Need some help, computer boffins

Ok so my boy(11) infomed me the PS3 is not good enough for him anymore and now want a ps4. Dont really understand why, ps3 seems ok to me, maybe newer games only on ps4. Anyway except that its going to cost me money, thats easy as all ps4's are probably more or less the same, will look maybe for a black friday special.

Now the question. Today he starts talking about maybe rather getting a computer. No here I know nothing. Last time I bought a pc was a pentium 1 or 2 laptop with windows vista.
So what should I be looking at, processor, memory, graphics card?
This will mainly be for gaming, he plays games like Minecraft and sport games like soccer, rugby and racing games. Definately not going to buy newest coolest thing, just some advice needed for something that will be ok for next few years. Playstation Im not really confident to buy used, but with a pc will maybe look secondhand. Is pc's still like in old days were if something go you just buy new part and almost plug and play?

And lastly, Im not into gaming, but for me it was always much easier to play games on something like a playstation than on a pc. Is it just me or do gamers prefer pc?

A g aming PC will probably set you back 13k and might still need upgrading.(off the top of my head I might be wrong)
If you're lucky a bit less I dont know anymore I haven't built a PC in a while. If your kid got skills and he thinks of one day entering a world championship then I would say go this route but remember with this new PC's you can only upgrade so far then you have to buy a different board or something to upgrade further. A playstation comes plug and play ready, graphics is not bad and would be ideal for a child.
This is how I feel and is my opinion.you can still review a few more options and make your decision.
The best place I used was Chaos computers.there might be others ,but they gave me what I asked and did a great job at it and also gave me good advice on previous and next steps.
I got you two pics of graphics cards to show you what I mean with price ranges between the highest and lowest on the same site.

Jean claude Vaaldamme said:

Ok so my boy(11) infomed me the PS3 is not good enough for him anymore and now want a ps4. Dont really understand why, ps3 seems ok to me, maybe newer games only on ps4. Anyway except that its going to cost me money, thats easy as all ps4's are probably more or less the same, will look maybe for a black friday special.

Now the question. Today he starts talking about maybe rather getting a computer. No here I know nothing. Last time I bought a pc was a pentium 1 or 2 laptop with windows vista.
So what should I be looking at, processor, memory, graphics card?
This will mainly be for gaming, he plays games like Minecraft and sport games like soccer, rugby and racing games. Definately not going to buy newest coolest thing, just some advice needed for something that will be ok for next few years. Playstation Im not really confident to buy used, but with a pc will maybe look secondhand. Is pc's still like in old days were if something go you just buy new part and almost plug and play?

And lastly, Im not into gaming, but for me it was always much easier to play games on something like a playstation than on a pc. Is it just me or do gamers prefer pc?

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Theres cheaper options to graphics cards but I showed you the brand I would take If I had to build a PC.the board and chip is also a deciding factor of the end product

Resistance said:

AView attachment 182258 gView attachment 182257 aming PC will probably set you back 13k and might still need upgrading.(off the top of my head I might be wrong)
If you're lucky a bit less I dont know anymore I haven't built a PC in a while. If your kid got skills and he thinks of one day entering a world championship then I would say go this route but remember with this new PC's you can only upgrade so far then you have to buy a different board or something to upgrade further. A playstation comes plug and play ready, graphics is not bad and would be ideal for a child.
This is how I feel and is my opinion.you can still review a few more options and make your decision.
The best place I used was Chaos computers.there might be others ,but they gave me what I asked and did a great job at it and also gave me good advice on previous and next steps.
I got you two pics of graphics cards to show you what I mean with price ranges between the highest and lowest on the same site.View attachment 182257

Click to expand...

Thanks. Hehe I barely know how to use whatsapp so my child will not enter chapionships, he will be lucky if I let him play a hour a day. That said its amazing some of the things(farms and machines) he build in Minecraft.
So no Im not getting a 11year old an 13k pc. Do one nead a gaming pc or can a normal pc also play games?

Jean claude Vaaldamme said:

Ok so my boy(11) infomed me the PS3 is not good enough for him anymore and now want a ps4. Dont really understand why, ps3 seems ok to me, maybe newer games only on ps4. Anyway except that its going to cost me money, thats easy as all ps4's are probably more or less the same, will look maybe for a black friday special.

Now the question. Today he starts talking about maybe rather getting a computer. No here I know nothing. Last time I bought a pc was a pentium 1 or 2 laptop with windows vista.
So what should I be looking at, processor, memory, graphics card?
This will mainly be for gaming, he plays games like Minecraft and sport games like soccer, rugby and racing games. Definately not going to buy newest coolest thing, just some advice needed for something that will be ok for next few years. Playstation Im not really confident to buy used, but with a pc will maybe look secondhand. Is pc's still like in old days were if something go you just buy new part and almost plug and play?

