Want to get into PC gaming, what PC should I buy?

[XxBroBuzzxX]

I'm trying to get into PC gaming, but I have no idea where to start. For one my current PC just flat out sucks. It can't even handle google pac-man without lagging. (2007 Dell inspiron laptop BTW) And I think it'd cost more to fix this one up then to buy a whole new PC. (Plus I hate laptops) But I have no idea what kind of PC to buy, and I'm on a tight budget. (around $400ish)

Anyone got suggestions?

[AmishSamurai]

Read through this thread

[XxBroBuzzxX]

Kind of bumping this topic...

Me and my friend were discussing this and he recommended me this comp and this video card. So now I'd like to get a second opinion before I buy.
BTW, I'm mainly just looking for a good desktop for general use like streaming, small gaming and recording.

[fastbilly1]

Why would you buy a 5450, when it comes with one?

What games are you looking to run?

[XxBroBuzzxX]

Why would you buy a 5450, when it comes with one?

What games are you looking to run?

It already comes with one? Maybe he misread it or something.

For games. Just some simple games like Minecraft, Portal, 1 and 2, Super Meat Boy and Crisis 2 in full 1080p (I wish )

(BTW I'm a huge PC Nub so I have no idea what most of the specs even mean )

[J T]

To learn how to read your specs, it's helpful to compare to system requirement lists.

One of the most demanding new releases is The Witcher 2 (which I'm really bummed about because my laptop can't handle it). Let's see how you would stack up.

Minimum:
OS: Windows XP/Vista/7
>You would have Windows 7 Home Premium 64, so you are fine here. You are fine with most games actually, but some older games don't work well with Windows 7 and more don't work well with 64 bit versions (even though they are technically better)

Processor: Intel 2.2 GHz Dual-Core or AMD 2.5 GHz Dual-Core
>You would have AMD Athlon II X2 255 3.1GHz with a Dual Core 64bit processor. More GigaHerz(GHz) means faster processing power. You're clearly fine here.

Memory: 1.5 GB (Win XP), 2GB (Win Vista/Win 7)
>You would have 4 GB. This is your RAM and allows room for tossing data around. More is better. It's hard to get by without at least 2GB these days.

Graphics: GeForce 8800 (512 MB) or Radeon HD3850 (512 MB)
>You would have ATI Radeon HD 5450, which is a better model than the HD3850. Cards tend to move sequentially in their numbers for what is better, but it's not always clear, especially if you are comparing across

DirectX®:
>You should be able to handle up to Direct X 11 on that graphics card, which is the latest version of Direct X graphics technology.

Hard Drive: 16GB
>You will have 1TB, which is 1000GB. More than enough room. Although, if you are a mega collector (which a few Steam holidays can easily lead to), then you will probably fill that 1TB before you know it.


Recommended:
OS: Windows XP/Vista/7
>Same as before.

Processor: Intel or AMD Quad-Core
>Yours is a dual core, so you fall a little shy here.

Memory: 3 GB (Win XP), 4GB (Win Vista/Win 7)
>This is exactly what you would have, so you are right on the cut off

Graphics: GeForce 260 (1 GB) or Radeon HD 4850 (1 GB)
>The recommended card is a better model than yours, so you would not be able to play The Witcher 2 on the highest settings.

Direct X:
>same

Hard Drive: 16GB
>Same



So, you can see that you have selected a pretty good system because it can handle one of the most currently high demanding games on the market, but it's not going to be able to play it as well as a more expensive top of the line system would, and in a few years it may not be able to handle new graphically intense games anymore.