2010-09-15, 05:09 AM
KajitiSouls Wrote:I managed to get a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate for practically free, so I'm most likely to go the buy-by-parts route for my new computer once I get a stable source of income... which is hopefully soon if the plans work out. (I'm currently on unpaid internship with the state)
Nearly any knowledge of computers and shyts is earned from my brothers and whatever I found on the internet, so I'm not exactly a superstar with knowing what hardware does what. That's where you guys come in! My current shopping list and priorities are outlined below, and I'm looking for any advise or corrections, tell me what I'm missing, etc.
Budget: $750-$1000 or so?
Objective: A gaming computer I can use for a long while. Not a hardcore top-line one; don't need Crysis on high specs. Overclocking may be used later on.
Primary hardware:Secondary hardware:
- Motherboard - PCI Express, generally advanced capabilities (still needs research).
- Graphics card of justice! I heard ATI Radeons are generally better.
- Power supply so that mtherfker graphics card can be happy and fed.
- Hard drive with decent RPM. I would like to do some pilot testing on Fraps and mass data processing for yet another future computer.
- Ethernet adapter. I don't trust Comcast, and the connection via wifi has been utter garbage these days.
- Speakers (for some reason not a single salvageable one can be found in my house).
- Keyboard (ditto).
- 4 Gigs of RAM.
- CD/DVD drive of some sort.
- Computer case with matching form factors.
- Fan, or two.
- New monitor
- New mouse for gaming
It's getting late, I'll bbl tomorrow...
You can often buy a barebones machine and upgrade it for a lot cheaper sometimes, but in this case you will probably stretch your budget a bit for a reliable gaming rig.
Since you're going for general gaming usage and not anything strictly multimedia, I'm going the AMD route... and Nvidia is actally more rcommended than ATi. Not that I have anything against AMD/ATi, I just have yet to see a graphics card from them that delivers better quality than Nvidia stuff. Now let's get you a good PC designed and not break your bank in the process.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6813157187
The ASRock mother board there has a GeForce 8200 chipset and it's a good quality chipset and Nvidia does make good products. Includes a PCIe x16 2.0 expansion slot, 2 PCI 2.1 slots, and a PCIe x1 slot as well. The motherboard also supports Hybrid SLI which allows the onboard video to work with the PCIe x16 graphics card for extra processing power and capabilities. Realtek's ALC 8xx series has some decent audio as well and for anything you really don't need an extra sound card unless you want to push out more money.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6819103286
The AMD Phenom X4 9850. Good CPU for an inexpensive price. It's quad-core and it's OEM so we can get you a nicer fan/heatsink unit for it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6835103087
CoolerMaster is actually a supplier of many retail fans supplied with CPUs. This should work fine and save you some money as well and it's tailored for your board as well.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6814500144
The GeForce 9800 GT 1GB. For what the card can do, it's a powerhouse. It's actually faster than some newer models and better designed also. I use one myself... damn good card and within your budget.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6822148469
SeaGate has good quality hard drives. This 320GB should give you plenty of space to work with.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6827140050
HP's DVD Burner. Uses SATA and HP has a good warranty program.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6811815004
It's a case and it matches the DVD-Burner. Mheh... cases are cases IMO. Hey it comes with a rear fan...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6817153125
Thermaltake makes a good PSU. It's more than enough power but it is pricy. I have one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6820134641
Kingston ValueRAM. I don't buy or recommend anything but Kingston RAM.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6836150064
CyberAcoustics 2.0 Stereo Speakers. USB Powered saves on powering it without an extra cord to the wall.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6823126096
Keyboards don't offer much so keep it simple. This is an unwise area to go all out for something used to type with.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6826104098
Keep it simple. Mice aren't good to spend a ton of cash on. It will get a lot of usage and get dirty quick. The cheaper the better.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6824009231
Acer makes good monitors. In fact that's actually their best product... sad they have better monitors than PCs.
And this all comes out to:
$727.91 which isn't bad. The trick is don't overspend on parts that just aren't necessary or too luxurious. Keeping a PC simple makes it also economical for you and makes upgrading later on less stressful.
This PC design should last you at least a good 5 years.
And if you are adamant about a good sound card check this one out:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6829132006
The ASUS Xonar DX for PCIe x1. It's actually better than the Sound Blaster series and was built around the new DirectSound specification for Vista and 7. I have one... it's a good buy and will only add $79.99 to your purchase and still keep you on budget.
Above all, I recommend adding this as well...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6842107011
OPTI-UPS's power supply back up unit. THESE WILL SAVE YOUR ASS!!! Trust me, having enough time to power down the PC if the power fails will save you also from replacing valued parts, prevent lost data, and it offers surge protection. Desktops unlike a laptop do not have the backup of a battery built into them. Unless you want to reformat a lot and run the risk of data loss, spending extra for one of these bad boys is the WISEST investment you'll ever make for a PC.
$39.99 for a small piece of PC insurance is NOT something to skimp on.
Also if you need anti-virus...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6832108460
It's the same as Norton quality-wise, but without the bloatware and overtaxing system components. Recommended!! $39.99 for an OEM corporate copy of anti-virus, anti-malware, and firewall software is a GREAT find.