Thread: Old bloke seeking advice.

Hi guys.
I'm looking for a bit of advice. I'm 59 and have been playing pc games now for a few years. I built myself a computer room in my new shed. It's only small (2300x2700) but it has A/C, flat screen tv, phone and more importantly, a fridge just outside the door!! I don't usually play online as i don't like the pressure but i found i like playing SniperGW as i can just go at my own pace. So, my problem is this...i have been wanting to upgrade my pc etc. for some time now but not sure in which direction to go. We got a direct hit from lightning a few nights ago and it created a few problems and it's only now that i'm getting it sorted, so i thought it was time to upgrade the pooter while i'm at it. The pc i'm using at the moment is a Pyron (bought at Harvey Norman) and it was no slouch at the time. I'd like to get myself a high end gaming pc but not sure what to get and also, do i buy versus build my own ?? I've never built one before but i think i'm capable with the right advice. What would you recommend ?? At 59, for me, it's all about comfort and reliability. I'm also wanting to get a new monitor/keyboard and mouse, UPS etc. At one stage i was using my flat screen LCD tv as my monitor and it made a huge improvment but i'd like to go larger and something that would suit gaming ie. fast refresh rate and good picture quality. Any ideas ?? Next would be a good gaming mouse/keyboard. My old UPS has done it's job but i'd like to upgrade that to suit the new pc etc. Finally, i'm wanting to do something about the sound quality. At the moment, i'm hooked up to a small Sony Hi-Fi and it has been better listening to that than the standard fare of pc speakers. In short, a whole new set-up. For quite some time now i have been complaining to Bigpond about my internet speed. I'm paying for ADSL2 but a lot of the time, my download speed is down around 15-30KBPS. Some days the signal roars in here, but very quickly the arse can drop out of it. To my way of thinking, it wouldn't matter what server i use, i'm still going to be using the old copper phone lines in my area. For that reason i'm thinking of going to a company that has wireless internet in my area thereby doing away with the old copper lines. They guarantee high internet speeds. Any advice ?? Anyway guys, i hope to hear back from some of you and any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated !! Cheers...Dave

HI DAVE you will have a lot of home work to do ,look at as many online pc shops as you can get the right price.not all the same/ ps. start with a big case HAFX is a good start.if you see me on team speak i will tell u about all my ?uck ups lol

Thanks for the replies guys. Yeh, i've got some homework to do huh ?? For me, it's all about reliability and comfort. At the moment my poor ol' rig is limping along but i'm still getting my share of the bad guys.
After about an hour my right arm feels like it wants to fall off after hanging onto the mouse. I notice a lot of you guys like using headphones. Is there a reason for that?? At the moment i don't have a mic for my computer so it makes it hard to communicate. I'll make sure one goes on the shopping list when i get the new rig.
Cheers....Dave.

Thanks for the welcome and your help guys.

At this stage i've had a good deal put to me from a young pc tech at one of the computer stores here in Mackay. He's right into gaming himself so he knows what i'm on about. If he builds it, i don't have to worry about my lack of all things electronic plus i'll get a good warranty with it.

As much as i'd love to spend a squillion dollars on a good rig, i'm afraid i'm going to have to limit my budget to between $3000 - $4000 for the tower. I still have to get a monitor, keyboard and mouse, sound system and a good UPS.

If it's ok with you blokes, i might post it in here as to the specs for the new pc after he comes back from New Year and the shop opens again. Once i know what hardware he's going to use, i might ask you computer experts if i'm getting a good deal or not and whether i proceed with the deal.

Cheers.....Dave.

Hi Dave you don't have to g overboard on your build, I went with
i5 2500k cpu $250
Asrock Motherboard p67 extreme 4 (SLI) $200
16 Gig Corsair Vengance ram $130
2x Gtx 560 Graphics cards $440
Stuck it in my old case with a couple of extra fans and it ROCKs
If you like FPS which are not run and gun try Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2. In the co op games you can play at your own pace and there are hundreds of maps to download. Anyway good luck with the build. BTW I am 53

PS. Don't go wierless it sucks just ask anyone that games on it.

Hey, thanks Donk.
At this stage it looks like i'm going with a corded mouse/keyboard. I'll certainly take your advice for the new game.