Q. Dont mind barebones kits, just need something cheap that is decent for gaming and i am able to upgrade in the future somewhat. I've had a somewhat bad experience with cyberpower and such but i'm willing to reconsider.
Just a side note, I mostly play WoW and Rift. Anything that can run MMO's on moderate settings would be great.
Just a side note, I mostly play WoW and Rift. Anything that can run MMO's on moderate settings would be great.
A. There is another site similar to cyberpowerpc - it's ibuypower.com
Anyhow, for under $550 you'll probably want to go with AMD. Athlon II X2 is plenty for WoW and Rift, as well as most other things. If you get a motherboard with core unlocker thingy you can possibly end up with a X4 too, but it isn't a guarantee.
MSI makes some good inexpensive AM3 boards, and most of their boards have the core unlocker. As an added upgrade option, you can get one with SLI and/or CrossFire capability in case you want more GPU power in the future without just replacing the one you have.
RAM will be DDR3. AMD benefits more from a low CAS latency than from high bandwidth, so aim for that. G.Skill makes some good RAM with a CAS latency of 6, 2x2Gb for about $80. Whatever RAM you get remember AM3 uses dual channel memory, so buy and install it in pairs. 4Gb should be fine but 8Gb won't hurt anything.
HDD doesn't make too much difference in WoW, but if you want speed get 2 or 3 (or more) and put them in RAID 0 or RAID 5. Do be sure to get 7200rpm instead of 5400.
DVD burner - just read reviews before you buy it to make sure it works for longer than a month.
PSU - pointless to pick this out before deciding on a GPU, but modular adds convenience when building and efficiency does less damage on your electric bill - and usually efficient PSUs generate less heat. Read reviews on these too and stick with good brands.
GPU - Get the best one you can afford and make sure it's GDDR5. If you're only running one monitor 512Mb is probably big enough but I would get 768Mb or 1Gb just to be sure.
Case - plenty of ventilation, the right size, and more than 1 fan are the main concerns on a gaming PC. Other than that it's just whatever looks good to you. Get the biggest one that will fit where you are going to put it (with room to breathe) for better airflow. Tool-less drive bays and expansion slots are nice conveniences too.
The key to building a cheap gaming computer is to get the cheapest parts that will still allow upgrades. I.E. Athlon II X2 can be replaced with Phenom II X6 BE, or you can get 2x2Gb RAM now and 2x2Gb more later. Make sure your PSU is powerful enough to handle your computer after upgrades and you won't have to replace it.
Anyhow, for under $550 you'll probably want to go with AMD. Athlon II X2 is plenty for WoW and Rift, as well as most other things. If you get a motherboard with core unlocker thingy you can possibly end up with a X4 too, but it isn't a guarantee.
MSI makes some good inexpensive AM3 boards, and most of their boards have the core unlocker. As an added upgrade option, you can get one with SLI and/or CrossFire capability in case you want more GPU power in the future without just replacing the one you have.
RAM will be DDR3. AMD benefits more from a low CAS latency than from high bandwidth, so aim for that. G.Skill makes some good RAM with a CAS latency of 6, 2x2Gb for about $80. Whatever RAM you get remember AM3 uses dual channel memory, so buy and install it in pairs. 4Gb should be fine but 8Gb won't hurt anything.
HDD doesn't make too much difference in WoW, but if you want speed get 2 or 3 (or more) and put them in RAID 0 or RAID 5. Do be sure to get 7200rpm instead of 5400.
DVD burner - just read reviews before you buy it to make sure it works for longer than a month.
PSU - pointless to pick this out before deciding on a GPU, but modular adds convenience when building and efficiency does less damage on your electric bill - and usually efficient PSUs generate less heat. Read reviews on these too and stick with good brands.
GPU - Get the best one you can afford and make sure it's GDDR5. If you're only running one monitor 512Mb is probably big enough but I would get 768Mb or 1Gb just to be sure.
Case - plenty of ventilation, the right size, and more than 1 fan are the main concerns on a gaming PC. Other than that it's just whatever looks good to you. Get the biggest one that will fit where you are going to put it (with room to breathe) for better airflow. Tool-less drive bays and expansion slots are nice conveniences too.
The key to building a cheap gaming computer is to get the cheapest parts that will still allow upgrades. I.E. Athlon II X2 can be replaced with Phenom II X6 BE, or you can get 2x2Gb RAM now and 2x2Gb more later. Make sure your PSU is powerful enough to handle your computer after upgrades and you won't have to replace it.
Can my computer handle Rift?
Q. I really want to play this new game called Rift, but I am seriously concerned that my computer can't handle it, and I don't want to shell out $40 if my computer won't be able to play it. It is a Compaq Presario CQ60 laptop with 2Gb of RAM, and an Intel Celeron CPU, and it is 2.2 Ghz. I can usually play WoW on low graphics without too much trouble, but I really don't know anything about my video card or sound. Can my computer handle this?
Also: There is an event this weekend where I can try it for free for the weekend, but I just want to know what you think.
Also: There is an event this weekend where I can try it for free for the weekend, but I just want to know what you think.
A. Your computer is an old model.
Click here: http://www.amazon.com/Compaq-CQ60-210US-15-6-Inch-Dual-Core-Processor/dp/B001NPDKVM
It only has a Class 4 shared memory graphics card that is like the Intel HD graphics w/c is like free, that's why you can't expect much from it for gaming.
