I have $2000 to spend on PC

[GlamPunkCouple]

get a laptop and a wifi card w/ it

 

[Heliostat]

Noiro, I think you forgot RAM in your list.

PabloZed, if you're comfortable opening up your case and working on your PC, you can probably build one. The hardest part for me was making sure everything was compatible. I looked up the spreadsheet I made when I was looking at parts. If you're up to building your own, here's how I figured everything was compatible. If you're not up to it, don't worry about it, but maybe somebody else might find this interesting.

I started with the processor I wanted, and figured out what slot/socket it was. (in my case, AM2+) Next, I looked at motherboards that were compatible with that processor, and selected one that would allow me to use fast RAM and a powerful video card. Then I selected compatible RAM (I chose DDR2 1066mhz) and a video card (PCIx16 slot). Then I found a power supply strong enough to power the processor, GPU, and accessories. At this point, you'd want to find sound and network cards, if you choose not to use the on-board hardware. (usually PCI, PCIx1) Now find a hard drive and DVD drive that are compatible with your motherboard (EIDE, SATA 1.5, SATA 3.0). Next, find a case that is compatible with your motherboard (ATX is by far the most commonly used at this point), and finally a mouse and keyboard. (usually USB) You might also need some thermal compound and a case fan or two.

It's a lot to figure, but in the end you get total control over what goes into your PC. I was afraid to build my own also, but after it was said and done, I couldnt believe how easy it was. I hope this helps.

 

[PabloZed]

Unfortunately, I am not comfortable opening my pc up and in 10 years I have never done so. That is also one reason I am not concerned about a pre-packaged pc - this one has gone the distance. My problem is not the pc but its performance/capabilities. It just can't run new programs.

I would like to find a happy medium where I could have it preassembled but choose some better parts than would be chosen for me. My problem is I would not know what to replace.

 

[PabloZed]

Ok, then is someone willing to do me the huge favor of telling me which Dell and what specific things I should upgrade? And also tell me if I should by certain things like a monitor and printer separately (and from whom).

I know I said I wanted to play games, but I am far from a hardcore gamer. If anything, I need to play fewer games and read more books so I am not looking for a high-end gaming machine.

 

[hummer7979]

Well, it might require that you tell us what sort of games you want to play, but regardless, if you're working on a 10 year old computer, anything out today (including prepackage) will probably suit your needs.

The company I work for recently bought some computers from the Dell outlet: http://www.dell.com/outlet. You can get some really good deals there as far as prepackaged goes (as low as $300 without monitor), though you might still need to buy a graphics card, again, depending on what kind of games you want to play.

 

[icefan]

Have you thought about getting an all-in-one? Maybe one of those Sony VAIOs or a HP TouchSmart? If you want everything in one box, an all-in-one is truly one box.

 

[PabloZed]

Icefan, by coincidence I looked at a Dell all-in-one earlier today. But then I read the reviews for it from buyers and they completely trashed it. Many complained it started falling apart within months so I am not going that route.

 

[Heliostat]

I've had excellent luck with Hewlett-Packard machines in the past if you're into buying one that's pre-made. Do you prefer Intel or AMD based machines? Personally, I use AMD machines because they're cheaper, and they've been more reliable for me than Intel based machines.

If you wan't to play games, I'd recommend an HP "Performance & Entertainment" model. Also, considering the fact that your current PC is so old, I think you might hold onto this new PC for a number of years. In light of that, it's a good idea to get one that's more upgradable, or with higher specifications. See if this appeals to you, I customized this on HP's website.

HP Pavilion Elite m9500z
Vista Home Premium 64 bit
AMD Phenom x4 9650
4gb DDR2 PC800 RAM
320gb hdd
1gb nVidia GeForce 9800GT
16x DVD-R/RW
Integrated LAN port
front-loaded 15 in 1 card reader
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme audio
keyboard and HP laser mouse
15 months of Norton internet security software
Total Price: $899

This is without a monitor, because I didn't know which kind you want to get. The HP monitors seem to have good specifications. They were between $200 and $300 more. By far the weakest point to the above example PC is the video card, but even then it's plenty strong. This is just a suggestion, but it's affordable, and has plenty of power.

