Gaming Desktop vs Work Desktop -- Computer

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Is there a big difference in what is labeled a "gaming" computer versus just a standard computer?

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“Gaming” more or less necessitates that it will have a graphics card installed. This often means a bit beefier power supply than the same “non gaming” version from the same company with the same other internals, but not necessarily (and there aren’t a lot or “gaming/nongaming” models out there, but you’ll still generally find a higher -powered power supply in the gaming models).

For the last 2ish years, if you’re buying new parts, you’re not a ton better off than buying an off the shelf computer in terms of price/horsepower


A “gaming” computer from Costco and other big retailers will usually have LED lights that you can turn on/off or change the color of to look “cool”

Building yourself will allow you some more options when it comes to what the case will look like and how expandable you want the internals of it (extra connectors on the power supply- whether they are modular, semi-modular, or non modular- whether you have bays for extra internal storage, presence/absence of cd/dvd/bd drives, and the specific port configuration on the front and back sides). A lot of the same things can be later customized on a “bought” system as well, but you’ll have to dig a bit to find the case specs, motherboard headers, and what’s hanging off the power unit.


So, in short:
Go to a big box store. If there’s something that’s adequate in terms of power and doesn’t frustrate you to look at, you’re probably just as well off picking it up as customizing your own.


Signed,
Guy who still doesn’t have any RGB or water cooling systems and has rebuilt in a 2005 Sony case 3 or 4 times now

Alright, so this was different than most build requests I see on here, so I couldn't help myself:

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PCPartPicker Part List: LINK

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5700G 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor ($186.25 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI B550-A PRO ATX AM4 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL16 Memory ($117.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial P3 500 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($43.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial P3 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($77.04 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI VENTUS XS OC GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER 6 GB Video Card ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P300A Mesh ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair RM750x (2021) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply ($108.45 @ Amazon)
Case Fan: ARCTIC F12 PST 53 CFM 120 mm Fans 4-Pack ($26.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $970.68
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2022-11-05 10:06 EDT-0400
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Important note: I would not buy the GPU on the front end. I would save the $200, do the build, and see if the programs I use really need more than what the 5700G can provide. If so, you slot that time-honored 1660 Super in and you're done. If not, you're good to go with a system that cost you less than $800 and has some pretty significant upgrade paths going forward, to the point that I think you could easily get a decade out of the majority of your components.

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Build it yourself, it's more fun.

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I've been building my own PCs for over 20 years and every time it's a new experience.

The quality of components has gotten really good.

Caveat: As easy as it has gotten, it's still relatively a pain. It's easy to make a mistake if you're in a hurry or don't know better. If you aren't confident in your ability to figure things out, then just get a pre-built.

What's your budget?

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I seated the RAM starting In Slot 4 instead of 1 (or 3/0. I don’t know). It took me way longer than I’d like to admit to get that machine up and running. Wouldn’t even load the BIOS. I think I bought a new PSU (this is like an off the shelf Acer case from 2008ish at my parents’ house) before I realized I was a dumbass.

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One of the reasons that, no matter how low someone's budget, I never suggest a motherboard that doesn't, at minimum, have debug lights. Troubleshooting a no-post in the blind is hell for a first time builder