I would like a console-style PC (read: PC without the bullshit). Recommendations?

What do you mean with bullshit though?

And 8 GB high speed VRAM? Do you mean the RAM or it's not a typo and you mean video card RAM? You can't fit in 8 GB VRAM in you budget, but maybe a 1060 6GB would be possible? I doubt it, but maybe.

I'm going to assume that price excludes the monitor right? If so then surely thats a pretty easy find, I did quick search and found those specs for near enought that price point

By rossonero Go To PostWhat do you mean with bullshit though?

And 8 GB high speed VRAM? Do you mean the RAM or it's not a typo and you mean video card RAM? You can't fit in 8 GB VRAM in you budget, but maybe a 1060 6GB would be possible? I doubt it, but maybe.

By bullshit, I'm talking about the hardware modularity of having a custom built computer, the finicky nature of all the drivers for the OS, the endless tweaking of settings, the general maintenance and upkeep of individual parts. I'm just tired of all that. I simply want a plug and play machine that's powerful, hooks up to my TV, and isn't too expensive. You know, like PS4 and XB1, but plays PC games.

And yeah, I meant VRAM, and though that might be asking a bit much, it's what I would want. 6GB would be fine though.

By Kidjr Go To PostI'm going to assume that price excludes the monitor right? If so then surely thats a pretty easy find, I did quick search and found those specs for near enought that price point

Correct. Don't need a monitor. If you've found something that fits the criteria, then by all means share the info. I'd be eternally grateful :)

Basically, you want something like this but for $100 less and with 6Gb 1060 instead of 3Gb. Though the 3Gb will be fine for 1080p/60FPS.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06WLHT15C/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1509795267&sr=1-15&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&dpPl=1&dpID=41qMuxLniVL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1

Or alternatively, this which in my opinion is a much, much better buy.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01LZ7VJXD/ref=mp_s_a_1_47?ie=UTF8&qid=1509796051&sr=1-47&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&dpPl=1&dpID=41ZQQLoYTJL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1

$1350, near double your budget, but you're getting an i7, 16Gb of RAM and 1080. Just those parts alone would run you about $900.
As far as prebuilts go, that's the best value I've seen. As far as upgrading it goes, honestly I don't think you'd even need to upgrade it or buy a new machine to keep up with the next gen of consoles. The 1080 is really damn good card.

The only time I've had driver problems in the last maaaaaany years was when trying to connect an old ass logitech wheel to my pc. It's a none issue and has been for a long time. Get a Xbone controller which is plug and play, and everything else is easily set up at first launch (video drivers and so on), that will update fairly easily itself whenever needed. Also while I am not a huge fan of nvidia experience, it does a good job at giving you good video settings for whatever game you want to play on your system.

The closest I got was Steam Machines offered by various vendors. They were still like $100 more than your target.

They still wouldn't be my preference, but it is the closest I can think of to "console-style PC".

By HottestVapes Go To PostBasically, you want something like this but for $100 less and with 6Gb 1060 instead of 3Gb. Though the 3Gb will be fine for 1080p/60FPS.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06WLHT15C/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1509795267&sr=1-15&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&dpPl=1&dpID=41qMuxLniVL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1

Or alternatively, this which in my opinion is a much, much better buy.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01LZ7VJXD/ref=mp_s_a_1_47?ie=UTF8&qid=1509796051&sr=1-47&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&dpPl=1&dpID=41ZQQLoYTJL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1

$1350, near double your budget, but you're getting an i7, 16Gb of RAM and 1080. Just those parts alone would run you about $900.
As far as prebuilts go, that's the best value I've seen. As far as upgrading it goes, honestly I don't think you'd even need to upgrade it or buy a new machine to keep up with the next gen of consoles. The 1080 is really damn good card.

This is exactly the kind of response I was looking for. Thanks a ton for taking out the time to find and provide links. I'm leaning towards just saving money and getting that cube. It appears to be an incredible value for what you're getting without having to build it yourself. I'd be set for a few years, I think.

