Not every person is ready to buy a laptop, because their cost is quite high. For the same price, you can assemble a more powerful system unit. But if you are not ready to choose components and install them in your PC yourself, just buy a ready-made system unit. We will tell you how to choose a computer system unit for your home.

Top system blocks of 2016

Tasks

Although mobile devices are gradually replacing desktop PCs, as evidenced by statistics, desktop computers still popular with some categories of users:

• educational institutions;
• gamers;
• video editing experts.

For the former, the affordable cost and “stationarity” of devices (they are more difficult to steal) are important, the rest prefer desktop PCs because they provide more performance at a lower cost. Moreover, games and video rendering require equally powerful devices.

At the same time, not every user is ready to purchase computer components and assemble a PC from them, after which it will need to be configured. It takes time, effort and certain knowledge. Therefore, in some cases it is easier to purchase a ready-made system unit.

When choosing a suitable system unit for your home, you need to decide on the tasks for which it is bought. They can be divided into three large groups:

• games/video processing;
• surfing the Internet / working with documents;
• education.

Depending on the goals set, the system unit is selected in terms of power and performance.

Monoblocks are not taken into account in our rating. This is a separate category of computers that have greater performance than laptops, but also a higher price. In addition, they are still inferior to desktop PCs in terms of power and price.

Characteristics

We assume that when buying a ready-made system unit in the future, you will not change its components yourself. Therefore, we will not describe in detail all the characteristics of the components that are important to know when assembling the device yourself.

When buying a ready-made system unit, you also need to pay attention to the characteristics of the components that are used in it.

Sellers do not always indicate the manufacturers of components in the description of the system units, so it is impossible to understand how high quality they are.

CPU

The processor is the heart of any computing digital device. It determines the performance of the PC as a whole. The system units use processors from two companies, Intel and AMD. The former are more productive, the latter are cheaper. More information on how to choose them is written in the article "".

Most important parameters processor when buying a system unit:

• manufacturer;
• Number of Cores;
• clock frequency.

video card

It can be discrete or built into the processor. It all depends on the purpose for which the system unit is purchased. When using a PC to surf the Internet or use various simple programs and office applications suitable for built-in CPU graphics core. If you are buying a computer for gaming or video processing, you need it to come with a discrete graphics card.

There are many manufacturers of discrete graphics cards (MSI, Asus, Palit, Gigabyte and others), but there are two families of graphics processors: NVIDIA and AMD (Radeon). More productive video cards are NVIDIA, but their price is higher. The top-end solution to date is the GeForce GTX 1080.

If you cannot find out the manufacturer and type of the graphics chip, pay attention to the following video card parameters:

• amount and type of memory;
• memory and GPU frequency;
• bit depth of the memory bus;
• monitor connectors.

The higher these parameters, the more productive and powerful the video card.

RAM

Details on how to choose RAM are written in the article "". When buying a ready-made system unit, pay attention to the main RAM parameters:

• volume and type;
• frequency;
• timings.

As for manufacturers and the availability of cooling radiators, it will be difficult to find out these parameters when buying a ready-made stationary unit. But they are not so important for device performance.

Motherboard

The motherboard integrates all the components of a desktop PC. Its reliability and build quality differs depending on the manufacturer. The most famous companies producing motherboards:

• asus;
• AsRock;
• gigabyte.

When buying a system unit in the assembly, you are unlikely to use it for extreme overclocking, so you should not worry about the reliability and durability of the motherboard. The main thing in this case is the connectors that are on it.

The modern model should have the main connectors:

• USB 3.0 and USB 2.0;
• PS/2 for keyboard/mouse connection;
• audio connectors;
• DVI/D-Sub for monitor connection.

Depending on the specification of the motherboard, it may be equipped with other ports for connecting external and internal devices.

We do not take into account such characteristics of the motherboard as: the number of slots for random access memory, socket, number of PCI slots and others, since the assemblers of the system unit have already provided for all these features.

Other Options

It is also important to know the power of the power supply that is installed in the computer. It should be enough for the device to work stably. The best option is when the power of the power supply is at least 500 watts. But it can be more depending on the components that are used in the desktop PC.

Please note that stores, in order to reduce the cost of the system unit, use power supplies from unknown manufacturers that are not reliable. Therefore, be sure to find out which brand of power supply is installed in the computer.

As for internal storage, the PC uses SSD and HDD. For stable operation devices, their minimum volumes should be: 120 GB and 500 GB, respectively. At the same time, please note that the amount of memory should be enough to store the data that you will download to your computer.

The best choice

Today on sale you can find system units both from official manufacturers and assembled in stores. We will only talk about models assembled under a certain brand at the factory.

Computers that can be purchased today vary in power. Therefore, they can be conditionally divided into several categories.

Games/video processing

Desktop PCs in this group are the most powerful and productive, so they have the highest cost. But if you install such a device in your home, you will not have any problems running modern games, processing or watching videos in 4K resolution over the next few years.

