Hey guys. Before we start I just wanna say thanks for viewing my question.
I was thinking of getting a good gaming desktop for my birthday + christmas. My bday is only 2 months away =D.

Is this a good gaming desktop?

Processor (CPU)
AMD PHENOM™ II X4 955 (3.2GHz) BLACK EDITION (Socket AM3)

Memory (RAM)
8GB CORSAIR XMS2 800MHz - LIFETIME WARRANTY! (4x2GB)

Motherboard
ASUS® M4N78: DUAL DDR2, S-ATA II, PCIe x16, 2 x PCIe x1, 3 x PCI

Memory - 1st Hard Disk
250GB SERIAL ATA 3-Gb/s HARD DRIVE WITH 8MB CACHE (7,200rpm)

1st CD/DVD Drive
22x DUAL LAYER LIGHTSCRIBE DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM

Graphics Card
1GB NVIDIA GEFORCE 9800GT PCI EXPRESS

I just wanna now if it'll be good for gaming and what games I could play on it and if it'll be outdated in about 6 months. It is on PCSpecialist.co.uk for only £675.

Hey guys.

I was wanting to buy a descent gaming desktop for a good price. I found one on PCspecialist.co.uk that looks pretty good and not that expensive. Heres the specs.

Processor (CPU)
AMD PHENOM™ II X4 955 (3.2GHz) BLACK EDITION (Socket AM3)

Memory (RAM)
8GB CORSAIR XMS2 800MHz - LIFETIME WARRANTY! (4x2GB)

Motherboard
ASUS® M4N78: DUAL DDR2, S-ATA II, PCIe x16, 2 x PCIe x1, 3 x PCI

Graphics Card
1GB NVIDIA GEFORCE 9800GT PCI EXPRESS

Memory - 1st Hard Disk
250GB SERIAL ATA 3-Gb/s HARD DRIVE WITH 8MB CACHE (7,200rpm


Any way is this computer worth buying. It is £659. Will it be out dated in a year or so cos I want one that will last.

No.


If you want "cutting edge" any computer will be outdated in a year if not 6 months.

8GB RAM is absurd unless you want to run a small server.

800MHz is slow compared to what you could get.

You could also get a better graphics card and you do not spec the PSU which is a vital spec.

You also do not spec the case which is important as well.

Anything less than 500GB hard drives today are also a waste.

I'd suggest building your own from scratch.

Pretty easy to do and we are here to help as are many online.

That motherboard is also very "cheap" and not a good foundation to build on.

Newegg.com - ASUS M4N78 Pro AM3/AM2+/AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 8300 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - AMD Motherboards


The base configuration you spec is not worth the money. Or you could say you can get a lot more for that same money.




...

If you want "cutting edge" any computer will be outdated in a year if not 6 months.

Let's be realistic - it is more like before you get it out of the box!

I don't see an operating system listed - or DVD drive, keyboard, or mouse - in addition to the case and PSU mentioned earlier. No monitor listed either.

Originally Posted by Digerati

Let's be realistic - it is more like before you get it out of the box!

It sure doesn't take long. A better question is how long before it ceases to be a decent computer for your needs.

I agree about building your own but its not for people who are "afraid to get their hands dirty" but then, what is?

Okey I dont really have alot to spend . I have about £700 to £750 spend. I found another that looks quite good.

Processor (CPU)
AMD ATHLON™ 64 X2 7750+ (2.7GHz) BLACK EDITION (Socket AM2+)

Memory (RAM)
4GB CORSAIR XMS2 800MHz - LIFETIME WARRANTY! (2x2GB)

Motherboard
ASUS® M4N78: DUAL DDR2, S-ATA II, PCIe x16, 2 x PCIe x1, 3 x PCI

Operating System
Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium 64 bit Edition + SP1, CD & Licence

USB Options
6 x USB 2.0 PORTS (4 REAR + 2 FRONT) AS STANDARD

Memory - 1st Hard Disk
500GB SERIAL ATA 3-Gb/s HARD DRIVE WITH 8MB CACHE (7,200rpm)

1st CD/DVD Drive
22x DUAL LAYER LIGHTSCRIBE DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM

Graphics Card
1GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX285 PCI EXPRESS

Sound Card
ONBOARD 8 CHANNEL (7.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)

Modem
NONE, I WILL BE USING BROADBAND

Network Facilities
ONBOARD 10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT

Memory Card Reader
INTERNAL 52 IN 1 CARD READER (READS XD, MS, CF, SD, etc)

Case
ANTEC 900 BLACK GAMING CASE

Power Supply & Case Cooling
350W Dual Rail PSU + 120mm Case Fan

Processor Cooling
STANDARD CPU COOLER

Monitor
17 Inch Wide TFT Silver/Black 1440 x 900 8MS, D-Sub (£59)

Keyboard & Mouse
Logitech® Internet Keyboard + Hotkeys (Black) (£7)

Mouse
Black Logitech® Premium Optical Mouse (£4)

Speakers
LOGITECH S120 2.0 BLACK SPEAKER SYSTEM (£4)

Headsets (VOIP)
Logitech® PC Headset 850 Mono with in-line volume control (£4

sorry the prossecor was supposed to be a 3.2GHz

350W Dual Rail PSU + 120mm Case Fan

That's not big enough. You did not specify a brand name for your graphics but BFG recommends 575 watts for their - the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 OC 1GB GDDR3 PCI Express Graphics Card .

Use the eXtreme PSU Calculator Lite to determine your power supply unit (PSU) requirements. Plug in all the hardware you think you might have in 2 or 3 years (extra drives, bigger or 2nd video card, more RAM, etc.). Be sure to read and heed the notes at the bottom of the page. I recommend setting Capacitor Aging to 30%, and if you participate in distributive computing projects (e.g. BOINC or Folding@Home), I recommend setting TDP to 100%. Research your video card and pay particular attention to the power supply requirements for your card listed on your video card maker's website. If not listed, check a comparable card (same graphics engine and RAM) from a different maker. The key specifications, in order of importance are:

1. Current (amperage or amps) on the +12V rail,
2. Efficiency,
3. Total wattage.

Then look for power supply brands listed under the "Good" column of PC Mechanic's PSU Reference List. Ensure the supplied amperage on the +12V rails of your chosen PSU meets the requirements of your video card. Don't try to save a few dollars by getting a cheap supply. Digital electronics, including CPUs, RAM, and today's advanced graphics cards, need clean, stable power. A good, well chosen supply will provide years of service and upgrade wiggle room. I strongly recommend you pick a supply with an efficiency rating equal to, or greater than 80%. Look for the 80 Plus - EnergyStar Compliant label. And don't forget to budget for a good UPS with AVR (automatic voltage regulation).

I agree about building your own but its not for people who are "afraid to get their hands dirty" but then, what is?

And yet it is a user responsibility to keep the interior clean of heat trapping dust (I recommend inspecting monthly, cleaning as necessary) so I say why not get familiar with all the components when they are nice and clean, and in boxes with labels explaining what they are?

Just to add that graphics card also requires 2 x 6 pin PCI_E leads from the PSU.

And just to reiterate you would be best off building your own.

Buy the parts and put it together yourself.

This is the only way to get the best system for the least money.

However it does require a bit of your own work.

As noted we are here to help.

If you can use a screw driver and plug things together that is about all the skill you need.