Fun Stuff > CLIKC
help me buy a computer, you nerds
Scandanavian War Machine:
title says it all. i just got my tax return and i'm thinking about just blowing it all on a computer, because fuck saving money. :wink:
Now, before you guys start shouting numbers and alien symbols at me, you need to understand that I don't know jack shit about computers. Relatively speaking, of course. I know infinitely more about computers than, say, my dad, but that's not exactly an impressive feat.
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The basics:
- I have about $700 to spend, but if I can spend less than that I would be very pleased indeed
- I already have a 20" monitor I can use, if I need to, but I also have a really nice 37" tv in my room that I'd probably end up using, if possible.
- I don't need super high-end stuff because my goals are fairly modest:
+ Basically I just want to be able to play Minecraft full screen at max settings.
+ obviously, I'll use it for music and pictures and stuff too
+ light gaming beyond Minecraft, but nothing too intense like Crysis 2 or Battlefield 3. The most intense game I'd probably play on it would be the STALKER games, and maybe The Witcher, or something. I'm really not much of a PC gamer.
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Based on this info I've determined that I'd probably need at least a dual-core processor, maybe a quad-core, if the price is right.
I know nothing about graphics cards.
Probably get a 1TB harddrive, since memory is so cheap now, but I'm totally open to suggestions since, like i said, I don't know shit.
And that's pretty much as far as I've thought about it.
Now, the real question, beyond your suggestions for parts, is whether I should buy something already put together, buy something already put together but customizable (like from Costco.com), or if I should buy all the parts separately and put it together myself.
I wouldn't mind being able to save some money and put it together myself but I'm not sure if I'm capable of that. Is it hard? Risky? Could I fuck it up? I've never done anything like that before, so I'd be learning from scratch, probably from online tutorials and whatever advice I get here. Is that viable? I am pretty dang lazy so if the savings aren't that impressive, then I'd just as soon avoid the work and not put it together myself, extra cost be damned.
I've never owned my own computer, so this has been a long time coming.
Thanks in advance for all your help!
KvP:
Newegg. Budget, including postage. Look for deals - prices on processors and video cards tend to be pretty good, because competition between AMD / ATI and Intel / Nvidia is fierce. I would gravitate towards AMD processors, they suffer a bit in performance compared to Intel, but not too much, and they're cheaper.
Get a case, a modestly priced motherboard with the specs you want, a good hard drive, a cooling fan for the processor, andddd anything else you want. Adjust your choices for price. You can probably do well.
Scandanavian War Machine:
i actually just discovered Newegg yesterday! It definitely seems to be the place to go.
okay, looking at dual-core AMDs, I found this combo deal. Thoughts? I have no idea what any of those numbers and codes mean.
...
ooh i found the combo-specific section!
this looks like it comes with everything i'd need*, and everything seems to be pretty good. maybe even overkill, but the price is right. six-cores seems a little much, but I don't know how good any of that other stuff is.
this is where you geniuses come in :mrgreen:
*edit: apparently not. it says "*Note* Additional components are required to complete the system." but I don't know what
ackblom12:
Only thing I suggest for the combos is look up the individual components that are included. They don't guarantee they are compatible, as I found to my dismay, when I was building my wife's current computer.
Upon looking at the link you posted, that's actually a pretty great combo. Only thing it's missing is a Video Card.
If you are willing to spend a tiny amount more than $700, then I'd suggest this one
Lupercal:
What I'd suggest doing if you haven't already is take say, $15 of that budget and spend it on PC Magazines. They're useful, full of information you need on what is new and what to use, and it gives you time to get shit together. I'd say do that for like 2 months.
BUT if you want one by next week, yeah look at websites where you can just get your own spec built. I can't be much help as I don't know American computer sites...
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