The system unit is positioned by the manufacturer as a gaming unit, since it is assembled on the basis of Intel processor i7 6th generation overclockable, has 32 GB of RAM and two internal drives (SSD and HDD). Another advantage is Windows 10 Home installed from the factory.

Buying this model, you will get a stylish accessory, because the system unit has an original design.

Among the shortcomings of the model, one can name the presence of only two USB 3.0 ports, a discrete graphics card of not the latest generation, and too high a cost.

Advantages

• specifications;
• design;
• card reader;
• Windows 10.

Flaws

• price;
• few USB 3.0 ports;
• power unit.

The peculiarity of this desktop PC is that it is equipped with a professional NVIDIA graphics card Quadro K2200 and 6th generation Intel i7 processor. Therefore, high performance in any game or video processing is guaranteed.

At the same time, the manufacturer used only 16 GB of RAM, which may not be enough when rendering video. A 120 GB SSD drive will not allow you to install all the games and programs that the user wants. In addition, the lack of a pre-installed OS will make you spend extra money on buying Windows 10 Home.

Advantages

• specifications;
• professional video card;
• price;
• Plenty of USB 3.0 ports.

Flaws

• design;
• lack of OS;
• absence detailed information about accessories.

Price: 76 000 rubles

Despite the 6th generation Intel i7 central processor and a powerful graphics card, the Acer system unit is equipped with a rather weak power supply, which is enough to power the device back to back. The absence of an SSD drive will slightly reduce the “nimbleness” of the pre-installed Windows 10 Home OS. But 2-TB hard drive enough to store all user data.

In addition, the advantage Acer Aspire T3-710 is the keyboard and mouse that come with the device, and support wireless charging smartphones, so you won't have to worry about losing your USB cable somewhere.

Advantages

• specifications;
• Windows 10;
• HDD;
• keyboard and mouse included;
• wireless charging of smartphones.

Flaws

• price;
• power unit;
• low RAM frequency;
• few USB 3.0 ports.

Education

A stylish modern system unit with a middle-class technical "stuffing" is suitable for any schoolchild or student, as it is able to work with even the most complex programs, including those for creating drawings.

A large hard drive will provide the ability to store all the data without the need for connection external HDD. But the lack of an SSD drive will not allow you to demonstrate the full potential of 64-bit Windows 8 preinstalled on the device.

The presence of a card reader and 4 USB connectors 3.0 expand the functionality of Lenovo X310.

Advantages

• CPU;
• a large number of USB 3.0 ports;
• video card;
• card reader;
• design;
• Windows 8.

Flaws

• there is no information about the power supply;
• price.

The absence of a pre-installed OS will add work to configure the computer, but the presence of an Intel i5 processor and GeForce graphics cards GTX750Ti will provide high performance in any office and educational programs.

In addition to the fact that the computer stores themselves are divorced immeasurably, besides, in the stores themselves, the choice of both ready-made computers and individual components for them is simply incredible. To an uninitiated user, it will not be clear what is responsible for what and what to choose. Often, people are guided by prices, by the number of gigabytes, gigahertz, cores, or simply listen to what sales managers tell them.
I, in turn, in this field, as they say, "ate the dog" and I know not only what goes with what, but also about more serious and important details, without having knowledge of which, you can make gross mistakes. In this post, I will briefly try to talk about some of the details of choosing system components and give 3 examples of gaming computer configurations that you can order and assemble, both on your own and in a store.
The first thing to consider when choosing a gaming computer is that you should never buy them ready-made! Those people who are engaged in the selection of components do not at all want to select the appropriate components for a gaming computer, moreover, the finished PCs themselves, as a rule, are much more expensive than the computer you have chosen yourself, or rather its components, for subsequent assembly, and even taking into account that some stores take money for assembly, anyway, the kit you choose will be more powerful and cheaper than ready-made analogues. Therefore, we forget about ready-made solutions and proceed to the choice of components.
When choosing components for a gaming PC, you need to consider the following factors:
1) And most importantly! The performance of a computer and its individual components cannot be measured by comparison with other models based on the amount of memory in gigabytes, or based on frequencies, number of cores, etc. Real performance measured in terms of specific programs, in real tests that are conducted on popular, reputable publications dedicated to computers and components, you can easily find information on individual components by entering a query into Google, like - " Intel Overview i5-4590k", or for example "GTX980Ti review". In order to verify the veracity of the information, go directly to 3-4 different review and check the information, if it converges approximately everywhere, then everything is correct.
2) Intel processors, almost always, turn out to be more powerful than AMD processors in games, and it doesn’t matter at all that the same intel i3 has only 2 physical cores, and the same AMD FX-8300 has as many as 8, and even for a large frequency. But the bottom line is that intel processors have a strikingly large performance per core and this performance gives them an advantage over AMD processors in games, because games are rather reluctant to optimize for multi-threading (multi-core). Therefore, when choosing a processor, you need to focus on real tests in real games, not synthetic benchmarks like SuperPi. The most optimal processor for games is almost any intel i5 with a frequency above 3.2 GHz, and if you need more performance, then pay attention to processors with the letter "K" at the end, such processors can overclock, which adds to performance and sometimes very much ! Also, it is worth keeping a balance between the processor and the video card, it is completely useless to put intel i5 in combination with, say, the GTX750Ti, but it will also be too illogical to put i3 and GTX980Ti, it will not be enough. It should be remembered that the processor should not cost more than the video card!
3) A video card is the main component of a gaming computer, based on this component, you need to build gaming computer and the power of a video card is not measured in gigabytes, or simply in megahertz, in fact, there is no power measurement in principle. There are separate indicators, such as - the amount of memory, which is not so important if you have more than 3 gigabytes on a video card from 15000r, or from 2 gigabytes on cheaper cards, or the frequency of the GPU, which may vary between different models, the same product (one and the same chip model, say GTX970, can be produced by dozens of companies and each video card will be different), etc. Also, it is worth considering that there are reference and non-reference designs, what does this mean? The reference design is the standard design provided by the manufacturer for this video card model, the reference design video cards heat up and make more noise, so their purchase is not recommended. Video cards of non-reference design heat up less and make less noise, as they have the best system cooling, with several large and quiet fans, and also sometimes have a different component base, which allows them to be more efficiently overclocked, so I recommend purchasing video cards only of non-reference design.
4) The amount and frequency of RAM - in fact, the amount of RAM for games, only 8 gigabytes is enough, more is not needed in fact, and frequencies do not play a special role, so the best choice is 2 memory sticks of 4 gigabytes with a frequency of 1600 MHz, preferably Samsung Original, or HYNIX Original. Sticks without the word "Original" are counterfeits on these chips and are of inferior quality.

