With a hunka junk like this, we're obviously pretty low-tech people. I use the computer mostly for the internet, digital images, and like to mess around with photo editing and animation stuff but presently this old box just isn't up to it. I take digital photos like a maniac though and want a system to support that. My husband is not very comfortable with computers at all, but surfs the web and likes to play games but hasn't in a while b/c our system is so maxxed out with my crap. But "way back when," he liked to play the delta force games, the deer hunter series, and I can't really remember what else. He'll never be a cutting edge sort of gamer though--I remember that he always seemed to like the earlier versions of games, wasn't into later versions with better graphics.
I really want an AMD 64 processor but only need mediocre speed (anything will seem lightening fast, compared with what I've got), at least 512 RAM but preferably 1GB but I don't really understand what sort of MHz to look for, as I see 400, 533, 800, etc and just don't get it. HD probably 120GB will do as I only plan to work with smaller media and won't be doing any video editing, TV recording etc. I'd like a DVD-rom + dual layer DVD-rw. As far as graphics card, I'd like to minimize the expense here but have a PCIe slot available for later upgrades if needed. I also am still running WinMe so an OS upgrade is definitely needed also along with new matching basic keyboard & optical mouse...
So, on to getting a new desktop...I had been looking for an low priced out-of-the-box sort of system, hopefully including an LCD, but I just never quite find what I want. I started out looking at Dell/Gateway, Emachines etc but I'm feeling pretty uninspired by them. I want to feel that I'm making a "safe" choice and having a recognizable name on the front feels 'safe' to me, but they don't seem to offer what I want for the price I want to pay and without a ton of crap that I don't need. Is there something mainstream that will meet my needs for a reasonable price--like $800-900 max? Is it stupid for a low-techie like me to look at configuring my own system from a site like PCinfinity or digital storm, when I really feel safer buying a box with a holstein print on it? The gamey-looking towers freak me out a little too--I just want a plain tower that looks like any other tower.
Wow, that was really long-winded. Sorry!
Edited by shannonRN, 27 February 2006 - 05:54 PM.