New PC advice

[mookie75]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking into buying a new desktop PC, but I haven't bought a computer in over 5 years. I definitely have gaming in mind and I'm wondering if people could offer some advice and/or suggestions to help me in my search. First, where is the best place to shop at? Dell? Gateway? Best Buy?

Also, what types of specs should I be shooting for? I play everything from the "classics" right up to the more modern games, like massive online multiplayers (EQ and FFXI) and such. At present, I play the more advanced games on my brother's computer, but I'd like to have a PC of my own that could handle them. (My old machine is running on a PII 350 mhz processor. )

Anyway, suggestions are more than welcome.

Thanks,
Marc

 

[Psycho Fox]

Hello everyone,

I'm looking into buying a new desktop PC, but I haven't bought a computer in over 5 years. I definitely have gaming in mind and I'm wondering if people could offer some advice and/or suggestions to help me in my search. First, where is the best place to shop at? Dell? Gateway? Best Buy?

Also, what types of specs should I be shooting for? I play everything from the "classics" right up to the more modern games, like massive online multiplayers (EQ and FFXI) and such. At present, I play the more advanced games on my brother's computer, but I'd like to have a PC of my own that could handle them. (My old machine is running on a PII 350 mhz processor. )

Anyway, suggestions are more than welcome.

Thanks,
Marc

I never bought a prebuilt system since the Amiga days and I never bought a prebuilt X86. You might want to think about builting the system yourself.

 

[Sigma]

I would just build one myself, but if your looking for a good priced gaming PC you can get a Falcon Northwest Fragbox for about $1,000. It is small and looks cool too so I suggest checking it out if you don't want to build your own.

 

[Wilco911]

And whatever you do, avoid Compaq and HP at all costs.

 

[mookie75]

I've heard that Compaq's are pretty crappy. My brother has had a couple of HPs, but I wouldn't get that because he's had trouble with both of them.

I'll admit that the concept of building my own PC is intriguing...but I'm afraid I wouldn't even know where to begin. I browsed the Dell website last night, but their really, really good system is a little more than I can afford right now (or at least more than I can justify spending at the moment...).

Thanks for the advice!
Marc

 

[DonkeyKongSnes]

I have and HP and it is near possible to update that system. You could go to the techtv website. They have had a lot of segements about building your own pc in the past. I am going to get a friend of mine to build me a new computer this summer. It is going to cost me about 300 dollars less than buying it directly from dell or some other company.

 

[Duke]

I have a Compaq and it would be running pretty well if I didn't have only 20% of the memory free...

Oh, and the pre-made software sucks, as my harddrive and DVD Burner crashed because of it.

 

[Mog]

Go to the TechTV or the pcmagazine website and find out how to build a computer. It's a good thing to learn and can save you a lot of money. If you buy all the parts off of www.pricewatch.com , you can make one of those cool Voodoo or Alienware systems for 1/3 of the cost. Hell, you could even buy a case that looks like an Alienware now. Voodoo is a little harder to make, and Falcon does custom jobs so you won't be able to mimic them.

 

[Nimbleness]

www.cyberpowerinc.com
The best option if you want a cutting edge pc for about 1,500.
Same parts as a Voodoo or Alienware PC's, just much better deals.

Parts-wise the best place to go would be www.newegg.com which is just as good, but you gotta put it together yourself.

Athlon FX-51 for $510. A steal I say.

::drool::

 

[SSJPabs]

A friend of mine helped me build a computer in 2000 for $1500 (via pricewatch), to this day I still use it and while it's now moving a onto the lower end (900 Mhz AMD, Asus motherboard) of today's systems go the only thing I ever had to replace was the hardrive and it can run any games out there.

Definitely try to build it if you can.

 

[blee337]

If you lack the technical expertise to build the machine yourself, I would seriously look at Dell. Not only do you get the best quality prebuilt (compared to HP/Compaq, Gateway, etc.), but it has a warranty and restore disk just in case you run into any trouble. I mention that, because not everyone has the time or knowledge to fix their own problems. Make sure you get a computer with a direct x 9 video card. The ATI 9600 and 9800 series are good examples. Good Luck.

 

[hyprlynx]

I mostly game on my computer (some console and hand held gaming but not as much) and I too do all sorts of games from the basic Free Cell up to the modern RAM hogging games of today. A decision this important should take some time so be prepared to do some research before making a final decision.

First off determine your price range and stick close to it. There are a lot of companies out there that build computers for gamers and you should be able to find a good rig in your price range. (Especially since you mentioned that you would be uncomfortable buidling your own.) The good companies let you tailor your rig to your specifications so this is where the research comes in. Pricewatch.com is a good place to start to look. Also check out reviews on the company's product. See what kind of quality you'll be getting for your buck.

Second, make sure that your computer does NOT have integrated sound and video cards. The computer should have dedicated slots that a sound card and video card go into. Don't get caught in the fanboy arguments of which video card/sound card is best, stick to your pricerange and the knowledge you gained from researching. Most differences in tests are minimal and unnoticeable to the average person. I would say make sure the company has a good customer support and service. You'll probably want to get newer drivers for the cards down the road and good companies will have sites that are easy to download them from.

Third, RAM is important today. I personally recommend a minimum of 512 mB for today's games. (I have a 1.5 gig myself) Try and get a single stick of 512 as opposed to 2 sticks of 256 RAM. (Takes up less slots) DDR RAM is the type you should look for and its fairly inexpensive.

Fourth, you might not necessairily need that 100 gig hard drive. Consider saving some money by getting a smaller sized one. If any thing look at the speed of the hard drive (for example 7200) and go for a RAID arrangement. I have a 30 gig hard drive, and am able to play my games, download modules for them, and download eps of my favorite anime. When I get tired of a game or module I uninstall it and I haven't run out of room yet.

Fifth, consider AMD as a processor for your gaming rig. It will save you money and is generally well regarded in today's gaming community. I like Pentium as well so I'm not trying to start a flame war between fan communities. I am merely expressing it as a viable option.

Lastly, don't fall for all the bells and whistles. Unless you are really into building your own rig with lights, fans, thermostats, etc. you can probably get by without them and save a few dollars that can be put into hardware choices.

Good luck to you and let us know what ya get.

 

[Liger Zero]

Third, RAM is important today. I personally recommend a minimum of 512 mB for today's games. (I have a 1.5 gig myself) Try and get a single stick of 512 as opposed to 2 sticks of 256 RAM. (Takes up less slots) DDR RAM is the type you should look for and its fairly inexpensive.

Depends on the motherboard. Get 2 256 sticks if you're going for a dual-channel board, otherwise the 1 512 will be slower than the 2 256.