5) HDD and SSD - most games only need an acceptable hard drive, for example western digital Black and no positive response from SSD installations, will not be in games, but installing the same SSD allows the system itself to work much faster and speeds up the loading of games itself.
6) Motherboards - the biggest misconception is that expensive, cool motherboards give an increase in performance. This, alas, is not so! The motherboard is the connecting link between the processor, memory, video card and other components of the system, in fact, the motherboard is the wires between the components of the system. But also, it is worth considering that motherboards may have functions that are important to you and you should choose a motherboard based on your needs. When choosing a motherboard, in addition to the obvious things, such as choosing a socket (socket for a processor) and checking compatibility with the selected processor, you need to look at - the number of connectors you need - SATA for hard drives and drives, USB 2.0 and 3.0, etc. look at the presence of such functions as SLI, Crossfire, which allow you to install several video cards at the same time, but if you don’t need such a function now, then it’s better to refuse to buy such motherboards, you overpay huge sums for these functions. The best option is a motherboard costing 4-5 thousand rubles, ATX form factor with an 8pin processor power connector and 4 memory module connectors, as well as 5-6 connectors for connecting sound devices.
7) Power supplies - The biggest misconception about power supplies is that more watts is better. Nothing like this! There will be no difference between a 65 and 1500 watt PSU for your system, if it is built on one processor and one video card. The power supply must be selected based on the consumption of the system. The most powerful video card cannot consume more than 350 watts, the processor, no more than 250 (rare specimens, overclocked, without overclocking, powerful CPUs eat about 80-100 watts), everything else consumes about 70 watts. Therefore, for systems around 30000r, 500-550 "watts" is enough, for powerful PCs, with one video card, "for overclocking", 650 watts, and for the rest, it depends on the number of video cards, but the rule is simple - +1 video card = +300 watts.
8) Do not forget about cooling systems, if the processor is overclocked, then you need to choose a processor "cooler" based on tests, the most optimal option, for example Coolermaster S200. If the processor is not chasing, then you can choose a simpler cooler, up to 500 rubles, according to reviews on the same Yandex market.

This is how components are selected somehow, and now I will give 3 examples of decent assemblies with a certain price category, these assemblies are only for games and do not meet certain requirements, but this does not mean that they, for example, cannot be engaged in work, or rendering / audio processing. Also keep in mind that theoretically it is possible to select even more optimal components, but for this you need to start from stores and the presence of certain components in them, these components are selected in one store that delivers goods throughout Russia and has its own representative offices in many cities. (prices are taken from one popular store, its name cannot be indicated according to the rules of chips).

And so here are 3 configurations from me:
The configurations themselves with links to the store:
30.000Р:
Processor (CPU) - AMD Athlon X4 860K Black Edition, OEM 4170r
CPU Cooler - Cooler Master S200
Motherboard - ASUS A88XM-A 3340r
RAM - DIMM DDR3 1600Mhz 8GB Hynix Original 3750r

Video card - MSI R9 270 GAMING 2G, R9 270, 2048MB, GDDR5, Retail 9430r
Housing - InWin IW-EAR007 500W4290r
Total - 30300r
This configuration has a price within 30000r and is intended to replace game consoles, you can play all modern and upcoming games on it at settings close to high. If you have money, then you should replace the motherboard with an AM3 + with an AMD970 chipset, for example from MSI and replace the processor with an AMD FX-8300, it will cost about 3-3.5 thousand rubles, but it will be worth it.

