Commodore
Pillar of the Community
Very Rare (100 Points)
Be a registered user for 10 years
Unlocked Sun 06 Dec, 2020 7:16 AM
34.48% have received this achievement
To Boldly Go On and On
Rare (50 Points)
Reach one-thousand posts on the forums
Unlocked Fri 07 Jul, 2017 1:05 PM
0.71% have received this achievement
Commodore
Rare (50 Points)
Receive a promotion to the rank of Commodore
Unlocked Sun 25 Jun, 2017 11:02 AM
0.50% have received this achievement
Tour of Duty
Uncommon (25 Points)
RSVP to ten events via the Events System
Unlocked Mon 13 Feb, 2017 8:03 PM
1.31% have received this achievement
Well Respected
Uncommon (25 Points)
Reach reputation tier 6
Unlocked Wed 16 Oct, 2019 6:02 PM
0.69% have received this achievement
Dean’s List
Uncommon (25 Points)
Pass all three Academy exams
Unlocked Thu 11 Feb, 2016 1:02 PM
3.98% have received this achievement
Posted Thu 28 Jul, 2016 2:37 PM
Hi folks,
Over the last three years, I have been using an Alienware gaming laptop. The time has come for a change, and this time around I am looking into getting a desktop.
When I was a teenager, I would just build my own. I had a pretty good understand of what I needed. However, nowadays I have no idea.
The primary use of this computer will be for gaming, MS Office and various other day to day.
With so many options out there, I really have no idea what I need.
I'm sure we have a number of computers geniuses out there, and I would like to ask for your help/recommendations.
Veteran Member
...and On and On
Very Rare (100 Points)
Reach five-thousand posts on the forums
Grandfathered
0.08% have received this achievement
Highly Decorated
Very Rare (100 Points)
Receive every medal the UFP has to offer
Grandfathered
0.18% have received this achievement
To Infinity and Beyond
Very Rare (100 Points)
Reach ten-thousand posts on the forums
Grandfathered
0.02% have received this achievement
Pillar of the Community
Very Rare (100 Points)
Be a registered user for 10 years
Unlocked Sat 29 Sep, 2018 1:05 PM
34.48% have received this achievement
Academy Dean
Rare (50 Points)
Be Head of Starfleet Academy
Grandfathered
0.08% have received this achievement
Correspondent
Rare (50 Points)
Submit a Federation News Service article
Unlocked Sat 29 Sep, 2018 1:28 PM
0.43% have received this achievement
Posted Thu 28 Jul, 2016 2:43 PM
If building your own is still an option it will save you a lot of money.
Was there a certain price range you were looking at?
"IMPOSSIBLE IS A WORD TO BE FOUND ONLY IN THE DICTIONARY OF FOOLS."
Admiral
Gold Contributor
...and On and On
Very Rare (100 Points)
Reach five-thousand posts on the forums
Unlocked Mon 01 Oct, 2018 10:02 PM
0.08% have received this achievement
Highly Decorated
Very Rare (100 Points)
Receive every medal the UFP has to offer
Unlocked Sat 25 Mar, 2017 10:00 PM
0.18% have received this achievement
Gold Contributor
Very Rare (100 Points)
Subscribe to a monthly Gold Subscription
Unlocked Tue 10 Jan, 2017 4:00 PM
0.36% have received this achievement
Admiral
Rare (50 Points)
Receive a promotion to the rank of Admiral
Unlocked Sun 24 Sep, 2017 7:45 AM
0.22% have received this achievement
To Boldly Go On and On
Rare (50 Points)
Reach one-thousand posts on the forums
Grandfathered
0.71% have received this achievement
Dean’s List
Uncommon (25 Points)
Pass all three Academy exams
Unlocked Wed 07 Jan, 2015 2:21 AM
3.98% have received this achievement
Posted Thu 28 Jul, 2016 2:56 PM
For a highend system it should have this processor and one of those graphics cards.
