Hello fellow pc gamers. I will be entering college this year and i currently have about $800 (RP 12.000.000 in Indonesian currency). I don't know what to get between a gaming pc or a brand new laptop. I currently have an HP laptop with a dual core i3 and 4gb of ram that is running linux right now and i'm pretty happy with it since it can do office task and online meeting with it. So what do you guys say? Get a brand new gaming pc and keep my old laptop or get a new laptop that has ryzen 4000 in it?
Question Question from a college student
- Thread starter makoro245
- Start date
Get a desktop PC and keep your laptop.
You say you already have a laptop you're happy with for working on the go.
A desktop PC will often give more gaming performance pre $ than a laptop, and is cheaper in the long run because you can upgrade components without having to replace the entire system. i.e. if you want a new graphics card for your PC, you go and buy a new graphics card. If you want a new graphics card for your laptop, you buy a new laptop.
What kinds of games might you play? Any specific titles?
You say you already have a laptop you're happy with for working on the go.
A desktop PC will often give more gaming performance pre $ than a laptop, and is cheaper in the long run because you can upgrade components without having to replace the entire system. i.e. if you want a new graphics card for your PC, you go and buy a new graphics card. If you want a new graphics card for your laptop, you buy a new laptop.
What kinds of games might you play? Any specific titles?
Yes! i am thinking of buying a desktop aswell! I love intense FPS games like CSGO,Rainbow Six Siege, Valorant etc. But i might try to run AAA games as well. Have been playing these games since 2 years ago from an internet cafe and i really love them haha
come to think of it, i might aswell ask new question too. What specs would you recommend me considering the budget? ($800)
That'll depend on a lot on your local pricing and availability since just because it's about 800 USD doesn't necessarily mean things will cost equivalent amounts or be in stock.
But as a super-rough guideline and without knowing the above, I'd aim for a:
Ryzen 5 3600 / Ryzen 3 3300X
B450 motherboard
16gb 3200MHz / 3600MHz RAM
non-trash tier PSU - something 80+ bronze rated with decent professional reviews or better
Case with a mesh front for airflow and ideally a couple of fans. Fractal Focus G to give an idea.
500gb SSD (or more depending on your needs and pricing)
And the best GPU you can reasonably afford within the budget. Could be an RX 570, could be 1650 / Super, RX 5500 XT / 1660 / Super / RX 5600 XT. No idea what pricing is like over there.
If you plan out a build and want to link the parts, people here can always comment, like if you maybe want to spend more on X or less on Y.
But as a super-rough guideline and without knowing the above, I'd aim for a:
Ryzen 5 3600 / Ryzen 3 3300X
B450 motherboard
16gb 3200MHz / 3600MHz RAM
non-trash tier PSU - something 80+ bronze rated with decent professional reviews or better
Case with a mesh front for airflow and ideally a couple of fans. Fractal Focus G to give an idea.
500gb SSD (or more depending on your needs and pricing)
And the best GPU you can reasonably afford within the budget. Could be an RX 570, could be 1650 / Super, RX 5500 XT / 1660 / Super / RX 5600 XT. No idea what pricing is like over there.
If you plan out a build and want to link the parts, people here can always comment, like if you maybe want to spend more on X or less on Y.
ZedClampet
Community Contributor
The games you want to play aren't too taxing. The AAA games are another matter. How serious are you about AAA games? I don't really think you can do that well on your budget. You may actually want to consider one of the new consoles. Or, you could try one of the many new streaming services on your laptop (I'm assuming you have good Internet there). Google, Playstation, Xbox, Nvidia and Amazon all have streaming services now. But I'm not sure I would use those for competitive play. It's a conundrum.
I wish part time job is not hard to find here in Indonesia
and especially with this pandemic going on it would be a pain in the ass to find one
ZedClampet
Community Contributor
Is the Nvidia streaming service available where you live? You could buy the game and stream it to your laptop via Nvidia, which I hear works great. Other than that, you may want to check out the 2077 system requirements and look for rebuilt or used systems. If you find one you think will do the job, post the specs on here and let us look at them.
Also, there are going to be a lot of used GPU's hitting Ebay with the new 3000 series out. You could go that route and build your own computer using a used parts.
I'm afraid that for $800 you aren't going to have a very good experience from buying a new computer. Remember that if you buy a used or rebuilt PC that you can always upgrade the components down the line and save a fortune, rather than with a console or laptop where you have to buy a whole new system.
Zloth
Community Contributor
Starting college for the very first time or going back to it? If it's the first time, I would say hold on to your cash for the first week or two at school to make sure there aren't any unplanned expenses waiting for you. Or maybe some other problem - like not being enough space near enough wall sockets in the dorm room. Gaming isn't going to be too fun if you have to set the whole thing up on your bed!
In my opinion, you shouldn't spend this money very fast. I think you should find a jib, first and then buy what you want. You will know for sure that you always have enough for living. I tried to work as trainee forensic psychologist this way and it was a nice experience. I wanna grow in this sphere and try new things
Well personally when i attended college. I loved PC gaming but just like me a lot of students needed convenience. As a college student it sucks to have to lug an fat gaming PC when you keep switching apartments/dorms etc. With an gaming laptop. Pretty much all gaming laptops batteries suck. They have terrible battery and lesser performance for gaming. Hence i never took an gaming PC/gaming laptop. For my college needs i purchased a nice macbook air. For my gaming needs I took my console an PS4.
Plus btw don't be so concerned about gaming right now. A lot of kids like you currently have other priorites to attend to. Don't blow your money on a gaming PC when you would need that money for your rent, your classes etc. College is expensive AF. Plan your money wisely. Gaming ain't the only thing in life. Gaming can wait.
Good luck
Plus btw don't be so concerned about gaming right now. A lot of kids like you currently have other priorites to attend to. Don't blow your money on a gaming PC when you would need that money for your rent, your classes etc. College is expensive AF. Plan your money wisely. Gaming ain't the only thing in life. Gaming can wait.
Good luck
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