Good computer under $400

[uriaheep]

Can a good quality computer that will be used for gaming be purchased for under $400???
I will be in the market in a couple months and would like to hear from some of you on if this is possible. I don't have to have an outrageous amount of RAM, but enough to play World of Warcraft without the lag I have now.

Thank you,
Uriaheep

 

[LoStMaTt]

No.

You need at least double that.

 

[sickwookie]

You will not be able to build an entire system, but if you can salvage your current case and drives you should be able to do it. This would not be a top end rig, but it could handle WoW with ease.

Intel Core 2 Duo E4600 Allendale 2.4GHz: $119.99
GIGABYTE GA-P35-S3G LGA 775 Intel P35 : $79.99
EVGA 512-P3-N861-AR GeForce 9600GT 512MB: $149.99
Patriot 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2: $39.99

Total: $389.96

* I did not check compatibility of these parts, but just threw a list together to give you an idea.

 

[rcf1987]

No.

You need at least double that.

na you dont

 

[Chombo]

You will not be able to build an entire system, but if you can salvage your current case and drives you should be able to do it. This would not be a top end rig, but it could handle WoW with ease.

Intel Core 2 Duo E4600 Allendale 2.4GHz: $119.99
GIGABYTE GA-P35-S3G LGA 775 Intel P35 : $79.99
EVGA 512-P3-N861-AR GeForce 9600GT 512MB: $149.99
Patriot 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2: $39.99

Total: $389.96

* I did not check compatibility of these parts, but just threw a list together to give you an idea.

Technically he could even go with an AMD platform and drop the price even further. Really wouldn't make a difference with WoW.

 

[martinje]

Hmm I will try craigslist and see to buy a used computer.

 

[Tzzird]

Hmm I will try craigslist and see to buy a used computer.

Tomshardware did an experiment on a $500 PC that you might want to use for ideas:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cpu-graphic-game,1907.html

The mobo / cpu combo they suggest is $158. If all you plan on playing is wow, you can even go with Fry'd mobo/cpu deal of the X2 4200 and mobo for $50-60 and make your $400 mark.

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1300888

Deal is probably dead by now but it will probably come back soon.

 

[thrawn86]

definitely go with the amd deals, a crappy banger case and a cheap-ish psu and you'll have something that will play games quite well.

 

[rcf1987]

definitely go with the amd deals, a crappy banger case and a cheap-ish psu and you'll have something that will play games quite well.

DONT skimp on psu get a reliable good brand name

 

[Dangman]

Can a good quality computer that will be used for gaming be purchased for under $400???
I will be in the market in a couple months and would like to hear from some of you on if this is possible. I don't have to have an outrageous amount of RAM, but enough to play World of Warcraft without the lag I have now.

Depends if you can reuse any parts from your current PC. Assuming that you can reuse the OS, a SATA hard drive, DVD burner and case, you can get a very nice build for under $400:

AMD Athlon64 X2 4200+ CPU - $59
Asus M2A-VM AMD 690G mATX Motherboard - $64
A-Data ADQVE1A16K 2 x 1GB DDR2 800 RAM - $45
eVGA 512-P3-N861-AR GeForce 9600GT 512MB PCI-E Video Card - $150
Antec Earthwats 430W PSU - $60
-----
Total: $378 Plus tax and shipping

 

[BladeVenom]

Tomshardware did an experiment on a $500 PC that you might want to use for ideas:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/cpu-graphic-game,1907.html

The mobo / cpu combo they suggest is $158. If all you plan on playing is wow, you can even go with Fry'd mobo/cpu deal of the X2 4200 and mobo for $50-60 and make your $400 mark.

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1300888

Deal is probably dead by now but it will probably come back soon.

I think $500 will get you a very good PC that will play most games well.

If all you play is WoW $400 is enough.

 

[uriaheep]

Thank you all for the fast responses. Here is what I have now. Pentium 4, with 2.6ghz and 1.5 GB RAM a Western Hard Drive with 160 GB of space. Invidia 6800 GT 256mb ram. I don't know the power supply exactly but 400 watts strikes a bell for me, so it may be less, and just consider a new power supply is needed. I have never built or added anything but RAM and a new HD to a computer so the Processor will be a challenge, or will it???

Once again Thank you all for the help.

Uriaheep

 

[BladeVenom]

Putting a CPU on a motherboard is easier than ever. Intel's new processors are pinless so no bent pins. And almost all CPUs now have heat spreaders so no cracked silicon. As long as you get the right processor for a compatible motherboard you should be fine.

The Motherboard manual should give you most of the information you need. All the motherboard makers have their manuals on their site. Go and download the manual now for the motherboard you think you'll be getting.

There are plenty of sites that will show you how to do things.

 

[Chombo]

Putting a CPU on a motherboard is easier than ever. Intel's new processors are pinless so no bent pins. And almost all CPUs now have heat spreaders so no cracked silicon.

The Motherboard manual should give you most of the information you need. All the motherboard makers have their manuals on their site. Go and download the manual now for the motherboard you think you'll be getting.

There are plenty of sites that will show you how to do things.

That and the CPU usually comes packed with a handy step by step flow chart. Plus most other parts are color coded.

 

[Gabe3]

You can build a decent gaming PC for about $600. Its probably not going to play every game out there on high settings but medium/high it will do. 2gb of ram for XP, 3gb for vista. I think PC gamer has some computer builds you can check out for different price ranges.