Need new PC pre-built 1200$ budget

It's time to move on to a better PC, this one is so old and outdated it's not cutting it. I want to be able to play Age of Conan on atleast medium settings with solid framerate. I know ziltch about building computers so I need some opinions on a good PC in the 1200-1300$ USD range. Thanks in advance.

Don't know where you Americans buy pre-builts from, but you seem to like NewEgg for components, so how about http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16883229030

http://www.dell.com/content/products...=19&l=en&s=dhs

Dell XPS -

If you want a custom rig without putting it together there are always sites like this: http://www.stealthmachines.com/

click: Espionage/customized

then I speced this:
all stock buttons except the following:
memory 4 gb
graphics card nvidia 8800 gts
power supply 600 watts
operating system windows vista 64 bit home premium.

that brings us up to 1295.00 without shipping

There are many sites out there that will custom build you a nice rig for near the same price as a pre-built.

other than that
just about all pre builts are about the same i'd say HP or a Dell.

I just checked and it looks like they're out of stock right now, luckily I won't be able to get the new pc until my birthday which is June 17th. Very nice specs from what I see. Thanks Snograt! I was looking at something similar too at newegg and just wanted to double check

Hah, English guy wins

Cut out dealstudio and link direct - http://configure.us.dell.com/dellsto...dxdzqs1&dgc=CJ (does that work? Cheaty coupon sites - I still win )

But yeah, fiddle about with that link, add 800MHz memory and an 8800GT and you're golden. Sadly, adding the recommended 22" monitor takes you $300 over budget.

Well I only included for the PC as a whole cause it was the most important, I was actually intending to spend 1500 USD on both the PC and a Monitor. Both are tempting I checked out the Dell XPS 420 but I'm leaning towards the CyberpowerPC Gamer Infinity 7515 for some reason. Is there a difference in the bang for my money between the CPU's Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 2.5GHz on the Cyberpower and the Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4 GHz from the XPS 420?

And how about the Graphic Card's GeForce 9800GTX from the Cyberpower and the Geforce 8800GT on the XPS?

Yes, the 45nm q9300 can be seen as the replacement for the q6600. See here for a comparison: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu...0_4.html#sect0

The 9800GTX is slightly better than a 8800GTX but not as good as a 8800Ultra.

Go figure.

Certainly better than a GT, I'd say.

Slighty off topic, Snog any idea how the q9300 can OC? as a q6600 w/G0 stepping can hit a 60% OC fairly commonly. which that being said would make the q6600 a better chip if the 9300 doesn't OC well.

Lol - did you ever pick the wrong guy to ask about overclocking

But ok - Yorks don't o/c as easily or as far as Kents - http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu...d-q9300_6.html

Okay this is what I got on the Dell XPS 420 for $1,459

Intel® Core™2 Q6600 Quad-Core (8MB L2 cache,2.4GHz,1066FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium with Digital Cable Support
4GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz - 4 DIMMs
500GB - 7200RPM, SATA 3.0Gb/s, 16MB Cache
Dual Drives: 48x Combo + 16x DVD+/-RW w/ dbl layer write capable
22 inch SP2208WFP Wide Flat Panel with Webcam and Mic
nVidia GeForce 8800 GT 512MB
Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
Dell A525 30 Watt 2.1 Stereo Speakers with Subwoofer
Dell USB Keyboard
Dell Optical USB Mouse
Norton 360 - All-in-One Security Solution

Or I can drop the Stereo and add the Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Processor Q9300 (6MB Cache,2.50GHz,1333FSB) for $1,509 USD

Ahem.... let me introduce you to iBuyPower... They make great PCs, lots of customization options, you can make it a lot more personal. They don't charge near what Dell charges to build a system. They also use better components that are not proprietary.

www.ibuypower.com

Configure the systems to your heart's content.

PS: Don't get Norton anything, EVER. Norton is the WORST security software on the market. It is a joke to the IT world. You don't need a quad core processor either. Drop that and save some money. Go with a Core 2 Duo 8000 series processor. They run cooler, they are better all around. Quad cores are for about 5% of the population atm. You also don't need dual CD Drives, just one good DVD+-RW burner. Don't get a cheapo mouse and keyboard, you will be sorry. You also don't need that cheapo Dell 2.1 speaker system, waste of money. Pick up mouse, keyboard, monitor, and speakers on www.newegg.com

What would you recommend? And by the way thanks for all your help everyone I appreciate it.

If you are going for a budget system, 1200 for just the PC, not including the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers, go with an AMD/ATi system. You might lose a bit of performance versus the Intel/nVidia setups, but you can get more bang for your buck.

Here is what I configured on www.cyberpowerpc.com via the AMD based Gamer Ultra CrossfireX Pro system configurator.

http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/G...rossFireX_Pro/

Customize it with the following options:

Final price was $1,257 which included a 3 yr warranty. Pickup a decent monitor off newegg, a good mouse and keyboard, and a 2.1 Logitech speaker system. BTW, the AMD Black Edition has a completely unlocked multiplier, so you can freely overclock it to get more bang for your buck. And you have dual HD 3870 cards, which will play any game on the market on High/Very High settings, including Crysis (you might have to tweak a few settings)