DWF Searching for Intelligent "Computer Savy" Male :)

[NJGAMERMOM]

I was on here quite awhile ago with a question & you guys were so awesome & helpful to me- Some were really kind, walking me through some things even as it got very late at night

I dont get to come to this site for the sake of just ENJOYING IT too much because my two kids (12 & 15) are always either surfing on the internet or on xbox live playing Gears of War / Lost Planet,...... We try to take turns online but I usually fall asleep waiting for my turn-LOL (I have this nice new router w/ the computer and xbox 360 attached but am too chicken sh.... to dare try setting them up in a wireless fashion. I figure I'd mess it up)

I am going into the hospital next week for some surgery and for some "treatment" (usually worse than the illness itself.) I am trying to order a new computer before I go in because I've been quite sick & am afraid I'll be even worse when I get out. The computer we have now is really very old, outdated, & behaving quite badly.

My problem is that the more I read/research the more confused I am about it all. If I dare to try and work my way down through a "system configurator" my head starts to SPIN!! I am 42 so when I was growing up you were a "hot shot" if you knew your way around Pong and your Atari 5200!!! I held on for awhile there & kind of knew what all the computer specs meant but in the last 4 or 5 years I've just missed too much!!! So much has changed.

I am not trying to be lazy and if I had a lot more time I would start reading my little butt off until I knew just what to order but I just cant do it. The question I will ask has probably been asked many times in many different ways but I really, honestly do need your help. I know that the people on this site are so smart and have so much computer knowledge

SO..........................................If you were the mom (LOL) of 2 teens, one boy who especially loves his Runescape and his World of Warcraft, things like that, and if by chance, the 3 of you just wanted the coolest, fastest computer you could get and one you hopefully wouldnt have to replace for a long time, and if you wanted an awesome graphics card and processor even if you didnt need it, what would you get? I readily admit I get especially confused about the processors, cooling and these new 2 card options. I have about $2500 I can put into this (more if I really had to) I want to get the kids the best I can get them for that money. Its worth it to me because they really are "gaming type kids" and spend a lot of time online. My one child loves to edit videos and play with photos, etc.

I dont need a monitor for now as long as I'll be able to connect by Samsung 32 inch lcd with no issues(the model that DOES attach to a computer ...53h....)

If any of you could take the time to type out your "ideal list" with that budget I would really, really appreciate it.
I'd like to get a new computer ordered before the other takes it's last breath.

BTW-I truly hope noone takes offense. I am going to cut & paste this same post & put it somewhere else to try & reach the most amount of people in the shortest amount of time. Thank you so much for your help

Barb

 

[ddwaldon]

Would you be willing to build a computer(the best and a little cheaper)
Or buy a prebuilt?

 

[jaguarskx]

Would you be willing to build a computer(the best and a little cheaper)
Or buy a prebuilt?

Given the situation, I believe pre-built is the best option. I don't think she wants to worry about how to put a PC together when she has other things on her mind.

You know, little unimportant things like your health.


To the OP:

Okay, I put together a system on DELL.com which comes close to the limit of your budget.

Side Note: DAMN!!! I think it takes longer to configure a Dell system than it was to finish my SAT exam so many years ago. I think the SAT was a lot easier too!

Anywaste, here's a list of components for the XPS 710:

CPU: Core 2 Dou E6600 ... Good for gaming and other things you may want to do like photo editing, compressing your music to MP3s, editing video, etc. I have this CPU in my PC.
OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows Vista Home
MEMORY: 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz - 2 DIMMs
HARD DRIVE: 250GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Hard Drive (7200RPM)
ADDITIONAL HARD DRIVE: 320GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s Hard Drive (7200RPM) ... This is an optional component, but recommended. Keep your important file separate from the hard drive with the OS, just in case that hard drive fail. Of course if this 2nd hard drive fails... well that's why it is also smart to burn important data onto DVDs as well.
OPTICAL DRIVE: Single Drive: 16X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability
MONITOR: None
VIDEO CARD: 768MB nVidia GeForce 8800 GTX ... This is the 2nd fastest card you can buy. You can drop it down to the Dual 256MB nVidia GeForce 8600 GTS for $168, but it's really not worth it (kinda technical). You will not have to upgrade for a very long time because this may be an overkill.
SOUND CARD: Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio

