Gaming : Laptop or PC?

Musicianmommy

Estimable
Aug 4, 2015
3
0
4,510
Hi, I am a mom :) I have a son who is 11 and loves Minecraft and watches kids commentating as they play on youtube. He has had a rough year moving etc and has a birthday this month. I want to purchase a gaming system for him that is around 1000 dollars. Something that I won't have to pour more money into in 6 months, where he can improve himself and maybe even begin recording his own games. He has mentioned Alienware and Asus but they seem really expensive. I would appreciate any suggestions...
 
Solution
What you'll find on this site is a lot of guys with great opinions. What you'll also find is a lot of guys who will push you to build your own computer. If you have that ability, yes, you will get more bang for your buck. If you don't and just need some links to look at; I've included a bunch which will get you started. As with anything, the more you spend, the more you'll get. Remember, these rigs may not come with an operating system [windows 7, 8, etc], so you'll have to buy that as well. Many will come with an operating system, just read each link. Also, most won't come with a monitor, so I've included a few links for those as well.

Computer...

adamjosiah

Honorable
Mar 19, 2013
13
0
10,570
Buying a pre built computer is almost always a waste of money. Consider using an online service or a local computer parts store to build a computer for a fee. This fee will still be alot cheaper than the money burned on a pre built pc. As far as Minecraft goes, you don't need a lot of power and you can spend much less than 1000. Would be good to know if he intends to do any more demanding gaming. If not I would invest more money into a high quality case, monitor, keyboard and mouse and power supply.
 

Musicianmommy

Estimable
Aug 4, 2015
3
0
4,510


I see. Thank you very much for the insight. But, I don't really know where to start... I don't know how much more heavier the "gaming" will be but I'd rather be prepared a little more than be stuck with something I can't upgrade.
Do you have any suggestions If I were to purchase a pre-built computer or laptop? I will surely look into an online service like you suggested but am worried I will be a little taken advantage of.



 

d1rtydeedz

Honorable
Dec 19, 2013
5
0
10,520
What you'll find on this site is a lot of guys with great opinions. What you'll also find is a lot of guys who will push you to build your own computer. If you have that ability, yes, you will get more bang for your buck. If you don't and just need some links to look at; I've included a bunch which will get you started. As with anything, the more you spend, the more you'll get. Remember, these rigs may not come with an operating system [windows 7, 8, etc], so you'll have to buy that as well. Many will come with an operating system, just read each link. Also, most won't come with a monitor, so I've included a few links for those as well.

Computer:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9095523&CatId=114
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9784529&CatId=114
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9784530&CatId=114
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9796148&CatId=114
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9551643&CatId=2627
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227595R
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883102038
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883230005R
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883230005
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883272038
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883102078

Monitors:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236176
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1N82M64403

All of these rigs will run minecraft and more just fine. All of them can also be customized and upgraded down the road. An initial investment of $1000.00 and a yearly upgrade of $100.00 to $200.00 will allow your son to have a computer on the edge of technology indefinitely [that's the benefit of computers over consoles]. These up-gradable rigs will also give your son a new passion to learn and have fun with.

Best of luck,

d1rty

 
Solution

adamjosiah

Honorable
Mar 19, 2013
13
0
10,570
I didn't suggest she build her own, I suggested she look for means to choose the parts but still have it built for her. Local PC shops are great for this kind of thing and you can avoid paying for shipping. We can certainly help her with which parts to use without the expectation that she can build it herself.

Look at my specs and you can see I made the mistake of buying a pre-built computer that I now have to spend twice as much to upgrade. So don't expect to upgrade the PC's at those links too much without re-buying parts.

Glad that d1rtydeedz could help you find what you're looking for though I guess. I hope he likes it, it will certainly not have any problems with Minecraft.