Gonna buy a new PC

[Satangel]

K, after years of whining I finally convinced my parents in buying a new PC for me.
But I have a few questions remaining:

- Is now a good time to buy a PC? Or should I wait a little longer, till something new comes out?

- Premade PC (like in a regular shop) or a custom made PC?

- Intel or AMD?


Price range is anything under 1000 euros.
And it will be mainly used for gaming. Then school work , so a fast internet connection card is a must.
It will have to work in a network.


Tnx in adv.

Satangel

 

[Mike83]

If you wait, by the time you finished waiting, you will have the option of waiting a little longer, and something new will be out. I'd just say "right, I need a PC lets get one" or "I can wait a month or 2 more" then get one.

I've just built myself a new PC, you can see the spec here

If you can build it yourself, I would do, it worked out alot cheaper for me.

 

[jpxdude]

Buy a cheap Intel-based core 2 (or core quad if you can afford it) machine, with lots of expansion bays. All other components can be pretty bogstandard (mouse, keyboard, hard drive, DVD drive, RAM, etc...)

Build the rest up yourself over time...the core 2 processor should pack enough punch for it to do whatever you want right now!

 

[Darkforce]

Now is a good a time as any, as they say. Like Mike83 said if you decide to wait you'll end up waiting forever. Now is a pretty good time to buy though as Intel have just dropped their CPU prices and other component prices are pretty low being the summer.

Custom made all the way - Cheap pre-made ones use rubbish non standard components, and premade systems with good specs are generally lot more than what it would cost to build it yourself. If you can't build one yourself order the components and find a friend/local IT engineer or someone to put it together for you. They could probably also overclock it for you.

Intel.

 

[noamkot]

K, after years of whining I finally convinced my parents in buying a new PC for me.
But I have a few questions remaining:

- Is now a good time to buy a PC? Or should I wait a little longer, till something new comes out?

- Premade PC (like in a regular shop) or a custom made PC?

- Intel or AMD?


Price range is anything under 1000 euros.
And it will be mainly used for gaming. Then school work , so a fast internet connection card is a must.
It will have to work in a network.


Tnx in adv.

Satangel

Since you're only 15 (happy birthday btw) and I suppose your parents don't know much about computers I would suggest you go buy a branded PC.
I don't know what it's like in Belgium but stay away from so called premade PCs that are made by the guys in your local PC store because these ones normally have the cheapest components you can possibly find.
Instead go with a computer made by Dell/HP/Lenovo or other well known international brands as you'd get a decent quiet computer with good reliable components and decent service.
Internet and Network connections are not an issue, all modern PCs come with them built in.
A few additional points:
Currently Intel makes better CPUs than AMD so go with an Intel Core 2 Duo.
You need at least 1GB of RAM.
If you want this PC for new games you need to make sure you get at least a Nvidia 8800GTS video card.

 

[Sinkhead]

Intel E6750 Dual Core Processor
2GB GeIL Ultra RAM
Asus P5K Motherboard
Graphics card is your choice, I don't know too much about them

These basic components make an excellent gaming system. I would add links to the components but I don't know any Spanish (?) component websites.
- Sam

 

[Rayder]

Whatever you do, don't buy an off-the-shelf PC. They are overpriced and underpowered. Build one yourself and you will know exactly what you have.


This may sound rude, but if you don't know how to build your own PC, you shouldn't own a PC at all, IMO. The biggest scam on the planet is PC shops that take advantage of people who don't know how to build and maintain their own computers.

 

[philco1]

Intel just drooped their prices about a few weeks ago. In October/November, Graphics cards will decrease in price as new ones will be released. This is when I'm planning on buying my PC as well as a PS3

. I don't really see how you are making a gaming PC for 1k unless you are just buying the PC w/o a monitor. If you want to buy a descent machine then I think you are going to have to spend about $1300~$1600. A friend of mine was selling one sweet ass rig for about 900 which included a ATI Radeon XT 1950 2 gb of ram 250 gb HD and an over clocked dual core (safely done by his cooling unit) (it was used for ~1 year). So I suppose it can be done, but dont expect the PC to do much. DEFINITELY buy the parts and assemble the PC from scratch. You will get OWNED if you buy one pre built. Store bought PC's suck! Just make sure that when you are assembling your PC you dont buy one component which is amazing and another which sucks ... an example of this would be buying a Dual Core and 2 gb of ram and buying a huge HD w/

 

[Darkforce]

I don't know what it's like in Belgium but stay away from so called premade PCs that are made by the guys in your local PC store because these ones normally have the cheapest components you can possibly find.
Instead go with a computer made by Dell/HP/Lenovo or other well known international brands as you'd get a decent quiet computer with good reliable components and decent service.

