New computer

My current computer is just too old to upgrade so i found this deal. What do u think?

Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor w/ HT Technology (3GHz, 800 FSB)
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
256MB DDR SDRAM at 400MHz
40GB3 Ultra ATA/100 7200RPM Hard Drive
Single Drive: 48x CD-RW Drive
FREE UPGRADE! 15 in (15.0 in viewable) E153FP Analog Flat Panel

for$448 and it comes with sound card and all that other stuff

But after i get it i'm putting 1gb of ram and a ATI radeon 9200 or something

EDIT - Ok this is what i'm doing after i buy it and upgrade it

Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor w/ HT Technology (3GHz, 800 FSB)
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
1GB of ram
40GB3 Ultra ATA/100 7200RPM Hard Drive
Single Drive: 48x CD-RW Drive
ATI Radeon 9200 or 9600
My 18inch flat panel

To be honest, 256mB is very low. 512mB is pretty much the minimum you need to get any gaming done these days, especially so because Windows is a resource hog.

Did they tell you what graphics card comes with the PC?

I know its low ram but i dont want to pay an extra 170 bucks for 1gb of ram to come with the computer, thats why i said after i get it i will upgrade it. And the graphics card that comes with it doesnt matter kuz i'm upgrading that too. ^^

I understand that you intend to upgrade the machine some time in the future, but if you want my opinion you'd actually be saving yourself a small sum by getting the machine with 512mB and a Radeon 9200 already in it. Not to mention that it'll save you a ton of headaches when it comes to running Guild Wars.

I'd never suggest running this game on a machine with 256mB RAM and a graphics card, it would probably be a nightmare. Just another thing worthy of mention, a 3GHz P4 would be bottlenecked with a Radeon 9200, so you could save yourself a tidy sum there also by selecting a slightly lower-class processor (but not too low).

Just my 2¢ overall, but I think you'd be wise to consider it.

Actutally i wont be saving kuz upgrade to 512 is an extra 70bucks...and i can get 1 gb for 70-100bucks and graphics card wise...nvm

I'm not stupid...Its a deal that dell has...I'm just getting it mostly for the front bus speed and 3ghz and the windows xp. If i could i wouldnt get any ram or graphics card with it.

I'm just trying to point out that 256mB is far too low, especially with Windows XP. Windows XP needs somewhere in the area of 128mB even when it isn't doing anything. Guild Wars would literally be crying in agony under it, especially with a 9200 or under.

DUDE...I'm not runing gw on 256mb of ram and xp i aint running it on...I dont even have 256mb.. Yah the computer i'm getting will have it but i'm not going to play anything on it till i upgrade it...ATM i play GW on my dads computer kuz mine is 1.2ghz, 512mb ram, 25gb harddrive, geforce2 mx/mx 400...

If i ran anything on just 256mb of ram i would probley just smash my computer kuz its too low and lag and all that bad stuff

edit - now look at my 1st post in this topic...Dont think about price or anything just tell me what u think on how the computer will run GW and etc

So you're going to buy the PC for something other than Guild Wars? Either way the machine is complete rip-off and won't run much at all without having a coronary.

I tried to be nice. If you didn't want an opinion, you shouldn't have asked.

Edit: Just caught your last message edit and checked post as you said. Comment below.

Ok, now what I'm saying is this will run Guild Wars just fine, but why buy 256mB RAM etc. now? You'll only have no use for it later.

Buying a machine with 256mB RAM now and then upgrading to 1GB later is still more expensive than buying a machine with 1GB RAM. Dell just like to spread the butter thick when it comes to taking money.

lets just clear this up...i dont want to get in a online messageboard fight lol.

256mb of ram is low. but its not cheaper to upgrade it with the computer kuz dell's upgrade is a ripp off. but it will have 1 gb of ram

And my current computer is too weak/old to just upgrade so i gota start from something.

I'm using it for gw and other games.

Yeah I understand what you're saying now, but either way Dell are soaking up the money. They're really crap.

Maybe you should consider another company.

It wont let u buy it with no ram. and 256 is the basic it comes with.
and guying 1gb of ram 100ish bucks

upgrade to 512 wtih the computer = 70$
upgrade to 1gb with the computer = 170$

Yeh, consider a different company.

any ideas? i'm totally open for options kuz i gota wait 2-4weeks befor i can order one anyways

I've heard good things about Gateway over there, but I don't really trust any of these ripoff companies. Building your own is far cheaper and less of a headache, not to mention you get exactly what you want.