By W Go To PostThe only time I've had driver problems in the last maaaaaany years was when trying to connect an old ass logitech wheel to my pc. It's a none issue and has been for a long time. Get a Xbone controller which is plug and play, and everything else is easily set up at first launch (video drivers and so on), that will update fairly easily itself whenever needed. Also while I am not a huge fan of nvidia experience, it does a good job at giving you good video settings for whatever game you want to play on your system.

I appreciate the perspective. I know that updating drivers isn't gonna always be an issue, but the fact that it's a potential issue is what bothers me. However, I may be able to suck it up and deal with it if it's only one of the few issues I end up dealing with.

By Kibner Go To PostThe closest I got was Steam Machines offered by various vendors. They were still like $100 more than your target.

I'm willing to go over budget if the deal is good enough. I may just end up saving up to get a better deal. It just sucks that this shit is so expensive

By brainchild Go To PostI'm willing to go over budget if the deal is good enough. I may just end up saving up to get a better deal. It just sucks that this shit is so expensive

I know you said you don't want to build it yourself, but if you want a good idea of what prices for a collection of various hardware may cost, I like this site: http://techreport.com/review/32474/system-guide-current It has various sample builds at a bunch of different price points for currently available hardware.

e: the budget box meets your requirements and costs under $550, for example
e2: if you are worried about that CPU, it holds up to 60 fps gaming quite well. if you want closer to 100 fps than 60, you would need a different one, but most people don't. so don't be afraid if you see it offered in some complete build you may find

By Kibner Go To PostI know you said you don't want to build it yourself, but if you want a good idea of what prices for a collection of various hardware may cost, I like this site: http://techreport.com/review/32474/system-guide-current It has various sample builds at a bunch of different price points for currently available hardware.

e: the budget box meets your requirements and costs under $550, for example
e2: if you are worried about that CPU, it holds up to 60 fps gaming quite well. if you want closer to 100 fps than 60, you would need a different one, but most people don't. so don't be afraid if you see it offered in some complete build you may find

Been down this road before with PC part picker. I'm really not interested in doing that again. I do appreciate you putting that out there, but I really do just want something pre-built, preferably a console. I'd rather pay more money than build another computer myself (I've just never had a good experience doing so).

By brainchild Go To PostThis is exactly the kind of response I was looking for. Thanks a ton for taking out the time to find and provide links. I'm leaning towards just saving money and getting that cube. It appears to be an incredible value for what you're getting without having to build it yourself. I'd be set for a few years, I think.

You're welcome, breh. It's pretty comparable to the PC I've built myself, just smaller, and with arguably a better CPU. I spent over a £1000 on mine, which is roughly around $1300.

You could look into getting some affordable finance for it. Get the deal now, and pay it off over 12 months or whatever. I did that with my GPU since it was zero percent interest.

Edit: Through PC part picker, this is the cheapest comparable parts.

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/YDXdKZ
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/YDXdKZ/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel - Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($269.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock - B150M-HDS Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($54.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: PNY - Anarchy 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($124.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: Team - L5 LITE 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($48.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Hitachi - Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($39.88 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB TURBO Video Card ($499.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill - FBM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($19.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA - BT 450W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($21.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home Full - USB 32/64-bit ($102.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1183.19
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-11-04 09:16 EDT-0400

So you're paying a $200ish dollar premium for the prebuilt, but still compared to other prebuilts, it's hard to turn your nose up at it.

By brainchild Go To PostBeen down this road before with PC part picker. I'm really not interested in doing that again. I do appreciate you putting that out there, but I really do just want something pre-built, preferably a console. I'd rather pay more money than build another computer myself (I've just never had a good experience doing so).

No, I meant for you to use it as a price guide for what is possible, not to buy those parts and build your own. Basically, you want something that offers a similar configuration for you that will do the building.

By HottestVapes Go To PostYou're welcome, breh. It's pretty comparable to the PC I've built myself, just smaller, and with arguably a better CPU. I spent over a £1000 on mine, which is roughly around $1300.

You could look into getting some affordable finance for it. Get the deal now, and pay it off over 12 months or whatever. I did that with my GPU since it was zero percent interest.

Edit: Through PC part picker, this is the cheapest comparable parts.

