Seeking advice for purchasing a gaming computer

V

varlas

New Member
Hello,

I'm currently using a Windows XP computer that I've used for gaming, entertainment, and work related purposes (such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint). Although it's been great for the past however many years, the computer has become unstable with constant crashing and graphical errors. It would seem that it's time to retire my Windows XP and move on to a new computer to better suit my needs. However, I'm having a very difficult time deciding on a budget and exactly what kind of computer specs I need.

I'm not looking for a computer that has the absolute best graphics or processing speed, but I would like a desktop computer that can consistently handle everyday online gaming in general (such as Aion, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2, and so on). I'm very new with computer terminology, but my best guess is that I want a computer that has "middle of the road" specs for a reasonable price (preferably below $500-$600). Probably the most important thing I'm looking for is value for the price spent, not necessarily the absolute best performance or graphics.

I was hoping to receive some advice on purchasing a new computer that can handle both my work needs and gaming desires. I looked at this particular computer at http://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-inspiron-20-all-in-one-intel-pentium-4gb-memory-1tb-hard-drive-black/5954009.p?id=1219178692537&skuId=5954009&cp=1&lp=2&Atlas=FY14_Win8_PCReferal_Retailer_Clk_PT, and I was thinking that this would be something along the lines that I'm looking for. But I'd love to hear feedback from those more experienced with computers than I am before I make that purchase.

Thank you.
 
You don't want an All In One system if you are going to be gaming on it. You can't upgrade the video at all on it. If all you need is tower and not keyboard, mouse, monitor then I'm sure someone can quote you a build for about that price. Its better to build a computer then buy prebuilt.
 
johnb35 said:
You don't want an All In One system if you are going to be gaming on it. You can't upgrade the video at all on it. If all you need is tower and not keyboard, mouse, monitor then I'm sure someone can quote you a build for about that price. Its better to build a computer then buy prebuilt.
Click to expand...

Although building a computer from what I understand seems to be superior to buying pre-built, the fact that I've never built a computer before and I'm still new to computer terminology makes me apprehensive. I tried looking at the do-it-yourself desktop computers at Newegg.com and I felt very confused about the technical details about the computers, let alone having to build it myself. I would gladly build my own computer if I had the expertise, but I don't unfortunately, which makes me nervous about doing so.
 
Thanks for the replies so far, they've helped narrow down my search for a new computer.

Cisco001 said:
You can get a pre-built.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883102038
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883230005R
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883266608
Click to expand...

I appreciate the links. I looked at the products and they look like solid machines for my needs, although they're a little higher than my budget / what I would like to spend. I think I would feel most comfortable spending around $300-$400 for a new computer but I understand that it's hard to have everything I'm looking for. The hardest part for me is figuring out exactly what specs I want since I'm very unfamiliar with all the different graphics card, RAM settings, etc.

With my Windows XP, I'm used to running online games (MMOs) with near minimal graphic settings for the most optimal performance. Unfortunately it can't handle the more graphically-intense MMOS (such as TERA) or newer releases (such as Guild Wars 2 or Archeage). But for the most part, if I'm able to run the game at all with reasonable performance, I'm perfectly happy. I personally don't mind sacrificing graphic quality in favor of performance and/or less money to spend.
 
Just to update the topic, I've been looking at computers for the past couple of days and I believe I've found one that's suitable for my needs. I'd like some feedback on what you guys think about this machine.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/syber-vapor-e-desktop-amd-athlon-x4-4gb-memory-500gb-hard-drive-black/5825055.p?id=1219657143189&skuId=5825055

What I like about the machine is that it has a fast processing speed (3.7 GHz), what appears to be a decent graphics card (according to http://www.futuremark.com/hardware/gpu/NVIDIA+GeForce+GTX+750/review), and it says that it comes with a wireless keyboard, mouse, and gaming controller. The biggest downside I see is that it doesn't have an optical drive, but I've never had a need for using CDs or DVDs so I'm willing to live without it. It seems to be a good fit for my daily MMO gaming and other computer uses.

What do you guys think, would you suggest that I move forward with this purchase as a "starter" machine?
 
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