ROFL!

Dell machines are anything but decent machines with reliable components and decent service. I wouldn't go to Dell if they were the only place on the planet that sold PCs!


Satangel - Honestly prebuilt/store stuff is not worth saving a few Euros on, especially if you want a gaming rig. If you can't build a system yourself the easiest thing to do is see if anyone in your family, friends or neighbors can put the components together for you. Failing that print off a list of all the components, along with prices and ask around local independant IT stores and see what their best price would be.

 

[Satangel]

K, first of all, tnx for all the quick replies, I'm very pleased with that

@Mike83: My brother said I should wait a little longer (around 2 months) because they get cheaper every day. Thats true, but I dont want to wait anymore, because the vacation is already in the middle, and I havent gamed for a month, because the current PC sucks at gaming

So I'm kinda bored now, and I want to game!

@jpxdude:

That Intel-based core 2, is that a dual-core? I want a dual-core, thats one of my standards.
I aint gonna buy an old processor, because I'm pretty sure this will be the PC for me for the next 3-5 years.
So I want new things

I still got a 21" screen, a keyboard, a mouse and a 250 GB harddisk (a new one that we bought for the current PC).

@Darkforce:

K, I will buy a custom PC, my two brothers, there friends and my nephew all have custom made PC's, and they can put it together easily

@noamkot:

Tnx

Its true that if you buy a premade PC, the quality sux.
Our current PC is a premade one, and it was very cheap, but it sux ass and it hardly boots up anymore

I'll go with a custom PC, because the quality will be better, and I dont need some things (like a keyboard and a screen)

@sinkhead:

I'll keep that configuration in mind, tnx

µ



EDIT:

More posts

@Rayder:

My brothers, their friends and my nephew will do it freely for me, I'm sure of that

@Philco1:

K, I will buy an Intel processor.
I'll prolly buy a NVidia 8800 GT graphics card, is that a good choice?



And what about the warranty?
Is there warranty for custom made PC's?

 

[noamkot]

ROFL!

Dell machines are anything but decent machines with reliable components and decent service. I wouldn't go to Dell if they were the only place on the planet that sold PCs!

I had personally been working (and headed for two years) a IT department for a major organization that used to purchase IBM desktops. My last working place was using Dell desktops for many years and I can honestly say that they were more reliable than the average custom made computer. Service really depends on the country, over here Dell is considered to have decent service as opposed to HP. But even HP offers better service than the PC store around the corner.
Personally, I've been building computers myself for at least 13 years (for myself and many friends) and I've come up with some very reliable and some totally unreliable configurations. The risk is very small but it's totally unpredictable and I seriously and honestly suggest people, without sufficient background, to get branded computers as problematic systems can be very very frustrating.

 

[Satangel]

My nephew is a real nerd, yeah, he really is a nerd, and has made many PC's himself.
And my brothers and their friends have alot of knowledge of PC's , and have made some PC's too.
So it wont be a problem

 

[bobrules]

I would wait for a quad core, the price is coming down. Wait till this Christmas. Also Vista service pack is probably coming this fall, you should wait for that too. Wait for the holidays, that's when stuff drop prices.

 

[Sinkhead]

Dell solder up or misshape unused ports so you cannot upgrade... Their PCs are actually quite reliable however the parts used tend to be no-brand cheap components.

That is what I dislike most about Dell.
- Sam

 

[Darkforce]

K, I will buy an Intel processor.
And what about the warranty?
Is there warranty for custom made PC's?

With custom built machines you will have individual warranties on each component with the manufacturer (so keep receipts and retail packaging safe). Warranty length depends on manufacturer; generally speaking warranties are 3 years, but can be lifetime on parts like the hard drive or RAM.

