Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Looking to build a good gaming PC (on a budget)

Baraka_Guru · 09-26-2008, 07:02 AM

Okay, I just got WoW a few weeks ago....

Just last night I had my first night off after a busy spell, so I wanted to play a few hours of WoW. My computer went kaput!

The system is going on it's 4th year, so I think it might be worthwhile just to replace it rather than repair it. It must be the motherboard or the HD, as it won't boot despite there being power. I don't think it's the OS because it had problems booting up the day before, but the OS worked fine when it did.

Now no booty....

Anyway, I figured this was a good thread to post my dilemma. If I get a computer, it will be for gaming only. I want a cheap system, but one that can play games like WoW, and maybe newer games on low to moderate graphics settings. (I'm not picky...just frugal.)

Here's a sampling of what I'm looking at (based on what I read in this thread):

Dell.ca:

Vostro 200, Intel Core2 Duo CPU E6550 (2.33GHz, 1333FSB, 4MB L2)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic,SP1, with media,32 Edition
3GB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHZ - 2X1GB+2X512MB 3GB800
250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 3100 GMA3100
Single Drive: 16X DVD+/-RW Drive 16XDVDR
Dell 17 inch Widescreen E178WFP Analog Flat Panel Monitor

$669+tax/shipping (Save $190)

[I can add an EGA 8800 GT for around $200.]

Tiger Direct.ca:

CybertronPC X-Cruiser 3600BK

AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ 2.6GHz Dual Core Processor
Foxconn K8M890M2MB-RS2H Motherboard
2048 (2GB) DDR II 667MHz PC5400 Memory
160GB SATA2 7,200 RPM Hard Drive
22X DVD±RW Burner Dual Layer Drive
nVidia GeForce 8500GT 512MB DDR2 PCI-Express Video Graphics Card
6 Channel High Definition onboard sound
X-CRUISER Mid Tower with 400 Watt Power Supply
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic 32-Bit

$731.96+tax/shipping

Visionman Intel Gaming PC

Intel Pentium Dual Core E2180 2.0GHz Processor
2GB High-Speed DDR2-800 Memory
Western Digital 250GB SATA-2 Hard Drive
20X Dual-Layer DVDRW w/Lightscribe
NVIDIA 8600GT 512MB PCIe DX10 Video Card
Onboard AC ’97 8-Channel Audio
585 Watt High-Efficiency Power Supply
Windows Vista

$683.99+tax/shipping

What's the lowdown? I don't want to build my own system, but I don't mind going to Tiger Direct to get them to do it for me. They're located a short drive north of Toronto. Also, Toronto has "Computer Alley" just north of where I work within reasonable walking distance.

Is going into a local computer shop and asking them to build from a list reasonable?

I'm new to this. I normally buy prefab machines. I want to play less than $750+tax if I can, which is why I might forego the Dell idea.

09-26-2008, 07:02 AM	#17 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	Okay, I just got WoW a few weeks ago.... Just last night I had my first night off after a busy spell, so I wanted to play a few hours of WoW. My computer went kaput! The system is going on it's 4th year, so I think it might be worthwhile just to replace it rather than repair it. It must be the motherboard or the HD, as it won't boot despite there being power. I don't think it's the OS because it had problems booting up the day before, but the OS worked fine when it did. Now no booty.... Anyway, I figured this was a good thread to post my dilemma. If I get a computer, it will be for gaming only. I want a cheap system, but one that can play games like WoW, and maybe newer games on low to moderate graphics settings. (I'm not picky...just frugal.) Here's a sampling of what I'm looking at (based on what I read in this thread): Dell.ca: Vostro 200, Intel Core2 Duo CPU E6550 (2.33GHz, 1333FSB, 4MB L2) Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic,SP1, with media,32 Edition 3GB DDR2 SDRAM 800MHZ - 2X1GB+2X512MB 3GB800 250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™ Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 3100 GMA3100 Single Drive: 16X DVD+/-RW Drive 16XDVDR Dell 17 inch Widescreen E178WFP Analog Flat Panel Monitor $669+tax/shipping (Save $190) [I can add an EGA 8800 GT for around $200.] Tiger Direct.ca: CybertronPC X-Cruiser 3600BK AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ 2.6GHz Dual Core Processor Foxconn K8M890M2MB-RS2H Motherboard 2048 (2GB) DDR II 667MHz PC5400 Memory 160GB SATA2 7,200 RPM Hard Drive 22X DVD±RW Burner Dual Layer Drive nVidia GeForce 8500GT 512MB DDR2 PCI-Express Video Graphics Card 6 Channel High Definition onboard sound X-CRUISER Mid Tower with 400 Watt Power Supply Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic 32-Bit $731.96+tax/shipping Visionman Intel Gaming PC Intel Pentium Dual Core E2180 2.0GHz Processor 2GB High-Speed DDR2-800 Memory Western Digital 250GB SATA-2 Hard Drive 20X Dual-Layer DVDRW w/Lightscribe NVIDIA 8600GT 512MB PCIe DX10 Video Card Onboard AC ’97 8-Channel Audio 585 Watt High-Efficiency Power Supply Windows Vista $683.99+tax/shipping What's the lowdown? I don't want to build my own system, but I don't mind going to Tiger Direct to get them to do it for me. They're located a short drive north of Toronto. Also, Toronto has "Computer Alley" just north of where I work within reasonable walking distance. Is going into a local computer shop and asking them to build from a list reasonable? I'm new to this. I normally buy prefab machines. I want to play less than $750+tax if I can, which is why I might forego the Dell idea. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot Last edited by Baraka_Guru; 09-26-2008 at 07:06 AM..