Computer Buying Questions

[Discusman]

Thanks for all the replies. Special thanks to PP_Mguire for very detailed informative replies. I really appreciate that.

My old Dell Pentium 4, 2.66GHz with 640MB Ram gets really slow and laggy after 30-60 mins of surfing on the internet. I could hear the fan running or maybe the noise from the hard drive?

The internet browser freezes and can't be reloaded. It would take a min or two to come back to active. What cause of this problem?

Does it still make sense to buy some more Memory for this computer to resolve this issue? I know the memory capacity is at 1 GB I think.

 

[PP Mguire]

Long answer:
http://www.techist.com/forums/f9/there-lot-free-ram-but-still-lagging-270309/

Short answer, you could add RAM but then being limited to one core hurts multitasking. More than likely what you're hearing is the HDD because the swap file is consistently being used for the browser and cache.

 

[Discusman]

Long answer:
http://www.techist.com/forums/f9/there-lot-free-ram-but-still-lagging-270309/

Short answer, you could add RAM but then being limited to one core hurts multitasking. More than likely what you're hearing is the HDD because the swap file is consistently being used for the browser and cache.

Thanks.

So I need a new PC then. The component list provided by MkeTech. Is it the best parts I can get for the money?

Do I need anything else to put together a working PC? I know I need Windows 8.1. What other harness do I need to connect all these components together? Would each of those components listed up-gradable?

 

[PP Mguire]

Mike's list is perfectly fine, but I personally would change things up just because I'm nitpicky.

My list would be this if you were purchasing this moment.
CPU:
Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-4440 Haswell 3.1GHz (3.3GHz Turbo) LGA 1150 84W Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4600 BX80646I54440

Motherboard:
Newegg.com - ASUS H81M-K LGA 1150 Intel H81 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

RAM:
Newegg.com - ADATA XPG V1.0 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model AX3U1600C4G9-DR

HDD:
Western Digital WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive - Newegg.com

PSU:
SeaSonic M12II 520 Bronze 520W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS 12V v2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Newegg.com

Case:
SilverStone PS08B Black High-strength plastic and meshed front panel MicroATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Newegg.com

Optical:
ASUS Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk Black - Newegg.com

$491

Then add on your choice of 64bit Windows.

Upgradeable, yes. Everything you need minus the copy of Windows is listed to make a fully functioning PC. You can part match over at NCIX and pay an additional fee for setup, testing, and installation or you can watch the slew of videos available at your disposal to assemble your own machine.

 

[Discusman]

Are video card and sound card built-in with motherboard? I don't see specs of the motherboard on NewEgg.

The case looks dull. Why is it better than other casings?

I have couple DVD players or burners. Would they work with this new PC?

Would my HP w2207h monitor work with this PC?

Thanks

 

[PP Mguire]

1: Yes. Motherboards have had onboard audio for years. Modern onboard solutions are much better than before though. Intel also has an IGP built into their mainstream processors where the output is on the board. Hence the DVI and D-Sub outputs. The HD 4600 is more than sufficient for usual tasks and even some light gaming at 720p.

2. A case is personal preference so I just chose a cheap and effective case based on the budget and machine going in it. I chose that case because it is one of the better cheap cases that provides decent airflow and USB3 front ports. Case for a basic machine doesn't have to be pretty or big, but more so functional and within budget. If you want to get something that's fancier that's up to you. This coming from somebody who is using a case I've had since 2003 lol.

3. Yes, if they are SATA devices or USB/External.

 

[Discusman]

You said light gaming. I do want this PC be able to play all online video games such as Diablo III, WarCraft, Counterstrike, etc. I believe these video games require good amount of memory from the video card.

The HP w2207h monitor has VGA 15-pin D-type connector. So it is ok right?

How would I know the case is compatible with all the hardware I purchased? I'm assuming all PC case has the same structure, correct? They just have different shapes?

 

[PP Mguire]

If you want to do gaming you'll need a decent video card. That can get pricey so you'll have to set a budget you're willing to pay up to and I'll retailer the PC for gaming.

Just link a case you like and I'll let you know if it'll work or if it's decent. Need to accept mATX boards at least.

 

[Dauntae]

If he wants a little bling Rosewill has actually stepped up with there cases for better air flow, This is a Micro ATX case but only has front 2.0 USB ports and both are $3 more in price.
Rosewill RANGER-M Dual Fans MicroATX Mini Tower Computer Case - Newegg.com

and a standard ATX that can take a Micro ATX board and had both 2.0 and 3.0 USB on the front (Well the 3.0 USB is actually on the top front)
Newegg.com - Rosewill Galaxy-02 Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, 1x Top 120mm Fan, Top mounted USB 3.0 Port

 

[PP Mguire]

Yea that bottom one isn't bad for 39 bucks. It's also 10 bucks off though.