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...but first I need to find one that I can afford. Unlike my MacBook (which was stolen in February ) I'll be paying for this one--my parents bought me the laptop for school.
I am the unfortunate mix between college student and gamer. I like to read and write and play games with equal measure.
So I'm wondering if any of you know of a computer that meets the following requirements:
At least 512MB RAM (at least!) 2.0 GHz processor Reliable NVidia card At least 100GB hard drive
but also rests within the $500-750 range that a poor college student can afford. I don't really need mobility, so desktops are probably the way to go.
Anyone have an idea?
Posts: 292 | Registered: Jun 2006
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Ignore the processor requirement. Any new computer you buy will have more than enough processing power, and some that have fewer GHz will actually be faster.
You want at least 1 GB of RAM.
What games do you want to play?
Is there any particular reason you only want an NVIDIA card instead of any alternatives (notably ATI)?
Some schools have good hardware deals with companies like Dell. You might be able to get a decent computer cheaply through such a deal.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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Any new computer that'd you get would probably have Vista in it. Therefore the bare minimum you'd want is a 1 GB. 512 is the minimum to run Vista- 1 GB gets a little bit of a cushion and if you want to play games then it's pretty much a necessity.
Like what Fugu said- it also depends on what kind of game you play.
You could get for instance Battlefield 2- which is going to require more than something like Civ IV (I'm assuming).
He's also right about the processor speed. You could get an Intel Celeron that goes at say 2.1 GHz- but you could get an Intel Core 2 Duo that might run 1.8. Now- the Core 2 Duo is going to be very much supremely better than the Celeron.
You're technical specs fall WELL within your price range. You might see if your school has any manufacturer deals- or you might want to see- I know some states have sales tax-free days coming up in honor of the Back-To-School season. For instance my store (Staples) in TN is getting ready for the BTS season including a 3 day tax-free holiday on computers under $1,500. See if you have anything like that too.
Posts: 980 | Registered: Aug 2005
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I think the most intensely system-demanding game I have, at the moment, is probably Star Wars: Empire at War. And it just slogged on the family computer--meaning the first computer in that link. Of course, that doesn't include my copy of Supreme Commander, which I didn't mention simply because I'll never be able to run it with a college student budget.
As to the question of Why NVIDIA--I chose NVIDIA because I have no idea how relatively powerful the different ATI cards are. Here's an idea: tell me, what is the ATI card that has the same capabilities as an NVIDIA 6800?
Posts: 292 | Registered: Jun 2006
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You're definitely going to want a desktop with that budget. Your money will actually go a good bit further. You can actually build a good deal more power doing it yourself on a low budget. The problem this leads to is warranty service. If anything breaks, you can often end up pretty high-and-dry. So if you don't have a lot of experience fixing computers or working with the insides, go for a Dell or HP. For parts, I'll give you a few recommendations...
RAM, like Fugu said, go for at least a gig. 2 if you really want to get Vista (I'm not willing to recommend it yet, due to a lack of vendor support for now).
CPU, for your budget, you may want to consider an AMD X2. The Intel Core's are great freakin processors, but they only go so slow, and most games depend so heavily on the video card that having a super-fast processor isn't gonna help as much. You won't save much getting a single core processor, and the extra core is worth it for multi-tasking and some of the more modern games.
Video, I recommend nVidia. I didn't like ATI's cards, and even though I'm a bit of an AMD fanboy, I still think the nVidia cards are more stable. I've seen too many screw ups with ATI drivers to like em. You're more than likely to have a more positive experience with them, though. What you're going to want right now is either a low to mid-range nVidia 8000 or ATI x2000 series card, or a upper level 7000/x1000 series card. Don't go below the 7600/x1600 range, cause then they don't perform too well. Also, right now the nVidia high-end stuff kinda blows the tar out of ATI's stuff. I haven't looked at the cost comparison in a while, but nVidia's had an amazing couple of runs for their hardware. If you can afford a 8800gts with 320mb of ram, jump on it. They run around 300 bucks, but the performance difference between them and the top is pretty slim when you look at the price. Yeah, it's half your price, but you can afford to shave off costs in other areas to help out a bit.
Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
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Ok, this post is relevant and potentially helpful, I promise. I want thank all of you who decided to ignore my stupidity rather than point it out and further embarrass me. I certainly would have deserved it.
Anyway, 777, do you already have a monitor? If so, this gives you a lot of room in your budget.
