Best pre-built gaming desktop

[Inspector Jihad]

My buddy wants to buy a new gaming desktop and he's not ready to build his own. Do you guys know any good ones for around 1000 to 1100 dollars? He said he wants a blu-ray drive in it.

 

[bliq00]

Why not get someone local to build it? I'm sure you could find someone to do it for like $50 or so. I would build it if you were near me. At least that way you get exactly what you want and make compromises where you want. If you order out of state, you may even be able to get it tax free which pays for the builder's fee.

 

[Inspector Jihad]

Why not get someone local to build it? I'm sure you could find someone to do it for like $50 or so. I would build it if you were near me. At least that way you get exactly what you want and make compromises where you want. If you order out of state, you may even be able to get it tax free which pays for the builder's fee.

he'd rather do it this way. besides, if something goes wrong he can send it in or something.

 

[alyarb]

1100 for just the machine? does he have a monitor?

 

[Decembermouse]

I gotta say dude, build it for him. Or I will, and consider the shipping costs part of the price. Prebuilts aren't the best choice of hardware, and are hideously overpriced. I mean I know it's cool to say "I have a Voodoo/Alienware/Cyberpower/DigitalStorm but save several hundred (at least) and get another graphics card, better RAM, a faster CPU, a better mobo, etc.

 

[Ichigo]

I'm sure the OP wants to play tech support for the rest of his life.

Just buy it from somewhere like ibuypower where you can help him customize it to make sure he's getting some value for his money but still have that place to RMA the thing in case something goes wrong.

 

[Inspector Jihad]

I can't build it for him since he doesn't live near me and like Ichigo says, I can't do tech support in case something goes wrong...I'm pretty busy with school right now anyway.

Yeah, its 1100 for just the PC. He already has a monitor. Is ibuypower a good vendor? I'll go see what they have.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16883147039
That is what he's considering. The video card seems pretty low end for that kind of dough.

 

[Decembermouse]

Yeah that's definitely a low-end card for a build that expensive. There is SO much margin on these machines though, that often if you get a top-of-the-line CPU (in this case, i7 860) you often end up with a crappier video card, because although they charge you two arms and a leg, they don't want to spend that much to build it...
For $1100 I'm sure he could at least get a couple Radeon 5770's in Crossfire?

Ibuypower lets you get 4GB DDR3-1600, a Core i5 processor (for gaming, it's basically an i7 that lacks Hyperthreading, which doesn't do anything in games anyway), two Radeon 5770's (DirectX 11) in Crossfire, a 700W power supply, but no OS. maybe go with one 5770 and Windows 7 64-bit. I would not spring for 8GB of RAM, don't waste your money...

 

[TJCS]

This is like watching $1100 sitting on the Titanic before it's about to sink with it. You really need to find someone who can do the price is right on your build.

 

[TJCS]

fyi: in my experience hp machines fails quite often. I visited a few pc shops in the past year and one of the first few things the repairman asks me is: is it a hp compaq?

 

[CurseTheSky]

This is over his budget and it doesn't have a blu-ray drive, but it looks like a good gaming machine: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16883229137. I can't vouch for the company, though.

 

[SN4p]

I just put one together on ibuypower for $1143.

i5 2.66
HD5850
4 GB DDR3 - 1333
500 GB Hard Drive

With a Bluray Drive

 

[Chapbass]

How about a velocity micro machine? Pretty good machines, he knows exactly what hes getting, can even tweak a few things and if he wants to spend a little more he can. Doesn't have the 5000 series graphics cards, but maybe if he calls them they could do something for him.


I remember Anand did a review of them as a company (pretty sure it was anand, if not it was like hardocp or someone else reputable) and gave them top marks for service and performance.

I used to sell their prebuilt machines occasionally, pretty good systems, especially when considering you're *STARTING* to get into the boutique builders. Not as well known as alienware/falcon NW and the like, but you dont pay the price premium for them either.

EDIT: Forgot the link. Heres a decent example of one. http://www.velocitymicro.com/wizard.php?iid=186


EDIT 2: wasn't the review i was thinking of, but anand DID review one machine that had some early adopter issues, but the company was great. http://www.anandtech.com/systems/showdoc.aspx?i=3473

 

[boomhower]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+E...&skuId=9561146

i7 920, 9GB's of RAM(odd number?), GTX 260, seems like a pretty solid deal for $1100.

 

[Chapbass]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+E...&skuId=9561146

i7 920, 9GB's of RAM(odd number?), GTX 260, seems like a pretty solid deal for $1100.

Good find. Ram probably has 3 sticks of 2gb and 3 sticks of 1gb in it. Weird combo though.

 

[bamacre]

Good find. Ram probably has 3 sticks of 2gb and 3 sticks of 1gb in it. Weird combo though.

Not really an odd combo. Just the triple channel equivalent of 8GB.

 

[Inspector Jihad]

that asus looks good, i'll run it by him. he'll still have to buy a blu-ray drive but this desktop looks better than the HP.