|
|
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
02-08-2005, 11:43 AM | #1 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 41305
Join Date: Aug 2003
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: KCMO
Vehicle:2003 WRX WRB |
Computer Building Help/Insight
I'm in the market for a new comp, mainly for gaming purposes. I don't wanna anything crazy just something decent. And I was wondering if this could be done with ~500 bucks. The big problem is I need monitor and keyboard/mouse, too. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Or should I put down the pipe?
Also, what does the allknowingOT think about payment plans for comps? Worth it? Furthermore, I know little to nothing about computers, so what are good brands? and/or what should I stay away from? IBsearch - I did, nothing conclusive came up. Thanks fellow Otters.
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.
|
02-08-2005, 11:50 AM | #2 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 62209
Join Date: May 2004
Chapter/Region:
SWIC
Location: AZ
Vehicle:2005 STi Silver/Silver |
for ~$500? Dude, you're gettin a Dell.
|
02-08-2005, 11:52 AM | #3 |
Gone... But not forgotten
Member#: 13082
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Philadelphia
|
When I build computers for myself or for others, I usually go to sites like www.tomshardware.com, www.sharkyextreme.com, www.anandtech.com and follow their monthly guides. They usually have an AMD and Intel machine side by side.
A decent gaming pc with a monitor and stuff will run you about a $1000. If you want a cheap and reliable PC, get a Dell. |
02-08-2005, 11:52 AM | #4 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 16653
Join Date: Mar 2002
Chapter/Region:
NESIC
Location: Central MA
Vehicle:2017 Mazda 6 2013 Toyota Vanling |
True 'nuff. I'm looking at spending ~$500 for a new computer, and I don't play any games.
I'm gonna guess you'll be dissapointed with a $500 gaming rig, especially if you still need a monitor. You don't need ~$2,000 of craziness, but you really might want to try to scratch up a little more cash. -Brian |
02-08-2005, 11:57 AM | #5 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 41305
Join Date: Aug 2003
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: KCMO
Vehicle:2003 WRX WRB |
I really have close to a 1000. Just trying to get a deal.
What about putting like 500 a good comp/monitor/keyboard/mouse and making payments on the rest? Has anyone went that route? Can you do that? I'm getting alittle over 800 back from taxes and just don't want to blow it all on one item all at once. I actually need to pick up some clothes and such too. Bills also. I'm sick of dressing like a bum. IBmetrosexual=huffadong |
02-08-2005, 12:00 PM | #6 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 39142
Join Date: Jun 2003
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: Vienna, VA
Vehicle:Memb er#: 39142 Join Date: Jun 2003 |
Quote:
|
|
02-08-2005, 12:04 PM | #7 |
Sufficient for Sharky
Member#: 55173
Join Date: Feb 2004
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: I beat up big rocks
Vehicle:with paddles. |
"gaming" rigs require at least $500 for CPU, memory, and video card alone.
|
02-08-2005, 12:12 PM | #8 | |
Scooby Guru
Member#: 7327
Join Date: Jun 2001
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Seattle, WA
Vehicle:2008 Mazdaspeed3 2006 Wrangler Sport |
Quote:
|
|
02-08-2005, 12:12 PM | #9 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 62209
Join Date: May 2004
Chapter/Region:
SWIC
Location: AZ
Vehicle:2005 STi Silver/Silver |
There's a guy at my work that put together a nice machine with the ATI 9600. That card alone is $400. Playing Halflife, he can turn on all of the graphics, shadows, details, etc... with no problem. A friend of mine is playing the same game on a $400 Dell Dimension desktop with no problem (minus all the graphics enhancements). It just depends on how much money you want to spend.
|
02-08-2005, 12:14 PM | #10 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 16653
Join Date: Mar 2002
Chapter/Region:
NESIC
Location: Central MA
Vehicle:2017 Mazda 6 2013 Toyota Vanling |
Quote:
I have a decent machine here at work, but I'm supposed to be working ~$500 gets me almost everything I need, 'cept a fancy LCD monitor. So I may dip into the tax refund money a little deeper for that... -Brian |
|
02-08-2005, 12:38 PM | #11 | |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 11701
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Long Island NY
Vehicle:2008 Acura TL-S 2001 Corvette |
Quote:
The ATI 9600 is Max ~$150 for the XT version. The regular 9600 is about $90 bucks now. If he said it cost $400 he was lying. Even when introduced almost 3 years ago the 9600 was their mid level card, at the time when the 9800 Pro was in their high-end segment. For $500 your best bet is to pick up a Dell off gotapex.com, just make sure it has a decent CPU, at least 512 ram (and I would spring for a gig if possible). Once you get it, go out and spend the extra $200 on a video card, and you'll have a very nice gaming setup which will probably have a flat panel screen and all that jazz. |
|
02-08-2005, 12:48 PM | #12 | ||
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 16653
Join Date: Mar 2002
Chapter/Region:
NESIC
Location: Central MA
Vehicle:2017 Mazda 6 2013 Toyota Vanling |
Quote:
Depends on which version (?) and where it's from. Dell, which appears to be pricing this much higher than a geekier outlet type place, has 'em for big money: Quote:
Last edited by KD7000; 02-08-2005 at 12:54 PM. |
||
02-08-2005, 01:04 PM | #13 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 34230
Join Date: Mar 2003
Chapter/Region:
Tri-State
Location: Titus Pullo is a thug.
|
That's because it's an All-in-Wonder. Cards without video capture and a TV tuner are more reasonable.
|
02-08-2005, 01:07 PM | #14 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 36125
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Lake Oswego, OR
|
You won't be able to do it for that price.
