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Looking for a new computer

missypea

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Location
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I went to having computer woes to not having a computer at all.

I have to give the insurance company some idea of a "replacement" computer so I'm going to start looking online to see what I can find.

Before I do that, I thought I'd check with DP and get some opinions.
The only things I know right now is that I don't want a Dell.
It's gotta have plenty of RAM so I can play games and have multiple applications open
It's gotta have a very good graphics card

I heard some good things about the Velocity Micro. Anyone know anything about that computer?
Which computers do you think are the best?

The computer is mostly used for:
Posting/Reading DP :)
Playing games
Remoting into my computer at work
Pictures/music/movies


:2wave:
 
I went to having computer woes to not having a computer at all.

I have to give the insurance company some idea of a "replacement" computer so I'm going to start looking online to see what I can find.

Before I do that, I thought I'd check with DP and get some opinions.
The only things I know right now is that I don't want a Dell.
It's gotta have plenty of RAM so I can play games and have multiple applications open
It's gotta have a very good graphics card

I heard some good things about the Velocity Micro. Anyone know anything about that computer?
Which computers do you think are the best?

The computer is mostly used for:
Posting/Reading DP :)
Playing games
Remoting into my computer at work
Pictures/music/movies


:2wave:


PM me you price range and needs and I'll give you some links to some good builds.
 
I went to having computer woes to not having a computer at all.

I have to give the insurance company some idea of a "replacement" computer so I'm going to start looking online to see what I can find.

Before I do that, I thought I'd check with DP and get some opinions.
The only things I know right now is that I don't want a Dell.
It's gotta have plenty of RAM so I can play games and have multiple applications open
It's gotta have a very good graphics card

I heard some good things about the Velocity Micro. Anyone know anything about that computer?
Which computers do you think are the best?

The computer is mostly used for:
Posting/Reading DP :)
Playing games
Remoting into my computer at work
Pictures/music/movies


:2wave:

Fairly right up my alley.

First things first:
1) Budget
2) What kind of games
3) Build yourself or buy ready made?
3a) You okay with buying parts online?
3b) Preferred OS (this matters to the RAM)
4) AMD/Intel
 
OK. I need your patience folks. Here's the story:
I'm not exactly sure of my budget. We had a break in and one of the things that was stolen was my computer. They reimburse replacement value so I'm not really sure what I'm going to end up with. I don't have a problem adding money to the pot to get what I want so lets say 1800-2300?

We had the computer built in 2006/2007 (right around the time Vista was coming out). I don't have any of my paperwork anymore so this is all by memory.

We had 2 GB RAM/DRAM? added to the base. I can't remember what the base was.
We had the best NVIDIA card installed--can't remember the specifics
We had the best Sound Blaster card installed--can't remember the specifics
Core 2 Duo Processor
Extra fan installed for cooling
Windows XP
CD/DVD
Burner

I wanted a computer that I could play games on without experiencing any technical difficulties while enjoying the sound and graphics.

I'm not a big time gamer. I don't play games online. I play games like Aveyond but I want to enjoy my games and not deal with issues I know little about......like computers.



Does that help at all?

EDIT: I'd rather have it built for my needs than ready made but that's not set in stone either.
 
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Might I suggest the following, which has no Monitor, and I wouldn't buy one from them anyhoots (go get a good Samsung from like Best Buy).

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/saved/1CHM0X

For those that don't want to click, or after 7 days and that link dies...
*BASE_PRICE:[+1079]

BUNDLE:None

BLUETOOTH:None

CD:24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLACK COLOR)

CD2:None

CAS:Thermaltake Element-T Mid-Tower Case [+22] (Green Trim)

CASUPGRADE:None

CS_FAN:Maximum 120MM Case Cooling Fans for your selected case [+9]

CPU:Intel® Core™ i7-930 2.80 GHz 8M Intel Smart Cache LGA1366

FREEBIE_CU:None

FAN:Asetek 550LC Liquid Cooling System 120MM Radiator & Fan (Advanced Cooling Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA) [+18]

FA_HDD:None

FLASHMEDIA:INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)

FLOPPY:None

HDD:128GB A-DATA S596 Series Gaming MLC Solid State Disk [+265] (Single Hard Drive)

HDD2:500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD [+59] (Single Hard Drive)

IEEE_CARD:None

KEYBOARD:Xtreme Gear (Black Color) Multimedia/Internet USB Keyboard

MOUSE:XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse

MONITOR:None

MONITOR2:None

MOTHERBOARD:* Asus P6T SE Intel X58 Chipset CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio

