A good mid-level PC to get....

[mattw455]

Hello fellow escapists!
I was looking for some advice regarding a desktop computer that I am going to get, I only need the computer unit itself, not a monitor and my budget is 600 British pounds, I am currently considering the Acer Aspire 5300 because it seems to have fairly good specs relative to other computers in that price range but do any of you have any suggestions?
Thanks in advance!

 

[GodofCider]

Have you considered constructing the computer yourself? Of course that would entail an operating system, less you decided to go the Linux route.

Edit:

From what I can tell that computer will certainly serve you well. Not sure about the graphics card though, I couldn't find any information on the stock model.

 

[Get_A_Grip_]

Check out wired2fire.co.uk

You should be able to find a good gaming PC in your price range.

 

[Kolosus]

Have you considered constructing the computer yourself?

What he said. You can get a quite descent computer for 600£ if you choose to build it yourself. i5 CPU and 8GB RAM and perhaps a Nvidia GTX 460 (You get quite alot "bang for the buck" with that one). Maybe some improved CPU cooling as well (in case you want to OverClock, which you most likely will at some point)
You can most likely also afford a pretty descent case (The case gives your computer selfesteem , and you know you want to show it off to your friends at the next LAN)

Then again, if you don't feel like building it yourself, then please, do spend atleast 700£ on wired2fire.co.uk, you get an i5 and a GTX 460 (pretty much the build i would make myself with that budget). You won't get the most exciting case though...

 

[ChipSandwich]

Don't skimp on the power source unit. If absolutely necessary, replace the one the desktop comes with, they're usually very low power and not very future-proof.

 

[mattw455]

Yes, I know all too well about power units due to a friend of mine's experience when building his own computer - he had spent as much money as he could getting a high-end graphics card, processor etc. but skimped on the power unit and bought a cheapo £25 one. The moment he turned the computer on enormous sparks started appearing from the back 0_o.
Additionally, if I were to buy a branded unit but replace the graphics card, what model would you recommend getting? A higher-end ATI model or an NVIDIA?
Thanks by the way for all the replies so far!

 

[ChipSandwich]

I'm thinking about replacing my old old crappy card myself. I'm not a big spender, but the NVIDIA GTX460 or Radeon 5770 offer very good value for money in terms of performance, they're not very expensive and they're popular enough to have lots of stock. They also support dual GPU options, but most pre built desktop motherboards only come with one PCI-e x16 slot so it's a moot point. Still, like I said, those cards on their own will give more than a satisfactory performance for most games these days, what with the whole consoles being stuck in DirectX9 dealy. They're also small enough to fit on standard desktop motherboards. The high end Radeon 6000s and NVIDIA 500s are pretty friggin' huge. If it has a huge case and motherboard then go nuts and buy the best card you're willing to buy. Just make sure you check that they can fit.