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- Jul 21, 2009
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I'm still trying to decide whether or not to buy a prebuilt and drop a graphics card in it, or to just build a rig straight out. It would be my first build, so I'm cautious about building from scratch.
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Mainly serving media to the house, but gaming on it will happen. I'd like to do TF2, L4D, possibly WoW. I'm not looking to max out, but I would like it to look nice.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Up to $1200, but if I can stay under that, I'd be very happy.
3) Where do you live?
Louisiana
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very specific.
I won't need a monitor, keyboard, or mouse. Beside that, I'll need a case, mobo, processor, RAM, etc.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
I'll be using a 30 inch HDTV for now, but will eventually move up to a large monitor.
6) Will you be overclocking?
I'm not planning on overclocking, though in a few years I may.
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
30 inch 720p/1080i CRT. I'm planning on getting a >26 inch monitor in the future for me to run my 360 and television through (with a TV tuner card).
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
If finances allow, the end of March/beginning of April. I want to have it up and running by the time the semester ends.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
I would like eSATA and USB 3.0. Neither is necessary though. Dual graphics card support is something that I'd consider if it would have a much better value per dollar, even if it were slightly more expensive if that makes sense. Basically if it pushes the price up by only a hundred dollars or so, but it would make a notable difference and extend the life of the system, I'd go for it. Same as other features.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? 32bit or 64bit?
Not yet, but I will get one. 64 bit Win7.
I've been looking at this HP pre-built (609.99). I configured it with an i5-650 (660 is available also), the graphics are integrated since I could get a graphics card from Newegg (Radeon HD 4870) or some other place online that would be better for about the same price. And since I want a dual TV tuner, that's yet another thing I'd get from Newegg. (Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250) Totally, I'd spend about $930 before tax and shipping.
On the other hand, I'm not sure if I'd get a better quality machine by building one myself, especially for the price. So [H]ard Forum, tell me, which route would be better--an upgraded HP pre-built, or a built machine?
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Mainly serving media to the house, but gaming on it will happen. I'd like to do TF2, L4D, possibly WoW. I'm not looking to max out, but I would like it to look nice.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Up to $1200, but if I can stay under that, I'd be very happy.
3) Where do you live?
Louisiana
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very specific.
I won't need a monitor, keyboard, or mouse. Beside that, I'll need a case, mobo, processor, RAM, etc.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
I'll be using a 30 inch HDTV for now, but will eventually move up to a large monitor.
6) Will you be overclocking?
I'm not planning on overclocking, though in a few years I may.
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
30 inch 720p/1080i CRT. I'm planning on getting a >26 inch monitor in the future for me to run my 360 and television through (with a TV tuner card).
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
If finances allow, the end of March/beginning of April. I want to have it up and running by the time the semester ends.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
I would like eSATA and USB 3.0. Neither is necessary though. Dual graphics card support is something that I'd consider if it would have a much better value per dollar, even if it were slightly more expensive if that makes sense. Basically if it pushes the price up by only a hundred dollars or so, but it would make a notable difference and extend the life of the system, I'd go for it. Same as other features.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? 32bit or 64bit?
Not yet, but I will get one. 64 bit Win7.
I've been looking at this HP pre-built (609.99). I configured it with an i5-650 (660 is available also), the graphics are integrated since I could get a graphics card from Newegg (Radeon HD 4870) or some other place online that would be better for about the same price. And since I want a dual TV tuner, that's yet another thing I'd get from Newegg. (Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250) Totally, I'd spend about $930 before tax and shipping.
On the other hand, I'm not sure if I'd get a better quality machine by building one myself, especially for the price. So [H]ard Forum, tell me, which route would be better--an upgraded HP pre-built, or a built machine?
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Unless you find a damn good deal on a pre-built, a DIY build would be better.