Hey guys,

I'm looking for a desktop computer/monitor setup that other grinders recommend. I have gotten up to 15 tables, but my HP laptop can't handle much more than 9-10. I like playing a lot of tables, but get tilted when it starts lagging with every action.

Let me know what you guys think. Budget is around $5-600

And... what software are you using? You are not going to get any meaningful replies as currently asked.

I play on ACR and use pokertracker 4

here's my computer stats:

15.6'' hp pavilion laptop

edition: windows 10 home

Processor: 2.10 GHz

Internal RAM: 8GB

System type: 64 bit OS with x64 based processor

Short version: With your budget, pick up a refurb Dell or HP with 8+GB RAM and a Core i5 or i7 4th generation or later (4xxx model number through 7xxx model number). Add a low cost 23-24" 1080p monitor. If you can squeeze a 27" 2560x1440 monitor in budget, so much the better (but will likely require stretching beyond $600 total)
Example:
http://outlet.us.dell.com/ArbOnlineS...Dp8NIZzomSuAD2

I'm in a very similar situation to OP where I have a "gaming laptop" which has performance issues due to too high CPU usage with 6+ tables running.

Do you think a refurbished Dell like the one you posted here + monitor such as Dell UltraSharp U2713HMT
http://ebay.to/2FftYcl
is a pretty good setup for only like $650?

Is 8gb RAM sufficient? I've been told you really want 16gb and 32gb is better if you can afford it.

And do you think the refurbished Dell is a good buy in general or did you more recommend the refurbished because he mentioned budget $600 max total. What about for like $1k budget?

Thanks a lot for your input.

It's always going to be budget driven.
A refurb i5 Dell is the computer equivalent of a used Toyota Corolla. Not the most specialized or exciting thing in the world, but good value and general utility.

If you have a larger budget, 16GB of RAM and a boot SSD are definitely recommended. If you're technical or have a techie friend DIY SSD and RAM upgrades sometimes make more sense than buying the machine fully loaded.

That 2713 should be a nice monitor. I have a Dell 2711 that has only recently been demoted to secondary monitor. I'd recommend connecting to the DisplayPort input.

I picked up an Acer 32" 4K for $300 over the holidays, currently back up to $450. If this got back below $400, it is a pretty nice monitor (colors aren't quite as nice as my U2711 out of the box, need to calibrate it and reevaluate).
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-158-_-Product

As budget rises, I'd take a look at the 8th Gen i5/i7 CPUs and AMD's higher end Ryzen chips (refresh due in March). The 8th Gen Intel stuff finally goes to 6 physical cores, the AMD chips have 6 or 8 physical cores depending on SKU. RAM prices are pretty out of hand for self builds right now, and I've seen a lot of articles about low stock levels and high prices on mid to high end gaming GPUs due to mining demand. If you're running onboard graphics on the Intel or a low end board on either, you should be fine. I would want at least 2, preferably 3 combined count of Display port or HDMI 2.0 ports

Thanks for the info. If anyone is curious, this is the build I ended up going with:

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/bfP9jc

The guy I used said Ryzen AMD is just fine for poker and a bit cheaper than Intel.

Gonna add the 2713 monitor that I mentioned for the poker tables and use a pos television screen for the poker lobbies for now.

If you haven't already ordered it or can still return it, I'd swap out that graphics card for one with a DisplayPort output. The specs on pc part picker say it only has a single link DVI port, you need a dual link DVI port and cable to run the 2713 at full resolution.
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-139-_-Product

Thanks for the info.

I just picked up the build, but I didn't switch out the graphics card as you suggested. Am I able to get an adapter that will achieve the full resolution on the monitor? Or do I need to switch out the graphics card?

Thanks.

Try connecting via the HDMI first, that may or may not work for WQHD.
If you can't get 2560x1440 over HDMI, you can try a dual link DVI cable in case the specs on that site are incorrect and the port actually is dual link DVI.
https://www.amazon.com/Cable-Matters...70_&dpSrc=srch

Turns out the build guy accidentally ordered the 1050 instead of the 1030 video card, and the 1050 has displayport.
A happy accident for me .

Thanks for your help itt headtrauma.

Glad to help and glad for the fortunate accident with the GPU. Hope the rig treats you well.