#  >  > Computers Can Be Fun >  >  > Computer News >  >  Gaming desktop advice please

## Dillinger

My son wants a fukking 3 grand gaming desktop for his birthday :Smile: 

I have other ideas.

Ive been looking at the entry level Alienware Aurora R8 from Dell at £799 then adding a better processor, graphics card and whatever after.

It looks like everything is a piece of piss to upgrade on that machine.

So, which components do I upgrade first and in what order please?
And what should I upgrade to?. I read the i9 is overkill.
And any other thoughts or  advice or better alternatives?

Thanks in advance


Heres the specs on basic R8

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## Fondles

What games does he play ?

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## Dillinger

Fortnite, GTA, Battlefield, Red dead redemption, anything that involves shooting and pillaging :Smile:

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## foobar

Dont buy pre-built, build your own from scratch.

Build it with your son, he will think you're a god.  :Smile:

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## Bettyboo

Wouldn't you go for a slightly better processor? i3, i5, i7, i9 don't always mean what they say; i.e. the core count, hyperthreading, etc, might end up making an i5 better than an i7.

- processor, start off with a good one, if you have a good cooling system then a i7 will be fine, but a fast i5 with hyperthreading can be good enough. No need for an i9, imho.
- RAM, 32GB is overkill (a friend of mine does gaming and he has an 8GB system he is happy with); best go for 16GB.
- graphics card, 560X is about as low as you'd wanna go (the RX 580 would be better)(the Vega 56 or 64 would get the job done really well).

I've specc'd one out for you $1695:

i5 9600k
GeForce RTX 2060
16 GB DDR4 RAM
256GB SSD + 1TB SATA (keep the games library in the SATA then transfer to the fast SSD when playing...)
Liquid Cooling 850w - the cooling will dramatically affect the processor speeds.
Killer x2 Fast LAN/bluetooth

&, Bob's your mom's brother...

Oh yeah, one final bit of advice for gaming = don't buy any of that shifter Apple stuff...

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## Dillinger

^ cheers mate.

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## Bettyboo

> ^ cheers mate.


You're very welcome. 

That'll be $1305 for the advice, I'll send the invoice over with the mutt (free)...

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## Dillinger

> That'll be $1305 for the advice,


Ok. Stick it on the final tab.
I havent finished with you yet.

These are the only options that come up. Why no i7 or i9 on there?

And whats the difference between these two i5s

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## David48atTD

^  Overclocking ...




> Before you learn how to overclock your CPU, there's a few basic  principles to get your head around. 
> The first one is heat. 
> Inevitably,  the more voltage you add to your components, the more heat that  component is going to produce.
> 
> Second, the higher the clock speed  you're trying to achieve, the more voltage you will need to power that  attempt. 
> Makes enough sense.
> 
> And thirdly, there's only so much voltage your PC part can take  before you start to see detrimental effects. 
> These could be a drop in  frame rates for GPUs, corrupting processes on the CPU, or even a failure  to boot at all.


https://www.techradar.com/au/how-to/...ur-cpu-1306573

No charge  :Smile:

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## baldrick

> And whats the difference between these two i5s


the K - usually means unlocked multiplier

you might find MSI to be better value for money than alienware

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## Jack meoff

You tight fucker, just get him what he wants :Smile:

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## bsnub

I build my own PC's and I always have. I would suggest that you and the boy do the same together as a family project. It really is not that hard to do. With regards to the gaming laptop stay away from them they are all overpriced shit. A proper desktop for gaming. 

I9 is a rip at this point. Betty's suggestions look pretty good but I would go i7 instead of i5 so I would take an i7 8700k. 

This is where Betty goes off the rails..




> Liquid Cooling 850w - the cooling will dramatically affect the processor speeds.


I have no idea what that is but it seams to me he is talking about two different things. Liquid cooling is not measured in watts but powersupply's are. LC will also not affect a processors speeds as long as it is not overheating. The only thing that can increase a processor's speed is by overclocking it. Something I do as an advanced user but it will not be something that will be of much benefit to your son. 

If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them Dilly.  :Smile:

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## baldrick

> I would suggest that you and the boy do the same together as a family project.


dill being in thailand and son in the UK means just buying a prebuilt gaming rigs is a better option

building your own PC is quite simple when you have done it numerous times or have pulled apart and upgraded machines

what will you suggest they do when they find the new processor and the mobo BIOS do not gel until the BIOS is upgraded ? this is a position I found myself in a couple of years ago , but I had the means and knowledge to resolve the issue

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## Dillinger

> I build my own PC's and I always have. I would suggest that you and the boy do the same together as a family project. It really is not that hard to do.


