The gaimz!

[Kelranox]

So, I'm a big gamer

and as such, I need a beastly PC/Laptop. Granted, the laptop I have right now isn't INSANE or even moderately insane, but it's a far cry from what I've had in the past. The games on the horizon that I'm considering primarily are Skyrim and Old Republic. Now, I could probably run both on this laptop as it is, sub-optimally. However, I want this to change.

Now...the obvious statement to make is: "I want suggestions on hardware to purchase for my laptop." Although, I've also been strongly considering building a PC. I've never done so before, but I've money to spend and I'd like a decent gaming PC. So, these are my questions:

1. Do you think it would be cost effective for me to build a PC over upgrades for my laptop?

2. If you think I'd be better off purchasing upgrades for my laptop, what upgrades would you consider?

I can post my laptop's specs below, just to give you a better grasp on my situation.

Model: HP Pavillion dv6 Notebook

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo / P7450 @2.13 GHz

RAM: 4GB

Gfx Card: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4530

HDD: 285 GB

Please and thank you for the feedback!

 

[jasonalwaysready]

1. Yes.

I think youll have a better $/performance with a desktop, and it is much easier to upgrade with a (assumedly) bigger screen. i think you can max out any game now and shortly into the future for half of what you would pay for a laptop that could do the same, but i could be wrong...

 

[MindoverMaster]

All you could ever update in a laptop is RAM and HDD. Maybe CPU. CPU performance gain is slight.

With a desktop, you can upgrade to any GFX cards currently available. With a laptop, your stuck with what you have.

 

[Kelranox]

If I were to shell out the money and build a PC, my budget would be around $900-1000 or so. I've looked at some components and this is what I've deduced my list down to:

Mobo

Asus M4A79XTD EVO Motherboard

CPU

AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Quad Core Processor

RAM

Corsair XMS3 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 RAM

Video Card

Sapphire 100283-3L Radeon HD 5770 Video Card

HDD

Western Digital Caviar Black 500 GB

DVD Burner

ASUS DRW-24B1ST DVD Burner

Case

Thermaltake V3 Black Edition Mid Tower Case

Power Supply

Thermaltake TPX-775M Toughpower XT 775W Power Supply

Keyboard

Logitech G15 Gaming Keyboard

Speakers

LogitechZ-2300

Monitor

ACER X223WDbd 22" Widescreen LCD

Suggestions?

 

[jasonalwaysready]

overall, ive almost always found better deals at newegg and their service is #1 Newegg.com - Computer Products, Laptops, Electronics, HDTVs, Digital Cameras and More!

the monitor: its probably ok, i like samsung myself; but if youre going to get a 22 inch screen, it needs to be at least 1920 x 1080

speakers: that seems like a lot of money for speakers... but if you know that they are excellent and youre an audiophile of some type, youll probably want a sound card too http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132020

you may want to upgrade your case a little bit. i used to cheap out, and the cuts on my hands and the few years i got out of it showed. i would pay just a little bit more for the antec 900 or 300 or my own case Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Storm Scout SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

power supply: im not sure on that particular model. ive found corsair to be a great brand in general, but i have never had problems with corsair power supplies. check out (pretty sure its not too far out of date) the power supply guide: http://www.techist.com/forums/f75/read-first-updated-power-supply-guide-221773/

video card: if you want to do some horizon gaming, the 5770 probably isnt going to cut it. i would look at an xfx branded 6850 or above or a gtx 470 or above http://www.techist.com/forums/f76/graphics-performance-list-212331/

cpu, deal at newegg: code EMCKEHF36 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...11-Index-_-ProcessorsDesktops-_-19103808-L04D

 

[Joe C]

Just saw a sale for an asus led backlit 23" monitor that's 1080P. I have an identical acer monitor and it's o.k. but you'll want better for games
You can use this promo code for to get the $169. price
EMCKEHF47
Newegg.com - ASUS ML239H Black 23" 5ms IPS Panel Full HD HDMI LED BackLight LCD Monitor 250 cd/m2 ASCR 50,000,000:1 (3,000:1)

 

[MindoverMaster]

****, I was going to buy that one in a few months. Guess I should get it now...

Heard good things about that monitor.

 

[Kelranox]

After having considered some feedback, I've come up with two possible builds. Do note that I'm not looking for anything flashy, also my budget is around $800-$900:

Motherboard

Asus M4A79XTD EVO Motherboard ($99.99)

CPU

AMD Athlon II X2 250 Regor 3.0 GHz Dual-Core ($60.99)

RAM

Corsair XMS3 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 RAM ($44.99)

Video Card

Radeon HD 6850 1GB Crossfire ($164.99)

Hard Drive

Western Digital Caviar Black 500 GB ($54.99)

DVD Burner

ASUS DRW-24B1ST DVD Burner ($20.99)

Case

Thermaltake V3 Black Edition Mid Tower Case ($44.99)

Power Supply

Corsair 600W ($69.99)

Keyboard

Logitech MK120 Black USB Wired Desktop Keyboard ($18.99)

Speakers

Logitech 2.1 Speaker System ($39.99)

Monitor

Samsung 22'' 1080p 1920x1080 ($149.99)

OS

Windows 7 Home Premium ($114.99)

Sound Card

Asus Sound Card $34.99

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CPU

AMD Athlon II X2 250 Regor 3.0 GHz Dual-Core ($60.99)

Motherboard

Asus ATX ($79.99)

RAM

Corsair XMS3 4GB Dual Channel DDR3 RAM ($44.99)

Video Card

Radeon HD 6850 1GB Crossfire ($164.99)

HDD

Western Digital Caviar Blue 500 GB SATA 3.0GB ($44.99)

DVD Burner

Samsung CD/DVD Burner SATA ($20.99)

PSU

Corsair 600W ($69.99)

OS

Windows 7 Home Premium ($114.99)

Monitor

Samsung 22'' 1080p 1920x1080 ($149.99)

Keyboard

Logitech MK120 Black USB Wired Desktop Keyboard ($18.99)

Speakers

Logitech 2.1 Speaker System ($39.99)

Case

Thermaltake V3 Black Edition Mid Tower Case ($44.99)

Sound Card

Asus Sound Card ($34.99)

 

[jasonalwaysready]

to be clear, you really dont need a sound card. i would save that money and get a better cpu:
Newegg.com - AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor HDZ955FBGMBOX

you have a keyboard... do you need a mouse?

again, be wary of cheap cases.

check for combo deals at newegg to bring the price down a bit more.