Looking to buy a PC for $750 what can I get?

[ProgMatinee]

So, I want to buy a PC to do games and Microsoft Office crap, etc.

Remarkably, I don't plan on using it for the internet!!!!!

But I do want a decent system to play games. I specifically would play stuff like Command and Conquer, Empire, etc. Hopefully it can handle Star Craft 2? Maybe some shooter games, but not sure. I also will do some simple photo editing and maybe some video editing.

I can't really afford to drop $1200+ on a PC.

I use computers all day at work, but I don't know a single thing about system requirements and such.

Can you guys tell me whether I can get something that will meet my needs for about $750? Do I need an Intel or is AMD good enough? What type of graphics card do I need under my budget? Any specif brand of computer to look for? Avoid?

Thanks guys.

 

[darthviper107]

Are you planning on building it or getting a name brand?
(building it will probably get you twice the value)

Go with Intel--that will allow you to easily upgrade your processor. AMD has good dual-core processors, but beyond that they have fallen far behind, if you ever want to get a quad-core processor Intel has some really good ones for reasonable prices, and they use the same motherboard as the regular dual-core (except for the new i7 processors which require a new motherboard socket) With AMD to fully take advantage of their quad core processors you have to upgrade your motherboard and even then they don't have very fast processors and they've got bugs.

 

[ProgMatinee]

I was planning to just get something out of the box, is it hard to "build" a computer? I don't know any of that.

 

[darthviper107]

Actually it's very simple, and it can be better than one that you buy from Dell or something--warranties on individual parts are usually longer than the warranty you get from a computer company like Dell. Processors have 3 year warranties, Memory is lifetime along with hard drives. Power supplies are 1 year, graphics cards are 3 years. And it's much easier to get a replacement for one part than having to send the whole thing. Plus if you decide to upgrade something you don't void your warranty by changing out the parts. (although with the processors you have to use the heatsink and fan that comes with the processor for the warranty).

Newegg.com is the best place to buy stuff, you can easily search for things and they've got user reviews so you can make sure that there aren't going to be big problems with the parts.

It's really easy to build a computer.

Here's a system for $756 that I setup:
https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=9270665

Everything minus Windows and a monitor

All those are very high rated parts.

Here's a good guide on how to build it:
https://www.gamesradar.com/f/the-2008-pc-builders-bible/a-20080918153014865039/p-26

Just remember that while you put it together you need to avoid static shock to the parts (especially the processor) you can ground yourself by buying a special wristband or you can also plug in the power supply and just keep contact with the power supply while you work and that will keep you grounded.

 

[THX-182]

Just remember that while you put it together you need to avoid static shock to the parts (especially the processor) you can ground yourself by buying a special wristband or you can also plug in the power supply and just keep contact with the power supply while you work and that will keep you grounded.

Or you can do what I did when I put new memory in my computer by stripping down to your underwear and doing it on the kitchen floor tile.

 

[Chimera 1]

Just getting the CPU can be cheap around 700 for a decent system. If you need a monitor and all the peripherals then you will add to the price.
For 779 CPU only at Bestbuy:

Gateway - TV Desktop with Intel® Core™2 Quad Processor Q8200
Model: LX6810-01 | SKU: 9174564
Intel® Core™2 Quad processor Q8200; 8GB DDR2 memory; DL DVD±RW/CD-RW drive; Labelflash technology; 640GB hard drive; built-in TV tuner; Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit with SP1

Features

Intel® Core™2 Quad processor Q8200
Featuring 4 processing cores, 1333MHz frontside bus, 4MB L2 cache and 2.33GHz processor speed per core.
4 complete execution cores in 1 processor
For better multitasking and multithreaded performance. Intel® Smart Memory Access optimizes data bandwidth to accelerate and improve instruction throughput.
Intel® Advanced Digital Media Boost
Accelerates the execution of Streaming SIMD Extension (SSE) instructions to significantly improve the Media Boost performance on a broad range of applications.
8GB DDR2 memory
For multitasking power.
Multiformat DVD±RW/CD-RW drive with double-layer support
Records up to 8.5GB of data or 4 hours of video using compatible DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL media. Supports DVD-RAM; also supports Labelflash direct-disc labels using compatible media.
640GB Serial ATA II hard drive (7200 rpm)
Provides enough storage for your data at fast read/write speeds.
NVIDIA GeForce GT120 graphics
With up to 1GB total graphics memory for quality video performance. HDMI and RCA outputs easily connect to a TV.
Built-in HD TV tuner
Lets you watch and record live television.
15-in-1 media reader with Smart copy button
Supports CompactFlash I/II, Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, MultiMediaCard Plus, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo, xD-Picture Card, SmartMedia and Microdrive.
Also supports miniSD, Reduced-Size MultiMediaCard (RS-MMC) and MultiMediaCard Mobile with optional adapters (not included).
2 IEEE 1394 ports and 6 high-speed USB 2.0 ports
Both front and rear accessible, allow fast digital data transfer and easy peripheral connectivity.
Built-in 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet LAN with RJ-45 connector
Along with a high-speed V.92 modem gets your connected to the Internet.
Amplified USB stereo speakers
Provide high-definition audio (8-speaker support). Multimedia keyboard and USB optical 2-button wheel mouse included.
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition 64-bit operating system
With Service Pack 1 (SP1) preinstalled for a stable platform.
Software package included
With Microsoft Money Essentials, Works 9.0 SE, Adobe Reader and Cyberlink Power2Go. 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office Home and Student also included.

