Is this computer worth the cash?

[Nirvana09]

Originally Posted by Power666

Motherboard was from a brand I wouldn't recommend. The power supply manufacturer wasn't list, so I highly suspect it was from a no-name company and is utterly unreliable. The video card is kinda old and is at the bottom in terms of performance. RAM speed wasn't listed (800 Mhz memory is good with the CPU). And for $45 more than that eBay listing, I improved the brands used, got a faster CPU and a hell of a lot faster video card. Trust me, avoid that eBay listing.

Yes sir!

So, besides Newegg, Where would be a good place to get a good computer?

[Nirvana09]

Ok power. How about this computer?

Newegg.com - CyberpowerPC Gamer Ultra 7200 Athlon 64 X2 6000+ 2GB DDR2 500GB NVIDIA GeForce 8600GT Windows Vista Home Premium - Retail

[Power666]

That one is a much better build and it would be purchased from an actual retail store. If anything goes wrong, there is a much better return policy there. I wouldn't call that system a bad configuration for the price.

Compared to the system I picked via parts, it has a slower video card (but the 8600GT isn't that bad), slower CPU, and less RAM. Motherboard used and the power supply manufacturer are unknowns but like I said above, there is a much better return policy in case anything does go wrong. On the bright side of things it comes with an operating system (though Vista sucks, use XP instead), larger hard drive and two optical drives. Once the operating system cost has been added to the build I picked out, it'd be a bit more expensive than that linked system but more capable.

[Nirvana09]

Originally Posted by Power666

That one is a much better build and it would be purchased from an actual retail store. If anything goes wrong, there is a much better return policy there. I wouldn't call that system a bad configuration for the price.

Compared to the system I picked via parts, it has a slower video card (but the 8600GT isn't that bad), slower CPU, and less RAM. Motherboard used and the power supply manufacturer are unknowns but like I said above, there is a much better return policy in case anything does go wrong. On the bright side of things it comes with an operating system (though Vista sucks, use XP instead), larger hard drive and two optical drives. Once the operating system cost has been added to the build I picked out, it'd be a bit more expensive than that linked system but more capable.

The only things I would buy for that computer would be 4gigs of Ram and an 8800GTX. As for Vista, I would just format the HDD and put my copy of XP home on it. Once I have those, is that computer acceptable as a gaming computer?

[Power666]

Remember what I said about getting a system and then upgrading later? Well if you were to get that one from NewEgg and then upgrade to 4 GB of RAM and Geforce 8800GTX, I'd say you wasted between $100 and $150 between the parts you pulled out.

If you're thinking of getting a Geforce 8800GTX, I'd wait until March. The Geforce 9800's are due out around then. Additionally, I'd make damn sure you have a good power supply for Geforce 8800GTX (or 9800). If you're serious about wanting such a high end gaming card but don't want to assemble the system yourself, I highly recommend you get a system preconfigured with it from a reputable system builder (THIS DOES NOT MEAN DELL).

Also what monitor do you actually have? It better be able to display a 1600 x 1200 resolution or greater as lower resolutions will wasting the power of the Geforce 8800GTX.

[Nirvana09]

Originally Posted by Power666

Remember what I said about getting a system and then upgrading later? Well if you were to get that one from NewEgg and then upgrade to 4 GB of RAM and Geforce 8800GTX, I'd say you wasted between $100 and $150 between the parts you pulled out.

If you're thinking of getting a Geforce 8800GTX, I'd wait until March. The Geforce 9800's are due out around then. Additionally, I'd make damn sure you have a good power supply for Geforce 8800GTX (or 9800). If you're serious about wanting such a high end gaming card but don't want to assemble the system yourself, I highly recommend you get a system preconfigured with it from a reputable system builder (THIS DOES NOT MEAN DELL).

Also what monitor do you actually have? It better be able to display a 1600 x 1200 resolution or greater as lower resolutions will wasting the power of the Geforce 8800GTX.

It displays at 1600x1200.

So, what kind of power supply are we talking about? 750 or 1000 watt? Or even higher? I don't think I would need the 9800. Cant the 8800 play Crysis? I don't think there would be any game out that would need the 9800. What company would you have build this computer? Alienware would be great, but they are costly.

If I did buy the 8800 and the 4gigs of Ram for the newegg computer the old parts wouldn't be useless, I would put them in another computer, Probably for a member of my family.

[Darth Alec]

I think 500 is the minimum.

But the more the merrier, my PC is dead because of massive power issues (card fried).

8800 can play Crysis, in fact, I think the 8800 is the recomended card.

[Nirvana09]

How is this for a power supply?

Newegg.com - XION Supernova XON-600F14R-201 ATX12V 600W Power Supply 115/230 V cUL, CE, FCC, CB - Retail

[Power666]

That is a crappy power supply.

It isnt' necessarily raw wattage you're looking at, but rather long term reliability. Antec, Seasonic, PC Power & Cooling and Cosair are some brands that I recommend. I'd go with a 550W minimum for a single Geforce 8800GTX from one of those brands.

The reason why companies like Alienware cost a bit more is that they don't every possible corner in building a system (like that eBay auction seemingly did).

As far as Crysis goes, it is a very graphically intensive game but you don't need a Geforce 8800GTX to run it if you don't mind turning down an option or two. I'd take a look at several Crysis reviews. Outside of the highly polished graphical layer, I'm told that there isn't much there. I personally haven't played it though.

[Nirvana09]

Originally Posted by Power666

That is a crappy power supply.

It isnt' necessarily raw wattage you're looking at, but rather long term reliability. Antec, Seasonic, PC Power & Cooling and Cosair are some brands that I recommend. I'd go with a 550W minimum for a single Geforce 8800GTX from one of those brands.

The reason why companies like Alienware cost a bit more is that they don't every possible corner in building a system (like that eBay auction seemingly did).

As far as Crysis goes, it is a very graphically intensive game but you don't need a Geforce 8800GTX to run it if you don't mind turning down an option or two. I'd take a look at several Crysis reviews. Outside of the highly polished graphical layer, I'm told that there isn't much there. I personally haven't played it though.

I wasn't necessarily wanting to play Crysis, Its just something to consider. Maybe I should save up and get a completely kick ass Alienware computer.