Is this Gateway a good option?

[DeusDeus22]

I'm shopping around for a new computer. This is a setup from Gateway. Will be doing some gaming on it, but I want it to last me a good two-three years like my current PC has. I can get this one including shipping and taxes for $1,400. I'd like to stay in that price range. I don't really have brand preference, but from what I'm seeing as opposed to when I got this current system three years ago, Intel is the way to go. I do not intend on using any of my current parts. I will NOT be doing any overclocking.

Pricing out the individual main parts on newegg comes out to $1,200. Plus I'd have to pay someone to build it, cause I don't know how. Plus the gateway comes with a 1-year warranty, and no payments, no interest for one year.

I've been out of the hardware scene for some time now. Is there supposed to be a new Geforce 9-series coming out next month that will affect the 8-series prices by a whole lot?

Appreciate any advise, thanks in advance.


Gateway® FX530XG
Hide Details
1014387R 1 $1,320.99 $1,320.99
Instant Discount (reflected in unit price, limited-time offer) -$100.00
Customized Options
Operating System Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium (32-bit)
Processor Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Processor Q6600 (2.40GHz, 1066MHz FSB, 8MB cache)
Memory 3072MB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (2-1024MB modules & 2-512MB modules)
Hard Drive 250GB 7200rpm Serial ATA II/300 hard drive w/ 8MB cache
Optical Drive 16X Super MFDVDRW/DVD-RAM+/-R Double Layer
Video NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTS w/ 320MB, Dual DVI-I Dual link TV Out (Factory Overclocked) w/ VGA adapter
Media Card Reader 9-in-1 Memory Card Reader
Speakers No Speakers Selected
Application Software Microsoft® Works 8.5
Backup Media Cyberlink Power2Go (for Windows Vista® Home Premium and Ultimate)
Chassis Gateway® 7-bay BTX tower case
Chipset Intel® 975X Chipset with DDR2 Support and Intel® Core™ Duo support
Color FX Logo Accent - Black Steel
Keyboard Gateway 104+ Elite Wireless Keyboard & Mouse (Windows Vista® Certified) [$15.00]
Motherboard Intel® 975X Chipset with DDR2 and Intel® Core™ Duo support
Mouse No Mouse Selected [-$15.00]
Network Integrated Intel® 10/100/1000 (Gigabit) Ethernet
Operating System Backup Media Windows Vista® Home Premium Backup Media (32-bit)
Power Supply 700-Watt Power Supply
Security Software McAfee® 90-day Internet Security Suite Complimentary Subscription with VirusScan, Personal Firewall Plus, SpamKiller & Privacy Service v. 1.2 (for Windows Vista®)
Software Documentation End User License Agreement for Non-Microsoft Software
Warranty 1 Year Value Plan (Tech Support - Parts - Factory Labor)
Quote Estimate: $1,320.99


Also, just from a CPU stand-point, how much of a difference will I see from my current setup:

AMD Athlon 64 3400+
Geforce 6800 Regular 128MB
2GB DDR RAM

Obviously there will be a big difference from a gaming point of view, but just from doing things on Windows. My current PC handles 90% of tasks with ease. But you notice a little slowdown with something like iTunes (loading it, and using it with a large playlist).

 

[rgeist554]

I would really suggest building your own system, but if you can't or don't want to - this option seems ok. The RAM setup is kinda weird, but it'll be fine.

As for performance - this computer will probably kick yours in the balls. Dual Core + 8800GTS = Fantastic Pair, you'll see what I mean if you get it.

I've been out of the hardware scene for some time now. Is there supposed to be a new Geforce 9-series coming out next month that will affect the 8-series prices by a whole lot?

No, there are no 9 series cards coming out next month either. Just the 8800 GT which is SPECULATED to be more powerful than the GTS and use less power in the process, all the while being cheaper than it's GTS brethren.

 

[paq7512]

That might be a good computer for someone who does not know how to build their own. As far as performance goes the price me be about 100-200 dollars more then you could build your own. When it comes to gaming computers major brands charge more then build your own, but when it comes to low end majors brands kicks ass. The ram and hard drive they really went cheap, also the 975x is last years models.

 

[DeusDeus22]

Thanks for the quick replies. Good eyes, I didn't notice the funky RAM setup, but your saying it will be fine?

What about the HD, is it going to be a big deal?

Same with the MOBO, I'm not planning on doing any overclocking, is this MOBO ok?