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/YDXdKZ
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/YDXdKZ/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel - Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($269.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock - B150M-HDS Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($54.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: PNY - Anarchy 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($124.99 @ Best Buy)
Storage: Team - L5 LITE 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($48.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Hitachi - Ultrastar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($39.88 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus - GeForce GTX 1080 8GB TURBO Video Card ($499.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Rosewill - FBM-01 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($19.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: EVGA - BT 450W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($21.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home Full - USB 32/64-bit ($102.89 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1183.19
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-11-04 09:16 EDT-0400

So you're paying a $200ish dollar premium for the prebuilt, but still compared to other prebuilts, it's hard to turn your nose up at it.

Yeah, I could tell just from the specs that it was a really solid deal, even with that premium. Normally, pre-built computers are out of the question for me because they're just not worth the sum of their parts. This is an exception.

By Kibner Go To PostNo, I meant for you to use it as a price guide for what is possible, not to buy those parts and build your own. Basically, you want something that offers a similar configuration for you that will do the building.

Ah, I misunderstood. In that case, I appreciate your help and will definitely use it as a reference guide when assessing the value of consoles and pre-built computers in 2017. Thanks!

Driver updating is such a non issue on PC, I have to update my ps4 more times than I can count.

By Lupercal Go To PostDriver updating is such a non issue on PC, I have to update my ps4 more times than I can count.

The act of updating itself was hardly the issue for me. It was the problems that would arise from compatibility issues with certain applications and devices, usually after an OS update, where I would have to troubleshoot to get to the root of the issue, and normally would be resolved by rolling back drivers. I just don't have the time nor energy for that kind of bullshit.

This is less of an issue with consoles. On the balance of probability, it's perfectly logical. With so many potential permutations to an OS on PC compared to a console OS, there's just so much more that can go wrong. So I understand why it happens, but I still don't like it.

It's also worth considering getting a system built by a retailer, custom or off the shelf, either way. Sadly, I'm not familiar with any specific stores that do that in the US. I know a fair few that do in the U.K. though so I'm sure they exist.

Pros to that being the price will probably be a bit better, and it'll be upgradable (even if that doesn't interest you per se, it could help with resale down the line).

Cons being that it'll probably not look as nice as some of the prebuilt machines, not be as small either.

By HottestVapes Go To PostIt's also worth considering getting a system built by a retailer, custom or off the shelf, either way. Sadly, I'm not familiar with any specific stores that do that in the US. I know a fair few that do in the U.K. though so I'm sure they exist.

Pros to that being the price will probably be a bit better, and it'll be upgradable (even if that doesn't interest you per se, it could help with resale down the line).

Cons being that it'll probably not look as nice as some of the prebuilt machines, not be as small either.

Actually, that's how I learned how to build computers, many years ago. I knew someone who worked at the Microcenter and they assembled the parts together for customers. I asked him to show me how to do it and that whole sequence of events is what got me interested in computer science.

When I was younger, building/tinkering with my own computer was a fun little hobby. I'm too old for that shit now though. I guess I can check and see what Microcenter can cook up for me, but I don't even feel like shopping for all the parts that need to be up to par before it can assembled, and I doubt they have an off the shelf that would be in an acceptable price range.

Kinda sounds like you just want a console. Whats wrong with a console? What AAA PC games won't play on a PS4 Pro or XB1X? The 1X is literally the best bang for your buck and doesn't have any of the problems you listed.

By diehard Go To PostKinda sounds like you just want a console. Whats wrong with a console? What AAA PC games won't play on a PS4 Pro or XB1X? The 1X is literally the best bang for your buck and doesn't have any of the problems you listed.

A console is EXACTLY what I want, but for PC games. The PC by far has the largest library of games, so I'd like to maintain my access to that library on a really powerful system. I'm not talking strictly about AAA games, but it needs to be able to play them.

By brainchild Go To PostA console is EXACTLY what I want, but for PC games. The PC by far has the largest library of games, so I'd like to maintain my access to that library on a really powerful system. I'm not talking strictly about AAA games, but it needs to be able to play them.

