Buying/building a new comp.....help!

[pollock505]

Hi guys,

First of all hello to everyone on the site and in anticipation thanks for any advice you have for me.

Heres the craq, i'm ditching my mac for a new and improved PC. I have between £800 and £1300 spending power through work with only one catch.......it has to be spent at PCWorld!!

Ive spent a hungover day trawling the net looking for advice and have been as happy as a kid in a sweet shop reviewing different products. My knowledge would fall under the 'improving' class and finding this site has proved a massive win. Thanks to Muckshifter for his article 'Buying a new computer' great advice and has cleared up a few 'needs' and 'can do withouts'.

I'm more of a console gamer and have only seriously played one game on Pc/Mac....Champ Man, so this isn't my primary need for a PC but more of a bonus (i may be renewing my childhood love for Doom with DoomIII). I use MSWorks and CAD frequently and coupled with the need to store music and photos will be the prime use for my new baby. I like the idea of building my own comp (with a little help from my friends) but if anyone spots a good pre-built version on PCworld site please offer your suggestion.

In summary i basically want the hottest baby I can get with the restriction of buying it from PCWorld, i'm not interested in the packages and your guys help will be invaluable. The following is a list of 'would likes':

Flat screen 15" but pref 17" (needed for space requirements and she's gonna deserve a nice face)
512Mb 400 mhz DDR min
Around 160 Gig HD
Fast processor 2.8 plus not bothered about 64bit (i'll be upgrading every 18mths so can catch that one when windows supports it)
Good sound card and speakers
Infra keyboard and mouse (i'm lazy)
Best bargain printer
Ms Works

Pocket PC (an extra if finances allow)

Hope this is enough info and you can help, i'll be eagerly awaiting you replies (its helping distract from a killer hangover) and thanks in advance for suggestions and advice.


Alex

 

[bodhi]

Buy the components and build it yourself. Dont buy any pre-built PC world tripe. Also, better with office rather than works. If you are going to renew your love for Doom, then you are gonna need a bad boy graphics card, saw it destroy a 128Mb card yesterday, fired in a XFX GeForce 6800 ULTRA 256MB DDR3 and it worked like a dream. Did have 1Gb RAM in that machine also though. So, thats my advice, build yourself, get a graphics card like that and then the rest is pretty self explanitory.

 

[bodhi]

OH yeah, that graphics card from PC world wont leave you much change out of £400!!!!

 

[ChristopherP]

WHY does it all have to be at PC world?

Why can you not buy parts online and have them delivered to your place?

chris

 

[pollock505]

Unfortunately it has to be all purchased at PCWorld, work has a deal going with them but i really don't want to buy a package deal.

I read a post of yours on a similar thread and would love to have the freedom to shop elsewhere especially seeing the ease you created a package. I could pick up certain things elsewhere but financially better to get the majority especially the costly items through the work deal.

Do you have a look on PW site?

ps Bodhi, DoomIII really is an after thought at the moment

Cheers guys

 

[ChristopherP]

Whats the deal with the deal then?

Could you not get things cheaper online anyway, even though they do have a deal with your work?

they are massivly overpriced. The beauty of shopping online is you can choose any part you want and find different prices. With PCW, you are VERRY limited as to what you can get.

PLEASE dont buy a package!!!

 

[pollock505]

Whats the deal with the deal then?

Could you not get things cheaper online anyway, even though they do have a deal with your work?

they are massivly overpriced. The beauty of shopping online is you can choose any part you want and find different prices. With PCW, you are VERRY limited as to what you can get.

PLEASE dont buy a package!!!

Deal is I pay alot less than the cost of the computer monthly out of my wage which is pre-tax/national insurance and in my case student loan reductions so it discounts itself that way as well, I cant beat the deal so I've just got to get the best I can from PCW, annoying as it is but can't afford to do it any other way.

Help mate i'm lost in a sea of PCW junk!

ps Get moving Paula

 

[muckshifter]

With PCW, you are VERRY limited as to what you can get.

I'd be quite happy to spend £1000 at PCWorld ... I get to choose the parts, and they're not ALL rubbish ... just the "ready-built" systems are rubbish.

My pick ...
http://www.pcwcomponentcentre.co.uk/invt/ms6570
http://www.pcwcomponentcentre.co.uk/invt/axda3200box
http://www.pcwcomponentcentre.co.uk/invt/dramvaluevdt6464s (2 sticks)
http://www.pcwcomponentcentre.co.uk/invt/gw4718462005551
http://www.pcwcomponentcentre.co.uk/invt/6y120l0
http://www.pcwcomponentcentre.co.uk/invt/shw08arps

There you go ... need a case? pick one you like, then make sure you get/has a 450/550 PSU.

Oh, and that little lot came in just over £500 inc VAT ... Yes I know I can build the same system for less, but hell, we got another £500 to spend yet, and its not my money.

Next!

 

[ChristopherP]

would it not be possible to get the bulk of the components from PC World and maybe one or two bits online?

PC World: "Connect 3D Radeon X800 Pro 256Mb" £683.93

Overclockers.co.uk: "Connect3D ATI Radeon X800 Pro "OcUK 16 Pipeline Special Edition" 256MB DDR3 VIVO TV-Out/DVI (AGP) - Retail " £340.69

the PCW one is 2.00748 times more expensive than the OCUK one and its NOT EVEN AS GOOD

As good as a deal you may get, i highly doubt they would let you have one of their X800 Pro's for anything near £340, would they?

My advice would be to buy EVERYTHING at PC World APART FROM the Graphics card and Case - you owould get them both at OCUK.

You would benefit from your deal, get a better computer AND save shed loads of cash!

 

[ChristopherP]

Heres my suggestion.

