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Gaming PC Recomendation

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  • 27-12-2020 11:45pm
    #1
    Laura_Ham
    Registered Users Posts: 13 ✭


    Hi all

    My 8yo would love a gaming pc for his birthday and I haven't a clue where to start.

    He already has a monitor and keyboard and mouse. Budget is around €400.

    Any recommendations?


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    #2
    JoyPad
    Registered Users Posts: 1,703 ✭✭✭JoyPad


    At that age, it would be better to get a console. Best games for pre-teens are on Nintendo.
    My son was lucky enough to grow up with the Wii. From about 6 until 11, he's enjoyed a lot of Mario et co, great games for that age bracket.


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    #3
    Laura_Ham
    Registered Users Posts: 13 ✭Laura_Ham


    JoyPad wrote: »
    At that age, it would be better to get a console. Best games for pre-teens are on Nintendo.
    My son was lucky enough to grow up with the Wii. From about 6 until 11, he's enjoyed a lot of Mario et co, great games for that age bracket.

    Thanks for reply.

    He's got the consoles and now wants to start a bit of pc gaming so looking for a budget friendly recommendation.


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    #4
    Citrus_8
    Registered Users Posts: 1,163 ✭✭✭Citrus_8


    Laura_Ham wrote: »
    Thanks for reply.

    He's got the consoles and now wants to start a bit of pc gaming so looking for a budget friendly recommendation.
    For 400 Euro you'd get a worse PC than a console for same price, unfortunately. Currently PC part prices are the highest I can remember due to high demand and supply issues. Just a decent GPU itself would cost from 200 (but more likely 250) Euro. What size (inch) and resolution is the monitor? It very much depends of what GPU should be going with it. Also, what games PC would be used to play?


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    #5
    Laura_Ham
    Registered Users Posts: 13 ✭Laura_Ham


    Citrus_8 wrote: »
    For 400 Euro you'd get a worse PC than a console for same price, unfortunately. Currently PC part prices are the highest I can remember due to high demand and supply issues. Just a decent GPU itself would cost from 200 (but more likely 250) Euro. What size (inch) and resolution is the monitor? It very much depends of what GPU should be going with it. Also, what games PC would be used to play?

    Hi there, these are the specs for the monitor

    27in LED display.
    Curved.
    Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels.
    Full HD Display.
    75Hz refresh rate.
    4 ms response time.
    Brightness 250cd/m2.
    Contrast ratio 100000000:1.
    Pixel pitch 0.31mm.
    Built-in speakers.

    The games will be fortnite, among us and minecraft mainly.

    Thanks


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    #6
    Citrus_8
    Registered Users Posts: 1,163 ✭✭✭Citrus_8


    Laura_Ham wrote: »
    Hi there, these are the specs for the monitor

    27in LED display.
    Curved.
    Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels.
    Full HD Display.
    75Hz refresh rate.
    4 ms response time.
    Brightness 250cd/m2.
    Contrast ratio 100000000:1.
    Pixel pitch 0.31mm.
    Built-in speakers.

    The games will be fortnite, among us and minecraft mainly.

    Thanks
    Oh dear, 1080p for 27 inch isn't the greatest idea. Normally 1080p should be used on the 25inch max as 1080p on the bigger screens lose a picture quality so 27inch would better require a 1440p resolution.

    Luckily, games above aren't very needy regarding the system requirements.

    I'm sure the minimum for a gaming pc nowadays should be spent around 1000 Euro. But maybe someone else will come up with better ideas, eg., buy a used pc.


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    #7
    K.O.Kiki
    Registered Users Posts: 18,707 ✭✭✭✭K.O.Kiki


    The used market is your best bet.

    e.g. https://www.adverts.ie/desktops/gaming-and-multimedia-mini-pc/22497171


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    #8
    JoyPad
    Registered Users Posts: 1,703 ✭✭✭JoyPad


    Citrus_8 wrote: »
    I'm sure the minimum for a gaming pc nowadays should be spent around 1000 Euro. But maybe someone else will come up better ideas, eg., buy a used pc.

    How about buying a desktop PC for now, and turn it into a gaming PC later, by adding a GPU?

    An Intel Core i3 10100 with integrated graphics, motherboard, RAM, PSU, case, and a 500Gb SATA SSD would cost around 400 euro.
    This would work as a desktop PC, for homework, web browsing, watching YouTube and Netflix, maybe even run Minecraft.

    Adding a GPU would cost an extra 200 euro, turning the machine into a proper gaming PC. Maybe add a SATA HDD for extra disk space, to store more games.


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    #9
    Citrus_8
    Registered Users Posts: 1,163 ✭✭✭Citrus_8


    JoyPad wrote: »
    How about buying a desktop PC for now, and turn it into a gaming PC later, by adding a GPU?

    An Intel Core i3 10100 with integrated graphics, motherboard, RAM, PSU, case, and a 500Gb SATA SSD would cost around 400 euro.
    This would work as a desktop PC, for homework, web browsing, watching YouTube and Netflix, maybe even run Minecraft.

