The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
yet another Buying a New PC thread
Dhalphir
don't you open that trapdooryou're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
don't you open that trapdooryou're a fool if you dareRegistered User regular
Ok, so my computer is finally becoming too slow for me.
I've had it since 2001, its a 1.4Ghz Pentium 4, with 1gb of "SD" RAM...YES, SD RAM!!, and a Radeon 9250 graphics card (it came with a Geforce 256, but I upgraded it).
Upgrading the computer is not an option, the motherboard is too old to support any more powerful CPU, DDR RAM, and doesn't even have USB 2.0. So, I'm buying a completely new computer.
I'm looking to spend between $1000-1500 (Aus dollars), and I live in Australia. I'm looking at Pluscorp.com.au, and Alienware at the moment, but I figured I'd see what you guys can suggest.
I've had it since 2001, its a 1.4Ghz Pentium 4, with 1gb of "SD" RAM...YES, SD RAM!!, and a Radeon 9250 graphics card (it came with a Geforce 256, but I upgraded it).
Upgrading the computer is not an option, the motherboard is too old to support any more powerful CPU, DDR RAM, and doesn't even have USB 2.0. So, I'm buying a completely new computer.
I'm looking to spend between $1000-1500 (Aus dollars), and I live in Australia. I'm looking at Pluscorp.com.au, and Alienware at the moment, but I figured I'd see what you guys can suggest.
Dhalphir on
0
Posts
I probably will be getting a custom built system. All the pre-built systems seem to make a point of having ridiculously big hard drives (500gb+, which I don't need, all I want is about 100gb), and onboard graphics (which I DEFINITELY don't want).
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6550 "Conroe" Dual Core Processor, 2.33GHZ, 1333FSB
Motherboard: Asrock Conroe1333 DVI M/BOARD, 945GC A2, 1333MHZ FSB, DUAL DDR2-667
RAM: GEIL (DDR) 2GB DDR400
Case/PSU: Powerhouse PC H-19 (Black) Midi Tower, 2 x Front USB / Audio (500 Watt PSU)
Graphics: Gigabyte Geforce 8600GT, PCI-E, 512MB 128-bit DDR2, DirectX10
Monitor: Mitsubishi DV1772FDB (Black) 17' CRT Monitor
HDD - Seagate 320GB SATA II 7200.10 ST3320620AS NCQ 320GB / Serial ATA / 7200RPM / 16MB
Optical drives: 2x Samsung SH-S182D Double Layer, Internal 18x DVD+-RW Drive
Cooling: Silverstone Cool Drive internal fan package
Audio: Inbuilt Audio, Logitech® X-530 5 piece speakers (1 Yr Wty)
OS: Windows Vista Home Basic.
Mouse and Keyboard: Logitech mouse + keyboard collection
Plus they are also going to assemble and install OS for me, $75 for that.
Total price: 1598.00 AUD
I got this from www.pluscorp.com.au, using their design your own system page.
What I want to know is, is there any possible performance bottlenecks here? Like, is the graphics card too powerful for the CPU, or vice versa? I'm completely ignorant of this so any help would be appreciated. I'd like to cut the cost down a little bit, primarily I'm just looking to play WoW and a couple of new games, but I can live without max settings easily.
Most major PC manufacturers will let you customize your PC quite a bit. You might actually end up paying more buying the individual components, it's gotten to the point where that cost doesn't necessarily eclipse the shipping and handling associated with an off the shelf PC. As a bonus you get the warrantry too
It's not hard to check, go to dell's website for example, use their custom PC builder thing and make the PC you want, check the price, then look up the individual prices for each component, including monitor and case.
Also a 500gb hard drive isn't too much, you want a better video card so it's a safe bet you play games, even today you could easily fill a 500 gig HD, in two years games will be just that much larger
Personally, I'd go for XP over Vista. If you save enough money on that you'll want to bump up to an 8800GTS 320MB. Really it would be a much better idea to reuse your current monitor and get an 8800GTS with the money you save. The 8600 is pretty underpowered.
Like I said, it's really the opposite
Your primary gain would be in customizing, but even that's becoming more available with off the shelf PCs
I don't know about that, at least if you're building with true budget in mind.
I just ordered parts to build a decent PC yesterday for $540USD, and configuring a machine with slightly worse specs (same everything except a worse graphics card) at the dell website results in a $780 machine.
I went to Dell.com, and by the time I got to the Video card I was $100 over what I would pay for equal or superior parts alone.
And like I said, it's cheaper if you make it yourself. The primary gain is in saving bucketloads of money by buying the parts where they're cheapest and skimping on stuff you don't need.
In general, if you're getting high end parts(and I'm talking top of the line)companies like Dell will mark them way up and that's when it's advantageous to build it yourself, but normal PCs, even adequate for gaming, will generally be cheaper. Some guys said they saw otherwise earlier in the topic but I've seen it normally be the other way around, with the individual parts adding up to more than just buying the whole thing put together.
If you're gonna skimp on parts and go cheap anyways, then that's where off the shelf PCs shine in price, being outdated and outpowered by newer models. If you wanna buy a good computer, then there's not really much you can skimp on
I play games.
I don't really buy games.
I'd probably buy two games a year? maximum. Even less if its a year where I'm playing WoW at the time. Right now, I'm playing WoW, I'm playing Forza 2 on my 360, and thats it. Usually both at the same time.
I just don't need that much hard drive space, and the prebuilt ones have a ridiculous idea that everyone wants space. "ZOMFG HARD DRIVE ARE BIG LOLZ!"
This is what I have so far. I've put my current components for a comparison between the two.
CPU: Intel Core Duo 2 E4400 CPU 2.0GHZ
Motherboard: Asus P5B Intel 965
RAM: 1gb Kingston DDR2 667. In a single stick.
HDD: Western Digital 80GB HDD
Graphics: 8600GT
Speakers: Some generic shit
Plus a DVD writer, a 350W PSU with a black case, kb + mouse and XP Home.
My current PC is
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 1.4GHZ.
Motherboard: God only knows
RAM: 512mb SD133RAM
HDD: 80gb something
Graphics: Radeon 9250
and some other stuff. Namely, a motherboard that doesn't support USB 2.0.
My current computer runs WoW at a maxiumum of 20FPS, with a minimum of 3-4FPS in places like Orgrimmar in peak times, or heavy raid situations.
Basically all I will use it for at the moment is WoW, and I want to run it fairly well.
The total cost of the new computer, assembled and delivered, is just over $1000AUD.
However, unlike the current PC, it has upgradeability, insomuch as the motherboard can support faster graphics cards, RAM and CPU.
How does this sound to you guys?
So, why are you exactly spending upwards of a thousand dollars to upgrade your computer when you will admittedly be playing four titles in the next two years? I'm just saying, spending that much money so you can get another hundred dollars of entertainment doesn't sound like the best use of your money.
And its nigh on unplayable in some places.
And I'm sick of it.
Go with a larger HDD, 160gb should only add ~$20 more onto the price.
You should look at 2GB of RAM, its dirt cheap atm and will help lots with performance.
Apart from those 2 points, the system looks fine. Will run WoW like a dream.