MB_ADDON:None

MEMORY:6GB (2GBx3) DDR3/1333MHz Triple Channel Memory (Corsair or Major Brand)

MULTIVIEW:Non-SLI/Non-CrossFireX Mode Supports Multiple Monitors

MODEM:None

NETWORK:Onboard Gigabit LAN Network

OS:Microsoft® Windows® 7 Home Premium [+104] (64-bit Edition)

OVERCLOCK:pro OC (Performance Overclock 10% or more) [+19]

POWERSUPPLY:700 Watts Power Supplies [+10] (XtremeGear SLI/CrossFireX Ready Power Supply)

PRINTER:None

PRINTER_CABLE:None

RUSH:NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS

SERVICE:STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT

SPEAKERS:None

SOUND:Creative Labs SB Audigy SE [+30]

TEMP:None

TVRC:None

USB:Built-in USB 2.0 Ports

USBHD:None

USBFLASH:None

USBX:None

VIDEO:NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 1.25GB 16X PCIe Video Card [+256] (EVGA Superclocked [+25])

VIDEO2:None

VIDEO3:None

VC_PHYSX:None

WNC:None

_PRICE:(+1896)
 
I don't have a problem adding money to the pot to get what I want so lets say 1800-2300?

WOW. That's a fat budget.

if Aveyond:
Aveyond: Gates of Night Game Download for PC | Big Fish Games

Is that correct, is the game in question, you don't need a dedicated video card. You can probably run off the video processor that comes on many midgrade motherboards. You may be even able to run that on a netbook. Probably since people can run starcraft 1 on those.

Oh I also made a big mistake.

We talking Laptop or desktop?

Considering what you said, you could get buy with this laptop:
Newegg.com - Acer Aspire AS5517-5671 NoteBook AMD Athlon 64 TF-20(1.60GHz) 15.6" 3GB Memory DDR2 667 160GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi ATI Radeon HD 3200

If you don't like an Acer, here's a toshiba, IMO one of the better firms.
Newegg.com - TOSHIBA Satellite A505-S6035 NoteBook Intel Core i7 720QM(1.60GHz) 16" 4GB Memory DDR3 1066 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M

That's a better PC but probably major overkill for what you're going to use it for.
 
Might I suggest the following, which has no Monitor, and I wouldn't buy one from them anyhoots (go get a good Samsung from like Best Buy).

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/saved/1CHM0X

For those that don't want to click, or after 7 days and that link dies...

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 for Aveyond? That's HILARIOUS.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229181
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883241028


I think these are better fits, even though they are still overkill, but it leaves money for a nice LCD.
 
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WOW. That's a fat budget.

if Aveyond:
Aveyond: Gates of Night Game Download for PC | Big Fish Games

Is that correct, is the game in question, you don't need a dedicated video card. You can probably run off the video processor that comes on many midgrade motherboards. You may be even able to run that on a netbook. Probably since people can run starcraft 1 on those.

Oh I also made a big mistake.

We talking Laptop or desktop?

Considering what you said, you could get buy with this laptop:
Newegg.com - Acer Aspire AS5517-5671 NoteBook AMD Athlon 64 TF-20(1.60GHz) 15.6" 3GB Memory DDR2 667 160GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi ATI Radeon HD 3200

If you don't like an Acer, here's a toshiba, IMO one of the better firms.
Newegg.com - TOSHIBA Satellite A505-S6035 NoteBook Intel Core i7 720QM(1.60GHz) 16" 4GB Memory DDR3 1066 500GB HDD 5400rpm DVD Super Multi NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M

That's a better PC but probably major overkill for what you're going to use it for.


It's for a desktop computer, not a laptop. Aveyond is probably one of my favorite games but I play other games like Nancy Drew and some murder games.....whatever the kids bring over or whatever strikes my fancy :)
The main point is that I don't want problems if I decide to play any game.

I can tell you that one of the reasons I got the NVIDIA card was because the Nancy Drew games wouldn't behave on the computer I had. I don't want to run into any problems when I'm playing.
I just want to put the game in and have fun.
 

I appreciate the help OC but please don't ridicule the other people who are giving me their opinions. I don't mind if you disagree....and tell me why you disagree but let's be nice.

I need opinions on computers, not a thread war.

Thanks!!!
 


I asked for a budget, and I maximized the bang for the buck.

Obverkill for Missy's current needs... perhaps. Will it be effect 4 years from now? Absolutely. I'm thinking long term. And this platform has a very high end Graphix card, a good solid i7 processor, 6 gigs of ram, and a SDD HD for super fast bootup and OS functioning. I can certainly tone this down...
 
