Upcoming Computer Purchase

der Moench · #1 (**permalink**) 06-07-2003, 11:34 AM

Dunno if this Tech Support board is the place to drop this, but I figure we have enough geeks at GB that I'm sure to get some good advice.

I'm going to buy a new computer right around the beginning of July. I looked at three makes: Alienware, Dell, and Gateway. After doing some comparing and pricing, I think I'd like to go with a Gateway. The system, right now, is:

Pentium 4 @ 2.6 GHz, 800 Mhz FSB with Hyper-threading technology
512 MB 333Mhz SDRAM
80 GB Ultra ATA100 HD (though I may go up to a 100 or 120 GB)
DVD drive and CD-RW drive (nothing special, AFAIK)
17'' LCD flat panel display (may go larger, but it gets pricey)
128 MB NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200G graphics card
SoundBlaster Audigy Audio with IEEE 1394 (Firewire)
Boston Acoustics BA745 speakers

And some other stuff that I don't think is too important.

My question is pretty much: whaddya think? Will this game? I know really nothing about computers.

So, any advice would be appreciated. Are the video and audio cards OK? Any opinions on hard drive space? Anyone have any opinions on Gateway? (It's what I'm using now, and it has been pretty good to me.) I don't know how to go about building a computer from scratch, so unless one of you want to volunteer to visit and do so,

I'm stuck with one of these companies that do that work for me.

Thanks, in advance.

KidD01 · #2 (**permalink**) 06-07-2003, 11:46 AM

der Moench,

It's far more cheaper to buy non-branded PC. I talked to Weasel once and seems he have unplesant experience with Gateway PC. You might want to check your local computer store to check their custom assembled PC. On waranty side I think they are the same as branded ones in this term i mean one year warranty.

Anyway, the specs are good enough already

Unless you wanna get an AMD system rather than Intel system which will slice the price dignificantly. I shall let others explain the AMD system since I'm not following AMD system nowadays.

der Moench · #3 (**permalink**) 06-07-2003, 12:00 PM

You're quick, Kidd! Thanks for the info. I have heard that the Athlon chips (that's AMD, right?) are better than the Pentium, but Gateway doesn't offer them. Alienware does, but Alienware really is ridiculously expensive.

I'll see if I can find a local computer store to put something together for me. Truthfully, I had never thought of it. Not sure I know where to look, but I'll ask our computer guy at work - he should have an idea. Actually, all our work computers are Gateway, too, which is one more reason I felt comfortable with them - but if I can get the same thing cheaper ...

Thanks again.

KidD01 · #4 (**permalink**) 06-07-2003, 12:09 PM

AFAIK AMD processor are cheaper than Intel and got higher speed. FYI try check Weasel's thread here he got a link which enable user to customise a system and let you see the total price, hence you can check which system is cheaper

der Moench · #5 (**permalink**) 06-07-2003, 01:17 PM

Thanks for the link. It looks like Weasel and I are both on a buying spree.

I tried running through the Build Your Own Athlon system, and the price came out to be just a tad more than Gateway - which surprised me. I'll play around with it some more, and also read through the Weasel post more carefully for more advice.

Thanks.

Yshania · #6 (**permalink**) 06-07-2003, 01:27 PM

@dm, what is your budget?

I bought a new pc about two months ago (spec posted here I am also an AMD fan

and am very pleased so far with my new baby

der Moench · #7 (**permalink**) 06-07-2003, 01:42 PM

@Yshania: Well, I'm doing OK income-wise right now, so budget is not an over-riding factor. The Gateway I am looking at (specs above) priced out at $1654 (US dollars). I might be willing to pay more if I thought it was getting me more. But, for example, I did a similar machine at Alienware, and came up with a price of about $2200. While I would be willing to bet that the Alienware machine is better in some respects, I just can't see it being worth that much more.

So I have questions like is the Soundblaster Audigy audio with IEEE 1394 Firewire really any better than Soundblaster 5.1? In the Weasel thread, HighLordDave seems to think it is not.

How much did your machine price at (if I may ask?) Have you put it through some high-end games? I guess FPS games are some of the toughest on a machine, but I don't play those. Neverwinter Nights is probably as demanding as I have on disk right now ... but standards change, of course.

Yshania · #8 (**permalink**) 06-07-2003, 01:49 PM

Well, like you I was a little nervous about building from scrap (I have no problem upgrading most bits though) I paid just less than £1600 for my machine, from a company very well respected in the UK. I also found Alienware expensive for what I was looking for, and I have the added problem of a lot of the suppliers will not ship to the UK.

As you see from the spec I posted, I am actually using an Nvidia built in sound card, which has proved more than adequate for my means (now my pc sounds better than my stereo!

)

NWN and Asherons Call 2 are probably the highest challenge my pc will have graphically, and I have had no problem whatsoever. I must admit to having been a big fan of Nvidia cards previous to this purchase, and did seriously consider the card you are looking at (but it wasn't widely available then) However, I think that in respect of the types of games I play, the Radeon 9700 pro will future proof me for some time.

What are Gateway's after sales service like?

der Moench · #9 (**permalink**) 06-07-2003, 02:03 PM

Yshania; Support from Gateway seems OK. I had some problems on my current machine with the DVD drive playing movies. I dropped them an e-mail with details, and they responded back in a timely fashion with some solutions. I know, too, from work that a monitor that went blooey was cheerfully replaced.

