Thoughts on this system?

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Onus
For $330 (assuming you get the rebate), particularly when you consider the cost of a Windows license, I think this is a very fair price for what you're getting.
That said, it does have some weaknesses that may need to be addressed.
1. The PSU is an old, obsolete design, probably overrated; likely suitable for the machine as-delivered, but unlikely to support even modest expansion.
2. The CPU is a low-power "T" model, which means that it will be a few tiers weaker than its i3 designation suggests. For the stated purposes however, I suspect it will be adequate. I'd expect it might struggle in large WoW raids, so if that is a concern, pass on it, otherwise it's probably okay.
3. The RAM is probably "enough," but there is no indication as...
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Onus

Onus

Titan
Jan 27, 2006
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For $330 (assuming you get the rebate), particularly when you consider the cost of a Windows license, I think this is a very fair price for what you're getting.
That said, it does have some weaknesses that may need to be addressed.
1. The PSU is an old, obsolete design, probably overrated; likely suitable for the machine as-delivered, but unlikely to support even modest expansion.
2. The CPU is a low-power "T" model, which means that it will be a few tiers weaker than its i3 designation suggests. For the stated purposes however, I suspect it will be adequate. I'd expect it might struggle in large WoW raids, so if that is a concern, pass on it, otherwise it's probably okay.
3. The RAM is probably "enough," but there is no indication as to how it is arranged. Is it 2x2GB (faster initially, but an upgrade means tossing it), or 1x4GB (slower initially, but an upgrade means just adding another similar stick) ?
4. To play games, it WILL need a graphics card added. Depending on the size of their monitor, a HD7770 would be a decent choice, but will also need a PSU upgrade. If their monitor is only 1368x768, a HD7750 might be enough, and should run on the included PSU (even if it's only good for 250W).
You know your sister's needs. If she's only a casual gamer and doesn't need high performance, this system plus a graphics card may be suitable. It does seem to be a rare prebuilt that, if performance is sufficient, is worth the price being charged. Just make sure the CPU will be enough, particularly for the games she and her husband play. A CPU upgrade is likely possible, but at that point it will cost enough that it makes more sense to build a rig for them.

 
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Solution
L

lordcooper

Honorable
Oct 18, 2013
19
0
10,510


You can switch countries in the top right corner. Or move to the US, whichever you find easier.

E: If you need to drop the price down a little you can look at getting only 4GB RAM and possibly a 7770 (that's still a semi-viable low end card, right?).
 
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J

JayRich

Honorable
Feb 2, 2013
196
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10,680


Lol as attractive to relocating to the US sounds, I think I will pass on that option.

I am familiar with the functionality of the website and switching countries. My point was that as a Canadian, the price of that rig goes up to just short of $700.

I can try the options you provided. I understand $500 isn't a huge budget for a PC but I want to get the best bang for my buck and not have the PC completely useless in a few months.

Thanks again for all the help everyone.
 
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tiny voices

tiny voices

Titan
Sep 6, 2012
34,175
5
99,965
No, do this:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD Athlon II X4 750K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($86.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-F2A55M-HD2 Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($59.98 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($36.51 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($57.87 @ Expansys Canada)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7850 1GB Video Card ($142.50 @ Vuugo)
Case: Cooler Master Elite 371 ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.10 @ NCIX)
Power Supply: Antec 450W ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ NCIX)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($17.00 @ Vuugo)
Total: $474.93
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-21 13:10 EST-0500)

Better GPU by ALOT, better quality PSU. This will play even high end games at medium settings perfectly fine. Some games will even be able to be played at high.
 
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