Re: Need help buying a new computer
- From: "Carole Clark" <c3clark@xxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 17 Feb 2009 11:32:19 -0500
"CoinSpin" <coin^spam^spin@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:gnem0l$smv$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Carole Clark wrote:
I'm ready to buy a new computer but need some help. I like to play role
playing games so I know I'll need a decent machine. It's been a long
time since I bought a rpg since my computer wasn't good enough to run
Oblivion, HOMM5(?) or Gothic 3...the 3 games I was most looking forward
to at the time. I don't even know what's come out since then. Anyway,
I sure could use some help with what mother board, video card, sound card
etc. to get. And I was trying to read about dual core, quad core, found
out you can have more than one video card....and boy! did I get confused!
It seems like now that I'm getting up there in age, a lot of that stuff
is just going right over my head. I've saved up a little over $1500. So
if anyone could help me out a little, I'd sure appreciate it.
Hey Carole...
I followed the other replies here, and found that you are indeed looking
to buy a PC, not build it, so thought I would throw in my suggestions. I
know you had mentioned going to Best Buy to see what they can do, and
typically you will spend a little more there than you would online, but
you have the option of being able to see & touch & try (usually) the model
you are looking for prior to purchase, so sometimes that is worth the
little extra. Plus, if they are close to you, that will be where you
would bring the unit if you have any hardware or support issues, so for
some there is a comfort zone with that situation.
However, if you know of any smaller private computer shops nearby that
have been around for a while, you can often go in and talk with them to
see what they can do for you. You will typically get a little more
personal attention, and be talking to someone who really knows the
computers, not just what the specification card for the product says...
And those smaller shops are much more likely to be able to build or modify
the PC to match exactly what you are looking for. Just be sure it's
someone who has been around a while, and doesn't look like they're going
to up and disappear on you in a month, because they will be your
support...
And if you are looking online, I've had friends who had good luck with
both ibuypower.com <http://www.ibuypower.com> and cyberpowerpc.com
<http://www.cyberpowerpc.com> in the past. And there is something to be
said for the Dell XPS computers, they aren't super flashy but tend to be
solid and reliable, and I've had decent luck with Dell's support (both
private and corporate) - I've had a Dell XPS 400 for almost 4 years, and
with nothing more than a graphics card update in all that time, it plays
all but the latest cutting edge stuff. Anyhow, if nothing else, some
sites to browse to get an idea of what you can get for how much...
The main thing to consider when going into this purchase is longevity and
use... As a general guideline, you want at least a dual-core processor,
not less than 2 gigabytes of RAM, I would say at least 200 gigabytes of
hard drive space (make that at least 500 if you do lots of music files,
digital pictures, etc), a good power supply (probably 500 Watts or so) and
a decent graphics card. The suggestions for graphics cards that the other
guys gave you are very well thought out, and would fit nicely in what you
are looking for. Don't worry about the dual graphics card thing, that's
typically more gimmicky than useful, and really only the geeks (like me)
who like to push the envelope to get screaming video quality at
eye-bleeding frame rates will ever use it. In actuality, many of the
video card companies are making those dual card options less of an issue,
by coming out with more and more graphics cards that are actually 2 cards
in 1, without the fuss of the second card. Just be careful when choosing
the video card you want, that the power supply is adequate to keep up - if
you are buying online, or from a small shop, they should automatically
know what is needed and make sure you are covered.
If you do a little research and find some you think look good, don't
hesitate to post the specifications and ask for opinions on price and
performance. We've got alot of very knowledgeable folks that frequent
this group, so you'd be able to get some very unbiased opinions... Plus
you might even find someone with hands-on experience with the particular
equipment you are considering, and get some insight you might otherwise
have missed.
Good luck!
--
~ CoinSpin
Thanks so much for all your advice. I probably will have to go to a small
computer store since I just want the comuter and none of the accessories.
This past summer I took my computer into Aardvark cause I had a virus and
couldn't reformat my drive since I was never given the WindowsXP discs
(would I be right in telling whoever I buy my computer from that I want the
Windows installation disks? It cost me over $100 to have them reformat my
drive since they couldn't get rid of the virus. If I had the discs I
probably could have done it myself. It seems to me that when I buy the
computer I should have the backup discs for the OS, but maybe I'm wrong)
Anyway, they just put on generic drivers for all my stuff, and didn't even
put on the audio card driver. I tried changing the drivers for the video
card but could never get Morrowind to work after that (which is kind of
funny because Morrowind was the game I bought my present computer for). So
it's been 7 years since I had a computer upgrade...the longest I ever went
between computers. My computer's been acting up quite a bit lately, so now
it's finally time!
Thanks again and I'll take a look at the online places you recommended.
carole
.
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