Gaming computer?

[NYBF]

My son has a birthday coming up. He has asked everyone in the family for cash so he can buy a gaming laptop. He plays nothing that would requires anything powerful. But he's got a couple rich friends, they asked their parents for gaming computers for Christmas, and they got them. I've been trying to talk him out of it, but he seems hellbent on it.

I've got a couple questions. Is there an inexpensive laptop or desktop that you would recommend? Maybe something that's expandable if he gets more serious about it or starts playing games that require more power?

What about building one? I've never built a PC before, but I'm not techtarded. How difficult would that be? Could that be a good father / son project for us to work on?

What are some things I should be looking for when we're shopping?

[Rocker]

A budget conscious, decent rig can be built for around 7-800 bucks. You're still on the hook for peripherals (monitor, mouse, keyboard, etc). Can be put together on a weekend no problem.

Laptops are going to be more expensive due to their portability on the average of a few bills vs a comparable desktop; but some of the small form factor chassis out there can just as easily be thrown in a backpack and since most current video cards use HDMI, if he's going to a buddy's house he'd still be able to rock and roll.

The desktop setup I just bought myself was about 1200, but a nice chunk of that was in the monitor; and will run just about anything out there quite easily.

RAM and a dedicated video card are going to be the things he cares most about.

Outsider is probably another good source. PM me if you want to discuss details about anything.

[NYBF]

Thanks. Mouse is already taken care of because that was part of his Christmas gift. Seeing the cost of that made my head spin. It's a freaking mouse! But I get it. When I was just a couple years older than him and had my first job, I spent far more on even dumber ****.

[A Man's Part]

You'll get way better bang for your buck out of a desktop. Putting one together isn't hard. Just make sure you take proper precautions against esd.

[Crocaneers]

Watch the HDMI port. There usually are two different sizes and styles least the work side, we scramble for who has a dongle to connect.

Also look to get something expandable

[terrytate]

You'll get way better bang for your buck out of a desktop. Putting one together isn't hard. Just make sure you take proper precautions against esd.

This. Making a good gaming laptop is difficult and that makes them expensive. Powerful gaming components need a lot of power and generate a lot of heat when under load, stuffing all of that into a laptop and then trying to keep it cool is rough.

[The Outsider]

A budget conscious, decent rig can be built for around 7-800 bucks. You're still on the hook for peripherals (monitor, mouse, keyboard, etc). Can be put together on a weekend no problem.

Laptops are going to be more expensive due to their portability on the average of a few bills vs a comparable desktop; but some of the small form factor chassis out there can just as easily be thrown in a backpack and since most current video cards use HDMI, if he's going to a buddy's house he'd still be able to rock and roll.

The desktop setup I just bought myself was about 1200, but a nice chunk of that was in the monitor; and will run just about anything out there quite easily.

RAM and a dedicated video card are going to be the things he cares most about.

Outsider is probably another good source. PM me if you want to discuss details about anything.

Honestly, depending on what the kid is playing NY may be able to get away with a 4-600 dollar build. Cards from 2-3 gens ago can still run current games and easily handle things like Minecraft, Overwatch on medium-ish settings, CS:GO, etc.

Oh and NY, use this website. https://pcpartpicker.com/

It will help you decide what you need and also give you prices from several of the top tech stores to make sure you get the best deal.

[The Outsider]

You'll get way better bang for your buck out of a desktop. Putting one together isn't hard. Just make sure you take proper precautions against esd.

This. Making a good gaming laptop is difficult and that makes them expensive. Powerful gaming components need a lot of power and generate a lot of heat when under load, stuffing all of that into a laptop and then trying to keep it cool is rough.

Building a gaming laptop from scratch is also damn near impossible.

[terrytate]

This. Making a good gaming laptop is difficult and that makes them expensive. Powerful gaming components need a lot of power and generate a lot of heat when under load, stuffing all of that into a laptop and then trying to keep it cool is rough.

Building a gaming laptop from scratch is also damn near impossible.

Oh, I didn't mean building a laptop from scratch. I was just talking about the challenges in building a laptop for the manufacturer.

[NYBF]

Yeah, screw that.

Appreciate the help, everyone. He got some money for his bday, so we'll be looking for deals and piece it together little by little. That build tool on pcpartpicker is excellent.

[terrytate]

Yeah, screw that.

Appreciate the help, everyone. He got some money for his bday, so we'll be looking for deals and piece it together little by little. That build tool on pcpartpicker is excellent.

It is. One piece advice I can give is not to go with an off brand cheapo PSU. You might not need a high power rating, but the established quality brands offer a degree of reliability that they won't, either through bad incoming power or a manufacturing fault, destroy your whole rig. I've personally always used Corsair and Antec. Seasonic and XFX have good reps too.

[The Outsider]

Yeah, screw that.

Appreciate the help, everyone. He got some money for his bday, so we'll be looking for deals and piece it together little by little. That build tool on pcpartpicker is excellent.

It is. One piece advice I can give is not to go with an off brand cheapo PSU. You might not need a high power rating, but the established quality brands offer a degree of reliability that they won't, either through bad incoming power or a manufacturing fault, destroy your whole rig. I've personally always used Corsair and Antec. Seasonic and XFX have good reps too.

I hate Seasonic. Corsair and XFX are good. EVGA makes the best power supply though.

[PrimeMinister]

A budget conscious, decent rig can be built for around 7-800 bucks. You're still on the hook for peripherals (monitor, mouse, keyboard, etc). Can be put together on a weekend no problem.

Laptops are going to be more expensive due to their portability on the average of a few bills vs a comparable desktop; but some of the small form factor chassis out there can just as easily be thrown in a backpack and since most current video cards use HDMI, if he's going to a buddy's house he'd still be able to rock and roll.

The desktop setup I just bought myself was about 1200, but a nice chunk of that was in the monitor; and will run just about anything out there quite easily.

RAM and a dedicated video card are going to be the things he cares most about.

Outsider is probably another good source. PM me if you want to discuss details about anything.

Honestly, depending on what the kid is playing NY may be able to get away with a 4-600 dollar build. Cards from 2-3 gens ago can still run current games and easily handle things like Minecraft, Overwatch on medium-ish settings, CS:GO, etc.

Oh and NY, use this website. https://pcpartpicker.com/

It will help you decide what you need and also give you prices from several of the top tech stores to make sure you get the best deal.

Thanks for the link.