Alright, so I've decided it's time for a new computer, and after browsing NewEgg, Amazon, Tom's Hardware and a bunch of other sites, it became apparent I need some assistance from someone with more knowledge and experience that can speak to my particular situation.
I started off looking at pre-built PCs and saw some enticing deals on refurbished, brand-name units at newegg from manufacturers I know like HP and Dell, then ran into names like Cybertron and Cyberpower selling new, in-the-box PCs at pretty attractive prices. I quickly learned that refurbished PCs can be risky since they could be returned/defective products and then ran into loads of criticism on those Cyber-brands basically saying I'd be better off building my own.
I'm at the point now where I've got too much information and not enough knowledge to suss out which is the better option for me, so I'm looking for your help.
My computing needs for the most part are pretty simple, but I'd also like the ability to expand and do a little gaming on the side. I'll going back to school this fall for electrical engineering, so I might need to eventually have something powerful enough to run autocad software. If price were no object, I would dive right into the build-your-own effort, despite my inexperience, but I'm not sure I can afford to go that route on the chance I destroy a motherboard or some other major component since I've never built from scratch before. The most customization I've done to date is swap out some RAM or a video card.
It seems like every forum I go to has loads of people advocating to build your own PC because you can get a much better system with higher quality parts than buying off the shelf, but even the entry-level DIY plans seem to run around $500-600; whereas, I could spend $300-400 on a new low-end PC or higher-end refurbished PC and still get a warranty, pre-loaded OS and tech support (even if it is shitty overseas tech support).
A lot of the forums I've read focus on the performance advantages of the DIY PC, but I'm not sure I really need everything the hardcore gamers covet. I'm currently using a bottom-of-the-line HP I purchased at Best Buy a few years ago. It's running an AMD E1-1200 processor at 1.4 GHz with just 4GB of RAM and Windows 8.1. Nothing fancy, obviously. It meets my basic needs, but is deathly slow when multi-tasking, and the processor is usually running at max capacity when using any program other than a word processor. That said, I'm able to play Fallout 3 and Civ 5 via Steam without trouble, though Civ5 is slow, and my graphic settings are pretty low on both. A friend encouraged me to download Medieval Warfare, and it seems like a great game, but my PC can't keep up at all even on the lowest settings, so I am constantly killed by lag and have given up until I get an upgrade. I don't need an awesome gaming computer that can run max FPS, but I would like to be able to boost my gaming experience a little.
All this to say, what's the best route for a user such as myself? As I see it, the options pretty well break down to (1) buying a lower-end pre-built PC (2) buying a higher-quality refurbished PC and taking a chance (3) building my own and spending an extra $200 USD or so for better parts but dealing with the learning curve of a build your own.
With any route, I'd like to get a reliable computer with a 3.0GHz or above processor and at least 8 MB RAM, with the ability to expand down the line. Decent graphics would be great, but is not a necessity. It seems like I might as well go for a 1TB HDD since the price jump is pretty minimal. I'd like to have a couple USB 3.0 ports, but could settle for 2.0 as long as there are enough. I have existing monitors I can use, but none are HDMI, so if I want to continue using them, I will need both a DVI and VGA port. Someday I'll get an HDMI monitor, but that is not likely in the short term.
Budget is my biggest constraint right now, but I also understand the difference between price and value. I'm OK with spending a little more if it will benefit me in the long run, but I see numerous posters who seem to define “a little more” as several hundred dollars, and since I'm a full-time student who's going back to school because I'm having trouble finding good-paying work in my old field, a couple hundred bucks is a big deal to me.
What do you think I should do?
On edit: I posted this and then saw the sticky about how to ask for new build or upgrade advice. I think I hit most of these points, but just to be sure:
Approximate Purchase Date: e.g.: August 2016
Budget Range: (e.g.: 300-400) $500 or less
System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming, surfing, streaming, possible autocad usage in future
Are you buying a monitor: Eventually want an HDMI monitor but not right now due to budget
Parts to Upgrade: the whole shebang. I have an old HP case I might be able to use as well as DVD/RW drives but not sure if they'll work with a new build, assuming I go that route
Do you need to buy OS: Yes, probably Windows 10 (uggh) or 7, but would be nice to partition and run Linux as well
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg, Amazon, open to other suggestions
Location: City, State/Region, Country - Iowa, United States
Parts Preferences: I'm not partial to anything. Intel CPU seems to get more respect but I have no problem with AMD
Overclocking: No
SLI or Crossfire: Not sure what that means so probably a No
Your Monitor Resolution: Currently 1440x900, something better someday
Additional Comments: Budget is my biggest hangup
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Gaming improvements, time to upgrade because my current PC is slow and have seen signs that it might be starting on a downward spiral
I started off looking at pre-built PCs and saw some enticing deals on refurbished, brand-name units at newegg from manufacturers I know like HP and Dell, then ran into names like Cybertron and Cyberpower selling new, in-the-box PCs at pretty attractive prices. I quickly learned that refurbished PCs can be risky since they could be returned/defective products and then ran into loads of criticism on those Cyber-brands basically saying I'd be better off building my own.
