Should i get a computer now or wait?

[Tret]

Im thinking about buying a extreme gaming machine im looking to spend no more than 3k.Ill be getting my money to build the machine in about a month,or should i wait this fall for the new processors?What new processors do u recommend me to get? I told u guys what i was going to build but u guys said it was dumb so i want you guys to build a computer for me

 

[spanky]

u do realize that after u blow all that money... in six months u'll be kicking urself in the butt. but if u had to get something right now... spending all that money... i'd just get a top of the line dell with the 3yr onsite warranty and a phatty lcd.

 

[Macro2]

spankys right. Never pays to buy the cuting edge.

As for a Dell...yuck

 

[Tret]

Thats my limit im not planning to spend that much

 

[boyRacer]

i haven't spent that much on a computer since we bought a pentium 60MHz :Q

Anyway... if you really wanna blow that much wad on a pc... wait for Canterwood in a few weeks or so... i think there's some P4 FSB800MHz floating around somewhere already.

 

[Tret]

Im going to spend like 2500 at the most

 

[spanky]

Originally posted by: Macro2
spankys right. Never pays to buy the cuting edge.

As for a Dell...yuck

well at the university i work at... those dell warranties are so kick ass. and the thing is... if i bought a $3000 (or $2500) machine... and a year later someone comes saying he got the same machine for half the price... i will flash my 3 year onsite warranty and hire a witch doctor to curse his hardware

 

[Tret]

can u build a good computer for me?

 

[spanky]

sure i could, but i am too lazy right now. since its like 2am EST... most ppl are either out on the town or asleep. u will probably get much more suggetions tomorrow afternoon.

 

[Tret]

ok just tell me something should i just wait for the new cpus?

 

[spanky]

if it were up to me... no.

 

[Bojax]

There's always something better around the corner. I ususally get a motherboard that will support the up and coming cpu's. That way your system will be upgradable for awhile.

 

[bgeh]

Originally posted by: Bojax
There's always something better around the corner. I ususally get a motherboard that will support the up and coming cpu's. That way your system will be upgradable for awhile.

true, but with the impending release of the socket T for intel prescott and socket 754/900 for amd hammer, pci express, ddr-II slots and sata(which is now a more common feature), i don't think any computer bought now will be upgradeable to the best in late 2004 without requiring major hardware changes.

 

[chizow]

Tret, you already have a 120+ thread about buying a computer. There's no point in waiting. If you don't want to go with the top of the line, go middle-road with the most expensive components and upgrade them gradually as you need to. As someone in your original thread mentioned, there are static and there are dynamic components when it comes to building PCs.

The dynamic components are often the ones that fluctuate and depreciate the fastest (CPUs, video cards, HDDs, RAM, etc.) The rest is more of an investment that will be the core of your PC for some time, and will not need to be ugpraded much, if at all (monitor, speakers, keyboard, mouse, case, PSU, etc.) I would spend more on the static items and less on the dynamic items, as the dynamic items also tend to carry a much higher premium for marginal performance.

I would definitely not recommend waiting until Athlon 64 before upgrading. AMD has pushed the launch date of the desktop Hammer to September, but AMD also has a nasty habit of missing release dates. Also, the price tag will undoubtedly be extreme and there are still many questions regarding software compatibility that need to be answered. Its going to be an immature platform for some time, with many of the planned motherboard features being pushed into 2004 (PCI-X, DDR-II, etc.).

If you wanted to wait a reasonable amount of time for something worth waiting for, you might want to hold out a month or so for the 800MHz P4's and the release of Canterwood motherboards. Otherwise, Socket A Athlon or any P4 will give you performance today with upgradability in the future.

Chiz

 

[Pilsnerpete]

Pick a case. The rest will come. Choose wisely. Aluminum. Like the Sonata.

I could sell Antec cases like a mofo.

 

[Tret]

doesnt matter what case

 

[Tret]

is there any motherboards that support 800fsb yet?

