I want to build a computer...

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CDailey

CDailey

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My budget to start out with is going to be around $400 at most. I already have a monitor (Dell 2407wfp), so I don't need to buy another one. I want to play games, but nothing serious. The only games I play now are World of Warcraft and The Sims 3. Future games I am looking forward to are Aion, Star Trek Online, Diablo 3, Serious Sam HD and Tiger Woods golf. I pretty much just want to build a computer that will meet at least the minimum system requirements for most newer games. I'd also like to get a blu-ray drive so I can watch blu ray movies, but I'm not sure if my monitor is compatible or if that is even an issue anymore. I don't need to buy everything all at once either, because I know even $400 is cutting it close. I could just deal and wait to buy a video card in a few months (that is if motherboards even still have onboard video) I've been out of the computer building game so long, it's all like greek to me, so any help will be appreciated.
 
joeypic112
Okay, WELL. I would suggest first picking out your mother board, Something that supports AGP video cards and prefferably has Four ram slots.
I would then pick out a processor that is compatible with that mother board (slot type that is i would recommend Pentium anything) AMD is mostly a 64-bit processor 99 percent of the type and not ALL games are compatible with 64 bit.
I would suggest running a processor thats 3.0 ghz and above if you can manage it.
Ram i would get something thats 4 gb total, OR if the mother board supports more getmore.
so 2gb sticks.... equals 8gb total ram
FREAKING SWEET.
I cantgive you prices..... im not a store lol, but i would get whatever you can USED if possible. if not, Bestbuy can hook you up. A little bit pricy in some areas but they have great quality stuff and good warrantys.


I can do more in depth search if need be, this is just my quick response .
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orly.jpg


I don't want to be rude. But ummmm, everything you just said is wrong and is the worst advice ever.

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If you're going on a budget, you need to decide what you really want to do with a computer. It's better to spend $600 on something half decent than $400 that won't run how you want it to run. And also if you want to build yourself or buy pre-built.
 
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joeypic112
Okay, WELL. I would suggest first picking out your mother board, Something that supports AGP video cards and prefferably has Four ram slots.
I would then pick out a processor that is compatible with that mother board (slot type that is i would recommend Pentium anything) AMD is mostly a 64-bit processor 99 percent of the type and not ALL games are compatible with 64 bit.
I would suggest running a processor thats 3.0 ghz and above if you can manage it.
Ram i would get something thats 4 gb total, OR if the mother board supports more getmore.
so 2gb sticks.... equals 8gb total ram
FREAKING SWEET.
I cantgive you prices..... im not a store lol, but i would get whatever you can USED if possible. if not, Bestbuy can hook you up. A little bit pricy in some areas but they have great quality stuff and good warrantys.


I can do more in depth search if need be, this is just my quick response .
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This post needs to be deleted. Start looking here for parts.
http://www.newegg.com/Store/Computer.aspx?name=Computer-Hardware

$400 budget and Blue ray drive aren't going to happen. Blue ray is still to expensive.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128380
$80 Mb +11 shipping

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116074
$70 CPU Free shipping

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148163
$31 memory

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136320
$70 HDD Very fast drive

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042
$55 w free shipping

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139008
$50 PSU +$10 shipping

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814187087
$25 This is a throw away item. This is the 1st part to be replaced when you have more money or increase your budget now.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151187
$27 One of the best burners you can buy right now.

Total cost w/shipping $408.88

This gets you the box. Keyboard, mouse and speakers will add another $60

Good luck!
 
G'day fella's.:)

AGP= Accelerated Graphics Port...I think that explains it alright.

AGP is all but gone now, PCI-E (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) has taken over and your better off trying to find a Mobo that supports it as opposed to AGP. That way later on down the track when you plan on upping-the-ante with your gaming you can purchase an update Graphics Card.

When on a budget to build, my greatest advice is look around and don't rush into a sale! Also buying a Mobo and RAM combo or Mobo and CPU combo is a good way to save dollar's.
Perhaps if you find the right deal, aim for an entry-level Dual Core, that will make a big difference as more and more software becomes multi-thread supported.

If you get the time I strongly suggest when purchasing Mobo's and especially CPU's, look for online Benchmark tests...cruise through some reviews and visit some forums.

Have fun, building your own system, it can be alot of fun...if your into Tech.
R*;)👍
 
agp cars are more expensive than their pcie equivalents nowadays. much more, actually. ATi's 5xxx series cards are coming out VERY soon, so that should knock prices down a bit on videocards.
 
joeypic112
well, im just sticking some **** out there, Its been a really long time since ive actually built my own computer, Im still stuck on when AGP was the port to use lol.
The amount of Ram, and clock speed are good, But video.....im not into video cards too much.
And same goes for motherboards.
That explains my ****** "advice"
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Just so you know, AGP stopped being mainstream some 4 or 5 years ago I'd say. Also, no need to have * littering your post.

