Recommendations on pre-built desktops for gaming.

[Haiko]

I used to be a hardcore PC gamer and upgrade my desktop regularly to keep up with the tech but I've been out of the loop now for about 4+ years... and it's been even longer since I've made any upgrades to my current desktop (now ancient by today's standards). I've been doing mostly console gaming in that time period due to convenience but now it's time to get back into PC gaming because I'm sick of missing out on all the sweet shit, like DayZ, because my desktop is outdated.

Because I've been out of the loop for so long, I'm not sure if I should be going with AMD or Intel, Nvidia or Radeon, SSD or regular HDD, etc etc, with gaming as the focus. Have any of those brands become superior for gaming or is it still mostly personal preference? Basically, I need some guidance.

I don't have the time to build my own right now so I wanna go with a pre-built. I'd like something that can play the latest games on ultra with little to no stuttering. I want something that is fast as hell and something that can act as a solid foundation for future upgrades.

My budget is around $800, but I'm willing to spend a few hundred more if it means scoring a sweet deal. I've been browsing some desktops on BestBuy.com (to obtain reward points / elite member status - not a big deal that I purchase from here). 

THIS desktop stood out to me. But I'm not sure if it's powerful enough for what I want or if it's even that great of a price for what it consists of.

I need input and suggestions! Thank you.

 

[StickyWaffles]

Sorry for the long post, but would like to help. That desktop won't be able to play the latest games and is terrible for the price but I've looked into some setups for around $800 that might work. Going through bestbuy is just about the worst possible option for buying a computer, so I definitely recommend avoiding them. For the money you're willing to spend, definitely get an SSD. AMD vs Intel, I vote intel, but AMD's top processors are very good for the money. Radeon vs Nvidia, I vote Nvidia, as prices for AMD's cards have skyrocketed due to bitcoin mining. 

One good idea, if you are adamant about going the prebuilt route, is waiting for the Steamboxes to release in a few months. Or consider buying a prebuilt customized system from ibuypower.com or a similar website. Using the Core i5 Olympic sale, you can get a Core i5 4570 with a Radeon R9 270X, and a 120GB SSD for around $860 (shipping seems to be free right now), and you can choose to spend more in certain areas too. The cheapest options in the other fields are good enough for sure but maybe put a few more dollars into motherboard and power supply if you decide to go with this idea.

This has everything except for an operating system, plus you'd need to put it together so not exactly what you're looking for. But it's $610 after rebate for a good system with a graphics card that can play most games on high-ultra settings at 1080p, and comes with BF4:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1552311&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL020614&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL020614-_-EMC-020614-Latest-_-Combo-_-Combo1552311-LC0A

These 2 are put together and ready to go, but you'd need to buy a new graphics card for $150-200 and install it, as the one included won't do very much, and you would also have to buy a new power supply, so I don't recommend going this route as much, but the option is available:

FX 6300 system, $540:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227509&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL020614&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL020614-_-EMC-020614-Latest-_-DesktopPCs-_-83227509-L022A

Core i5 4670k system, $600:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229496&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL020614&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL020614-_-EMC-020614-Latest-_-DesktopPCs-_-83229496-L022B

 

[StryderOmega]

For $800 budget I doubt you will achieve what you want with a pre-built.

It seems technology has come a very long way in terms of ease of building. You may want to reconsider.