Processor: Intel Core i7-6700K, 4x 4.00GHz
RAM: 8 - 16GB DDR4
Graphicscard: Nvidia GTX 980TI or GTX 1070 - 1080
“He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes;
he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever” ~ Chinese Proverb
Posted Thu 28 Jul, 2016 2:58 PM
For a highend system it should have this processor and one of those graphics cards.
Processor: Intel Core i7-6700K, 4x 4.00GHz
RAM: 8 - 16GB DDR4
Graphicscard: Nvidia GTX 980TI or GTX 1070 - 1080
You don't explicitly need an i7 for Gaming.
Dropping down to an i5 is always fine.
Commodore
Pillar of the Community
Very Rare (100 Points)
Be a registered user for 10 years
Unlocked Sun 06 Dec, 2020 7:16 AM
34.48% have received this achievement
To Boldly Go On and On
Rare (50 Points)
Reach one-thousand posts on the forums
Unlocked Fri 07 Jul, 2017 1:05 PM
0.71% have received this achievement
Commodore
Rare (50 Points)
Receive a promotion to the rank of Commodore
Unlocked Sun 25 Jun, 2017 11:02 AM
0.50% have received this achievement
Tour of Duty
Uncommon (25 Points)
RSVP to ten events via the Events System
Unlocked Mon 13 Feb, 2017 8:03 PM
1.31% have received this achievement
Well Respected
Uncommon (25 Points)
Reach reputation tier 6
Unlocked Wed 16 Oct, 2019 6:02 PM
0.69% have received this achievement
Dean’s List
Uncommon (25 Points)
Pass all three Academy exams
Unlocked Thu 11 Feb, 2016 1:02 PM
3.98% have received this achievement
Posted Thu 28 Jul, 2016 2:58 PM
If building your own is still an option it will save you a lot of money.
Was there a certain price range you were looking at?
My last PC was about 3,000 CDN, which I think is about 1,800 British pound. Probably in the same range. I could probably still build it myself, depends on if I can find any good deals or not.
Ensign
Dean’s List
Uncommon (25 Points)
Pass all three Academy exams
Unlocked Wed 13 Jul, 2016 6:01 PM
3.98% have received this achievement
Paragon of Duty
Uncommon (25 Points)
Sign three roll calls in a row
Unlocked Thu 16 Mar, 2017 11:05 PM
9.75% have received this achievement
Eternal Servitude!
Uncommon (25 Points)
Be a registered user for five years
Unlocked Wed 07 Jul, 2021 6:04 PM
75.48% have received this achievement
Got Orientated
Common (10 Points)
Sit and pass the Orientation Assessment
Unlocked Fri 08 Jul, 2016 10:04 AM
21.54% have received this achievement
Qualified Officer
Common (10 Points)
Sit and pass the Officer Qualification
Unlocked Wed 13 Jul, 2016 5:01 PM
5.85% have received this achievement
Command Material
Common (10 Points)
Sit and pass the Academy Command Exam
Unlocked Wed 13 Jul, 2016 6:01 PM
4.57% have received this achievement
Posted Thu 28 Jul, 2016 3:40 PM
Hiya Tain,
AMD and Nvidia have just released new graphics card ranges so there will be plenty of new cards on the market soon. So you may want to wait a bit and see what comes out or pick up an older card that might be a bit cheaper.
Have a looksie at this partpicker site. Might help you decide if its worth building your own again or not!
