dharma24 Posted October 18, 2009 Posted October 18, 2009 Hi My old PC has died and i am thinking of making a new purchase. However i am unsure as to what site i should buy from, looking for a company with good customer service. So far i have found Eclipse Computers, Overclockers and MESH. Are there any other companies that the users on this forum can recommend? Thank You :) Quote
Jelly Bean Posted October 19, 2009 Posted October 19, 2009 Alienware. Quote Rwy'n ceisio fy ngorau......................
snow Posted October 20, 2009 Posted October 20, 2009 You could buy a pre-build machine from somewhere like Cheap Laptops, Hard Drives, LCD Monitors, TVs, Televisions and more at Ebuyer.com or dabs.com - Laptops, Components, MP3 players, Software, Digital Cameras as well. They also sell skeleton computers that you can add memory, graphics and a hard disk too, which can result in some good deals as long as you are willing to fit some parts yourself. Quote Need help with your computer problems? Then why not join Free PC Help. Register here If Free PC Help has helped you then please consider a donation. Click here We are all members helping other members. Please return here where you may be able to help someone else. After all, no one knows everything and you may have the answer that someone needs. Antec 900 Case | Intel Q9550 @ 2.83GHz with Scythe Infinity cooling (Passive) | 8Gb Corsair DHX CAS4 RAM | ATI PowerColour HD 4870 512Mb OC
dharma24 Posted October 20, 2009 Author Posted October 20, 2009 Not really sure if building them myself would be the best idea. I've done some research and have opted to purchase from either cyberpowersystem.co.uk or cougar-extreme.co.uk However, i have a question. I've narrowed down the processors to two, the Intel i5 750 and the Quad Q9650. Is it worth spending more on the i5? Or should i stick with the Q9650 and invest in a better graphics card? Quote
snow Posted October 20, 2009 Posted October 20, 2009 The Q9650 is the faster of the two according to Passmark: I5: PassMark CPU Lookup 9650: PassMark CPU Lookup The Q9650 would probably be the best value option, along with a better graphics card as you suggest. Quote Need help with your computer problems? Then why not join Free PC Help. Register here If Free PC Help has helped you then please consider a donation. Click here We are all members helping other members. Please return here where you may be able to help someone else. After all, no one knows everything and you may have the answer that someone needs. Antec 900 Case | Intel Q9550 @ 2.83GHz with Scythe Infinity cooling (Passive) | 8Gb Corsair DHX CAS4 RAM | ATI PowerColour HD 4870 512Mb OC
dharma24 Posted October 20, 2009 Author Posted October 20, 2009 Thanks for the links, will opt for the Q9650. As for graphics cards, i am interested in the ATI Radeon 4870 and Nvidia GTX260. The Radeon 4890 seems a bit too expensive. The types of games i want to play are Medieval Total War, Empire Total War, Mass Effect, Doom 3. Also if possible on medium settings, Crysis, Far Cry 2 and Fallout 3. The PC would also be used for watching and editing HD content. Quote
dharma24 Posted October 26, 2009 Author Posted October 26, 2009 I've decided to purchase from cougar-extreme.co.uk as the site has received many positive reviews. Requirements: The types of games i want to play are Medieval Total War, Empire Total War, Mass Effect, Doom 3. Also if possible on medium settings, Crysis, Far Cry 2 and Fallout 3. The PC would also be used for watching and editing HD content. I am going to install Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit, the monitor will be purchased from another site. £652 – cougar extreme Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 3.0 Ghz 12Mb Cache, 4Gb Corsair Memory DDR2 800 (2 x 2gb), 500GB SATA Hard Drive, QCE - MSI P43 NEO F - 1600FSB DDR2 1066x4 P43 chipset, 896Mb GTX260 PCI Express Nvidia DDR DVI, CiT 500W Black Edition PSU, DVD+/- RW - 20X (pioneer 116DBK), Elite 330 Black Midi Case Window No PSU RC-330K-KWPC-GP DVD+/- RW - 20X (pioneer 116DBK), No monitor and OS £608- cougar extreme Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 3.0 Ghz 12Mb Cache, Manufacturer Supplied Cooler, 4Gb Corsair Memory DDR2 800 (2 x 2gb), 500GB SATA Hard Drive, , , QCE - MSI P43 NEO F - 1600FSB DDR2 1066x4 P43 chipset, ATI 4850 1024MB PCI Express DDR DVI, Elite 330 Black Midi Case Window No PSU RC-330K-KWPC-GP, CiT 500W Black Edition PSU, DVD+/- RW - 20X (pioneer 116DBK), No monitor and OS £675 – cougar extreme Intel Core 2 Quad Q9650 3.0 Ghz 12Mb Cache, Manufacturer Supplied Cooler, 4GB Corsair Memory DDR3 1333 (2 x 2gb), 1000GB SATA Hard Drive, QCE - P43Twins1600 - 2000FSB DDR3 DDR2 1333x4 P43 CHIPSET, ATI 4870 1024MB PCI Express DDR DVI, CiT 500W Black Edition PSU, Elite 334 Black Midi Case No Psu RC-334-KKN1-GP, DVD+/- RW - 20X (pioneer 116DBK), No monitor and OS NOTE: I am not sure which motherboard to choose from, as well as the types of RAM. DDR2 4Gb Corsair Memory DDR2 800 (2 x 2gb) 4Gb Corsair Memory DDR2 1066 (2x2Gb) 4GB Kingston DDR2 800 (2 x 2gb) DDR3 4GB Corsair Memory DDR3 1333 (2 x 2gb) 4GB Corsair Memory DDR3 1600 (2 x 2gb) Quote