And lastly, Im not into gaming, but for me it was always much easier to play games on something like a playstation than on a pc. Is it just me or do gamers prefer pc?

Click to expand...

@Jean claude Vaaldamme , another option is to go look on Evetech, they have prebuilds ranging from low to extreme high performance setups. At least it will give you an idea. Locust 2 just got a gaming pc from them, and although not the highest spec available it’s a monster. He says look at the Ryzen 5 3600 gen3 setups. Indicative it’s still going to be more expensive than a Playstation4.

This is a decent one according to him that will last/be usable for quite a while before upgrade needed, just need to add a hard drive. Alternatively you can mail them and they can assist with info based on your budget and what it’s going to be used for.

Room Fogger said:

@Jean claude Vaaldamme , another option is to go look on Evetech, they have prebuilds ranging from low to extreme high performance setups. At least it will give you an idea. Locust 2 just got a gaming pc from them, and although not the highest spec available it’s a monster. He says look at the Ryzen 5 3600 gen3 setups. Indicative it’s still going to be more expensive than a Playstation4.

This is a decent one according to him that will last/be usable for quite a while before upgrade needed, just need to add a hard drive. Alternatively you can mail them and they can assist with info based on your budget and what it’s going to be used for.

View attachment 182268

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Jean claude Vaaldamme said:

Thanks. Hehe I barely know how to use whatsapp so my child will not enter chapionships, he will be lucky if I let him play a hour a day. That said its amazing some of the things(farms and machines) he build in Minecraft.
So no Im not getting a 11year old an 13k pc. Do one nead a gaming pc or can a normal pc also play games?

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Personally im not an AMD fan ,but this setup looks OK to start out with.
the main thing is the chip,board and most definitely,graphics which makes a world of difference

Pentium4 ,(I know its old )and a lekka graphics card and I would be happy and of course windows NT/XP and games that would run on there.

Ok lets ask the simple question.
A ps4 will set me back 6-8k and he can play on the tv
Now buying a 13k gaming pc I guess you still going to add another few k for a fancy screen?
That said, what will be better on the pc compaired to the ps4? This is now game wise, big difference in graphics? Game play? Are pc games better than playstation? Do you get more games on pc?

Ok and another question. I see pc's called i3, i5 and i7. Now it seems that you can get normal of these pc's for cheap, +-3-4k. Say I get him a ps4 for games and just a normal i5 or i7 pc to have a computer. Can this i5 or i7 pc then later on easily be converted to a gaming pc by just adding ram and graphics cards?

Jean claude Vaaldamme said:

Ok and another question. I see pc's called i3, i5 and i7. Now it seems that you can get normal of these pc's for cheap, +-3-4k. Say I get him a ps4 for games and just a normal i5 or i7 pc to have a computer. Can this i5 or i7 pc then later on easily be converted to a gaming pc by just adding ram and graphics cards?

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If you think vaping can be a rabbit hole / wait till you get to gaming PCs



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RenaldoRheeder said:

If you think vaping can be a rabbit hole / wait till you get to gaming PCs



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Thanks. Yes Im not a rabbit hole guy and dont chase hypes. For example the otehr day at function at my kids school, a guy ask me if one of my friends are rich as he has 5k tekkies. Well I have never noticed his tekkies and dont even know what they called, they look like R300 Mr Price sport tekkies to me.
Thats what Im trying to find out. I have a normal LG led hd tv. My friend has some R45k fancy tv. Now If you put the two next to each other, yes his will probaboy have a bit crisper picture, but nothing wrong with mine, it doesnt get stuck or slow when watching sport etc.

So as an complete idiot when it comes to computers, I dont want to know what the fanciest thing out there is. I just want to know what type of specs should I look for in a pc for a 11year old to play games like minecraft and sport games. His not going to get a fancy 10k monitor. Just something that can handle the games and give nice clear, stable graphics on a normal hd monitor

OK I am by no means a boffin. But I will try and help you out here.

Gaming PC's a couple of factors
1. Software and games develop at an alarming rate and upgrades are not uncommon.
2. If you don't have a big Data cap, don't even consider it. Almost all PC games and software for that matter needs downloading now. ( I just downloaded Borderlands 3, something like 56GB)
3. If you do decide on a PC It will be wise to go with something that has upgrade possibilities for at least 2 to 3 years. ( AMD is normally better at this option )
4. Graphics cards can be more expensive than 5 x play stations, however there are nice 2nd hand ones available for great prices.
5. Yes Graphics are insanely good especially if you have a strong setup
6. If you go for a 8th or 9th Gen Intel i5 or i7 and want to upgrade to a gaming PC later then yes very much a possibility
7. There are older systems available second hand that will be more than capable to play most AAA titles at a PS4 price.
8. 2 important factors to remember with a PC , a good power supply and a screen can set you back a bit as well.

I will add if anything else comes up.

Just to give you an Idea, I just build a very capable machine for R6500 excluding a screen and keyboard/mouse.