Compare that to store built systems like Dell etc... most stores only offer 1 year warranty on their systems, and you have to pay a crazy amount (hundreds of euro) to extend that to a 2 or 3 year warranty.


noamkot - Well Dell aren't too shabby for business machines, not to mention Dell's business support is much better than their home support, at least over here. Unfortunately Satangel is not running a business.

 

[Satangel]

I would wait for a quad core, the price is coming down. Wait till this Christmas. Also Vista service pack is probably coming this fall, you should wait for that too. Wait for the holidays, that's when stuff drop prices.

I dont think my parents will wait till Christmas, because the current PC is crashing all the time, and they wouldnt want me to make my homework on that thing.
I would love a quad core though

Tnx for all the great replies!

 

[noamkot]

I guess it really does depend a lot on the country...
Dells here are sold with 3 years warranty and lifetime warranties are rather hard to find since Intel cancelled their lifetime warranty (And I've been told by a few engineers working at the Intel Fab here that I shouldn't expect their CPUs to live much longer than 3 years, unless I'm real lucky).

But anyway, satangel, If you are going to buy components then I can give you a few more advices:
1. Stay away from motherboards made by Gigabyte... I have seem too many of these die after a year or two, often frying a few other components in the process.
2. Get a motherboard with plenty of slots. A board with a Intel 965 or 975 chipset should be great. P35 would be nicer but might cost much more. If you want to use DDRII 800 then make sure the motherboard supports that.
3. Invest in a good power supply from a serious company (Antec/Thermaltake/HEC even). Don't buy a cheapo generic one!
4. Stock CPU fan from Intel should be good enough. Only buy a better CPU fan if you feel the computer is very noisy after you installed it with the stock fan. If you do eventually decide to buy a different one I can recommend getting a Zalman.
5. In my opinion you can get the cheapest DDR2 found of the type you desire (DDRII 800?). Good brand is not a must but might provide better warranty.
6. Regarding video cards, decide on the exact type you want (for gamers, I suggest at least Nvidia 8800GTS) and then look for the cheapest one you can find. The brands are less important unless you want to get an overclocked card.

 

[Sinkhead]

I recommend a forum I visit for advice on building computers, BuildYourOwn.org.uk. It's really good.

- Sam

 

[Satangel]

K tnx alot everyone, I really learned something, and I finally did something usefull today

I will keep all the tips/recommendations in mind, and in a Notepad

Topic may be closed for me, but if you want to post some more tips, do it

Tnx alot!

 

[Xeijin]

IMHO quad core is overkill. I have an AMD Opteron 148 & x800GTO2 and I have yet to come across a PC game I have been unable to run. Sure it's starting to show it's age with the lack of HDR or some newer features but the point is that going for something as extreme as quad core really isn't necessary if you want to game. Quad Cores are more useful for people who professionally video edit (I'm talking Adobe Premiere Pro here, not windows movie maker) and other processor intensive tasks, gaming relies more on the GPU so if you want to balance out the budget I'd spent more on the graphics card than the CPU.

Dual Cores are cheap as chips right now and will serve you well, my Opteron is only single core, not even overclocked and I've had no problems whatsoever. Don't let yourself get caught up too much in the PC building game, save the money for something else.

I'd recommend a decent AMD Dual Core, or the Intel equivalent (I hear Intel have the edge these days with the Core 2 Duo). And then look at getting a Radeon X series graphics card, something like an X1800XT or an X1900 should be able to keep up with the latest games out no problems.
Get a decent motherboard but don't go for the best if you don't plan to overclock, I'd say 1GB RAM at the minimum but you should really go for 2GB as memory prices have come down alot. PLEASE get a decent PSU (power supply) it's the number one thing people always skimp on, and regret later on down the line. If you have mid to top of the range stuff inside your PC you want a decent PSU that'll give you peace of mind.

If you need any more PC help I'd suggest http://www.overclockers.net/ tell 'em roughly what your after in their forum, and they'll give you a list of what to buy, give 'em a budget and they'll get it done for you

Just be wary of what I said about getting pulled in, give them a lower figure than your willing to spend so that you can get value for money.

Good Luck, hope that helped. Oh btw, if there's one peripheral worth investing in, it's a nice monitor!