want a decent gaming rig thats good for windows 7

[riderkid]

I really need to knwo what makes a decent gaming rig as i am getting one hopefully in july. the games i want to play are

half life 2
killing floor
left 4 dead 1 and 2
silent hills 2 and 3
COD 2 4 and 5
counterstrike source
AVP2
condemned
final fantasy XI
and some other older games.

also i wnat it to be ready for windows 7.


and idea what configuration i should get

[Member_of_STARS]

Whats your budget?

You can get a very good rig off e-bay for as little as 500 bucks.

[riderkid]

about 750 to 850 and my mom said no ebay computers, she dun want me to get ripped off

[Member_of_STARS]

Youre not going to search for a computer off a person. A lot of companies put their goods up on e-bay. Thats where you want to look.

http://computers.shop.ebay.com/items/Desktop-PCs_?LH_BIN=1&LH_IncludeSIF=1&Processor%2520Configuration=Dual%2520Core&_trkparms=65%253A3%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1&_catref=1&_dmd=1&_dmpt=Desktop_PCs&_fsct=&_in_kw=1&_ipg=50&_oexkw=&_okw=&_sacat=179&_sc=1&_sop=3&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_udhi=&_udlo=&_pgn=14

Start from here, go down, if you like something, make sure the seller is a company. And thats all there is to it. If you want guidelines on the specs, then the first thing to look for, would be to exclude all AMD processors and go for a dual core Intel processor (Core 2 Duo Txxxx and higher), they are cheaper and at the same time much better.

If you still want to avoid e-bay, its OK. If you found something, throw a few links here and lets have a look.

Of course, one option would be to get a PC savvy friend and just buy all the components you need, but your friend needs to be pretty knowledgeable.

[nemesiswontdie]

dont forget if you look on ebay look at the sellers feedback i dont buy from anyone who's feed back is lower than 97%

[alf717]

At that price range you could build your own online. If you live in the US check out Newegg.com, Frys.com and Zipzoomfly.com.

[riderkid]

well i have no knowledge of rig building and im afraid of breaking something in the process.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9366633&type=product&id=1218092152998

i did find this however, is this decent? i checked its actually DDR2

[doomed]

If you want guidelines on the specs, then the first thing to look for, would be to exclude all AMD processors and go for a dual core Intel processor (Core 2 Duo Txxxx and higher), they are cheaper and at the same time much better.

They are also a dead platform, since intel moved on to i7.
There's a reason why it makes sense to buy an AMD since he can upgrade anytime he wants in the following years.

[riderkid]

my biggest problem is if i build AMD i dun understand half of the lingo, i cannot find ram support a AM3 board, i dunno how to find hard drives for a board, im clueless on installing a CPU or cooling devices, in other words im good at identifyign tech but not building it

[alf717]

An AM3 board can support memory up to DDR3 1333. The Intel i7's are popular for there triple channel support which AMD does not currently support. Whether if you choose AMD or Intel you will be dealing with pretty much the same in terms of "lingo". An AMD machine will offer a lot of bang for your buck while Intel machine will offer an even larger bang but at a higher cost. Intel still beats AMD in terms of raw power but affordability is maintained better with a AMD system. The easiest way to judge what you need it to look at what you are looking for in a PC. You mentioned you want a machine that can game. Well any person looking for a gaming PC is going to spend a good junk of money on high end parts but if you are not looking for a "Crysis" rig then you will be fine with an AMD system. This is not to say a machine that can run Crysis will require an Intel processor I'm just trying to state that if you really don't need the best and fastest machine then look into buying an AMD system since in the end it will cost less and give you a good power to price ratio.

For example you could grab the latest AMD Phenom II 955 processor and base your build on this hierarchy. The processor is a 3.2GHz quad core and will allow to play and run anything you throw at it. Next you need a motherboard. I would recommend a motherboard in the 790X series this will allow full DDR3 support. Once you choose a processor and board, whether it be Intel or AMD, then the rest is easy.

If it is easier to get a full machine then check out the local paper for any deals going on at Staples, Best Buy or even Walmart. You could always but a machine and upgrade it as you see fit.

[riderkid]

well hears where i planned to buy form

http://www.buyxg.com/

and like i said im not into Xtreme gaming, i mostly wnat a system to play COD4 5 and other gmaes before late 2007

[alf717]

I'm not familiar with that company so I can't say if they are good or not. You might want to head other to Hard Forum http://www.hardforum.com/ a lot of people there might be able to give you some really good ideas on your next build. Maybe even suggest a site that can help build a PC at a great cost. I know it may seem tough at first but building a new PC would be much easier and in some cases cheaper if you are willing to give it a shot.

I slapped this together real quick at Newegg:

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/oo211/fusion717/pc.png?t=1246386644

It offers a lot of power for gaming. You could save some cash and remove some stuff you may not need but I figure I play it safe and put an entire PC together to give you an idea of what it would cost to build a gaming PC that is reliable, will last a long time and offers future upgrades.

[riderkid]

well i made my own config on newegg as well but still dun know if its good or not