I'm at the point now where I've got too much information and not enough knowledge to suss out which is the better option for me, so I'm looking for your help.
My computing needs for the most part are pretty simple, but I'd also like the ability to expand and do a little gaming on the side. I'll going back to school this fall for electrical engineering, so I might need to eventually have something powerful enough to run autocad software. If price were no object, I would dive right into the build-your-own effort, despite my inexperience, but I'm not sure I can afford to go that route on the chance I destroy a motherboard or some other major component since I've never built from scratch before. The most customization I've done to date is swap out some RAM or a video card.
It seems like every forum I go to has loads of people advocating to build your own PC because you can get a much better system with higher quality parts than buying off the shelf, but even the entry-level DIY plans seem to run around $500-600; whereas, I could spend $300-400 on a new low-end PC or higher-end refurbished PC and still get a warranty, pre-loaded OS and tech support (even if it is shitty overseas tech support).
A lot of the forums I've read focus on the performance advantages of the DIY PC, but I'm not sure I really need everything the hardcore gamers covet. I'm currently using a bottom-of-the-line HP I purchased at Best Buy a few years ago. It's running an AMD E1-1200 processor at 1.4 GHz with just 4GB of RAM and Windows 8.1. Nothing fancy, obviously. It meets my basic needs, but is deathly slow when multi-tasking, and the processor is usually running at max capacity when using any program other than a word processor. That said, I'm able to play Fallout 3 and Civ 5 via Steam without trouble, though Civ5 is slow, and my graphic settings are pretty low on both. A friend encouraged me to download Medieval Warfare, and it seems like a great game, but my PC can't keep up at all even on the lowest settings, so I am constantly killed by lag and have given up until I get an upgrade. I don't need an awesome gaming computer that can run max FPS, but I would like to be able to boost my gaming experience a little.
All this to say, what's the best route for a user such as myself? As I see it, the options pretty well break down to (1) buying a lower-end pre-built PC (2) buying a higher-quality refurbished PC and taking a chance (3) building my own and spending an extra $200 USD or so for better parts but dealing with the learning curve of a build your own.
With any route, I'd like to get a reliable computer with a 3.0GHz or above processor and at least 8 MB RAM, with the ability to expand down the line. Decent graphics would be great, but is not a necessity. It seems like I might as well go for a 1TB HDD since the price jump is pretty minimal. I'd like to have a couple USB 3.0 ports, but could settle for 2.0 as long as there are enough. I have existing monitors I can use, but none are HDMI, so if I want to continue using them, I will need both a DVI and VGA port. Someday I'll get an HDMI monitor, but that is not likely in the short term.
Budget is my biggest constraint right now, but I also understand the difference between price and value. I'm OK with spending a little more if it will benefit me in the long run, but I see numerous posters who seem to define “a little more” as several hundred dollars, and since I'm a full-time student who's going back to school because I'm having trouble finding good-paying work in my old field, a couple hundred bucks is a big deal to me.
What do you think I should do?
On edit: I posted this and then saw the sticky about how to ask for new build or upgrade advice. I think I hit most of these points, but just to be sure:
Approximate Purchase Date: e.g.: August 2016
Budget Range: (e.g.: 300-400) $500 or less
System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming, surfing, streaming, possible autocad usage in future
Are you buying a monitor: Eventually want an HDMI monitor but not right now due to budget
Parts to Upgrade: the whole shebang. I have an old HP case I might be able to use as well as DVD/RW drives but not sure if they'll work with a new build, assuming I go that route
Do you need to buy OS: Yes, probably Windows 10 (uggh) or 7, but would be nice to partition and run Linux as well
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg, Amazon, open to other suggestions
Location: City, State/Region, Country - Iowa, United States
Parts Preferences: I'm not partial to anything. Intel CPU seems to get more respect but I have no problem with AMD
Overclocking: No
SLI or Crossfire: Not sure what that means so probably a No
Your Monitor Resolution: Currently 1440x900, something better someday
Additional Comments: Budget is my biggest hangup
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Gaming improvements, time to upgrade because my current PC is slow and have seen signs that it might be starting on a downward spiral
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