Quest for a PC

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arogon343
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Quest for a PC

Post by arogon343 » 20 Sep 2011, 11:47

Well. A few of you may know, My computer is rather old now and needs to be put down and replaced.
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However. It has taken me months to wear mum down to the point at which she will buy me one.
However i still have restrictions.
Needs to be under £500-£400 (preferably)
Needs to be able to play games well. Enough to play new games coming out (IE Stronghold 3) And some ld but still difficult games to play like empire total war.
I was thinking of acer. As my school has those in the new Tech rooms.
Ill be honest. Im not entirely sure of what im looking for. So Help meh D:
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Iron_Fang
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by Iron_Fang » 20 Sep 2011, 11:51

Not even a gaming lappy?

Maybe http://www.google.co.uk/m/products/deta ... 3340551022 and attach a TV screen to it :D
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Darktaint
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by Darktaint » 20 Sep 2011, 11:59

Iron_Fang wrote:Not even a gaming lappy?

Maybe http://www.google.co.uk/m/products/deta ... 3340551022 and attach a TV screen to it :D
No.

Build your own computer it'll end up being cheaper for you :)
And seeing as your uk have alook at www.scan.co.uk
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Jake55778
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by Jake55778 » 20 Sep 2011, 12:00

Are we talking desktops or laptops?
If the later, do you have anything that can carry over from an older machine? Monitor, Hard drives, keyboard, mouse etc.
Are you prepared to assemble something yourself?
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arogon343
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by arogon343 » 20 Sep 2011, 12:51

Ill be looking for a desktop most likely. And building a pc. Hm. I could give it a damn good go but if i screw it up my moneys gone :/
Any links if you have any ideas?
PS. Not much to salvage, a few basics but most of it is outdated... :/
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Lord_Mountbatten
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by Lord_Mountbatten » 20 Sep 2011, 12:53

It's not that difficult to put a PC together - it's more about making sure the components are compatible. Actual assembly is pretty much Slot A goes in Tab B.
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EricSmarties
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by EricSmarties » 20 Sep 2011, 12:54

arogon343 wrote:I was thinking of acer
Aspire M3802 :D
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SneakyPie
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by SneakyPie » 20 Sep 2011, 12:55

http://lifehacker.com/5828747/how-to-bu ... ght-school

This is an excellent place to start for newbies looking to build a machine from scratch.
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Wildwill002
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by Wildwill002 » 20 Sep 2011, 12:57

Aro in the school library there's someone magazines with high end computers and computer parts in. I believe i've seen a computer case for a make-it-yourself computer for £50 and it apparently makes making it easier with pull out draws or summin
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arogon343
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by arogon343 » 20 Sep 2011, 13:09

Awhy thankyou sneaky! Much valuable info. I may build one after all.
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Jake55778
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by Jake55778 » 20 Sep 2011, 13:18

Here's a useful tool for comparing components & checking compatibility: http://www.lambda-tek.com/computing/index.htm
It's not the best place to buy, but it's a great way to get an overview of what parts are available in a given price range.
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by KaosuHamoni » 20 Sep 2011, 16:50

The best description of building a computer I ever heard, was that it is "like a rather large, expensive jigsaw with seven or eight pieces"

Build your own. It's the cheapest, and the most rewarding option, but make sure you do enough research =]
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arogon343
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by arogon343 » 20 Sep 2011, 17:09

EricSmarties wrote:
arogon343 wrote:I was thinking of acer
Aspire M3802 :D
Gaming is definitely out with this PC
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wokka1
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by wokka1 » 20 Sep 2011, 18:04

Using dark's link, I suggest this for an entry level gamer: http://3xs.scan.co.uk/ShowSystem.asp?SystemID=979

You can customize it and pull a few thinks off to get it below your target price range, its not quite build it yourself, but they seem to use good quality parts and it would be the same as building it yourself, plus comes with warranty, first year even onsite

This kind of system you could upgrade later as you need, more ram, more drives, faster cpu, faster video card

This also assumes you will use your existing monitor, keyboard, etc.
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by SneakyPie » 20 Sep 2011, 19:39

I'm debating dropping about $500 on a new Mobo, RAM, and CPU.

It's an expensive hobby that's for sure.
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random980
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by random980 » 20 Sep 2011, 22:04

Dont buy anything made by HP.
It will bork fast and the customer service is useless.
You have been warned.
And make sure the graphics card is a Nvidia, they are good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfR9iY5y94s
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Aenir_bEPU
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by Aenir_bEPU » 20 Sep 2011, 22:13

Nvidia customer service is very good, from personal experience.
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vallorn
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by vallorn » 21 Sep 2011, 04:32

go with a non big brand PC in general. things like Dell and Samsung are more expensive because your partly paying for the brand logo.

i suggest the Acer 6930G Laptop (my friend has one and can play Crysis on High settings on it with no noticeable lag)
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by SneakyPie » 21 Sep 2011, 06:20

Got this site to also learn more about parts and how they compare to each other. It's a solid bench marking site: http://www.anandtech.com/

Also, commenting about video cards, both brands have their own faults. AMD/ATI are typically cheaper than nVidia cards while also being more advanced (for example, their mid range to low end cards were capable of DirectX 11 long before nVidia).

My first build was nVidia and everything ran nicely. My second build is ATI/AMD and I saved a lot of money and everything runs even smoother.

Oh and if you are serious about wanting this to be gaming machine, don't buy a notebook. Stick with a desktop.
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Sti_Jo_Lew
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by Sti_Jo_Lew » 21 Sep 2011, 14:44

Yeah, if it's for gaming stay as far away from laptops as possible. They're just a pin to work with, hard to upgrade.
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arogon343
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by arogon343 » 22 Sep 2011, 01:22

Thanks for all the halp Guys :D
Ima start getting my shopping list together for mah computer :3
But by all means, keep the suggestions coming :)
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random980
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by random980 » 22 Sep 2011, 01:40

I have a gaming laptop, the only problem its ever had is that the back screen light has broken...twice.
(Its a Toshiba Qosmio btw) It plays nearly all games in high quality.
Only ever get laptops if you actually need a portable computer. Otherwise desktops are always the way to go for more power. especially for a gaming rig.
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Sabalora
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Re: Quest for a PC

Post by Sabalora » 22 Sep 2011, 03:24

Infes is the guy u need to talk to... im gona build a computer and he has told me all about different components and recommended brands etc.
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