Desktop good enough for Minecraft???

BenEadir

Hi all,

My 11 year old son is into Minecraft but has to use my laptop becuase our old (OLD) PC won't hack it. I'd therefore like to get a replacement PC (don't want a laptop) which is good value for money but still good enough to run Minecraft and similar games. I considered getting a dedicated gamining machine but they are too expensive.

I know having a dedicated graphics card is important so I'd appreciate your thoughs on the suitability of the attached Inspiron 620MT? It looks like the best value machine with a dedicated graphics card I can find. It doesn't have a wireless card though so I'll have to add one in. Any comments on the machine itself and/or what I need to do to add wireless capability?

Ben

chin_grin

Found this if it's any use.

http://forums.overclockersclub.com/index.php?showtopic=183063

recommended
CPU 3GHz Dual core
RAM 2GB
GPU AMD 4000 or Nvida equivalent


minimum
CPU 2 GHz Pentium 4 or AMD equivalent
RAM 1GB
GPU AMD 3000 or Nvida equivalent

Just looked at the set up of your pc. Looks fine.

To add wireless capability to the pc all you need would be a wireless card. Although why can't you just plug it directly in to the home router? That would suffice.

BenEadir

chin_grin wrote: »

Found this if it's any use.

http://forums.overclockersclub.com/index.php?showtopic=183063



Just looked at the set up of your pc. Looks fine.

To add wireless capability to the pc all you need would be a wireless card. Although why can't you just plug it directly in to the home router? That would suffice.

Thanks Chin Grin,

The home router and PC are in different rooms with no easy way to cable so it has to be wireless I'm afraid.

Ben

yoyo

That machine would be suitable, you can buy a PCI (Internal) wireless card or an external USB one seperate

Nick

BenEadir

yoyo wrote: »

That machine would be suitable, you can buy a PCI (Internal) wireless card or an external USB one seperate

Nick

Thanks Nick,

The USB solution sounds the easiest to install but would it be as effective at getting a signal and maintaining a connection but it would tie up a USB slot permanently. Would a PCI card be better and if so are they easy/hard to install?

Can you recommend any particular models?

Ben

chin_grin

BenEadir wrote: »

Thanks Nick,

The USB solution sounds the easiest to install but would it be as effective at getting a signal and maintaining a connection but it would tie up a USB slot permanently. Would a PCI card be better and if so are they easy/hard to install?

Can you recommend any particular models?

Ben

Both are easy to install. USB in slot, card in slot then install drivers deal. All you'd need to do is open the case put in the card boot and install the drivers.

It'll depend on the strength of your wireless router, personally I'd opt for wired and run a cable to the router tacking it to the skirting. May look ugly but it'll be an always on connection and I wouldn't have to troubleshoot any wireless faults that may arise.

yoyo

BenEadir wrote: »

Thanks Nick,

The USB solution sounds the easiest to install but would it be as effective at getting a signal and maintaining a connection but it would tie up a USB slot permanently. Would a PCI card be better and if so are they easy/hard to install?

Can you recommend any particular models?

Ben

Avoid Belkin, Linksys, Netgear, TP Link, Cisco etc are good enough. Wireless N will be the fastest adaptor type, but really only relevant if you have a N capable router and a decent bb connection, E.g: a G router on a 5~meg DSL connection should be fine, wired is always faster and more relyable though

Nick

BenEadir

OK lads,

Did a bit more digging around the Dell site and configured an XPS 8300 machine with a built in wireless card. Same i3 processor, same 4GB RAM, same 1TB HDD as the Inspiron. The XPS has an NVIDIA® GeForce GT 530 1GB DDR3 Graphics card instead of the AMD Radeon™ HD 6450 1GB DDR3 graphics card the Inspiron had but other than that they seem identical.

The XPS is €549 wherea the Inspiron is €428. The XPS looks like it has a nicer Chasis, it has the wireless card already built in and I'm assuming the NVIDIA graphics card is better than the AMD card in the Inspiron.

Is it worth spending an extra €120 on the XPS or would you guys (if you were in my shoes) stick with the Inspiron and add on a wireless card yourselves which seem to be circa €70?

New spec sheets for the Inspiron and XPS attached.

Ben

yoyo

BenEadir wrote: »

OK lads,

Did a bit more digging around the Dell site and configured an XPS 8300 machine with a built in wireless card. Same i3 processor, same 4GB RAM, same 1TB HDD as the Inspiron. The XPS has an NVIDIA® GeForce GT 530 1GB DDR3 Graphics card instead of the AMD Radeon™ HD 6450 1GB DDR3 graphics card the Inspiron had but other than that they seem identical.

