[renaldoaoa]

What would stop someone from buying one of these base model $700 jobs and just adding a new power supply, fans, and video card to make a mid lvl gaming pc?

I mean, if the board is good and can be upgraded to the next tech as time goes on, what would that really hurt? How much would you be losing out?

Speaking on mid lvl guys, not looking to have dual vids or anything like that.

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What "$700 job" are you looking at? Can you post any specifics?

If all you need to upgrade is the PSU, fans and video card, then nothing would stop you. However, for a machine like that you probably aren't getting a very good motherboard, and your CPU probably wouldn't be the greatest.

It boils down to what you need it for - if, two months after you buy the computer, you find out that it's not what you thought it would be and want to upgrade it, you might as well have just built yourself a computer. However, if you get a year or two out of it, then you're probably not out anything.

BEWARE of branded computers, Dell, in particular, doesn't like people to upgrade their computers. You can't get a better board for a Dell computer - they manufacture their own boards and don't make any boards compatible with any other computer other then the one their designed for. Even if the board will physically fit the computer, most likely the front panel connectors are different, or something like that.

[jt1990]

What "$700 job" are you looking at? Can you post any specifics?

If all you need to upgrade is the PSU, fans and video card, then nothing would stop you. However, for a machine like that you probably aren't getting a very good motherboard, and your CPU probably wouldn't be the greatest.

It boils down to what you need it for - if, two months after you buy the computer, you find out that it's not what you thought it would be and want to upgrade it, you might as well have just built yourself a computer. However, if you get a year or two out of it, then you're probably not out anything.

BEWARE of branded computers, Dell, in particular, doesn't like people to upgrade their computers. You can't get a better board for a Dell computer - they manufacture their own boards and don't make any boards compatible with any other computer other then the one their designed for. Even if the board will physically fit the computer, most likely the front panel connectors are different, or something like that.