drwex: (WWFD)
drwex ([personal profile] drwex) wrote2008-11-13 10:20 am
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Time for a new PC?

I'm looking at getting myself a new PC, primarily for gaming. The current one has undergone some heroic rescue efforts and it's still bombing out on me randomly. (*)

So the question is what do I want in a moderately priced gaming box? It's probably going to be a Microsoft OS, and preferably Windows XP.(**) My baseline for this right now is the Dell XPS 630 with a dual NVIDIA GeForce 9800 card. That comes with XP pre-installed - I'd rather not do my own downgrade if I don't have to. Price new from Dell is $1400.

The question is whether I can beat that without going out and building myself a white box, which I would really rather not do. I loathe messing with PC hardware and I don't mind paying for someone else to Just Make It Work.

Other things I looked at:
Dell's Optiplex line - too limited video options
Dell's Precision line - lots more expandability, but pricey. Even the low-end T3400 comes in around the same $1400.

PC Connection HP/Compaq line - doesn't let me customize the machine. The HP SmartBuy xw4600 looks pretty close in terms of specs but is weak on the graphics and only about $300 cheaper.

One option I've heard discussed, but can't seem to find reliable data on: buy a Mac and dual-boot it with my personal copy of XP installed in the other partition. That's intuitively appealing but I'd need a lot more data on current Macs and dual booting than I can find this morning.

(*) I'm pretty sure the problem is a bad video driver. The fact that my motherboard is so old I had to get a retro card for which ATI doesn't seem to make new drivers is part of the problem.
(**) I don't particularly want to start an XP-Vista debate. I just don't see what Vista buys me, and I do see a lot of problems. One of the advantages of getting a name-brand PC is that they come with licensed media to put Vista onto the box if I decide to do that later.
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[identity profile] ringrose.livejournal.com 2008-11-13 07:27 pm (UTC)(link)
I understand your feeling about not wanting to deal with PC assembly, but Ars Technica has guides which have components already tested to work together.

Their budget box doesn't have the graphics power you are talking about (about $600, no monitor but with an OS).

Their "hot rod" shoots for $1730 plus shipping, which is past your target range. But look closer:

You have a monitor, speakers, mouse, keyboard, dvd drive. That knocks about $500 off the price. ($1230)
If you're happy with your existing hard disk, that's another $180. ($1050)
If you're never using that old machine again, transfer the OS to the new one for about $130. ($920)

Personally, I'd buy a new hard disk. They have a limited lifespan, and it's bad to lose one.

That's a lot of machine in a quiet case.

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