Recommend Computer Parts

ARFlyer

ARFlyer

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ARFlyer
I have finally come to the conclusion that my computer may need an upgrade. These are my currect specs and don't laugh I know its sad.. :nonod:

CPU: Intel Pentium 4 3.00GHz
RAM: 3GB
Video: GeForce 8800 GTS 512 dual DVI (AGP slot) :hairraise: :nono:
HD: Seagate 1TB in two 500GB partitions
Backup HD: 500GB

I basically need a whole new system built up from the ground excluding my hard drives. The problem I am having is I don't have a ton of money and I don't know which CPU and Video is the best buy for the next few years. I can realistically spend about $500 in the near future or more around next winter. As I don't start my airport job back up until school starts back.

So anyone have any ideas?
 
How is that sad? Why do you think it needs an upgrade? Seems perfectly adequate for normal use. Back up your files, wipe the drive, install a fresh load of either Linux or even Windows, if you must. Maybe the video performance isn't the best, but unless you're using it for games it ought to be fine.
 
I make a living writing processor intensive software on a similar machine, laptop to boot.
 
DaleB said:
How is that sad? Why do you think it needs an upgrade? Seems perfectly adequate for normal use. Back up your files, wipe the drive, install a fresh load of either Linux or even Windows, if you must. Maybe the video performance isn't the best, but unless you're using it for games it ought to be fine.
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I am a casual gamer when I have the time. The reason for question is based on wanting to play Civ 5 and the new SimCity that will be out next year. The specs I have now is fine for normal college use.
 
Having more keyboard time on macs the past year, ill never buy another "pc" again..

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2
 
$500 can actually build a fairly decent machine if you reuse some of the components.

Gaming is always rough though. Video cards aren't cheap. Really depends on what frame rate you want and virtually impossible to tell how those as-yet-unpublished games will suck down GPU horsepower.

At that price you may be able to fund a motherboard upgrade that would support a newish multi-core Intel chip and the new RAM it would need (DDR 3) that might have decent but not stupefying on-board graphics.
 
cavmedic said:
Having more keyboard time on macs the past year, ill never buy another "pc" again..

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...

I bought a Mac Mini and a KVM, I've probably pressed the KVM switch twice and that was because the Mac Mini was rebooting. I've dealt with Macs on and off since the II (I still remember playing Oregon Trail) They're not gaming machines, unless you're playing Oregon Trail. Though Tomorrow Never Dies was kind of fun but the windows version was out before the Mac
 
denverpilot said:
$500 can actually build a fairly decent machine if you reuse some of the components.
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The last time I tried that on a system old enough to have an AGP slot, I was able to reuse the hard drive... and nothing else. And I had to buy a SATA to ATA adapter for that! Not even the power supply was usable, and the old case was about eight times the size I wanted.
 
denverpilot said:
$500 can actually build a fairly decent machine if you reuse some of the components.

Gaming is always rough though. Video cards aren't cheap. Really depends on what frame rate you want and virtually impossible to tell how those as-yet-unpublished games will suck down GPU horsepower.

At that price you may be able to fund a motherboard upgrade that would support a newish multi-core Intel chip and the new RAM it would need (DDR 3) that might have decent but not stupefying on-board graphics.
Click to expand...

What would you classify as a newish chip? i7? I only have the 32-bit Win7 so I am limited to 4Gs or RAM.

DaleB said:
The last time I tried that on a system old enough to have an AGP slot, I was able to reuse the hard drive... and nothing else. And I had to buy a SATA to ATA adapter for that! Not even the power supply was usable, and the old case was about eight times the size I wanted.
Click to expand...

I have an SATA HD! :yesnod: I was lucky enough to have 1 SATA connection.
 
It's probably been about 6-7 years since I built a new machine. I've only done a few upgrades in that time, since I don't game, so I don't need to keep up. My current laptop I bought high end (i7, 8GB, 750GB, Touchscreen, BD-burner, Radeon HD 5000) just because I plan on it being around for a while. I have a lot more power than I need now, but in 2 years, maybe not. ;)

That said, the past few computers I've bought, I just bought. I did a bit of shopping around and determined that I really wouldn't be saving anything by building them myself. My most recent computers other than the year-old laptop described above are a server that I bought on ebay (2010), and an entertainment PC that is there only to drive the TV (2008).

Ok - on to my philosophy - IMO, if the computer still does what you want it to do, it's not obsolete. If you're just surfing and reading email, then odds are that Pentium that I had in around '97 is just fine, if you add a NIC and a bit of RAM to it.

But it looks like you're doing some gaming and you think the game won't work on it. Problem is that we don't know what the min specs will be for those games. What if you spend that $500 now on boosting what you have, and when the game comes out, you just miss the min specs? If it were me, I'd wait. First, you'll be confident of the specs you need. Second, between now and then, the prices will continue to fall. Maybe not by a whole lot in that short time period, but hey - every penny counts these days, doesn't it?

Just a thought, but if it were me, I'd hold off. You may find that you can buy a complete computer that meets your needs for less money than you'd spend upgrading, too. Look at Christmas sales, if the game won't be out until next year. Check www.frys.com (even better for you if there is a Frys store near you), www.tigerdirect.com, and others (these are my two favs, and I'm blessed to have one of each within about 45 minutes from me).
 
MicroCenter has a (bad) website. www.microcenter.com

Their "Powerspec" house brand never ceases to amaze on price. You can't build cheaper. You might match it and have higher quality components. But they aren't bad.

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0378290

That's a quad-core Intel i5, 8GB RAM, you get your 64-bit Winderz version you need, even the Pro version, 2TB drive, and other goodies for $549.

The on-board Intel graphics can be upgraded later, as can the drive to a faster RPM one. The annoying part might be the VGA adapter, but that's probably what your current monitor has.

These aren't high end machines and they're built with cheap power supplies, but I needed a box as a temporary server to live on an 11,000' mountaintop with bad power as a Linux machine a while back and the thing survived up there for two years until someone donated a smaller 1RU rack mount. I just added a second slow drive and did software RAID since the site is snowed in with only snowcat or helicopter access at least three months out of the year. And the budget for the project was $0. S it came out of my pocket.

http://www.microcenter.com/storefronts/powerspec/index.html

If you see an in-store deal only that you can't pass up, PM me and we'll figure out how to do that. The store is 4 miles from home and less from work.

Now if you're really dead set on gaming above all else for that price, Tom's Hardware *just* did their $500 Gaming PC build... It focuses over $200 to the video card and sacrifices hard disk... But you have one of those! ;)

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-pc-do-it-yourself-geforce-gtx-560,3216.html

Much better quality individual components, ultra-cheap Rosewill case though... You'll probably cut yourself on it. Beware. :)
 
How about buying one of the suggested systems, migrate and then sell the old one as a fully functional machine, use that money to buy a better video card for gaming?
 
Alexb2000 said:
How about buying one of the suggested systems, migrate and then sell the old one as a fully functional machine, use that money to buy a better video card for gaming?
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'Cause no one is likely to pay more than a few bucks for a P-4 system?
 
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