GT3mich, as much as I love Antech and Corsair, he could save about $50 dollars if he went with a Rosewill case with PSU. 400 watts still. And before the no included PSU griping, because I know people think they are doom, I've been running the 400watt Rosewill PSU in my box for 2 years with no problems. And my media server also runs the same PSU.

I own both of these cases...

50 dollar option, clean and simple design.

70 dollar option, bit bigger but very easy to work in with quick trays for drives and such.

Would save a bit of money, allowing for keyboard and mouse and such, or more to put towards the graphics card. Could probably save a bit more by going with an AMD setup as well, but I do realize Intel these days is the easier over clocker and such.
 
Ok, time to update this.

My Macbook Pro is on its way out and I am looking to replace it quick. My new max budget is around $600. I do want to do some gaming, but nothing high end. Basically I just want something that will play newer games at decent settings.

If I build a computer, I will also need to buy a copy of Windows 7, so keep that in mind. I'll need a cheap keyboard too, but I will not need a mouse or speakers.

I've been pricing some Dell machines, and for the most part, it seems like they are pretty evenly priced compared to what the same amount of money will get you from newegg or a similar site.

I specced a Dell Studio and it's got an Intel dual-core E5300 (2MB L2, 2.6GHz, 800FSB), Windows 7 home premium 64 bit, 2gb ddr2 ram (will be upgraded on the cheap from newegg) 500gb 7200rpm sata hdd, dvd burner, and an Nvidia GTS 240 1GB which, from what I can tell from reading online, is OEM only and it is a rebadged, slightly faster 9800GT. The total comes to $628 shipped.

I put a computer together on newegg with as close to the same parts as I could, and the price is $609 with shipping, but without a copy of Windows 7. Here is a list of the parts I picked out:

Case
Motherboard
Processor
Ram
Power Supply
Video Card
Hard Drive
DVD Burner


The only thing I'm not really sure about is which video card to choose. I'd like to get the most bang for my buck. If there is a better card than the GTS 240 thats worth spending just a little bit more on, I could always remove the card from the Dell and buy the better card from newegg.

The pros to buying the Dell is that I can get it quicker than if I build one. I won't have all the money for another 3 months or so, but we have a Dell account, and I do have enough money to cover the payments until I get the rest of money.

The only con I can think of with the Dell, is that I will only have a restore disc instead of an actual copy of Windows.

I honestly can't think of any pro's for building a system myself other than the satisfaction of building it.

What do you guys think?
 
If I were you I'd would build my own computer because it's more fun than ordering a computer off of a website. Also you need DDR2 800 RAM for your motherboard not DDR3. I would grab a ASUS motherboard such as this one since ASUS motherboards are rock solid. Though the power supply you selected is fine.
 
A GT 240 actually has less power than 8800/9800GT 96 stream processors vs the 112 of the 8800/9800 series. Anything above that would be an upgrade. You cant get an 8800GT off newegg, and the 9800's are a little over 100 bucks. If you want to go with ATI, a 4850 is the best bang for your buck. If you want to go Nvidia, I would suggest finding a good deal on a 9800 or buying something used (id only buy Evga used though) or just biting the bullet and get the card that you want. Is 600 the absolute maximum?
 
nick09
...since ASUS motherboards are rock solid.
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You probably didn't mean that as a pun, but that's part of their slogan.

At any rate, I forward the Asus mobo option, at the very least, they make very good whole computers.
 
Opendriver: You're looking at the GT240 specs (which I own, as it happens...), not the GTS240. The GT240 is a new, fairly low end card designed to use a relatively tiny amount of power. The GTS, however, is in fact a renamed 9800 GT (which in its self is a renamed 8800 GT...), and is far beefier.


CDailey
The only con I can think of with the Dell, is that I will only have a restore disc instead of an actual copy of Windows.
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Actually if their laptops are anything to go by, you won't even get one of those - instead they'll have stuck all the relevant stuff on the hard drive somewhere (presumably in a partition), so all you have to do to restore is hit CTRL and F11 during start up. Fun fact there.

As for the building vs Dell thing... meh, go with whatever you feel. At the end of the day, just because you bought it from Dell doesn't mean it won't be upgradable, and that way you won't have to faff around with putting everything together and ensuring it all works. Personally I'd have gone with Dell if the prices are roughly the same.
 
To be fair Windows 7's not half bad, and he's getting a hell of a lot more for $600 at Dell than he could at Apple.
 
Though if he does not feel like building a computer then I have a suggestion. This HP would be a great buy since it's a quad and comes with blu-ray. Also note this is a re-certified item which means the keyboard and mouse might not come with it.

