Hey well my computer died (Well its just a fried mobo/ram but this is the THIRD Time..a dell -.-) So im getting a new one this time completely different. My specs are going to be this: X2 +4400 Dual Cofe (1MB Cache x 2) 2 GB RAM 2x 160-250GB SATA Drives 1 7800 GT 256MB Video Card Thats the meat of the system obviously there are other components etc. I've been researching around and settled between ABS, Systemax, VigorGaming, and VelocityMicro. Can anyone offer advice on the pros/cons of each of these companies? I'm looking for a good gaming/graphics development PC. I'm of course open to suggestions of other companies. Note - Im budgeting this at maximum 2500 preferably more towards 2000 $ though.
You could save yourself some money and build it yourself, it's really quite easy, just a few precautions to take and you should be fine. Here's a few sites to help get you started on learning how to build your own rig: http://www.techdrive.net/ http://www.buildyourowncomputer.net/learntobuild.html http://www.buildyourown.org.uk/ Not only does building your own mean you don't pay for someone else do something that can be relatively simple, but you get the satisfaction of knowing you built it and it's your 'creation'.
Hell, if you build it yourself, you can have dual 7800GT's, and over 500GB of storage space, plus the 2GB of RAM and the X2 4400 for under $2500. But, I believe, between them, VelocityMicro is probably your best bet. I haven't dealt with the company myself (as I build my own), but the reviews seem to be pretty good. I know pretty much nothing else, aside from the name of the other ones.
Motherboard - ASUS A8N-SLI Premium - $166.99 CPU - AMD Athlon X2 4400+ - $470.00 RAM - G.Skill Extreme Series 2 x 1GB 2-3-2-5 DDR400 $194.00 GPU - 2 x XFX 7800GT 256MB - $289.00 x 2 HDD - 2 x WD Caviar 300GB SATA 7200RPM 8MB Cache $120.50 x 2 Optical Drive - Plextor DVD+/-RW DL 8MB Cache - $148.99 Sound Card - Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum - $185.00 PSU - Seasonic 600W PSU - $153.99 Case - Antec Performance TX TX1050B Black Computer Case - $124.99 Total = $2262.96 That case comes with a PSU which would probably be okay for what you need, Antec make good units but I'm not sure of the exact model so you might wan to stick with the Seasonic Unit that's in that list. Also I've listed 300GB drives, that would be more than enough so you could save a little money there if you drop down to something with less storage space. That there would be the basis of a nice system...(gotta ad S&H, cables, fans etc)
Woah thanks for all that saved me tons of time (I was browsing newegg to lol). Is the RAM trustable? I've never heard of GSkill.
G. Skill make some awesome RAM, it's good for overclocking, if you want you could always go with another company, that's just a list as a basis really, something like that would be good.
This is quite similar to what's been posted previously, but it's something to consider as well. Motherboard: Asus A8N-SLI $122 CPU: Athlon64 X2 4400+ $470 RAM: Corsair XMS 2GB (2x1GB) PC3200 $231 Video Cards: XFX GeForce 7800GT 256MB ($289 x 2) $578 Hard Drive 1: Western Digital Raptor 150GB 10,00RPM $286 Hard Drive 2: Western Digital 400GB 7200RPM $203 Optical Drive: Plextor PX740A-SW/BL DVDRW/CDRW $79.99 Sound Card: Creative X-Fi Platinum $185 Power Supply: Enermax EG701AX 600W $148.99 Case: CoolerMaster Praetorian PAC-T01-E1 $108.50 Total: $2,412.48 (+Tax for CA/NJ residents) + Shipping The A8N-SLI I had is the same motherboard as the A8N-SLI Premium, minus an extensive set of accessories and the heatpipe cooling. If you're looking for a silent system (or near silent), the Premium model might be worth it if you have decent airflow through the case. I'm suggesting two hard drives instead of going with a RAID solution. The 10,000RPM drive will help with professional development, while the 400GB one can offer a large amount of storage space. Corsair is more expensive than G.Skill, but they've been in the game a long time, and are highly regarded. If you don't want them, the G.Skill suggested shouldn't be a problem. You may also want to check out Patriot, Mushkin, Crucial and OCZ brands as well. The Seasonic suggested and the Enermax I suggest are pretty much the same in terms of specs. Enermax has been around longer, and is a proven company. Seasonic's been around a few years and has been under the radar, but what I've heard they do have quite units. I use an Enermax 535W that's quiet, but this is subjective. Either way, you're looking at a few bucks difference between them, and both will be good units for your needs.
