I Need a New Computer

[SardonicWhisper]

Hey everyone, I'm new here .

I just realized that my current desktop PC is now turning 8 years old (although it works amazingly still), and I decided to buy a new desktop computer. The problem is, I have no clue what is considered "good" in terms of hardware. I need something that will support gaming, last long, and cost under $800 (if such a thing exists).

I know that building one myself would probably be my best option but... I have no clue how to .

So instead I've been looking around and I came across this computer. Can anyone tell me if this is any good? I have no clue what is considered a good deal in terms of processors, graphics cards, etc.

Thanks to anyone who helps !

 

[Muffin Man]

for gaming no, that hp has a pretty weak gfx card.

i looked at a few to see what was available on newegg, and i found this pc which would be a far better gaming rig than that hp.
Newegg.com - iBUYPOWER Gamer Power 565D3 Athlon II X4 630(2.8GHz) 4GB DDR3 500GB NVIDIA GeForce GTS 250 Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
while it does costs less, it does come with less ram and less storage, and a tad weaker quad core.

but it has a far better gfx card which would blow the hp out of the water, and you would have the option of OCing on this one.

although, building your own would still be your best option, and it's really not hard .

 

[SardonicWhisper]

Is there a good tutorial anywhere on how to build a computer? I'm just mostly concerned I'd buy parts that aren't compatible with each other.

 

[Yami]

We can recommend all the parts for you, if you like - all the parts come with LEGO-kit-esque instructions, and there are plenty of tutorials on the web (google 'how to build a PC').

 

[remixedcat]

avoid HPs and any of the big 3 they put underpowered PSUs in thier compies. as a rule of thumb having 200 watts more then what you need is best. best for future upgrades. reaplceing the PSU is a pain, so having a a good one is best for peace of mind and ease of use and saving cash down the road.

 

[CalcProgrammer1]

It's really easy to build a PC, I started by taking apart my old HP desktop and upgrading bits and pieces of it until I had to take it completely apart, after that I pretty much knew how to build a PC since I had to rebuild the one I had. I have since built a server and I just built my new gaming PC and all of them are running great.

The biggest thing is like you said, you have to buy compatible parts.

I would choose your processor first, look for one in your price range and then add in a few hundred dollars for motherboard and RAM. Once you find your processor, note its socket (for example, the Core i7 930 is socket LGA 1366). Then go to the Motherboards section and look for LGA 1366 socket motherboards. Once you find the one you like, look at the type of RAM it takes (DDR, DDR2, DDR3) as well as the RAM speed. You may buy faster RAM than your motherboard supports (the RAM will just run slower) but you should not buy slower RAM as your motherboard will run it over its rated speed. For the Core i7, it is recommended to purchase a set of 3 identical RAM sticks because it uses a triple channel memory controller. Other CPU's may use a dual-channel controller, in which case you would want a set of 2 RAM sticks. Next, look for your graphics card. At this point it is pretty much open game, almost all new motherboards (and any new motherboards for a gaming PC) are going to have PCI Express x16 slots for the graphics card, so only look at PCI Express x16 (NOT AGP or PCI) cards. From there, pretty much anything will work, so just pick one based on your price range. Right now I'd recommend ATi's RadeonHD 5800 series of cards, though nVidia's are pretty good too.

After you have your CPU, motherboard, RAM, and video card chosen, pick a power supply that has enough power to power all your components. I would recommend at least a 650W, maybe 750W PSU (mine's a 650W but I got a good deal on it, was going to get a 750W).

After you choose the power supply, then look at cases. An ATX case will hold a Micro ATX motherboard, but a Micro ATX case will NOT hold an ATX motherboard (because ATX motherboards are physically larger than micro ATX motherboards). I would recommend an ATX Mid Tower or ATX Full Tower case, though I've only bought mid towers and I think there's plenty of room in them.

As for hard drives, CD/DVD drives, etc. you can pretty much use whatever you want, SATA is the newer interface so choose a SATA hard drive and CD/DVD drive, not an IDE one. Most motherboards support both IDE and SATA (though they only usually have one IDE channel while older boards had two). For speed, look for SATA2 (3.0gb/s) or SATA3 (6.0gb/s) drives.

 

[Druid]

cpu+mobo: Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more!
gpu: Newegg.com - XFX HD-585X-ZNFV Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ Eyefinity
ram+psu: Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more!
HDD: Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
optical: Newegg.com - LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA CD/DVD Burner - Bulk - CD / DVD Burners
case: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER ELITE 335 RC-335-KKN1-GP Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

That comes out to $850 - $40 MIR - $10 promo code on HDD = $800

And it comes with AVP too

 

[ajmchenry]

Hey everyone, I'm new here .

I just realized that my current desktop PC is now turning 8 years old (although it works amazingly still), and I decided to buy a new desktop computer. The problem is, I have no clue what is considered "good" in terms of hardware. I need something that will support gaming, last long, and cost under $800 (if such a thing exists).

I know that building one myself would probably be my best option but... I have no clue how to .

So instead I've been looking around and I came across this computer. Can anyone tell me if this is any good? I have no clue what is considered a good deal in terms of processors, graphics cards, etc.

Thanks to anyone who helps !

Dell is the way to go. They are offering some great deals this month. You should check it out. I found this on their website. Save an additional $50 off systems $699 and above with coupon code: WQQ$MQ0M4JNCWD. Or save $100 off systems $999 and above with coupon code: B980P775CS2Z02. Go to Dell.com/DellU or call 866-914-6077 for details. Offer ends 6/30. I would go with Dell.

 

[shinderhizzle84]

I too am in need of a relatively good gaming computer for around or under $800-$900. And this time, building it myself is not an option.

I'm coming from a 15.4" macbook pro that could run games like Oblivion and Medieval 2 Total War on the highest graphic settings (I put windows on it, of course), so I do realize that it's going to be a big downgrade, but I'm hoping that I will at least still be able to PLAY these games, even if it is on the lowest graphics settings.

I am hesitant to buy anything from Ibuypower/cyberpower since they've both got TERRIBLE reputations. I know two people who have purchased computers from those brands and they stop working COMPLETELY about a week in. When they call up the company's customer support, the support team basically says "we built a perfectly working machine, so it is OBVIOUS that it is your fault that the system isn't working....but thanks for the cash, we'll be bathing in it publicly if you want to come by and spectate!"

So yeah, something from a mainstream brand would be nice. And like I said, building the computer is most definitely NOT an option.