Biting the bullet and switching now so you can start building a library on a console is still my recommendation but do you need it to be small? ITX or custom builds usually cost more than pre-built systems that use standard parts.

By brainchild Go To PostActually, that's how I learned how to build computers, many years ago. I knew someone who worked at the Microcenter and they assembled the parts together for customers. I asked him to show me how to do it and that whole sequence of events is what got me interested in computer science.

When I was younger, building/tinkering with my own computer was a fun little hobby. I'm too old for that shit now though. I guess I can check and see what Microcenter can cook up for me, but I don't even feel like shopping for all the parts that need to be up to par before it can assembled, and I doubt they have an off the shelf that would be in an acceptable price range.

I was thinking more along the lines of an online store, one where you just pick your parts from a a drop down list and they do the rest.

After looking through some USA sites tho, definitely not worth it. Would actually be cheaper to buy pretty much any manufacturer pre-builds like the Lenovo or ASUS ones I posted earlier, or even Alienware. It was like $1600 for an ugly ATX case the size of a barn, a Kaby i5, and 1070Ti.

By diehard Go To PostBiting the bullet and switching now so you can start building a library on a console is still my recommendation but do you need it to be small? ITX or custom builds usually cost more than pre-built systems that use standard parts.

I don't need it to be small, but that would be nice.

I'm not really sure why you think switching to a PS4/XB1 makes sense for someone who prefers the PC's vast library of games. Do you realize how many indie titles alone are exclusive to PC by comparison? So I should just ignore that and buy a PS4/XB1? I'd love to hear your reasoning, because that doesn't make sense to me.

Now, I actually was holding out hope that the Xbox One X would be the ultimate solution to my problem (that CPU though, yeesh), but as it turns out, it doesn't play PC games. I actually feel like this is a missed opportunity for Microsoft. There are plenty of PC gamers like me who would not mind sacrificing some power for an affordable gaming PC with a console size form factor and presentation.

By HottestVapes Go To PostI was thinking more along the lines of an online store, one where you just pick your parts from a a drop down list and they do the rest.

After looking through some USA sites tho, definitely not worth it. Would actually be cheaper to buy pretty much any manufacturer pre-builds like the Lenovo or ASUS ones I posted earlier, or even Alienware. It was like $1600 for an ugly ATX case the size of a barn, a Kaby i5, and 1070Ti.

You seem pretty savvy about this stuff. Too bad you're not from the states; you'd probably be better equipped to handle this kind of inquiry if you were more familiar with our retailers here. Oh well.

Find some nerd who will build one for you on a budget you set.

you could go for a gaming laptop if you want both ease of use + portability, although you might have to stretch your budget a bit. I've been using a Lenovo Y50 since late 2014 and it runs the latest games on medium settings at least.

By Random Ass Username Go To PostFind some nerd who will build one for you on a budget you set.

It would have to be someone who doesn't know me. Any of my friends would just say, "why the fuck won't you just build it yourself?", lol And unfortunately, I don't think they would do it unless they were rewarded handsomely. I'll look into it. At any rate, this would be more complicated than simply buying something that's already assembled.

By Mister0079 Go To Postyou could go for a gaming laptop if you want both ease of use + portability, although you might have to stretch your budget a bit. I've been using a Lenovo Y50 since late 2014 and it runs the latest games on medium settings at least.

Problem with gaming laptops is that you don't get to take advantage of that power unless it's plugged into a wall, and at that point, I have to ask myself why I don't just buy a console for cheaper if it's just gonna sit there anyway?

If I were to get one, it would be the Acer Predator Helios 300.



It's a great deal for a thousand dollar laptop. Still, it's a laptop...

A lot of shops let you pick and choose parts and they'll put it together for you for a small fee (25€ over here)
And with Windows 10, it pretty much configures itself these days.

I think with a 1000€ system, you're pretty set for 3-4 years.

By brainchild Go To PostYou seem pretty savvy about this stuff. Too bad you're not from the states; you'd probably be better equipped to handle this kind of inquiry if you were more familiar with our retailers here. Oh well.

