Topic: Advice on buying or building a PC or Laptop

[SBD]

I have around $1200 right now and when i have enough I'll be getting a new pc. Right now a couple of the scorptec models are looking good, so i want to know if anyone had/has any issues with theirs.

www.scorptec.com.au

[Danzik]

At a glance, those look to be rather overpriced. 
Which model are you looking at?

I really only replied to this post to tell your avatar is hideous.
Ad-block's a great thing

[SBD]

The Hornet Gold (http://www.scorptec.com.au/system/80), although im a bit worried 'cos the only proccessor I can afford to get (the standard one) runs at 1.83ghz. Too me this seems awfully slow for a current proccessor, let alone a dual-core.

[Ben7el]

You're getting scammed, you can get a Dell E520 with A better processer, and 2 gigs of ram for more then 200 cheaper, which you can use to buy 1900 Gt, which is a better video card. You also get a 19 inch Ultrasharp moniter, which is a good one (from my experience)

BTW, a Core 2 Due processer running at 1.83 gh is faster then a Pentium D at 3.4 Gh, and cheaper

(Link for 1900 Gt)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814102022

Edit: and the dell comes with windows installed, so you don't need to spend another 120 just for the OS

[Ben7el]

Double post

I noticed you only had $1200


You can get a cheaper Dell for $1100 with the same stats and just buy a X1600xt (Buy from newegg, the Sapphire one) for 100 and you would have a pretty nice system

What do you want your computer for anyway?

[SBD]

What do you want your computer for anyway?

Gaming. Nothing else. the one im using now is the family pc, and has the same specifications of a dog poo in a beige box. With the same number of bugs. I would get a 360, but for some reason my parents won't let me get a console. 

Also, aren't Dells impossible to upgrade? and are those prices in US$ or AUS$? and Im  gonna wait until Vista comes out, by which time I should have around $1800.

[Ben7el]

Nope, I'm running on a Dell that came with a X300SE(Suckyest Edition) and is now on a X1600 XT, I don't see why Dells would be 'impossible' to upgrade, they might be harder because of strange sizes on some parts, not sure if thats true though. You might want to go with a Dell XPS 400 with the E6600 Processer, 2 gigs of DDR2 Ram, 320 GB harddrive and the lowest video card and then get a ATi 1900 XT (258 mb version). With one year insurence it totals to (Including the 1900 XT) $1700.

it might not be the best idea to get a Dx10 card yet because they have MASSIVE power requriments and a 1900 Xt will last you 2 years at least.


I'm using US$

[PatMan33]

If you want a good gaming PC that gets bang for the buck, try to get yourself into a "I want to build this computer" kind of mood.

You can build something better than most of those packages and for a better price too.

[BlessedBullet]

"Build it yourself" will get you the absolute most bang for the buck... especially since you're not paying anyone to do it right and guarantee that it's right for a year or more.

I've heard mixed reviews on http://www.ibuypower.com.  They have a lot of bang for the buck but their service can be real bad.  I've also heard they're late a lot on their shipments.  They're cheap but you get what you pay for...

http://www.tigerdirect.com has some nice barebone kits.  What's nice about the kits is that you build it yourself (so it's cheaper) but a lot of the decisions have been made for you so you don't have to spend a lot of time researching compatibility.  They're typically not complete so you can rip off parts off your old machine to save money or buy specific parts that suit your needs (like video cards) 

Dells are very upgradable.  However, changing the motherboard will void your warranty.  Anything else like the video card is fair game. 

[PatMan33]

I should add, building it yourself only really becomes worth it if you are going for fairly high end. (Since a lot of those parts are not sold in packages)

For anything else though, Dell and other companies will undercut you at every corner. Plus they nearly include the Operating System which is a killer if you don't already have one...

[Fade2gray]

I should add, building it yourself only really becomes worth it if you are going for fairly high end. (Since a lot of those parts are not sold in packages)

This can be true if you don't know where to get your parts. A lot of the brick n' mortar stores will way over mark the price for each part, which can quickly inflate the end price of your PC. However, many online stores will give you good prices, and the larger ones will often give you good shipping prices. Here in the US I personally like Newegg, but if you're in another country I'm pretty sure you can find something similar where you are.
Building your own PC is definitly worth it, even if you spend the same amount as you would for a pre-built, because it will give you a huge boost of confidence with computers, and it gives you a new skill you can stick on your resume!

[SBD]

Ok, I have thought about building my own pc from scratch, but I know nothing about compatibility or how to put together a pc. The most complicated thing ive done is installing a new dvd drive.

Now that i think of it, i could probably get a lot of help from the IT blokes at school, cos they know me fairly well.

Does anyone know of a "for dummies" or "idiots guide" book on building pcs?

And please try to keep prices in Australian dollars.

[Manna]

Are you in Sydney? I'll put it together for you...for a small fee 

Nah I dont usually put comps together for other people because if I DO break something (and I never have but if it'd be just my luck that this time the screwdriver WOULD go through the CPU!) then I'd feel terrible about it coz I couldn't replace it for you.

If you can work out what you want beforehand and live in NSW, the computer fair is a good place to get some really cheap hardware. Haggle with 'em too, they usually drop a bit off the price if you make it clear you do this sort of thing often.

I haven't checked but http://www.tomshardware.com/ might have some info on how to build comps, if not they're a great resource for figuring out what you want.

Otherwise, just dont buy anything OEM and everything will come with a manual on how to put it together. Even if you found a book on how to put it together the manual is still the best source when it comes to MOBO's etc.

[c14dude]

i wouldn't get a pc just yet man, keep saving and wait for DX10 and vista.

[Manna]

What if his PC cant play spore? you're gonna make him WAIT? What about Oblivion? Obliiiiiivion!