 

[ProgMatinee]

That sounds pretty good. Is that graphics card good enough to handle the current games (especially considering I won't be playing online)?

 

[Darth Caedus]

It's not too hard to built a PC. Once you know where everything goes, it's pretty Snap-And-Click assembly (but if you don't know where it goes, it's not easy). If you want to build, you can go to https://www.newegg.com One of the best online retailers for parts.

Here's a link to the PC that Chimera posted
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883113089&Tpk=NVIDIA%20GeForce%20GT120

 

[Natrix]

That sounds pretty good. Is that graphics card good enough to handle the current games (especially considering I won't be playing online)?

No it won't be at least with decent settings, maybe on lower settings. Any "budget" pre built PC's have pretty crappy video cards or else on board graphics.

 

[Darth Caedus]

No it won't be at least with decent settings, maybe on lower settings. Any "budget" pre built PC's have pretty crappy video cards or else on board graphics.

Yep, pretty much most "GOOD" video cards are probably at least $250

 

[darthviper107]

That's actually a pretty good system. The video card isn't too bad. I'm still running an 8800GTS and can run Crysis fairly good. Good graphics cards aren't too expensive. You can get a 9800GTX for like $200

 

[plasmid303]

For almost the same price as that 9800GTX you can get a Radeon 4870 1gb and get a bit more mileage in gaming. My pc is running two 4870 cards in crossfire and runs great.

The pre-built pc Chimera posted is good, but honestly I recommend building your own pc. If you don't know how, then find a friend that does or learn to (it's a very satisfying experience). Buying a pre-built rig is fine, but a lot of times you get unnecessary bloatware and you end up paying more than you would have if you had built the same spec pc yourself.

 

[Darth Caedus]

For almost the same price as that 9800GTX you can get a Radeon 4870 1gb and get a bit more mileage in gaming. My pc is running two 4870 cards in crossfire and runs great.

The pre-built pc Chimera posted is good, but honestly I recommend building your own pc. If you don't know how, then find a friend that does or learn to (it's a very satisfying experience). Buying a pre-built rig is fine, but a lot of times you get unnecessary bloatware and you end up paying more than you would have if you had built the same spec pc yourself.

Absolutely, sometimes the pre-built computers come shipped that prevent you from upgrading for some reason. My buddy got a Dell that he couldn't upgrade, he couldn't remove the video card, etc. Plus, you don't want to pay someone $60 to put in RAM or something crazy that computer places charge.

 

[hairlesswookiee]

^^^that's the way my old compaq was from back in the day. couldn't upgrade anything but the ram, hard drive, and optical drives.
~~i think the next PC i build will be a top dollar system. i'd like to get back into the PC games, but always hated that my system was old and out of date.

 

[Chimera 1]

For almost the same price as that 9800GTX you can get a Radeon 4870 1gb and get a bit more mileage in gaming. My pc is running two 4870 cards in crossfire and runs great.

The pre-built pc Chimera posted is good, but honestly I recommend building your own pc. If you don't know how, then find a friend that does or learn to (it's a very satisfying experience). Buying a pre-built rig is fine, but a lot of times you get unnecessary bloatware and you end up paying more than you would have if you had built the same spec pc yourself.

I agree the best way to go is to build your own, but if you don't have the resources then a pre-built one isn't that expensive. I was just showing him an options.

 

[darthviper107]

^^^that's the way my old compaq was from back in the day. couldn't upgrade anything but the ram, hard drive, and optical drives.
~~i think the next PC i build will be a top dollar system. i'd like to get back into the PC games, but always hated that my system was old and out of date.

For about $2,000 you can build a computer that would dominate every game. Something that would be like $8,000 from Alienware or other companies.

I plan on getting a new system this summer, right now I'm running on a crappy AMD Dual-core 2.8ghz, really need to upgrade. Especially since I'm doing a project that will be running in Crysis and need it to run as fast as it can.

 

[KitFisto]

I have a laptop. I like it.

 

[Bum]

there was a nice 17" 4GB RAM Dell at Wal-mart for around that price. laptop, not desktop

 

[ProgMatinee]

Thanks for the input guys. I do have a friend thats into building computers, I might ask him for some help.