Build now or Build later?

Level1Techs INBOX.deb
1

Hey chaps and chapettes.

I need an answer (or multiple, if you want) about whether I should build a new rig now, or build one later?

I have the pluses and minuses for each that I can come up with, so feel free to contribute.

Build Now Pluses:

-Can play games now

-Could be more cost effective to build before the games I want are released (Titanfall, Watch Dogs, etc)

-Can get some practice in and get help with anything sooner when I don't need it as much

-Get used to Linux for when SteamOS comes out


Build Now Minuses:

-I don't know the specs of games that come out in the future/can't use CanYouRunIt

-SteamOS isn't released, so games won't be optimized

-Mantle has no support

-Uses up some Christmas money

Build Later Pluses:

-Can see what the specs are of games that come out in the future (after Christmas)

-Can buy the games such as Battlefield 4 and have them attached to the account, maybe play them on low-low settings until the new build

-SteamOS should be released (The release date is some time in December/January, right?)

-Mantle will have some support

-Have money from Christmas/Birthday/Job that I can save up

-If I work Christmas Eve/The day before my store closes down, I get a small bonus


Build Later Minuses:

-Have to wait to play games I want

-Games look like butt-sandwiches (Not as good as it sounds)

-I have two other systems I play on (360 and 2/3DS) that might suck up some money from boredom

-The games that require some major horsepower on this PC will look poopy


So, there ya go. I'm leaning more towards build later. Also, I think I'll be starting from the ground up, unless anyone recommends to just replace the stuff in my current computer (A Gateway DX-4380 with an AMD A10-5700).

So, thoughts, opinions, professional advice? Also, I'm a budget gamer, I enjoy finding ways to get the most bang for my buck, so Build Now kind of means order all the stuff on Black Friday/Cyber Monday. 

2

Build now, but give it a couple of week before picking a GPU

3

I was thinking of buying either an R7 260X or an R9 270X, or their 7xxx equivalents to save some money.

4

I don't really see a reason not too build now, going with most of your build now negatives, you will never get a build done, because after the next games come out, you will want to wait for those after that, etc. etc.

5

True, true. I see your point there. A counter argument would be that the games that are coming out that I'm looking forward to, ie Titanfall, Battlefield 4, Watch Dogs, etc., will most likely be games that push the benchmarks further, so building after they come out will give me a good place to stand.

But I definitely do see your point, and if I keep putting it off for further down the line.

Thanks guys. 

6

When I built my first PC I wasn't concerned about games that were currently out, just prices of hardware. I bought all of my stuff (except for my gpu) during the black friday and cyber monday deals, saving a few hundred dollars. I didn't get a gpu for another few months, the integrated graphics from the Intel processors are VERY underrated. If you wait to get a gpu until more information comes out about the games, and you can research more on what the best gpu for your budget is at the time after some of the new cards start to get more common.

So build now, with either integrated graphics or some other alternative. Wait until you can do more research on what gpu you should get for your budget and what games you want to play.

7

Get an Athlon 750k and an AMD Radeon 7950; they are really cheap at the moment.