Do u know any sites that have like a little method of building a pc?

http://www.buildeasypc.com/

This came up in Google right away, not sure how good it is though, I'll have to have a read.

NVM. Their site not working.

That site is, doesnt seem like a totally good site...i'm lookin atm for one

Try pricewatch or newegg for bare bones systems.

Try a system from www.ibuypower.com. Great gaming systems at low prices.

O.o sounds interesting...thanks

Is money an issue and are you on a budget and do you mind building your own system??

If the answer to all the above is NO, then take a look at this thread.

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=16567

They have been helping a guy there build a new system, so go check it out and see what you think.

With regards to DELL though, I agree with the others. I stay clear of these companies and prefer to build my own or go with a PC Builder that I know uses good quality items that i can build cheaper than i can buy the items for.

THere is a good one in the UK, but as your USA it's not much help for you.

Building a system if you have the time and patience to do it is rewarding.

Buying a Dell though is NOT always a rip-off. They have good deals there if you are willing to "Sift for that Gemstone" of a deal. I did. It payed off too. Been two years and I am still using my Dell 'puter. No crashes, No Problems. You do not have to use Dell's site for a memory upgrade. That is pricey. However, Dell's Memory is very good quality. I upgraded my memory through Dell however, they OWED me some credit on my computer purchase. They did not meet my specs I ordered on the system and I talked the Rep into a credit. I was real real nice toward the Rep and she liked my additude and cut me a decent credit so now I have 1.5GB ram (Dells Ram).

You can go to Crucial.com for Dell TYPE memory. And many other Companies TYPE memory. Much cheaper and very good quality. Dells are FUSSY when it comes to ram. Any old Stick will not work correctly.

As for Ibuypower.com I have never seen one of those systems. I can't say if they are worth the investment. They SEEM to have a good price. I would do a google search on reviews of those systems first. When I see those advertisments I can't help but think "You get what you Pay for..." I want to know where they "cut the corners" on these systems to make them so inexpensive. Is it a second rate PSU, Memory, MoBo, etc...?

Principa Discordia...you have allot of patience. I don't know if I would have been that much more helpful after awhile. I "Tip my Hat" to you!

BTW: You all don't know how good you have it with Ram now a days. I remember $100.00/Meg for RAM. There are some old timers here that will remember the early 1990's and the very high price of ram.

Someone above mentioned ibuypower.com and I recommend them as well. Dell Desktops are overpriced in my opinion. You wind up overpaying for support as well as overpaying for components inside (like them charging a difference between processors of $400 when they actually sell for a difference of about $40...) Check out the website and configure your own box. I would definitely go with more RAM right off the bat (it won't be as expensive as Dell) and get a bigger hard drive. Also make sure you get a good video card. You don't need to go ahead and buy the best card out there. I think the Radeon 9800 128s and 256s are fairly cheap now... (And Old Warrior Dude just so you dont yell at me I say Dell is good for customer service but if you want to buy a high end Desktop you should go to Alienware - who has better customer service ratings - or configure your own if you can. If you want a medium range desktop I still say you should configure your own if you can, and if you can't then you will just wind up buying a product that is not as good as it should be for money spent in most cases.) And BTW just to caveat this I just bought a Dell Laptop but it was an XPS Gen 2 so I have an excuse :P

Don't see anything wrong with that Dell system you mentioned. You should be fine with buying the 1 gig of ram for it, but as for the video card you might want to consider something better. Maybe a 9600xt, 9800pro or 6600GT (around 90-170USD). Just make sure that the motherboard comes with an AGP slot (or maybe PCI-Express, but then you'd need a PCI-E card).

This would be a reason i don't go with Dell. They have lock ins to there hardware just like Compaq/HP where you have to go for specific hardware which costs a premium just to run on there systems.

So yes, they look cheap, but at the end of the day, is it worth all that hassle in trying to find something that will work with your Comp?

I remember when my friend had a Dell a few years back. He wanted to upgrade some components, we tried to upgrade and found they wouldn't fit in the Case which to us, looked like any normal ATX tower. This was way before we knew about these types of changes that Dell have made to there equipment.

