Thinkin about a new PC

April 08, 2008

My computer is over 5 years old and I'm thinking about getting a new one. I haven't looked into this stuff for years, so as of now I have no idea what parts or graphics card I should be looking at. I'll probably be getting Vista as my operating system(I hate Vista), which means I need a ton of RAM. I don't want to spend a ton of money, but I do want a PC that will be able to handle playing games for at least a few years.

One good thing is I can use at least some of the purchase as a tax write off since I will be using it for business.

I don't see much PC talk around here, but if anyone has any pointers feel free to share.

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Going to get Wrath of the Lich King at midnight. My Game Buying Gameplan

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Halon - April 08, 2008 (06:14 PM)
I'm pretty much the site's PC gamer so here are a few pointers:

1. If you plan on gaming the most important aspect, by FAR is the graphics card. That pretty much determines how well your PC plays games. This is what you should spend the most money on, and if you want your computer to last more than two years I wouldn't get anything lower than a Geforce 8800gt (around $200-220 USD). Also beware of computers with integrated graphics, they are often advertised in retail stores and are absolutely fine for average use, but don't expect to play any games from 2003 and on with it. You NEED a dedicated graphics card.

2. I highly suggest building your own for a bunch of reasons. First of all you save tons of money. All of the reliable sites (Alienware, Falcon Northwest, etc) will sometimes charge you double, if not triple what it would cost you to build the exact same PC, and buying from a cheaper retailer adds the risk of receiving damaged parts and next to know customer service. If you don't know how to build it's very easy, and with a few days of research and online assistance (there are plenty of great guides online) it shouldn't be a problem. Or if you really don't want to assemble it yourself go to Geek Squad or a tech shop and they will do it for a small fee.

Secondly most prebuilt computers that aren't designed for gaming are not very upgradeable. The average PC will last maybe three years before you need a video card or CPU, so it's good to get something you can upgrade every two years or so. The #1 problem people have is they buy a cheap computer from Dell or emachines or best buy and expect to add a graphics card and have a great gaming machine. But the problem is most crappy PC's come with crappy power supplies that don't support any decent video card. Now you're upgrading the power supply, video card, and then possible adding new fans (since the cases might now be designed to handle the extra heat) and more. Plus the motherboards aren't upgradeable.

If you still don't want to build your best bet is either looking on newegg for something (if you live in the United States) prebuilt and designed for gaming or get a Dell XPS with an 8800gt or better.

3. Shop online for parts! Retailers like to overprice and advertise crappy video cards and claim "extreme gaming power!" when in reality they can barely play modern games. They often go for the same prices that cards worth getting cost online.

4. If you want build your own (or have someone build it for you) post your budget, what you need (OC, mouse, keyboard, speakers, monitor, etc) and what country you live in and I can build you the best PC for the price.

Some helpful websites for learning about computers that I frequent are tomshardware.com, anandtech.com, and overclockers.com

daff - April 08, 2008 (11:12 PM)
All I would need is the Box and I'd probably spend a little over $1,000.

pup - April 08, 2008 (11:31 PM)
Funny. I opened this thread solely to see if Sportsman had swung through yet.

Halon - April 09, 2008 (05:19 PM)
Here's what I came up with. It's around $900 plus shipping with a bunch of rebates. I kept it under $1000 so you can add to it if you want. I'm not saying buy these parts, but use it as a guide for what to get.

Here's what I suggest:

-I would spend a little more on the CPU and get either a Q6600 (what I have) or E8400. The former is a bit slower (though still fast) but quad core, which will help a lot with multitasking and any sort of video encoding. Right now it doesn't benefit games but probably will in the future. The latter is only duel core but blazing fast. The only problem is it's out of stock at the moment on newegg and has been that way for a while. So many people want it so it's very hard to get. If you can find it though get it right away. Both run at about $100 more than the e6750.

-For video card you wouldn't want to go with anything more than what I picked out. The next card up is something like $350 and only slightly better. Definitely not worth the price.

-If you decide to go for a prebuilt go for the Dell XPS 630 and configure it with either an e8400 or q6600. It should come out to around $1250 and although it isn't as upgradeable it's probably your best bet as far as prebuilts go.

