Help Me Build My New Computer

[Dynasty]

For a few reasons, I'm getting a new desktop computer. I'm good at using software but my hardware knowledge is rather weak. So, I could use some advice.

The primary uses of my computer over the next few years should be:

1. Playing online poker
2. Net surfing
3. Excel and occassional Word use
4. Occasional games

I went into Office Depot and got a price of $1,377.30 for a new Compaq Presario 8000T w/ Intel P4 HT Processor. Here are the details.

Processor: 3.0 GHz(HT) Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4
Operating System: Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Home Edition
Memory: 512 MB DDR/PC3200 (2 DIMM)
Hard Drive: 160 GB 7200 rpm Ultra DMA Hard Drive
CD or DVD Drive: 48x max hp CD-Writer Drive (48x24x48)
Keyboard and Mouse: Compaq Home Professional Keyboard and Opt Mouse
Front Access Ports: Front USB, Firewire and Audio Ports
Sound Card: Integrated 5.1 Capable Sound w/ Front Audio ports
Video Card: 256MB DDR NVIDIA GeForceFX(TM) 5500, DVI& TV-Out
Monitor: CV7500 17in. CRT Display
Removable Storage: 1.44 MB Floppy Drive
Speakers: Altec-Lansing 221 2.1 Speakers
Business Productivity: Microsoft(R) Works 7.0/Money2004/MSN Encarta Plus

Any advice on where I can downgrade and save money as well as upgrading to meet my needs is very helpful.

It should be noted that I intend to have two monitors attached to this computer for multi-table online poker.

[MMMMMM]

Yay Dynasty! I've been wondering the same thing.

Curious also what upgrades I should get if I want to play high-intensity graphics games as well, and if there is any type of hard disk that permits much faster access than the usual...

[Clarkmeister]

You are getting cable modem, right?

[MarkD]

Alright, I'm going to do this from memory but that machine is overpriced for sure. Also, Compaq computers have been rated very low in terms of reliability for home computers. My sister has a compaq that was [censored] (needed new motherboard, hard drive, etc.)

Go to Dell and check prices there if you want a pre-built computer. In 10 minutes I priced out this system with the same amount of ram, similar video card, 2 monitors (1 15" LCD and 1 19" CRT) and a few other options for $1468.

EDIT: If you notice this machine has both a DVD rom and a DVD writer (I didn't research the modes it supports). If you want a cd-writer I'd just remove the dvd-rom when it comes and go buy an OEM cd-writer from your local computer shop for like $25. Anyhow, I also agree with boris about good speakers which means you should probably scrap the speakers that comes with the computer and buy some better ones (Klipsh for example).

If you want the best bang for your buck you should build your own, but if you want pre-built Dell is the only way that I would go.
----------------------------------------------------------
Dell Dimension 8300 Series Pentium® 4 Processor with HT Technology 3GHz w/800MHz FSB SP308H [221-2452] 1
Operating System Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition WHXP [420-1921][313-7222][412-0409] 11
Memory 512MB Dual Channel DDR SDRAM at 400MHz (2x256M) 512M4 [311-3001] 3
Keyboard Dell ® Quietkey ® Keyboard QK [310-1582] 4
Monitors FREE UPGRADE! 15 in (15.0 in viewable) E152FPb Flat Panel Display E152FPP [462-7966] 5
Video Card New 128MB DDR GeForce FX 5200 Graphics Card with TV-Out and DVI 128FX52 [320-3751] 6
Hard Drive 80GB Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive (7200 RPM) 80 [341-0835] 8
Floppy Drive and Additional Storage Devices 3.5 in Floppy Drive FD [340-8628] 10
Mouse Dell™ Optical USB Mouse OM [310-4037] 12
Network Interface Integrated Intel® PRO 10/100 Ethernet IN [430-0412] 13
Modem 56K PCI Data/Fax Modem DFAX [313-2279] 14
CD orDVD Drive Dual Drives: 16x DVD-ROM Drive + FREE UPGRADE! 8x DVD+RW Drive DVD8DVP [462-7704][313-2559][430-0594][462-7813] 16
Sound Card Integrated 5.1 Channel Audio IS [313-2758] 17
Speakers Dell A425 Speakers w/Subwoofer A425 [313-2134] 18
Productivity Software Productivity Pack including WordPerfect® and Money® COREL [412-0395][412-0551][412-0555] 22
Security Software McAfee Security Center w/VirusScan, Firewall and Privacy, 90-day trial MCAFE90 [412-0632] 25
Digital Music Dell Jukebox powered by MUSICMATCH MMBASE [412-0516] 27
Digital Photography Dell Picture Studio, Paint Shop Pro Trial, Photo Album Starter Edition DPS [412-0521] 28
Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options 1 Year Limited Warranty plus 1 Year At-Home Service S111OS [950-1260][950-3337][950-9797][412-0360] 29
Dial-Up Internet Access 6 Months America Online Internet Access Included AOLDHS [420-3224][412-0625][412-0587] 37
Multi-Media Players RealOne™ Player, with 14 day SuperPass trial REALBAS [412-0380] 40
Optional Second Monitor 19 in (18.0 in viewable) M992 CRT Monitor M992 [320-3826] 45
Dell Media Experience Dell Media Experience™ DMX [412-0519] 115
Dual Monitor Support DVI-VGA Adapter to connect 2 CRT Monitors to dual capable Video Card 2TI4600 [320-0456] 130

