New Desktop Advice.

[AugustFall]

So I'm going to be investing in a Desktop for Gaming. My laptop now has pretty low specs and a desktop I can actually upgrade as time goes on.
Anyway, I've looked through the classics. Dell/Alienware, HP and a few others but I'm looking for something like 600-800ish and I'm just not seeing any great deals.
I was turned to ibuypower which looked amazing and cheap as hell but there are a lot of comments on bad customer service, same with Widow. I've been burned on buying online before.

Basically I'm looking a good Gaming Desktop, not phenomenal just good enough to run stuff like Guild Wars 2 when it comes out and Portal 2 and such on a decent graphics setting. Not like Crysis on full just want to, for once, be able to play a new game on a decent setting. This thing can't handle Alienswarm for gods sake.

So what are some good budget gaming PCs? Anyone running a decent computer in my price range?


(I have no doubts if I tried to build my own it would catch fire Zoidberg style. I am not super tech savvy and can assure I would just be frustrating myself.)

 

[AnOriginalConcept]

Would you be willing to build a computer? It isn't too hard and you can save a couple hundred dollars. Just remember to wear a static bracelet!

I would start on newegg.com. I've never actually purchased anything there, but I hear the prices are good.

 

[Sightless Wisdom]

I know you said you don't want to build your own so here's what I suggest: go into a local specialty store THIS DOES NOT MEAN FUTURESHOP OR ANYTHING SIMILAR!!! and ask someone there about what parts would make a good pc for your needs. Then buy all the components, and bring them to a place that will assemble them for you. It will still be a better deal than buying an OEM gaming rig of any sort. They are way overpriced and everyone knows it.

 

[shotgunbob]

You can buy a brandname computer for fairly cheap and put in a decent video card

OR

ibuypower.com you can build a custom for a reasonable price, but i've heard they are cheaply put together

 

[RathWolf]

Building a computer is fairly simple and can save you A LOT of money, so you might want to reconsider.

Anyways, if your price range is 600-800(I'm assuming this is in $US, but you can tell me if this is wrong), you're not really going to be able to get a "gaming" comp, as they'll usually run you $1.5k+ retail, which is why I recommend building your own.

 

[Tharwen]

I recommend that if you don't want to build it yourself, you go to [a href="http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/"]CyberPower[/a]. They made my PC, and it came on time, worked out of the box (after plugging in the right things), and had all the software and user accounts I needed pre-installed.

They also have some pre-designed setups in case you don't want to risk designing one wrong or something.

 

[AugustFall]

I recommend that if you don't want to build it yourself, you go to [a href="http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/"]CyberPower[/a]. They made my PC, and it came on time, worked out of the box (after plugging in the right things), and had all the software and user accounts I needed pre-installed.

They also have some pre-designed setups in case you don't want to risk designing one wrong or something.

This is more what I'm looking for, I think I'll just ignore the bad reviews because every brand has them.
Plus in my price range this really is my only option lol.
You had no problems? Worked out of the box? How long did it take? I feel like as long as I have the basic workings I can find a way to fix a problem, but from scratch has always ended in tears for me.

 

[Tharwen]

I recommend that if you don't want to build it yourself, you go to [a href="http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/"]CyberPower[/a]. They made my PC, and it came on time, worked out of the box (after plugging in the right things), and had all the software and user accounts I needed pre-installed.

They also have some pre-designed setups in case you don't want to risk designing one wrong or something.

This is more what I'm looking for, I think I'll just ignore the bad reviews because every brand has them.
Plus in my price range this really is my only option lol.
You had no problems? Worked out of the box? How long did it take? I feel like as long as I have the basic workings I can find a way to fix a problem, but from scratch has always ended in tears for me.

Actually, I had a very minor problem (which was that my monitor and graphics card had different ports) which meant that I had to buy an adaptor for it, but that won't happen if you get one of the pre-designed rigs or check carefully yourself.

By out of the box I meant that you just have to take the bubblewrap out of the PC and connect the cables together (power cable, monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers). I think you can even pay for someone to come and do that for you but it isn't really worth it.

Oh yeah, you also get a free game and a T-shirt.

 

[AugustFall]

And with 600-800 you can easily get a 955/i5 750 with a gtx460.

True but I would prefer a 8u f-firing cross synthesiser and a xxx67yq.

I should probably ask what are the main components I need to be looking at. I assume the intel 'i' stuff gets better the higher you go, 3<5<7? What about athlon?
Basically I'm looking at 1gb video cards, nvidia and ati?
And I need at least 2gb of RAM?

Is this right? I really am a noob when it comes to this techy stuff which should show how making my own is kinda out there. I made a nice one on ibuypower (nice by my standards) with what looked like real decent hardware, and some stuff I wasn't 100% I needed and a monitor for 840 dollars.