Gamer Desktop Buying Suggestions

Hello, it's that time to ditch my prime computer!
yah!
I've been looking and looking at companies that cater to plug and play and the geek sell sites.
And I'm about cross-eyed trying to decipher what I need now
and what will upgrade for the next 2-3 yrs.
I would appreciate other SLers' input, if anyone has time.
I got my saved new computer monies burning a hole in my pocket! Quick before I need car repairs or a root canal or some other Murphys' Law expensive thing!

Thanks!

Hi Foehn!

What is your budget range?

Hi Briana,

I've saved 1k usd and Si said he would chip in a couple hundred,
never got a pc strictly for gaming, graphics.

Magic parts to look for a good low end games machine to run SL are in my opinion:

Intel dual core processor
2Gb memory DDR2 or DDR3
NVIDIA 9500 or 9600 or 9800 graphics card
SATA hard drives
Windows XP 32bit

Look for common brands like Gigabyte, ASUS, generally the best graphics cards have the sexiest girls on the box

No way.

There is no reason to go with low 2gb memeory, or winXP 32bit.

I just upgraded my machine to a quad with 8 gigs of RAM, running windows 7, 64bit.

I will post a good system for you from Tiger Direct if i can.

###Systemax system edited out###

- CybertronPC F430 Intel Gaming Desktop PC - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0GHz, Asus P5N73-AM, 2GB DDR2-800 PC6400, 250GB SATA2, DVDRW SATA, NVIDIA GeForce 9600GT, 400Watts, Windows Vista Home Basic: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4251607&CatId=2630

- CybertronPC X-CRUISER2 CINN21204 Gaming PC - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0GHz, 4GB DDR2, 500GB, DVDRW, GTS250, 400W, Vista Home Premium 64: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4678035&CatId=2630

- iBuypower Gamer 932GN Gaming PC - Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400, 4GB, 500GB, DVDRW, 9800GT, Custom Case Graphic, Vista Home Premium 64-bit: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4316650&CatId=2630

----------------------------------

Foehn, *strongly* consider 4,6, or 8 gb of RAM. Aslo, the E8400 is a great CPU and is what i had in my Dell but still noticed some issues with the extra work i do, so i upgraded to a Q9550 Intel QUAD, and SL has never been faster. I also have a 9500GT 1GB ram vid card, which is not the best, but still fast enough for me to keep SL on Ultra and not really notice when I am on mainland with my draw at 512m.

Also, at TigerDirect you can mess with your own budget and build your own thing within your budget, so you can play with whatever specifications you want until you are happy with the items or the price.

But there is no reason to get 2GB of ram ONLY, you will regret it. You want a system that will last you 2-3 years and a 2GB ram system is not that. Also, a Quad core does seem to be the wave of the future and i have to say that Windows7, 64 is very stable with zero issues thus far (but there is nothing wrong with Vista 64 either).

And in case you did not know, the different windows OS name packages allow diff amounts of ram for vista. So you probably want the Vista Home Premium which allows up to 8GB for future expansion consideration!

Good luck with your system!

Oh, and you can thank the geeks on this forum for teaching me all the stuff i just posted 2 weeks ago!

This would be the best and most advanced system for your money with the newest CPU intel has out:

-iBuypower Gamer Extreme 924i Gaming PC - Intel Core i7 920, 6GB DDR3, 500GB, DVDRW, 9400GT 1GB, 580W, Office Trial, Vista Home Premium 64
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4508970&CatId=2630
-$929.99


That is the newest quad core, and this architecture is what they call "Future Proofing", so its good for a few years worth of upgrades.
- The video card could use a switch to a 9500gt or 9800gt.


Have fun!

The only reason I suggested XP32 and 2Gb is budget and XP32 is much more stable then Vista 64 at least on my machine , I gave up on Vista64 about 3 months after installing it, only time I start it is when I don't get to the "boot up with older windows" key in time. It gave up talking to my modem and my ISP tech support gave in trying to get it to work.
2 Gb doen't have to fill all your memory slots you can always ad another stick or 3 sticks later. I upgraded to 4Gb running XP32 and though I'm not getting 4Gb extra it's still better than just 2 Gb

So far, for me, Windows 7-64bit, is far more stable with better visual appeal than Vista Home Premium 32bit.

