ALienware.... was a bad idea :(

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Harmdeez

New Member
ok so in 8th grade i got my new computer with no clue about computers and alienware seemed to be the best. i spent $2600 on it thinking i would have the best computer out there for years to come.

Ha that's a joke... now i know a bit more now that I'm a senior and that Alienware was a bad choice due to over pricing... Also i cant sell my comp anymore because i can only sell it for about $400 :( but that is kinda a good thing because I can use that money on top of my budget that i can use to get new comp!

My budget with the $400 would be around $1200. Even though i made more over the summer... i need it for gas and food.





Okay here's my setup now:
OS Name: Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Version: 5.1.2600 Service Pack 3 Build 2600
System Type: X86-based PC
Processor: x86 Family 15 Model 4 Stepping 1 GenuineIntel ~3056 Mhz
Intel Pentium 4 CPU 3.00 Ghz
Total Physical Memory: 2,048.00 MB
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT 128 mb
Hard Drive: 149 gb


and i might wanna upgrade? or whole new one, what do you think?
 
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ScOuT

ScOuT

VIP Member
Ya...so...I guess you learned the hard way about Alienware.

Are you looking for advise on what to spend $1200 dollars on? I assume you are...going to try to build one or buy a pre-built? I would recommend building one, you can save a lot of money and learn a lot at the same time. You can always find help if you get in a jam during the build.
 
2048Megabytes

2048Megabytes

Active Member
If you want to use this system to game with I say definitely get a whole new upgraded system with a Dual-Core processor. For $800 you can get a really good system. I don't know who would want your old system for $400. Your old system will probably only get you around $230 in my opinion.

Pick which new processor you want for your new system then start asking opinions on the hardware and software.
 
P

PC eye

banned
You should be able to get started with a newer Core 2 or AMD dual core cpu rather then a P$ at this time since prices are down. 2gb is a smart amount of memory even for a basic build and XP. Windows will tend to run smoother plus memory prices have seen a large drop since last year alone.

You'll need to pick a case but wthout a cheap supply included. That's a separate item where you might want to look over the sticky on supplies. Besides the forum rules at the link here take notice of the work ceewi1 put into the recommendations by card and the good and bad list along with the others. http://www.computerforum.com/computer-cases-power-supplies-cooling/announcements.html

You can find some good deals on newer model video cards both NVidia and ATI driven while you will likely not be able to get one the latest PCI-E 2.0 models as well as the boards that support them. The size of the hard drive is adequate while price shopping to get into a slightly larger never hurts since those prices have come down some. The first item however is picking out a good board that won't set you back and working up from that.
 
scooter

scooter

banned
Yeah I would build a new desktop from scratch.

Also, if you get 400 bucks for the rig listed...you are the best salesman around..take the 400 and run..but I kinda agree you will most likely get 150-250 tops.
 
P

PC eye

banned
A good board for the basics will still take a good $70-$100 off the top plus any half way decent case with adequate air flow and the supply taking another $150($70+ for any good 380w-450w supply on average). A newer video card is a must even for the occasional gaming while not the highest end models in any line.

A good mid range does runs upwards of $80-$135 however. The last case here saw a low ender that still ran games on high detail settings like Half Life 2, FEAR, Prey. Onboard sound has seen improvement on newer boards while serious gaming and multimedia would see a need for a separate card.
 
Ryan_Sama

Ryan_Sama

New Member
hey man, i bought an alienware laptop for my first buy for 1400 bucks.. and it is the most usless piece of junk. all i can do is basicly internet and wor processing. cant play hardly any games. anyway i learnt the hardway too, now im building a new pc for aroun 1500 bucks.. heres what i have so far

nforce 780i mobo
core 2 quad q9550 cpu
geforce gtx 260 gpu
patriot 2 2gb ddr2 rams
seagate 500gb hardrive
thermal take ruby orb cpu fan
nzxt tempest crafted series.
ocz 850 watt psu,
dvd burner with lightscribe+ a dvd rom
 
P

PC eye

banned
I have the OCZ GameXStream 700w model supply in here which handles two identical sata drives along with two optical. The 850w model may be a little over what you need there unless you are planning to oc and crank up the card as well. The 700w model here takes a pounding when I load certain things up while still running stock.
 
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Harmdeez

New Member
okay thanks for the advice :D yeah i will read the rest in detail, tonight after school. Thanks again for your help
 
2048Megabytes

2048Megabytes

Active Member
Harmdeez said:
okay thanks for the advice :D yeah i will read the rest in detail, tonight after school. Thanks again for your help
Click to expand...


I am glad to see you are not one of the new members that just come in the forum, post one question, and leave after five minutes never to return.
 
H

Harmdeez

New Member
ha lol ya but i just forgot bout this question lol but now i have book marked it.

ive been talkin to a friend about this too... he got a new comp too and i need one too.



okay i found a precesser... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115036

btw if any of you can find a better deal on any of these products then it would be great :D



Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131219
nvidia: GDDR3 gfx card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130370
Hard Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148134
Memory: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231150


now i dont know what to get next so if u can please add :D also can DDR2 work as well as DDR3? or is there not much difference?
 
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2048Megabytes

2048Megabytes

Active Member
The motherboard you have chosen doesn't use DDR3 random access memory. You need DDR2 memory.

Patriot 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) - $44
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220161

I wouldn't worry about the speed of the above DDR2 memory. It can transfer data at up to about 8000 megabytes per second.

I would also look at the Intel E8400 processor. It is $22 less and has the same amount of static-RAM (cache) and runs almost at the exact same speed.

You are also going to need to purchase an operating system unless you have an installation disk already and a DVD optical drive if you don't have one.
 
H

Harmdeez

New Member
okay nice so stick with DDR2 i will... also i have DDR2 2GB already in my alienware if that can be used along with those 2 Patriot DDR2 memory cards?
 
2048Megabytes

2048Megabytes

Active Member
Harmdeez said:
okay nice so stick with DDR2 i will... also i have DDR2 2GB already in my Alienware if that can be used along with those 2 Patriot DDR2 memory cards?
Click to expand...

You can use those old Double Data Rate 2 (DDR2) RAM modules with the new Patriot memory. Just know that the new memory will backclock and run at the speed of the old memory when combined which is likely around 4000 to 5000 megabytes a second instead of 8000 megabytes per second. It shouldn't cause any bottlenecks in your new system.

I would also get a 64-bit version of Windows if you don't have a Windows installation disk.
 
2048Megabytes

2048Megabytes

Active Member
I forgot about that. It is possible to have stability issues when mixing different modules of RAM. It really depends on the motherboard from what I have heard.

I would advise you to sell the old RAM and buy 4 gigabytes of new memory as Scout advised.

Also know that it seems some people are stating there is an error with the BIOS temperature readings with the ASUS motherboard. They say you need to flash the BIOS to correct the error. I don't like doing this with motherboards at all.
 
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