Itll be different in the US, cus you get your eletronics far cheaper, but reading on a UK site, the model- the cough £2,800 one, would cost more in the UK to build yourself.

Plus with Dell, you get a warranty and  they send a technician around your house if you really fuck it up :Smile: 

So we are going with the pre-built easily addable extras.






> If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them Dilly


Thanks :Smile: .first off will that basic set up even run games with an i3 processor? Should i upgrade it straight away to the 80 quid extra i5 or make him wait for a bit and get an i7?

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## baldrick

eyefive for games

the wording seems to indicate the K is already OC'd

the graphics card is a couple of generations old

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## David48atTD

> You tight fucker, just get him what he wants


Fuck that shite ... 3,000 Pounds ... that's my budget for a car!

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## Jack meoff

^ He is loaded mate, 3k is carry out change  :Smile:

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## Dillinger

> eyefive for games
> 
> the wording seems to indicate the K is already OC'd
> 
> the graphics card is a couple of generations old


Whats eyefive?

Do i need to underatand overclocking?

That graphics card will do for a bit, no? :Smile:

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## foobar

> Itll be different in the US, cus you get your eletronics far cheaper, but reading on a UK site, the model- the cough £2,800 one, would cost more in the UK to build yourself.


:......)

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## baldrick

this one looks suitable  :Smile: 

http://www.ukgamingcomputers.co.uk/zeus-extreme-sli-gaming-pc

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## nidhogg

> Fuck that shite ... 3,000 Pounds ... that's my budget for a car!


125,000 baht!  What????






My son had one custom built to his specs, and it was way cheaper than that.  My brother is a gamer and has some water cooled monster the size of a couple of suitcases - however he works.  Would suggest the same to you - he can blow 3K on a computer when he earns his own money.

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## Bettyboo

*And whats the difference between these two i5s*

The 9600k uses hyper-threading which effectively doubles the amount of cores (for applications that take advantage of it, as many/most,?, games do nowadays). The number crunching that I've seen averages at between 25%-40% faster for the threaded cores, but it's more complex than that, depending on application, etc - for a small amount of extra money it's worth it. 

Depending on the specific chip, recent intel's, as long as the system is well ventilated, run close to their max clock speed a lot of the time, especially i5s, whereas i7s might boost up and down very quickly; it all depends on the specific chip and implementation, but:

an Intel i5 6 core 6 threads is fast - should satisfy any game.

*These are the only options that come up. Why no i7 or i9 on there?*

My guess is country option - I looked at the US site. That i5 9600k will see you alright - it's a fast chip...

Look at it here, see all the i7s below it...

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## Dillinger

Fuck off Jack. :Smile: 

I used to get a fuckin cowboy suit or subutteo for my birthday. :Smile:

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## bsnub

> dill being in thailand and son in the UK means just buying a prebuilt gaming rigs is a better option


Ah I see. Didn't know that. 




> what will you suggest they do when they find the new processor and the mobo BIOS do not gel until the BIOS is upgraded ?


Not to buy that motherboard in the first place.  :Smile: 






> first off will that basic set up even run games with an i3 processor?


No stay away from that i3 it is shit. 




> Should i upgrade it straight away to the 80 quid extra i5 or make him wait for a bit and get an i7?


Get the i5 9600k for the extra 170 quid. That is actually a very good processor. Can you upgrade the graphics card as well because the one it comes with is shit?

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## Dillinger

are you charging per paragraph.




> an Intel i5 6 core 6 threads is fast - should satisfy any game


Thats all you needed to write mate: and all I'm gonna pay you for)

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## bsnub

> this one looks suitable
> 
> http://www.ukgamingcomputers.co.uk/z...-sli-gaming-pc


Funny but not helpful. This is worth a look has all the features we mentioned....

https://www.ukgamingcomputers.co.uk/erebus-i7-gaming-pc

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## foobar

Lay off the cambo bricklayers for a spell and just get him the £3k Alienware ..its the least you can do.

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## Dillinger

> Ah I see. Didn't know that.


