Getting a new computer, need some advice on where to buy it

[CeleryGoblin]

I was planning on getting a computer from iBUYPOWER, however reviews seem to be split 50/50 everywhere I've looked, so I'm having second thoughts.

I've never built a PC, and I don't want to destroy it.

I plan to use it for heavy gaming, and I'm not overclocking.

Here's what I was going to buy from iBUYPOWER:

Antec P180 ATX Mid-Tower Case


PC Power & Cooling TURBO-COOL 850 Watt (950W Peak) (Overkill, I know)


[939-pin] AMD® Athlon-64 X2 3800+ CPU w/ Hyper Transport Technology


Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe nForce4 SLI-x16 Chipset w/7.1 Sound, Dual Gb LAN, S-ATA Raid, USB 2.0, IEEE 1394, Dual PCI-E MB


2048 MB [1024MB X2] DDR-400 PC3200 Memory Module Corsair-Value


Nvidia Geforce 7900GT 256MB w/ DVI + TV Out Video


WD Raptor WD740GD 74.0GB 8M Cache Hard Drive


16X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive


12-In-1 Internal Flash Media Card Reader/Writer


MS Windows XP Home Edition w/Service Pack-2


Opti-UPS SS1200-AVR Mighty Voltage Regulator


Wireless 802.11g 54Mbps PCI Adapter



Total: $2,264.00 (This is including an extended warranty, and not including the monitor)

If I were to purchase all the parts from Newegg, is there any place I could have it built for me? Can Newegg assemble it?

I plan to build a PC with very cheap parts sometime in the future, so I can get an idea of how it's done. Until then I don't want to take any chances.


Thanks.

 

[Bluefinger]

First of all... dude, lose the PSU, you don't need all that power.... secondly, get XP Pro, it supports dual-core processors... apart from that... good choice...

 

[CeleryGoblin]

I'm having second thoughts on it. If I do buy from Newegg, this is the power supply I would get.

Antec TRUEPOWERII

 

[HumbleGod]

850W? Jumping jesus on a pogo stick! With that system, it's unlikely you'll even need HALF that wattage! For fark's sake, that's $450!! Just grab a 500-600W PSU. There's a reason I always recommend the Antec 550W TPII--it's cheap, it's reliable, and it's powerful enough to power damn near anything you can imagine putting in your system. Get one of those--with the money you save, you can buy another 3800+ for me!

I agree with Bluefinger, XP Pro is a good choice for dual-core, and you can find it for about $150 OEM on NewEgg. Consider if you REALLY need that 12-in-1 drive--most people find them about as useful as a floppy these days.

You can probably take all your parts down to your local computer accessories place and have them assemble it for you. (I'd avoid the big retailers like Best Buy; if they even do put together parts you bring in, they'll charge way too much. Go locally-owned if possible.)

But seriously, putting a computer together isn't that hard. I'm a freaking English major for god's sake, and I put my first one together two months ago with no irresolvable problems. Just do some more online research and read your mobo's instructions closely before putting stuff together, and I'm sure you'll have no problem. Don't be afraid to give it a shot--you'll be so satisfied after putting it together, turning it on, and customizing everything ALL BY YOURSELF. And then you'll want to do it again!

Good luck!

 

[CeleryGoblin]

I've been inspired!

So, aside from the power supply everything is compatible? I checked, and it seems so, but would like confirmation, as my knowledge is limited.

And unfortunately there are no local computer shops. I might be able to find one in the neighbouring cities, though. I'll look into it.

 

[handym3000]

go with xp pro.

get rid of that power supply, 500 watts max to 550 watts is more than plenty

get rid of the card reader unless you really need it

i would definetly build it yourself. you will appreciate is much better in the long run.

 

[samir_nayanajaad]

Man putting all the stuff in the box is the easiest part; just make sure you are in constant contact with the case to avoid static sparks that could fry your system.

It’s all just putting a round peg in a round hole, a square peg in a square hole. Read your mobo manual it should explain everything about how to install everything into it. (well mine did, in full detail step by step, for cpu vid card ram power supply hell every connector/slot on the d@mn thing)

also if you want to learn how to put together a pc tear an old one down and put it back together, your new one will have different slots and stuff but it will give you an idea of how hard to push the ram and vid card into place. If you take your time and just look at stuff its simple enough to figure out I did it so can you and if you need more help just come back somebody will help you out if you get stuck or are uncertain about something sh!t Ill help you if you want.

And yes it appears that all your parts will work together.

 

[ShaneStunna06]

XFX PV-T71F-YDF9 GeForce 7900 GTX (665MHz) 512MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail $530
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ 1GHz HT Socket 939 Dual Core Processor - Retail $357
ASUS A8N-SLI Premium Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail $159
Crucial Technology 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model CT2KIT12864Z40B - OEM $175
Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 250GB 3.5" Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM $95
Antec LifeStyle SONATA II Piano Black Computer Case - Retail $100
NEC 16X DVDñR DVD Burner Black IDE/ATAPI Model ND-3550A - OEM $40
Microsoft Windows XP Professional With SP2 - OEM $140
D-Link DWL-G510 IEEE 802.11b/g 32bit PCI2.2 2.4G Wireless Adapter up to 54Mbps Data Rates 64/128-Bit WEP, 802.1x, WPA - Retail $36

the total is $1632, all ordered from newegg.com you save about $600 and get better parts with this build. you could even go dual video cards or a better processor but if i was you i would put the money you save aside for future upgrades maybe next year when DX10 is starting to be used

 

[michaelahess]

I've had a bunch of crap machines come across my door from ibuypower, check the bbb and see for yourself.

And xp home will support dual core processors, so xp pro isn't really necessary.

And I would avoid the wireless adapter unless this is the only machine you have on your network or you can't run a wire to your router/modem.

 

[Maxiius]

secondly, get XP Pro, it supports dual-core processors... apart from that... good choice...

And XP home doesn't?