Eagle Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 My wife's 12-year old granddaughter is staying with us for awhile -- like, several months, and possibly longer. Like all kids that age, she's addicted to computer games. I know I'm a technophobe and a dinosaur, but even so I was astonished to discover that neither my wife's desktop box nor mine, nor our Dell notebook, will run ANY of the kid's games. So today I went looking to see what's out there in the way of affordable boxes. Keyboards I have (and she needs a Spanish keyboard anyway, and fortunately I brought a spare home the last time I was in Chile), monitor I have and can probably scrounge something better from the computer graveyard at my part-time job, but I have to face the music and realize that to run games, we're probably going to have to buy a new computer. So -- first stop: Best Buy. They had a few desktops on display, and after some poking and probing I was able to determine that they will actually sell you a box, rather than an entire system. Cheapest one they had was an Acer with 1024 MB of RAM and a 320 GB hard drive, and a CD/DVD read/write drive. Is that enough horsepower to run games? The price was $449.95 Next stop was Circuit City. Are they going out of business? The store looked stripped, and there wasn't a single desktop computer in the place. Oh, well. On to CompUSA and their going out of business sale. Two or three months ago, I was in the same store and saw two desktop boxes priced under $400 -- one was an eMachine at $349, and the other was perhaps an Acer at $399. Not today. Today, the cheapest desktop box in the store was $899, less a whopping 5% reduction. Thanks, but no thanks. Anybody got any suggestions as to where's the cheapest place to get a half-decent box that has enough Moxie to run games? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtdesigns Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Have you upgraded your ram? I'm not 100% but gamers use lots of ram and good videocards. Maybe you should take your computer and just have it up graded Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtdesigns Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 If you want a nice running gaming system check out alienware !!! Gamers #1 sorce.. http://www.alienware.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildman Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 You hit all the "Retail" stores........Think "Wholesale" ;) If you can, check out Sam's Club and BJ's Wholesale (Yea, I know, there club membership stores, But I can get you in threw mine :D ) This Compaq I'm pecking away at I got at Sam's 4 years ago, with a 17" flat monitor for under $450. (and it's still going) Circuit City is on 'Commission' sales, So you kind of know how that works. CompUSA will be going out of business for the next 5 years (Sales pitch) Best Buy is all right for 'retail', but they have there secret sales if you go to their web site (The one that are being investigated now) I'm no techy, but from what I've heard, Emachine is the lowest of the low, in price and guts. I was alway told to stick with the major brands, like HP, Compaq, Sony. Some of the more tech people here could steer you to the better machines, or even an upgrade to what your running now. And if your a real dinosaur, and still running Windows '95.......well, yea, it's time to upgrade :roll: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLHTAZ Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 :roll: Gaming computers are expensive. I am glad that I have never had any interest in gaming. Check out www.cheapguys.com They specailize in custom built computers if you know what you want and typically do it for a pretty good price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 If you want a nice running gaming system check out alienware !!! Gamers #1 sorce.. http://www.alienware.com/ ughhhhh......if you want to buy an over priced Dell. It all comes down to what games she wants to run.If its some kind of first person shooter it comes down to the video card and the amount of RAM.Hard drive space is irrelevant.Its nice to have but don't buy a computer just because it has a large hard drive. If its a smaller game that is not so demanding on the video then pretty much anything can run it. Gaming is pretty much all I do when I come home from work.I play all first person shooters(FPS) games.I have run several online serves.I waste about 2 grand on just the computer itself about every other year.This is not including peripherals(monitor,keyboard,mouse,etc..).If you are truly looking into a new box make sure its based on the Intel core 2 Dou processors.Its been kicking the pants off of everything else including the dual core AMD processors.Try to make sure the rig has atleast 1 gig of ram ,anything that runs the crappy Windows Vista needs 2 gig since it will eat almost a gig just for windows to run smoothly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtdesigns Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 If your looking to buy online I bought this acer 3500 laptop I'm using online from http://www.tigerdirect.com This computer has been to three deserts, and 5 countries. I have to use an external monitor cause mine got cracked by a kevlar that rolled into the screen. I just upgraded my ram to 2 gb and it still runs STRONG! They have some great deals. I did alot of searching too before I bought this one about 5 years ago. Oh and by the way ram is getting cheaper everyday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostissues Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Circuit City is on 'Commission' sales, So you kind of know how that works. Circuit City is not commission based any more, haven't been for like 5 years now, not that I would know though :brows: Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahooSteeler Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 ironically i've been specing out some towers the last couple of weeks. my mother n law may buy our desktop for cheap because the one she bought from us 5 years just can't keep up anymore. you can build a heck of a tower on dell.com or hp.com for $400 right now, but that doesn't have the big gaming upgrades. you may want to check out good ol' wal-mart too. but, as previously noted, the 2 keys for good game performance, to my knowledge, are a lot of RAM and a good video card. add to that however, as much cache as you can if you build a new one. cache and RAM are basically short term memory, so the more you have of that, the less it slows down the computer. in fact, from what i've learned, you don't need to worry about processor speed as much as