What should I think about for xmas (desktop upgrade)

Nightrain

Nightrain

New Member
Hmmm...Im wondering what i should ask for for xmas. now let me clear something up, im not rich and neither am i spoiled. I just never ask for anything in particular for xmas and i end up getting alot of crap that i dont need, and it usually ends up adding up to quite a bit. over the last year ive gotten pretty damn into computers (started before that, but started upgrading and such). and this year i actually want to ask for something. but im really not sure what i want.

Last year was the first year out of the house, and i got a really big present. the stuff ended up adding up to like 600-700 bucks. which was a first ever for me because i never ask for anything, never want anything. i ended up getting one of the 60gig video ipods and like all the car accesories i could ever need lol. but i never use it...literally like never. i think i spent more time putting music on it than using it. i cant sell it lol cuz it would make them sad. they are my aunt and uncle by the way not my parents. had been living with them up until last year from the age of 10, so i never asked for anything...was never comfortable. anyways...to the point

this year i want to ask for something. and i want to ask for computer parts (or part). my rig is below...just got it less than a month ago (built it i mean). i was thinking about asking for a new graphics card. i cant really ask for anything over 200-300 because i just wouldnt feel comfortable. will 7900's fall in price before xmas you think. but im not sure if i will notice that much of a difference. the 2 run about what a 7900gs or gt runs at (performance wise) and i can play anygame ive come across at max settings (granted my monitor is only a 15" lcd with a max res of 1024*768). so would i notice a difference (a decent difference i mean)by upgrading to a 7900 that is in the 200-300 range??? or should i get a bigger monitor and give my gpus a run for their money. i was thinking something along the lines of a 19" widescreen (my laptop is a 17" widescreen and i do like them alot) and using my other monitor as a second one when i wasnt playing games...i just want something with a different resolution than the 1280*1024 or whatever it is. the print makes my eyes all buggy and its hard to read (thats why i say widescreen...and i just seem to like them better.

basically i want something that will enhance my gaming and computer using experience. i dont need speakers because i have my stereo system hooked up to my computer via usb and it rocks, and i dont need a mouse or keyboard cuz i dont really care that mine are basic. (emachines keyboard and a microsoft wireless mouse from my old laptop...my emachines ball mouse broke cuz i accidentally hit my nice digital camera off the desk and completely broke it...it like shattered into pieces and the lense went flying so i took the mouse by the cord and smashed it on the desk)...i swear im a calm person (on top of that my dog had just died earlier that day, german shepherd, so i was already pissed off).

but what do you guys think i should get...open to any suggestions. anything you might think is cool or usefull. cant think of something in particular. i want to ask for something tho because i dont want them to spend a bunch of money on things i wont use....they seem to want to buy me stuff now that im out on my own lol

ya so any ideas or opinions???please
 
A nice big display is always nice, and definetly can improve the gaming experience and just general use of the computer. Look for something with DVI, and just make sure it has a bright and clear enough display.

For actual performance, I'd upgrade your harddrive to something faster than ATA first. That's not dreadfully expensive. Upgrading the vid cards is always a very noticable thing but also probably the most expensive option.
 
hmm ohh ya. completely forgot about the hard drive thing. i have a 160gig external hdd that i store stuff on so maybe ill ask for a 74 gig raptor and an oem copy of windows. that way i can put this hdd back into my other computer where i stole it from to save money. hmm that and a monitor may make a big difference. are the raptors worth it? i dont use up much space except for keeping games on the pc. all my other stuff is on one of teh 2 100gig hard drives in my laptop, or in the 160gig hdd. would i notice much of a difference if i got a raptor? i honestly dont know if my drive is 5400rpm or 7200 or whatever the numbers are. i didnt really care because i was saving the money on my build...otherwise i may not have built as decent of a comp. that is a really good idea, something i will definitely look into


should i get a raptor or should i just get a $60 sata hdd? i dont really care about loading times or how long it takes to boot up so i doubt id notice much of a difference?.? would i?and it would only be really for keeping games and programs on so...occasionally ill burn a dvd or cd but i usually dont really care bout how long it takes. just set it and forget it lol
 
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If you upgrade from a 5400RPM drive you should definetly notice a difference. Probably in load times for games and when transferring large files and such. The harddrive is just about the slowest "information pathway" for a computer, so the faster it is the better (of course I guess that applies to everything lol). What I mean is, by upgrading to a faster RPM drive with a larger buffer etc., you will lessen the bottleneck on your system.

If you don't use alot of HDD space get a smaller capacity drive, and just keep your external one for things you need on both computers. That way one drive is dedicated and you don't have to load a bunch of unnecessary data on it, that too will increase system performance if you keep it defragmented and all. The less it has to "sort through" the faster it can find w/e it's looking for.
 
ya that makes sense...i defragment quite often (im always installing new game demos or games...i cant seem to stay committed to just one lol), and i hate those little red lines lol...all i want to see is blue green and white.

anyone know what a good 7900 would be that would be in the 200-300 price range...the evga 7950gto i think it is, is like 270 or something i forget. i guess its like the same thing as the gtx but with lower memory speeds or something.

either way, over the next few months i want to continue upgrading my computer bit by bit so im trying to find a good path (i know i should have saved up and just bought em all at once...but i find myself feeling that sense of accomplishment each time i upgrade something, when i just buy it flat out i only get that feeling once...i dont know if you guys know that feeling, maybe its just me lol).

so i need you guys to help pick the best 19" monitor, and 79x0...now id notice a big difference if i got a 7950 or something over my 2 7600's right (i can always use one of the 7600's to run a second monitor on (my existing one) that way i can have two monitors and have the 7600 dedicated to the second monitor, therefore not putting strain on the 79x0 right??? also if the price drops ill end up getting another one of the gpu's sometime along so. unless i dont get money until dx10 is already hitting it big in the marketplace.
and what do you guys think is a decent fast hard drive that is fairly inexpensive?
 
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