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I asked for a budget, and I maximized the bang for the buck.

Obverkill for Missy's current needs... perhaps. Will it be effect 4 years from now? Absolutely. I'm thinking long term. And this platform has a very high end Graphix card, a good solid i7 processor, 6 gigs of ram, and a SDD HD for super fast bootup and OS functioning. I can certainly tone this down...

No, no. Don't tone it down. I appreciate that you were thinking ahead.

The computer I had was probably overkill at the time I bought it in 2006 but it handled the games that came out in 2010 so......YAY!

I like that everyone thinks differently and can bring different ideas to the table.
 
I asked for a budget, and I maximized the bang for the buck.

Obverkill for Missy's current needs... perhaps. Will it be effect 4 years from now? Absolutely. I'm thinking long term. And this platform has a very high end Graphix card, a good solid i7 processor, 6 gigs of ram, and a SDD HD for super fast bootup and OS functioning. I can certainly tone this down...

If all she's playing is essentially a low budget RPG game with weak graphics, I just don't see the need for that expense. Also remember that higher end computers eat more power which is a higher bill every month. And if you're willing to pay it, why not spend it on dual 24 inch screens? Or even better, a big @ss TV with a sling box to stream movies. That alone is enough of a reason to get a mid range computer and spend the rest on the entertainment setup with the PC as the core.

The desktops I linked are well more then the average person is going to need. hell right NOW the average computer doesn't need much to handle most average programs.
 
missypea,

If something goes wrong with this pc, will it matter to you if you have to ship it to the manufacturer to work on it?

If so, you might prefer looking for a big box store near you which has a Geek Squad type technical support in store. You can get most of the better brand names in these stores and upgrade those components that matter more to you. Usually, the store warranty takes priority for the first year so, you won't have to ship it to ACER, Toshiba, ASUS or whomever if the motherboard blows.

I'd recommend you research the brands and determine the one you'll sleep better choosing.

You could also look for small shops that will build one for your needs. You'll get much more personalized service, the quality components that you need and a name and a face to bring it to for problems and maintenance. Check them out thoroughly tho!!!

It's been my experience with computers that the after sale treatment and dependability are much more important than the sticker price, or sale package, especially if you're not one to open up the box to do any work yourself.

Remember, computers are just another machine. You can buy the Rolls Royce of the lot and still get a lemon. What's important is, can you get it fixed/maintained when you need to without getting the bum's rush?

Good luck,

ADK
 
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missypea,

If something goes wrong with this pc, will it matter to you if you have to ship it to the manufacturer to work on it?


That is a good point. As missypea pointed out, she's not that familiar with computers which I believe means she's not comfortable with testing parts if they are faulty.

we may be better off searching Bestbuy ads for her rather then anything else.

I still like the sling box with big LCD TV idea the best though. Need a blu-ray player though. That can be expensive for desktops.

Missy, do you have a local Bestbuy or Fry's Electronics or something like that in your area?
 
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That is a good point. As missypea pointed out, she's not that familiar with computers which I believe means she's not comfortable with testing parts if they are faulty.

we may be better off searching Bestbuy ads for her rather then anything else.

I still like the sling box with big LCD idea the best though.

I'm not at all comfortable with testing anything with computer parts...YIKES!
.......but, I do have a place in town to take my computer to if there are problems that DP members can't help me solve.

I bought a computer at Best Buy years ago and I wasn't thrilled with the service. They were really pushy but maybe it's different now?
I'm not completely against Best Buy but they aren't my first choice.

I also need to replace my ergonomic keyboard, speakers and 24" monitor.
 
Do they make desktops wireless like they do laptops yet? Our router is wireless/cable so friends can bring their laptops without plugging in but we still have to plug in.

Hmmmmm, I never really thought about purchasing a laptop. Do you get the same bang for your buck? What is the favorite choice of the DP Crowd?
Why?

You can plug a laptop into a 24" monitor, right?
 
Do they make desktops wireless like they do laptops yet? Our router is wireless/cable so friends can bring their laptops without plugging in but we still have to plug in.

Hmmmmm, I never really thought about purchasing a laptop. Do you get the same bang for your buck? What is the favorite choice of the DP Crowd?
Why?

You can plug a laptop into a 24" monitor, right?

I'm not a big computer geek, but I believe you can get a laptop that will do all the things you want for maybe 1/3 of your budget. Do what a couple of the guys here said. Go to Best Buy or the equivalent in your area, and tell them what you want. Don't let them push you. If the sales person isn't patient and helpful, get somebody else to help you. Buy what you want, and have them change out the graphics card if the computer you're leaning toward has only a basic one. And don't buy any extended warranty.

