Is it better to build/buy a gaming PC or just get a gaming laptop?
In 99.9% of the cases it's better to build your own PC. Building one is cheaper, gives more aesthetic options, has better options for upgrading, and you get to learn about the parts and what they do which serves you better later in life.Take my PC for example. I built a budget gaming PC for $500 with a GTX 1050 ti and an i3 6100. If I wanted to buy it straight from amazon it would cost around $600-$700. I saved myself $100-$200 just from building it, and also learned about how a computer works and now I'm able to share about the learning experience with other people.Don't think of getting a gaming laptop. Gaming laptops are overpriced, don't give enough performance, and are bulky and heavy. They provide a lot worse price to performance ratio than PC’s. If you want a laptop get a cheap laptop to use for work/school on the go. I'll compare here. MSI GL62M 7RD-265 This laptop has about the same specs as my PC, except the GPU being a GTX 1050 2gb and an i5 7300HQ. The GPU is going to be obsolete soon as at only has 2gb of VRAM. It performs worse than the 1050 ti and is more expensive because it's in a laptop. Now for processors. Intel Core i5-7300HQ vs. Intel Core i3-6100 As you can see the i3 6100 has a higher single core score, which is better for gaming. It has a worse multi core score which is to be expected since it's a dual core 4 thread processor. The reason why it's priced so high is because it has 32GB of RAM. The minimum RAM for gaming is around 8gb depending on the game. So as you can see, the gaming laptop that has around the same specs as my PC cost $400 more. Hope this should clear up that idea.So it really is better to build a PC. And don't even get me started about consoles. #PC master raceCheers
Building my pc...?
Of the 2, the Ryzen one is better. At this price point the main focus should be a strong GPU, and the 1050 Ti is a pretty significant upgrade from the 1050. The Ryzen CPU will also have better multi-core performance thanks to SMT (2 threads per core instead of 1 like the i5), but it will fall behind a bit in single-core performance. I would make a few changes though. -Replace the 1600X with a 1600. The 1600 comes with a stock cooler that's a bit better than the one on your list, and both will overclock to the same speed. -$230 for a 1050 Ti is ridiculous. Cryptocurrency mining has killed GPU prices, but you can probably find a better used option. Just from about 20 seconds of looking, I found a used GTX 970 for the same price as that 1050 Ti. https://www.ebay.com/itm/NVIDIA-GeForce-... It's a lot better. http://gpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Nvi... Also look into the GTX 980, R9 380/380X and R9 390/390X used. You'll probably find something better value than that 1050 Ti.
What build is better for a gaming PC?
The first one in every aspect.Newer and slightly stronger processor and significantly stronger GPU. Newer (DDR3 vs 4) ram and probably motherboard features as well.Both have solid state and hard drive storage.
Which PC build is better for photo & video editing, 2D & 3D sketching, rendering, and animating?
My budget max is $1000. Of course i’ll pay a little more if it is worth it.I'm open to suggestions that would save me money and give me more power, and what else do you recommend that would go well with this like monitors, cooling fans, operating system, etc... first time building a PC so let me know if i am missing anything.I'll be using photoshop, illustrator, indesign, animate, sketchbook pro, blender, and maya for now, but i plan on getting more programs after i get a grip on these first. Thank you i really appreciate it!Userbenchmark PC Build ComparisonBaseline Bench: Game 80%, Desk 127%, Work 90%CPU: Intel Core i5-8600K $260GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060-6GB $275SSD: Samsung 960 Evo NVMe PCIe M.2 250GB $128HDD: Seagate Barracuda 2TB (2016) $60RAM: HyperX Fury DDR4 2666 C15 2x8GB $75MBD: MSI Z370-A PRO (MS-7B48) $110Total: $908Alternative Bench: Game 73%, Desk 109%, Work 92%CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 1600X $220GPU: AMD RX 580 $230SSD: Samsung 960 Evo NVMe PCIe M.2 250GB $128HDD: Seagate Barracuda 2TB (2016) $60RAM: HyperX Fury DDR4 2666 C15 2x8GB $75MBD: MSI B350 TOMAHAWK (MS-7A34) $98Total: $811
Is this a good PC build?
Sorry, Intel Core i5-4690K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler Asus Z97-A ATX LGA1150 Motherboard Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory Western Digital Caviar Blue 320GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive Gigabyte GeForce GTX 960 2GB Video Card Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case EVGA 500W 80+ Certified ATX Power Supply Optical Drive Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer Asus Xonar DSX 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card
Is this a good $450 PC build?
For music production are you going to use the built-in motherboard sound? You might look at some 3rd party options later on down the road, if you can't get it now. What 3rd party sound cards mostly give you is better inputs ( 1/4", midi, optical...etc.) and some have upgraded outputs like built-in amps. For gaming you look ok, I'd prefer a different vid card on a budget but that one should be ok if this is a pre-built. The ram has me a little concerned if you are doing video editing. In 32-bit windows it doesn't matter because no program will be able to use all 4GBs.(background apps might still cause trouble) In 64-bit windows though the same programs use up more memory and can use much more than 4GB. With that in mind, 8GB should give you a better experience with video or photo editing. If that isn't a primary concern or you really need to stay at $450, 4GB will still get the job done.
Is it better/cheaper to build a gaming PC or purchase from a custom gaming PC manufacturer?
Pretty much as the other answers indicate but there are exceptions at the low end.Some of the not quite ‘ Bootiques’(like AWD IT)will throw together clearance parts (like a cheap AM 4 board, 4 core ryzen, 8 gb ram, gtx 1060 card, cheap 600 w power supply, case, etc and sell it to you without a drive and windows for 400 quid (adjust for your local similar outlet)Nothing is exceptional but with a small s.s.d. and an old drive you can save a few bob and most of the assembly is done. It will look a bit better than a store bought and cheaper, not a bad option at that budget level.(and I would trust ANY after market board and 30 quid power supply over whats in a dell.)