 

[zugdud]

As a general rule When buying computer hardware, always analyze the price curve and try to spend the least ammount of money while still remaining near the middle of the price/performance ratio. Im sure plenty of people will disagree but I look at computer hardware as a sunk cost...money in the toilet. Id rather spend $1000 every 4 years on a new computer instead of spending $3000 on a computer and making it last 12 years, hardware just changes so quickly that its foolish to buy top of the line stuff, most likely a $1000 4 years down the road will knock the socks off of a $3000 computer today. there are expections of course but for a game machine I would shoot for low-middle of the road hardware because games are always optimized and built for low end systems and high end video cards. If you go with the newest architecture and buy a high end video card you will be in good shape, high quality memory is always worth the small price difference as well. I recently purchased a game machine for myself in october 2002, total cost was about $450 and it runs everything I play just great: c&c generals, morrowwind, shadowbane, everquest, neverwinter nights, warcraft 3, counter strike...you name it. Sure my friends have $2000 machines that can benchmark higher but they will never have any tangible performance benifit over my system in the near future. Okey enough talking here is what i purchased:



Barebones system: (Althlon XP 1600+ CPU, ECS K7S5A motherboard, 300 watt powersupply, atx case w/front side usb ports) = $140

it is still for sale at this link:

http://www.econopc.com/applications/search/itemdetails.asp?sku=BBECXP1600

CPU cooler: Volcano 9+ = $20
Video Card: Gainward Geforce4 Ti 4200 128mb = $120
Memory = Crucial 512mb ddr2100 = $60
Sound: onboard = $0
Network Adapter = $0
Hard Drive = Maxtor 7200 RPM 40gb 2mb buffer ata 100 = $60

Total = $400 + $50 or so for shipping = $450

great system but If I had to do it all over again I would have paid $80 more for the Athlon 2200+ barebones:

http://www.econopc.com/applications/search/itemdetails.asp?sku=BBECXP2200

 

[Blain]

Always wait... you're safe that way.
But then, you'll never have a rig to call your own.

 

[Megatomic]

If you can get by on your current system for a little while longer you can buy a much improved P4 system (Springdale/800MHz P4) or, if you wait until fall, you can get a Hammer system.

I'd wait if I had a system to tide me over...

 

[zugdud]

If you need a monitor id recommend a 19" KDS xtreme flat CRT monitor, an awesome monitor, especially for $200 shipped.

http://www.micropro.com/item.htm?item_id=MRKDSXF9

 

[lenjack]

Don't wait. It's a never ending process. Whatever you buy, whenever you buy, there will always be somrthing newer and better coming down the pike. If you wait for perfection, you'll never buy.

 

[Slammy1]

I'd say wait since the 800 MHz FSB Canterwood is supposed to come out next week. Computer parts follow the supply/demand curve. When components are first released, they charge a premium untill sales fall, then they drop the bulk price to vendors. The vendors will sell their on-hand inventory at a little bit higher price than the tier, but eventually they will fall as old stock is removed. Then the process starts over. Watch for the tiers in pricing, it then becomes a matter of time until the process starts over.

I'd probably start out with the components that won't upgrade in the near future. I still prefer SCSI to SATA, you might start building a SCSI tree you can transplant into a new system. A full system upgrade for me is a year long process, looking for those points to buy a particular component. I'm looking to upgrade my MB/CPU/Memory soon (all at one time), and I'm getting the video board first for that unit due to the volatility in the MB market right now. Besides, with the release of the 9800 I'm seeing a tier drop in price as higher end users opt for it and prices fall on the 9700 accordingly.

EDIT: Try to figure an upgrade path, which not only means upgrading a weak point in the architecture, of your computer but also what you can utilize from your existing config with a new component and following future product releases. In a year, I'll have a great system. In 1.25 years, it'll only be good and in 1.5 yr, I'll be figuring out system weaknesses for upgrades at that technology tier. Try to avoid putting high dollar into components that are soon to be obsolete.