Also I highly suggest doing research on the internet before buying.

daff - April 09, 2008 (07:56 PM)
Thanks for taking the time with the list. That is a big help. My brothers friend would build it for me so I can skip the pre-built stuff. I'll most likely go with one of the 2 processors you have recommended and the graphics card looks like the way to go too.

Now I just have to get my wife's permission.

Feedback
	Halon - April 08, 2008 (06:14 PM) I'm pretty much the site's PC gamer so here are a few pointers: 1. If you plan on gaming the most important aspect, by FAR is the graphics card. That pretty much determines how well your PC plays games. This is what you should spend the most money on, and if you want your computer to last more than two years I wouldn't get anything lower than a Geforce 8800gt (around $200-220 USD). Also beware of computers with integrated graphics, they are often advertised in retail stores and are absolutely fine for average use, but don't expect to play any games from 2003 and on with it. You NEED a dedicated graphics card. 2. I highly suggest building your own for a bunch of reasons. First of all you save tons of money. All of the reliable sites (Alienware, Falcon Northwest, etc) will sometimes charge you double, if not triple what it would cost you to build the exact same PC, and buying from a cheaper retailer adds the risk of receiving damaged parts and next to know customer service. If you don't know how to build it's very easy, and with a few days of research and online assistance (there are plenty of great guides online) it shouldn't be a problem. Or if you really don't want to assemble it yourself go to Geek Squad or a tech shop and they will do it for a small fee. Secondly most prebuilt computers that aren't designed for gaming are not very upgradeable. The average PC will last maybe three years before you need a video card or CPU, so it's good to get something you can upgrade every two years or so. The #1 problem people have is they buy a cheap computer from Dell or emachines or best buy and expect to add a graphics card and have a great gaming machine. But the problem is most crappy PC's come with crappy power supplies that don't support any decent video card. Now you're upgrading the power supply, video card, and then possible adding new fans (since the cases might now be designed to handle the extra heat) and more. Plus the motherboards aren't upgradeable. If you still don't want to build your best bet is either looking on newegg for something (if you live in the United States) prebuilt and designed for gaming or get a Dell XPS with an 8800gt or better. 3. Shop online for parts! Retailers like to overprice and advertise crappy video cards and claim "extreme gaming power!" when in reality they can barely play modern games. They often go for the same prices that cards worth getting cost online. 4. If you want build your own (or have someone build it for you) post your budget, what you need (OC, mouse, keyboard, speakers, monitor, etc) and what country you live in and I can build you the best PC for the price. Some helpful websites for learning about computers that I frequent are tomshardware.com, anandtech.com, and overclockers.com
	daff - April 08, 2008 (11:12 PM) All I would need is the Box and I'd probably spend a little over $1,000.
	pup - April 08, 2008 (11:31 PM) Funny. I opened this thread solely to see if Sportsman had swung through yet.
	Halon - April 09, 2008 (05:19 PM) Here's what I came up with. It's around $900 plus shipping with a bunch of rebates. I kept it under $1000 so you can add to it if you want. I'm not saying buy these parts, but use it as a guide for what to get. Here's what I suggest: -I would spend a little more on the CPU and get either a Q6600 (what I have) or E8400. The former is a bit slower (though still fast) but quad core, which will help a lot with multitasking and any sort of video encoding. Right now it doesn't benefit games but probably will in the future. The latter is only duel core but blazing fast. The only problem is it's out of stock at the moment on newegg and has been that way for a while. So many people want it so it's very hard to get. If you can find it though get it right away. Both run at about $100 more than the e6750. -For video card you wouldn't want to go with anything more than what I picked out. The next card up is something like $350 and only slightly better. Definitely not worth the price. -If you decide to go for a prebuilt go for the Dell XPS 630 and configure it with either an e8400 or q6600. It should come out to around $1250 and although it isn't as upgradeable it's probably your best bet as far as prebuilts go. Also I highly suggest doing research on the internet before buying.
	daff - April 09, 2008 (07:56 PM) Thanks for taking the time with the list. That is a big help. My brothers friend would build it for me so I can skip the pre-built stuff. I'll most likely go with one of the 2 processors you have recommended and the graphics card looks like the way to go too. Now I just have to get my wife's permission.

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