Upgrading[rebuilding] Presario for gaming

[One4yu2c]

As a general rule, we try to dissuade people from buying from bulk OEMs, so as not to get tied into a proprietary machine. We've reviewed a handful of pre-built rigs, and if you're looking for bang/buck, we've been impressed with CyberPowerPC.

HardwareLogic OEM reviews:
Puget Custom Computers Quiet Mid Range Gaming PC Review
CyberPower Gamer Infinity 7500 System
CyberPower Gamer SLI KO QX6800 System
Alienware Area-51 7500 System
Left-Click MicroPwn System

Forum member JazzyJake works for Left-Click, which makes tech support a bit more accessible should it be needed (we'd flog him the best we could if he left a HL member hanging). Prices were decent at the time of review, and we had more praise for their system than we did complaints.

[screwballl]

if you don't feel up to building your own, then that is a decent system but we tend to never suggest one of the mainstream OEM companies like this.
If you do choose this system, the only thing lacking would be a video card. Then I would suggest a nvidia 7950 or AMD HD2600XT or better.

[Capper]

Do not ever buy anything along the lines of Compaq, HP, Dell, etc......besides completely taking it in the ass up front, you'll also get rear ended if you ever need to upgrade or replace a part.

A little story:

I worked on a friends Compaq which had a dead motherboard. I pulled the rat nest of a system apart to find a $50 end of life motherboard that had a few modifications on it to make it proprietary. I contacted Compaq to see what the board would cost to replace....and was quoted $279.......for a $50 board that was no longer made.

I was lucky enough to find a board with the same chipset for about $80 (actually it was the publicly released version of that boards replacement).

If you don't feel comfortable building your own....and its much easier than you think, see if a friend would be willing to help, or hit up a boutique like CyberPower, or Puget, among others.

[Tech Geek Deluxe]

I hate to ad along the lines of OEM ... but I have had many Dell machines.
When I buy them though ... I get the hottest deal available with the best specs per dollar ... usually at quarters end when they are blowing out inventory ... those deals only last perhaps 2-3 hours and are shown on sites like fatwallet or my fav, bensbargains.net

Usually the deals are so good that even 6-8 months later the prices I bought at are still cheaper than what can be had that day. At about a year I sometimes have stripped them and rebuilt with a new MOBO and case and PS, video and am still in the game.

There is no way to build a PC cheaper than "those super hot deals" ...

So ... if I were to look for that kind of Deal ... I would look for a Q6600 2GigsRam Vista 64 Home Premium or XP Pro 250Gig Sata 22" Flat Screen KB Mouse 256 PCI Video ... for right around $550

BTW - [All 6 of my PC's now are Custom except my Notebook which I did some custom mods on.]

[oldman_gamer]

Very interesting replies by everyone.So much information blows my mind,and at the same time it gives me the idea that maybe I can built a PC to fit my needs.Knowing that you people are here and willing to help people with your vast knowledge is a super thing as well.
One thing I dont understand for starters is, when you get all the items needed for a pc build,put everything in place in the unit and just plug it in? Installing an OS seems like an easy thing but can I transfer it from my existing unit (I made a back-up on dvd).in the case of a system crash.But never removed the partion from the hard drive.Physically I know I can build a unit but,making it work properly without blowing the house up is what concernes me .Wife would really be P*D LOL.It's our 24th anniversary and I would like to see the 25th.
Let you know when I get a shell and some goodies to stuff it.
Thanks,Jody

[fstroupe]

I spent weeks researching my first build. I was terrified at the thought of having a $1200 doorstop. I asked a builder I know did he think I could build my own rig...he laughed and said that I when I finished, I would laugh at having asked that question. I did and still do, many rigs later.

As far as stock power supplies, I recently replaced a dead 400w PSU in a family member's HP. Seriously, it was so light, it felt like an empty box. The cheap Rosewill I replaced it with probably weighed 10 times more.

[One4yu2c]

Originally Posted by oldman_gamer

Installing an OS seems like an easy thing but can I transfer it from my existing unit (I made a back-up on dvd).in the case of a system crash.But never removed the partion from the hard drive.

The short answer to your question is 'no,' you can't transfer the OS from the Compaq to a new machine. The longer answer is 'maybe,' but there are all kinds of problems you can run into when trying to do this, and there are legal issues involved as well. When transferring your hard drive, you'll want to back up any important data to a DVD/CD (pictures, documents, etc), and then start fresh with a new OS, which will wipe your existing hard drive clean.

Originally Posted by oldman_gamer

One thing I dont understand for starters is, when you get all the items needed for a pc build,put everything in place in the unit and just plug it in?

For the most part, yes. Your OS CD/DVD will do the brunt of the legwork, after which you'll need to install a few drivers (motherboard chipset, videocard, sound) and you'll be good to go. And best of all, you'll have a lean, mean OS install to work with, rather than all the bloatware that ships with bulk OEMs.

If you decide to go the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) route, you'll likely find that it's less intimidating than you think, and of course we're here to help you along the way. On the other hand, if in the end you decide to go the pre-built route, I strongly recommend looking at one of the boutique OEMs that use off-the-shelf parts. Even when companies like Compaq and Dell offer stellar pricing, it's often with second rate components (slower RAM, smaller and slower hard drives, etc), and being saddled with proprietary parts really limits your upgrade path.

[gvblake22]

Originally Posted by Capper

A little story:

I worked on a friends Compaq which had a dead motherboard. I pulled the rat nest of a system apart to find a $50 end of life motherboard that had a few modifications on it to make it proprietary. I contacted Compaq to see what the board would cost to replace....and was quoted $279.......for a $50 board that was no longer made.

I was lucky enough to find a board with the same chipset for about $80 (actually it was the publicly released version of that boards replacement).

Same thing happened with a friend's Dell, except Dell quoted only $250 to replace the motherboard. Ended up just getting a similar Asus board from Newegg for less than $100 and dropped it in there and it worked.

[JazzyJake]

hey oldman!
(you set yourself up for that ^^)
Give us a look, please
..:':..:left-click:..:':.. Web Design, Computer Repair and Sales in Amherst, MA - Home
if you have any questions about configs, prices, anything, add me to AIM and i'll answer any questions you have about our rigs and services...even non-computer stuff, i'd love to have you as a customer
if there's a completely custom build you want, let me know every part, i'll critique as necessary, and be willing to spend hours with you getting it just right.
Also, we can beat almost every OEM on almost every build list, cost wise.
any other questions/concerns...my AIM is JaaaazzyJake

[Beetle Bailey]

In all honesty, the first thing you have to do is. Ask yourself, what do I really want out of my computer? Then, take a notepad and write it down. Then use all of our knowledge to really help yourself. JM.02 Bailey.
P.S. Welcome to the best and most helpful sight on the web.