snow Posted October 27, 2009 Posted October 27, 2009 The type of RAM you will need will depend on the motherboard you choose. All of those motherboards you have listed require DDR2 RAM, so that's what you should choose from. The speed of the RAM (800, 1066) doesn't effect system performance enough to worry about it. My advice would be to choose the cheaper 800. The AIT 4850 will be able to handle alll of those games you have listed at max graphics settings, but it will be nearing it's limits. The 4870 will handle it much more comfortably. It depends on how future-proof you want the machine to be. The GTX 260 is similar to the 4870 in performance, but the 4870 should be cheaper, making it the better option. Also, I notice you've selected 'Manufacturer Supplied Cooler'. The stock cooler is noisy, and will run your CPU at 60 to 70 degrees on load. This will work, but if you've got a bit extra to spend, getting a better cooler will make the machine quieter. Quote Need help with your computer problems? Then why not join Free PC Help. Register here If Free PC Help has helped you then please consider a donation. Click here We are all members helping other members. Please return here where you may be able to help someone else. After all, no one knows everything and you may have the answer that someone needs. Antec 900 Case | Intel Q9550 @ 2.83GHz with Scythe Infinity cooling (Passive) | 8Gb Corsair DHX CAS4 RAM | ATI PowerColour HD 4870 512Mb OC
dharma24 Posted October 27, 2009 Author Posted October 27, 2009 The cheapest alternative is the Zalman which is £30. That would mean i would have to go for the second package. I definitely want a PC that is balanced and not too loud Quote
dharma24 Posted October 27, 2009 Author Posted October 27, 2009 I have also been recommended to Overclockers by one of my friends. I have found this system: "Titan Thor" Intel Core 2 Quad Core Q8400 2.66GHz @ 3.20GHz DDR2 System [] Intel Gamer Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 LGA775 'Yorkfield' 2.66GHz Overclocked to 3.20GHz! Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3LR Intel P45 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard Corsair XMS2 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 PC2-8500C5 TwinX Dual Channel ATI Radeon 4870 1024mb LG GH22NS30 22x DVD±RW SATA Dual Layer ReWriter (Black) Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM Akasa AK-967 Nero Direct Contact Heatpipe CPU Cooler OCZ ModXStream Pro 700w Silent SLI Ready ATX2 Modular Power Supply Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound professionally hand installed by our technicians Coolermaster Elite 335 Case 1yr Onsite Collect & Return Warranty Quote
snow Posted October 28, 2009 Posted October 28, 2009 Overclocking a CPU can sometimes lead to sporaddic instability (blue screens, freezing). It will also have the system produce much more heat. The CPU (Q8400) is also an inferior model compared to what you were looking at. Since it is overclocked, the performace will be roughly the same, but as i mentioned it will run hot, and there is no garuntee of perfect stability. This machine seems to cost about the same as the ones with the better Q9650. I'd personally rather get a CPU designed to run at 3GHz, than overclock a slower one, especially for the same money. Other than that, the spec looks OK. It's really up to you: I can tell you that either the cougar extreme or this one should run the games you want without any problem. Quote Need help with your computer problems? Then why not join Free PC Help. Register here If Free PC Help has helped you then please consider a donation. Click here We are all members helping other members. Please return here where you may be able to help someone else. After all, no one knows everything and you may have the answer that someone needs. Antec 900 Case | Intel Q9550 @ 2.83GHz with Scythe Infinity cooling (Passive) | 8Gb Corsair DHX CAS4 RAM | ATI PowerColour HD 4870 512Mb OC
dharma24 Posted October 28, 2009 Author Posted October 28, 2009 The thing is i want a PC that will last, thanks for providing the info regarding overclocking a CPU. I did not know that! I've found another site, with another package Not sure about the motherboard or PSU: Cube247 - Zuben ST20 Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Intel Core 4 Quad Q9550 Processor 4096MB Corsair DDR II Memory 1000GB SATA II Seagate Ultra Fast Hard Disk Space NEC 7200 Multi Format DVD/CD ReWriter ATI Radeon 4870 Performance Graphics 5.1 High Definition Surround Sound Intel Deluxe Motherboard £599.00 Quote
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