Do yourself a favor and register here https://carbonite.co.za/

From what it sounds like - you'll be better off with just waiting a bit and getting the PS5 when it launches in a few months. Expensive yes, but not nearly as much as what a decent PC would cost you. It'll also stay current for the next 5 years (at least).

RenaldoRheeder said:

If you think vaping can be a rabbit hole / wait till you get to gaming PCs

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What he said. I've been advised on a mid range Alienware refurb or 2nd hand laptop bec I've decided to make the leap and get rid of my old pc as I'm due for an upgrade. My old thing has served me ten years ish so it's time to retire it.

Besides most parts on an Alienware laptop are replaceable so it's worth it.

ace_d_house_cat said:

From what it sounds like - you'll be better off with just waiting a bit and getting the PS5 when it launches in a few months. Expensive yes, but not nearly as much as what a decent PC would cost you. It'll also stay current for the next 5 years (at least).

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Eish now you throw another spanner in the works. But I dont think I will go for that. Could just mean that I may get ps4's for cheaper

Cornelius said:

Do yourself a favor and register here https://carbonite.co.za/

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Thanks for this, some good deals on ps4. Unfortunately all the pc adds is greek to me, dont know a thing what they saying and advertising

Ok any playstation boffins here? Say I go the ps4 route. Now you get the normal ps4 and the pro. Now the only difference seem to be faster processor and better graphics(4k). Now if I just have a normal hd tv, will I see any difference with the pro?
On that, the leaked specs of ps5 also seem faster and 8k. Again with a normal hd tv is the upgrade to ps5 worth it?

For now seeing that your a realist. PS3-4 and 5 whenever it comes out will still be available in the next few years.
for gaming I would go PS(whatever one you choose) and get a nice upgradable pc for intended use.
seeing that you mention screens.the screen might be good but its only as good as your graphics card.the picture might be clear but you will notice the difference with a better graphics card.
That said youll notice the difference between a normal screen and a crystal or diamond view screen without breaking a sweat.
get a PS4/5 and build an upgradable PC at your own time when your pocket allows.or keep the PS3 and build up a PC

Jean claude Vaaldamme said:

Ok any playstation boffins here? Say I go the ps4 route. Now you get the normal ps4 and the pro. Now the only difference seem to be faster processor and better graphics(4k). Now if I just have a normal hd tv, will I see any difference with the pro?
On that, the leaked specs of ps5 also seem faster and 8k. Again with a normal hd tv is the upgrade to ps5 worth it?

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I am a PC fanatic and have been for the past 15 years.

Carbonite is your best bet to get great second hand and sometimes new deals.

The latest PS will probably work out cheaper, but a PC can do many more things.

Building or buying a prebuilt PC capable of playing most games at 1080p will not cost too much, but when you add the peripherals such as mice, screens, keyboards, headphones it can quickly add up.

With R13k you should be able to build a fairly decent gaming PC.

If you need any assistence with specs, feel free to send me a PM

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Wimmas said:

I am a PC fanatic and have been for the past 15 years.

Carbonite is your best bet to get great second hand and sometimes new deals.

The latest PS will probably work out cheaper, but a PC can do many more things.

Building or buying a prebuilt PC capable of playing most games at 1080p will not cost too much, but when you add the peripherals such as mice, screens, keyboards, headphones it can quickly add up.

With R13k you should be able to build a fairly decent gaming PC.

If you need any assistence with specs, feel free to send me a PM

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Agreed. That's if you build it up yourself.
I built me a Gaming PC a few years back but my aim was to watch movies. So basically I built a multimedia center/home theater that could handle games. All my recent stuff was plug and play

My 2 cents worth...seeing that your son is 11

Just get an XBOX One or PS4 or wait for the new versions coming out in next couple months.

No need to worry about him crashing windows first of all, No need to worry about viruses, It will do everything he wants plus more like movie streaming ect. like netflix which you can then use on the TV when he is not playing. You wont require upgrades when new games come out and should be fine for atleast the next 3 or 4 years if not longer. The graphics is awesome as well.

So for someone that isnt too technical referencing the whatsapp, i would say this is the best and easiest option as well as cheapest.

I have seen second hand Xbox one 1terabyte i think for around R4k

There are some really nice entry level gaming pc's at Evetech and they are very affordable. You should take a look.

Jean claude Vaaldamme said:

Eish now you throw another spanner in the works. But I dont think I will go for that. Could just mean that I may get ps4's for cheaper

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Remember that PS4 will become obsolete shortly after the PS5 is released. This means that they will (they probably already have) stop making games for this platform.

I'd honesty wait, save the extra and get the PS5.

I agree with Stompie. A 11 year old child and a PC just spells problems. Errors, crashing, viruses etc. Best to go the console route until he is old enough and savvy enough to work with PC's.

Additional costs with PC's include Windows, Office and Anti Virus software.

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