ACCESSORIES

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None selected Qty 1
Unit Price $0.00

TOTAL: $1,468.00

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[Boris]

1. For the desktop make sure that you have at least three USB ports and look for a model that has ports in the front. I would trade multiple USB ports for one firewire port.

2. upgrade to one flat panel LCD display. I play multi table with one screen and it works just fine for me. Trust me though when I tell you that LCD is far, far better than the CRT. The LCD is easier on your eyes and you will save lots and lots of space. It is also much easier to move around. With an LCD you can also adjust the background brightness to the "perfect" level for you. You will feel much better after sitting in front of the computer for hours at a time.

3. I wouldn't sacrifice on the audio. Internet radio is great and so is having your entire cd collection on your hard drive.

4. You will survive just fine without the floppy drive. A USB Flash memory stick is much more convenient.

[MarkD]

For high intensity graphics games the best investment is a top of the line video card. If you can wait a few months the next generation of video cards are coming out so this generation will drop in price.

Last I checked the top ATI cards are performing better than the top Nvidia cards at the moment so I would look at a ATI 9800 / 9700. There are various models that you will want to check benchmarks on and determine if the price / performance is worth it.

For hard drives the newest way to go is "Serial ATA". Instead of that big wide cable for your hard drive now it's just a little thin single wire and is a bit faster. The fastest drive I know of atm (and I haven't researched the benchmarks) would be the Western Digital SATA 10,000 RPM drive. Most non-scsi drives are 7200 RPM.

[MarkD]

Also, I only priced this system because it was about the same price as the one you quoted. You can quite easily get a much cheaper system that will suit your needs.

Go to www.arstechnica.com (http://www.arstechnica.com) and check the system guides and look at the lower model ones.

[Sooga]

Yuck Yuck yuck yuck yuck.

I would really stay away from 'brand' computers, since a lot of them come with crapola onboard or other proprietary stuff that is a pain to replace or remove. Go to a computer superstore or online and just buy parts yourself. I'm not sure how much you know about buying parts, but you can probably find an out-of-work computer nerd around you to do it for a nominal fee. My mom bought a Compaq and that thing was the biggest piece of garbage I've ever used.

Mark


[ QUOTE ]
For a few reasons, I'm getting a new desktop computer. I'm good at using software but my hardware knowledge is rather weak. So, I could use some advice.

The primary uses of my computer over the next few years should be:

1. Playing online poker
2. Net surfing
3. Excel and occassional Word use
4. Occasional games

I went into Office Depot and got a price of $1,377.30 for a new Compaq Presario 8000T w/ Intel P4 HT Processor. Here are the details.