 

[PabloZed]

Heliostat, that is pretty awesome of you. That is what I was hoping for. I hope some others will comment or make their own suggestion. I will need to add a monitor and printer.

As for H-P, my pc is a Compaq, which I believe was acquired by H-P. Funny thing, I was having a couple probs when I first bought it but its been pretty solid otherwise.

 

[andysayshi]

Can you be more specific about your video-editing requirements? Do you shoot your own footage? Or do you edit material collected online? What software are you currently using to edit video?

I can make more specific recommendations about hardware if I know what your requirements are.

 

[PabloZed]

Well, as you might imagine, with this dinosaur of a pc I can't do much. Indeed, there are many videos I can't even watch because my pc can't handle them. I am not looking to do much more than play around with videos, edit stuff I find online. Frankly, I think having more memory and power will solve many of my problems. For example, I have less than 500 mb of space on my c drive.

I am beginning to see that I really don't need to spend $2k to get what I need.

 

[andysayshi]

Because you mention gaming and video editing, you need a half-decent graphics card. Don't buy a machine with "integrated graphics".

Video editing is taxing on hard drives. Make sure your hard drives are 7200RPM drives.

At the risk of being chastised, I'll offer suggestions for both Mac and Windows platforms.

You can buy an upper-level 24" iMac plus a copy of Vista within your
2K budget.

The negative of this route is cost. You pay a premium for Apple stuff.

The benefits of this route are:
• Both Windows and Mac OS's available to you.
• High quality hardware.
• iLife's iMovie is without doubt the best entry-level video editing package on the market. (I am a professional video editor/designer, and iMovie almost makes me scared for my career!) It's included free on any new Mac. Watch the little video on the link and you'll see some of how powerful it is.
• If you live near an Apple store, they offer lots of free services and training for their stuff
• Mid-level gaming works great on any current Mac running Windows. I get better frame rates on my MacBook Pro playing Call Of Duty 4 than my friend's 6 month old desktop Dell.
• My experience with maintaining friends and relative's computers is that Macs simply need less maintenance and attention, overall. Others will argue the point - this is simply my own experience.


Should you go the PC route, the benefits are:

• Higher specs at a lower cost
• More options/configurability

I strongly recommend you purchase a pre-configured machine, as you clearly aren't the type of user who wants to tinker with hardware and software configuration issues. If something goes wrong with a machine you build yourself, nobody will take responsibility for the fault. With a pre-built machine, the manufacturer has to accept responsibility.

I like Alienware machines. The cases are a bit over the top, but they are well-spec'd machines (they're actually a sideline of Dell) at a decent price. The Area51 750i is a nice mid-range box that should suit you well. It's 64-bit ready, with good all-round capability. Minimum 4GB of RAM, and get at least a 1TB hard drive.

Buy your monitor from Dell. Their LCDs are the best value on the market.

Try and factor in Extended Warranty on your purchase. Nothing beats the peace of mind offered by a 3 year warranty vs a 1 year warranty.

 

[Heliostat]

I had a Compaq several years ago, before they were bought by HP. I had a lot of problems with that machine, I think it "died" after about 2 years. The PC that I suggested previously should be more than adequate for video editing. It has plenty of RAM, a strong processor, quick hard drive, and fairly strong GPU. As for a monitor, it depends on what you want. From HP's website where I got the specs for that PC, they only had widescreen models available. They do make non-widescreen models, however. HP's monitors do seem to have high specifications compared to some other manufacturers, so I'll suggest a couple.

