New Computer?

[tehBlobLord]

Hey guys!
After, for what seems like the fiftieth time, not being able to play a game because it wasn't Mac-compatible, I've decided to "upgrade".

Basically, I want a PC with Windows 7 that can run all of the games I could run on this one with no noticeable FPS drop etc.
From what I hear about Macs, that won't be too hard, especially because this one is VERY old.

So first, here are the stats of the mac:

iMac
24-inch, Early 2009
Processor 2.93 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Memory 4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3
Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 256 MB
Serial Number W89040C30TL
Software OS X 10.8.4 (12E55)
At the moment, it gets me about 30 fps on Minecraft will all the settings maxed except particles on decreased and render distance on normal. I usually drop to 20-25 with FTB though.
Seeing as it's 4.5 years old, I'm hoping to get something better. My budget is basically as far under 800 euros as I can get it, because that's already pushing it, and yes, the budget includes keyboard, monitor, mouse, etc.

The games I'd like it to run are things like Morrowind, Minecraft, possibly Battlefield 4 or Planetside 2, and a few other things like FTL which don't require much power at all.
I also want to use it for work, but I doubt that will be a problem.

After a few hours of provisional internet searching I've found a rough example of something that doesn't look too terrible;
the GX 1000 AMD. http://www.computerplanet.co.uk/gaming/gx1000/builder.html
As far as I can tell it's an upgrade to my current computer (which BTW cost 1000 euros when new, but it's a mac so it's a ripoff).

The GX1000 has these stats:

CPU: AMD FX 4100 (4 x 3.5 GHz) CPU Cooling: AMD Heatsink & Fan
RAM: 4 GB DDR3 1333 MHZ Motherboard: Gigabyte 760G Motherboard
Hard Drive: 1 TB 7200 RPM SATA-II Sound: 5.1 HD Sound
Case: Mars Gaming Case USB Ports: 6 x USB 2.0 & 2 x USB 3.0
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GT 640 - 2 GB Power Supply: 700W PSU
Optical Drive: 24x Dual Layer DVD/CD Re-Writer Operating System: Choose from Windows 7 64 BIT or Windows 8 64 BIT

So yeah, can you guys tell me if you know of a cheap-ish computer that can run better than what I have, and tell me if there is anything wrong with the above build or if there is anything I should change about it?
Thanks

 

[gattsuru]

It'll definitely work for Minecraft and Morrowind, as well as games like Skyrim. My concern would be the CPU and Planetside 2 -- AMDs budget offerings are reasonably cheap, but they're not great from a performance perspective, and that includes the recent FX releases. That's despite the high clock ratings : the FX 4100 is actually slightly less powerful than an Intel I3-2100, even if the marketing numbers would make you think otherwise. Using the Design Your Own PC from that page and going with an Intel I5 3570 isn't that much more expensive, and will bring you to the Planetside 2 recommended system requirement range instead of dangling in the minimum requirements.

You'll also want more RAM, especially on a 64-bit system. RAM's cheap, and while Minecraft seldom goes above a couple gigs (and Morrowind can't go over 2GB at all), it's worthwhile to have extra. That said, it's usually cheaper to plug in extra chips yourself, and it's fairly trivial to do so as long as you turn the system power off first.

I also generally recommend name-brand power supplies. Yes, you can buy a cheap power supply that's got a very high wattage rating -- but these not only provide power to your system, they also make up a lot of your cooling and surge protection, and trouble-shooting a bad power supply is a pain in the backside for the inexperienced. A few extra euro here can save a lot of money down the road.

 

[tehBlobLord]

It'll definitely work for Minecraft and Morrowind, as well as games like Skyrim. My concern would be the CPU and Planetside 2 -- AMDs budget offerings are reasonably cheap, but they're not great from a performance perspective, and that includes the recent FX releases. That's despite the high clock ratings : the FX 4100 is actually slightly less powerful than an Intel I3-2100, even if the marketing numbers would make you think otherwise. Using the Design Your Own PC from that page and going with an Intel I5 3570 isn't that much more expensive, and will bring you to the Planetside 2 recommended system requirement range instead of dangling in the minimum requirements.

You'll also want more RAM, especially on a 64-bit system. RAM's cheap, and while Minecraft seldom goes above a couple gigs (and Morrowind can't go over 2GB at all), it's worthwhile to have extra. That said, it's usually cheaper to plug in extra chips yourself, and it's fairly trivial to do so as long as you turn the system power off first.

I also generally recommend name-brand power supplies. Yes, you can buy a cheap power supply that's got a very high wattage rating -- but these not only provide power to your system, they also make up a lot of your cooling and surge protection, and trouble-shooting a bad power supply is a pain in the backside for the inexperienced. A few extra euro here can save a lot of money down the road.

First, thanks so much for the detailed reply

That website allows you to change parts around yourself before you order; are you advising that I replace the FX 4100 with an Intel I5 3570? Or are you advising a different computer with a similar system?
I honestly don't know what most of those numbers mean, so I really need you guy's help on this one. And whilst many of the games I play don't require much power, I'm going to be playing new ones in the future and I'd like this one to last me a while.

As for the RAM, would I have to literally "plug in the extra chips" or is that a metaphor? Like I said, I'm a terrible terrible computer engineer xD

 

[gattsuru]

That website allows you to change parts around yourself before you order; are you advising that I replace the FX 4100 with an Intel I5 3570? Or are you advising a different computer with a similar system?

The pre-designed PC list that you linked to has fairly limited options, and doesn't have any really good price points with an Intel processor. The Design Your Own PC page has more choices, including some Intel-based solutions that are fairly cheap. Going with the Intel Ivy Bridge options from the Design Your Own PC page will offer an I5-3570 for fairly little -- and while most games depend more on GPU than CPU, it's a lot harder and more expensive to upgrade the CPU later.

