Deciding on a new computer to buy, need input

The Core RPGC Main Forum
1

repost from facebook

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=785640&CatId=2628 - OPEN BOX RETURN2.9ghz, 4GB Ram DDR3, 640HD, w/ Windows 7 Open Box return, $320.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6645052&CatId=5138 - REFURBISH 2.8ghz, 6GB Ram DDR3, 1TBHD, w/Windows 7 REFERBISHED - $330.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1137379&CatId=31 - BAREBONES, 3.10ghz, cooler, 12GB Ram DDR3, 1TBHD, case, supply, No Windows 7 - $350.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1101418&Sku=B69-0419 - BAREBONES, 3.10ghz, fan, 4GB DDR3, 500GB, case, supply, No Windows 7 - $210.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883114097 - STRAIGHT UP - 2.8ghz, 3GB DDR3, 1TBHD, w/ Windows 7 - $309

I’m looking for something within the $300 - $375 range, so long as I can get Windows 7, 4 Gigs of ram (3 is negotiable) and not having to order enough components just to get it to work, that’s my base requirements. I don’t really care for the HDD space. I’ve had my current (although on the fritz) computer and I’ve still got ample room to spare with only 320 GB.

I’m not as inclined to the one with 12 whopping RAM because it doesn’t have Win7 on it and that’ll cost a good bit more.

The refurbished and open-box ones seem like a great deal, but I don’t know the general consensus of used and inspect computers, even through tiger direct. Worth the risk or is it even safe?

The one for $210 seems like my safest bet: new parts, good value, and fits within my price range for including Windows 7 out of the box. Plus, the stats are better than the one newegg has to offer, albeit $60 bones more.

SO! Thoughts? I’m not too terribly hardware-inclinded, but I suppose I know enough to get the gist out.

2

I would go with option three if you know what you’re doing and can get a copy of Windows cheaply. If not, go opiton two. Although I have to say 12 GBs of RAM is super overkill right now. I have 8 GBs of DDR2 right now and it runs everything I need.

3

I’d go with option 2 myself. Barebones usually means striped down of pretty much everything of value; including any sort of graphics card. Plus you don’t have to worry about sticking an extra $50 for Win 7 OS.

Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if that $210 one sounded like a diesel engine all the time. Fans can get noisy as hell.

4

Yeah, so…

Went over the list with a hardware-savvy friend of mine. Said everything looked good EXCEPT for the graphics cards on the pre-builts. Like, they were ok… for running Minesweeper. Back to the drawing board.

5

I would go with option 4. They’re all shitty. So might as go with the cheapest shitty computer. Right?

6

Try finding a graphics card comparison site that tells you what kind of games will run on different graphics cards. So if you want something to run Crysis 5 you can get that and if you want something to run Oblivion you can.

7

This is gonna sound bad, but I always gauge what graphics card to get based on the new games that I wanna play. >.>

8

This is going to sound worse but I’ve been running a computer without a graphics card (motherboard graphics only) for a couple years now.

9

Some of the more intensive games require ‘at least’ a dual core processor, massive physics intensive maps (like Battlefield: Bad Company 2) seem to cry for a quadcore processor. Graphics cards can take you only so far, alas.

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11

I was waiting for the punchline but I guess I missed it.

12

The punchline is he made 81 days of dubstep. 1,944 hours of dubstep. 116,640 minutes of dubstep. 6,998,400 seconds of dubstep. 7TB of dubstep. dubstep. listen to dubstep

13

Can’t listen to tasty, tasty dubstep without a functioning computer.

Btw, whaddaya think of this deal?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=708878&sku=S445-13100&cm_re=Homepage--Spot%2003--CatId_6_S445-13100

For $250, sounds amazing. Going to replace the card with one of my roommates old one he’s selling off: a GeForce 7300 GT, which I hear is pretty nifty for mid-level graphic cards.

14

I doubt a 220W power source will be enough to power any video card. So you’ll probably have to add another 40 bucks for a decent power source. So it’s probably not gonna be any cheaper than the other options in the end.

15

Yeah, I saw that. Friend of mine’s gonna hook me up with one around 400W or so.

Bought it. Looking forward to not having to run a computer in safe mode to get on the interwebs at home.