For a monitor, take a look at HP L1908WM (widescreen) or HP L1950g (standard aspect ratio). Both have good specifications. LCD's have come quite a way in quality in the past few years, but look for these things:

Resolution: 1400x900 (widescreen), 1280x1024 (standard), or higher
Diagonal Display size: Both of the above are 19 inch
Pixel Pitch: usually around 0.28 - smaller = smaller screen for same resolution (could become 17 inch, instead of 19 inch, for same resolution if pixel pitch is lower)
Refresh Rate: usually in the 70's these days, but 60 is still plenty good enough
Input: DVI, or VGA? (there's a $3 converter plug available, if it doesnt match your vcard)
Contrast Ratio: Most monitors have 500 : 1 or higher, which is plenty good
Brightness: Most have 300 nits (cd/m2) or higher these days, which is good
Response Time: This is the important one -- shoot for less than 8ms
Viewing Angle: Shoot for at least 150 degrees

Both HP monitors I mentioned in the above paragraph are far superior to the LCD I'm currently using, which is a few years old, and yet produces a good picture.

Just for an idea of the kind of graphics you could get with that HP PC from my earlier post, I'll give a screenshot from my PC playing Unreal Tournament 3. The HP machine isnt exactly the same as mine, but it's similar, so this screenshot should give a reasonably accurate idea. This is UT3 on highest settings, 1280x1024 resolution, 24 bit color, 60 hz refresh rate & FPS. (AKA very smooth animation) Unfortunately, the forum reduced the resolution a bit. If you need anything more, just ask!

EDIT: Either of the above monitors would be good for your gaming & video editing needs. Also, the biggest thing for gaming would be the GPU, followed by RAM, then Processor, I'd say. The rest is less important.

 

[PabloZed]

Great info guys. I am one of those people who has to consume a lot of info and different opinions before I decide on a big purchase and you have given me some stuff to think about.

 

[Heliostat]

I understand totally. I spent a good 3-4 weeks studying parts & such before I ended up buying my parts.

 

[Corny]

As with monitors - I always went with LG and never ever had a single problem

 

[wirega56]

^ forget it .. the mac fanbois are once again in their reality distortion field not too long ago, they would have flamed you for just thinking about mac os running on anything else than a power pc - *now* it's suddenly and advantage (that they fought against for many years )

Corny talk about your fanboy shit it only contributes to the b/s. I personally hate guys like you

 

[Corny]

See and I hate people who want to sell me something that I don't want, and if I say that I don't want it they try to make me want it. If someone like that is on your door, I bet you would kick him out, too.

But if you are a mac fanboi you are automatically holier than everybody else, and such behavior is celebrated and applauded for amongst each other.

 

[Jimboy121]

Build your own computer....... Using......

THIS

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001G17P8W...d=ATVPDKIKX0DER&linkCode=asn&tag=cnet-2021-20

 

[DonQuixote]

You've had a lot of people tell you to look at Dell - you're not comfortable building your own. I'm not either, although I am courageous enough to shop the Dell Store and look at their Refurbished and/or Scratch and dent laptops.
I've also bought and installed RAM to maximize my existing PC's.

You can get a lot more power in a desktop, and we are still using our Dimension 8200 (RD RAM) and 8250's many years later. BUT, laptops are very nice to have when you want to travel - or take to work or school. You trade some raw processing power but pick up a lot in convenience and portability.

I bought an Inspiron 1520 last year - made sure I upgraded RAM to min (then max) of 4GB, wanted a decent hard drive, too. This one happened to have a bluray read/write - BUT! my monitor, while nice, isn't full HD, and I don't have HDMI or architecture to accept an HDMI card - so I can play and record, but can only see in near HD.

This year, my son is graduating from Grad School, looking to go on for a PhD, my daughter is a junior in HS, and my youngest is in middle school. I got a decent bonus, so I spent your $2K on 2 Studio 15 laptops, again from Dell store. Both have 4GB Ram, 2.26 GHz processors, decent hard drives, vista home premium.

Note: I have had some technical difficulties - software - perhaps due to IE8 - I'm told by the earlier mentioned New Delhi Dell support that it is problematic - I recently downloaded on the Inspiron and it locked up. I had similar on one of the Studio's. Or, it could be sites my kids visit when I'm not looking.