Take a look at this from the Dell Outlet. These systems are essentially brand new. Some may have a ding or two in the case, but as far as hardware goes, they're covered with the same warranty as the brand new systems.
The Desktop I linked is actually pretty good, and it's got decent expansion potential, so you can keep up for the next couple of years at least with relatively cheap upgrades. It comes with a low end graphics card, but at only $600, you can afford to toss/sell it and get, say, a 8600gt, from Newegg like this one.Posts: 1945 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:Originally posted by 777: As to the question of Why NVIDIA--I chose NVIDIA because I have no idea how relatively powerful the different ATI cards are. Here's an idea: tell me, what is the ATI card that has the same capabilities as an NVIDIA 6800?
posted
No monitor. And from the look of things, I'm going to have to cut down on the budget considerably.
Now it's in the $300-500 range. I'm willing to spend approximately $100 more than this if I really have to--it all just depends on whether or not I get a story or two published this summer.
Feel free to cut down on my system goals; just tell me what I can expect in this new range. I'm not really hoping for the best, now.
Posts: 292 | Registered: Jun 2006
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In that range you really can't get much more than the absolute bottom of the barrel dell. It probably won't game well at all, but make sure you can install a video card later. The entry Dells tend to come without expansion slots for video cards.
Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
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There's a Gateway machine at Circuit City which is going for $499 on special this week and which is a good deal for that price.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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Yeah, at that price range, your local Circuit City or Best Buy will probably be your best bet.
Posts: 1945 | Registered: Jul 2005
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But seriously- I would go and shop around at your local retailers- see either what you can get on a bundle on a desktop. Or you could get a cheap laptop. The one I got was regularly 779- I got it for 629 w/ a 30 dollar rebate for 599. And I plan on doing some gaming with it.
That way you don't have to worry about the monitor. And you're not limited to a dorm room or anything like that- free to move around campus as need be.
Posts: 980 | Registered: Aug 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Shawshank: But seriously- I would go and shop around at your local retailers- see either what you can get on a bundle on a desktop. Or you could get a cheap laptop. The one I got was regularly 779- I got it for 629 w/ a 30 dollar rebate for 599. And I plan on doing some gaming with it.
That way you don't have to worry about the monitor. And you're not limited to a dorm room or anything like that- free to move around campus as need be.
You also don't have to worry about...oh...ever being able to upgrade anything beyond RAM Which is something you really want if you're getting an inexpensive computer now with a desire to play games.
Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
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If you don't have your heart set on an LCD, you might also look around at used/refurbished monitors. In Portland, there's a computer recycling charity called Free Geek which sells used monitors in their thrift shop for $20 or so.
Posts: 3826 | Registered: May 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Shawshank: Actually Boris- my laptop came with 1 GB of RAM- expandable up to 4GB.
Thanks though!
I said, "beyond RAM"...as in, that's the only thing in a laptop you *can* upgrade
quote:Originally posted by TomDavidson: Boris, you aren't helping.
Yes I am Kinda. Seriously, if you're on that much of a budget now, it doesn't hurt to have an eye for future upgradeability.
Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
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This is pretty good for a dual-core system. The GeForce 6100 isn't going to make any waves, but it will probably get you through most earlier games. And it has a PCI express slot for later video upgrade (though the 250w power supply would quite certainly need to be upgraded as well.)
Posts: 3826 | Registered: May 2005
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Check out this article. It is a bit more expensive than what you are looking for, but it does give you an idea of what kind of components to expect in a low end system.
Posts: 145 | Registered: Apr 2007
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This is pretty good for a dual-core system. The GeForce 6100 isn't going to make any waves, but it will probably get you through most earlier games. And it has a PCI express slot for later video upgrade (though the 250w power supply would quite certainly need to be upgraded as well.)
It doesn't come with a monitor.
Posts: 1945 | Registered: Jul 2005
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OK, i was going to make a new thread, but i saw this and i guess i can just add on here. im in almost the same boat as 777. Im a college student who needs something for school work and projects, as well as gaming. the only difference is that i need a laptop. what is the best i can get, while still trying to be thrifty.
Posts: 813 | Registered: Nov 1999
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If thrifty is more paramount than gaming, you can meet your needs for $750. That'd be a core duo, a gig of ram, and not bottom of the pile.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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hmm, well i want to try supreme commander. its the spiritual sequel to my all time favorite RTS game. i dont know the requirements for the game, but i have heard theya re kind of hefty.
EDIT: playing with dell.com and wondering about a couple of things.