#208 - Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than a question is an answer
Captain
Pillar of the Community
Very Rare (100 Points)
Be a registered user for 10 years
Unlocked Sun 11 Jul, 2021 11:03 PM
34.48% have received this achievement
Investigative Reporter
Uncommon (25 Points)
Be Federation News Service XO
Unlocked Tue 20 Mar, 2018 11:00 PM
0.06% have received this achievement
Dean’s List
Uncommon (25 Points)
Pass all three Academy exams
Unlocked Sun 28 May, 2017 2:03 AM
3.98% have received this achievement
Stepping Forward
Uncommon (25 Points)
Going from Clearance Level 3 to Clearance Level 4
Unlocked Sat 29 Sep, 2018 1:28 PM
1.91% have received this achievement
Captain
Uncommon (25 Points)
Ascend the ranks to reach the Captains chair
Unlocked Tue 20 Mar, 2018 10:41 PM
0.67% have received this achievement
Correspondent
Rare (50 Points)
Submit a Federation News Service article
Unlocked Mon 03 Dec, 2018 5:00 PM
0.43% have received this achievement
Posted Thu 28 Jul, 2016 4:37 PM
I'd echo infinity I have an i5 and it's runs all the latest games with no problems.
Although graphic card wise I'd go with Nvidia personally. I current run with an AMD R9 and their drivers can be sketchy with certain games. Their new Radeon Crimson drivers for example do not like STO. Nvidia rarely has issues when it comes to their drivers and if they do they usually manage to get a fix out quicker than AMD.
Card build wise though both AMD and Nvidia are great, and AMD do come out on top more often than not in performance and if you need a good quality card on a budget.
I'd also echo Chris's statement that if you can build your own, go that route. When I first built my current rig it was selling for $1384.14 Canadian in store, custom build mine by buying the same parts individually cost me $952.79
Commodore
Pillar of the Community
Very Rare (100 Points)
Be a registered user for 10 years
Unlocked Sun 06 Dec, 2020 7:16 AM
34.48% have received this achievement
To Boldly Go On and On
Rare (50 Points)
Reach one-thousand posts on the forums
Unlocked Fri 07 Jul, 2017 1:05 PM
0.71% have received this achievement
Commodore
Rare (50 Points)
Receive a promotion to the rank of Commodore
Unlocked Sun 25 Jun, 2017 11:02 AM
0.50% have received this achievement
Tour of Duty
Uncommon (25 Points)
RSVP to ten events via the Events System
Unlocked Mon 13 Feb, 2017 8:03 PM
1.31% have received this achievement
Well Respected
Uncommon (25 Points)
Reach reputation tier 6
Unlocked Wed 16 Oct, 2019 6:02 PM
0.69% have received this achievement
Dean’s List
Uncommon (25 Points)
Pass all three Academy exams
Unlocked Thu 11 Feb, 2016 1:02 PM
3.98% have received this achievement
Posted Thu 28 Jul, 2016 5:36 PM
Lots of good tips all, much appreciated!
Commander
To Boldly Go On and On
Rare (50 Points)
Reach one-thousand posts on the forums
Unlocked Wed 10 Oct, 2018 3:02 PM
0.71% have received this achievement
Paragon of Duty
Uncommon (25 Points)
Sign three roll calls in a row
Unlocked Wed 01 Jun, 2016 4:17 AM
9.75% have received this achievement
Eternal Servitude!
Uncommon (25 Points)
Be a registered user for five years
Unlocked Fri 27 Nov, 2020 12:02 PM
75.48% have received this achievement
Well Respected
Uncommon (25 Points)
Reach reputation tier 6
Unlocked Sun 29 Jul, 2018 12:01 PM
0.69% have received this achievement
Stepping Forward
Uncommon (25 Points)
Going from Clearance Level 3 to Clearance Level 4
Unlocked Sat 29 Sep, 2018 1:28 PM
1.91% have received this achievement
Commander
Uncommon (25 Points)
Receive a promotion to the rank of Commander
Unlocked Sat 21 Dec, 2019 9:39 PM
0.64% have received this achievement
Posted Thu 28 Jul, 2016 8:10 PM
Don't go overboard with your power supply unless you really do intend to upgrade to some beefy hardware, you'll only waste money that can otherwise go to something else.
Cooler Master's power supply calculator ( http://www.coolermaster.com/power-supply-calculator/ ) is a great tool.
