Purchase in the new year

[laurierobey]

Sometime in the coming year, I'm going to have to replace my computer, so I started looking around online. I guess I'm just out of touch with hardware brands, types, capabilities, and prices, because, man!, sticker shock! There are some "gaming PCs" out there that are $8,000. No thank you! Not a hard-core gamer here, but I do want to be able to play LOTRO and any silly games that come out. The main capability I'm looking for is enough RAM and HD space to handle Photoshop Elements 7 and all my media files. Guess I'd better adjust my price range...

Comments

[hantamouse.livejournal.com]

$3600 for the Mac I want. I'm delaying as long as I can.
The little Dell I got last summer was only $800, but it won't be doing any 3D.

[laurie-robey.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was about the price range I was originally thinking (the $800 one), but now I'm thinking it's going to be $1500-2000. I may try to assemble one myself, but it's a question of time. Would I finish it in a reasonable amount of time. Usually, time is more valuable than money, considering how many things I'm trying to learn and do at the same time.

[torakiyoshi.livejournal.com]

Your best bet is to build it yourself. Then you gt exactly the specs you want, how you want it, and it's actually cheaper than to get pre-assembled.

-=TK

[laurie-robey.livejournal.com]

I have considered that route so I get exactly what I want and don't get all the crap most computer companies preload on computers these days.

you could go the Dell route..

[mammallamadevil.livejournal.com]

or we can price out another machine at Fry's and BYO.

although, I would say a MacBookPro would serve you well...

MLD

Re: you could go the Dell route..

[laurie-robey.livejournal.com]

My biggest hesitation with Dell is the HD on John's new one failing within a matter of weeks. I hear horror stories about so many of the computer manufacturers that it makes me wonder if any of them make quality products anymore. PC Magazine & PC World end up with Dell, HP, and other manufacturers on their "best" lists, and I wonder how many lemons are out there.

I saw a machine on Best Buy's site, labeled as a "gaming" machine. It was by Velocity, but it came with the 64-bit version of Vista. That version runs everything that's 32-bit (meaning every game out there) in an emulation mode, making it incredibly slow. The reviewer "downgraded" it to XP, and it worked great after that. I would like to be able to run LOTRO, but that's pretty much the only game I play, and only about once a week at that.

I'm thinking any machine that can handle LOTRO should be able to handle Photoshop Elements 7 and my huge photo files, as long as it has enough RAM and HD space.

BYO is still an option on the table. You know me: research everything!

[sirfox.livejournal.com]

if the case, power supply, and everything outside the computer case are fine as is, you can probably do a build-it-yourself for less than 600, and something quite snazzy for less than 1000.

The computer that i run my graphics intensive games from was less than 800. It would figure that the video card, the one bit i didn't get from a brick n' mortar store, was the one thing to have spotty performance. (the nvidea 9600 line apparently has shoddy solder and heat issues... go figure. i 'upgraded' to an 8800. it's fine now)

[laurie-robey.livejournal.com]

The power supply is a bit weak for a modern computer. I think it's a 250W, and mamallamadevil recommended a 400W to me sometime earlier this year. And I think I need a new motherboard so that I can have more RAM. I am considering a barebones system where I just plug in the components I want. It would definitely be a learning experience!