Got 500 bucks towards a new computer, what can I get?

hondaguy2582

hondaguy2582

New member
I got $500 bucks for my birthday towards a computer from my rents on monday. My question is, what can I afford around that price range and what should I get? I definitely want the athlon 64 bit processor, but I dont know what else to piece together. I would like to keep the cost under $700. My mom says she doesn't want me to build it, afraid of me screwing it up(its just like putting pieces together isn't it, Ive taken apart sound cards and crap, this can't be that hard), and wants me to get a prebuilt system with a warranty?



Any suggestions?



Thx,







Aaron
 
If you're looking to use the machine to play a lot of games, then the Athlon 64 is probably going to work out for you.



$500 should get you close to something like this:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/eMac...sem/rpsm/oid/118273/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do



or this:

http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=318884&pfp=BROWSE



Check your local electronics like Best Buy, Circuit City etc. I have seen entire desktop packages for as low as $299. Not AMD 64s, but depending on what you will use it for, you may not need the 64.
 
64 bit is nice, but you could get away with a cheapter athlon xp 2700 or a 3000 for like half the price. Gotta keep the whole system in balance, and dont skimp on the gfx card. Dont need Top of the line, but a decent one (ie ATI 9700 pro, Nvidia 6000 series). Pieceing it together isn't all *that* hard, but no, its not just like taking it apart. Most importantly BE CAREFUL and make sure you KNOW WHAT YOURE DOING. I have built several computers from parts, and could just about do it with my eyes closed now, but still, take your time and becareful. Best case scenario, have someone who has done it before guide you. Dont necessarily let them do it, but just have them there to help. Best advice I can give.



edit: oh yeah, here ya go www.pricewatch.com
 
Certainly doable for $700 if you don't need any software. That's where the prebuilt systems will come out ahead. $100 just for XP Home. Bleh. Building your own isn't that hard, but can be frustrating if you haven't done it before. Would definitely recommend reading several websites about putting systems together before trying it.



That eMachines system should be alright, but you'll probably want to add a new video card and maybe more RAM for decent gaming performance. It's a good start towards a nice system, IMHO.



I made a little wishlist at newegg.. Using decent components I'm having a hard time getting it to $700 w/o Windows. I know prices are cheaper at other stores that I would do business with, but it's easy to do this way. I can go cheaper w/ the case and power supply, but both are quality parts that should produce a nice quiet system. It's all stuff that I would actually buy if I were building a complete system for myself. In fact, I just bought the motherboard, video card, processor, and heatsink about 2 weeks ago! http://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wishlist/WishShareShow.asp?ID=1483219&WishListTitle=plw



Few other decent stores:

www.zipzoomfly.com (I recently bought parts from them to upgrade to an Athlon 64 system..)

www.directron.com (I think they may have some guides on their site someplace)

www.monarchcomputer.com (have decent motherboard / cpu combos at times)

www.mwave.com



Oh, hope you don't need a monitor! FWIW, Best Buy has that eMachines system on sale in a little bundle w/ 15" LCD and printer this week for around $650 after rebates. Lousy printer that you might get $50 for on eBay, and probably $100 - $150 for the LCD.
 
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