Help me out with a desktop

[Quixon]

Thanks in advance for any help on this 1/2 retarded question I'm about to post.

My g/f wants a new desktop. The only "above the norm" stuff she wants to do on it is to play Spore. Everything else she does is just basic photo editing, internet surfing, etc.

They key is that the computer needs to be sold at Best Buy. (she's getting 18 months free financing through them for the computer)

Can you guys point me to anything in the $1500ish range that would fit this criteria?

[Cephius]

Your girlfriend does not need a $1500 desktop to do what you just described.

Realize also you could put together a better build for less money (even with the financing) if you built it yourself, but whatever.

Grab this or this. Both should be more than enough. Obviously they don't come with monitors, so grab one from newegg unless you have one already.

EDIT: Both graphics cards in those PCs pretty much suck, you might wanna consider getting a better one separately if she wants to run Spore at the highest settings. Or go for one a bit more expensive like this one.

[Quixon]

Yeah I realize building one is much cheaper, but I don't know the first thing about that.


Thanks for the recommendation. Are the graphics cards easy to swap out?

[Shuemue]

If you can build lego, you can build a PC.

[Norellicus]

We got my mom that dell on the 2nd link, very stable, very clean (in terms of built-in software not junking up the whole system). She's not a gamer but does a lot of heavy photo editing, which can eat up a decent amount of power. Runs very smooth.

Core2 Quad is generally a waste for gaming in general, as there aren't any games out yet that will utilize more than 2 of the cores at once afaik, and would be even more a waste for someone who just wants to play Spore (which isn't THAT intensive to begin with) and otherwise just general internet use.

[Quixon]

Swapping the graphics card looks like it takes about 5 minutes maybe. What kind of card should I look into? Again, Spore is probably the most "demanding" game she will ever play on this thing.

The price differences are huge on the couple different ones I'm seeing online.

[Cephius]

Are the graphics cards easy to swap out?

They are, but if you get the first one (the one that's thin) you are limited because of case size. If you go that route, make sure you get a "low profile" card and not one of the huge ATI or Nvidia cards. The other two I linked (or anything that has a normal tower size if you don't choose one of my links) both have the needed PCI slots to swap in a better card. Just slide it into the slot, it clicks into place, install the drivers and you're good to go.

this is a pretty good video card these days and should have no problem running spore.

[Quixon]

Thanks for the help. I'll head over to Best Buy tonight and see what they have. I'll point her more towards the Standard sized tower you recommended.

[Quixon]

Is this one comparable to the ones you listed? Some of the numbers match up in my head but I get really confused with all the different processors. Seems like it has the 4MB of Ram, and a bit of a better Graphics Card Standard. Again, the processors confuse me though lol. It's a Gateway and similar priced to the Dell Towers you listed. The g/f doesn't like Dell Computers, but if they are the best option that's what I'm going to tell her to buy.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1218010536521

Product Features

* Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core processor E5200
With 800MHz frontside bus, 2MB shared L2 cache and 2.5GHz processor speed.
* 4GB DDR2 memory
For multitasking power.
* SuperMulti 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 or DVD-R DL media.
* 640GB Serial ATA II hard drive (7200 rpm)
Provides plenty of storage space and fast read/write times.
* NVIDIA GeForce 7100 integrated graphics
With up to 256MB shared video memory for lush images; high-definition audio (8-channel support); HDMI output.
* 15-in-1 digital media card reader
With Smart Copy button supports CompactFlash Type I/II, Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, MultiMediaCard Plus, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick PRO Duo for easy media transfer.
* Also supports SmartMedia, xD-Picture Card and Microdrive; supports mini Secure Digital, Reduced Size MultiMediaCard (RS-MMC) and MultiMediaCard Mobile with optional adapter (not included).
* 2 IEEE 1394 ports and 6 high-speed USB 2.0 ports
Both front and rear accessible, for fast digital transfer and easy connection of peripherals.
* Built-in 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet with RJ-45 connector
Along with a V.92 data/fax modem for easy Internet connection.
* Multimedia keyboard, USB 2-button optical wheel mouse and amplified USB speakers
Included for convenient operation.
* Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition 64-bit operating system with Service Pack 1 (SP1) preinstalled
Software package included with Microsoft Works 9.0 and more; 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 included.

[Cephius]

Is this one comparable to the ones you listed? Some of the numbers match up in my head but I get really confused with all the different processors. Seems like it has the 4MB of Ram, and a bit of a better Graphics Card Standard. Again, the processors confuse me though lol. It's a Gateway and similar priced to the Dell Towers you listed. The g/f doesn't like Dell Computers, but if they are the best option that's what I'm going to tell her to buy.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1218010536521

It's comparable, yeah. Still needs a better video card. That one has a 64-bit operating system though - not advisable for a newbie user. Some applications (especially older ones, or any kind of linksys driver for example) will not work on it.

[Shuemue]

If you want a HD4850, by going with newegg you can save like $40 after rebate with this; http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161235