Again, I would like to be able to play the latest games, but I'm not going to overclock anything, nor will I freak out if there's a hiccup here and there. As long as it does the job, and does it well.

OH, and one more thing...I read on some threads people talking about the G0 and some other configuration of the Q6600. I guess there's two different makes of them? And one is supposed to be inferior to the other?

 

[hunter_green32]

I would avoid gateway, I were you. Gateway just got bought out by Acer, so there is no telling what to expect in terms of support of that purchase.

 

[rgeist554]

The RAM will be fine, and unless you're upgrading to a 64bit OS, your computer won't recognize more than 4GB of RAM (usually less). If the RAM sucks, just buy a nice dual channel kit since they're pretty cheap now anways.

HD... Is meh... you can always buy a 2nd, higher quality drive for storage if you're worried about it. I really doubt it will just fail in the first year or so.

Motherboard - You can't really tell much about it because they only tell you the chipset. I'm guessing there is only a single PCI-E slot (so no SLI) again, not really a big deal unless you want to do it.

OH, and one more thing...I read on some threads people talking about the G0 and some other configuration of the Q6600. I guess there's two different makes of them? And one is supposed to be inferior to the other?

The G0 variety runs cooler and OC better. So nothing that you really need to worry about.

 

[zenmaster]

Looks Good.
If you fret about building your own, this looks OK.

 

[DeusDeus22]

Thanks guys. I'm looking at ordering this later tonight or tomorrow. Any other input?

 

[DeusDeus22]

Hey guys,

I just found a VERY similar system on Best Buy's website.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8540867&productCategoryId=abcat0501003&type=product&tab=2&id=1188559784848#productdetail

The only negative difference is in the graphics card which is a 8500 GT 256 MB. The price is much cheaper though. The system in the OP is direct through Gateway and it will cost me $1,400 TOTAL including shipping and taxes.

This one on BB website is $979.00 NOT including taxes. Even if I upgrade the card to a 8800 GTX, for $280 through Newegg, I still come out at $1,260 total. This one from Best Buy also has a bigger HD (500GB vs 250GB).

SO....what do you think? I know buying pre-built HP's and Compaqs from big retail is not a good idea, but what do you think of buying a Gateway through big retail? This one seems like a better deal, but I would appreciate your opinions. Thanks.

 

[zenmaster]

If you buy the one from BestBuy, you likely will not be able to upgrade the GPU w/o buying a new PSU. The BestBuy model likely has a MUCH weaker PSU.

So be prepared to swap out the GPU and the PSU.

I think I would go with the first to avoide the mess of having to swap out the PSU and the GPU. The 8500 GPU is worthless for gaming.

 

[nukchebi0]

My friend just got the one you saw. The exact same model. You should probably get this, and upgrade the VC and PSU after the new cards come out. The PSU, yes, sucks. 400W, I think 20-22A on the 12V rail. Replacing a video card and PSU is exceedingly easy, though, and you can ask for help if you need it. Don't act on just my advice, however.

 

[zenmaster]

Well, 400w is not all that bad.
I thought it may be worse.

I wager the 8800GT would work fine on a 400w PSU.

 

[DeusDeus22]

Neat, thx for the input. That sounds like a good plan, wait for the 8800GT to come out? I'm sure even an 8500GT is better than the 6800 Regular I have been using for years.

 

[runswindows95]

The RAM setup is normal among OEM's. Where I work, there are a few HP's, Gateway's, and a Lenovo that have the same ram setup (2X1GB, 2X512MB). It's mainly due to the fact customers don't know anything about 32-bit vs 64-bit OS's and will whine BIG TIME (as in lawsuits) if a machine did came with 4GB installed, but they can only can use 3.2GB. So, instead of facing a thousand complaints and legal actions, the OEM's are justing installing 3GB so not to upset the mindless zombies better known as customers.

 

[nukchebi0]

Well, 400w is not all that bad.
I thought it may be worse.

I wager the 8800GT would work fine on a 400w PSU.

It shouldn't. The 12V rail is really bad.

 

[DeusDeus22]

Ok, just to make myself feel better...Here are the complete speccs for the retail system at Best Buy, but through Gateway's website (more accurate speccs I imagine).

I spoke with the tech support guy at Gateway, and he confirmed that it is a 400W PS. I don't know what the 'rail' is? It is a BTX case though, so I guess I would need a BTX power supply if I wanted to upgrade?

