Buying a new PC

[Missy]

So I'm planning on buying myself a new laptop with my tax return.

However this year I'm planning on buying something a little better than the cheapest thing available.

I'm actually hoping on a machine with decent specs for gaming and I'm told I can buy one for about 700USD, which is my plan.

I'm not really sure what I really need to be looking for though, I've always judged a machine by it's RAM primarily in the past, though I've been told that's not primary and that such is also easy and cheap to upgrade.

I've got a couple games in mind I'm hoping to be able to play with this new machine I'm hoping to buy and am looking for advice on what to look for chief among them is Minecraft, though you don't really need super great specs for this I would honestly like to be able to play and not have to lower the game settings from the default levels in order to play it without lag on single player as I always have had to on my current PC, nice when I can see the sun and moon in the sky. Additionally I really want to be able to try out some texture packs and such for MC if I can, not really a necessity, but it would be nice.

Aside from that I'm hoping on doing Skyrim and Fallout (III and NV) for PC as well as Starcraft II.

Obviously I can just look at the system requirements for the afforementioned, but can anyone help explain to me generally what specs on a machine improve it's performance in general?

[The Dark Raven]

So I'm planning on buying myself a new laptop with my tax return.

However this year I'm planning on buying something a little better than the cheapest thing available.

I'm actually hoping on a machine with decent specs for gaming and I'm told I can buy one for about 700USD, which is my plan.

I'm not really sure what I really need to be looking for though, I've always judged a machine by it's RAM primarily in the past, though I've been told that's not primary and that such is also easy and cheap to upgrade.

I've got a couple games in mind I'm hoping to be able to play with this new machine I'm hoping to buy and am looking for advice on what to look for chief among them is Minecraft, though you don't really need super great specs for this I would honestly like to be able to play and not have to lower the game settings from the default levels in order to play it without lag on single player as I always have had to on my current PC, nice when I can see the sun and moon in the sky. Additionally I really want to be able to try out some texture packs and such for MC if I can, not really a necessity, but it would be nice.

Aside from that I'm hoping on doing Skyrim and Fallout (III and NV) for PC as well as Starcraft II.

Obviously I can just look at the system requirements for the afforementioned, but can anyone help explain to me generally what specs on a machine improve it's performance in general?

I have a (then) "top of the line" laptop.  Cost me $1300.  Do not trust them when they say you can take a laptop and make a mobility card perform like a desktop's vid card.  It does not work.  I have the same exact specs as my hubby's computer, except with a mobility card (what they put in laptops).  I cannot run half the games he does, even though my hardware will technically run it.

[Valthazar]

If gaming is your first priority, do you really need a laptop?  You can get a pretty decent low/mid range gaming desktop PC in the $750-$950 range.

[Kye]

One thing to consider.  No matter how good a gaming laptop is, a game like Skyrim will overheat it.  I have a gaming laptop, Asus, i7 with a good graphics card etc etc and Skyrim overheats it within half an hour, with a cooling pad.  From talking to some of my friends who work with computers for a living, the only way to play Skyrim without overheating is a desktop unless you want to go for a laptop that's at least double what you're looking to spend, and even then it's not guaranteed. 

[Missy]

Thankyou much for telling me about this, you've all given me something to think about. I've got three weeks roughly to decide, but I may or may not be changing my initial plans at this point.

Does anyone recomend any specific brands? My current one is a Toshiba and that's worked out alright, but I'm not loyal to any specific brand or anything. I'm heard Sony is more expensive so I'm not really looking into that one so much. Does anyone have any experience or opinions on it they can share or recommend?

Also what are the qualities which actually improves a machines performance and what should I be looking at t otry to understand what it's performance might be?

[Autumn Sativus]

Asus is currently one of the best in gaming machines, giving high-quality, high-end machines at good prices.
MSI is also a great gaming brand on the same level/line as Asus.

A laptop just cannot perform in the same way a properly built gaming desktop can, the pieces have to be made small enough to fit inside and that just cuts down the ability. Look for a high quality graphics card paired with a high-end processor and the right type of ventilation (side vents, not bottom vents for laptops).

[The Dark Raven]

Thankyou much for telling me about this, you've all given me something to think about. I've got three weeks roughly to decide, but I may or may not be changing my initial plans at this point.

Does anyone recomend any specific brands? My current one is a Toshiba and that's worked out alright, but I'm not loyal to any specific brand or anything. I'm heard Sony is more expensive so I'm not really looking into that one so much. Does anyone have any experience or opinions on it they can share or recommend?

Also what are the qualities which actually improves a machines performance and what should I be looking at t otry to understand what it's performance might be?

I have had Sony, compaq, and HP laptops.  Of all of them the HP (built for office applications only) has been the best of all, and even that is underpowered.  Hubby and I are going to take tax return money nad update my system to a desktop and strip the laptop down so I just write on it.

[Valthazar]

I would recommend an HP Phoenix desktop, you can find a mid-to-high range PC in the 850-900 range, and these machines are built very strong.  I'm a gamer, and I've been running mine 24x7 for more than a year (apart from cleaning and dusting on occasion).

If you are gamer, I would highly discourage getting a laptop.  If anything, just buy a $200 Chromebook for your mobile browsing and typing needs alongside the desktop.