55.000Р, video timecode 15:55:
Processor (CPU) - Intel Core i5-4590, OEM 13860r
CPU cooler - Cooler Master CP6-9HDSA-0L-GP 530r
Motherboard - ASUS B85M-G 3640r

Hard drive - 1TB, Seagate SV 35.5, ST1000VX000 3750r
Video card - Palit PA-GTX970 JetStream 4G, GTX 970, 4096MB, GDDR5, Retail 22170r
Housing - InWin IW-EAR007 4290r
Total - 52310r
This system unit is designed for high and ultra settings in all modern games, like the previous system unit, it has exactly the same case, with a built-in 500 watt power supply, mATX motherboard, the same 1TB hard drive. But this configuration is not designed for overclocking, at least the processor, and the power of the video card and processor allow you to play all games comfortably.

80.000R:
Processor (CPU) - Intel Core i5-4690K, OEM 16620r
CPU cooler - Cooler Master S200 940r
Motherboard - MSI Z97S SLI KRAIT EDITION 7520r
RAM - DIMM DDR3, 8GB (2x4GB), Kingston HyperX FURY blue, HX316C10FK2/8 3970r
SSD - SSD 128GB, Plextor M6S, PX-128M6S 4500r
Hard drive - 1TB, Seagate SV 35.5, ST1000VX000 3750r
Video card - MSI GTX 980 GAMING 4G, GTX 980, 4096MB, GDDR5, Retail 33450r
Case - Corsair Carbide Series SPEC-01, CC-9011050-WW 3790r
Power Supply - ATX Corsair CX 750, CP-9020015-EU, 750W 5930r
Total - 80470r

This system unit is at the forefront of technology. The motherboard with SLI support, overclockable processor, power supply and case are designed to install two video cards, and the existing video card is pre-top and gives consistently high FPS in all games. This configuration is intended for a narrow circle of people who crave high FPS and juicy pictures.

Of course, not everything is matched perfectly, but it is possible to select ideally only for a specific person and his tasks.

That's all, I hope you enjoyed reading this ton of text and it will be useful to you. And remember - in no case, do not buy ready-made computers, they cost you more and work much worse. AT modern world, there are shops in which you will be collected and helped in the selection of components for the system!

We cannot imagine our lives without computers, and yet many do not know what the “stuffing” of a PC is. Therefore, the question "how to choose a computer?" confuses a lot of people. What parameters to pay attention to when choosing a computer for home or office - about this in an accessible language in our article.

Which computer is suitable for home

First you need to decide what type of computer you need for your home - stationary (desktop) or miniature (laptop, monoblock, nettop). They differ not only in size. Of course, a laptop, monoblock or nettop is much more compact, and this is important if you live in a very small apartment or studio. In addition, the laptop is mobile, you can take it with you anywhere - this is a plus if you travel often and do not want to part with it.

However, there are other fundamental differences. Laptops are usually much less powerful than laptops. desktop computers(the exception is laptops designed specifically for games), the possibilities for upgrading laptops are very limited - if you can replace almost any component in a stationary PC, then upgrading a laptop is more difficult. You can only replace the RAM and hard drive, as well as purchase an external video card, but even this is not possible for every model.

In desktop models, the choice of components allows you to design the perfect PC that will meet your needs. Another important point - a computer monitor can be of almost any size and quality, the choice is now huge. But a laptop monitor is almost never larger than 18 inches diagonally, and you cannot replace it.

In general, if mobility is not a priority for you, then you need a stationary PC, and in the future we will talk about it.

So, a home computer - how do you intend to use it? Usually people buy PCs for study, games and entertainment, such as watching movies, and surfing the Internet. How to choose a computer for each of these tasks and what to look for?

