Consider your needs and budget before purchasing a gaming PC.
Consider your needs and budget before purchasing a gaming PC.
Hey everyone, I’m trying to figure out my next move regarding gaming. In the past, I owned several consoles—PS3, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch—but never managed to buy a solid gaming PC. I relied on cheaper options because they were more affordable. Whenever I felt like giving up on games, especially during summer, I sold them all. I mostly played in the fall and winter when I didn’t want to game anymore, and summer made me feel unmotivated. Now I get bored faster than before, but I still crave gaming sessions when friends play new titles I can’t access because I don’t have a PC.
I’ve been using a MacBook since 2015. It lets me play games like League of Legends, Minecraft, Albion Online, CS:GO, and WoW—though the experience hasn’t been great even when smooth. I’m thinking about getting a gaming PC now. I want something portable enough for short trips, like a 3-hour train ride to my hometown, but not so big that it’s uncomfortable. I prefer a compact build.
Right now, I’m looking for a small setup that fits well in a case and works well for gaming. I found a decent build on eBay for €900—it has a good motherboard, Ryzen 3600, GTX 1660 Super, and 16GB RAM. I plan to use it mainly for games, not daily long sessions.
I’m also considering upgrading to a MacBook Pro with M1 chips for creative work. But I wish there were better eGPUs for those new models. I’d rather enjoy a few chocolate bars each month than stop gaming altogether.
So, should I invest in that PC now? It would be nice to have something reliable for both gaming and productivity, without the hassle of owning two laptops. Hope you can help me decide!
Yes, get one. Use it like any other tool, when you need it. It won't hurt to sit for a month or three. I mean, how else are you going to play the games you list, that you want to play? It's not cool or trendy to deny yourself something you enjoy. Come up with a total budget. We have you list of games. We can help with building or finding you one that fits.
I’m concerned about how assembling desktops for mobile use affects their durability. Built-to-assemble units are treated as furniture since they’re prone to damage when put together. They work well if you avoid moving them or using them in environments with constant vibration, like trains. Individual components can handle rough conditions, but transporting them differs from shipping finished machines. Assembled desktops aren’t built to withstand shaking the same way some laptops are designed. While they can be made more robust, doing so often comes at a high cost. This situation seems more similar to laptop design than traditional desktop construction.
Thanks for the responses thus far. Graphics aren't my main concern. 1080p would suffice and I need at least 60 frames per second for games such as Battlefield. I looked up gameplay videos using the motherboard, CPU, and GPU in the search bar, and they seem to work well. I don’t want 4K gaming unless it runs my favorite titles smoothly. I’ll share the components from the eBay listing I found: DAN Case A4-SFX v4.1 AMD Ryzen 5 3600, Gigabyte B450, AORUS PRO WIFI 2x8GB DDR4 3000MHz CL15, Crucial Micron E-Die (OC up to 3600 MHz CL16), Gigabyte GTX 1660 SUPER™ GAMING OC 6G Corsair SF750, Platinum P1 m.2 500GB drive. I was hoping to find something that fits my needs without spending too much on a large case. The compact design is important to me as well. I don’t like bulky cases. Making one myself would be costly because GPU prices are three times what they used to be. I also considered buying a used APU or building my own, but I decided for a CPU + GPU setup.
Go for it. You could replace the 1660 down the road when RTX cards aren't so difficult to fine but it should work just find for your needs for now. If you get bored easily there's huuuuuge library of pc games to play. You should have no shortage of games to play.