I thought Dimebar's God remark might have gave it away :Smile:

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## Jack meoff

Where is Butters when you need him?  :Smile:

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## bsnub

> I thought Dimebar's God remark might have gave it away


Look at the link I put up. That will be a far more suitable gaming PC for the money than that dell shit.

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## bsnub

> Where is Butters when you need him?


Buttplug still runs XP and knows fuck all about computers. He should stick to what he knows...

..Sucking ladyboy cock.  :Smile:

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## Dillinger

> Lay off the cambo bricklayers for a spell and just get him the £3k Alienware ..its the least you can do


 This thred is for computer advice...Mumsnet is your place  if you like giving out parenting advice, Nobber :Smile:

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## baldrick

> This is worth a look


no mention of the brand for the SSD or graphics card - you don't want shenzen gold happy lucky rhino penis

and win10 ready indicates no OS - so another few dollars required

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## foobar

Get him what he wants, don't be so tight.

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## Dillinger

> this one looks suitable 
> 
> http://www.ukgamingcomputers.co.uk/z...-sli-gaming-pc


10 grand :Smile: 





> Funny but not helpful. This is worth a look has all the features we mentioned....
> 
> https://www.ukgamingcomputers.co.uk/erebus-i7-gaming-pc


That looks more like it  :tumbs:

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## baldrick

he probably wants a bricklayer - like his dad  :Smile:

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## Dillinger

> Get him what he wants, don't be so tight.


 Its no good spoiling kids. They grow into bellends. I bet you had the ZX Spectrum when it first came out :Smile:

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## Jack meoff

^^ :St George:

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## foobar

^^Better to beat them with coat hangers so they turn out great eh?  :Smile:  ....and will free up lots of cash for cambo bricklayers.

win/win

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## bsnub

> That looks more like it


That is the winner Dilly. It has all the proper specs just make sure that you have them add windows and a wifi card if he needs that. But all the configs on that one are good. Your little lad will be over the top when that thing shows up.  :Smile:

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## Dillinger

^ Cold weekend in the UK fellas? 

Anyone fancy taking my son to Alton Towers? :Smile:

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## baldrick

> That is the winner Dilly.


except with monitor and win10 is it 1800 squids - and another 50 for KB and mouse

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## Dillinger

> That is the winner Dilly. It has all the proper specs just make sure that you have them add windows and a wifi card if he needs that. But all the configs on that one are good. Your little lad will be over the top when that thing shows up


 Cheers Snubby, sorted :Smile:

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## Dillinger

> another 50 for KB


Is that like an LB? He's not ready for those yet mate.

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## foobar

Yes, its so bland looking with none of those cool alien logos ...hes going to love it.  :Smile:

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## baldrick

> Is that like an LB? He's not ready for those yet mate.


chinese copy - a bit smaller than normal and breaks easliy

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## Dillinger

> Yes, its so bland looking with none of those cool alien logos ...hes going to love it


The Alienware  is lame looking compared to that Erebus, Mother of Darkness. 


Talking of Mothers



 :Smile:

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## foobar

> The Alienware  is lame looking compared to that Erebus, Mother of Darkness.


It's more Jebus than Erebus ...it's only missing the dove logo.

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## baldrick

you can get different cases - another 200 and he could have the coolermaster cosmos

or maybe the gamemax abyss is more to your taste ?

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## lom

> you might find MSI to be better value for money than alienware


Seconded, MSI not only makes very good motherboard but also some of the best value for money gaming computers.

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## Bettyboo

> 1
> 
> That looks more like it


That looks fine, missing some stuff like a wireless card (they're cheap, but silly not to spec it in...); you might want to upgrade the fan and box /cooling system if your son plays stuff like Assassin's Creed/Battlefield for long periods.

The processor is certainly good, but overkill, imho; doubt you'd see any real world increases/advantages over the i5 9600k playing games. The GPU is also on the upper end, but for gaming that's not a bad area for over-speccing.

I should imagine the Alienware brand does carry some prestige for your youngster - could always ask him... There are a lot of good options out there; I reckon the Alienware, MSI and the ugly looking one, Eros or something..., are all good options.

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## bsnub

> I should imagine the Alienware brand does carry some prestige for your youngster


It did ten years ago now it is total trash as the company was bought out by Dell years ago.

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## David48atTD

My kids are good playing space invaders on their refurbished 7" tablets ... Happy Days   :Smile:

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## baldrick

> space invaders


gateway drug  :Smile:

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