SPEAKERS: Dell A525 30 Watt 2.1 Stereo Speakers with Subwoofer ... If you already have speakers then don't select this option.
KEYBOARD & MOUSE: Dell USB Keyboard
MOUSE: Dell Optical USB Mouse
GAMING ACCESSORIES: FREE! 30 days subscription to GameTap + Logitech controller ... Hey, it's free so why not? Just be sure to read the fine print. You may need to cancel your free subscription before GameTap decides to automatically bill you the monthly fee.
FLOPPY & MEDIA READER: No Floppy Drive or Media Reader Included ... You can install the one from your current PC. Note: $27 ?!?!?!?!?
MODEM: No Modem

PRODUCTIVITY: No Productivity software pre-installed
ANTI-VIRUS & SECURITY: I chose Security with Value, Plus,or Premium Warranty Bundle ... There are actually some good anti-virus software available for free on the web. Below is a link to AVG Free which is the program I use:

http://free.grisoft.com/

WARRANTY AND SERVICE: PC-Care Plus Bundle ... This is the 3 year warranty plan
DIAL-UP INTERNET: No ISP requested
ENVIRONMENTAL OPTIONS: Recycle my old system with Dell (FREE) ... Hey it's free. It good for you, it's good for the environment. Everybody wins. Of course, you way want to keep your current PC.

This system should keep you and your kids entertained for a long time. And if your kids are tech savvy, show them the specs and they'll think you're the best mom in the world.


Oops... I forgot to say that this system works out to $2,425 before shipping and taxes.

 

[NJGAMERMOM]

Yes j-skx not up to that-I also have trouble understanding all this stuff now-just cant seem to keep up with the technology.

I wish I'd grown up all this neat stuff -I think I was 18 when people started walking around with their first cell phones-my first was this silly thing you carried in a big BAG-LOL

Awhile back when I was here everyone told me to avoid Dell- yes/no??? I was thinking I'd go with someone like Envision or someone else thats had a lot of good input from previous customers??

 

[NJGAMERMOM]

Thanks for info. You should go on "Price is Right" -came right in under $2500 (unless Rosie starts hosting of course)

Do you think going up to 4 gb ram is a good idea if it isnt a lot more $$or is that just being "wasteful.???"

I dont understand this whole thing with the two graphics cards-last time I was looking at buying a computer you could only get one & I think back then it was like 512 mb tops

Does that mean people could actually take 2 of the card you listed , the 8800 gtx and have double the power ? Doesnt seem it could be that easy right Please bear with me if that was a really stupid question-thats why I've asked for help

 

[ben72227]

In theory you would think that SLI means 2 graphics cards = double the graphics capabilities. BUT in reality it's not that much of an improvement, and like jaguarskx already said, the 8800 GTX is ALREADY an overkill at this point in time.

SLI systems usually end up getting outdated by the next graphics card update (i.e. two 7900 cards in SLI get beat by just one 8800), so it would be better to just save money that you would have spent on the 2nd card and buy a newer graphics card in a year or two.

Also, some may think that 4GB of RAM at this point is overkill...BUT, Vista is a resource hog, AND RAM is cheap now...so if you can afford it...why not?

By the way - your questions aren't stupid at all. To be honest, I'm surprised a 'computer-clueless' woman your age even knows this much about modern PC components.