Computer for games

• Microprocessor. Games require a balanced processor. Pay attention to 4-core 8-thread models with a frequency of 3 GHz (at least). For example, AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or Intel Core i7-7700 will do.
• RAM. 8 GB is the minimum for a gaming computer. But it's better not to waste time on trifles and purchase 16 GB of RAM - this is enough for most tasks. For gaming computers, special gaming memory has been developed, for example, from the Kingston HyperX line.
• video card. Gamers cannot do without a good graphics card. Games require at least 3 GB of VRAM. best choice will become GPU GeForce, since most games are optimized for it. Pay attention to video cards based on the GeForce GTX 9 and 10 series, as well as radeon cards RX 500 and Vega.
• HDD. The required hard disk space for a gaming computer is 2 TB for storing media files and video content.
• SSD- small disc high speed. The SSD is required to install the operating system and fast loading and program operation. For games, an SSD is essential as they tend to be very "heavy". Gamers should pay attention to the SSD with a capacity of 240 GB. A Samsung 840 Pro or a smaller and more affordable 240 GB Intel 730 Series is perfect.
• Motherboard. This is the "foundation" of the computer. The most important indicator is the chipset of the board. For games, Z370 (for Intel) or B350 (for AMD) are suitable.
• Power Supply. Will have to spend on powerful block power supply (from 600 W).
• Monitor. For games, monitors with a diagonal of at least 20 inches are well suited, preferably Full HD. Such a monitor will allow you to appreciate the beauty of the graphics. Pay attention to such an indicator as response time. Look for a monitor with a response time of no more than 5ms, otherwise fast-moving objects on the screen will look somewhat blurry.

It is important!
Particular attention when choosing any computer should be given to the processor. After all, it is the "brain" of the computer. Over the past decade, technology has stepped far forward, processors have become more powerful, productive and intelligent. Modern processors, such as 6-core AMD Ryzen™ 5 CPUs with up to 12 threads and up to 16MB cache, or 8-core AMD Ryzen 7 CPUs with 16 processing threads and up to 20MB cache, provide high-end performance for gaming, creating content and perform several resource-intensive tasks. Moreover, thanks to the AMD Ryzen Master program, you can independently adjust the performance of the processor depending on your needs. And powerful AMD Ryzen PRO series processors are suitable for premium graphics workstations and desktop PCs. They are equipped with built-in security to meet the high demands of professionals and provide reliable protection of corporate data.

entertainment computer

• Microprocessor. Choose machines with a 2-core processor and a frequency of about 2-3 GHz. Such processors can be either 2- or 4-thread, but if you use your computer to watch movies, listen to music and explore the Internet, this indicator is not important, a 2-thread processor will be enough for you. We advise you to take a closer look at the AMD Ryzen 3 1200 and Intel Core i5-7400 processors.
• RAM. The necessary and sufficient capacity of "RAM" in this case is 8 GB or less.
• video card. Most likely, you will not need a video card at all, since integrated video is enough for surfing the Internet and watching videos. motherboard.
• HDD. For entertainment, a 1 TB disk is enough. This is enough to store movies and music, but if you have a very large collection, look for something more voluminous.
• SSD. If you are using a computer for multimedia, a 120 GB SSD will suffice.
• Motherboard. For multimedia computer fit B250/H270 (for Intel) and A320 (for AMD).
• Power Supply. 400 W is quite sufficient power for a home computer. If you are planning an upgrade, you can take the power supply "with a margin" - 500 watts.
• Monitor. If you are going to use your computer as a home cinema, you will need a Full HD monitor with a diagonal of 23 inches or more. For watching movies, it is better to choose a widescreen matrix (16:9). If you will use it mainly for Internet access, then 18-20 inches will suffice. Like gaming, watching movies requires a monitor with a fast response time of 8ms or less.

Which computer to choose for office and work

Computer for solving basic office tasks

• Microprocessor. An office computer needs the same processor as a home entertainment PC, that is, a 2-core 2-thread processor with a frequency of 2-3 GHz. For example, AMD A8, A10 series, Intel Pentium G4620.
• RAM. For office work 4 GB will be enough.
• video card. A separate video card is not required for an ordinary office computer; a motherboard with integrated video is enough for such machines.
• HDD. You won't need a disk larger than 1TB.
• SSD. For an office computer, a 240 GB SSD is suitable, for example Silicon power S60.
• Motherboard. A simple motherboard is enough - B250 / H270 (for Intel) and A320 (for AMD).
• Power Supply. A 400W power supply will suffice for an office computer.
• Monitor. Since such a computer will be used primarily for office programs like Word and Excel, there's no need to invest in a large monitor - an inexpensive 20" matte monitor will be more than enough.

On a note
looking for good computer for home or office, you need to pay attention to the factory-assembled models. Their components are selected by engineers according to basic needs and compatibility. Assembling a computer on your own makes sense only if you are an enthusiast and like to see how it works. If you have special requirements for the machine - as a rule, it is necessary for gamers, professional designers, videographers, editors, etc. - then you need to use the "assembly to order" service, where the seller will take into account all your wishes, but taking into account the quality of components, their compatibility and price. But for study and office work, it is easier and more reliable to buy a ready-made solution. If you still want to assemble the car yourself, you can use configurators to select components: there are a lot of them on the Internet, but one of the most convenient is the configurator on the company's website.