Aye, true. At least there's always Amazon though. Speaking of which, been looking through and found some more options, more towards your initial price range.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0747W15QL/ref=vs_pc_mm_desktops_desktopsamazonschoice
i5 7400
RX 580 4Gb
8Gb RAM
1TB HDD
$700

Easy 1080p/60FPS machine.

https://www.amazon.com/G11CD-WS51-Oculus-Computer-Windows-Desktop/dp/B01B96MO20/ref=sr_1_11?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1509883139&sr=1-11&refinements=p_4%3AASUS
i5 6400
GTX 970 4Gb
8Gb RAM
1TB HDD
$730

Bit of a older card, but definitely still a good one.

https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-ideacentre-Y720-Cube-15-90H2003VUS/dp/B06XNTX8M4/ref=sr_1_23?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1509883142&sr=1-23&refinements=p_4%3ALenovo
i5 7400
RX 580 8Gb
8Gb RAM
1TB HDD
$800

Better than the above 2, but also more expensive. Smaller form factor.

https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Desktop-G11CD-WB51-GeForce-processor/dp/B01K1JWCAK/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1509883139&sr=1-5&refinements=p_4%3AASUS
i5 6400
GTX 1070
8Gb RAM
1TB HDD
$900 (was $1200)

Really good deal considering the graphics card that in that. I'd actually recommend this over the original PC I posted with the 1080 in it as it'll more than fulfil your needs and costs a lot less.

By Lupercal Go To PostA lot of shops let you pick and choose parts and they'll put it together for you for a small fee (25€ over here)
And with Windows 10, it pretty much configures itself these days.

I think with a 1000€ system, you're pretty set for 3-4 years.

It sure would be nice to only have to pay that small of a fee for assembly where I live. Even still, I'd rather not have to shop for parts unless I had no choice. It's not a very streamlined way to purchase something.

By HottestVapes Go To PostAye, true. At least there's always Amazon though. Speaking of which, been looking through and found some more options, more towards your initial price range.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0747W15QL/ref=vs_pc_mm_desktops_desktopsamazonschoice
i5 7400
RX 580 4Gb
8Gb RAM
1TB HDD
$700

Easy 1080p/60FPS machine.

https://www.amazon.com/G11CD-WS51-Oculus-Computer-Windows-Desktop/dp/B01B96MO20/ref=sr_1_11?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1509883139&sr=1-11&refinements=p_4%3AASUS
i5 6400
GTX 970 4Gb
8Gb RAM
1TB HDD
$730

Bit of a older card, but definitely still a good one.

https://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-ideacentre-Y720-Cube-15-90H2003VUS/dp/B06XNTX8M4/ref=sr_1_23?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1509883142&sr=1-23&refinements=p_4%3ALenovo
i5 7400
RX 580 8Gb
8Gb RAM
1TB HDD
$800

Better than the above 2, but also more expensive. Smaller form factor.

https://www.amazon.com/Performance-Desktop-G11CD-WB51-GeForce-processor/dp/B01K1JWCAK/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1509883139&sr=1-5&refinements=p_4%3AASUS
i5 6400
GTX 1070
8Gb RAM
1TB HDD
$900 (was $1200)

Really good deal considering the graphics card that in that. I'd actually recommend this over the original PC I posted with the 1080 in it as it'll more than fulfil your needs and costs a lot less.

Thanks again for looking into this for me. That $900 Asus just might be my next computer. I'm totally fine with those specs. The other builds aren't Pascal GPUs anyway, so I'm not too interested in them.

EDIT:

I do wish that CPU was newer, but I'll deal. It's not like games are taking advantage of Coffee Lake right now anyway.

You might want to look at the lenovo legion series. https://www3.lenovo.com/us/en/gaming/desktops/ Most allow you to customize the specs and prices start at around what you are looking for 700.00. Full disclosure I work for IBM and may have a vested interest in Lenovo's success for partnership purposes

OP, I think that what you're asking for is still basically impossible, unfortunately. There is still no such thing as a PC without bullshit, much less a gaming PC, console-style or not. Don't listen to the people who are trying to tell you that driver issues aren't still rampant, they full well are (even with the latest hardware and software).