you used to. So, as long as you have an Intel P4 chip or AMD Athlon chip from the last few years, you may be able to upgrade easy and cheap with just a RAM and video card upgrade, and they are pretty easy to swap out yourself, especially the RAM chip (you can't just "upgrade" cache, you'd have to replace the processor chip$$$). one of the guys mentioned making sure you have a intel duo core chip if you buy a new computer. but, and i can't say for sure on this, to my knowledge a duo core chip (AMD has them too) is more suited to someone who is running multiple programs at once, so it may not be as important if you buy one almost exclusively for her to game on. one other thing i've learned in the last few years is that AMD chips run a LOT cooler than Intels, and gaming definitely is known to push a processor hard, so you may want to consider that, especially if you end up buying a laptop. Think of it this way, your processor chip is the engine of your computer and when gaming it's like it's wheelin' hard or towing the whole time, so the cooler you can keep the engine running the better it will perform and not blow up on you. Anyway, final suggestion I have is to go to a game retailer such as Game Stop etc. and ask them what specs you should have based on the games she plays. I don't know enough about video cards to suggest anything, heck, a quick look on bestbuy.com and thew were priced from $70-$900!!! But, if you go with new vs. upgrading your current, I'd think you want at least 1MB of cache on your processor and 2GB of RAM, 256 or 512MB on your video card, and that will keep you up to date for a good while on speed technology. Your hard drive memory is not as important, most come with an overkill of GB's now and unless you store tons of photos and music or do any desktop publishing you won't come close to using it all. Good luck....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahooSteeler Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 forgot to mention, if you go new another advantage of building to spec with dell is they let you still choose XP as your OS if you want, and as noted before Vista has issues and is just sucking RAM dry, and therefore speed. HP does not offer XP on their website but maybe if you called them they could do it. I spec'd one out real quick on HP with 1MB cache on the processor, 2GB of RAM, the best video card they offered on the basic model tower, 160GB of hard drive, etc for $550, similar on Dell was over $600. Not cheap but a lot of speed and memory at that price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Vista is garbage. Do not buy anything with it. Eventually they might fix some of the glaring bugs and make it a little more stable, but I do not have enough faith in micro$oft to expect them to get around to that for a couple years. That's all the advice I can give. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildman Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Circuit City is on 'Commission' sales, So you kind of know how that works. Circuit City is not commission based any more, haven't been for like 5 years now, not that I would know though :brows: Jonathan Thanks for correcting me, I knew a guy whom worked there, about 6 years ago, and one of the reasons he left the place. So, I read between the lines there, how you like working at Circuit City ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepdoggydogB Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Here is a link discussing this very same dilemna http://ask.metafilter.com/22336/How-to- ... -gaming-PC Like has been said here it will be tough to get around the cost of a video card for gaming. I liked some of the PC hunting on ebay, the most valuable thing on that link is the specs needed to run games and where to find them cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 NewEgg.com is your friend oh and to wahoosteeler the newer Intel Core duo actually runs cooler then my Dual Core AMD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted January 6, 2008 Author Share Posted January 6, 2008 I knew RAM was the key -- and Dell screwed me yet again because both the desktops we have won't recognize any more than the 512k I have installed. And they are old enough that I don't think it's worth buying a new motherboard. So I should be looking for 2GB of RAM? Most of the lower priced boxes I've found still have 512k, and a few are 1 GB. Maybe I'll just have to hit the next computer fair -- if they still have them around here. I haven't been to one of those for maybe five years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepdoggydogB Posted January 6, 2008 Share Posted January 6, 2008 Lots of used gaming PC's on ebay, I found this one very cheap so far. http://cgi.ebay.com/VELOCITY-MICRO-GAME ... dZViewItem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostissues Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Circuit City is on 'Commission' sales, So you kind of know how that works. Circuit City is not commission based any more, haven't been for like 5 years now, not that I would know though :brows: Jonathan Thanks for correcting me, I knew a guy whom worked there, about 6 years ago, and one of the reasons he left the place. So, I read between the lines there, how you like working at Circuit City ;) No problem. I don't have a sales person job, I install car audio and remote starts and stuff like that so its not relay the typical retail job (but it does come with a lot more stress). but all in all its not bad, aside from the stupid management and idiot customers but. as for your computer dilemma i usually order my stuff online like from newegg or mwave they are pretty good. Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicofuentes0224 Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Tigerdirect.com has great deals. And I agree, go to a Gamestop and ask them their opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 or just pick up the game off the self and read the side of it for minimum requirements......cause you know thats hard. some dumb @$$ behind the counter isn't going to know any more.Most of the people that work at game stop are console geeks and wouldn't have the first clue about what a PC would need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted January 7, 2008 Author Share Posted January 7, 2008 or just pick up the game off the self and read the side of it for minimum requirements......cause you know thats hard. No need to get insulting, Mate. My stepgranddaughter brought her games with her from Chile and she doesn't have the original packaging. Anyone else care to offer demeaning and unhelpful suggestions, or can we now return to finding the most cost-effective way to getting my step-granddaughter a box to play her games on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenosha Warrior Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 For any game with heavy graphics, you'll need atleast a 128mb video card, nowadays, something that size is already intergrated into the motherboard. Anything you buy, unless homebuilt, will have Vista. Games + Vista = 1gb RAM at the minimum. So, around 2-3 gHz, an Intel Core Duo would be nice, decent price but lots of cahoneys uunder the hood. Should, without a major fight, be able to get the tower alone, not with a bundle of monitor and such. If you can grab a computer with a 256mb graphics card, you should be set for a while. My acer laptop, which can play games as new as GTA-San Andreas without a problem, Is a 1.6gHz Celeron Mobile, 512mb DDR2 RAM, 70gig harddrive and has a 128mb card intergrated into the board. Cost me $512 after taxes up here in Can-eh-da. The thing is a tank too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 or just pick up the game off the self and read the side of it for minimum requirements......cause you know thats hard. No need to get insulting, Mate. My stepgranddaughter brought her games with her from Chile and she doesn't have the original packaging. Anyone else care to offer demeaning and unhelpful suggestions, or can we now return to finding the most cost-effective way to getting my step-granddaughter a box to play her games on? I wasn't pointing that in your direction .I was talking to the people who recommended going to GameStop to ask the people behind the counter. You still haven't answered the important question .What game/s is she trying to play on the machine.knowing this information means all the difference between just upgrading what you have to fulling having to buy a new machine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahooSteeler Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Well Badger, not real sure how that wasn't directed at Eagle, but you still managed to insult a couple of us. I'd agree that most of the people working at a Game Stop etc. are more likely users of PS3, Xbox or Wii, but since most of the games for consoles can also be bought to play on the computer, I'd say it was a realistic suggestion they may be able to offer some direction. As far as reading the box though, while you were flaming on a couple of us you failed to realize the faults of your own suggestion, to just see what the "MINIMUM system requirements" are. Two problems, IMO, with your obviously superior idea there. Eagle clearly has asked for input because he's not sure what's needed. So, (1) min. requirements could be very different from game to game, and (2) as minimums, if he spec'd his upgrades or a new tower soley based on that info, he could be in the same situation in a year when his granddaughter goes to a new level of games or new games come out with greater tech requirements. Eagle's responses have not said "just tell me the cheapest/easiest way to fix the problem", so it sounds like he's willing to do more than the minimum if, in his own words, it is cost effective. Nobody here has claimed to be an expert, we're just throwing out friendly ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicofuentes0224 Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 Call in or go see the guys at Geek Squad at Best Buy. They'll tell you exactly what you need. Then check tigerdirect.com for the tower. They usually have a good price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted January 7, 2008 Share Posted January 7, 2008 If I offended anybody with that statement you need to get some thicker skin.I never called anybody here a name or stupid in anyway.I was simply pointing out that the people who work in such places have no real clue as to what is needed and will do the same thing.They will ask what game it is he is trying to run,walk over to the shelf (if they even stock it in PC form),and read the side of the box.I never recommended building a new machine on the minimum requirements ,did I?I simply recommended that to see if he could upgrade his current machine to run the games she has now. I understand all the points here and what is needed but it still breaks down to the current games she is trying to play.For right now it could be the difference between dropping 80 bucks on a video card or dropping 600+ on a new machine.As for games that are made for console and computers.Yes there are games that are made for both but you can not take a console game and play it in a computer.They are simply two different games with the same name.Consoles just don't have the power to properly render the graphics that the PC games have.The console games are dumbed down and don't have all the features that PC games have with the same name. Now,my statement about reading the side of the box still stands.If he knows the name of the game he can go to the store or go online to find the game makers web site and look for the minimum requirements that game needs.If his current machine doesn't meet those then he has a choice on his hands.That is up to him to make.Depending on the type of games she is trying to play(which he still has yet to answer) will also be a determining factor for him to contemplate on which way he wants to go. So if its a game like World of Warcraft its not a very graphic demanding game and you can make it even less by going into the system setup and turning it down further.If its first person shooter like HALO ,BattleField 2,Call of Duty 4 then its extremely demanding out of the box .It can be turned down in the settings of the game but they are still very demanding of the graphics card.They are also demanding of the processor and system memory.These are the games I play and I have spent a good bit of money on my machine to run them.It is a year old and it is already having trouble keeping up with some of them.Granted I like to play them with the setting turned up as high as I can get them.I could turn them down to make the game playable for some time but I like to see the beauty built in the game as the way it was intended.So with in another year i will be building another new one.This is the way it goes with computers and games.You will never be able to keep up with them and you will be upgrading atleast every other year. So Eagle has 3 options: 1-upgrade the current machine to play the games she is playing now 2-buy a new machine to play the games she has now and might have in the future 3-get her a console and possibly the same game or new ones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now