Also, I think you can plug a laptop into almost any newer monitor, the LCDs anyway. You just need the right cable.
 
OK. I need your patience folks. Here's the story:
I'm not exactly sure of my budget. We had a break in and one of the things that was stolen was my computer. They reimburse replacement value so I'm not really sure what I'm going to end up with. I don't have a problem adding money to the pot to get what I want so lets say 1800-2300?

That's three times what I paid for my computer at Office Depot last year, and easily twice the total amount I've paid including upgrades. Seriously, off the shelf it was a Core 2 Quad with 8 gigs RAM, running Windows 7 64 bit. I bought a better video card (needed dual video out) and had to replace the power supply to support it. MrVicchio's build fits neatly within your budget and easily exceeds your requirements. You can get a beautiful monitor and a good set of speakers for around $200 at Wal-Mart-- I paid $130 for my second monitor and $60 for my speakers.

Do they make desktops wireless like they do laptops yet?

They have for some time. It's a thirty dollar part at Wal-Mart-- sixty if you need a top-end wireless ethernet adapter to go with a top-end router.

Hmmmmm, I never really thought about purchasing a laptop. Do you get the same bang for your buck?

You pay more for less computer and less flexibility when it comes to upgrades down the line. I'd only go this route if you need the portable functionality.

What is the favorite choice of the DP Crowd? Why?

I have an HP Pavilion dv6 that I paid $600 for. Except for the video card, it's the rough equivalent of your stolen computer.

You can plug a laptop into a 24" monitor, right?

That shouldn't be a problem on any modern laptop.
 
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I'm not a big computer geek, but I believe you can get a laptop that will do all the things you want for maybe 1/3 of your budget. Do what a couple of the guys here said. Go to Best Buy or the equivalent in your area, and tell them what you want. Don't let them push you. If the sales person isn't patient and helpful, get somebody else to help you. Buy what you want, and have them change out the graphics card if the computer you're leaning toward has only a basic one. And don't buy any extended warranty.

Also, I think you can plug a laptop into almost any newer monitor, the LCDs anyway. You just need the right cable.

Ditto on everything above except the extended warranty. I don't think extended warranties are worth it for almost anything... except expensive electronics. These days pcs last many years past the warranties, both store and manufacturers. You can buy a pc that is so powerful it will almost wake you up in the morning with a cup of coffee. :2razz:

So, if you're the type that doesn't have a nerdy desire to replace a pc every 2 or 3 years the extended warranty is a good buy. A few of the most common failures are a motherboard or hard drive going. One of them alone would cover the cost of the extended warranty.

Re: Wireless - Used to be desktops came with a dial up modem. A broadband modem was an extra. Now, almost all pcs and laptops come with broadband and wireless on board. If a pc doesn't have wireless, it's just a simple program you load.

Since you already have a wireless router... you're ready to go girl!

Re: Desktop vs. Laptop - There used to be a big diff in capacity and speed. Nowadays there's not much diff at all. If this is for mainly your use and you would like to play your games, or post on Debate Politics, from your deck watching your son swim in the pool, or sitting on the couch while watching your soaps, a laptop is the way to go. You can get a very powerful one and all the mobility you need for a mom on the go.

Have you ever used a laptop? They are a different feel. If you don't like the keyboard or mouse you can add both to it. It might not be for you. How picky are you? My wife hates the feel of the keyboard and the mouse and doesn't want to use the add ons. I love them. Different comfort zones.

Look for battery life! Most exaggerate how many hours you can go on a charge. Look to actually get maybe 60% - 75% of what they claim. A few new ones out there claim they get 8 hours on a charge. I'd like to see that.

Since there is limited space, you may only get one disc drive. Do you need a cd or dvd burner? It might be xtra.

Re: Monitors - There are standards now. Most desktops will plug into any monitor. The 17" laptops are huge and have superb graphics.

Talk to salesmen in stores. Tell them your story and compare notes. Do NOT buy at the first store you go to or the first build-it shop you hit. Get to know what you're looking for. These things are like another arm to us these days. You're going to be spending a lot of time with it. Make the smartest purchase you can.

I'd even suggest you watch those Home Shopping programs when they have computers on. You can get a very good idea what new technology is out there and if you want it. Once you know what you do and don't want you can make a very smart decision.

A hundred people could give you 100 different configurations and recommendations here and all of them might fit your needs. But, you are the only one who can decide if it fits you like a glove. Would you buy a specific car on a recommendation?

It's time to go to school.

