Looking for a Computer - Prebuilt ok gaming machine

[Greatscott]

First, let me throw out that I am a computer geek, and I have built more than my fair share of machines. With that, I have not kept up on the latest and greatest trends in computing, and really do not have the time it invest in a deep dive into the subject.

My current machine is a HP Omen, and aside from it having a tiny SSD (my fault), it has served me fairly well. I have been able to play higher end games, as well as run Fusion 360 with no issues. Sadly, it is an older machine that is running Win10, and is not compatible with Win11 due to the processor security requirements. This machine will not go to waste, it will be used to run my laser engraver/cutter.

I am looking for a reasonable gaming machine, and, if possible, would like to keep the cost under $1500. Sure, I can afford more, but I really don't want to spend more. I have been looking at all of the usual suspects, HP Omen 35L, Alienware, Acer, etc...

Do you have any suggestions?

 

[svt923]

Not super into the computer spec stuff but I built a new system last year that is mainly for 1440p gaming and I have been happy with it.

Based on my amateur knowledge, anything leftover from a recognizable brand with an AMD 7 series processor and Nvidia 40 series graphics card (4070 or higher) is going to be the best value to performance. Intel processors have premature dying issues in the last few generations of their higher end stuff so probably best to avoid those. My system is a 14th gen Core I5 and I assume it is on borrowed time even though the I5s aren't as likely to die as the I7s and I9s. Graphics card availibility sucks right now so that may limit your choices.

 

[bgredjeep]

I've got an msi gaming laptop (GS63 Stealth 8RE) that I've been using as my primary pc. It's about 7yrs old now but its been trouble free other than the battery taking a dump. I did upgrade to windows 11 a while back and still good to go. I would have no issue buying a current model from msi when the time comes.

These days, fusion is about all I use my personal computer for. A gaming machine is a bit overkill, but spending a little more up front means it's got enough power to not be garbage in a year or 2.

 

[Bertman82]

In short, the higher end GPU market is a mess, the only one's that are in stock are from scalpers who want double the MSRP. Nvidia released their new 50xx series cards, but didn't make enough and the release went as smooth as ex-lax. AMD gfx cards can still be found, but who knows for how long.

CPU's are trending towards AMD because the past couple generations of Intel have had some issues. Not a high percentage, but enough to raise concerns. Plus AMD switched to the AM5 socket, and should stick with that for another 3-4+ years.

Honestly, the gfx card could be the deciding factor, if you can find a pre-built w/ a decent card, that may be the way to go.

 

[Deerhurst]

Why bother upgrading/building a machine just to run Win11?

I could rant about how much I hate Fusion for days. It is pretty lightweight as it heavily relies on an internet connection. Its so lightweight work runs it on mac....and it runs very poorly even compared to Solidworks 2019 on a 10 year old Dell desktop with a 4th gen quad core i7 and a FirePro W5000. Anyways, I wont get into a Fusion rant past get a better CAD suite. Free options out there that dont suck are out there.

That said, Id keep your current machine and not worry about win11 unless you need more horsepower. My "old" Asus Tuf Gaming Laptop, i5 10300h, 1650Ti, 16GB RAM, runs Solidworks 2021 just fine. It doesnt handle modern AA games such as Staller 2. Well, it does, barely, for about 30 minutes before it has to thermal throttle which is not a fault of the hardware but of Asus with crappy cooling.

I built my last desktop in December and Im into it about $1300 with a MSI curved 1440p monitor (180hz, 0.5ms), Redragon K618 Pro keyboard and case. It has an AsRock B650m Pro RS Wifi motherboard, AMD Ryzen 7 7700X CPU, 32GB Team Group RAM, 850w PSU, 6x ARGB Fans, Sama 240mm water cooler, 1TB Sansung 990 EVO M.2 SSD and a MSI Ventus RTX4070 OC E1 2X. This is the only machine in my house that doesnt run Linux.

Currently building a machine for the wife with the wife. Old school hand me down hardware. Danger Den Tower 21 case, Gigabyte B460m mobo, 16GB RAM, 1TB Team Group M.2 SSD, random 400w PSU, Gigabyte 1650 Super, Intel i5 10400f. Id trust that machine to run CAD just fine and its probably lower/older spec than your Omen.


As said above, the GPU market is a disaster. If you want to go Nvidia the RTX4070 is a really good sweet spot for power vs price vs efficency. Basically RTX3080 performance at less than 2/3 the power consumption. Much above a 4070 the price really jumps. The RTX50 series is one Ill skip completely. Not enough performance gain from the RTX40 series, mostly a software upgrade and very little hardware. The new AMD 9070 is supposed to be good or at least not hated as much as the RTX50 series.

The Intel GPUs look promising for the money. I wouldnt hesitate going Intel GPU if I didnt want Nvidia or a more powerful GPU than Intel makes.

The AM5 socket covers the Zen 4 and Zen 5 generations and probably at least one more. AMD CPUs are very capible and often have a good but of headroom for overclock and undervolt leading to more "free" performance. Keep them cool enough and they will run at their boost speed as long as you can keep them crunching numbers.


If you must get a new machine I do recommend building unless you must have a laptop. For laptops Lenovo Leigon seems to be the best bang for the buck. IMHO, Alienware is over hyped junk. Ive never had a good experiance when I worked in a computer shop. That was a while back but has left a lasting impression. HP isnt what I call great build quality. Definately built to a pricepoint. I am an Asus fanboy but cannot currently back them with crappy CS and hardware.

 

[Greatscott]

Thanks for the input guys. Sadly, was hoping to find someone that had recently bought a prebuilt that would share their experiences with it.

No, not getting a machine just to run Windows 11, and I will be using my existing computer in the garage to run my laser engraver/cutter off of.

 

[Deerhurst]

Thanks for the input guys. Sadly, was hoping to find someone that had recently bought a prebuilt that would share their experiences with it.

No, not getting a machine just to run Windows 11, and I will be using my existing computer in the garage to run my laser engraver/cutter off of.

What software runs your laser? If it's just lightburn you don't need much hardware.

Only people I know that have been buying pre-built have been gaming desktops and the list of trips back to the manufacturer for issues is pretty large. They have had every component replaced but the CPU and Mobo under warranty and are now saying screw it, I'll just buy a new mobo and swap it in to see if that's the issue.

 

[Greatscott]

Hopefully no one takes offense to this...

You guys would make wonderful engineers. You tell me what I already know and you give me what I didn't ask for.

With that, I am going to check out a couple of the local PC shops in the area. I prefer to buy local if I can, and I am guessing I will get more machine for the money.

 

[Deerhurst]

You'll probably pay inflated prices by trying to buy from a local retailer or builder.

Online is going to be best for prices unfortunately. The small builders will be paying the same as you would for hardware and charging to put it together. even stores like best buy will often be more expensive than a retailer without a brick and mortar overhead.

I used to work in that "field".

 

[durok]

I always built my own until the nVidia/AMD GPU pricing uptick began a while back - system builders still get them at such bargain princes I went with an Origin PC last time and just added some M2 SSDs until I had it to my liikng. Unfortunately with GPU prices still being so high, even a mid-range gaming complete starts at about $2000 right now.