Also there is a difference in the MOBO. The FX ($1400) one has a Intel® 975X Chipset with DDR2 Support and Intel® Core™ Duo support.

while the retail system ($980) has a Intel® G33 Chipset. Anyone know of any glaring differences that will make a difference is system stability, and can it hold a newer GFX card (power supply not being an issue)?

And one more question, scrolling down through the speccs, you will see

Expansion Slot

Total Available
1 - PCI-E x16 0 - PCI-E x16
2 - PCI-E x1 2 - PCI-E x1
1 - PCI 0 - PCI

This says that the one PCI x16 slot is being used by the video card. What are the 2 PCI-E x1 slots that are both available?



Specifications:

Operating System

• Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium

Processor

Intel® Core™2 Quad Q6600 Quad Core Processor with VT
Each core operates at 2.40GHz | 2 x 4MB L2 Cache | 1066MHz FSB

Chipset

Intel® G33 Chipset (Viiv™)

Memory

3072MB DDR2 Memory, Dual Channel
(2 x 1024MB + 2 x 512MB), 667MHz (PC2-5300)
Expandable to 8GB
4 DDR2 Slots (Total) | 0 DDR2 Slots (Available)

Video

NVIDIA® GeForce® 8500GT (with 256MB on board memory)
DirectX® 10, BluRay/HD-DVD Capable
Ports: VGA, DVI-I w/ HDCP, S-Video

Audio

8-Channel (7.1) High Definition Audio
Amplified Stereo Speakers (USB Powered)

Hard Drive

500GB SATA II (7200RPM, 8MB Cache)

Optical Drive

18x DVD±R/RW Multi-Format Dual Layer Optical Drive featuring Labelflash™ technology 1
Up to 8.5GB with Dual Layer Media
Write max: 18x DVD±R, 6x DVD-RW, 8x DVD+RW, 8x DVD±R DL, 12x DVD-RAM, 48x CD-R, 32x CD-RW
Read max: 16x DVD-ROM, 48x CD-ROM

Digital Media Manager

High-Performance 15-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
Up to 40x faster
xD-Picture Card™, CompactFlash I (CF), CompactFlash II, Secure Digital™(SD), Mini Secure Digital™ (Mini SD™)2, Multi Media Card™ (MMC), Reduced Size MMC (RS-MMC)2, MMC Mobile2, MMC Plus, Memory Stick™ (MS), Memory Stick Duo3, Memory Stick Pro, Memory Stick Pro Duo3, SmartMedia, IBM Microdrive™

Communications

56k ITU v.92 ready Fax/Modem (RJ-11 port)
Intel® 10/100 Mbps Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 port)

Interfaces

8 - USB 2.0 Ports (2 Front, 6 Rear)
2 - IEEE 1394 Ports (1 Front, 1 Rear)
1 - VGA
2 - PS/2 Ports (Keyboard and Mouse)
5 - Audio (Rear): Center/Sub, Rear (Stereo), Line-in/Side (Stereo), Front/Headphones (Stereo), Microphone, plus S/PDIF Optical
2 - Audio (Front): Microphone, Front/Headphone (Stereo)
1 - RJ-45 Ethernet Port
1 - RJ-11 Modem Port

Expansion Slot

Total Available
1 - PCI-E x16 0 - PCI-E x16
2 - PCI-E x1 2 - PCI-E x1
1 - PCI 0 - PCI

Expansion Bays

Total Available
3 - 3 1/2" 1 - 3 1/2"
2 - 5 1/4" 1 - 5 1/4"
Gateway Portable Media Drive Bay

Input Devices

Elite Multimedia Keyboard
USB Optical 2-Button Wheel Mouse

Case Design

Premium System Design

Dimensions

15.60" (H) x 7.20" (W) x 16.10" (D)

Weights

23.4 lbs. | 10.6 kg (system unit only)
Approximately 35.8 lbs. | 16.2 kg. (box)

Warranty

1 Year Parts and Labor Limited Warranty4

 

[Falken699]

I would not touch that thing.

If you don't know enough about computers to build your own, you sure will after all the upgrading you'll need to do to be happy with that thing.

Also, they don't mention the part vendors for it. God knows how crap the PSU is.

Pick out all your components off Toms and get opinions.

Your computer you have now is GREAT to use while you build your own PC. You can research, get advice, and order stuff with it, and read build articles. It is just a matter of patience then.

Start slow. Buy a case you like that has good reviews, and get a good Motherboard by Asus or something. Install your processor by reading how to do it, stick in your ram, then install your PSU. It is good to install the PSU last so you can have wrist-room to place the Motherboard on the standoffs.