Processor: 3.0 GHz(HT) Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4
Operating System: Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Home Edition
Memory: 512 MB DDR/PC3200 (2 DIMM)
Hard Drive: 160 GB 7200 rpm Ultra DMA Hard Drive
CD or DVD Drive: 48x max hp CD-Writer Drive (48x24x48)
Keyboard and Mouse: Compaq Home Professional Keyboard and Opt Mouse
Front Access Ports: Front USB, Firewire and Audio Ports
Sound Card: Integrated 5.1 Capable Sound w/ Front Audio ports
Video Card: 256MB DDR NVIDIA GeForceFX(TM) 5500, DVI& TV-Out
Monitor: CV7500 17in. CRT Display
Removable Storage: 1.44 MB Floppy Drive
Speakers: Altec-Lansing 221 2.1 Speakers
Business Productivity: Microsoft(R) Works 7.0/Money2004/MSN Encarta Plus

Any advice on where I can downgrade and save money as well as upgrading to meet my needs is very helpful.

It should be noted that I intend to have two monitors attached to this computer for multi-table online poker.

[/ QUOTE ]

[Nepa]

Save yourself alot of trouble. Goto www.dell.com (http://www.dell.com) and built your system there.

P.S. I work in the computer field

[illunious]

For online poker, displays should be your #1 priority.

If you plan on playing 5+ tables (or are multitasking while playing less tables), two 19+" 1600x1200 resolution displays (and a dual output video card) are worth their weight in gold.

Online poker, net surfing and excel/word use are not really an issue with any bottom-of-the line $500 PC.

You can go to extravagent lengths when you get into any of the latest 3d games, but honestly, if you buy any year+ old game, it will run on any cheap newer system.

Spend your money on the displays, the desk, the chair, the headphones, the internet connection, the KB and mouse. If you plan on spending hours in front of your computer, these things are far more important than the box.

[Ray Zee]

i will be in the market for a new one soon. in the past i went to the computer store locally and had them build one up for me based on what i would use it for. let them make the decission as an uninformed person will not know really what is right. but my next one will be from cosco. why is that. because even though they have compac and e-machines and such. their policy of being able to take back no questions asked for six months, but really a year or more, is the deciding factor. if it acts up or breaks just take it back and get another or your money back. its a no brainer. if you play games and need a good video card make sure the one is not proprietary in that machine or is a fast enough one for you. most of the other stuff will all be fast enough for all except the hard users.. no waiting for dell on the phone for two hours or sending it in and waiting.

[MMMMMM]

Thanks for the good info., Mark. And waiting a few months is more or less my projected time frame anyway, so everything might fall into place rather nicely.

[Jim Kuhn]

Depending on the games you will play you may be just fine with an el cheapo emachines for $489 from Best Buy. If the games are graphics intensive you may want a better quality computer or at least morer RAM, a better video card, etc.

[bugstud]

Just to echo other posters...Dell rules. Generally free shipping, no sales tax and good support fit the bill for me. See if you can catch a LCD sale, get two 20" so you can watch DVDs on one and play 4 tables on the other.

I would stay far, far away from emachines, when you use parts that failed the quality testing...you get what you pay for

[Mike Gallo]

Dynasty,

I upgraded to a Dell during Christmas time.

Check out the website.

[TylerD]

Just bought myself a new Dell and I am very happy. If you want to save a buck or two check out some of the auctions on E-Bay, thats where I got mine. There are some VERY reputable sellers selling NEW Dell machines with a full year's warranty.

[David Steele]

I third or fourth the Dell suggestion, I have been happy with a couple orders from them.

I wouldn't t bother with the stock 17" CRT, get at least a 17" flat screen, if you get a 20" you can play a lot of tables on the one screen. Ideal would be 1600x1200 21".

I would consider getting a lower model, say a Dell Dimension and then put the extra money into a larger flat screen. You don't have to get the very fastest processor either, 80% is usually a lot cheaper and you won't notice the speed diff.

I would get good audio for music but don't bother with the subwoofer type arrangements ( unrealistic base response ) unless you want that for games. A good pair of stereo speakers is all you will need.

ADSL or Cable I assume you have already.

D.

[citanul]

I think a few people are skipping over his intended use:
1. Playing online poker
2. Net surfing
3. Excel and occassional Word use
4. Occasional games

For 1, Just make sure you've got a good internet hookup and a monitor you can look at without damaging your eyes, as well as a graphics card that can handle more than one monitor. Online poker doesn't tax any system at all. So cable modem/dsl, make sure you have an ethernet chord/wireless card, but you probably have that on your soon to be deceased computer. As for monitor, lcd better than crt. Bigger is better, buy what you feel like, but 17" lcds are not too expensive and getting two wouldn't be ridiculous. You can usually get the 19" samsungs (191T+) I think, for about $600 a pop, and two of them is a great setup for almost anything.