Secondly, when choosing a case, make sure you take your video card size into account, higher end cards are long, and you'll need to make sure that you have ample clearence.
Third, devote some of your budget to some case fans, orient them so that the front intakes, rear exhausts, and if you have fans on the top, have them exhaust up.
Fourth, get an after-market cooler for your CPU. A Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO is a great choice, and with an MSRP of $45, will give you the best price to performance ratio out of almost all air coolers on the market.
Admiral
Gold Contributor
...and On and On
Very Rare (100 Points)
Reach five-thousand posts on the forums
Unlocked Mon 01 Oct, 2018 10:02 PM
0.08% have received this achievement
Highly Decorated
Very Rare (100 Points)
Receive every medal the UFP has to offer
Unlocked Sat 25 Mar, 2017 10:00 PM
0.18% have received this achievement
Gold Contributor
Very Rare (100 Points)
Subscribe to a monthly Gold Subscription
Unlocked Tue 10 Jan, 2017 4:00 PM
0.36% have received this achievement
Admiral
Rare (50 Points)
Receive a promotion to the rank of Admiral
Unlocked Sun 24 Sep, 2017 7:45 AM
0.22% have received this achievement
To Boldly Go On and On
Rare (50 Points)
Reach one-thousand posts on the forums
Grandfathered
0.71% have received this achievement
Dean’s List
Uncommon (25 Points)
Pass all three Academy exams
Unlocked Wed 07 Jan, 2015 2:21 AM
3.98% have received this achievement
Posted Fri 29 Jul, 2016 9:32 AM
You don't explicitly need an i7 for Gaming.
Dropping down to an i5 is always fine.
True but make sure it has a "K" at the end of the name this means you can overclock it.
“He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes;
he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever” ~ Chinese Proverb
Warrant Officer
To Boldly Go On and On
Rare (50 Points)
Reach one-thousand posts on the forums
Unlocked Tue 13 Jan, 2015 9:01 PM
0.71% have received this achievement
Warrant Officer
Rare (50 Points)
Receive the rank of Warrant Officer
Unlocked Sat 27 Jun, 2015 9:55 PM
0.01% have received this achievement
Command Master Chief Petty Officer
Uncommon (25 Points)
Receive the rank of Command Master Chief Petty Officer
Unlocked Sat 24 Sep, 2016 10:52 PM
0.03% have received this achievement
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Fleet
Uncommon (25 Points)
Receive the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer of the Fleet
Unlocked Fri 13 May, 2016 11:01 AM
0.03% have received this achievement
Eternal Servitude!
Uncommon (25 Points)
Be a registered user for five years
Unlocked Mon 26 Jun, 2017 6:07 AM
75.48% have received this achievement
Qualified Officer
Common (10 Points)
Sit and pass the Officer Qualification
Unlocked Mon 05 Jan, 2015 2:38 AM
5.85% have received this achievement
Posted Fri 29 Jul, 2016 2:16 PM
Oh! I see you mention CDN, so I'm going to assume you're Canadian.
If you don't want to gather parts and put the system together yourself (I personally hadn't built a computer in far too long, and didn't want to fiddle with CPUs and such in my carpeted apartment), you can get NCIX to do it for you for 50 bucks. They'll test it and it comes with a warranty as well.
All you have to do is order all the necessary parts from them, and then add on that service.
Additionally, when you select your parts from the ever-useful PCPartPicker website, you'll see lists of sources and prices. Most of the time NCIX was the cheapest source, but for those that aren't NCIX has a handy price matching feature built right into its online shopping cart. Just enter the price of the cheapest source and a link showing it - both of which is trivial to do thanks to PCPartPicker.
I did have one negative experience - because I ordered an i7 6700 and it wasn't available immediately, they had to delay building my rig until it came in. Consequently, some of the rebates on the other parts expired. Though it was only roughly $30 and the rig was ~$3k, so whatever.
(All above figures in CAD.)
Quote
