I'm looking for a new desktop computer, and since Card Hunter is the main thing my current computer struggles with, I thought I'd ask here for advice. This computer is basically the cheapest package deal I could find about 6 years ago, and that's probably what I'll do again. I'm aiming for about $500 (USD), certainly under $1000 including extended warranties, that will last five years. I am capable of assembling one from parts, but I don't know which brands/product lines are good/bad. The hardware review sites seem to focus exclusively on top-end equipment running bleeding-edge commercial games. But I don't play commercial games; I don't want to play commercial games. I just want something that can run Card Hunter (and other free games), word processor, spreadsheet, email, etc. all at the same time. At work I have two monitors, and I really like that for having lots of windows open and visible at once. Right now I don't have space for that at home, but I'd like a system that supports it so I can add a second monitor a year or two from now. Current problems: Sometimes the CPU fan turns on, and it won't stop until I reboot. This is really annoying when it happens three times a day. Current monitor is 1280x1024, which is not quite big enough for Card Hunter. Just this week I've started having problems with my mouse. I can hear the switch clicking, but sometimes nothing happens. Seems to happen most often when clicking inside an inactive window, so it may be a Windows issue. So, what should I look for? What should I avoid?
Just about anything you buy nowadays will manage this. $500 will get you a laptop that can do everything you want, so you can probably get a desktop for ~$300, or build yourself for less. For example, these should work: http://shopping.hp.com/en_US/home-office/-/products/Laptops/HP-Pavilion/E2G79AV http://shopping.hp.com/en_US/home-office/-/products/Desktops/HP-110/H5P39AA For consumer hardware, I wouldn't go much below $500 / $300, unless you can have somebody knowledgeable check the specs, since the absolute lowest-end models tend towards trashy hardware. Since your budget seems to be higher than this floor, however, you'll want to bump up memory (8GB should easily suffice for 5 years) and maybe splurge on a nice monitor.
Its almost always better if you can get more RAM. And don't settle for anything less than ddr3 these days. If you are particular about noise (fans), then my advice is to go check it out in rl and hear for yourself. I'm using an old customized rig and having 3 fans generates a fair bit of noise over time.
I'm no expert but I know something about this. I would buy a very basic computer. For example you don't need an expensive graphics card, which itself will bring down the price a lot. The processor doesn't have to be anything special either. Like Phaselock said, RAM is a good and cheap way to improve your computer, so getting a bit of extra RAM is probably a good idea. If you have the skills to build it yourself, I definitely recommend you do that, but make 100% sure all the parts fit the motherboard. I once bought a graphics card that didn't fit in my motherboard. I still have that card in a box somewhere and it's never been used. I would invest most of the money on a good big monitor (or two average sized good monitors). Not only does it improve the whole computer experience A LOT, but when you later want to upgrade your system, it'll be cheaper when you don't need to replace monitors as well. It's also a good idea to try to salvage parts from your old computer, like maybe the power supply or the computer case, as long as they are not too outdated. Go to sites like Amazon.com and see what the most popular best selling components are. Those are usually a pretty safe choice, as long as the reviews are mostly positive. Good luck.
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com Superb website. I got a stellar deal on a computer last year for cheap. I got dual ati cards and 32 gigs ram with a nice processor. I run every game on ultra with no lag. I'm sure you can find something great around 1k.
Have you ever passed ~8 gigs in use? (Just out of curiosity... I've had no problems with a cap of 4 gigs, but will probably upgrade in a few months.)
Not often, but I've really not had a need to monitor it. Only stuttering I ever get is related to a game not being optimized or an excessive number of mods causing an issue like in Skyrim. The extra ram was free and with consoles holding back progress on graphics, this makes me set for a long time I think.
What computer do you have right now? Building your own computer is great. It allows you to upgrade different parts as needs/budget dictates. But it is only cheaper if you pirate windows. Those $500 notebooks are ridiculous good value For you current computer. You probably just need to open it up and murder all the dust bunnies with a brush and air duster. New mouse ? $10 Windows reinstall 1 hr?
*makes note: "DDR3 RAM"* They won't let me play CardHunter in the store. I've currently got a Pavilion, so I'll definitely check those out. Huh, it never occurred to me to try to reuse my case. Keep in mind, I bought this computer because I wore out the power switch on the previous one. I probably will keep using my old keyboard. That's way more than I want to spend. I said "less than $1K for everything, including extended warranties." Good to hear, since the cheapest systems I've seen all have 4-8GB. HP Pavilion a1209n, Intel Celeron 3GHz, 2GB RAM, 180GB HD (about half full), 15" CRT I forgot about software. Is it possible to still buy Windows 7? I'm not liking what I've seen of 8. I'm currently using MS Office 2000, but I've been meaning to switch to Open Office for a while, and everything else I use is free. Shame Adobe stopped supporting Flash on Linux. Thanks for the comments everyone.
Here is the cheapest I can spec, based on Australian prices and availability CPU Intel G3220 $69 Motherboard Asus H81M-E $65 Ram 4gb DDR3 $50 Hard Disk 500mb seagate sata $57 Case Coolermaster $50 PSU Corsair Cx430 pSU $70 Monitor 21" ViewsonicVX2260S $129 KB/M Any $30 Operating System Windows7 OEM $100 Total $620 I would recommend 8gb ram +$50 and 1tb Hard Disk +$10 There is an SLIC bios available for that motherboard
heh, Celeron and CRT...your sys is ancient by my standards I don't think you can re-use your Pavilion case, not all HP cases are custom-friendly. If you prefer Windows 7, make sure to get the latest service pack. iirc, HP allows for all these customizations. Office 2010 will prolly cost extra tho...
And the winner is... impulse buying! Saw an ad for a cheap system yesterday, did a little research, and today I ran out and bought a computer, monitor, and extra keyboard (didn't like the one that came with the computer). Plus 3-year warranties on the computer and monitor and tax, the total was just under $600. Now to figure out how to disable as much of Windows 8.1 as possible, transfer files, and install some decent software.
This is the most important thing to change in Windows 8.1: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2043243/how-to-boot-to-desktop-mode-in-windows-8-1.html
Actually, I was just about to print out this article: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2055381/how-to-eradicate-metro-from-your-windows-8-1-pc.html
Want some pictures? Old computer: New computer: (not shown: all the junk that's normally around and behind the monitor and keyboard) Usually the case is on the floor next to my chair (and under the bookshelf you can't see), but this makes it easier to see the whole system. Unfortunately, right after taking those photos I moved the old computer to another room so I could easily transfer my files, and somehow managed to fry my motherboard. Now I need to find someone to loan me an IDE->USB converter (or buy one for $20) to get those files. I have an even older computer with IDE cables, but it won't recognize the drive even though it should (I've triple checked the jumpers, BIOS version, and Windows version).
Wow, e-machines. That takes me back. Are you sure your motherboard just isn't shorted? If the risers moved a bit, powering it on will short the mobo but won't kill it generally. Take the mobo out, place it on some static-free bags and plug everything in - make sure it powers up first!
