My possible next purchase

[Mobius]

Want to know what yall computer knowledgeable people think about this comp i'm planning on getting http://www.alienware.com/product_det...de=SKU-DEFAULT

I'm upgrading it with 4gig memory, and with aegia physics card, with the quad processing unit, I need some feedback, money isn't an issue. I just want to know if there is something out there bigger and better this system seems better than what Falcon nw was offering.

[Pirotess]

Hehe. Just responded to your other post about Alienware.

http://www.vanguardspheres.com/forums/13544-post9.html

While the system may be marginally better stat wise you have to consider the intangibles like support, etc.

[Mobius]

Phew Pirotess, thanks :-) didn't even know about Voodoo I guess I'm back to square one trying to figure out what I need to get so I don't ever have to worry about lag, I just hate my computer I got into playing online games with it not knowing how much it sucked it's a gateway 600mhz 448ram 50 gig harddrive comp it sucks hardcore for gaming, I used to think I sucked as a rogue at dueling in eq and in wow but most of my losses could be attributed to lag and not realizing it. So i wanted a powerhouse so that I would never be bothered with lag again and could run without lagging :-) that's my goal, glad you all are so friendly and helpful to not let me fall into different traps, Thanks.

[Nil]

Originally Posted by Mobius

alienware

Why not build it? It's really not very hard at all, and you'll have a better understanding of how your computer works. With today's motherboards phasing out jumpers, it's really just as simple as plugging everything in (well, you do have to screw some things to your case) and turning it on. You can change all of your options in the BIOS.

But even if you do decide to buy a pre-built one, please don't go with Alienware. You're paying double (at least) for the name. I know you said money wasn't an issue, but you have little to gain from wasting your money.

Spending more than 2k for a desktop is probably silly (when you consider how little you'll get in return for anything spent over that).

[Mobius]

Ok , I am lost now lol, I just looked at Falcon NW they had one called bragging rights for 10k but it has serious conflict issues you can get a nice sound card but the thing doesn't have enough pci slots for the phyx accelerator? I've listened to you all so far and will not buy a overpriced PC I'm gonna try to find someone I know who can build me a monster then... if you know anyone I can trust let me know, or where I can learn to make one myself I want my comp to be fast,and strong enough to enjoy everything about WoW and Vsoh, so lay it on me folks. Thanks

[Neatton]

Dang you guys are to fast I just saw this new post and its already a full blown thread! I would have to agree though about paying to much for those systems. The alienware cases sure are pretty though In any case I would not mind building you a comp when you are ready if you would like. I am already building 2 or 3 for launch for others would not mind building yours as well. I work for a shipping company so it makes it easy to ship since Fedex comes to my door daily Just let me know what you decide.

[Pirotess]

If you have a little time and a bit of patience to learn how to put together your machine I feel confident between everyone here we could walk you through the process without much trouble. It actually would be a fun project for the forums.

I've built machines for a number of my friends and would be willing to do it for you as well but theres a certain satisfaction doing it yourself in my opinion. Whatever you decide just let us know and we can start with part selection after we do a little usage interview.

[Nil]

Originally Posted by Mobius

or where I can learn to make one myself I want my comp to be fast,and strong enough to enjoy everything about WoW and Vsoh, so lay it on me folks. Thanks

Do it yourself, man (edit: I started typing this before Neatton posted - not meant to be a dig against him at all. Still, you'll come away with alot if you do it yourself). If you have a friend that can build one, you might ask him to help you if you get stuck, but it's really not that hard.

This is a pretty good guide. You'll also have us around. Neatton, Pyro, and myself have built more than we can remember, so we've probably seen whatever problems you come up against.

http://www.hardwarecentral.com/hardw...le.php/3580681

Half the fun is picking parts. I suggest Newegg because they have a great RMA program, but you can find better deals if you look.

You'll need, at mimimum:

A CPU (You'll likely want to look at either Intel's Core Duo or AMD's X2 series.) If the CPU you purchase is listed as OEM, you may need to buy a heatsink and fan as well. Retail boxes will come with one that is likely plenty for you unless you overclock (and if you decide to overclock later - you can buy an aftermarket fan at that time)

A motherboard. It has to support the socket type for the CPU you choose, so pick the CPU first then go from there. Since you expressed interest in 4 gb of ram, make sure it can support 4 gb of ram. If you want to do SLI or XFIRE, be sure the board supports what you want. If nothing else, make sure it has at least one PCI-express x16 slot (and it probably will)

A case. It seems like a no-brainer, but I've seen people forget. A cheap case will do you, but the more expensive ones have nice features like the ability to add and remove drives without tools and storage for extra PSU cables. They're also stronger. You'll find both ATX and BTX cases. Make sure that form matches your motherboard. Get a full-size one since you're wanting to make a monster.

A power supply unit (PSU). Don't skimp here. A good power supply is kind of the lynchpin in your system. If you put a cheap one in (like the ones that often come with cases), it could fail and take half of your components with it. If you get a good name brand, like Seasonic, Silverstone, FSP, or OCZ, you should be good to go. 500 watts is usually overkill for most systems, but since you want a monster...

An optical drive. Not much to say here, really. DVD R/W drives are so cheap these days, but you can just rip whatever was in your Gateway out and use it as well.

Floppy drives really aren't required for anything anymore, but it's handy to have one. Just rip the one out of your Gateway.

At least one hard drive. 15000 RPM is as fast as they come for consumers. The larger the cache it has, the better still. You can usually get away with buying a smaller 15000 RPM drive to install your games and, and a much larger, slower drive, to store pictures, movies, etc. If the drives are SATA (and they almost certainly will be), then you don't have to worry about master-slave relationships. If you get more than one drive, make sure your motherboard has enough SATA ports.

A graphics card. So many options. Nvidia's 7950 if generally considered the fastest card available right now. The X1900XT is very nearly it's equal for less cost, though. I would not recommend the X1900XTX though - it's $100 for almost no gain.

A sound card. You don't really NEED a soundcard, since most motherboards have on-board sound, but having a soundcard can take some of the load off of your processor.

RAM. Windows XP doesn't support more than 4 gbs, so there's no reason to go more than that currently (if there's even a reason to have that much right now). If your motherboard supports 2gb sticks, you might just want to go that route since you can also stick another one in there later.

An OS. I assume you'll want Windows XP since it's a gaming computer. You can get the OEM version for cheap, but it's only good on the motherboard you install it on. If you ever change motherboards, you'll need a new copy.

Geez. I type too much.

[Pirotess]

Good post Nil.

[Mobius]

F$%#ing A Nil, off the top of your head that was sweet thanks man, I'm gonna heed your advice and start looking now...This actually sounds pretty fun, I love puzzles hopefully snapping and formating my very own box will be like it. Thanks all for helping me thru this :-)