1. what is the difference between a "glossy" and "anti-glare" screen?
2. For wireless networks, what is the difference between a 1390 802.11g and a 3945 802.11a/g?
LOL, i just finished making my semi-dream laptop and started with the 2nd cheapest model. the price went up to $1,736. hahaha, so much for that one.
posted
1. The anti-glare is the oh so awesome matte screen I'd thought laptop manufacturers had completely stopped making - at least for home/home office computers. The image produced is technically not as clear as that on a glossy screen, but they still do the job decently enough. Plus, they're easier to clean, and you don't have that nasty reflection.
2. I believe one is the Dell branded adapter and one is the Intel. What you'll want is the "g" anyway, and either Dell's or Intel's will do the job just fine. Go with the cheapest.
Posts: 1945 | Registered: Jul 2005
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You will not be able to play supreme commander reasonably on any laptop under $1500, and I'd really go at least $2000.
I'm not sure about anti-glare, but I suspect its just a minor variant on matte. A glossy screen is glossy.
There are (currently) three consumer wireless standards of note, a, b, and g. B is older and has less bandwidth. G is on the same frequencies as B, but has a lot more bandwidth. A is on a different set of frequencies and has a similar amount of bandwidth to G. Usually g cards can connect to b routers. G/B is more popular, but tends to have a lot of signal pollution, so A is usually better if you find it. A card that does A/G or A/G/B is better than one that just does G.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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I'm also trying to put together a new computer. I'm looking at buying the parts on New Egg and assembling it myself (though likely with some help).
I did some research to check that they're compatible, but I'm only semi-confident. If you know otherwise, it'd be really helpful, as would be any other comments or concerns.
Thanks in advance.
Posts: 2907 | Registered: Nov 2005
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quote:Originally posted by NotMe: Check out this article. It is a bit more expensive than what you are looking for, but it does give you an idea of what kind of components to expect in a low end system.
Along those lines, there is Ars May Budget box which is in the range, with $250 or so left for a video card of your choice.
Posts: 7593 | Registered: Sep 2006
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fugu13: Since you seem up-to-date, whats the deal with this wireless *N* hardware that seems to also be floating around?
Posts: 7593 | Registered: Sep 2006
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Sterling: check out the shipping for a CRT monitor and you'll see why the price is but $5
802.11n is the next generation beyond a/g. It can utilize either frequency range, and uses multiple antennas to achieve much faster theoretical speeds (and a greater distance). It is not yet a standard, but people are starting to release hardware because the standard seems pretty much set.
In many cases with a relatively controlled environment 802.11n will be great, but for a long while I expect it won't be such a great thing in many areas (though clients will probably have somewhat clearer signals just due to multiple channels, at least while most other clients are still b or g. Mmm, tragedy of the commons) because of frequency pollution.
I would personally avoid an n card right now if given the option, though I don't think it would be a big deal. I think the card would probably be compatible with the standard when its finalized, because that doesn't change much, but I'd be wary of the drivers and the flakiness of the hardware, it being a moderately large departure from a/b/g.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Juxtapose: I'm also trying to put together a new computer. I'm looking at buying the parts on New Egg and assembling it myself (though likely with some help).
I did some research to check that they're compatible, but I'm only semi-confident. If you know otherwise, it'd be really helpful, as would be any other comments or concerns.
Thanks in advance.
Good stuff. Just one suggestion: Get a retail power supply. Those that come with cases typically don't last longer than 3 months, 6 if you're lucky.
Posts: 1945 | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:Originally posted by fugu13: Sterling: check out the shipping for a CRT monitor and you'll see why the price is but $5
802.11n is the next generation beyond a/g. It can utilize either frequency range, and uses multiple antennas to achieve much faster theoretical speeds (and a greater distance). It is not yet a standard, but people are starting to release hardware because the standard seems pretty much set.
In many cases with a relatively controlled environment 802.11n will be great, but for a long while I expect it won't be such a great thing in many areas (though clients will probably have somewhat clearer signals just due to multiple channels, at least while most other clients are still b or g. Mmm, tragedy of the commons) because of frequency pollution.
I would personally avoid an n card right now if given the option, though I don't think it would be a big deal. I think the card would probably be compatible with the standard when its finalized, because that doesn't change much, but I'd be wary of the drivers and the flakiness of the hardware, it being a moderately large departure from a/b/g.