The closest thing you're going to get to a sans-bullshit PC is a "Mac mini" maybe, due solely to the stability and ease of use of the operating system, but you are probably not interested in that shit (the Mac mini) one bit.

I'm sorry to say this, but you are still waiting for Steam OS. Until then, you should do what I do, which is just deal with the bullshit.

By brainchild Go To PostThanks again for looking into this for me. That $900 Asus just might be my next computer. I'm totally fine with those specs. The other builds aren't Pascal GPUs anyway, so I'm not too interested in them.

EDIT:

I do wish that CPU was newer, but I'll deal. It's not like games are taking advantage of Coffee Lake right now anyway.

Curious, what do you need a newer/better CPU for in the build? There's not much difference between a Skylake or Kabylake i5, or Coffeelake really if not for the extra cores. I wouldn't usually recommend an i5 either, but for 60FPS, I doubt it'll struggle at all.

By gotemrunnin Go To PostYou might want to look at the lenovo legion series. https://www3.lenovo.com/us/en/gaming/desktops/ Most allow you to customize the specs and prices start at around what you are looking for 700.00. Full disclosure I work for IBM and may have a vested interest in Lenovo's success for partnership purposes

These aren't bad at all, honestly. Those memory configurations leave a little bit to be desired, but I'll definitely check these out. Thanks for the links!

By Smoke Dogg Go To PostOP, I think that what you're asking for is still basically impossible, unfortunately. There is still no such thing as a PC without bullshit, much less a gaming PC, console-style or not. Don't listen to the people who are trying to tell you that driver issues aren't still rampant, they full well are (even with the latest hardware and software).

The closest thing you're going to get to a sans-bullshit PC is a "Mac mini" maybe, due solely to the stability and ease of use of the operating system, but you are probably not interested in that shit (the Mac mini) one bit.

I'm sorry to say this, but you are still waiting for Steam OS. Until then, you should do what I do, which is just deal with the bullshit.

You are 100% right, and while I appreciate everyone's suggestions in this thread, none of them are 100% ideal. At this point, I'm leaning towards just getting the beefiest computer I can find for the most reasonable price, but as you said, I'm still gonna have to deal with the bullshit either way.

And yes, I do want a steam machine. It's exactly what I want. But one that doesn't try to rape my wallet in the process.

By HottestVapes Go To PostCurious, what do you need a newer/better CPU for in the build? There's not much difference between a Skylake or Kabylake i5, or Coffeelake really if not for the extra cores. I wouldn't usually recommend an i5 either, but for 60FPS, I doubt it'll struggle at all.

I don't need Coffee Lake but it's usually a principle of mine that if I'm going to spend an exorbitant amount of money on something, I better make sure that it's at least current. It's also nice for future proofing.

No such thing as future proofing for more than a year out when it somes to PC hardware. No guarantee the thing that's advertised is as good as its made out to be or that developers will take advantage of it in time for it to not be woefully outdated compared to more recent hardware.

If you can't use the features or performance now or in the very, very near future, don't spend extra money on marginal upgrades.

In regards to cpu's, they haven't seen much progress for years. Four year and older chips are still more than most games need to hit 60 fps. The better chips only matter for high refresh monitors or specific kinds of content creation where the extra cores and speed lower processing times.

OP, Kibner is telling you truth, there is almost never a good reason to get a beefy computer, especially if the components are relatively new to market.

For example, an i7-3770k with a 2GB GeForce 960 and 8GB DDR3 will still serve you really, really well for your use-case of indie games, and it can be had for the price of a console. You'll save yourself mad dough and still give yourself a certain level of future proofing with the overclockable CPU and expandable RAM.

The best part about it is you can find these specs in good to great used condition and just recycle them back into the market again when you're ready to upgrade again.

I'm still happily rocking an AMD APU from 2013 because I found a mad cheap motherboard for it and I promised myself I'd never pay more than $100 for a mobo again.

By Kibner Go To PostNo such thing as future proofing for more than a year out when it somes to PC hardware. No guarantee the thing that's advertised is as good as its made out to be or that developers will take advantage of it in time for it to not be woefully outdated compared to more recent hardware.