Netsurfingwise, you'll be satisfied with any computer that anyone will sell you. The same is generally true with excel and word. If you have very large excel sheets/hard computations you're doing, you may need some processing kick, but that too will generally be fine with anything anyone will sell you at this point.

Gaming-wise, well, if you play high end games, you'll need a high end graphics card, and lcd monitors honestly aren't the very best in this area, crts are. There's a lot of GeForce v. Radeon debate, but they'll both do you fine if you're not a "professional" gamer or whathaveyou.

So basically,
Any reasonably fast processor, any amount of ram 512mb and over, a dual monitor graphics card, possibly one with some kick to it, depending on if you play high end or low end games, an ethernet card, 2 monitors, floppy drive who cares, cd drive/dvd drive, doesn't really matter, nor does the sound card unless you intend to have stereo quality sound or care incredibly about your video game sound, but in general, you can do fine with things they build in.

It looks like you can get a very reasonable deal at Dell these days, and while I am a build it yourselfer, I highly recommend their stuff.

The best way in general to save some money is to use things from the computer you are getting rid of. Chances are you already have an optical mouse, at least one monitor you're fine with, and depending on your adventurousness, an ethernet card you can strip out, etc.

Good luck,

citanul

[ericd]

Buy a Dell Dimension 4600. You can't beat their price/performance. I have bought a few dozen (I do this at work) and thus far they have been 100% reliable.

Based upon your post I am making the following assumptions:
1. You are not a heaving duty gamer who needs the most powerful graphics.
2. Having the software installed at the factory and ready to go is attractive to you.
3. If hardware upgrades are needed in the future, you will find a friend or pay someone to do them for you.

To buy one, just go to dell.com and choose small business. This is better than home since you are not stuck with as much unneeded stuff. They usually change their prices/offers on Wednesdays however the one now is okay (not great). Once there, choose all desktop offers, Dimension 4600 and then customize.

Without a monitor, it will come to about $1100. This is after subtracting the rebate and adding back the sales tax. As for features, I'd choose:

1. 2.8 P4 with 800MHz FSB
2. Microsoft Home Edition
3. Basic Audio
4. Microsoft Office Basic
5. If you want a CDRW then choose the Recordnow software
6. NVIDIA video
7. Select no ISP unless you use one of their choices (helps remove clutter)
8. 1yr basic plan service agreement

As for monitors Dell prices and quality are pretty good. However, Walmart has an Microtek 18 LCD for $400. I know Microtek makes good scanners but I don't know the quality of their monitors. I plan on buying one soon and testing it out but that does you no good now.

I assume I left someting out or was unclear somewhere along the way. Please let me know if you have any questions.

I hope this helps.

Eric

[BeerMoney]

Dude, you shouldn't be spending more than 700-800 on a desktop.

[Chris Daddy Cool]

Dell DVD drives have a nasty habit of suddenly not working. At least mine does. /images/graemlins/mad.gif

[snakehead]

I recently bought something similar to what you are looking at. I bought it from dell, for about $1150 after rebate. I got a 200 gig hd and a 1 gig of ram for that price. mine has the gforce video card, and it is already set up for two monitors.

my last computer was a compaq, and I was never satisfied with the support or the computer.

[DiamondDave]

Don't get a Compaq.

[MarkD]

Dell waranty is good.

[Duke]

[ QUOTE ]
Save yourself alot of trouble. Goto www.dell.com (http://www.dell.com) and built your system there.

P.S. I work in the computer field

[/ QUOTE ]

You must work for Dell, then. Their hardware is trash.

~D

[Stu Pidasso]

[ QUOTE ]
The primary uses of my computer over the next few years should be:

1. Playing online poker
2. Net surfing
3. Excel and occassional Word use
4. Occasional games

I went into Office Depot and got a price of $1,377.30

[/ QUOTE ]

Those are pretty much my same uses, and heres what I decided to do when I recently bought a new desktop.

