The "So you need a new PC" thread

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supadupacheap

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First off, Welcome.

The purpose of this thread is to help CAGers find advice on how to buy or build a new PC. Also, to give useful insider tips and advice on how to do this on the cheap. Lastly, (and selfishly) its to cut down on all the "HELP!!! I need a new PC!!!" threads that appear at least weekly and I often try to reply to.(Cough*this should be a sticky*cough)

Contributors (in no particular order)
Myself
*looking for volunteers!*


First and foremost you need to prioritize your needs. What do you do MOST with your PC followed by what you do second, third, fourth, etc etc. It is crucial you get this right because it will be from this info you make your decisions.

There are many different types of users of course but I typically break them down into 4 types.

1. Basic user - This person tends to use their PC mostly for emails, word documents, making greeting cards, light use family type stuff. Their needs are small so they really dont need to spend a bunch on a PC.

2. Mid level user - This person does more than just email. They run a few programs (sometimes at once), maybe play DVDs, burn CDs, basically more than the Basic user but nothing intensive. They may even occasionally game but its usually older titles or stuff at low settings. Again, nothing intensive.

3. Power Office User - This person is the multitasker. They do a lot of stuff and usually at once. Word, scan, print, fax, its a busy machine. Also, since its their business it is critical its reliable and doesnt slow them down.

4. Power Gamer - This person is the one who needs the most power because he/she really puts their PC through its paces. When the latest game comes out, they have it and want to run it as well as possible. These guys are the ones who need to spend the big money to be happy.

Ok, now that we've established the types, you need to decide where YOU fall. I will be the first to admit it is easy to fall in between two levels. If you are in a pinch for money, pick the lower and you ll probably be ok. If you can go to the higher level, do, but realize you will pay more because of it.

*Warning* Be very careful not to misjudge your needs. Its very easy to think you need more of a machine than you really do because COMPANIES HAVE BEEN TRAINING YOU TO THINK THAT WAY ALL YOUR LIFE! Youd be amazed at just how much you can do with even the most basic PC sold new today. Dont buy into the hype. Be honest with yourself, do your homework, ask the brilliant minds at CAG for help if need be, and you ll find you are much happier and will have more cash in your pocket.
 
Desktop or Laptop

Laptops are sexy. No two ways about it. They tend to look cooler, have that "techie" feel to them, and the allure of mobility is very very strong. :drool: But, most of us dont need one.

I cant tell you the number of people I know who have laptops that sit atop their desk 99% of the time. Its a real waste.

A desktop vs. a laptop of the same money will almost always win out when it comes to upgradability and technology contained inside. This is not to say "laptops suck". Its just the facts. Your mobility comes at that cost.

There are some people who NEED a laptop though. I will not argue this. Business travelers, IT guys, and *SOME* students would suffer greatly with a lack of mobility. However, these people tend to be special cases and they KNOW they need a laptop. Theres really no decision about it, it is just so.

This is how I break the two down.

Desktop

Pros:

1. More powerful
2. More Upgradable
3. Cheaper to Upgrade (typically laptop parts have premium prices)
4. Sturdier

Cons

1. It aint going no where easily.
2. No space saver either
3. More noise
4. More heat
5. Not as sexy to most as a laptop

Laptop

Pros:

1. Mobility = freedom baby!
2. Techie sexy
3. Quiet
4. Small

Cons

1. Less powerful than its desktop equivalent
2. Can be fragile
3. Upgradability limited by laptops size, space considerations.
4. If you can upgrade, still tends to be expensive.

Special note to gamers!
Its my personal opinion that the words "gaming" and "laptop" should not be combined in the same sentence. This is not to say there arent machines that can game exceptionally well, there are, they just tend to have huge pricetags that make them quite rediculous for most of us to buy.
Ask yourself JUST how much hardcore gaming you ll be doing "on the go." Most of us are banging out word docs or maybe running some tunes when away from our home desk. I personally cant see many times where Id be able to crank Doom 3 full bore when Im out and about. As such, I cant justify the enormous extra cost to be able to do so.
Ive always felt the best way to go was a basic laptop AND a very good Desktop rather than spend the same amount on a monster of a laptop. Take just what you need with you when you go mobile, nothing more, nothing less. Spend the cash you save on a desktop that will game almost as well or better than that super laptop.
The only person Id say a gaming laptop would fit really well would be somebody who travels alot, does the hotel living thing often. Since they arent home but they are stationary alot THEN it makes a whole heck of a lot of sense.
 
