Okay, my son wants either a Gaming Laptop or to convert our PC to a gaming PC, mainly for FPS’s.
I am not the right person for this, but I have a couple of questions to those of you that I think may be able to help me out.
THanks
With My limited knowledge I can say it is always easier to upgrade a PC than a Laptop because all the components are individual where Laptops have stuff integrated into the board.
More than likely the only thing you would keep from a 10 year old PC would be the case and maybe the PSU depending on the size.
A gaming pc is normally cheaper to build than buying a gaming laptop.
If portability is important go laptop.
Most laptops aren’t upgradeable with ease if at all.
If you do get the laptop buy one with the highest specs possible so it will play games longer before you have to buy another one due to specs.
I am answering this based on the fact that I have had this issue in the past, and made a few mistakes I wish I would have known about prior to.
Based on your estimate of 10 years old, it’d be cheaper at this point to purchase a new PC versus upgrading the existing components. If you replace one thing, you’ll end up replacing other parts. In the end, you’ll have a Frankenstein build that’ll cost you just as much as a basic new one.
If you do decide to upgrade the existing PC, posting the specs would help us determine where your weak spots and bottlenecks are. But, and I refer to my previous answer, you’re better off retiring the old one (if it is indeed that old).
Laptops really aren’t designed for intense gaming. Especially with the way games are progressing now, it’s getting harder for manufacturers to keep up with the specs required to run the newer games it’s harder to keep up with replacement parts, even if they can be replaced. By the time you purchase one with the right specs, it will be obsolete within a few years, and upgrading a laptop isn’t easy.
It is always easier to upgrade a desktop PC. It is also a wiser investment, seeing as you can upgrade the system over time, rather than just purchasing a new one.
Example: Back in 2010, I purchased an Asus G73JH-A1 for about $1,700 at the time. Thought it was a great purchase, had some amazing specs. However, within a few years it could no longer run some of the newer games, and due to the video card being built into the motherboard, I would have to replace the entire laptop essentially. I also built a PC around the same time, for about 1/2 the cost. I still have it, and it’s still running. However, because of the ability to fully customize it to whatever I want, I have been able to keep it running and up to date for the newest games.
TL/DR: It’s a better investment for you and your Son if you purchase a desktop PC over a laptop due to cost and longevity of the system.
Have you considered one of the new Steam Machines?
Not even sure what they are.
He may limit himself. Not sure you can get EA Origin on a steam machine. So no Battlefield, Battlefront, etc.
I’ll post the specs tonight when I get home, all I know for sure is the network card is only 100.
Actually I don’t want him to have portability with it. I just considered it depending which was easier or smarter to do. He’s 12 and although he does play a lot of games, he also loses interest fast. I don’t want to go crazy for something he will barely use in 6 months.
Easiest choice is to just get a pre-built from newegg.com or something. If its 10 yrs old there is nothing you can use from it. Except for maybe the case. But i would just get a new one as the new ones will have USB3 ports on them.
Do you have a budget in mind on what you would like to spend?
I don’t really have a budget in mind, but I’d like to go the minimum for this first one. If it seems to be worth the cash and gets its use, then I’d consider spending more and upgrading.
I was wrong it’s 6 years old.
this is what I know
Processor - AMD II X3 445 3.10 Ghz
RAM - 4 GB
System - 64 bit
I don’t know how to look anything else up.