Well, I've really gotten into PC gaming lately. The only problem is my computer is an extremely basic Dimension 3000 desktop, with integrated graphics and no PCI Express slot (so no hopes of upgrading). I've looked at PCs sold by big brand names, and they give you almost no options for customization, so I was attracted to a site called http://cyberpowerpc.com. It gives you the option to customize every single aspect of the PC. But as good as this sounds, it's a bit of a problem for me. I know almost nothing about hardware, and I'm a bit confused by some things on the site. I've also never had to go from one PC to another before, so I could use some advice on that, too. Here's what I've chosen and my various concerns... CASE: ($20 off Mail-in Rebate) NEW! Apevia X-Jupiter Jr. 420 Watts Case (G Type Metallic Gray Color with Side-Window) This was the default case for the machine I'm looking at. Does the case make any difference, or is it just cosmetic? CPU: (Quad-Core)Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.4GHz 1066FSB 8MB L2 Cache 64-bit I don't see any problems here... Do you? MOTHERBOARD: (Quad-Core FSB1333) Asus P5N-E nForce 650i SLI Chipset LGA775 FSB1333 DDR2 Mainboard I really have no clue what I'm looking for in a motherboard, so I left it at the default. MEMORY: (Req.DDR2 MainBoard)2GB (2x1GB) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory (Corsair Value Select or Major Brand) This was the default. VIDEO CARD: NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS 256MB 16X PCI Express (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA) I upgraded a bit from the default. I've heard good things about this card. VIDEO CARD 2: NONE I'm assuming this would be for the SLI thingy. Am I going to kick myself later down the road if I don't get a second card? LCD Monitor: NONE Already got a monitor. HARD DRIVE: Single Hard Drive (250GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 8MB Cache 7200RPM HDD) 250GB sounds like more than I'd need in a lifetime. Data Hard Drive: NONE What? You mean there's a hard drive and a DATA hard drive? What's this one for? Optical Drive: (Special Price) 18X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER (BLACK COLOR) So, um, what's an optical drive? Is it just the disc drive or what? Optical Drive 2: NONE If that's what it is, I'm assuming I don't need a second one. SOUND: 3D WAVE ON-BOARD 5.1 SOUND CARD I've got an SB Audigy on my current machine, so I'll just put that in. FLASH MEDIA READER/WRITER: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer No clue what it is, but it's only 3 bucks... Why not... CABLE WIRING: Professional Wiring for All WIRINGs Inside The System Chasis with High Performance Thermal Compound on CPU Does this mean that they assemble everything for you? Because that sounds good. OS: NONE - FORMAT HARD DRIVE ONLY Now here's a major hanging point. As I said before, I have never bought a PC other than my first one, so I've never experienced switching over. Do I just get it with a blank HD and stick my old XP disc in, or would it be better to spend the $90 on getting the PC with a new copy of XP already on it? So... could someone take a look at that and point out anything I may regret buying? Any problems with cyberpowerpc? Anything else I should know? Thanks!
Ok, what's going on here? There were about 4 other posts here, including a second one by me. I've got an e-mail saying there was a reply by donkey42, so I know I wasn't imagining anything... What happened to them? And thanks, donkey42. I got the reply in the e-mail.
