best place to buy pre-built gaming pc

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Jooce

8 posts

Wannabe Geek
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#268153 2-Mar-2020 15:08

Hi all, i have been out of the pc gaming scene since ps4 released a few years back.

the last gaming pc i purchased was in 2012 from computer lounge and then upgraded again in 2015 using computer lounge.

back then they had a great reputation for gaming pc's and seemed to be well respected amongst enthusiasts, i would go on their forum (which is now shutdown)

ask a few questions and one of their staff would reply fast and make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

anyway 5 years later i am getting told that PB tech is the place to go.. i always thought PB tech was the same as harvey norman as far as gaming pc's were concerned and only

an idiot would buy from them but i have heard from a few different people they are really good and there website seems to have alot of reasonably spec'd pcs.

So what would you guys reccomend? i am looking at spending around 2k for a pre-built system and i am trying to re-learn about the new GPU's, CPU's, SSD's etc etc..

any help would be appreciated :)

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8 posts

Wannabe Geek
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#2430143 2-Mar-2020 15:10

further more i am looking at playing games like post scriptum, squad, hell let loose, age of empires 4 when that comes out.

so need a system that will smash the unreal 4 engine! thanks again

xpd

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#2430146 2-Mar-2020 15:20

PB are fine, but Computer Lounge are prob better option for latest gear but price comes with it, and Ive used Playtech multiple times as well.

Are you starting from scratch or have some gear such as keyboard/mouse/screen etc ?

XPD / Gavin

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Dugimodo

168 posts

Master Geek
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#2430155 2-Mar-2020 15:58

I'd still suggest computer lounge as well. PB tech is good locally in Hamilton but I've seen a few bad comments around about other branches. Both places will also build a PC to order if you want to choose the parts yourself.

Current bang for buck advice IMHO is:

Ryzen 5 3600

16GB DDR4 3200 RAM

An SSD for your OS

And the best Graphics card you can afford, what you need depends on the resolution and refresh rates you want.

3 good options in approximate order of price/performance are

2060 super great at 1080P

5700 XT great at 1440P

2070 super great at 1440P

SpartanVXL

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#2430156 2-Mar-2020 15:59

Pre-built or part picking for them to put together?

Pre-built off-the-shelf spec then pb have a few that are alright to pick up and go.

If you’re picking parts that you want then I believe all the retailers have some options (PB, Playtech, CL) so you can go with whoever gets you the best price. CL is still recommended here.

vexxxboy

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#2430229 2-Mar-2020 16:54

PC Force is another good site as they let you select a basic PC and then you can change things and see how much things cost , great if you have a budget . I used them for my sons PC and they were fine to deal with.

Common sense is not as common as you think.

Jooce

8 posts

Wannabe Geek
+1 received by user: 2

#2430242 2-Mar-2020 17:08

Hi All,

thanks for your help, I am looking at pre-built just the case and all the goodys I have a decent mouse,keyboard and average monitor I will look at upgrading in the near future.

thanks for the suggestions I will have a look around at the websites mentioned and come back if I have any questions :)

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Lias

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#2431464 2-Mar-2020 22:04

+1 for Computer Lounge over the rest, they specialize in gaming PC's, and whilst their aftersales/RMA support isn't always 100%, it's still better than anywhere else I've dealt with. There's a reason they keep getting voted the best in NZ.

PBTech are okay, and generally convenient being located around the country, but their sales are starting to get like Briscoes and their RMA support can be truly terrible.

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Jooce

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Wannabe Geek
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#2432594 4-Mar-2020 16:42

hey guys so i have found a 2nd hand system that looks pretty good and will save me some coin so i can upgrade my monitor.

here are the spec's below, buy now is $1250 can you give me your thoughts please.

Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-7700 CPU @ 4.20GHz
32.0 GB Ram
• Intel Kaby Lake i7 7700K 4.20GHz LGA 1151 Processor
• CPU Cooler Deepcool Ice Blade Pro V2 4 Heatpipes
• ASUS 2170 Pro Gaming ATX LGA1151 Motherboard
o Integrated Network
o Integrated Sound
• Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Founders Edition video card
• 4 x 8GB Adata DDR4 2133 PC4-17000 DIMM Lifetime wty
• 6TB Western Digital Black SATA3 3.5" 7200RPM 128MB
• Asus BW-16D1HT PRO 16x Siu-ray Writer
o Burning Software
• Silverstone Strider Plus 1000W Modular PSU - MEPS Co
• Fractal Design Define R5 USB3.0 Black Mid Tower Case

Lias

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#2432685 4-Mar-2020 18:32

Spec's aren't terrible other than appearing to lack an SSD, but there's no way I'd pay that much for it.

Dial111

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#2432764 4-Mar-2020 20:14

2-3 years ago that would be a $2k-$2.5k rig or thereabouts. I wouldn’t say the asking price is outrageous and not unreasonable considering second hand the CPU $400, GPU $350, PSU $250 add up to $1k give or take, but some of those parts are dated and/or add little value. If you can negotiate a lower buy now and update with an ssd and some faster ram you’d have a decent unit.

From memory that board only supports max speeds of 3200mhz which imo is the minimum standard today.

sqishy

530 posts

Ultimate Geek
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#2432778 4-Mar-2020 20:48

There are a lot on Trademe with i7-4770, 6770, 7xxxx all overpriced ! You really want an i7-8700 as a minimum or 'K' if you like to overclock.

I found the one you listed. Why not come up with a spec sheet then got to PBTech, DTC, Extreme, Playtech etc and play them all off each other - I would just email them.

You'll be amazed at price diff and what you can get.

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Dugimodo

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Master Geek
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#2432882 5-Mar-2020 06:57

Something sellers are not willing to price for is the fact that 7 series and earlier are end of life now that 6 and 8 core machines are common. Yes it will game very well and maybe for a few years yet but buying less than 6 cores is not something I'd recommend personally. The Ryzen 5 2600 is still around new for less than what you can normally find a 7700 for ($228 at pbtech) and I'd consider that a better deal than any 4 core machine.

Jooce

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Wannabe Geek
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#2432896 5-Mar-2020 08:12

Hi guys thanks very much for your advice. after a bit of deliberation I have decided to be patient and save up a bit more cash and just buy brand new.

thanks again very helpful

SpartanVXL

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#2432969 5-Mar-2020 10:14

Yup cpus have jumped since the intel 8xxx series and AMD ryzen bringing core count and performance up. Older gen very quickly went EoL.

And always have an ssd. No excuse nowadays by retailers, even consoles are getting them.

daunjan

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#2434610 8-Mar-2020 17:29

Hey,

Did you check the for sale part theres a I5 looks good... FS like-new gaming PC | 9th gen CPU | RTX 2070

... done by Computer lounge

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