HDD
3.5" 1TB / 1000GB SATA III 6Gb/s 7200rpm HDD (Seagate / Western Digital / Toshiba)
Optical Drive
24x Dual Layer DVD Burner (Samsung / LG / Lite-On / ASUS)
Audio
Onboard 5.1 (6)CH High Definition Audio
Network
Onboard 10/100/1000M Gigabit LAN
PSU
550W PSU with 12cm Super-Silent Fan
Case
Multiple ATX Midi Tower Cases! Choose the one you want!
Front USB x 2 / HD Audio & Mic
FREE Multi Card Reader / FREE Bluetooth Adapter
Ports
PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse Port
HD Audio Jacks / RJ45 Ethernet/LAN Port
6 x Ready-to-Use USB 2.0 Ports
1 x D-sub (VGA) Port / 1 x DVI Port
What do you guys think?
No, that computer is a scam.
What is your budget? I can put together a build on PCPartPicker for you.
How much RAM on the Graphics Card? I would hope at least 2 GB.
Not sure if you can negotiate with them, but you should dump the optical drive and opt for an SSD.
250 GB are about 75USD and is a huge improvement over running your OS on a HDD.
TBH, 500GB are are going for close to 100USD, so better price point.
But, if you are negotiating a trade, the 250 GB is good enough for the OS and a few games you play.
I doubt they would go for the upgrade all the way to 500GB.
Just a negotiating strat, get the 250GB and offer the price difference to get 500 afterwards.
If you need an optical, just get a USB one, they are cheap, now. You only need them to load games.
Most games are downloaded online these days and dumped to local storage.
The APU is crap.. The PC doesn't even have a dedicated GPU since the GPU listed is the integrated one in the APU.
You would get under 30fps in Diablo 3 even on lowest settings and low resolution.
Instead of spending money on upgrading to a SSD on that PC you could just add 100-150 extra AUD and buy a computer that can play the game at 1080p 60fps.
Also, how do you guys learn so much about computers and parts? all of this talk about optical drives and GPU's, I've got no idea what this means. Has anyone got a good site that teaches all of this kind of terminology?
The pc will play diablo 3, tou that video card sux. Don't know much on Australian dollar, but u should pick something better than that. For and example: gtx 760+, or at least one of the news gtx 950 that should be cheap and play every single game out there. Motherboard is not good, it just basic to that processor. Processor is not good, if u going to get amd, it should be at least one FX 6300, or FX 8230+, but that motherboard is not compatible with one. If possible buy intel, really hurt to say that. ^^
Make a huge search for info on the internet and ask friends who bought, or work with it will make the difference in good choice and a super mistake. Compare, compare and compare like there is no tomorrow.
Viel Glück !
Do you need a monitor and peripherals or can all of the budget go to PC parts?
Will setup a build on PCPartPicker for you. http://au.pcpartpicker.com/p/TYcMzy <- I haven't chosen a case for it, but there are about 50AUD left in the budget for a case. It's hard to choose a case for someone else since they are up to personal preference.
Mostly learned from experience, but great places to learn are subreddits like /r/buildapc
Do you know anyone that can build the PC for you? Like a friend or family member. If you don't then I suggest watching Youtube guides on building a PC, it's actually really simple, kinda like building with lego.
If you don't want to order parts from several different sites I could give you a list of parts from a site of your choosing, just give me a link.
Thanks Xd, and I've got a monitor so the money is just for the tower. Will check out that subreddit
Make sure that you tell them your budget and that it's in AUD not in USD so you get accurate responses.
Apart from all the PC benefits decribed above, I would never play Diablo on console. There are not even seasons and plus the game has been completely broken imo due to hacks for OP weapons, items etc
"Truth is like a lion. Don't try to defend it. Let it loose. It will defend itself" Augustine of Hippo
PC or Console?
Answer: My peronsal opinion is PC. Not only can you use it for things outside of gaming, but games allow for more control and you can easily upgrade individual components as needed. I, personally, hate console gaming. I don't like the way the games play and I don't like spending so much money on something that I can't do other stuff with (video editing, e-learning, etc.).
Should I get that local pc?
Hell no. That's a major rip off.
Which processsor/graphics card should I get?
Most games now do not have the CPU as the bottleneck, though D3 leverages a decent chunk of the CPU. If you plan on doing anything like streaming, video encoding, etc., then I would still recommend a quad-core proc over 3GHz. However a good dual-core CPU will do fine for just gaming. Graphics cards depend on the resolution and quality that you want for the game. If you are doing 1080p and want the settings really high, then a GTX 960 or Radeon R9 380 (slightly better #'s than the 960) will do the trick. If you are going beyond that resolution, then I would look into the GTX 970 or R9 390 (or 390X). 4K resolution will probably put you into the ~$600+ cards or SLI/Crossfire realm.