As for the RAM, would I have to literally "plug in the extra chips" or is that a metaphor? Like I said, I'm a terrible terrible computer engineer xD

RAM comes in physical sticks, which look like this. They're fairly easy to swap out, and require no configuration once they've been put in place, so even if you're not comfortable with more heavy-duty computer efforts, it's something that may be easy to do yourself. It is worth checking your motherboard manual for a compatibility list, since there are a couple different types (mostly DDR2 versus DDR3, in desktops).

 

[tehBlobLord]

Ok thanks
I can't shake the feeling that I'm in way over my head xD

EDIT: Ok, that thing you showed me is epic. I've got basically everything I could ever need on this, but the problem is that a lot of the choices were based on guesswork and the assumption that pricier is better.

I ended up with this

Spoiler

Computer Case Black ATX Tower Case
CPU Intel i5 3570 - (4 x 3.4 GHZ) - Ivy Bridge - (Free Hitman Sniper Game)
CPU Heatsink Intel Heatsink & Fan - Low Noise
Memory Corsair 4GB XMS3 PC3-12800 1600MHz (1x4GB) - Lifetime Warranty (DDR3)
Graphics Card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 - 1 GB - (GAINWARD) - (PCI-E) (FREE ASSINSSINS CREED III GAME & £50 Game Credit)
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-B75M-D3H (Intel B75) - VGA/DVI/HDMI
Sound Card Motherboard Integrated HD Sound
Networking Motherboard Integrated Ethernet Lan (Broadband Ready)
Power Supply 700W PSU
CPU Compound Standard CPU Compound Supplied With Heatsink
Case Fans Fans Included With Case
Hard Drive #1 1 TB Seagate (1000 GB) SATA-III HDD 7200 RPM 64MB
Optical Drive #1 Samsung 24x DVD/CD Re-Writer/Reader - Black - (SATA)
Operating System #1 Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 BIT (Genuine DVD & COA Included)
Security Software FREE - Webroot AntiVirus 2013 (1 Year - 1 PC License) - FREE FOR ORDERS PLACED BEFORE 17/06/13
Backup Software 1-Click Recovery System - Image Backup - Original O/S DVD
Games FREE - Fifa Manager 08 & Premier Manager 09
DVD Playback Software FREE - CyberLink PowerDVD 10
DVD/CD Burning Software FREE - Nero V12 - NEW
Monitor #1 21.5" HD LED Widescreen Monitor - Black - 5ms - 1920x1080 - DVI/VGA
Keyboard Logitech (K120) Keyboard Slim with Full Keys - Spill Resistant - (USB)
Speakers Standard 2.0 Speakers - Black
Headphones Razer Electra Essential Gaming / Music Headset with MIC
Free Gift FREE - WebCam
Monitor Cables & Adapters FREE - DVI Port to VGA Monitor Port Adapter
Gaming Mouse Razer Abyssus Mirror - Gaming Mouse - DPI 3500 - 3 Buttons - (USB)

Warranty Service

3 Years Return To Base
- 1 Year Parts Warranty
- 3 Years Labour Warranty
- 1 Year Collect & Return
- Manufacturers Warranty

Support Service

3 Years Customer Care
- E-Mail Support
- Phone Support
- Live Help Support
- Remote Access

Production Service

Build Time - Standard (9 Working Days)

Shipping Service

France
Standard - 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM

System Tuning

Operating System Tuning - Windows 7
- Disable non-crucial services - Tweak system properties

Vat:
Grand Total Inc Vat: £ 699.70
£ 0.00
£ 40.00
£ 145.94
£ 875.64

Also, assuming this link works, here it is:
http://www.computerplanet.co.uk/custom/intel-sandy-bridge/step6.html#
I doubt it will though.

Please could you tell me if anything I put here is unnecessary, over expensive, faulty, etc ?
Thanks

 

[gattsuru]

Operating system tuning is always a terrible deal, especially with more modern OS. There's not terribly many things you need to tweak, what matters will depend on game, and lists are available online.

I've never really found gaming mice/keyboards -- at least unless you use the ones with macros and bizarre numbers of buttons -- terribly useful, but you know your needs there better than I can. You may also be able to do better elsewhere on the monitor, although it's not a terrible deal.

Other than that, looks good. You'll probably want to look at another stick or two of (DDR3 12800-rated) RAM by the time you're looking seriously at Planetside 2, but it's cheaper to add yourself than let the site handle. The only other question is GPU, but they won't let you add in most useful replacements, and doing it yourself is not the first do-it-yourself upgrade path I'd recommend for those uncomfortable with computer internals.

 

[tehBlobLord]

Operating system tuning is always a terrible deal, especially with more modern OS. There's not terribly many things you need to tweak, what matters will depend on game, and lists are available online.

I've never really found gaming mice/keyboards -- at least unless you use the ones with macros and bizarre numbers of buttons -- terribly useful, but you know your needs there better than I can. You may also be able to do better elsewhere on the monitor, although it's not a terrible deal.

Other than that, looks good. You'll probably want to look at another stick or two of (DDR3 12800-rated) RAM by the time you're looking seriously at Planetside 2, but it's cheaper to add yourself than let the site handle. The only other question is GPU, but they won't let you add in most useful replacements, and doing it yourself is not the first do-it-yourself upgrade path I'd recommend for those uncomfortable with computer internals.

Thanks, I was worried I'd cheaped out too much on some of the other things to make up for the graphics card (the site recommended a powerful one for gaming).
Looking back I'm probably going to mess with the accessories and stuff to lower the price a little and I might up the monitor quality, just generally fine-tune things a little
I'm really grateful for your help in this.