Click here: http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-8200M-G.11360.0.html
My suggestion, just save up your money & buy a better laptop on Black Friday or for Christmas.
ways tell my customers, a laptop's battery is similar to a cell phone's. You charge it when it's depleted & you unplug the adapter when it is already fully charge (this will prevent the battery from getting overcharged & extend the life of the battery). So for less hassle, I always advice my customers to just remove the battery if they plan to use the computer for long hours straight (more than 1 hour) and just run it on AC power alone so as not to overcharge it & shorten the battery life.
If you're looking for an affordable, not so big, yet best in performance gaming laptop?
LOOK NO FURTHER.
Like me, get the MSI GT680R 15.6"-full HD GAMING NOTEBOOK which comes with the 2nd Generation Core i7 Processor 2630QM, 8GB DDR3 RAM, 1TB Hard Disk Drive (2 x 500GB 7200rpm SATA HDD) & a powerful Class 1, 1.5GB NVIDIA GTX460M DDR5 dedicated graphics card that can handle DirectX 11 enhancing the 3D detail effects from FRYS.com (SKU#: 6547393).
I was free for the day so I hung around the store and got to use the laptop first hand.
I came back to check out the laptop every hour for 6 hrs and found out that the air from the vent of the laptop remained cool compared to any other laptops on display there, meaning this laptop has proper heat management, that means this laptop can handle long hours of gruelling play. Now, I'm all stewed up saving to buy this b4 Blizzard releases Diablo 3.
The MSI GT680R 15.6" Gaming Notebook w/ the Intel® Core� i-7 retails for $1,499.99 (+ tax & other sur-charges). I chose to pay more to have the newest technology so that I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT GETTING OUTDATED WITHIN THE NEXT 11 YRS.
click here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152239
Are you a game enthusiasts playing for long hours? Get a COOLER MASTER U2 Notebook Cooler w/c has dual purposes. Cool thing about it is that you can position the fans on the right spot for better ventialation. When travelling, detach the easily detacheable dual fan, & you can use the aluminum frame as a protection for your laptop's LCD screen when inside the bag. I got mine from MicroCenter.com for 48% cheaper than the regular $24.99 tag (FRYS.com SKU#: 6344931).
click here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834997730
If you're a lil' bit low on budget, get the next best thing. The msi GE620-021 15.6" Gaming Notebook also features a 2nd Generation Intel Core i7 Processor 2630QM & 8GB DDR3 RAM, just 640GB HDD, but only a Class 2, 1GB NVIDIA GT540M dedicated graphics card that can also handle DirectX 11 effects from FRYS.com (SKU#: 6539123).
The ASUS N53SV-XR1 for $949.99 sounds 150dollars cheaper, but comes with only 4GB of memory.
click here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152258
Click here: http://www.amazon.com/Compaq-CQ60-210US-15-6-Inch-Dual-Core-Processor/dp/B001NPDKVM
It only has a Class 4 shared memory graphics card that is like the Intel HD graphics w/c is like free, that's why you can't expect much from it for gaming.
Click here: http://www.notebookcheck.net/NVIDIA-GeForce-8200M-G.11360.0.html
My suggestion, just save up your money & buy a better laptop on Black Friday or for Christmas.
ways tell my customers, a laptop's battery is similar to a cell phone's. You charge it when it's depleted & you unplug the adapter when it is already fully charge (this will prevent the battery from getting overcharged & extend the life of the battery). So for less hassle, I always advice my customers to just remove the battery if they plan to use the computer for long hours straight (more than 1 hour) and just run it on AC power alone so as not to overcharge it & shorten the battery life.
If you're looking for an affordable, not so big, yet best in performance gaming laptop?
LOOK NO FURTHER.
Like me, get the MSI GT680R 15.6"-full HD GAMING NOTEBOOK which comes with the 2nd Generation Core i7 Processor 2630QM, 8GB DDR3 RAM, 1TB Hard Disk Drive (2 x 500GB 7200rpm SATA HDD) & a powerful Class 1, 1.5GB NVIDIA GTX460M DDR5 dedicated graphics card that can handle DirectX 11 enhancing the 3D detail effects from FRYS.com (SKU#: 6547393).
I was free for the day so I hung around the store and got to use the laptop first hand.
I came back to check out the laptop every hour for 6 hrs and found out that the air from the vent of the laptop remained cool compared to any other laptops on display there, meaning this laptop has proper heat management, that means this laptop can handle long hours of gruelling play. Now, I'm all stewed up saving to buy this b4 Blizzard releases Diablo 3.
The MSI GT680R 15.6" Gaming Notebook w/ the Intel® Core� i-7 retails for $1,499.99 (+ tax & other sur-charges). I chose to pay more to have the newest technology so that I DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT GETTING OUTDATED WITHIN THE NEXT 11 YRS.
click here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152239
Are you a game enthusiasts playing for long hours? Get a COOLER MASTER U2 Notebook Cooler w/c has dual purposes. Cool thing about it is that you can position the fans on the right spot for better ventialation. When travelling, detach the easily detacheable dual fan, & you can use the aluminum frame as a protection for your laptop's LCD screen when inside the bag. I got mine from MicroCenter.com for 48% cheaper than the regular $24.99 tag (FRYS.com SKU#: 6344931).
click here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834997730
If you're a lil' bit low on budget, get the next best thing. The msi GE620-021 15.6" Gaming Notebook also features a 2nd Generation Intel Core i7 Processor 2630QM & 8GB DDR3 RAM, just 640GB HDD, but only a Class 2, 1GB NVIDIA GT540M dedicated graphics card that can also handle DirectX 11 effects from FRYS.com (SKU#: 6539123).
The ASUS N53SV-XR1 for $949.99 sounds 150dollars cheaper, but comes with only 4GB of memory.
click here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834152258
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