I could use some PC building help...

[saunders45]

I don't really need another laptop. I currently have a 15" 1.5 GHz G4, a DP 867 G4 at home, and a Dual 2.0 G5 for my workstation at work. I have a stipulation that I get a new laptop every 18-24 months in my job (Part of the reason I took it, that and they pay for college.) And a mini doesn't really make sense. Like I said it would be useful for some gaming, and misc web stuff for school. I just got a system a few weeks ago set up for a guy at work. It's a Gateway w/ an AMD X2 3800 & 1 GB of Ram. I put an additional 1 GB of memory in, and put a PCIe 256MB x1600 Pro in it. I haven't had the chance to run some benchmarks, so I can't see how it stacks up. I'm just contemplating building something, and doing something comparable to that system.

If I went that route, I was thinking of doing something like:

This system
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Gate...47189/catOid/-12962/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

A new Power Supply, and a maybe a 7600 GT, X850 XT, or an x1600xt. That's the other troublesome part though. Like I said, my last gaming PC had a Voodoo card in it. Things are way freakin different now. All this GT, GTX, XT, GTO, XTX who the freak knows. I've looked at different benchmarks, but I'd like to hear some of you guy's recommendations.

 

[tristan]

What's up with the "I'm defending Dell dude"? Without refuting every point, the original poster said they wanted to build a PC. I assume that means they want to spec every part that goes into it in order to create the best combination of quality and value. Last I checked, Dell doesn't let you choose your individual hardware components at the brand and model level.

 

[matticus008]

I assume that means they want to spec every part that goes into it in order to create the best combination of quality and value.

Actually, he said he wants a cheap gaming rig and doesn't seem to have anything against Intel or any particular dedication to the act of building. With budget being the overriding constraint, getting a Dell and then a good video card is the most workable option. It doesn't have to be a Dell for Dell's sake--they're just cheapest, although HP has some inexpensive AMD systems.

Since he only mentions a very tight budget and nothing about a passion for building, it would make more sense that he wants to build to save money (back in the T-Bird days, this was plausible). Now, building is no longer the cheapest option, so people are suggesting the best way to save money and get the best bang for $700.

 

[saunders45]

I don't necessarily have anything against pre-built, as long as the parts aren't crap.