In it's current state, 802.11n is widely considered a flop. Draft 1 (The first revision of the standard) is very likely not going to be completely compatible with the final specifications. Signal penetration on 11n gear is actually worse than 802.11g. In a perfect environment and with line of site, N has a longer range and almost 5 times the speed, but the signal is too easily absorbed and deflected to be used at full strength *right now*.
Also, to clarify some things about the difference between a/b/g/n, A does run at the same speeds as G, but it runs at 5000mhz, which means the signal effectively gets absorbed by...anything. There's less frequency pollution, yes, but it's really only good in line of site applications. There are other problems I've heard of but can't remember. B runs at a much lower frequency (2400mhz range). The problem with this is that this range is already over-utilized. Everything from garage door openers to microwave ovens can interrupt signal at 2400mhz. The other major disadvantage of B is speed. It runs about 1/5 the speed of A and G. G is basically a combination of A and B. It combined the speed advantages of A with the frequency and range of B. A/G cards started using both frequencies (Usually with more antennae to increase the strength of the transmission so it can travel further and carry more data) to transmit signal. This increased range and speed. This is kind of a between step from G to N, since N isn't really ready for prime time yet. If you are considering getting an N card or router, wait a while until they start coming out with Draft 2.0 equipment. 802.11n Draft 2.0 is supposed to be fully compatible with the final spec, which is schedule to be released sometime in late 2008.
So yeah. All that was excessively technical and probably a little hard to understand, but I'm bored and stir crazy from being stuck in my apartment for a week cause of my stupid appendix Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Juxtapose: I'm also trying to put together a new computer. I'm looking at buying the parts on New Egg and assembling it myself (though likely with some help).
I did some research to check that they're compatible, but I'm only semi-confident. If you know otherwise, it'd be really helpful, as would be any other comments or concerns.
Thanks in advance.
If you can get into the BIOSTAR website and get the documentation for that motherboard you should get a better idea of RAM compatibility. It's actually very very rare these days for a computer to not work because of hardware incompatibility (aside from, you know, using DDR1 ram in a DDR2 board...which I've seen. And it scared me that that person said he could build a good computer ). But, motherboard manufacturers are known to test memory for compatibility and they usually publish that information in the user's manual for each motherboard. Usually the results are more of a "This RAM works better than that RAM" type thing. The comment about the power supply is very very valid. You really don't want to spend less than 50 dollars on a power supply. If you do, make sure it runs above 500W. Cause those things break down FAST and that 500W ceiling will quickly drop down to about 350W or less. No idea why it works like that, really, aside from the possible use of substandard power transformers inside the power supplies. Power supply rule of thumb: Heavier Power Supply = Better power supply.
Posts: 3003 | Registered: Oct 2004
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Thanks for the tips guys. I've actually had pretty good luck with stock power supplies, but I'll check to see what new egg is offering.
A friend of mine actually pointed out that the memory I'd picked out wasn't compatible (I needed DDR2 800 to match my MoBo), and directed me to one that would work.
Posts: 2907 | Registered: Nov 2005
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Yeah, wireless is tons of fun. Which is best very much depends on the practical application in question.
For instance, at a recent PyCon, 802.11a gave me superior connectivity pretty much all the time (and while there wasn't always line of sight, the barriers tended to be thin). This was partly because there were relatively few of us (though apparently a surprising number) using 802.11a, while approximately an order of magnitude more were using b or g. And the b people plus ambient junk pretty much ruined it for the (similar to a number of) g people.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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You probably won't want to spend this much on a psu, but a lot of people (particularly Dell pc owners) swear by PC Power & Cooling power supplies. The main reason, aside from how long they last, is that when they say "500 watts" they're actually talking about the mean rather than the absolute peak.
Posts: 1945 | Registered: Jul 2005
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![[Mad]](mad.gif)
) I'll be paying for this one--my parents bought me the laptop for school.
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![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Which is something you really want if you're getting an inexpensive computer now with a desire to play games.
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). But, motherboard manufacturers are known to test memory for compatibility and they usually publish that information in the user's manual for each motherboard. Usually the results are more of a "This RAM works better than that RAM" type thing. The comment about the power supply is very very valid. You really don't want to spend less than 50 dollars on a power supply. If you do, make sure it runs above 500W. Cause those things break down FAST and that 500W ceiling will quickly drop down to about 350W or less. No idea why it works like that, really, aside from the possible use of substandard power transformers inside the power supplies. Power supply rule of thumb: Heavier Power Supply = Better power supply.