I bought a $399 e-machine and it works great. In 18 months I will donate that computer to charity for the tax write off and buy another $399 e-machine that is 2x better than my last one. I'll keep that machine for 18 months and then donate it to charity and get another e-machine that is 4x better than my original.

It works great becuase:

A) I only occasionally play games, and I won't pay more than $29 for a game. So far my e-machine appears adequately powered to play all the games at the $29 price point.

B)I get the tax write offs

C)I am earning interest/dividends on the money I haven't yet spent

D)It cost less than $1377 and after 3 years I have a way better computer than what $1377 can buy today.

I did incur and aditional expense of $70 for a dual monitor video card but I should be able to use that card in the next two computers I buy.

Stu

[Stu Pidasso]

I bought a Dell laptop so I could play online poker when I travel. I got the one with a 15inch UXGA screen so I could play 4 tables with no overlap. It works great.

If your planning on buying a Dell. Order it throught the internet and they will not charge you sales tax.

Stu

[slavic]

no waiting for dell on the phone for two hours or sending it in and waiting.

I'm an all Dell shop, they come to the Casa to make repairs no waiting. However!!!!! if you don't have a good bit of computer knowledge talking to their tech support can be frustrating.

[slavic]

who cares what's in the box.

You need 2 of these for monitors.

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-1578&category_id=4009

Run as many tables as you want. Currently 2 tables with trackers and of course I have IE up to read this website.

[Mano]

Sounds like a decent system, although Compaq is usually a little pricier than other brands (I have had good luck with Dell machines - good quality and performance for the price). On a component by component basis:

Processor: 3.0 GHz(HT) Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4
Pretty standard for a new computer. All the horsepower you need (for what you are doing you could get by on less).

Operating System: Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Home Edition
Again, pretty standard - you probably don't need additional features of Pro edition

Memory: 512 MB DDR/PC3200 (2 DIMM)
You could get by with 256MB, but I like having the extra RAM.

Hard Drive: 160 GB 7200 rpm Ultra DMA Hard Drive
This is probably much more than you will need unless you plan on ripping a lot of music and video to your hard drive. I have around 100 CD's ripped to my computer in addition to Office, a few games, Visual Studio, Photoshop and some other production tools and still haven't filled my 40GB drive.

CD or DVD Drive: 48x max hp CD-Writer Drive (48x24x48)
This is fine - if you plan on copying a lot of CD's you may consider getting a second drive. Also, if you want to copy DVD's you can get a DVD recorder for around $100 more


Keyboard and Mouse: Compaq Home Professional Keyboard and Opt Mouse
Front Access Ports: Front USB, Firewire and Audio Ports
Sound Card: Integrated 5.1 Capable Sound w/ Front Audio ports
All fine.

Video Card: 256MB DDR NVIDIA GeForceFX(TM) 5500, DVI& TV-Out
Unless you play high end video games, probably overkill. You could get a cheaper 64 - 128 MB video card. If you plan on using two monitors you still need to make sure it has DVI.

Monitor: CV7500 17in. CRT Display
Pretty small for my taste. I really like my 21" monitor at home and love my 20" flat panel at work (but this runs around 1K by itself). If you are getting a second monitor you may want to get a nice one and use the 17" as your secondary monitor.

Business Productivity: Microsoft(R) Works 7.0/Money2004/MSN Encarta Plus
You probably want to get Office if you plan on doing much word proccesing/spreadsheet stuff.

[Mano]

Almost forgot - the biggest bottleneck in your performance will be your internet connection. Get a cablemodem if it is available, or DSL short of that. Using a dial-up connection is painfull.

[adios]

A lot of great suggestions in this thread. I'd definitely stay away from the Compaq. Dell is cool. Don't worry though whatever you buy will be much cheaper in two years /images/graemlins/smile.gif. I haven't used XP very much but one thing to keep in mind is the security issues with Microsoft products. There were some decent suggestions regarding firewalls for Windows awhile back. I'm using a Firewall that ACPlayer suggested, cheap and effective. If you come across any software helpful for hand analysis please let us know.

[Chris Alger]

If you're going to play only 4 tables or less I don't think you'll need two monitors. I've been playing four with a 21" monitor with a 1792 X 1344 resolution and its works fine, I can see everything and there's no overlap.

Get a gig of RAM and a decent warranty for telephone support. I also like Dell.