Ok, so I have said 'screw you' to both the recession and my technophob girlfriend and have decided to buy a 'specialist' gaming PC. I'm currently using a laptop, which is fast becoming obsolete. I have around £600-£700 and ideally would like something that is going to last me a good few years before it needs upgrading. I have had a bit of a shop around and have looked at a couple of rigs, the specs of which I have pasted below - however I am no expert and I just really want to know if this is the best I can buy for my money:
The first PC I have been looking at is a pre-fabricated gaming PC on Ebuyer.co.uk, which costs £600:
Zoostorm Advanced Gaming Desktop PC, Core 2 Quad Q8300, 6GB DDR2, 640GB SATA HDD, DVDRW, 512MB DDR3 HD4850 Graphics Card, Vista Home Premium
Processor
* Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300 Quad Core Processor 2.50Ghz,
* 4MB Cache
Memory
* 6GB DDR2 800Mhz
* 4 x DIMM slot
Hard Drive
* 640GB (1 x 640GB) SATA Hard Drive
Optical Drive
* DVDRW Super multi
Software
* Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
Display
* Monitor Not Included
Graphics
* ATI Radeon HD4850
* Up to 512MB DDR3
Audio
* 1 set 5.1 channel Audio jacks (3 jacks)
Networking
* Network Interface: 10/100/1000 LAN, Realtek® RTL8111B
Power Supply
* 500W PSU
Dimensions
* Width 202mm
* Depth 500mm
* Height 435mm
Interfaces
* 1 x PS/2 keyboard port
* 1 x PS/2 mouse port
* 1 x Parallel port
* 1 x Serial port
* 6 x USB 2.0 ports
* 1 x RJ45 LAN port
* 2 x DVI port
Expansion
* Card Reader
I have also been on a custom PC website, PCSpecialist.co.uk and set the specs out for my own rig, again what I'd like to know if this the best value for money. I have set the specs for one which would cost £617. The specs are as follows, I am particuarly concerned about the power supply, the website only suggested I need a 350W power supply - however I don't want to be bit in the arse with power problems when playing demanding games. I have also added an advanced cooling system, which I am not sure is necessary:
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™2 Quad Q9400 (2.66GHz) 1333MHz FSB/6MB Cache
Memory (RAM)
8GB CORSAIR XMS2 800MHz - LIFETIME WARRANTY! (4x2GB)
Motherboard
ASUS® P5Q TURBO: DDR2, SATAII, PCI-e x16, 2 x PCI, 3 x PCI-e x1
Operating System
Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium 64-bit + Windows 7 Upgrade Voucher (£86)
USB Options
8 x USB 2.0 PORTS (6 REAR + 2 FRONT) AS STANDARD
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
640GB SERIAL ATA 3-Gb/s HARD DRIVE WITH 16MB CACHE (7,200rpm)
2nd Hard Disk
NONE
1st CD/DVD Drive
22x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
2nd CD/DVD Drive
NONE
Graphics Card
1GB NVIDIA GEFORCE 9500GT PCI EXPRESS
2nd Graphics Card
NONE
Sound Card
ONBOARD 8 CHANNEL (7.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Modem
NONE, I WILL BE USING BROADBAND
Network Facilities
ONBOARD 10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT
Floppy Disk Drive
NONE
Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (READS XD, MS, CF, SD, etc)
Case
STYLISH PIANO BLACK FUSION CASE inc. 2 FRONT USB
Power Supply & Case Cooling
450W Quiet Dual Rail PSU + 120mm Case Fan (£25)
Processor Cooling
ARCTIC COOLING FREEZER 7 PRO QUIET INTEL CPU COOLER (£19)
Firewire & Video Editing
NONE
TV Card
NONE
Monitor
NONE
2nd Monitor
NONE
GeForce 3D Vision
NONE
DVI Cable
NONE
Keyboard & Mouse
NONE
Mouse
NONE
Speakers
NONE
Webcam
NONE
Headsets (VOIP)
NONE
Surge Protection
NONE
Printer
NONE
Anti-Virus
NONE
Office Software
NONE
External Hard Drive
NONE
Home Installation
NONE
Warranty
1 Year Return-to-Base incl 1st Month Free Collect & Return
Delivery
STANDARD INSURED DELIVERY TO UK MAINLAND (MON-FRI)
Build Time
Standard Build - Approximately 10 to 12 working days
Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.
Cheers,
Mark
Edited by mark2512, 11 August 2009 - 11:45 AM.