The XPS is €549 wherea the Inspiron is €428. The XPS looks like it has a nicer Chasis, it has the wireless card already built in and I'm assuming the NVIDIA graphics card is better than the AMD card in the Inspiron.

Is it worth spending an extra €120 on the XPS or would you guys (if you were in my shoes) stick with the Inspiron and add on a wireless card yourselves which seem to be circa €70?

New spec sheets for the Inspiron and XPS attached.

Ben

both are bog standard cards, deffo XPS not worth the money, Wifi adaptors are usually around 30-40, any more and your being ripped off, e.g: this (external) or this (internal).
Just to add to this post, the upgrade to a 530 video card isn't work 120, however the Inspiron case may have fu(k all space for upgrading down the road, the XPS maybe has slightly more, at the end of the day though the best upgradeability comes from self builds

Nick

BenEadir

yoyo wrote: »

both are bog standard cards, deffo XPS not worth the money, Wifi adaptors are usually around 30-40, any more and your being ripped off, e.g: this (external) or this (internal).
Just to add to this post, the upgrade to a 530 video card isn't work 120, however the Inspiron case may have fu(k all space for upgrading down the road, the XPS maybe has slightly more, at the end of the day though the best upgradeability comes from self builds

Nick

Thanks YoYo, I guess the best solution therefore is to buy the Inspiron for €428, add a wireless card (USB or PCI) for €70 and buy a decent monitor with the money saved from not going the XPS route. This looks like great value for €164 http://www.elara.ie/productdetail.aspx?productcode=ECE2306785

Total cost all in €662.

Ben

yoyo

BenEadir wrote: »

Thanks YoYo, I guess the best solution therefore is to buy the Inspiron for €428, add a wireless card (USB or PCI) for €70 and buy a decent monitor with the money saved from not going the XPS route. This looks like great value for €164 http://www.elara.ie/productdetail.aspx?productcode=ECE2306785

Total cost all in €662.

Ben

BenQ are a good brand, have a 24" one myself (G2420HD) No dead pixels and excellent colour quality for LCD. My concern with the Inspiron is as I mentioned above, is there any room in the case for further expansion? My Aunt had an older Dell Dimension that was small form factor, everything was a tight sqeeze so zero upgradeability

Nick

BenEadir

yoyo wrote: »

BenQ are a good brand, have a 24" one myself (G2420HD) No dead pixels and excellent colour quality for LCD. My concern with the Inspiron is as I mentioned above, is there any room in the case for further expansion? My Aunt had an older Dell Dimension that was small form factor, everything was a tight sqeeze so zero upgradeability

Nick

I guess there won't be much room for upgrading but with a 1TB HDD and a dedicated graphics card already in it I don't think I'll be wanting to upgrade it other than to add in wireless capability which I can do via USB if I have to. As long as there's enough USB ports to hook up a printer, some speakers, a mouse and keyboard and maybe 1 or 2 other peripherals in due course I should be ok. Can't see where the # of USB ports is specified mind you. I'd better ask them about that :eek:

LAstly, are all monitors standard connections thses days? i.e. the BenQ will connect to the Inspiron no bother or will I have to invest in special cables or anything??

Thanks for all your help, much appreciated.

Ben

yoyo

BenEadir wrote: »

I guess there won't be much room for upgrading but with a 1TB HDD and a dedicated graphics card already in it I don't think I'll be wanting to upgrade it other than to add in wireless capability which I can do via USB if I have to. As long as there's enough USB ports to hook up a printer, some speakers, a mouse and keyboard and maybe 1 or 2 other peripherals in due course I should be ok. Can't see where the # of USB ports is specified mind you. I'd better ask them about that :eek:

LAstly, are all monitors standard connections thses days? i.e. the BenQ will connect to the Inspiron no bother or will I have to invest in special cables or anything??

Thanks for all your help, much appreciated.

Ben

Yes it will, btw why are you paying €70 for a wif adaptor? Don't buy from Dell lol... But anyways that monitor supports DVI-Digital (best one to use, you'll likely need to buy a DVI-D cable) and VGA (Analog but you will prob get a VGA cable with it/have one lying around).
Re: USB ports I don't really know with Dell as I've not seen a newer Dell machine in a while but 6+2 is the general config (6 back, 2 front) usually

Nick

BenEadir

yoyo wrote: »

btw why are you paying €70 for a wif adaptor? Don't buy from Dell lol

Don't worry, I won't buy it from Dell.