Laptops not for gaming?

It's completely possible to play games on a laptop. I don't play many FPS, but for Civ III, Syberia, StarCraft, Roller Coaster Tycoon, NetHack, and Oasis a laptop is just fine.
 
Well, this past Christmas I had this dilemma... and I ended up getting a Dell Dimension 3000 (customized how I wanted it) for about $650-$700, including shipping, dual CD-RW drives, and a 15" LCD monitor. I'd consider myself to be a mid-level user.. that is, I usually do a lot with my computer, but my net usage has gone down considerably, and I have a bit of a small room.. And lately, it feels like I'd need to do work away from home. The reason behind this is that I'm starting school at a private arts school in downtown, and most of my classes are in the mid-afternoon.. meaning HELL in terms of traffic on the way back. Now, I'd have to deal with it anyday that I have to work later that night obviously, but on days that I don't, I'd rather take the time to work on some projects in the local library or at a nearby Starbucks. So, recently I'd contemplated getting a laptop, and worst off I found that the absolute best deals are on eBay. Now, I'm a little iffy on buying something as expensive as a laptop on eBay, but the deals there are hard to ignore. I've found comparable prices on what my desktop has, only with less hard drive space (I have an 80gig HD now.. Not even 10G of which is even used, probably), but containing something mine doesn't have, which is a DVD-ROM. I'd gotten particularly jealous of this feature when I go and visit my girlfriend in California (her moving to Vegas for the next 9 months before she comes out here isn't making it much better either) and I'd gotten bored of listening to CDs on the flight, and there are folks around me with laptops watching DVDs.

So, it's something that's awfully convenient, and I figure I could probably sell my Dimension off piece by piece and make back the money, or maybe moreso, on eBay. My only concern with switching to a laptop is the upgradability. I like to customize my PC quite a bit, and keep upgrading parts of it to have it "change with the times" so to speak, and I feared I wouldn't be able to do quite the same with a laptop. I have practically no experience with them though, so can anyone go a little more in-depth into this? Is this a wise decision to be making, or should I brush this off as just being totally unnecessary and spend money on upgrading my 12 year old TV to a widescreen HDTV? The way I see it is that I could sell this PC I have now if my laptop works out great for me, and then use the money to buy the widescreen in the future.

Right now, I play very little computer gaming outside of strategy games such as Age of Empires or CivIII... basically I'm mostly addicted to my Xbox in that regard, same with DVDs. On the comp, I use it mainly for internet and schoolwork, but I'm online quite a bit (net addict) and I download.. err, I mean I make backup copies of most of my CDs and movies on here as well. Any advice being given would be appreciated.
 
[quote name='Vitamin X']Well, this past Christmas I had this dilemma... and I ended up getting a Dell Dimension 3000 (customized how I wanted it) for about $650-$700, including shipping, dual CD-RW drives, and a 15" LCD monitor. I'd consider myself to be a mid-level user.. that is, I usually do a lot with my computer, but my net usage has gone down considerably, and I have a bit of a small room.. And lately, it feels like I'd need to do work away from home. The reason behind this is that I'm starting school at a private arts school in downtown, and most of my classes are in the mid-afternoon.. meaning HELL in terms of traffic on the way back. Now, I'd have to deal with it anyday that I have to work later that night obviously, but on days that I don't, I'd rather take the time to work on some projects in the local library or at a nearby Starbucks. So, recently I'd contemplated getting a laptop, and worst off I found that the absolute best deals are on eBay. Now, I'm a little iffy on buying something as expensive as a laptop on eBay, but the deals there are hard to ignore. I've found comparable prices on what my desktop has, only with less hard drive space (I have an 80gig HD now.. Not even 10G of which is even used, probably), but containing something mine doesn't have, which is a DVD-ROM. I'd gotten particularly jealous of this feature when I go and visit my girlfriend in California (her moving to Vegas for the next 9 months before she comes out here isn't making it much better either) and I'd gotten bored of listening to CDs on the flight, and there are folks around me with laptops watching DVDs.

