Amazon PCs - Which should I buy, if any?

Chi Force

Hey all,

Just looking for opinions on this pc.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zoostorm-Premium-i5-2310-DVDRW-Windows/dp/B005TP60IC/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1326193075&sr=1-1

Looks good on paper but I don't know the brand (not that it bothers me if the components are ok) and I don't want to shell out the very small amount of money I have for crap. I want it primarily for my phd as my current pc is five years old and about to die but I'd like a decent processor and graphics card all the same.

There is also this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/p6-2052uk-Desktop-processor-Wireless-Graphics/dp/B005UDFHU0/ref=sr_1_2?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1326193075&sr=1-2

Is it worth paying the extra £50? A 1TB HD is fine for me.

Any ideas?

mordeith

That graphics card isn't up to much really. Here's a video of it trying to play BF3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7tW3cbz4xQ

Chi Force

Damn it, I guess I can but dream!

marco_polo

Chi Force wrote: »

Damn it, I guess I can but dream!

If that is you budget and you are willing to try build it yourself then, a decent gaming PC for that sort of money need not be a dream . Head over to the B&U forum and start a new thread by filling in this.

yoyo

marco_polo wrote: »

If that is you budget and you are willing to try build it yourself then, a decent gaming PC for that sort of money need not be a dream . Head over to the B&U forum and start a new thread by filling in this.

I'll move this over for you OP if you want!

Nick

Chi Force

Thanks for the advice and for the move!

I have some basic experience of installing hardware but buying all the right components and building a whole computer is daunting. Having said that, I'd be happy to give it a go. One issue is getting an OS. I have Win 7, which I bought as a digital upgrade. I have no installation disc. The same applies to Office.

To answer the questions on the sticky,

1. What is your budget? [€500]

2. What will be the main purpose of the computer? [WP but I'd like to finally be able to play Oblivion which my pc couldn't run properly even when it was new]

3. Do you need a copy of Windows? [See above - I don't know]

4. Can you use any parts from an old computer? [Not really, it's pretty old. It's a Dell Vostro - not sure of the model as am in work - but it's a slimline tower so I probably couldn't even use the case from it]

5. Do you need a monitor? [No]

5a. If yes, what size do you need. [N/A]

5b. If no, what resolution is your current monitor and do you plan to upgrade in the near future? [Not sure as I'm in work] [No]

6. Do you need any of these peripherals? [No]

7. Are you willing to try overclocking? [No - I don't really need to and the room where I keep my computer is pretty warm so cooling would be an extra and unnecessary issue]

8. How can you pay? [Credit card or laser]

9. When are you purchasing? [As soon as possible]

10. If you need help building it, where are you based? [North Dublin].

Appreciate the help everyone!

marco_polo

Do you know if your copy of windows is a Retail version or not, if so you will definately be be able to use it again. If it is an OEM copy you may be able to get it re-activated if you are willing to chance your arm on the phone to MS .

Had a rough cut at what I would consider the near minimum decent gaming build, assuming Windows tax is not required, along with a couple of possible upgrade suggestion afterwards. The total build cost is €427.25 + €30 shipping.

Item|Price
Xigmatek Asgard III Midi Tower |37.67
Super-Flower Amazon 80Plus 450W|40.95
Intel Core i3-2100|104.53
ASRock H61M-HVS (B3), Sockel 1155, mATX|42.25
4GB-Kit G-Skill Ripjaws PC3-10667U CL9|23.92
Sapphire HD6770 1GB|85.83
Seagate Barracuda 7200 500GB|75.00
LG GH22NS50/70 DVD-RW|17.30


There are a couple of areas you could upgrade if you so wish.

A quad core i5-2300 would add about €55 to the cost.

If your monitor is a Full HD and you want to play the most demanding modern games at near max settings, it would probably be worth upgrading to a at least a HD6790 for another €20 or even better a HD6850 for €35 bucks. (Even here the 6770 would manage just fine on all but a select few of the most demanding games such as BF3, Metro 2033, Crysis 2 where you would probably be looking at medium-high at best)

Normally I would just stick 8GB ram in there as it is so cheap, but 4gb is still more that adequate for almost anyones needs currently, and that extra €15-20 is probably best spent elsewhere on a €500 budget .

Cheap enough mATX board, but since overclocking is not a consideration, a very basic board will be just fine.

The price of HDDs is a really killer of a budget gaming builds at the moment, but I doubt it is worth taking the old ones out of the Vostro as they are probably old, very slow relative to a modern drive and not SATA anyway.

Also if you really can't be arsed building it, HWVS will do it for another €20. Although TBH it is probably well worth doing yourself on a ~€500 build.

Monotype

If I recall correctly, the ABR tool will tell you what your license key is. You can use it to restore a windows activation to a new install the same system, but I'm not sure about different systems. Whether you're legally allowed to reinstall to a new system falls under the license type as Marco pointed out.
If it's a retail version and you can reuse the license, you can easily download copies of the installation disk. They've been linked here a few times but if you can't find them, I'll dig them up.

toco123

The Zoostorm on amazon would probably be the better of the two.

Priori

marco_polo wrote: »

If that is you budget and you are willing to try build it yourself then, a decent gaming PC for that sort of money need not be a dream . Head over to the B&U forum and start a new thread by filling in this.

That's a great sticky, just what I need!

Chi Force

Sorry I've been away, landlord issues, thanks so much for all the help, I've still to order one but the advice has helped me narrow things down in a big way. Cheers everyone!