Intel Alternate to Mucks' suggestion

(After spending the last 20 minutes copying in all the links, descriptions and prices and then accidently hitting the back button on my mouse and deleting EVERYTHING i had written ARGH!!!)

To buy at PC World:

Abit IC7 Socket 478 Motherboard
Intel P4 Prescott 3.0GHz - RETAIL
2x256mb sticks Low Latency PC3200 DDR Ram (Corsair)
A couple of Samsung 80Gb S-ATA drives
A couple of 80mm Case fans (3 pin)
Jeantech Workstation Trinity case (Black and silver)
LEVICOM PSU 430 Watt ATX, PFC,P4, CE SATA Full Range Active PFC Power Suppy

To buy at OCUK
8x Dual Format NEC DVD-Burner
Connect3D ATI Radeon X800PRO 256mb AGP8 (its like £290 - same as at PCW for £680)
Black Floppy Drive

 

[muckshifter]

Chris, your missing the point here ...

1. You can only buy from PCW
2. You have upto £1300

It's more than enough.

 

[pollock505]

Living legends, thanks thats just what the doctor ordered.

I'm gonna have to get a third opinion on some of the options, my knowledge isn't up to making a decision ie Intel/AMD.

What do I need to complete the package, other than monitor/keyboard/mouse/printer, is that all thats needed?

Once again cheers guys i really appreciate taking the time out. I'm getting excited about putting all this together and leaving a post on here will be one of the first things i do.

 

[bodhi]

There is a recent thread called Intel V's AMD which should help you make that choice, or not, its about 50/50. Need speakers too ;-)

 

[pollock505]

Although it appears to be saving money Chris i'm saving money anyway from getting it from PCW, if i get the £1300 voucher I only pay about £1000 as its discounted by work.

Any advice on sound cards/cables and monitor?

Muck what about the ADSL/Network card you mention in your article?

ps hangover has remarkably disappeared with this distraction!

 

[muckshifter]

Although it appears to be saving money Chris i'm saving money anyway from getting it from PCW, if i get the £1300 voucher I only pay about £1000 as its discounted by work.

Any advice on sound cards/cables and monitor?

Muck what about the ADSL/Network card you mention in your article?

ps hangover has remarkably disappeared with this distraction!

ADSL ... (don't swear at me) any MB you get will now come with built-in NIC (network interface card) ADSL (UK) Modems all tend to use USB (dam idiots) so cater for some pennies to one side for a Router. Making sure you get the right one, have a look at PCW and see if you can get one in your price.

If you can't use NTLs proper Cable Internet, then your stuck with going through a BT line.

Sound, well I have poor hearing and the on-board is good enough for me, lets face it, if you want decent music, use the stereo.

Any cables you need will come with the appropriate kit, though you may want an extra 133 IDE cable (80wire) for the optical drives.

Monitor? ... I still prefer to use good old CRT ... and 19"ers are ideal for me. It you really NEED a TFT then have a look at them working ... get the shop assistant to show you the latest game running ... if he/she can't do that, ask for the manager.

Any kit you buy from PCR found to be faulty, be sure you get back to them within 28 days ... but read my littler right-up on "Know your rights" when dealing with the likes of PCW.

 

[floppybootstomp]

First of all, take a few quid out your budget, go down the pub and have a livener

Chris, with all respect mon ami, hush up about buying stuff elsewhere, this guy has made it quite plain it's PC WORLD ONLY 'k?

Now then, as Mucks said, you can put together a fairly decent system from PC World, but forget about getting a decent graphics card, they're ridiculously overpriced at PCW.

If you insist on 2.8 Ghz, best go Intel as the AMD 32 bit range only goes up to 2.2Ghz, but using 2.8 as a reference figure is perhaps unwise as an AMD 2Ghz chip will equal an Intel 2.8Ghz in performance.

Lemme see, you're going to need:

Case
Power Supply
Motherboard
Processor & Cooler
Memory
A Graphics Card
One or two optical drives (DVD-RW required?)
A Hard Disk
A set of powered loudspeakers
A Sound card if no on-board sound, but that's unlikely
A Monitor
A Keyboard
A Mouse
A printer
Maybe a floppy drive
Possibly some cables

I think that's it, have I forgotten anything?

If you use a CAD program, you're going to want to get the biggest Monitor you can afford. On your budget at PCW, I think a TFT screen is out of the question.

I'll have a ganders round PCW tomorrow and make a few notes.

 

[floppybootstomp]

I see Mucks snuck in there before me while I was typing

I got my external Ethernet modem from PC World, a Zoom model it was £100.00 then, it's probably cheaper now.

One good thing about PC World that's often overlooked is you can take a faulty component back and most times have it exchanged on the same day, none of that messing about waiting a week or two for an RMA with some dodgy online supplier. I must admit, where PCW prices equal online prices (and they do, in some instances) I'll buy from there for that very reason.

 

[muckshifter]

I must admit, where PCW prices equal online prices (and they do, in some instances) I'll buy from there for that very reason.

... and we know it.

Where we like to "draw the line" is people walking in ... then walking out with £3000.00 worth of junk.

 

[ChristopherP]

The only reason i said to possibly use a different supplier was because i find it hard to believe that you could actually buy a graphics card for £690 that you can get for £290 and STILL be able to save money. Oh, and i couldnt find ANY black optical drives/floppy drives so thats why i put them from OCUK.

Twas just trying to help the chap get an a w e s o m e system for less money, tis all. you have made your point, pcw it be.

 

[Spooky Mouse]

Pollock.. Buying a new computer article... is a good one ive read it myself a few times..

If you need to buy it at PC world.. is it because youre staff there..lol if its on discount ... and at the Carlisle branch... give me a shout!!..