So, it's something that's awfully convenient, and I figure I could probably sell my Dimension off piece by piece and make back the money, or maybe moreso, on eBay. My only concern with switching to a laptop is the upgradability. I like to customize my PC quite a bit, and keep upgrading parts of it to have it "change with the times" so to speak, and I feared I wouldn't be able to do quite the same with a laptop. I have practically no experience with them though, so can anyone go a little more in-depth into this? Is this a wise decision to be making, or should I brush this off as just being totally unnecessary and spend money on upgrading my 12 year old TV to a widescreen HDTV? The way I see it is that I could sell this PC I have now if my laptop works out great for me, and then use the money to buy the widescreen in the future.

Right now, I play very little computer gaming outside of strategy games such as Age of Empires or CivIII... basically I'm mostly addicted to my Xbox in that regard, same with DVDs. On the comp, I use it mainly for internet and schoolwork, but I'm online quite a bit (net addict) and I download.. err, I mean I make backup copies of most of my CDs and movies on here as well. Any advice being given would be appreciated.[/QUOTE]

Well, if I'm reading what you're saying correctly, you don't use your computer that much for gaming so, if true, there's no need for you to upgrade that often. From the sounds of it, you could've made due with a barebones setup and bought a few outside extras (such as more DDR RAM, a decent video card, an extra hard drive, and a DVD burner [i recommend the NEC 3520a]) to make u run a wee bit faster than normal. The price, depending on where you buy your stuff, would top out at 650 at the most (which is about the price you paid for the Dell and it would've been much better innards). Best case scenario - maybe 400-500 dollars.
 
I kind of did go with "barebones".. for some odd reason, I just wanted a shitload of hard drive.. most likely due to having a Pentium II with only 3gig of hard drive space for the past 6 years or so. But yeah, I don't have a floppy drive or anything on this thing.. thinking that with a laptop I won't either, since there are flash drives I could use instead (yay USB).

My main question, which looking back at my post I may not have stated so clearly, was if I should switch to a laptop or keep going with my current desktop? There are comparable laptops on eBay, just with slightly less processing power and smaller hard drives (but to be honest, I think a 40gig would do me just fine.. it's RAM I'm concerned about since I like running a bunch of things at once) ranging at about the same price I bought this thing for last December.
 
[quote name='jclast']Laptops not for gaming?

It's completely possible to play games on a laptop. I don't play many FPS, but for Civ III, Syberia, StarCraft, Roller Coaster Tycoon, NetHack, and Oasis a laptop is just fine.[/QUOTE]

Im not saying you CANT game on a laptop. My point is that it is not the best tool for the job (especially if you want to play newer games. Not the older ones you mentioned) .

Think about it like this, you CAN cut a steak with a bread knife but why not just buy the steak knife if you are going to be eating a lot more steaks than bread?

Its all about whats best suited to do the given task you have for it. If you configure them properly, a Desktop *should* be better suited to gaming than a laptop of the same price.
 
[quote name='Vitamin X']Well, this past Christmas I had this dilemma... .[/QUOTE]

Jaykrue is right. Your needs seem pretty basic so you probably could get away with just a laptop if you dont develop the hard core gaming bug in the future.
My only hesistation for suggesting it fully comes from your mentioning of CD and DVD backups. If its just simple burns from time to time, you ll be fine. If you do any serious hardcore encoding or other labor intensive processes, the laptop might not be the best way to go.
It sounds like though, thats not really the case so you could easily get away with just a laptop. But do be sure that mobility you are gaining is really needed because, like you said, it can come at the cost of upgradability down the line.
 