 

[NJGAMERMOM]

hi ben-my ? about the 2 cards was more curiousity-I cant believe all these new options-The only time I get to spend a lot of time reading and looking stuff up online is when the kids fall asleep-I got lucky tonight-they both conked out before me

I tried for a long time to keep up with "computer stuff" -do you know when I knew I'd lost it though ......???? I was trying to read an article last year on setting up my sons xbox live & they started talking about networking -ping this, do that and I found myself sitting there with my mouth hanging open like "duh." The whole networking/wireless stuff just goes right over my head-

I do count myself lucky though because that same look that I know I had on my face when people talk about motherboards or networking, etc. is how my mother used to look when I tried to tell her how to work her VCR remote so at least I got a bit further

I cant find any reason not to look at Envision to buy this thing(http://www.envisioncs.net/intel775ddrcpucalc.cfm)-ships in 3 days and 500 something people rated them 10 out of 10 on resellerratings.com-They have limited choices on some items which will probably help me

I have only one regret-I remember promising myself that when it was time to upgrade again that I'd "treat us" to those beautiful looking systems that Alienware puts up with those gorgeous painted keyboards matching the cases, etc. That all sounded great until I looked at the prices and checked out how dependable they were/WERENT ....

Thanks,
Barb

Thanks for help

 

[jsc]

NJMom,

At some time we were all noobs (in my case, back when memory came in kilobytes). Some of us just have a bigger head start - and more time and interest - than others

 

[NJGAMERMOM]

jsc-thats the word I always hear my son yelling out-
He's only 12 but he runs around those Gears of War levels crucifying everyone calling them newbs, yelling at everyone for not picking him up and acqurinig a vocabulary that I managed to shield him from for many years prior-LOL

 

[jaguarskx]

Around here just about everyone will tell you to avoid any pre-built computer because you can build a better one for a lot less money. But building your own system isn't for everyone.

I generally rate all pre-built name brands as mediocre.

I never heard of Envision, then again I avoid pre-built systems like the plague. I heard that www.ibuypower.com is pretty decent and you will not need to be shipped off to the old folks home by the time you are done configuring your system. Plus they allow you to choose your own case. Sorry for not mentioning that before.

Actually, I should feel sorry for myself. I think I aged 5 years while trying to configure the Dell system.

Here are the steps when configuring a PC from IBuyPower's site:

www.ibuypower.com

1. Choose either the 500w NZXT power supply. Generic power supplies (PSUs) are generally bad and a PSU failure can completely destroy your system. NZXT makes quieter than average PSUs. This will be enough for your system.

2. The Core 2 Duo E6600 offers the best balance between cost and performance.

3. Since this system will be in the livingroom (I assume that's where the TV is) you will probably don't want your PC to be too loud. Therefore you should select the Thermaltake MaxOrb CPU Cooling Fan System Kit for $45. There is a liquid cooling kit, avoid that it can even give tech savvy people too.

4. For the motherboard, I am kinda partial to the MSI 975X Platinum since it is the motherboard I have in my current system.

5. Memory - I would choose 2GB of RAM (that's 2048MB) and because I am an enthusiast, I would choose the Corsair XMS2 Xtreme w/Heat Spreader option for $50 more. But you can opt for the default RAM which is a safe bet for someone who's probably not going to overclock. More on overclocking later (a.k.a OC'ing).

6. For the video card you should select the nVidia GeForce 8800GTS 320MB. This card should last you for a while. It less powerful than the 8800GTX in the Dell system, but it is still a powerful card. If you decide to get a more power card (read as more expensive) then go back and choose the 750 Watt -- Thermaltake Toughpower W0117RU Power Supply. It's definitely an overkill, but the 600W PSU is most likely generic.

7. For your primary hard drive where Windows is installed I would go with the 250GB drive since it only costs $13 more than the 160GB. Even the 500GB hard drive for $80 is a very good value.

8. As stated before having a secondary hard drive is a good idea. If you are going with a 500GB primary hard drive, you might as well go with a 500GB secondary hard drive for only $140. You can use this as a backup drive so if you have any important things you have on your primary drive, you can manually save them to this drive as well. You know, things like home videos, family pictures, etc.

