I need your help with this computer specs query:

[ClaytonN]

Okay, about to graduate soon and one of my father's friends has recently offered to give her computer to me. She's extra cool and is very well off thanks to selling her business. Anyways:

My dad, mom, and I struck a deal of doing 33% each investment on a computer for graduation, so it's about $500 on my part. However, if I get this computer, that means it will cost $0. And that's obviously great.

But, how good are these specs? Supposedly this was Dell's top of the line 18 months ago:

Intel Pentium 4
3.05 gHz
256 MB Ram
80 gigs HD
19" flat screen monitor
ATI vid card

1) How good is this?
2) What other specs to I need to list out here?

[mason55]

It's a good computer. You're going to need more RAM for it, you can get a GB for less than $200.


If you're planning on playing games then the type of ATI card will make a big difference.

Edit: If you download or rip a lot of movies/music you'll want a much bigger hard drive, again, not too much money for that.

[ClaytonN]

I'm not a PC gamer like I used to, I just plan on studying and playing poker. That, plus songs.

[mason55]

Then make it a GB of ram and throw in a 250GB hard drive. You'll have a great machine.

[ClaytonN]

And this will cost what, assuming I go for a bargain?

I have to analyze what's better, adding $250 of upgrades to this machine or putting $500 into a new machine.

[mason55]

You'll probably spend right around $250. So that's half the cost and you'll get about what you could get for $1500, maybe a little better. Plus you'll save your parents some money, maybe you can have them give you half of what they would have spent or help out with the upgrades? Either way it's nice to do a little for your parents.

[Freakin]

Ram upgrade is essential, harddrive you can add later when you fill up the current one. Looking at under $150 for the RAM upgrade. If you pay less than $100 for your RAM, you bought stuff thats too cheap. Look for stuff on newegg.com thats a matched set of DIMMS (So 1GB (2x512)). Crucial, Mushkin, Corsair are all good. Don't get anything generic and unbranded.

I got a 160GB harddrive about 4 months ago for $40 after rebate, so you won't have to spend too much on that in the future (thats IF you fill up the current drive).

Freakin