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by Tansin A. Darcos (TDARCOS) 10/29/2011, 1:17am PDT |
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The machine I am typing this on is a 2.2 Ghz Dell Optiplex 740, with an AMD 64-bit processor running Windows XP Professional 32-bit, operated as a tower (the DVD drive accepts disks sideways but they work fine). I made some adjustments later, I pulled the 80 gig drive and replaced it with an $89 2 trillion byte drive, and also upped the memory from 500 meg or 1 GB (whichever it had when I bought it) to 3. Runs anything I throw at it, from Half-Life to Starcraft 2. I found a SATA Blu-Ray burner - not just a Blu-Ray reader but also writes Blu-Ray, DVD and CD - for $100. I bought the original about a year ago from Micro Center for just around $200.
I will have to replace it eventually if I want to run the latest Duke Nukem, that requires a dual-core 64 or better, and I can get a refurbished dual core machine - same model, a Dell Optiplex GX 740 - with the following features for $230:
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Processor
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
2GB DDR2-400 RAM
750GB Hard Drive
DVDRW Drive
NVIDIA Quadro NVS 210S
10/100/1000 Network
A brand new machine, a Dell Inspiron 560, is about the same (bigger hard drive) but costs $349 (it's discounted from list price of $469) with the following stats:
Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core Processor E6700
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)
2GB DDR3-1333 RAM
1TB 7,200RPM Hard Drive
16x DVD±RW Drive
19-in-1 Media Card Reader
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD
10/100/1000 Network
So even at new prices, unless your gaming needs far exceed ordinary desktop computers, a new machine or even a refurbished machine, which already works, then upgrade it as needed, might be less expensive (and more likely to work without problems) than building a computer from scratch.
Examples from Micro Center's website; they're not a large chain, they only have about 20 stores or less across the country. By luck they have two here in the DC area, they had the one in Vienna, VA for 20 years then opened another new store about 20 miles away (and much closer to me) in Rockville MD after Comp USA, which had the site, went belly up in Chapter 11.
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Help me build my new computer by Mischief Maker 10/22/2011, 7:20pm PDT 
Re: Help me build my new computer by Mr. Kool 10/22/2011, 11:08pm PDT
Re: Help me build my new computer by Jerry Whorebach 10/22/2011, 11:59pm PDT
You're not going to like this answer, but.. by Mysterio 10/23/2011, 6:01am PDT
Re: You're not going to like this answer, but.. by jeep 10/24/2011, 9:10pm PDT
Sword of the Stars 2 comes out at the end of November. HOPE YOU'RE READY. NT by WITTGENSTEIN 10/23/2011, 9:28am PDT
Cautiously Pessimistic. by Mischief Maker 10/23/2011, 2:48pm PDT
Also: by Mischief Maker 10/24/2011, 9:45pm PDT
DoW2 was better than 1 in every way =( NT by fabio 10/25/2011, 1:25pm PDT
Its multiplayer was better, its single player was shittier by WITTGENSTEIN 10/25/2011, 4:59pm PDT
Whoops my bad, IT LAUNCHED TODAY NT by WITTGENSTEIN 10/28/2011, 3:02pm PDT
SOTS1: Too Terrible To Love by talby 10/25/2011, 4:50pm PDT
We've had a conversation about it. Thanks. NT by WITTGENSTEIN 10/25/2011, 4:57pm PDT
SOTS 1 wins by defauls by Mischief Emperor 10/25/2011, 5:19pm PDT
I think the massive scale is still in there by WITTGENSTEIN 10/25/2011, 5:21pm PDT
You were right on the mark about things being complexified by WITTGENSTEIN 10/28/2011, 4:20pm PDT
Whelp, that explains it.... by WITTGENSTEIN 10/28/2011, 4:45pm PDT
Machine I built in July, look at this thread I linked on another site, w/notes by jeep 10/24/2011, 8:57pm PDT
Monitors by Mischief Maker 10/24/2011, 9:43pm PDT
no objections to that monitor but make sure you don't need height adjustment by jeep 10/25/2011, 11:00am PDT
Oh, shit. Didn't realize that was a budget monitor. NT by Mischief Maker 10/25/2011, 11:29am PDT
Dell U2312HM it is! by Mischief Maker 10/25/2011, 2:47pm PDT
I only mentioned it because you talked about LCD shit in the OP by jeep 10/26/2011, 8:56pm PDT
Input lag is my biggest concern. NT by Mischief Shmup Enthusiast 10/30/2011, 12:02pm PDT
problem solved then by jeep 10/30/2011, 4:05pm PDT
No longer viewable by nonmenbers :( NT by Mischief Maker 11/11/2011, 11:58am PST
current parts recommend in this post by jeep 11/18/2011, 1:27am PST
Is there some SA temorary public viewing rule I don't know about? by Mischief Maker 01/11/2012, 8:00am PST
sometimes they block shit by jeep 01/11/2012, 3:12pm PST
Why not buy used? by Tansin A. Darcos (TDARCOS) 10/29/2011, 12:55am PDT
I forgot to mention by Tansin A. Darcos (TDARCOS) 10/29/2011, 1:17am PDT
before I just ignore your posts forever: seriously what the fuck is your deal NT by jeep 10/29/2011, 1:59am PDT
What is your malfunction? He asked on building a computer; I suggested buying NT by Tansin A. Darcos (TDARCOS) 10/29/2011, 7:44am PDT
Holy shit man, an actual blu ray burner, not just a reader? HOOOOOLEEEEEEE SHEEE NT by Eurotrash, mind blown 10/29/2011, 2:39pm PDT
Who do you think I am? Your Grandpa on Welfare? NT by Mischief Maker 10/29/2011, 9:25am PDT
To be fair, your obsession with free games kinda supports his hypothesis. by Jerry Whorebach 10/29/2011, 1:58pm PDT
I was a poor student when I wrote that article. Now I'm obsessed with DRM. NT by Mischief Maker 10/30/2011, 12:10am PDT
One last question by Mischief Maker 01/22/2012, 9:03am PST
I've got one of those and I've never had a problem with overheating by Fullofkittens 01/22/2012, 9:15am PST
Okay, another by Mischief Maker 01/22/2012, 7:00pm PST
Many do. Windows can burn CDs. Imgburn is a good free CD/DVD software NT by Rafiki 01/22/2012, 8:06pm PST
I use CDBurnerXP (which is free) and have never needed anything else. NT by Fullofkittens 01/22/2012, 8:23pm PST
Sweet! What about DVD and Blu-Ray movie player software? NT by Mischief Maker 01/23/2012, 7:29am PST
Re: Sweet! What about DVD and Blu-Ray movie player software? by jeep 01/23/2012, 12:54pm PST
I haven't ordered it yet. Just planning ahead so I have the drivers ready to go NT by MM 01/23/2012, 4:47pm PST
even the oem ones should come with the disc NT by jeep 01/24/2012, 6:57pm PST
It didn't come with SHEEEIT! Is Cyberlink my best bet? by Mischief Maker 01/30/2012, 11:47am PST
Re: It didn't come with SHEEEIT! Is Cyberlink my best bet? by laudablepuss 01/30/2012, 12:32pm PST
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