9. You don't need an External Raid Hard Drives

10. CD/DVD Drive - Choose a color that matches whatever case you decide to go with. Just be sure to keep the dual layer DVD burner option to backup data onto DVDs.

11. I don't think it'll be necessary to choose a second DVD burner.

12. Sound Card - All motherboards have on-board sound so buying a separate sound card is not necessary. However, on-board sound doesn't really sound as good as a dedicated sound card. I would choose the Creative Lab Sound Blaster X-Fi for $79 more.

13. I assume you already have speakers so let's just forgo speakers.

14. The motherboard has a built-in Network Card.

15. Choose the floppy drive that matches the color of your case. $9 is a hell of a lot cheaper than the $27 Dell was charging.

16. You're using your TV so no need to select a monitor.

17. Choose whichever keyboard that tickles your fancy.

18. Same as above for your mouse.

19. USB 2.0 Accessories - No need to make a choice here.

20. Meter Display - No need.

21. Flash Media Reader/Writer - This is up to you.

22. If you need to buy a surge protector then do so.

23. As for the operating system. I personally perfer Windows XP Home or Professional. Yeah, it's old, but it's reliable. However, Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit should be your choice if you want something newer. Windows Vista still has issues, but the same can be said when Windows XP was released.

24. It's really up to you if you need to choose something in the Media Center Remote Control & TV Tuner section since I don't know if anything here will benefit you.

25. Additional Software - Your preference here as well.

26. Case Round Cable - skip this part.

27. The MSI 975X Platinum has a onboard IEEE-1394 Fire Wire control if my memory serves me correctly. I don't use Fire Wire. Many camcorders have Fire Wire to transfer video to the computer. It is faster than USB 2.0.

28. USB Flash Drive - I think you can skip this.

29. TV Tuner - Choose none, unless you know you want to use your PC to record TV programs.

30. Video Camera - Skip

31. Headset - skip

32. Power Protection - Generally not necessary. Buy one if electricity power fluctuates a lot in your home.

33. Printer - skip

34. Printer Cable - Skip

35. Wireless Network Adapter - Skip

36. Wireless Network Access Point/Router - Skip

37. Warranty - Well, you really have no options here.

38. Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) - In your situation I would probably choose the "[RUSH !!!], Ship Out in Next Business Day" option. Just be aware this is not a shipping charge. This means your computer has top priority when people put all the parts together and test your system before it is ready to be shipped.

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This system works out to be about $1,850 before tax and shipping. This system has two 500GB hard drives. Your case choice will affect the price.

 

[jaguarskx]

Since I mentioned overclocking (OC'ing) I'll take the time just to give you some FYI.

Overclocking basically means that you are forcing your CPU and/or video card to work faster it's original or specified settings. www.ibuypower.com is geared towards overclockers which is reflected by the motherboard and RAM options they provide you. Overclocking is free performance, but at a cost. If you overclock and that component fails, then you just voided your warranty. It is very easy to overclock especially when using a detailed guide, but it is also very easy to mess thing up.

Remember the following adage:

A little information can be dangerous.

Regarding your question about SLI (Crossfire for ATI cards), this type of setup is generally geared towards game fanatics who wants the best performance possible regardless of the cost. If this describes you, then SLI or Crossfire is for you. It is generally good recommended for very highend cards because that's generally the only was to booast performance. For example, I am pretty sure if you SLI two nVidia 8600GTS it will still be slower than a single 8800GTS. By the way, the MSI 975X Platinum motherboard is only compatible with Crossfire not SLI (nVidia).

Having 4GB of RAM isn't really a waste when it comes to Windows Vista 64-bit version because it demands more resources than Windows XP (32-bit). Due to technical reasons, if you install 4GB of RAM in a PC running a 32-bit operating system like Windows XP or Windows Vista Home 32-bit version, then only about 3GB will be recognized by the PC.