[quote name='Vitamin X']My main question, which looking back at my post I may not have stated so clearly, was if I should switch to a laptop or keep going with my current desktop? There are comparable laptops on eBay, just with slightly less processing power and smaller hard drives (but to be honest, I think a 40gig would do me just fine.. it's RAM I'm concerned about since I like running a bunch of things at once) ranging at about the same price I bought this thing for last December.[/QUOTE]

Notebook RAM isnt outragously expensive usually so you should be ok there. The questions you need to answer are

A) Just how multitasking are you? If you are pushing 100% usage in your current machine alot, the lappy may not be able to keep up.

B) What kind of RAM and how much of it can the lappy you want hold? Quite simply, the more space you have, the more RAM you can add. Obviously a bunch of RAM wont replace having a good processor as well, but it can go a long way towards maximizing what you can do on the machine.

As far as the ebay thing, I personally wont do it. Im too nervous and oftentimes warranties dont transfer in full or at all. A lot of those great deals you see are people who cruise fatwallet, buy up 3 or 4 when a deal comes then turn right around and ebay them. Cut out the middleman by finding the deal yourself.
 
[quote name='the3rdkey']My brother just bought a new laptop and it runs Half-Life 2 better than his PC.[/QUOTE]

Are we comparing apples to apples here or apples to oranges?

Did he just buy this PC and did it cost almost the same or less?
Were they both built for the purpose of gaming? (obviously if he put a decent card in the lappy but left intigrated video in the desktop, the lappy would best it)

My point here is NOT that EVERY desktop will beat EVERY laptop in gaming. Of course not, a new lappy would crush a 486.

But if I gave you $1000 and gave myself $1000 and we did a build off, Im pretty confident my Desktop would beat your lappy.
 
[quote name='supadupacheap']Im not saying you CANT game on a laptop. My point is that it is not the best tool for the job (especially if you want to play newer games. Not the older ones you mentioned) .

Think about it like this, you CAN cut a steak with a bread knife but why not just buy the steak knife if you are going to be eating a lot more steaks than bread?

Its all about whats best suited to do the given task you have for it. If you configure them properly, a Desktop *should* be better suited to gaming than a laptop of the same price.[/QUOTE]

I understand your point. I just wanted to be sure people understood that gaming doesn't neccessarily mean playing the newest "greatest" game out there. You can play games on anything. Even some newer games run just fine on a laptop. It's just not the ideal gamestation for the Doom 3 / Half-Life 2 crowd.
 
I need a new computer, and I need help improving on the setup that I've got now.

My dad's company is ordering new computers from IBM. This is a huge order, so we get a nice discount on the machines. I'm leaning towards getting one of the desktops for college, but I know that it needs some work...

For $800, I get:

3.2Ghz P4 Processor
1GB RAM
40GB Hard Drive
DVD/CD-RW combo drive
10/100/1000 NIC
Integrated video and audio
6 USB (not USB2?) ports

Now...this computer is going to college with me, and I'd really love it if it could run HL2.

The hard drive size is undoubtedly going up - I'm thinking 160GB as a minimum, and I think I've got that part taken care of.

The issue I've got is with the integrated components. I'm thinking that they aren't going to cut it for gaming, and the fact that I don't have any specs on either of them scares me. I like PC gaming, and I also like listening to music on my machine. I'm a bit worried that I won't be able to do either of those things well with this setup.

Which graphics and sound cards would work well for gaming? Like I said, I'd like to be able to run HL2, but I don't need to run it full on and I'm very, very limited on what I can spend. I'm thinking that my parents will cap the machine's price at $1000,

So...are there any cheaper graphics or sound cards I should be looking at?
 
[quote name='Gothic_Walrus']I need a new computer, and I need help improving on the setup that I've got now...

[/QUOTE]

Ok, give me some info and Ill help you out.

First off, if you upgrade the intergrated stuff (vid card, sound) you will certainly be able to HL2. Not ultra high settings, but you ll be more than pleased I think.

What kind of slots does it have for video? PCI, AGP, PCI-e? Find that out pronto.