Found this on Komplett. Is it the sort of thing I should be looking for? http://www.komplett.ie/Komplett/product/ZKB_04RAND/18_NETWORK/12_NIC/productdetails/20000458/NETGEAR_WNA3100_Wireless_N_300_USB_Adapter_/WNA3100_100PES/default.aspx

It's a Wireless N adapter though whereas the Netgear Router I got from UPC is only Wireless G. I understand N is way faster/better than G so rather than buy a G adapter I guess I should see if I can get UPC to swap my G router for an N router???

Ben

yoyo

BenEadir wrote: »

Don't worry, I won't buy it from Dell.

Found this on Komplett. Is it the sort of thing I should be looking for? http://www.komplett.ie/Komplett/product/ZKB_04RAND/18_NETWORK/12_NIC/productdetails/20000458/NETGEAR_WNA3100_Wireless_N_300_USB_Adapter_/WNA3100_100PES/default.aspx

It's a Wireless N adapter though whereas the Netgear Router I got from UPC is only Wireless G. I understand N is way faster/better than G so rather than buy a G adapter I guess I should see if I can get UPC to swap my G router for an N router???

Ben

Cheaper in Argos when you factor Kompletts postage cost, not to mention good luck trying to return it these days if something goes wrong!
Most Wifi adaptors nowadays are N certified,

Nick

Jonny7

Yes avoid the XPS route

You might want to try the building and upgrading forum and check with them first.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=842

If nothing else that money will buy you a much faster, more upgradable, and more specific PC for the task.

If you do get a standard Dell, that's fine, but don't "upgrade" through Dell, its one of the greatest ripoffs known to man!..
just buy an aftermarket graphics card and slot it in yourself (very easy with youtube)

Here are two that will play minecraft, and will run with the Dell's 300 watt power supply and cost 50/60 euros
ATI 5670
ATI 6670

BenEadir

yoyo wrote: »

That machine would be suitable, you can buy a PCI (Internal) wireless card or an external USB one seperate

Nick

Hi YoYo,

FYI I ended up getting this wireless adapter for €60 http://www.elara.ie/productdetail.aspx?manufacturer=NETGEAR&mancode=WNDA3100-100GES&productcode=MME0711481, these speakers for €42 http://www.elara.ie/productdetail.aspx?manufacturer=CREATIVE&mancode=51MF1600AA001&productcode=ECE1435855 and (after way too much research of monitor options) this 23" 2ms fast response LED screen for (what I think is a bargain) €148 delivered http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=ie&l=en&s=dhs&cs=iedhs1&sku=613286

All I need to do now is wait for it all to be delivered, hook it all up and get gaming!!!

Thanks for your help.

Ben

yoyo

BenEadir wrote: »

Hi YoYo,

FYI I ended up getting this wireless adapter for €60 http://www.elara.ie/productdetail.aspx?manufacturer=NETGEAR&mancode=WNDA3100-100GES&productcode=MME0711481, these speakers for €42 http://www.elara.ie/productdetail.aspx?manufacturer=CREATIVE&mancode=51MF1600AA001&productcode=ECE1435855 and (after way too much research of monitor options) this 23" 2ms fast response LED screen for (what I think is a bargain) €148 delivered http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=ie&l=en&s=dhs&cs=iedhs1&sku=613286

All I need to do now is wait for it all to be delivered, hook it all up and get gaming!!!

Thanks for your help.

Ben

Not a bad price at all on the screen alrite, nice to have DVI with that price

Nick

wonderboysam

daaamn you guys are formal


Sam

BenEadir

wonderboysam wrote: »

daaamn you guys are formal


Sam

?????

wonderboysam

lol not a slight or anything just amused at how you(plural) sign every post at the end! :P

Sam!

fiinch

Hi Sam!

Jonny!

yoyo

wonderboysam wrote: »

lol not a slight or anything just ammused at how you(plural) sign every post at the end! :P

Sam!

Been a matter of habbit by me for years so just do it coz of that, at least i'm not the only one

Nick :P

BenEadir

fiinch wrote: »

Hi Sam!

Jonny!

Jonny,

Go easy on Sam there. He's not old school formal like the rest of us.

With best wishes & kind regards,

Sincerely,

Ben

wonderboysam

IM OLDSKOOL!!!


sam

Arcto

Not sure why you are making a desktop wireless, I would run a cable into it if it is possible.

fiinch

we were oldschool untill the great account-culling of...last year? whenever that was!

also i think the op already said he couldn't run a wire to the desktop, nobody should ever choose a wireless connection for gaming ha

jonny