The rest is very basic, videocard etc. Just take it all slow. You build one once, you won't ever need to rely on service, which are just people who don't care about your stuff.

I shudder to think of some pimply teenager jam around in my case, bending pins, overtightening screws, using crap components.

REMEMBER, 1320.99$ is ALOT of money to get ALOT of shoddy components. They don't deserve your money. Then they give you no PROPER Windows CD, and toss a bunch of Trialware on your PC that makes it run like junk. Don't bother.

 

[chevellerocks]

Hey,
your 6800 will probably still kill that 8500gt.. the 8500 really isn't anything to write home about. As for general windows tasks like Internet/word processing you probably won't notice a huge difference. I run a machine at home with an e6550 oc'ed to 3.3and 2 gigs of ram and to be honest when it comes to just running your basic windows tasks I dont notice a huge difference between that and the p4 1.8 with 512 i use at work...
If i were in your shoes I would build my own.. because the quality of system you will get will be much higher... that being said.. if you buy the gateway system I am sure you will love it.. from the sounds of it you are not an enthusiast like many on this site.. including myself... heck if you lived anywhere near me I would build your computer for you for free I like doing it so much!

 

[nukchebi0]

Same.

 

[DeusDeus22]

Hey,
your 6800 will probably still kill that 8500gt.. the 8500 really isn't anything to write home about. As for general windows tasks like Internet/word processing you probably won't notice a huge difference. I run a machine at home with an e6550 oc'ed to 3.3and 2 gigs of ram and to be honest when it comes to just running your basic windows tasks I dont notice a huge difference between that and the p4 1.8 with 512 i use at work...
If i were in your shoes I would build my own.. because the quality of system you will get will be much higher... that being said.. if you buy the gateway system I am sure you will love it.. from the sounds of it you are not an enthusiast like many on this site.. including myself... heck if you lived anywhere near me I would build your computer for you for free I like doing it so much!

Thanks for your responses, much appreciated. 8)

Yeah, like I said, I'm not so much of an enthusiast anymore. Honestly, I don't get the time to game nearly as much as I used to. The game I play the most is still 9 year old Starcraft. Sure, I check out all the newer games, but I still keep going back to SC. I'd like my new computer to let me play around with UT2007, and Crysis, but it doesn't have to be at 1600x1200 max settings. More like 1280x1024 med-high/high settings ;p

The problem is, I'm not too patient to begin with, and right now my 6800 died on me, so I'm running on a temporary Geforce 4 TI 4200. Which is a DirectX 8.1 card, so I can't even run Starcraft without crashing to desktop or BSOD every 5 minutes. Sometimes I'm crashing while browsing the web even, its frustrating. I have an AGP slot, no PCI-e, so there's no point in just getting a newer video card, might as well re-do the system.

If the Gateway system just runs, and does what it's supposed to, I should be happy. As far as support, if Gateway can't help me, I could always come here and post and try to fix the problem myself.

It does suck that you get a 'restore disk' and not a full copy of the OS though...

 

[rgeist554]

I spoke with the tech support guy at Gateway, and he confirmed that it is a 400W PS. I don't know what the 'rail' is? It is a BTX case though, so I guess I would need a BTX power supply if I wanted to upgrade?

The only reason you would have to buy a PSU that is made by the company that made the case is if they are terrible (making their own dimensions for the HDD bays, CD bays, motherboard tray, etc.) so that only their own custom-built parts fit it. This way they can charge you extra for bad parts. If this is the case and you plan on upgrading, don't buy from HP, dell, gateway, etc. since most of them use skewed dimensions so that you can't just throw in a new stronger PSU whenever you want - you have to buy "Our fantastic HP brand PSU that will only work on HP boards!"

The +12v rail is extremely important, read up on PSU's to know what this is. If the guy at gateway didn't know what the +12v rail was, he shouldn't be trying to sell gaming computers.

If the Gateway system just runs, and does what it's supposed to, I should be happy. As far as support, if Gateway can't help me, I could always come here and post and try to fix the problem myself.

You'll need to be careful here as to exactly what you're repairing. Usually Gateways / Dell / HP will slap some stickers ("If this seal is broken, you warranty is void") type things all over the innards of your computer. So if you break one, then no more hardware support via the manufacturer.

It does suck that you get a 'restore disk' and not a full copy of the OS though...

This is because the copy they give you is OEM, so it's not going to work with new hardware. This is why OEM can be bad.