I called Dell Support due to driver issue -- and, despite language barrier, they worked with me and we got remote session going so they could fix the Radeon drivers in the Studio, then we worked on the Inspiron - they knew I didn't have files backed up, so they worked very hard to make sure we didn't trash them - including finally downloading a rescue CD onto my Studio, then using it a la Linux to find the one component of Vista that IE8 scrambled - 5 hours later, my Inspiron was in the process of rebuilding and rebooting a few times. I am currently typing on it fast and furious. So, even this off-shore alien culture language barrier buy American person has to give Dell's New Delhi service their due -- they did work with me to get it fixed and we did do it without having to send laptop away.

As to recommendations on what to get -- buy the most processor power and RAM you can NOW to maximize the life of your PC -- as I said, my two desktops are running PC800 and PC1033 RDRam. the 8250 is 3.06GHz Multi-threaded -- these are 6-7 year old PC's running XP Pro and full suite of Office -- still workhorses. I think you'll like a lap top long term.

Note: Go for an upgraded processor - 800MHz is standard now, P8600 is 1066MHz minor upgrade w/ 3MB Cache ($125). 9550 is $300 w/6MB Cache. These will give you more bang for your gaming.

You want at least 4GB RAM for Vista. 6GB is $300, 8GB is $600. I have 4GB, but I'm not a gamer. Upgrade to a 7200 RPM HDD for faster response at a reasonable price for 250 or 320 GB of storage. Some systems will let you go for solid state but only 128 maybe 256GB at BIG bucks -- fast, battery sippers, but will kill your budget.

Get the 9 Cell battery.

The Inspiron is a workhorse, but has a mundane design. The Studio 15 or 17 has the same profile as the XPS, minus the sexy leather, but the XPS has an older buss technology compared to the Studio.

The 15 is more portable, and you can get a nice LCD monitor to plug into it for 20"+ viewing -- do you have a 1080P TV w/ HDMI? I can plug any of my laptops, including the Non-HD Inspiron into my 42"Sony Bravia TV for one Helluva big monitor - a gamer's heaven!

Make sure you get internal Bluetooth and WiFi, you can also get a backlit keyboard - turns on, dim, off - great for early AM/Latenight typing when you don't want the lights on. You can also get either a finger scanner or camera with facial recognition as part of your security. Each of these add-ons is $20-$35 apiece, so getting all (either finger reader OR visual recognition camera - only one option) doesn't set you back much but gives you a lot of flexibility.

I recently bought a Lexmark 7600 all-in-one @ local whse club w/ 5 year warranty - wifi connectable. With my router plugged into the Dimension desktop and everything else including the printer wireless, we have had my wife's Dell Latitude from work, my Inspiron, my son's Acer and his girlfriends laptop all running w/out a problem. They're back in DC now, but I've also had the two Studios and Inspiron, Latitude and Dimension all working nicely.

Dell is an easy target because they sell so much. Just like Microsoft. But there's a reason they sell so much. Play with Dell.com and see what all of the different options are on different machines. They sometimes limit options on a select class of pc. I lucked out when I got the Inspiron because it has some "cadillac" upgrades in the "chevy" frame.

Check out the Dell store to see what refurbished or scratch and dent or, I suspect - bulk build had to put somewhere pc's and laptops are and what they have -- you can get some good machines at a decent discount.

Good luck to you. Don't kill yourself -- Dell is a nice place to check out specs and adders/options without obligation and being able to really look under the hood at the competing specs.

I'm pretty happy with the laptops I have. The Inspiron cost around $1400 over a year ago w the BluRay Read/Write($300) and Ultimate, Office, buying extra ram to install, etc. The two Studio's, with similar specs but newer, more powerful on all except no BluRay read, were under $1K each b/4 MS Office and carry cases. That leaves a lot of room for printer - Lexmark was around $140 a couple three months ago, and a Monitor of your choice - or mabe a 32" 1080P LCD TV, instead?
PM me, and I can send you the specs of my Studio's off my Dell Account, so you can see exactly what I paid.