Soundcards are a mixed bag. A $25 soundblaster 24 sounds great for a lot of apps. The trouble is when you want a 5,6,7 speaker set up. Also, is sound of a huge importance to you? To really get great positional sound, your going to want a better sound card. Luckily, creative just came out with a new chip so old prices *should* drop. Just wait a couple months.
 
Unless you're planning on running surround sound from your PC why would you need to upgrade from the built-in audio?

If you'll be using your standard PC left-right 2 speakers setup, the onboard sound should be fine. Or does HL2 require surround sound? As far as music goes, unless you're you're a real audiophile, stereo sound should be just fine.
 
[quote name='jclast']Unless you're planning on running surround sound from your PC why would you need to upgrade from the built-in audio?

If you'll be using your standard PC left-right 2 speakers setup, the onboard sound should be fine. Or does HL2 require surround sound? As far as music goes, unless you're you're a real audiophile, stereo sound should be just fine.[/QUOTE]

Personally I wont go intigrated as I can hear a large difference in the sound, even on lesser speakers in a non multichannel setup. You can get a really solid soundcard these days for $20-$30 if you shop around and thats pocket change when it comes to pc stuff.
 
OK I just sold my gateway laptop i bought last year so now I am looking for a new laptop. I am a sophmore student at Michigan State University and would consider myself a midlevel user. I multitask ALOT and want a computer that won't give me slowdown. On my old Gateway I was almost always pushin 100% usage. I am leaning toward an apple ibook g4 right now since everyone says their quick but the problem is I can only affor about $1000 and the g4 that i can get with that only comes with 256 mb ram. so what should I do? I am not good enough with computers where i can do a lot of techie stuff like upgrading it myself so i want to buy something already made for myself.
 
[quote name='twiztidjester']what can i do to help?[/QUOTE]

I think at this point what is needed most is somebody very experenced in building. My strength lies with finding great deals, not so much the assembly.

Im looking to add to my top posts hopefully this weekend. Anything anybody wants to contribute can be added in the thread and will most likely end up in one of the first few posts.

Again, anybody and everybody is encouraged to add whatever they feel is helpful. All that I ask is everybody does their best to see ALL sides so we can keep flame wars to nil.

Thanks
 
[quote name='supadupacheap']I think at this point what is needed most is somebody very experenced in building. My strength lies with finding great deals, not so much the assembly.

Im looking to add to my top posts hopefully this weekend. Anything anybody wants to contribute can be added in the thread and will most likely end up in one of the first few posts.

Again, anybody and everybody is encouraged to add whatever they feel is helpful. All that I ask is everybody does their best to see ALL sides so we can keep flame wars to nil.

Thanks[/QUOTE]

I have been building for close to 7 years.
 
[quote name='majinvegeta-88']OK I just sold my gateway laptop i bought last year so now I am looking for a new laptop. I am a sophmore student at Michigan State University and would consider myself a midlevel user. I multitask ALOT and want a computer that won't give me slowdown. On my old Gateway I was almost always pushin 100% usage. I am leaning toward an apple ibook g4 right now since everyone says their quick but the problem is I can only affor about $1000 and the g4 that i can get with that only comes with 256 mb ram. so what should I do? I am not good enough with computers where i can do a lot of techie stuff like upgrading it myself so i want to buy something already made for myself.[/QUOTE]


if you multitask that is shitty ram even though i love macs i would recomend going with a pc mainly for price i would look for somthing around these specs
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...CategoryId=pcmcat22300050001&id=1118839463450
 
I was going to type up a nice tutorial w/ picture. But that'll take too much time, so I just googled it and posting 2 links that comes w/ pictures and 1 link that has no picture but very detailed description:


Guide w/ Illustrations: these pictures show a much older motherboard/CPU, but other than that, the rest of the assembly process should be quite similar to new components as well.

http://www.buildeasypc.com/hw/howto/assemblepc.htm

http://www.dansdata.com/buildpc.htm


Guide w/ detailed description but no pictures.

http://www.pcmech.com/byopc/


I skimmed through some of these and they seem pretty efficient and accurate.
 
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