 

[aevm]

If you buy a prebuilt machine you will have difficulty replacing pieces. Plus you have to pay for the worthless pieces that need replacing. The savings are lost after all this...

If you do buy an HP or Gateway or whatever and decide to get a new PSU: you have to be very careful about the physical dimensions. Measure your current PSU and make sure the new one is the same or smaller. I just replaced a $17 Hipro PSU in my Dad's HP yesterday. I wanted a Silencer 610W or Corsair 520HX but neither would fit. I ended up with a GameXStream 600W, which is a pretty good PSU but not my first choice.

 

[jrnyfan]

the gateway one will be fine if you aren't looking to do much other than just use it at home for starcraft once in a while. its priced fairly competitively and a hell of a lot better than the one you get at best buy. you are running winxp i would assume so if you are worried about the bloatware gateway will inevitabley stick on your machine just wipe the em-effer clean with your windows disk and pretend the nightmare of recovery partitions, mcafee/norton and aol was just that, a bad dream.

good luck

 

[DeusDeus22]

Ok, so I went out the Best Buy and played around with the Gateway. I liked what I saw. It was very fast loading up Windows Media Center, Office Word and PwrPoint, and anything else I tried to load that was already on the system. I even had the guy open up the system so I could look inside. This is a picture of the sticker on the power supply I snapped with my camera phone:

The pic came out pretty bad. You can see it's made by Delta Electronics, so I looked up the company and found this:

http://www.delta.com.tw/product/ps/sps/sps_product.asp?pcid=1&ptid=2

Selected the 400W supply, there is this PDF document on it.
http://www.delta.com.tw/product/ps/sps/desktop/download/pdf/GPS-400AA-100.pdf
Can someone tell me if it is a +12V Rail supply? Is it a decent PSU? And most importantly, will it power an XFX 8800GTS 320MB card?

The RAM is 667MHZ, not 800. But again, it's got double the HD capacity for anything else I'm looking at.

SO......I'm down to two options, this Gateway from BestBuy or the option detailed below.

If I don't go with the Gateway from BB, I can get this custom build. I'm still not going to build it myself, but rather have a local shop out of Orlando build it. They built my current PC, and it's lasted me almost three years (the vid card just died) with minor, if any, problems. This is what the speccs are:

Intel Q6600
Intel BOXDQ35JOE LGA 775 Intel Q35 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=DQ35JO&x=0&y=0

Does anyone have any experience with that MOBO? There are very few reviews of it on newegg. I asked him if it's really a good option, he says it is very stable. He says he has a 680i himself, and he had to work at it to get it properly stable as opposed to this which is stable from the get go...

XFX Geforce 8800GTS 320 MB
Western Digital 250GB 7200RPM HD
3GB 800MHZ DDR2 RAM
DVDRW
ULTRA WIZARD ULT31795 CHASSIS - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-detailsInactive.asp?Sku=ULT31795

This will run be about $1380 including taxes.

Good?

I really do appreciate the time and input you guys are investing in helping me out here. It's a not too often, large purchase for me, but I'm trying to save money if I can, while not regretting it in the long run.

So if the power supply from the Gateway @ Best Buy can handle the 8800 GTS, is there really a big difference between the custom build above and the Gateway?

 

[aevm]

Maybe I'm reading it wrong (somebody please correct me if necessary) but from that pdf I understand the PSU has 250W (390-140) on the 12V circuit, which means about 21A. The 8800 GTS needs 26A. No, that Gateway won't accept an 8800 GTS unless you replace the PSU. Also, the PSU has a weird shape, 150 x 140 x 86 just like my Dad's, but with the 150 mm on the width. It may be very hard to find a PSU powerful enough for the 8800 card and still shaped like that. Plus, honestly, a PSU should be selected by quality and power and price, not by its width, yuck.
Please, do yourself a favor and get the custom build. The computers at BestBuy are absolutely great for people who use them for work, e-mail, Solitaire, even Simcity, but if you need to make upgrades you are in trouble with them.

I don't like that motherboard. First of all, micro-ATX means it's small, and they have to cut some serious corners to achieve that. That board even reduces your RAM choices a lot (only 1.8 V allowed). Stick with a P35 motherboard, don't go with Q35.

Does this local shop in Orlando have a Web site, so we can see what parts they have and their prices? If they do, give us the URL and we'll see what can be done for $1380. Do they let you order parts from newegg or other places and bring them in?