getting a new computer

[brianbriangrant]

Hi, im new to these forums and im just wanting to know if the following pc is any good.
I would be using it for mainly gaming and the internet. It costs £858.00.

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2x2.4Ghz 4Mb cache 1066Mhz

Memory: 1.0GB DDR2 533mhz

Hard Disk Drive: 200GB S-ATA2 3.0Gb/s 8MB buffer

Second Hard Disk Drive: None

Optical Drive: 18x Double-Layer DVD+/-RW

Second Optical Drive: None

Graphics card: NVidia GeForce 7900GTX PCI-E 512MB DDR3 Dual DVI/TV

Sound Card: Onboard Sound

Internet and Networking: Onboard 10/100 network card (Built-in)

Monitor: 19’’ Widescreen TFT Monitor

thanks in advance.

[rond36]

Hello brianbriangrant, and welcome to The PC Guide Forums!

That looks like a nice PC. Are you going to build it, or are you ordering it pre-built? £858.00 ($1,625.56 USD) isn't to bad of a price.

[PatioFurniture]

So...if i were you I would change the E6600 to a 6400, and spend extra on another GB of RAM. Try to get at least DDR2-667. And the other thing would be to invest in a sound card to get the full effect of games...etc

[jlreich]

I agree if you drop the CPU down to a 6400 and get 2GB DDR667 it would be much better suited for gaming. The 6400 will be plenty of processing power and 2GB ram for a gaming machine is very desirable. It's about balance, no reason to have the 6600 and starve it of data because you run out of physical ram during the heat of battle. Like I said the 6400 is plenty, I would only move up to the 6600 if you have everything else and have the budget to spare.

And no that isn't a bad price for a pre-built. :)

One thing to consider, If it's available I would either drop the video card down to a 7900GT (about $250 USD), or even a 7900GS (about $200). This would give you ample power without dropping $500. With the DX10 cards now starting to hit the shelves I wouldn't spend that kind of money on a DX9 card. So either drop it down for now, and then pick up a DX10 card (the 8800GTS or GTX $450-$650 respectively) later on when the prices even out, or go ahead and get an 8800 right now. It just doesn't make sense to spend $500 on a 7900GTX that is now yesterdays news . ;)

[brianbriangrant]

Thanks for the replies and it is a pre built one.
And the reason i was only getting 1gb ram was because i was going to buy another 1gb of better ram once i got the pc.And is it better to buy a prebuilt one or to make your own, is it cheaper? I would be buying it from golden electronics, does anyone know if they are good.

[PatioFurniture]

In my opinion I always liked building my own. It offers a unique challenge and that way I know exactly everything in my PC and how I put it together. It makes troubleshooting that much easier.

[david eaton]

There is not a lot in it pricewise over building or buying a ready built one.
It may be a bit cheaper to buy rather than build, but you are stuck with whatever the manufacturer put in it.
However, building a computer means that you know what went into it, and you don't have to rely on expensive calls to "tech support" from a distant call centre, who have no idea except " system restore", or reload from disc.