So I'm Just Getting A Desktop ...

Ok, well I kicked the idea of a Gaming Laptop (since the good ones are expensive), and decided to just get a Desktop! (Thanks by th way to all those who tried ot help me get a laptop ^^).

Well, I can't figure out if what I'm thinking of getting is the best "bang-for-the-buck", and before making a huge mistake, I want some opinions! Yes, I SHOULd be asking a technical expert, but you guys are much easier to find (plus, I'm posting this at about 10pm ... so don't expect me to actually find one right now).

Anyway, the current one I'm looking at is ...

http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/st...oductId=155728

It's the whole Monitor+Desktop pack (not sure about keyboard/mouse). It's less than 900 USD, has pretty nice specs, and ships in 1 business day which caught my eye ). So tell me, is it a good deal? Or should I hunt for others first? If so, any ideas where to look?

Well the first thing that you will want to do is get the link fixed. It us goes to Staples and doesnt show thecomputer you are wanting.
You hae several options in desktops that you can do: 1 Do you want toupgrade it in the future If so get oone that has a dedicated video card 2 get the fastest one that yu can afford now so you will not have to upgrade a few months down the line You want to get one that will last at least a year or 2. 3 When you do choose make sure it has PCI Express slots Video card manufactures are getting away from AGP. 4 Get as much ram installed as you can right from the start At the moment some vendors offer cheap ram upgrades sometimes even free so take advantage of it.
Here are some places to check out to get a better idea of what is available to you: www.tigerdirect.com www.newegg.com best buys www.cyberpowerpc.com www.ibuypower.com There are others but these are the ones that won't take you to the bank and ask for an arm and a leg.
Take your time and make a good choice because you will have this unit for a while.

Mega Mouse

Don't buy the pre-made packages unless you are sure they are exactly what you want. You should use custom build sites such as CyberPower.

I just entered a US mate of mines ZipCode, this is the PC the OP is thinking about.

• 2.2GHz AMD Athlon ™ 64 X2 Dual-Core Processor 4200+ for TRUE Multi-tasking
• 1024MB PC2-4200 DDR2 SDRAM memory
• 200GB 7200RPM Serial ATA hard drive
• SuperMulti DVD Burner with LightScribe Technology
• Includes: HP w19e 19" Wide LCD flat panel monitor with integrated speakers and adjustable base
• Microsoft ® Windows ® XP Media Center Edition 2005
• 1 year warranty

Although further down it states that it only has an integrated 6150LE with 256MB shared memory. That's not a good thing at all!

I didn't try to put my zip in (wasn't totaly awake at the time). As I said in the post that you put in for the laptop, beware of integrated graphics, not all are supported by Guild Wars and can lead to problems. Get the best one that you can afford and upgrade over time. Make sure whatever you have has a seperate video card. As far as the video card goes it will be your choice, both major brands (ATI and Nvidea) make killer cards and they work very well.

Mega Mouse