How much memory do I need for my graphics cards?
There have been a good number of benchmarks on this that show you don't get much improvement on 1080p past 2GB (4GB vs 2GB is about 1-3% improvement). If you are playing at a higher resolution, then go for a 4GB card (or higher for 4K).
Should I get an SSD?
Yes. Even if you don't use it for your system drive, putting the games that require quick loading times or high I/O (calculations) on it will greatly improve the experience. Fallout4 and D3 are good examples of those.
What can I get for 800AUD (~575USD)?
That will keep things tighter. Here is a good spec for that price point: http://www.gamersnexus.net/pc-builds/2164-budget-gaming-pc-build-for-fallout-4 The CPU is a dual-core but allows for hyper-threading. You don't get an SSD, but you won't be able to find a good one with decent storage unless you up your budget to allow for it. Also, if you decide to go Crossfire/SLI later, then I recommend you upgrade the power supply to give you more Amps on the 12V rails and put a buffer between your overall system usage and the 80% efficiency mark.
If you can save up to about 975AUD, then you can look at this build too: http://www.gamersnexus.net/pc-builds/2218-mid-range-gaming-pc-build-diy
None of these systems include monitors, keyboards, etc.
Hey Thornagol, just looking at those two PC's you posted. Can I buy those built from that site or do I have to buy them and build the PC myself? as I've never put a PC together before, I'm afraid of wiring the wrong components together and frying the parts. Does that site sell the parts or do I have to use another?
Also, unless you find an amazing deal on it, stay away from places like alienware. They are overpriced for what they offer.
Personally I am not much on PC gaming, probably because I prefer using a Mac, which we all know is crap for gaming. That being said, you should 100% get a PC over a console for D3.
Reasons Why Console Diablo is the Worst
Modding - The lack of attention paid to modding by blizzard is off-putting. But, they can't actually do anything to prohibit modding and hacking OP weapons. Because of modding, there is 0 reason to ever play a public online game on Diablo. Doing so will result in paragon boosting your character 1000 levels in under 30 seconds.
No Seasons - There is no way to implement seasons on consoles due to the modding and offline play capabilities. Even if we could play seasonal diablo on consoles, models would ruin that experience as well.
Legit Community - Although there are some who play the game as it is intended, finding players who are active gamers is another reason not to get a console version. And if you think they are legit, 9/10 times they have mail duped items or hacked amounts of materials to endlessly reforge legendaries with Kanai's Cube until desired rolls are obtained. There is no way to tell who is doing this either.
The last reason and the biggest reason in my opinion to not get the console version,
Nehalem Glory - Different from PC, NG orbs (double damage) drop after obtaining a kill streak of 15/20/30/40/60/80/100 kills. Once you've gotten to 100 kills orbs will spawn at slower rates 150/200/250/300. Now you may be asking how is double damage a problem? If you use any damage over time gems, effects, skills, passives, they will constantly refresh your kill strings, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT ATTACKING. Still not convinced NG is a problem? Once you progress past GR 55 solo or 60 in a group, NG hinders your ability to progress any further. Not only do you have to worry about stopping your kill strings once they surpass 100 kills in order to start another kill string to benefit from the NG drops from 0-100 kills, your teammates also must be under the 100 kill count ceiling as well. Now, that can be mitigated by using a mic and headphones to tell your party to stop killing things to stop kill strings, but in my experience, over half the people who play on consoles choose not to use headsets (which makes no sense because the console comes with one). Still not convinced? Add in your groups usage of DOT skills and gems, and kill strings never reset. While there are skepticisms about if it truly is double damage, the fact that it is in the game is a problem. Blizzard and many others suggest that PC and Console monster HP is identical. If that were the case, with the addition of NG double damage, console players should be able to exceed PC GR levels easily. However that is not the case, whether it is due to monster health being doubled on console, or monster health being identical to PC there is an issue. Some believe monster health is doubled and others believe that it is identical across both platforms, however console damage output is halved initially, and the addition of NG double damage puts you at normal PC damage. Now there is no way to support either of these claims, other than if the health, gear, and paragon points are identical from PC to Console, the NG buff should mean console players surpass GR levels PC players are unable to hit. Either way, NG is the primary reason why you should NOT get diablo 3 for console. There is nothing being done about it by the devs nor are they even aware it's been a long-standing issue for over 2 years.