Workstation for specific tasks

• Microprocessor. The processor requirements for running graphics and video editors are similar to those for a gaming computer - you need a 4-core 8-thread processor with a frequency of 3 GHz. In the event that you need the maximum powerful processor(for example, for serious work with 3D), you can pay attention to 6-core and 8-core processors, but they already belong to the hi-end category and are much more expensive. For example, 8 nuclear processor AMD Ryzen 7 with 16 processing threads and 20MB cache.
• RAM. Look for "RAM" with a capacity of 8-16 GB. Graphic programs require large amounts of memory and are processed precisely on the "RAM".
• video card. A powerful video card with at least 3 GB of memory is required to work with 3D and video. If you work in programs like Photoshop, then in some cases you can get by with integrated video.
• HDD. To work with graphics, you will need a disk of 2 TB or more.
• SSD with a speed of 550 Mb / s and a capacity of 240 GB - a must for a professional computer.
• Motherboard. The main requirement for the "motherboard" for professional machines is reliability. Take a closer look at the Asus Prime X370-PRO or GIGABYTE-G1.Sniper-Z97.
• Power Supply. You will need a good supply of power, so choose a power supply of about 600W or higher.
• Monitor. If you work with graphics, you can't save on a monitor. The best fit is a Full HD monitor with a diagonal of 23 inches and a good IPS or PLS-matrix, always matte.

As you can see, the package and, consequently, the price depend on the purposes for which you are going to use the computer. That is why it is worth trying to delve into the intricacies so as not to overpay for extra functionality - or, even worse, not to buy a computer that does not meet the tasks.

The gaming industry does not stand still. And every year new products become more and more demanding on the capabilities of the computer. This year was no exception: some of the announced games have already been released, and gamers are waiting for other projects from day to day, but not everyone will be able to play them. Many will have to deal with hardware upgrades, so in this article we will look at 2015 gaming computers, prices and specifications (prices in dollars).

Minimum Configuration

Let's analyze the characteristics of a gaming computer in 2015 entry level. New processors with Skylake architecture have already appeared on the market. In this case, we chose the Core i3, because even in minimum requirements modern toys ask for a four-core processor. Yes, the Core i3 only has two cores, but it can create two more virtual cores using Hyper-Threading technology. A cheaper Pentium on the same architecture, but it cannot do this, so the game may simply not start. Despite the same frequency characteristics the new Core i3 will be slightly faster than the previous model, the 4170, and it also has lower power consumption (51W instead of 54W).

The motherboard and chipset are practically no different from their predecessors (intel H61). It also makes no sense to choose a motherboard with DDR4 support, since you will not see a performance increase on such a configuration, just spend more money. As for the amount of RAM, less than 8GB is not relevant at all for a modern game.

The video card chosen is the GTX 750 Ti 2 GB because it has no competition in terms of performance in this price range.

Optimal configuration

Consider the characteristics of the average gaming computer in 2015. This is the optimal configuration for today on the new platform. For those who want to save a little: you can choose the Core i5-4460 ($205) and the motherboard for it on the Intel B85 ($90). But keep in mind that the processor will lose in terms of performance and power consumption, although its capabilities will be enough for a full-fledged relationship and work with this video card. Simply, due to the advent of a new line, the prices for these components do not grow as fast as for fresh ones. At least for now.

Should appear soon new Radeon R9 380X. This video card will have more structural blocks than its predecessor, and the amount of video memory will increase to 4GB. It turns out an increase in performance, and the price range promises to remain at about the same level.

This moment, most likely, will push NVIDIA to create models intermediate in price between the GeForce GTX 960 and GeForce GTX 970. And this will be very pleasant for us, because the difference of $ 150 between them is not encouraging at all. Demand for models in this price category, of course, there is, but at least there will be plenty to choose from. The fact is that even 2GB of video memory is already not enough. In this case, the video card will have to use RAM for its needs, and work with it more slowly than with its own memory.

Top configuration

This is what a powerful gaming computer 2015 looks like, its characteristics will allow you to set the settings in the game to the highest level (or ultra-high). Let's start with processors. You will immediately need to purchase a new cooler. Because even if it is included in the kit, then, firstly, it is very loud, and secondly, it will not be enough to overclock the processor. You will most likely need to overclock to get the best performance from your graphics card.

Fans of the very best graphics cards can choose between the GTX 970 4 GB and the Radeon R9 390 8 GB. Well, if money does not play a role at all, then, of course, you can put a GeForce GTX 980 or Radeon R9 Fury. In the latter case, the increase in price absolutely does not correspond to the increase in power. But it's always been like this, it's TOP!

Another feature of this configuration is the use SSD drive. On it, of course, you need to put operating system. But a couple of favorite toys will also fit in. This is done because the speed characteristics of such a hard drive are much higher than those of a conventional HDD. If you want to play with it, you will have to fork out for a 512GB SSD, such a pleasure will cost from $180 to $200. It does not make sense to take less, since games already occupy not 20 - 30GB, but 60 -70GB.

Hello dear readers of my blog. Marat Nauruzbaev is in touch. In this article I will tell and show which computer is better to buy for home use and which one I bought myself the other day. Or rather, what system unit for a computer I assembled from components. I'll tell you how to choose the right computer and why I chose these components for the system unit, and not others.