If you can't use the features or performance now or in the very, very near future, don't spend extra money on marginal upgrades.

In regards to cpu's, they haven't seen much progress for years. Four year and older chips are still more than most games need to hit 60 fps. The better chips only matter for high refresh monitors or specific kinds of content creation where the extra cores and speed lower processing times.

By Smoke Dogg Go To PostOP, Kibner is telling you truth, there is almost never a good reason to get a beefy computer, especially if the components are relatively new to market.

For example, an i7-3770k with a 2GB GeForce 960 and 8GB DDR3 will still serve you really, really well for your use-case of indie games, and it can be had for the price of a console. You'll save yourself mad dough and still give yourself a certain level of future proofing with the overclockable CPU and expandable RAM.

The best part about it is you can find these specs in good to great used condition and just recycle them back into the market again when you're ready to upgrade again.

I'm still happily rocking an AMD APU from 2013 because I found a mad cheap motherboard for it and I promised myself I'd never pay more than $100 for a mobo again.

Up until now I've been very receptive to all the advice in this thread, but I'm going to emphatically push back on both of these responses.

I am very well capable of determining the value of something I purchase as it relates to my own perception of value and preferences, and I don't need anyone to make that determination for me. If you feel like something is not worth spending money on, or is a waste of money for you, then you can say that, but what constitutes a good value proposition will vary between person to person.

If I were to take your advice to its logical conclusion, I should never buy a pre-built PC, as it is perceived by some people to be a waste of money when I can just build my own computer for a much cheaper price. Despite the veracity of such a perception, it is still irrelevant with respect to my own perception of value. Being able to buy a PC without having to assemble it, even if it were were cheaper to just build my own computer, is a much better value proposition to me than building a PC for a cheaper price. Likewise, spending extra money on new architecture that is certain to go underutilized is still a better value proposition to me than spending less money on older architecture, if only because of its theoretical potential.

Yes, I said that I wanted something that could play most games at 1080p 60fps, but that was just a base minimum. I said nothing about not wanting to benefit from better performance than that. Down the road, I might buy a 120Hz to 240Hz monitor with G-Sync and want to take advantage of the extra performance gains provided by the new architecture, no matter how minimal. I may want to run physics or ray tracing simulations on algorithms that I'm experimenting with. I may want to create a new video games emulator that emulates the cycles of the original hardware. I may want to improve performance on high quality music samples at runtime and render time. Regardless of the reason, I may want to take advantage of the newer architecture's potential if it's there to take advantage of. I may not need it for all of those things, but it's nice to have if I can afford it.

You had a price budget and I was trying to give guidance on getting the most value out of that budget. If I knew more about the intended uses beyond being able to play current and near-future games at a good framerate, my feedback would have been different.

Some of the links from other posters here seem to provide great value for what you want. I'm glad they were able to find them because I wasn't.

E: I should have asked better questions in the beginning. My bad.

OP, you're right, I unintentionally treated you like a noob, it's my character flaw. I definitely agree with you, especially in that your idea of value is going to be different from one person to the next, no doubt about that. My bad for stepping out of bounds, and thanks for checking me.

I mean, sometimes you just want to be sure you've got all bases covered if you ever want to boot up Witcher 3 or a bad Warner Bros port job and the like, I get it. I hope you will share with us the specs of what you end up going with, because that's always the fun part!

Edit: Btw, I also messed up by suggesting 8GB of system RAM. I think you will definitely want a minimum of 16GB because most people go with SSDs as their main (sometimes sole) storage these days and you definitely don't want to thrash those with memory swaps. (But you already know this. I just have this urge to correct and explain myself.)

By Kibner Go To PostYou had a price budget and I was trying to give guidance on getting the most value out of that budget. If I knew more about the intended uses beyond being able to play current and near-future games at a good framerate, my feedback would have been different.

Some of the links from other posters here seem to provide great value for what you want. I'm glad they were able to find them because I wasn't.

E: I should have asked better questions in the beginning. My bad.

