Buying A New Comp

YourNameHereYourNameHere Join Date: 2003-09-16 Member: 20916Members
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">I got me some moneys!</div> Well, I just finished my summer job a few days ago and managed to make about $2000CAD. My dad is going to throw in $500, and my brother will put in $700 for about $3200. That's $2,336.92USD and 2,082.51 Euros.

Anybody have any recommendations for a computer I should buy? I do not need a new monitor, but I would like a printer with it. I'd also like to hook the new comp up with my old one, so what exactly do I need to set up a LAN? Any websites you guys can refer me to would help.

I want this computer to run HL2 really good, and everything else too. It's going to be used mainly for gaming, not much else.

I'm looking to buy it by this weekend, unless I buy it online, in which case I'll get it whenever.
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Comments

  • OttoDestructOttoDestruct Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7790Members
    Don't buy all the bleeding edge crap people are going to tell you to buy. You can buy a nice system for under $1000, save the rest for college.
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  • TalesinTalesin Our own little well of hate Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7710NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators
    Only way to get the best deal for the cash is to pick the parts and make it yourself, if you have the knowledge. Pre-built systems will be lacking on any number of aspects, and while they should run decently, they'll be slower and have more bottlenecks than a custom rig.

    Best bang-for-buck, I'd recommend an ASUS A7V8X (Deluxe version, with on-board Broadcom gigabit ethernet) mobo, AMD Athlon (Barton core, at least a 2500+ or faster if affordable), at least 512MB DDR (PC2700 or better if affordable), an SBLive! Value, and a Built-By-ATI Radeon 9600 Pro. Go for the 9800 Pro if you want it to really scream along, but the 9600 Pro is the best fps-per-dollar value out there currently. See if you can get a 7200rpm HDD in it as well. You'll want a 400W power supply, and a Thermaltake Volcano 9 (or Volcano 7+ for the solid copper heatsink) with Arctic Silver 3 thermal compound.

    Put one of these together for a friend (including a 19" monitor with a nice low dot-pitch, able to comfortably handle 1600x1200) for $1600 USD, using off-the-shelf retail parts. Probably could have gotten it for around $1200 at a computer show, buying everything from the same vendor and cutting a deal.
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  • Supra_SoldierSupra_Soldier Join Date: 2003-02-02 Member: 12993Members, Constellation
    First I suggest you subscribe to PC GAMER magazine because its the best PC Games mag and every month they include the parts you need to build the best computer available for the least amount of money. But, unlike these ither guys I suggest you get an AlienWare, because the company is so popular now you can buy a top of the line computer for them cheaper than you can build one!!!! belive it or not. Not to metnion they have great warranties and you can send back your machine at eny time to get it upgraded to the newest hardware (i.e. incase a new graphics card comes out after you buy). Then you can play Awsome games like Doom III, HL2 and UT '04, if you get a computer for under 1000 you will still prolly be able to play those games but not very well, go for AlienWare.
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  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    <!--QuoteBegin--Supra_Soldier+Sep 16 2003, 10:18 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Supra_Soldier @ Sep 16 2003, 10:18 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> First I suggest you subscribe to PC GAMER magazine because its the best PC Games mag and every month they include the parts you need to build the best computer available for the least amount of money. But, unlike these ither guys I suggest you get an AlienWare, because the company is so popular now you can buy a top of the line computer for them cheaper than you can build one!!!! belive it or not. Not to metnion they have great warranties and you can send back your machine at eny time to get it upgraded to the newest hardware (i.e. incase a new graphics card comes out after you buy). Then you can play Awsome games like Doom III, HL2 and UT '04, if you get a computer for under 1000 you will still prolly be able to play those games but not very well, go for AlienWare. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    Don't listen to him. If you're going to blow 20 bucks on a magazine solely for PC tips, then go with Maximum PC. And ANYONE on these forums could go to newegg.com and buy all the parts in an Alienware, and make it cheaper then buying it from them.

    Like Talesin said, you're going to want to build your own, and what he recommended is also pretty good <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo--> I wouldn't go Intel unless you really want to for some reason, like heating problems (like, if your computers get hot too easily), although you can fix that with a lot of fans.
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