Analog in a Digital World

[Zebra13]

Gents,

New member, first post, and I'm looking for some help.

As the thread title suggests, I am not very computer savvy, and, in fact, hate the confounded things. The best part about being retired is that I don't have to deal with them much anymore and my blood pressure is a lot lower as a result. But I have decided that I need a golf simulator and, as such, I will need to again deal with the computer menace.

I am looking at a Skytrak unit and will adding the TGC 2019 software. I currently have an HP Envy x360 Ryzen 5 and Radeon graphics. I have attached a link to the specifications to my computer for your perusal. It reads like Sanskrit to me...

HP ENVY x360 Laptop - 15m-ee0013dx Product Specifications | HP® Customer Support

The recommended system requirements for TGC 2019 are...

TGC 2019 "recommended" system requirements:

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: Windows 10 64 bit
• Processor: Intel Core i5-4670 CPU @ 3.40GHz or equivalent
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 7850 or NVIDIA GTX 660 with 2GB video RAM
• DirectX: Version 11
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 12 GB available space
• Sound Card: DirectX 11 compatible

I have tried to compare the specs with the operating requirements required for the Skytrak unit and TGC, but, as I said, these things are not my strong suit. I don't think my computer is sufficient to run what I have in mind, but I'm not sure. Would some of you be so kind to take a look at the specifications in the link above and let me know if my computer will work? I would be extremely grateful.

If it is not sufficient, would one of those package deals offered by folks like SIG be a good way to go, especially as they appear to be turn-key, or am I better off putting something together on my own?

Thank you in advance for your replies.

Justin

[preludesam]

Your laptop can’t run the game. Well.. it might load the game but it will be impossibly slow and laggy.

I would not buy a turnkey PC from a simulator retailer. They are just buying at a discount and reselling for a profit.

I however would buy a prebuilt/turnkey from a gaming pc retailer like CyberPower or iBuypower. They have decent prices and great warranties with support.

The DIY PC market is a mess right now and charging 150-200% markup for hardware. Do waste the time or money and buy a prebuilt. Make sure what you choose a PC that has a dedicated graphics card. You should be in the $1600 +/- $200 range. Look for a PC with at least an 11th gen Intel 11600 or higher and an Nvidia RTX 2060/270/2080/3060/3070. You don’t have to have the higher numbers like the 2070/2080/3070 but it might future proof you for a year or two longer than the lower numbers. The first two numbers represent the generation meaning 30 is a newer generation than 20. The second set is the tiers within that generation, higher meaning a faster card. Again you don’t need the higher tiers but that’s up to you and your wallet. If it were me I would pick the lower and stay in the $1600 space. You get pretty good bang for your buck at that price.

[preludesam]

https://www.ign.com/articles/deal-alert-dell-xps-rtx-3060-gaming-pc

News feed deal.

[jasonreg]

Zebra13 - while I agree with what is posted above, I will say that where you may give up slightly on pricing, given your desire to minimize any tech related issues, you may benefit from buying your new computer along with your simulator software (and even other components if you are not there already) from one of the many providers who regularly get mentioned on the site. In my view I have heard only positive things about Par2Pro (who I used - www.par2pro.com) and GunghoGolf.com (who many others use - Gungho Golf - Launch Monitor and Simulator Solutions) There are others, but both of these are well represented on this site and heartily recommended.

There is a simplicity of one-stop shopping that may serve you well in your situation. That said, if you do buy a computer, you will find many helpful folks on the forum here to assist with any issues you may have. Good Luck!