Which desktop PC should I buy?

[Dasquian Belargic]

I want to replace my laptop with a desktop and I am looking at something for $900 or less, since I'd ideally like to be able to buy something within the next year or so (before lappy goes kaput). My laptop is now knocking on 5 years old and has seen almost non-stop use throughout that time, so it seems like a wonder it's still alive now.

My main priorities for a computer are:
* ample hard-drive space
* able to play relatively new games, not necessarily on their highest graphic setting... I would settle for medium

...and that is pretty much it. What do you suggest, oh wise techie types? Is something like this - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Presario-CQ5231UK-m-Desktop-CQ1859s-Processor/dp/tech-data/B002RL9JEI/ref=de_a_smtd - any good?

[Tell Cho]

That kicks the crap outta my desktop. But mine's kinda old too.

[Tear]

Looks pretty snazzy! A lot like one a friend of mine just got. Plus it comes with a screen that's not a bad deal.

[Darth Turbogeek]

Actually, in reality ANYTHING with a big hard drive and 4Gb of RAM is gonna fly, because hardware in the last year or two has really come along. The 100 bukck video card we have in a render farm has 1GB of RAM on itself and fuck does it make the screen fly. It also has big terabyte drives which in reality these days are the real speed limiters on PC's so as fast and as big as you can afford. And cheap too.

One other point - try to avoid Win7 Home. Use Win7 Pro or Ultimate if possible. Then you can point and laugh at those silly Mac people who paid 1000 bucks more for the same hardware in a system that goes slower, that is in fact MORE open to viruses and spyware and has far more bloat. And doesnt work with the variety of hardware.

[Morgan Evanar]

I'm going to suggest getting a PC without a dedicated video card at first. All the manufacturers will bend you over for it, and you are way better off adding one shortly after purchase.

IMO this is a better deal: http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1746101140.125783175 3@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadeikkgijefcflgceggdhhmdgmj.0&page=Product&fm=null&sm=null&tm=null&sku=237598&category_oid=-35410

All the video cards these systems come with are weak and not worth your time. I'd get this one: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-120-XF&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=939 . Maybe Dru and Peter can chime in with better places to buy PC hardware.

[Dragon]

I concur with Morg; that's a killer deal for an Intel Quad Core with a 20" monitor. I don't know video cards very well, but I know that you're better off upgrading.

What's the UK version of Bargain Jack? They occasionally have 21-22" monitors around $130.

[Darth Turbogeek]

I concur with Morg; that's a killer deal for an Intel Quad Core with a 20" monitor.

WOW that's like 200+ AUD more than similar here. UK gets ripped off big time

[Morgan Evanar]

Yeah the UK gets screwed. At least that includes VAT.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Thanks for the suggestions - I am going into PC World tomorrow to see if they have any added bonuses they could throw into that Packard Bell iXtreme. I got my current laptop from there and by just suggesting that I was going to take my business elsewhere, because it was too expensive, they gave me quite a lot of additional software and accessories at no extra cost :)

[Peter McCoy]

In my experience PC World are thieves. The next issue of Custom PC is due out sometime next week. Be on the lookout for it and check out the 'CPC Elite' section. It basically details the specs and prices of components to make 4 different PC's at 4 different pricetags. The price tags are usually around £420, £550, £750 and £1800 each. And since it shows all the components of each you can, for example, look at the £750 one and the £1800 one and think 'Okay, I quite like that super graphics card, and it's fine for the cheaper motherboard in that one...' etc.

Of course you'd have to buy the components and then build it yourself or get someone else to. But you know what you're buying whereas with PC World they just give you the generic specs without saying what the motherboard is or the RAM's brand etc. My mate did some research and was unable to build a supposedly identically-specced PC for as low as PC World charge - mainly because you can no longer buy the 2/3 year-old components they use - and if it's an older board it may be incompatible with currently-available upgrade components, so you have to go back to PC World when you want to up the specs on it.

CustomPC has reviews of hardware, with various benchmarks such as how games run at different resolutions (usually Crysis, Fallout 3, Stalker: Clear Sky and X3-Terran Conflict.) on various setups.

The next issue will (hopefully) have reviews of the latest batch of video cards being released, so I can finally think about what to upgrade my current rig with. I've got an AsusTEK P5KPL-C motherboard 2.85 GHz Intel Core2 Quad Q9550, 1TB HDD, 4GB RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT card. As sucj I'm only looking to up the gfx card on it since I have another tower I'm going to be slowly re-fitting as a hobby. It's quite old now, with a mostly-useless motherboard, currently fine for web-browsing and movies/videos as well as older games.

Morg, the card you linked to is the one I'd had my eye on, but I'm waiting to read the reviews in the next CustomPC issue since there's bigger and better available now.

Also www.scan.co.uk is a good site.

[Morgan Evanar]

Why would you need that site to give you reviews?
Jeez man, benchmarks are benchmarks
http://techreport.com/
http://anandtech.com/

If she's going to build her own setup Techreport or Arstechnica (http://arstechnica.com/hardware/guides/2009/10/ars-system-guide-october-2009-edition.ars) have far and away the best guides.

[Morgan Evanar]

Jenny you really should PM me ASAP if you are still shopping.

[Morgan Evanar]

Crud, it's not going to work out. Just post whatever you find here and I can pick between all that stuff.

[Droo]

I think she's already bought something.

[Dasquian Belargic]

My mum decided to help out with financing this and I have now got the PC you originally recommended, Morg :)