Minimum for something good Minimum CPU AMD 64 3000 = 165 (Socket 939) Mobo = ~100 (Socket 939) Video Card = ~200 but easily and probably higher RAM = ~140 (512mb) but I'd go for a gig HDD = ~80 (get SATA) CD combo drive = ~30 Case/PSU Combo = ~60-80 for something decent Monitor = ~300 Keyboard = ~20 Mouse = ~15 That's just a rough estimate and I may have forgotten something. You should be spending around $1000 .. Side note: All in wonder cards are nifty, but in a gaming rig its kinda pointless if that's your focus. 9600 xt is crap compared to other cards Only cards I personally would consider is nvidia 6800 series and the ati x800 series for a new box. But I currently run a watercooled ATI x800 xt OC'd |
02-08-2005, 01:13 PM | #15 | |
Sufficient for Sharky
Member#: 55173
Join Date: Feb 2004
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: I beat up big rocks
Vehicle:with paddles. |
Quote:
2) "Gaming RAM" is a gimmic. You can get 1GB PC3200 of a GOOD brand (Crucial, Mushkin, Corsair, KingMAX) for $140. Anything over 1GB is wasteful. And ultra-low latency is a ripoff. 3) I said "at least." SO... 6600GT: $200 1GB Mushkin PC3200 (2-3-3): $150 AMD 3200+: $150: TOTAL: $500 And it will play everything out there just fine at nice resolution. This guy is working on a budget, so I'mworking with him... not just throwing out overestimates to bring him down. If he wants to lower the cost: 9600Pro for $130, 512MB for $70 makes for a total of $350. |
|
02-08-2005, 01:16 PM | #16 | |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 11701
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Long Island NY
Vehicle:2008 Acura TL-S 2001 Corvette |
Quote:
The $245 cards are All In Wonder cards which simply offer built in TV capturing, which is in no way related to gaming performance. Still nowhere NEAR $400. And whatever Dell lists as a price is generally outrageous which is why I recommended buying a base level system from Dell with whatever free upgrades they offer at the time, and then buying the video card + RAM seperately. I can sell a turd for $6 million but it doesn't mean its worth that much. You can build a cheap tower for $500, but you won't get any of the other stuff. Buying a full system from Dell is the way to go if you're on a budget. |
|
02-08-2005, 01:17 PM | #17 | |
Sufficient for Sharky
Member#: 55173
Join Date: Feb 2004
Chapter/Region:
MAIC
Location: I beat up big rocks
Vehicle:with paddles. |
Quote:
|
|
02-08-2005, 01:24 PM | #18 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 16653
Join Date: Mar 2002
Chapter/Region:
NESIC
Location: Central MA
Vehicle:2017 Mazda 6 2013 Toyota Vanling |
Quote:
He / we had no other info as to exactly which ATI 9600 card it was... My point was only that it is not impossible that his friend paid ~$400.00 for it. -Brian |
|
02-08-2005, 01:49 PM | #19 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 41305
Join Date: Aug 2003
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: KCMO
Vehicle:2003 WRX WRB |
Thanks for all the help.
I'm may have my friends' dad try to piece one together. I'll see what he'll quote me. Some good info in this thread though. I've looked into Dell and may have to go the cheap RAM VID card and buy the upgrades. I'll build one later and see where it puts me. |
02-12-2005, 04:54 PM | #20 | |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 41305
Join Date: Aug 2003
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: KCMO
Vehicle:2003 WRX WRB |
Quote:
Thanks. |
|
02-12-2005, 05:03 PM | #21 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 11701
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Long Island NY
Vehicle:2008 Acura TL-S 2001 Corvette |
It's working for me.
|
02-12-2005, 05:06 PM | #22 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 41305
Join Date: Aug 2003
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: KCMO
Vehicle:2003 WRX WRB |
I have no clue y it isn't for me. I'm on my gf's laptop and it doesn't work through either of her internet browsers...pisses me off.
|
02-12-2005, 05:08 PM | #23 |
Scooby Guru
Member#: 14611
Join Date: Jan 2002
|
You could defintily get a decent PC+mouse+keyboard for <$500... its the monitor that might be an issue. Go hit up a used PC store, I have bought used 21 and 20" CRTs for ~$200, and that was years ago. I think you could definitly get a decent 19" CRT for about $150 now.
|
02-12-2005, 05:17 PM | #24 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 11701
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Long Island NY
Vehicle:2008 Acura TL-S 2001 Corvette |
Yeah. You can pick up used CRT's fairly cheap. I unloaded my Dell 19" Trinitron (old, but still worked great) for $100 like 2 years ago.
Though if you want to get an LCD, the used market may leave you with monitors that have dead pixels, etc. |
02-12-2005, 05:30 PM | #25 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 41305
Join Date: Aug 2003
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: KCMO
Vehicle:2003 WRX WRB |
Any ideas on why I can't view the link? I'm all outta of ideas.
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
I need realtime computer building help! | Capt Crunch | Off-Topic | 23 | 06-08-2009 10:17 PM |
computer builders...help me build a crappy mac or server computer | scaryfastskier | Off-Topic | 8 | 03-20-2006 09:03 PM |
First Computer Build HELP! | DefPDP | Off-Topic | 48 | 12-08-2005 11:42 PM |
Need some computer building help. | Guru Imakuni | Off-Topic | 15 | 05-08-2005 03:40 AM |
Computer Gurus help build my computer! | Volvo740Turbo | Off-Topic | 18 | 08-13-2004 08:55 PM |