Help Prevent a Fool & Money being Parted!

Toodlepip

Hi
I am looking for a pc with a spec that will facilitate online gaming and work well with music making software ie sonar 3 or above. A dvd burner would also be nice. Any advice on suitable spec or any packages available?
Please bear in mind I am a bit of a computer thickie so please be gentle with me!
Thanks in anticipation...

Toodlepip

I didn't mention a budget in my post above.....because I am sort of clueless about how much it would cost for a pc meeting my demands. I'm hoping you guys can give me an idea of cost and best place to look. Please help...I'm stumped!

Darksun

For gaming, you'll probably want a minimum 512MB RAM and a decent graphics card. Many package deals may come with low end integrated graphics cards, so avoid.

Toodlepip

Thanks for that Darksun. What would be considered a decent graphics card? Sorry I really am clueless.

Rex_Mundi

If you are after a gaming machine. You are looking at something more 'high end'.

Before we start throwing links at you. Surely you must have an idea of how much you can afford to spend. This would help everyone out greatly in our search.

You've got to give us some idea of what the limits are.

Toodlepip

Thanks Rex. I am quite flexible on budget......I could probably spend £500 immediately but am willing to spend up to £900/£1000ish but would have to save the extra money first. I am just very scared of being ripped off or paying for something I don't/won't use as I have such limited knowledge. Would this budget get me what I want?

Rex_Mundi

Cheers for replying. Now we have got an idea of your budget, we can start looking for the best deal in your price range.

.................I'm sure you'll start seeing lots of possibilities soon.

Toodlepip

Please....anybody....help!!!

wolfman

Wow, nice budget, you could get something decent with that. If you're pushing towards £1000 it may be beneficial to build it yourself, or to get someone to do so for you.

Spec I would go for would be along the lines of:

Monitor: 19" tft - can spend all kinds here. The BenQ FP91G+ is a solid buy, does well in reviews - £195

CPU: AMD64 3200+ - £120
Motherboard: MSI K8N Neo4 - £65
RAM: 1gb PC3200 Ram - £62

Graphics: GeForce 6600GT - £110
Hard Drive: 250gb Seagate SATA - £80
DVD Writer Maybe one of the LG's - £30

Case and Power: Antec Sonata II with 450W psu (I swear by this case) - £78
OS: Windows XP Home - £50

That's quite a solid system. If you did want to improve it a little more, I'd get maybe another 512mb ram (£32) and a 3500+ (+£30) or 3700+(+£45) cpu.

You might also want to consider a decent sound card as opposed to onboard sound. Something along the lines of the Creative Soundblaster X-Fi Extreme (£95).

Oh, and a decent mouse, Logitech MX1000 (£35) and keyboard, Apple Pro USB (£22). May seem a lot but they are very good, and I always believe it makes a difference getting a decent mouse/keyboard/tft as you interact with them the most.

Still have a look at the deals. I personally prefer building my own machines as I know what goes in them, and don't need all the clutter that often comes with package systems. You can still get some very good deals though, use the components I mentioned above as a guideline (they are some of the better ones available) as package systems often cut back on certain areas.

Toxteth_OGrady

You cant go wrong with that spec from Wolfman. Depending on how much gaming your into the only things I'd change would be a Saitek Eclipse keyboard, a Razer Copperhead mouse and a better graphics card, probably 6800.

HTH

:cool:

TOG

Toodlepip

A very big thank you to wolfman and toxteth. You have given me a great starting point....I'd tried to look at pc deals but couldn't make sense of anything. Now you have given me an idea of spec I can start comparing things and know if I'm in the right area or not. Thanks again!! :T

Oh if anyone can point me in the best direction for buying either a package to meet above requirements or where I can get a pc built at best prices/service ( I certainly am not capable!!) I'd be very grateful.