I haven't put my own computer together since 2001, but after looking realizing local Mom and Pop computer manufactures left with the Dodo I started contemplating putting one together. I stopped when I hit $1k in parts and started searching around for desktops again... and came up with this...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883103373
$739, and if the video card is inadequate I can easily upgrade that without it killing my morning.

Question is, are there core issues with that machine that I am naieve to due to being 10 years out of date on the evolutions in hardware? It's an i5-2300 instead of a 2500k, a GeForce GT 520, instead of a 560ti, etc. Power Supply is 450W and honestly I dont really even know if that would support a 560ti if I upgraded.

I don't need the highest of settings on the newest of titles... it's just time for me to upgrade windows XP and my GeForce
GTX 275. It's adequate, but the hardware is aging and having issues... and it is starting to not like dual monitors with newer graphics intensive titles (have to go to single monitor to play Rage).

Parts I was looking at are below. Was using recommendations from various websites so I am sure cheaper options are available. I didnt want to just go cheapest available though... as I know how that worked out 10 years ago. Thanks!

EVGA GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi) 01G-P3-1460-KR Video Card
Item #:N82E16814130660
$189.99

OCZ OCZ750FTY 750W Power Supply
Item #:N82E16817341041
$119.99

Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" SATA 6.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #:N82E16822136533
$89.99

Antec TWO HUNDRED S Black Computer Case
Item #:N82E16811129074
$59.99

(2)CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Profile Desktop Memory
Item #:N82E16820233186
$119.98

Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor
Item #:N82E16819115072
$219.99

LOGISYS Computer IC221PWM 92mm Theta 21 PWM Intel LGA 1156 CPU Cooling
Item #:N82E16835999018
$15.99

ASUS P8P67 LE (REV 3.0) ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #:N82E16813131706
$139.99

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit
Item #:N82E16832116986
$99.99

 

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OCZ makes a better PSU called PC Power and Cooling....You dont really need a 750, 650 should do...definitely shop around.

CPU/MOBO:
$214 Phenom II X4 3.4Ghz/Asus Mobo Combo

$220 Gigabyte 560ti 1GB

$80 Rosewill HIVE 650W PS

$50 G.Skill 2x4GB 1600 DDR3 Ram

Just add hard drive of your choice and boot. Your only at $564 so you have plenty of leeway. I would go with an SSD and a 2TB black, but it depends on your budget.

This would be my SSD Recommendation.

$220 128GB Crucial M4 SSD http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148448

 

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i will never understand why people reply to a build that uses intel with one that doesn't. (and vice versa.)

 

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Regarding buying the ASUS desktop and upgrading the video card. 450 watt should work, but some of these prebuilt desktop power supplies are a bit iffy. So no guarantees.


If you built it yourself, I'd definitely change the CPU heatsink you picked. Either stick with the stock cooler or at least get a CM Hyper 212+ for $25.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

Some of those cheaper cooler are usually worse than the stock one.


You went pretty big on the memory (16GB) and PSU (750 watts). I'd probably drop back to 8GB and 600-650 watts. And probably got a little better on the case. And if you wanted, maybe a GTX 560 TI graphics card (It's one step above the GTX 560. GTX 570 probably a bit too expensive).

That was exactly what I was thinking when I saw it.


Though it is a good build, its not what the OP wanted.


Oh, and as for the Prebuilt system, I dont normally like them. ACER is more than capable of building their own boards and programming their own BIOS. This make it simple for them to limit the upgrade ability of their system.


What I generally tell people is buy a prebuilt for exactly what it is, dont buy it with the idea of upgrading it past a bigger HD / Optical / Memory

Aye, I don't typically upgrade anything in a system I buy short of the video card or extra memory. Anything more than that (in my mind) would defeat the purpose of not wanting to build my own system in the first place.

I looked at several options for prebuilt.

Alienware: even more overpriced than when I was willing to use them years ago (parts I listed were a 1k markup for similar config).
Falcon Northwest: Seemed like 50% markup over Alienware.
Dell (I know they own Alienware): Short list of computers with suitable upgrades for gaming and heavy markups for the components used.
NewEgg: Primarily only IBuyPower and CyberPowerPC in stock for gaming PCs. Reviews I have read of these two companies left me feeling I'd rather game on laptops.

Seeing what NewEgg had in stock for prebuilt really deflated me as only recently they had a wide range of prebuilt options available at any given time.

So, leaning towards the Acer if I can find it (or equivalent) in a nearby store the next month or two. Don't feel like risking having to deal with a DoA for a price tag that high. My Gaming laptop is Acer and I couldn't have been happier with it... so they are still currently in my good graces

 

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The op never said it was looking at only intel, only that he wanted it on the cheap and the prebuilt he was looking at was a 2300. The one he tossed together himself had a 2500 for testing the waters. That phenom II x4 would be more than enough for what he wants to do with it.

You could always swap it to this or similar for $341, but it's a simple truth for budget systems. Intel has the best top end performance, but AMD has the performance/$ ratio.

 

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intel/amd choice is like nvidia/ati choice. it's really rare that someone doesn't have a preference and if i see a build with one in the op, i always assume they have chosen it for that reason.

 

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I'd like to say I don't care, but yeah... I was looking for Intel. That said, at the current hardware level of knowledge I possess... it's not hard to talk me into either with justification.

A guildie college kid I trust lives near, however, and recently realized he might be willing to make a few bucks... so may be problem solved

 

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