    Adding a GPU would cost an extra 200 euro, turning the machine into a proper gaming PC. Maybe add a SATA HDD for extra disk space, to store more games.
    Maybe, but that means sticking to Intel while in the next at least few years AMD is the king (best price per performance ratio). Old Intel are ok, but to convert an old Intel PC to a gaming PC you'd also need to change a motherboard to match it with a new CPU as technology will change. PSU most likely will also need to be changed to keep it up for a new GPU. Basically, if buying an old PC, better to think that after some time you'd need to spend again to buy a totally new build PC for gaming as main parts from old PC won't be compatible.


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    #10
    Jo Satan
    Registered Users Posts: 160 ✭✭Jo Satan


    I would guess that the only reason an 8 year old would want to game on a pc is to mod minecraft.
    Hi res graphics and FPS are not really going to be an issue.

    I would look at AWD-IT and Palicomp for their PC of the week deals and edit them to suit your budget.

    Personally I think the best bang for buck for that age group would be an Oculus Quest 2.

    I got one and my 9 year old is playing Among Us VR and Minecraft VR, she thinks it is amaaaazing.


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    #11
    JoyPad
    Registered Users Posts: 1,703 ✭✭✭JoyPad


    Citrus_8 wrote: »
    Maybe, but that means sticking to Intel while in the next at least few years AMD is the king (best price per performance ratio). Old Intel are ok, but to convert an old Intel PC to a gaming PC you'd also need to change a motherboard to match it with a new CPU as technology will change. PSU most likely will also need to be changed to keep it up for a new GPU. Basically, if buying an old PC, better to think that after some time you'd need to spend again to buy a totally new build PC for gaming as main parts from old PC won't be compatible.

    Sorry, but I disagree. With a decent GPU, this system will definitely last a few years of Minecraft and Fortnite. By the time the user is a teenager, he will want a new PC anyway. Buying second hand is a risky proposition.

    With the AMD king as it is, what can you buy for 400 euro to use today and upgrade within a month or two?


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    #12
    Citrus_8
    Registered Users Posts: 1,163 ✭✭✭Citrus_8


    JoyPad wrote: »
    Sorry, but I disagree. With a decent GPU, this system will definitely last a few years of Minecraft and Fortnite. By the time the user is a teenager, he will want a new PC anyway. Buying second hand is a risky proposition.

    With the AMD king as it is, what can you buy for 400 euro to use today and upgrade within a month or two?
    At the time you want to add a new GPU on a current build, that old PC would be so outdated that a CPU would probably be needed to be upgraded too. And kids grow fast, so when they're teenagers, they most likely will want to play something more demanding. A new PC build for that would be best after a few years, rather than using an existing build for upgrades.



    You can upgrade a new PC build after a few years, but an old PC upgrade after a few years will be complicated due to compatibility issues, otherwise one part with another create a bottleneck.


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    #13
    JoyPad
    Registered Users Posts: 1,703 ✭✭✭JoyPad


    Citrus_8 wrote: »
    At the time you want to add a new GPU on a current build, that old PC would be so outdated that a CPU would probably be needed to be upgraded too. And kids grow fast, so when they're teenagers, they most likely will want to play something more demanding. A new PC build for that would be best after a few years, rather than using an existing build for upgrades.

    You can upgrade a new PC build after a few years, but an old PC upgrade after a few years will be complicated due to compatibility issues, otherwise one part with another create a bottleneck.

    You probably didn't read what I wrote: I was talking about a few months, not a few years. If you add a GPU within the next month or two, this PC will (a) still be new, not old, and (b) will play the games for 8-12 years old.


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    #14
    Citrus_8
    Registered Users Posts: 1,163 ✭✭✭Citrus_8


    JoyPad wrote: »
    You probably didn't read what I wrote: I was talking about a few months, not a few years. If you add a GPU within the next month or two, this PC will (a) still be new, not old, and (b) will play the games for 8-12 years old.
    I don't think a person who buy a PC for 400 Euro would be looking to spend more to change a GPU after a few months. Logically thinking, better is to get PC now and use it with a chance to upgrade after a few years, not months. You can, of course, it's just not rational.


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    #15
    Homelander
    Registered Users Posts: 4,412 ✭✭✭Homelander


    No offense but you are waffling a bit and making a simple situation complex. Borderline trolling even.

    The i3-10100 would be fine for now, and the integrated GPU would run Minecraft and Among Us fine, Fortnite even at 720p low-ish settings.

    In a few months, buy a GPU - even a €130 GTX1650 would run Fortnite at ultra at 1080p.

    For someone that age the CPU isn't going to be an issue for years...and years. That CPU is around the level of Ryzen 3300X.

    Your options are either what JoyPad suggested - which makes perfect sense - or what KOKiki suggested, buy 2nd hand. Either is fine.

    I mean he is 8. You can get a PC for €300 2nd hand that would run all those games at high settings just fine.


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