Need advice on buying new computer

[kryten]

I have been saving up a while now for a really nice computer that I hope will last about four years :). Well this is what I looks to be pretty good after shopping around online for awhile:

http://www.alienware.com/ALX_pages/area51_alx_sli.aspx

Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor
840 Extreme Edition

Microsoft® Windows®
XP Professional Edition


1GB Dual Channel DDR2
PC-6400 SDRAM at 800MHz


148GB 10,000RPM SATA
RAID 0 w/16MB Cache

Dual NVIDIA GeForce™
6800 GT 256MB DDR3


Creative Sound Blaster®
Audigy®2 ZS High Definition

Comes to $5,099. I know thats expensive but this computer looks way better than other ones I have looked at from Dell and such. I dont know about computer manufacturers but Alienware looks pretty decent, although expensive. I know that the 7800GT is a better card than the 6800GT, but this computer has SLI (2) 6800GT which must be pretty good Im sure :)

Also I know lots of people build their own to save money but I dont know much about computers at all and dont really want to learn.

Of course since I dont know that much about computers, I want to make sure this computer would be ok for gaming for a long while. Any advice on how good this computer would be would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Blak_Phoenix]

Re: Need advice on buying new computer

Yea its good, bu tit would be far better, especially for gaming if you got an AMD, not an Intel.

It would be good if you could get dual 7800's.... :p

And you just have 2 realise that getting it from Alienware, while they are good, they rip you off...

[Blak_Phoenix]

Re: Need advice on buying new computer

At the moment ths AMD FX-57 is the top CPU, but if you want Dual Core then its te 4800+ 2x...

[Sir. MatDef]

Re: Need advice on buying new computer

First of all, go amd, not intel, because intel really sucks for gaming.
Second, get another gig of ram (preferably 2x1GB).
Third, if you really don't wanna build your own, then you might wanna ask a friend who's good at this kind of thing to do it for you.

[lcplsickoll]

Re: Need advice on buying new computer

Sorry, but I'd have to say no to the Alienware machine. Purchase the components to build an AMD based machine and have a friend or local shop assemble it for you, if you're not comfortable building your own. You'll save a boat load of money and have a clean, fast rig.

[Jackass]

Re: Need advice on buying new computer

First of all, go amd, not intel, because intel really sucks for gaming.
Second, get another gig of ram (preferably 2x1GB).
Third, if you really don't wanna build your own, then you might wanna ask a friend who's good at this kind of thing to do it for you.

FFS, for crying out loud you noob. Intel isn't crap for gaming, at all! AMD is just better, but don't you ever say that Intel is crap for gaming because then I'll come and beat you up. ( Irony in the beating up thing. )

If you say it's crap for gaming. How come I almost always end up 3-1#?

Eat that mother****er.

[Jackass]

Re: Need advice on buying new computer

kryten. I'll answer you. If you have the money and don't want to learn about the different computer parts out there. Buy the Alienware one! I know I would do it. Because it's going to own all of the people applying now about don't do it! Because then they would have a crappier computer than yours. Go for it man!

You'll get a really nice machine and it can last for a looong time. Alienware has the best chassis in the hole wide world. They're so cool!

[lcplsickoll]

Re: Need advice on buying new computer

FFS, for crying out loud you noob. Intel isn't crap for gaming, at all! AMD is just better, but don't you ever say that Intel is crap for gaming because then I'll come and beat you up. ( Irony in the beating up thing. )

If you say it's crap for gaming. How come I almost always end up 3-1#?

Eat that mother****er.

True.

[Berrern]

Re: Need advice on buying new computer

Best advice: Don't buy Alienware, they're so overpriced it's sick!
I did some research, and put together a complete PC for you on newegg.com:

CASE
AeroCool AERO-X202 Black Aluminum/Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Thermaltake Silent Purepower W0014RU 480W Power Supply

HARDWARE
DFI LANPARTY nF4 SLI-DR nForce4 SLI
AMD Athlon 64 FX57 San Diego 1GHz FSB
2x (SLI) XFX PVT70FUND7 Geforce 7800GTX 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16
CORSAIR XMS 2GB (2 x 1GB) SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200)
Creative SOUND BLASTER X-Fi Fatal1ty PCI Interface Sound Card
2x (RAID0) Western Digital Raptor WD740GD 74GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s
PLEXTOR Beige SATA DVD Burner Model PX-716SA/SW

MONITOR
PHILIPS 190S6FB/27 19" 8ms LCD Monitor

PERIPHERALS
Logitech G5 Laser Mouse
Ideazon Zboard Gaming
Ideazon Zboard Battlefield 2 Keyset

Not only does this PC beat the Alienware system hands down, it's also $1100 cheaper!!