Let us know how you're doing and if you have further questions.

Good luck,

ADK
 
Having worked for BB for a while, I would NEVER EVER use their services. EVER. I just haz much hate for them.
 
Wish I lived near you, missy. For the price you are talking, I could BUILD you a system that wouldn't be outdated for years. What I would suggest is not going through a chain store. Locate a local computer shop, ask around and see if anyone knows someone reliable. If you can find someone, tell them what you want the system to do... and some of the specs that you can garner from some of the more knowledgeable "geeks" here. I can give you excellent specs for what you are looking for, for example. Then, let them build it. If you have problems, you have someone local, who actually built the system to do repair work. When I build a system, I service it whenever it needs it., and because I built it, I can usually identify the problem, quickly.

That's what I'd suggest.
 
Wish I lived near you, missy. For the price you are talking, I could BUILD you a system that wouldn't be outdated for years. What I would suggest is not going through a chain store. Locate a local computer shop, ask around and see if anyone knows someone reliable. If you can find someone, tell them what you want the system to do... and some of the specs that you can garner from some of the more knowledgeable "geeks" here. I can give you excellent specs for what you are looking for, for example. Then, let them build it. If you have problems, you have someone local, who actually built the system to do repair work. When I build a system, I service it whenever it needs it., and because I built it, I can usually identify the problem, quickly.

That's what I'd suggest.

The thing is the, aside from OS demands, the average person could probably get by with single core 2ghz an a gig of ram. Most people are not playing highly demanding games, running graphically intensive coding programs, using AUTOCAD, rendering large amounts of video, or doing highly intensive graphic work. The push in increased power is largely due to relatively small groups of users and the notion that we constantly need faster computers. The vast many of us simply don't. And it appears the market recognizes this with the new batch of single core AMD based computers hitting the market that are priced below $400.

My computer right now, aside from the OS (stupid lack of support) can play pretty much anything except Just Cause 2. And it cost me a measly $650.

Considering Missypea's requirements, she could make due for years with getting a netbook and getting a dock that hooks up to a keyboard, mouse and monitor and save her a large chunk of cash for a sling box and a fat flat screen tv.

Will the average person fully utilize a i7 core, 6 gigs of ram and a super high end vid card? Highly unlikely. And it's a waste of cash for them. They are better off buying a mid range computer, getting a Blu-ray player installed and using it as a media center.

The fastest way to go broke is to buy stuff you don't need.
 
I bought a computer at Best Buy years ago and I wasn't thrilled with the service. They were really pushy but maybe it's different now?
I'm not completely against Best Buy but they aren't my first choice.

I also need to replace my ergonomic keyboard, speakers and 24" monitor.

My dad just bought a laptop at Best Buy. What they did I think is borderline illegal. He wanted the one in the ad that was cheap and no-frills but there were none of them on the floor. Only those with additional software or external harddrives. We had to flag an employee down and he had to get one of those ladders to unlock a second story locker holding the no-frills laptop. That's borderline bait and switch which is explicitly prohibited under commercial law. With Best Buy, you gotta hold firm and reject all of their adds ons.

I personally don't like bestbuy (I'm with Mr. V on this one) and I'm sad CompUSA went under, but in terms of having someone fix your computer under warranty, they seem to be one of the few places left that doesn't involve shipping your computer cross country.
 
Wish I lived near you, missy. For the price you are talking, I could BUILD you a system that wouldn't be outdated for years. What I would suggest is not going through a chain store. Locate a local computer shop, ask around and see if anyone knows someone reliable. If you can find someone, tell them what you want the system to do... and some of the specs that you can garner from some of the more knowledgeable "geeks" here. I can give you excellent specs for what you are looking for, for example. Then, let them build it. If you have problems, you have someone local, who actually built the system to do repair work. When I build a system, I service it whenever it needs it., and because I built it, I can usually identify the problem, quickly.

That's what I'd suggest.

There's a darling house not far from me that's for sale, CC ;)

Seriously though, that's what I'd like to do. I really loved my computer. It did everything I wanted it to for the most part. I'm kinda like Diane Keaton in the movie Baby Boom when everything goes wrong with her house and then her well goes dry. I don't want to know where the water comes from, I just want to turn on the faucet and have water come out. :lol:

My homework this week will be to stop at one or two computer shops on my way home from work each day to see what's available and who strikes a good vibe with me.

I know I have a fat budget but that doesn't mean I want/have to spend it all on the computer. If I can get everything I want for less--then YAY! But the biggest deal for me is having the computer do what I want it to do now and three years from now.

I'll report back with what I find.
 
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