I chose to go with Windows 7, because I was going to buy a 64bit system with my quad upgrade so i figure i will just use Windows 7 until i can buy the 64bit version.

Unless I missed something the Systemax system mentioned above doesn't have a video card, just onboard Intel graphics.

I'd be wanting more than 4 gigs of ram, and possibly checking on higher wattage power supplies, if the prices are low enough.

Hey good catch Suezanne! And good advice too!

I agree with most of what Briana said, and I also run Win7 64-bit on a quad-core, with 6GB of RAM. Second Life is finally running smoothly (visually, at least).

At the risk of pointing out the obvious, I would recommend both a 64-bit processor *and* 64-bit OS of whatever flavor is your choice, since a 32-bit Windows OS can only ever access a max of 3GB of RAM. At the very least, you want the option to go with more memory, even if your budget does not support it right now.

.

Oh you need a special 64bit processor?

Aren't all Intel processors of the Duo/Quad nature 64bit???

Well, the Intel Core Duo in my laptop is 32-bit, so...

In order to access more than 3GB of RAM, you need 64-bit OS *and* 64-bit processor: http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000811.html

.

Si Money?

HE HATES MY BUILDING SKILLZ *CRY!!* /invalid_link.html

The Core Duo is not a current CPU. All Intel Core 2 and Core i7 CPUs are 64-bit.

LOL We had a good laugh, he is visiting this weekend.
nooo! Not the same person, he doesn't post, would never criticize any ones' work and is like a kid w/ a Lego prim, finding a 100 things to do w/ it, but hasn't had the time to really level up.
He's probably love to meet you and letting some of your building skills rub off!

Thanks for the input, I guess I was on the right trail!

Let us know what you end up getting!

I can run up to 11 simultaneous SL clients, as shown here:

http://baartman.us/images/

Then look for this file:

11_SL_Instances.doc

Without hitting 100% CPU utilization . . .

With a $90 AMD AM2+ Quad CPU, an AMD 780G MB, 4GB ram and a 9400 GT card . . .

Her criteria was something that can be upgraded for the next 2-3 years, not being able to run nearly a dozen SL instances on a lesser machine than her $1000-1200 could get her.

If i am not mistaken, that AMD stuff is a dead-end. No upgrade path. End of Line. It is also not faster than comparative Intel Quad CPUs.

At least with an i7 she has the newest flag ship from Intel which will keep her machine upgradeable for the next few years like she wishes.

There is no proof in the pudding of building a machine that is already outdated just because it is cheaper when you can afford something newer, better, more upgradeable, and still be inside the budget you planned for the build.

I am a strong believer in "you get what you pay for".

You buy an outdated architecture and you get an outdated machine really fast. If you are going to buy a system that is outdated, at least try to buy the top of the line for that older version so you are at least keeping up for a couple years (it is what i just did by buying a Q9550). And that AMD chip is does not even qualify for that.

Wow, i should be scoring major geek points here!

I don't know about bothering too much with an uprageable system, because 3-4 years down the track even if you drop in a faster processor, odds are the motherboards outdated anyway and needs to be replaced, then your power supply may be worn, fan bearings may be failing etc. The don't make hardware like they used to. I just tend to go with the "build the best box I can afford" path and move the old one to backup duties.
I have 3 fully functioning towers now and 2 spare parts towers and I threw 3 dinosaurs out a few weeks back.
I also believ going overkill for SL just encourages some people to run more crap in the background

64bit is a yes, no problems using it in world and min 4GB.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9180628&type=product&id=1218046802510

here is one and if you use your current monitor or eventual get a new one this is within the budget. May even be somewhere else cheaper?

/me Waves at Foehn