This is another HP that is a bit more powerful with the processor but no blu-ray and the GPU is a little bit weaker since the card is onboard and not on a separate card.
 
SweetshopUnion
Wait a sec. Your switching from OSX to Windows? Are you sure you want to do that?
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Have you even tried Windows 7? Or do you, like most people seem to, have this natural hatred for everything Windows?

Jondot
To be fair Windows 7's not half bad...
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👍 As I've always maintained, 7 is the best Windows yet. Very stable and very fast. Why pay a premium for a Mac (well, OSX) when you can have something that's just as good for a lot less?
 
Sharky.
Have you even tried Windows 7? Or do you, like most people seem to, have this natural hatred for everything Windows?
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No I do not hate everything Windows and yes I do have a copy of Windows 7. Have you ever tried Mac OSX for any lengthy period of time? Personally I prefer XP to Windows 7 still but after using OSX for a good few months now I've began to realise how much more sense it makes.
 
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SweetshopUnion
No I do not hate everything Windows and yes I do have a copy of Windows 7. Have you ever tried Mac OSX for any lengthy period of time? Personally I prefer XP to Windows 7 still but after using OSX for a good few months now I've began to realise how much more sense it makes.
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Well I've used a MacBook Pro for 2 and a half years and what I find doesn't make sense is replacing it with another one. Lovely as it is, I'm not sure if I can justify that extra cost when Windows 7 is perfectly acceptable. Which is why I just bought a PC as a semi-replacement.

Anyway, Macs are all well and good when you've got a sizable budget, but if you're limiting yourself to (a not unreasonable) $600, choosing between a fairly powerful Windows machine or a coaster of a Mac Mini is a bit of a no-brainer.
 
I'll agree that for the money, going for 7 is a much better option. Mac's are expensive, but it's all the little features in OSX that you use without realising, you'll miss them in Windows.

There is always the Hackintosh option too.
 
SweetshopUnion
Wait a sec. Your switching from OSX to Windows? Are you sure you want to do that?
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Yes.

Jondot
Well I've used a MacBook Pro for 2 and a half years and what I find doesn't make sense is replacing it with another one...

Anyway, Macs are all well and good when you've got a sizable budget, but if you're limiting yourself to (a not unreasonable) $600, choosing between a fairly powerful Windows machine or a coaster of a Mac Mini is a bit of a no-brainer.
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This ^

I went ahead and ordered the Dell tonight. It should be here on the 26th. 👍
 
Fair Point.

My previous PC was a Dell which I had for about 4 years, it's still running like new and has just replaced the parents 2 year old PC which was getting tediously slow.
 
GT3mich
So why the Dell option? Just wondering. Specs please.
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Because in the end, without having to buy a copy of Windows, the prices were within $20 of each other. Factor in having to buy a copy of Windows, and the Dell suddenly becomes much cheaper for essentially the exact same computer.

also:

Me
I specced a Dell Studio and it's got an Intel dual-core E5300 (2MB L2, 2.6GHz, 800FSB), Windows 7 home premium 64 bit, 2gb ddr2 ram (will be upgraded on the cheap from newegg) 500gb 7200rpm sata hdd, dvd burner, and an Nvidia GTS 240 1GB which, from what I can tell from reading online, is OEM only and it is a rebadged, slightly faster 9800GT. The total comes to $628 shipped.
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GT3mich
You paid $160 for that video card. You should have gone with the integrated option and bought one of these instead.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102864
Oh well.
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Which also would have meant having to buy a new power supply if I bought the Dell because it's only 350W, or spending more over all if I built it myself. If I wanted an all out gaming machine, I would not have limited myself to $600.
 
Just FYI, the one you've ordered must have a 450W PSU as the GTS240 requires it. But, if you'd gone for integrated then, as you say, they'd have stuck a 350W in. My point is, you'll still be able to upgrade the card in a couple of year's time without having to change the PSU 👍
 
SweetshopUnion
No I do not hate everything Windows and yes I do have a copy of Windows 7. Have you ever tried Mac OSX for any lengthy period of time? Personally I prefer XP to Windows 7 still but after using OSX for a good few months now I've began to realise how much more sense it makes.
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I have to agree with you there.

Mac's haven't really been around as long as windows, but when you look at the lay out of a mac with OSX, then look at the layout for Windows 7, they practically have the same base idea. OSX has always had the dock with all your applications.

You can also get Parallels Desktop for a mac, which costs $60. This is a program that gives you a layout of a PC, inside another program. Because OSX doesn't receive virus' this makes your gaming experience a lot more fun, and means that you don't have to waste money on virus protection. And all you need to start using Parallels is the software. I.E Windows 7, or XP.

Just my two cents on the Mac - Windows argument.

On topic, my dad's friend builds computers, and he can make a really good gaming computer for $400 (AUD) so you should have no problem making one with $600.
 

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