13 replies to this topic

[nightpearl]

I am going to be buying a new computer but do not have the ability to build one on my own. I have some minimal skills to do some small things but nothing that I would rely heavily on.

I will also have need of general legit software like Office and Windows - so that has to be factored in.

Are there any reliable merchantes (HP, Dell, iBuypower, Alienware, etc) that are worth purchasing from that come with a good range of power options, reliability and affordability?

I am going to be purchasing an entirely new system, including monitor(s) (but no printers).

Any recommendations on locations and specs would be appreciated.

I am considering pricing around $1000-$1500 for right now - might go higher if necessary.

Thanks,
Nightpearl

[Zyll]

What's your price range?

[nightpearl]

I am willing to look between $1000-$1500 or so

[Hegr]

I suggest staying away from Alienware. Alienware is overpriced Dell products. Also are you a student by chance? http://www.microsoft...bid=r1ZCzrSJX-C

What kind of specs are you looking for? Any idea at all?

[Silentverdict]

Sites like ibuypower.com are much better for gaming computers that have good components and don't overcharge, however I've heard some negative reviews about their service, so I can't totally recommend them.

Just so you know, are you saying you can't build a computer yourself because of some specific reason or do you just not think you're able? I'm only asking because I had only done a few things inside a computer myself before a few months ago and it didn't take me too long to figure out how to build my own. With all the resources online, it's really much less hard than you'd think.

[nightpearl]

I am looking for a mid-to-high range level of power in my system

I was considering ibuypower - i will have to do some research into all the options that they make available

I am not really good at doing the inside the computer stuff, nor do i really have the time to learn about it and assemble with 2 children running around the house.

[Silentverdict]

Hey man, not sure if you're still looking at this thread or not, but I built you a comp on ibuypower to serve as a guide. Specs-wise, it's blazing fast, and should completely power through anything you can throw at it. Comes in at $1350, including windows 7 and "a basic version of word and excel" (not sure what that means). That leaves you $150ish+whatever else you want to spend for a monitor and any extra software. If you want to save some money, you can downgrade the video card to something like a 7850 or 560ti 448 core, but the 670 is an amazing card for the price, which is why i stretched your budget to pick it.

Here's the link: http://www.ibuypower...urator/w/121874

Let us know if you like it or want to change anything

[nightpearl]

Silentverdit - Thanks a bunch for creating this for me. I will review it.

Here is a version that i created as well - let me know what you think of this one: http://www.cyberpowe...om/saved/1E8C0V

[Silentverdict]

Not sure what extras you got to push it to $2200, but the computer components themselves are pretty much the same. Same processor, ram, and GPU, so gaming would be pretty much identical. How you configure everything else is mostly personal preference, so go with whatever makes you happy!

[nightpearl]

Looks like I did a decent job configuring

I reviewed what I had vs. what you had and here were a few of the differences. Any thoughts below?

A few of the differences are:
- Case
- A blu-ray DVD
- A Xonar DG sound card (is this necessary? Freelancer makes is seem so but I'm not 100% anymore)
- Intel Ethernet Card (is this necessary?)
- Cheap speakers/woofer
- A LCD 24" monitor
- Gaming Mice/Keyboards (roughly another $150)
- Windows 7 Pro
- Office Home & Business ($160, so that is a big add-on)

[Silentverdict]

The Xonar DG is well reviewed for it's price. I ended up getting the more expensive sonar essence and the sound quality improvement was phenomenal. If you're just using it with cheap headphones you probably won't notice a change, but it's probably worth getting in case you have nice headphones or are getting some in the future.

If the ethernet card is not a wireless card, then no. Not necessary. Your motherboard will have a built in port that will do just as well. If you have to have wireless, you'll need a separate card for that.

Other than that, looks solid to me.

[nightpearl]

Thanks for all the help on this - it has really been a benefit to get some confirmation on what I am looking at!

[nightpearl]

Ok - I saw a Father's Day special on their site today. How does this one stack up against the other one? I know there are some differences. The biggest being the CPU, Motherboard, Video Card, and Power Supply.

THoughts?

http://www.cyberpowe...om/saved/1E8JQH

[Silentverdict]

Part of the special lets you bump up to the 670 from the 560 for 225 more, do that. The 560 isn't nearly as powerful. If you have money concerns you can save on the CPU, You really don't need more than an I5 3570k for Gaming, pairing an I7 with a geforce 560 makes the 560 a pretty weak link in the computer. If you bump up to a 670 though, that computer is awesome.