By Smoke Dogg Go To PostOP, you're right, I unintentionally treated you like a noob, it's my character flaw. I definitely agree with you, especially in that your idea of value is going to be different from one person to the next, no doubt about that. My bad for stepping out of bounds, and thanks for checking me.

I mean, sometimes you just want to be sure you've got all bases covered if you ever want to boot up Witcher 3 or a bad Warner Bros port job and the like, I get it. I hope you will share with us the specs of what you end up going with, because that's always the fun part!

Edit: Btw, I also messed up by suggesting 8GB of system RAM. I think you will definitely want a minimum of 16GB because most people go with SSDs as their main (sometimes sole) storage these days and you definitely don't want to thrash those with memory swaps. (But you already know this. I just have this urge to correct and explain myself.)

No worries, mates. It was just a misunderstanding. I probably should have been more clear that if my computer ends up having more uses than gaming due to its power envelope that I'll probably take advantage of it in the future. Again, I appreciate you guys' advice in helping me figure this out. I should settle on something in a couple of weeks and I'll let you guys know what that is at that time.

Looking forward to hear what you go with!

Just as a little data point OP - I am actually running a Dell XPS 15 9560 and it does most of what you have outlined (1080p games, usually at high frame rate). For reference it is a Kaby Lake i7, nVidia 1050.

By Nerfgun Go To PostJust as a little data point OP - I am actually running a Dell XPS 15 9560 and it does most of what you have outlined (1080p games, usually at high frame rate). For reference it is a Kaby Lake i7, nVidia 1050.

Pretty good for a $900 laptop. However, at this point, if I can't get a console, I'm probably just going to go with a desktop (I wouldn't really use a gaming laptop's portability anyway). Thanks for the input though.

So after much consternation (not really), I decided to just get a cheap Alienware Machine. The most important thing for me is having a console style machine with access to the steam library so I'll deal with the weak specs. Here's the aforementioned machine:



Alienware Steam Machine Console (Intel Core i3, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB HDD) NVIDIA GeForce GTX https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016IH067A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_VQFsAbGSY2WXT

I paid $300 for mine through a 3rd party seller so I'm fine with it.

That's exactly what I was gonna recommend.

By Smokey Go To PostThat's exactly what I was gonna recommend.

Yeah, the more I kept looking at different high spec builds, the more I felt like I was getting away from the point of doing this. I just wanted something simple and cheap, and Alienware had the best offer on the table in that regard. I'll still be able to play all the multiplat titles, even if not at the quality that I would have preferred.

At least you get a GOAT controller with it.

Congrats on your steam machine/steam controller!

By brainchild Go To PostThe act of updating itself was hardly the issue for me. It was the problems that would arise from compatibility issues with certain applications and devices, usually after an OS update, where I would have to troubleshoot to get to the root of the issue, and normally would be resolved by rolling back drivers. I just don't have the time nor energy for that kind of bullshit.

... but won't you still have this problem, even with a prebuilt?

Maybe not so bad on steam OS. IDK

By HottestVapes Go To PostAt least you get a GOAT controller with it.

I absolutely love the controller. It has incredible versatility!

By remy Go To PostCongrats on your steam machine/steam controller!
… but won't you still have this problem, even with a prebuilt?

Maybe not so bad on steam OS. IDK

Well, on steam OS, this is a complete non-issue. However, I'm going to have to install Windows soon because there's just way too many games that aren't compatible with Linux or exclusive to Windows, which really sucks.

Even having windows, I don't regret my purchase of this system. It's still the cheapest pre-built gaming PC that money can buy while still allowing you to play all the latest titles. I'll just need to use Big Picture Mode when windows is installed. Plus, it has a really nice form factor. So yeah, I'm pretty happy with my purchase, though it would be nice if more game developers weren't so shitty and developed for Linux as well.

I guess Direct X is still just that much easier to work with than OpenGL.

Glad to hear you are happy with your purchase, though!

By Kibner Go To PostI guess Direct X is still just that much easier to work with than OpenGL.

Glad to hear you are happy with your purchase, though!

If true, that's only because of nVidia.