If you don't want to assemble it yourself, a lot of online vendors and local computer shops does it for you :)

[imported_Mutrino]

Re: Need advice on buying new computer

Alienware = ripoff dont buy their machines, make your own superior computer for less money.

[Sir. MatDef]

Re: Need advice on buying new computer

FFS, for crying out loud you noob. Intel isn't crap for gaming, at all! AMD is just better, but don't you ever say that Intel is crap for gaming because then I'll come and beat you up. ( Irony in the beating up thing. )

If you say it's crap for gaming. How come I almost always end up 3-1#?

Eat that mother****er.

How the hell am I a noob? When compared to amd, intel processors are more expensive (performance wise, not clock) and slower than their amd counterparts. Just learn to admit you made a mistake by buying intel and f*ck off!

[Big2firzX]

Re: Need advice on buying new computer

How the hell am I a noob? When compared to amd, intel processors are more expensive (performance wise, not clock) and slower than their amd counterparts. Just learn to admit you made a mistake by buying intel and f*ck off!

Chilled man...

[Sir. MatDef]

Re: Need advice on buying new computer

Chilled man...

Yeah, sorry bout that, I just get a little angry sometimes.

[kryten]

Re: Need advice on buying new computer

Best advice: Don't buy Alienware, they're so overpriced it's sick!
I did some research, and put together a complete PC for you on newegg.com:

CASE
AeroCool AERO-X202 Black Aluminum/Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Thermaltake Silent Purepower W0014RU 480W Power Supply

HARDWARE
DFI LANPARTY nF4 SLI-DR nForce4 SLI
AMD Athlon 64 FX57 San Diego 1GHz FSB
2x (SLI) XFX PVT70FUND7 Geforce 7800GTX 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16
CORSAIR XMS 2GB (2 x 1GB) SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200)
Creative SOUND BLASTER X-Fi Fatal1ty PCI Interface Sound Card
2x (RAID0) Western Digital Raptor WD740GD 74GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s
PLEXTOR Beige SATA DVD Burner Model PX-716SA/SW

MONITOR
PHILIPS 190S6FB/27 19" 8ms LCD Monitor

PERIPHERALS
Logitech G5 Laser Mouse
Ideazon Zboard Gaming
Ideazon Zboard Battlefield 2 Keyset

Not only does this PC beat the Alienware system hands down, it's also $1100 cheaper!!

If you don't want to assemble it yourself, a lot of online vendors and local computer shops does it for you :)

ok thanks for looking up all that. I didnt realise it was that much cheaper buying parts seperately. SLI 7800GTX is definitely cool, I looked at benchmarks for it, way better than 6800 Ultra, better than anything else out now although 2 of them do cost alot (still cheaper than alienware though). Probably just get the two 10,000 rpm hard drives, that would be enough space, and those hard drives are definitely high end. FX57 is great too. Two gigs RAM would also be useful because I know bf2 needs lots of RAM. Probably just a normal keyboard, I wont just be playing bf2. I thought something like this would come to like $7000 or $8000, well it would if I built it on alienware or dell lol.

I think I will purchase these parts from newegg, I know alot of people buy from there just browsing these forums, they look pretty good. Probably just find a computer shop to put it all together like you say too since I dont want to mess anything up. How much do you think they would charge? cant be more than a days work I think. Shouldnt cost that much probably. Well anyway thanks again for looking at this, I was almost going to just buy a pre-built machine :)

[Sir. MatDef]

Re: Need advice on buying new computer

I'm pretty sure most shops will charge between $50-$100. If I'm wrong someone please correct me.