Old question, new goof

[bartbrn]

Hope this is the right place to post this.

Allow me to preface my questions with the admission that I'm a total Mac-head, and have been since 1989. My previous life was as a graphic designer and Mac IT, networking, and pagination specialist.

My new life is as a hobby shop owner (all part of Life's Rich Pageantâ„¢), and business needs oblige me to get a Windows machine -- not at all a bad thing, as now I'll finally be able to play "Grand Prix Legends" -- I hope.

I've actually built Windows PCs for other people (in a previous-previous life I was a NASA-certified solderer and electronics assembler), but that was long ago. I've looked at several proprietary systems (eMachines, Gateway, Dell, HP) at places like BestBuy, and with their plethora of rebates, I could get an eMachines Celeron machine with printer and 17" monitor for about $350.00, which of course seems ludicrous from a Mac perspective (Think Different. Pay More.), but seems hard to beat.

However, I LIKE building electronics, and for several years, gripping my unplayed copy of "Grand Prix Legends," I've checked out Sharky's "Value Gaming System" guides with visions of Athlons and A-Bits dancing in my head.

Now, however, I really DO need to get a PC, to run a POS system with integrated cash drawer, credit card verification system, and bar code wand. I've done it on the Mac, but the choices for POS software are about TWO, and the one I've used only runs on OS 9.x.x.

So I need a basic biz machine (with decent speed and at LEAST a CD-RW drive -- combo would be better -- for data backup), and I'd still like to be able to run "Grand Prix Legends" (no, I'm totally serious). I don't know if I'm economically and/or spiritually better off buying an off-the-rack system from some consumer mill like BestBuy, or hammering my own box together.

Any and all comments and suggestions welcomed (except any anti-Mac drivel, please), and I can be reached at:
bartbrn95@comcast.net
or
wingswheels@sbcglobal.net

Thanks for your patience and help...

Bart Brown

 

[Snaggle]

read these for help<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/guides/index.html" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/guides/index.html</A>

Don't get a celeron,whatever you do,durons are cheaper and better and so are athlon xps.Most of the 'built 4U' companies screw you when you need to upgrade or repair something.

 

[Snaggle]

the reasons not to get a celeron<A HREF="http://www.anandtech.com/cpu/showdoc.html?i=1927" target="_new">http://www.anandtech.com/cpu/showdoc.html?i=1927</A>

 

[Crashman]

Since you're not looking for super power, I'd go with a standard Abit NF7 (because it's a good board), and a Duron 1800 maybe. Shop for price, but I don't like to go too cheap on the board itself.

You want to be able to play a few games, you don't sound too fussy, I'd probably go with a GeForce4 Ti4200, or a Radeon 9100/8500, whatever is cheaper. If that's not cheap enough, consider a motherboard with good integrated video, such as the MSI K7N2G.

<font color=blue>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to a hero as big as Crashman!</font color=blue>
<font color=red>Only a place as big as the internet could be home to an ego as large as Crashman's!</font color=red>