Buying Gaming Desktop PC for Year 7 - Budget Less than $1600

Unacceptable on 28/08/2021 - 11:54
Last edited 28/08/2021 - 12:56 by 1 other user

I’ve been eyeing on deals on Dell XPS desktops and found the DELLSAVE listed on eBay with $1,599 after discount. Link below.

New Dell XPS 8940 Tower Desktop 11th Gen i7-11700 16GB RAM 512GB SSD GTX 1660Ti

But I’m hesitant because first, this is overkill for my child’s use who’s playing Minecraft Java version now but later probably move to high graphic games. Second, I heard Dell desktop is made of crap parts which I’m no expert and can’t tell.

He’s been using refurbished Dell Optiflex 9020 that I bought from OzB deal at $200 which has served him great but playing Minecraft he complained that FPS isn’t catching up and the game often gets lagging while playing.

So my question is, this is reasonable to buy given he’ll use it for 5-6 years? $1,599 is a bit pricey for the purpose of use.

Or any other option (brand/model) that I also need to see?

Computing Computer Desktop Computer

Comments

  • QuickdraW on 28/08/2021 - 12:16
    +1

    Minecraft is a subject at school now?

    • vince088 on 29/08/2021 - 11:38

      there is actually Minecraft education. lol

      school gives your kids account and login information to play it for free

  • Master Bates on 28/08/2021 - 12:22

    Did he say his Optiplex was Unacceptable?

  • Danstar on 28/08/2021 - 12:24
    +1

    Get a deal from techfast. For minecraft you won’t need much more than a 1660 which would be overkill compared to what you got now, but will last for years to come

  • Caped Baldy on 28/08/2021 - 12:56

    Better off getting this an squeezing in a GPU
    https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/185007839386?_trkparms=aid%3D111…

  • scrimshaw on 28/08/2021 - 13:17
    +3

    What about this?

    https://www.bpctech.com.au/kp-gamecubesystem-v3-krakenpower-…

    • AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6 Core
    • AMD A520M Micro-ATX Motherboard
    • 16GB DDR4 3200mhz RAM
    • GeForce GTX 1660 6GB Graphic Card
    • 550 watt Bronze power supply

    $999 + Shipping. 2TB HDD storage upgrade will cost you $69 extra.

    No operating system but remember students can usually get student discounts for software, or for free. Fill out the form at https://onthehub.com/download/free-software/windows-10-educa… to check eligibility

    • Unacceptable on 28/08/2021 - 13:28

      That’s interesting. Thank you.
      How do you compare this to the Dell CPU?

      • scrimshaw on 28/08/2021 - 13:39
        +2

        i7-11700k is a higher tier processor that belongs in another price category,

        Comparison
        https://browser.geekbench.com/v5/cpu/compare/9542809?baselin…

        Single Core score
        1615 (Intel) vs 1236 (AMD)

        Multicore
        8202 (Intel) vs 7143 (AMD)

        But since you're spending nearly 600 less.. I would say that small performance difference is inconsequential. You're primarily looking at the performance of the desktop as a whole (CPU + GPU + RAM). The $999 machine will definitely meet your kid's Minecraft needs :P

        If your needs change you can always upgrade to Ryzen 5000 series processor down the track (DIY upgrade)

      • TheBird on 28/08/2021 - 13:56
        +1

        The i7 CPU you're looking at is about 25% faster than the 3600.

        That being said, either CPU is pretty much heaps. They're both at least 40% faster than the 4 year old machine I'm using. I've been considering upgrading, but no software I currently use pushes the machine enough to warrant an upgrade.

        He’s been using refurbished Dell Optiflex 9020 that I bought from OzB deal at $200 which has served him great but playing Minecraft he complained that FPS isn’t catching up and the game often gets lagging while playing.

        That machine you already have is in the range of the recommended requirements (not minimum) for Minecraft. It might not be the speed of the machine that's causing your issues. I don't play Minecraft, so I don't know if this recommendation is accurate.

        https://help.minecraft.net/hc/en-us/articles/360045863292-Wh…

  • FireRunner on 28/08/2021 - 13:41

    What GPU does the Optiplex have installed?
    If none then adding a low profile GPU would be a cheap upgrade option

    • Unacceptable on 28/08/2021 - 14:10
      +2

      It is USFF and unfortunately un-upgradable.

      • FireRunner on 28/08/2021 - 14:57

        Ah I see, old generation integrated graphics would not be pleasant gaming experience even for not so demanding games like Minecraft

  • Unacceptable on 28/08/2021 - 19:05

    Just wondering if Apple Mac Mini (m1) is worth considering as well?

    • scrimshaw on 29/08/2021 - 01:24

      It's a completely different type of PC. It won't be an ideal gaming machine and you're never ever going to be able to upgrade it's graphics horsepower to play newer games, but it is preferably by people who have basic computing needs and have no wish to upgrade it.

      Pros:

      • Tech support by Apple
      • Ongoing software updates by Apple, for quite a number of years
      • power efficient and doesn't take up much room.
      • Great performance with video editing and photoshop
      • It'll still play Minecraft Java edition.

      Cons

      • No performance enhancing upgrades can be installed by the user. It's advised to get the most RAM and onboard storage you feel you'll need for the lifetime of the product.
      • Limited internal storage and ports.
      • Limited compatibility with games, only games that have been optimised for M1 will run well.
  • notthebestoption on 31/08/2021 - 23:17

    https://www.binglee.com.au/msi-10tc-1230au-mag-infinite-10th…

    Opinions regarding this desktop? I feel so bored of picking and waiting for the best deals..

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