The system unit turned out to be of an average price category, with a reserve for future modernization. Also in the article I will show the configuration of the system unit of a small price category, but quite productive.

Mine home computer I bought a long time ago (in my opinion in 2008). At that time it was a good powerful computer for work and games. Now, according to modern requirements, it is already considered obsolete and requires modernization for a long time.

Why is it better to assemble a system unit from components, and not to purchase ready-made assemblies?

Because you “collect” exactly what you want, and not what the store in a ready-made system unit imposes on you.

At first I wanted to assemble a system unit based on a processor Intel, on socket LGA 1151, but then after talking a little on the w3bsit3-dns.com forum, I came to the conclusion to assemble a computer based on a new processor from the company AMD, codenamed Ryzen.

Why did I change my mind? No, not because Intel processors are worse, it's just that Intel plans to release new eighth generation processors, codenamed coffee lake and they will already be on a new platform (new socket) and I don’t think it’s worth buying Intel processors on the LGA 1151 socket. Although processors from Intel will be relevant on this socket, I think for another two or three years.

Therefore, I decided to “transfer” again 🙂 to an AMD processor ( old computer I also have an AMD processor. Moreover, AMD released new processor Ryzen.

My system unit configuration

I use the computer not for games, but for work: the Internet (a browser with a bunch of tabs), I test programs, write articles, and automatic backup scheduled (in the background), and sometimes editing and converting video.

In general, after weighing all the pros and cons, I ordered myself such an optimal configuration (middle price range).

Prices are fact. in rubles at the time of purchase / fact in dollars at the time of purchase / estimated price in rubles at the moment

• maternalpayASRock AB350 Pro4- 6 290 rubles. / 108 USD / 8 627 RUB
• CPUAMD Ryzen 5 1400- 10 290 rubles. / 180 USD / 14 378 RUB
• CoolerforprocessorDeepcool Gammaxx 200T- 810 rubles. / 14 USD / 1 118 RUB
• OperationalmemorySamsung 8 GB- 4 150 rubles. / 72 USD / 5 751 RUB
• SSD128 GBTranscend 370s- 5 190 rubles. / 91 USD / 7 269 RUB
• - 4 390 rubles. / 77 USD / 6 151 RUB
• FrameCaseCom CP-686 (black) - 1 990 rubles. / 35 USD / 2 796 RUB
• BlocknutritionZalman TX 500W- 3 550 rubles. / 62 USD / 4 952 RUB

All components cost me a total of: 36 660 rubles / 643USD(September 2017)

There is no video card in this configuration, I have it available, old and cheap 🙂, but I don’t need an expensive video card, since I don’t play games.

If you play games, you can take a video card, for example GeForce GTX 1050 Ti(10,000 rubles) or higher. This video card will pull the games of 2017 in FullHD resolution on this configuration.

“Disassembly” of components

Now I'll tell you a little about the components I purchased and show them a photo.

ASRock AB350 Pro4 Motherboard

This motherboard is based on socket AM4 for AMD processors and B350 chipset that supports overclocking. I opted for it, since the B350 chipset supports overclocking of the processor and memory, and also because it has 6 SATA ports, which makes it possible to connect up to 6 hard drives.

In my case, this is relevant, because. I plan to rearrange 2 or 3 hard drives from an old computer to new computer in addition to my two purchased drives.

Processor AMD Ryzen 5 1400

This is the so-called motor for your computer.

This processor is 4-core, 8 threads, frequency 3200-3400 MHz, L3 cache size: 8 MB.

In terms of performance, it is approximately comparable to the Intel Core I5-7400 processor (4 cores, 4 threads, frequency 3000-3500 MHz).

All Ryzen are overclockable and Ryzen 5 1400 not an exception. It can be overclocked to 3.8-4.0 MHz, which I will try to do on this motherboard in the future.

Deepcool CPU coolerGammaxx 200T

Tower cooler from Deepcool.
Power dissipation: 100W
Fan size: 120×120mm
Maximum noise level: 26.1 dB

It is a more powerful cooler than the one that usually comes with a BOX processor. Required when overclocking the processor. I hope it's quiet, let's see and listen...

Samsung RAM 8 GB

Memory of 8 GB and a frequency of 2400 MHz. They say that samsung memory on B-Die chips it overclocks well. And I don’t know this memory ... 🙂 . Let's see.

128 GB SSDTranscend 370s[TS128GSSD370S]

Reliable SSD for the price. Capacity: 128 GB with MLC memory.
Max speed writes: 170 MB/s
Maximum read speed: 550MB/s
Supplied with an adapter for a 3.5″ HDD slot.

2TB Seagate BarraCuda ST2000DM006 hard drive

HDD capacity: 2 TB
Cache size: 64 MB
Maximum data transfer rate: 210 MB/s
According to many positive feedback- a good HDD. Wait and see…

FrameCaseComCP-686 (black)

A good value case with a Midi-Tower size and a bottom-mounted PSU (PSU sold separately).

