Apologies for non-football post but I need help. My grandson is mad on the Rome Total War game and plays it on my ageing computer. He is really keen to get the next version (comes out in early September) but my steam-powered old PC won't run it. I know nothing about computers except how to turn them on and off, so can anybody who knows owt please advise me on where is the best place to go to get a new system without being smartalked and spending more than I need? Thanks in advance from a puzzled old git.
Can be a bit of a minefield, to be honest. Three things count: processor, memory (RAM) and graphics card. Problem is, there are 1001 different configurations you can have. Another option might just be to buy the lad a console (XBOX/Playstation) and take the hassle out of it
...remember, you'll be lumbered with a very high spec PC, which only really gets used for the odd time he pops round to play his game But to answer your question...Dell and eBuyer have advice lines. Dell's Alienware range are specialist gaming PCs
These are the specs for the new game: Minimum: OS: Windows 8 / 7 / Vista / XP Processor: 2 GHz Intel Dual Core processor / 2.6 GHz Intel Single Core processor Memory: 1GB RAM (XP), 2GB RAM (Vista / Windows 7, Windows 8) Hard Drive: 30GB free hard disk space Graphics: 512 MB DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics card (Shader Model 3) DirectX®: 9.0c Screen resolution: 1024x768 minimum Recommended: OS: Windows 8 / 7 / Vista / XP Processor: 2nd Generation Intel® Core™ i5 processor or greater Memory: 2GB RAM (XP), 4GB RAM (Vista / Windows 7, Windows 8) Hard Drive: 30GB free hard disk space Graphics: 1024 MB DirectX 11 compatible graphics card DirectX®: 11 Screen resolution: 1280x1024 minimum They recommend an i5 but I'd say you could easily get away with an i3 which will be a lot more powerful than the minimum specified CPU - they haven't provided any actual graphics card examples which suggests you should be fine with the Intel HD graphics which is integrated onto all the i3/5/7 chips. Especially on the newest range of CPUs which have model numbers that start with a 4 - the graphics on these is comparable to a £60-£80 standalone graphics card. Depending on what you have at the moment it might run fine on that as the type of PC described in the minimum spec sounds like something from around 2004/2005.
It's games that require the most powerful PCs. Any computer on the market will allow you to surf the net and do some word processing, but games require that bit extra. The minimum system requirements for the game you are after are: a 2GHz dual core CPU or a 2.6GHz single core. Sorry for frightening you with numbers and jargon. This basically refers to the speed of the processor in your computer. How powerful it is. It also requires 1 giga byte of memory. Most computers on the market will satisfy the above criteria. But your game also needs 512 mega bytes of video memory. So you will need a computer with a graphics card, which not all computers come with, particularly the cheap ones. These are the minimum requirements. In reality, to see the game at its best, you'll need a bit more of everything above. I like Dell computers. In the link below the model on the far right (code CD6606) has everything you require to run the game (and more) and a nice 22" monitor. http://www.dell.com/uk/p/inspiron-660/fs#overrides= It should last you for years. However, the one thing it doesn't have which you may find useful is a Blu Ray drive. It's £649, which includes shipping and a year's in home servicing. I don't know if you intended to pay that much. That's just one suggestion. I'm sure others will find you equally good computers. I hope I've I explained things well, rather than add to the confusion.
not had a desktop pc for a while last one I had a built myself and saved a fortune sometimes your just paying for the name on the outside of the computer even though the parts inside are made by the same companies. I purchased my acer laptop a while ago with an i5 processor and it was £200 quid cheaper than any other i3 laptop in the shop just because the it wasn't a top make. Your better of looking at the spec in the computer and the price, sometimes you get a lot more for you money with a less known name As mentioned above, processor, harddrive capacity and RAM are the three main thing but also when buying for games you need to also consider Graphics card. They sell quite a few pc's without a monitor now too which are a bit cheaper if you current one is ok may find something suitabe here http://www.cclonline.com/pc/
Thanks chaps. Very grateful indeed for all your suggestions. There's enough there to keep me occupied for a while and take my mind off worrying about next Saturday's result.
The fact that your stressing over a war game obsession is all wrong. Buy him a football and a musical instrument instead. That's my advice.
Normally I would be right behind you with this but I am a guitarist and am football mad yet I used to be fanatical about Rome Total War- it's an absolutely incredible game. I love and respect the fact that a granddad's going to buy a new computer so his grandson can play it! If you've never surged through the city walls of an exotic city with the words of a roman philosopher ringing through your head you've (kinda) never lived