Another form of Lockin they have done, is on there printers. You have to Buy DELL branded cartridges. My G/F's dad has a Dell printer. Looks exactly like a Lexmark and is made by Lexmark. However, there is some slight difference in the connectors which forces you to buy Dell or some crappy branded replacement which has this work around.

At the end of the day, everyone has there own opinion on what is and isn't a good way to go when buying a PC. It's all down to you and what you want to do. Do you have the time, money and knowledge to build your own PC, or just happy to buy a Dell and then find the right hardware to fit certain components?

well if i get that dell then upgrade the ram and graphics card is gonna be around 600-700bucks but with Ibuypower.com i made a computer and ordering it in 2 weeks

here the specs

Case ( Raidmax 268 ATX Mid-Tower Case w/350W Power Supply Black )
Power Supply ( Standard Case Power Supply )
Processor ( AMD Sempron™ processor 3000+ )
Processor Cooling ( Certified CPU Fan and Heatsink + 2 Extra Case Fans )
Motherboard ( MSI K7N2GM-V ALL-IN-ONE Motherboard w/Video Chip, Audio, LAN, USB 2.0, 8x AGP )
Operation System ( MS Windows XP Home Edition )
Memory ( 1024 MB [512MB X2] DDR-400 PC3200 Memory Module Corsair-Value or Major Brand )
Video Card ( ATI Radeon 9600-XT 256MB w/DVI + TV Out 8x AGP Video )
Hard Drive ( 80 GB HARD DRIVE 80 GB 7200 RPM Ultra ATA-100 Hard Drive )
Sound Card ( 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard )
Speaker System ( 600W PMPO 3 PCS Super Bass Subwoofer Speaker System )
Network Card ( 10/100 Network Onboard )
Keyboard ( PS/2 104 Key Windows 98 Keyboard Beige )
Mouse ( Microsoft IntelliMouse 1.1A USB Internet Mouse Beige )
Warranty ( Warranty Service Standard Warranty + 1-Year i-Care Deluxe On-site Service + 24/7 Phone Support )
Rush Service ( Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) No Rush, Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days )

[Dirkiess]This would be a reason i don't go with Dell. They have lock ins to there hardware just like Compaq/HP where you have to go for specific hardware which costs a premium just to run on there systems.


I agree Dell has some BS issues. They didn't become so large being stupid though. I for one never liked the NO Floppy Drive anymore deal. I am OLD..I want a floppy drive. When I upgrade the BIOs it will be with a floppy drive. Case Closed. Dell and others omitted the floppy. Then people "thought" I will add one later...just buy one and install it. Can't do it. Dell did not include the rails for it. So I always tell people spend the "$20.00 now on the darn Floppy Drive with Dell and be done with it. Same for a PSU. I have heard it is a nightmare to upgrade to. I understand Dell and other Comp Companies have there short comings, but for the average user they can work fine. Even the average gamer now a days they can work just fine. For a solid gaming machince from Dell I would go with a beefed up 8400. Not the XPS. The 8400 with all the same gear that the XPS has is way cheaper. Even an 4700 if done right is a good little game box. I am not a fanboy or do I work for Dell. They have peeved me off more then once. This is how I get credits back from them. I have never paid for shipping ever from Dell for example. These companies want $100.00 for shipping....that is so funny. Our little company uses UPS daily. I know the cost of shipping from coast to coast. A Dell system cost about $40.00 (I am guessing without my rate book).

If you are an Overclocker/Tweaker I would suggest not to buy a Dell/Hp/etc. I do know that you have to void all your warrenties on a Dell if you install the Intel chip sets on the MoBo over the Dell ones. Dell's BIOs is limited. I have said before I just do not see the NEED to overclock anymore. 'Puters are so fast today that what MORE can you get out of it? But then again it is a learning experience to build your own and tweak it out to it's fullest. That is a great feeling to do that. Plus allot of you all have the TIME to do it. I do not. My wife yells at me when I am downstairs on the machines. She thinks I am PLAYING all the time. Never crosses her mind that I am fixing the boxes that She and my Daughter have messed up with spyware/malware/etc. Or that I am just doing routine mantinence on the network. So as to overclocking....no time. I am also L A Z Y! I have to fix the network at work all the time too. Got a owner/employer that is as dumb as a stump with computers. Always breaking something. So when I get home...I want MY stuff to just work well.