I liked the fact that this case has 4 internal 3.5″ bays and 3 2.5″ bays with a transverse arrangement for drives. As well as the presence of a window on the side wall and blue illumination on the front fan.

The case comes with two 120mm fans included.

There is a removable mesh on the bottom of the case.

This is a photo of the case after installing the power supply and drives into it

Among the shortcomings, I note the non-speed-controlled fans in the case (connected via the Molex connector to the power supply), although they operate relatively quietly.

Power SupplyZalmanTX500W[ZM500-TX]

If the processor is a motor, then the power supply is the fuel for your motor and other components, so saving on it is not advisable.

Power: 500W
Main power connector: 20+4 pin
Processor (CPU) power connectors: 1 x 4+4 pin
Video card power connectors (PCI-E): 2 x 6+2 pin
Number of 15-pin SATA connectors: 5
Number of 4-pin Molex connectors: 3
Number of 4-pin Floppy connectors: 1
Main power cable length: 50cm
CPU power cable length: 65 cm
Fan size: 140×140mm
There is a blue backlight and braided wires.

Assembly of the system unit

The assembly of the system unit is nothing complicated. It's like a constructor, you just need to be more careful.

The most difficult thing when assembling a computer is choosing the right components at the time of ordering. All components must be compatible with each other.

Well, for example, processors are produced by two companies: Intel and AMD. Each processor has its own socket. Motherboards are produced only for a specific socket and cannot combine two different sockets on one board. Moreover, the boards can be of different sizes: ATX, MiniATX, MicroATX, etc., which, accordingly, must be taken into account when selecting a case for the system unit ...

This is the basis for selecting components, you also need to have an idea about the various chipsets on the motherboard, types and frequencies of RAM, etc.

Well, I took all the ordered components from the store, photographed for this article and safely assembled them. Once again I say, there is nothing complicated in this.

I will not describe here in detail how to assemble a system unit from components, the article is not much about that.

In general terms, the assembly should be done in this way:

1. The processor is inserted into the motherboard socket and closed with a special clip

1. We apply a thin layer of thermal paste on the processor (to remove heat from the processor to the cooler)

1. We install a cooler on the processor using special latches (if the cooler is large, then thermal paste and cooler can be installed after installing the motherboard in the system unit case)

1. RAM is installed in a special slot on the motherboard

1. We install the power supply into the case of the system unit and fasten it with several screws. We lay the cables from it approximately to the future connection points (power supply for the motherboard, processor, drives, video card) and fasten with ties

1. Installing the backplate from the motherboard

We install the motherboard in the case of the system unit and fasten it to the racks for the motherboard. We connect power to it and power to the processor (from the power supply)

1. We connect the wires from the front panel of the case to the connectors on the motherboard

The main difficulty of the assembly is to connect the wires from the front panel of the case to the connectors on the motherboard 🙂. It is not always easy to figure out which wire is connected to which connector on the motherboard. In this case, the manual from the mat will help you. fees.

In general, everything went smoothly, I assembled the system unit, it remains to connect it to the monitor, keyboard, mouse and apply power to it.

System unit at a budget price

Friends, if your configuration is based on AMD processor Ryzen is expensive, you can buy an inexpensive but good system unit based on an Intel processor. Its performance will certainly be inferior, but it will be decent (at the level of the Intel Core I3-6100 processor).

This configuration is perfect for work and even for non-demanding games.

Prices are indicative at the moment.

• maternalpayGigabyte GA-B250M-DS3H– 83 USD / 6 630 RUB
• CPUIntel Pentium G4600 BOX– 99 USD / 7 908 RUB
• OperationalmemoryGoodram 8 GB– 68 USD / 5 432 RUB
• Harddisk1 TBToshiba– 46 USD / 3 674 RUB
• Casing CaseCom CP-686– 35 USD / 2 796 RUB
• Zalman TX 500W power supply– 62 USD / 4 952 RUB

Total: 392 USD / 31 313 RUB

The Intel Pentium G4600 processor is similar in performance to the Core I3-6100, but cheaper by a third and with a more powerful video core.

The Pentium G4600 comes with a built-in HD Graphics 630 video core, so if you use your computer for light games, you can do without a discrete graphics card.

If you want to play serious games, then additionally purchase a video card, for example GeForce GTX 1050 Ti(10,000 rubles) or higher.

Well, that's all I wanted to tell in this article. I am very glad that I finally updated my system unit. Moreover, I chose a modern platform, in which its further modernization cannot be forced to change all components, I hope so 🙂.

For example, in the future it will be possible to change the Ryzen processor to a more powerful one, especially since AMD promises to release them with an integrated video core ...

Well, I will use my good old computer as a second additional workstation.

Also watch the video about the new Ryzen processors

I will tell you about the test of a new computer, as well as about trying to overclock it, so