One of the price variations in the configuration is how much support you get. I chose "1 year parts and labor, no on-site support," which actually is downgraded from their default three years parts and labor, no on-site.

I'd be curious to know why Weasel is avoiding Gateway, Dell, et al ...

The video card: I just went to Gateway again to look, and the one I have chosen is actually the cheapest add that they offer. A Radeon 9800 would add $380 to the price.

(The default is some on-board thing or another that I would prefer to avoid.)

Yshania · #10 (**permalink**) 06-07-2003, 02:12 PM

I guess only Weasel could answer that

But I have heard a couple of decent reports re Gateway... I might be wrong, but I think that Gwally might have bought from them, as has Thantor I think, and T'lainya...

I think a year is adequate considering how quickly components become outdated anyway, I guess it all depends on your confidence/ability to upgrade/repair yourself.

LOL!

well what types of games do you play? I think that if the most graphically challenging at the moment is NWN, you should be ok for a bit. Flight sims or FPS are probably the hardest graphically, but I only play essentially 2D games...

My attitude was that I had spent the best part of five years upgrading the last one which outdated pretty quickly, I just wanted to future proof myself for at least a couple of years

btw, which monitor is it? I have an NEC 17" 1760NX LCD DVI, and I love it

der Moench · #11 (**permalink**) 06-07-2003, 02:25 PM

Monitor: this is a sticking point for me. I had thought about buying the monitor seperately, and the NEC you list is exactly the one I had decided upon. But the one offered by Gateway is, AFAIK, not an NEC. My print-out of the specs just says: "17" LCD flat panel display (17" viewable) ... +US$150." Which makes me think it is just whatever Gateway can get cheapest at the time. But if I were to buy the monitor seperately, it would cost be about $540 rather than $150, so, again, I am hesitant to assume that there is that much difference.

I agree about the time of the service. To my way of thinking, if there is something wrong with the system, it will show up in the first year (more likely the first month), but after that - well, you may as well buy a new computer.

And my games: pretty much 2D RPG/strategy stuff. BG, IWD, NWN, MOO, Civ, I have Morrowind coming via Amazon right now, and I have considered buying Diablo. Nothing too fancy.

Yshania · #12 (**permalink**) 06-07-2003, 02:38 PM

Re the monitor, it is worth asking Gateway over the phone rather than email. I bought my system from a company called Mesh. By default, it offered a 19" Mitsubishi Diamondtron (IIRC) but I did not have the desk space for a 19" CRT so considered their upgrade to a flat panel for an additional £150. I was particular about wanting a DVI so I contacted them via phone asking them if their upgrade monitor (a Sharp) was a DVI. They informed me that it was not, but they happily offered me the NEC for the same price (though you have to buy the DVI cable separately – about £15 for 2m IIRC) If you are going with a pre-built pack, you are much more likely, I think, to save money by upgrading the monitor (since their price will likely include one as standard anyway)

So that card should suit you just fine

KidD01 · #13 (**permalink**) 06-07-2003, 05:36 PM

I've checked on Gateway and seems like they don't specify the speed of the DVDROM and the DVDRW. You might wanna ask for this matter to them.

Also if you have software knowledge you can install the software yourself. The idea of buying another set of software for new set of PC while you have already buy them with your old PC sounds like extorsion to me (unless it is a new version)

You don't need a very good software knowledge to install Windows XP and other programs

What kind of internet you want to use ? You can always uncheck the modem option and buy it separately (get the best brand in the market that is

afterwards if you want to buy "custom system"

The beauty of custom PC is you can ask for the best component for your PC (i.e. 3com for Ethernet card & modem etc.) Just remember to ask the shop if the hardware you ask are compatibe each other to assemble into a PC

On the other hand, branded PCs boast on their trade in service, oncall service etc. several "customer friendly" service which some of end user find it a bit disappointing later on. I got a client - a firm who use certain branded PC which offer them to trade in their old PC with new one and saying their old one got severe prob which only have 3 months tops before total break down - yet after close examination it only need to change it s HDD. There are other cases like upgrading etc. but it'll make this reply a bit too long then

der Moench · #14 (**permalink**) 06-08-2003, 07:48 AM

@Yshania: Good advice regarding the LCD. I'll ask what the make of their default is, and see if I can upgrade to NEC for a nominal amount.

@Kidd: What kind of speed should I be looking for in the optical drives? The ones I have chosen are: 16x/48x for the DVD-ROM, and 48x/24x/48x for the CD-RW. And just what the heck does that all mean?!

As for software: I have Windows 98, and a version of MS Works from about the same era. It'll be cheaper now, I think, to get Windows XP (which I want) and an updated Works package with the computer, rather than buying them seperately and installing.

Thanks for the replies.

der Moench · #15 (**permalink**) 06-08-2003, 07:54 AM

Another question: I have chosen the 512 MB SDRAM @333 MHz, but I could upgrade (for only about $40 more) to the 512 MB SDRAM @ 400 MHz. Anyone have an opinion as to whether this is worth the added cost? It is not a lot of money ...

Alternatively, I could go up to 1024 MB @ 333 MHz for an add of about $240. That seems like it is getting out of my budget, though. Anyone here have a 1024 MB system? Comments?