Is this a good desktop?

[DPtheGod]

So, I was browsing on buy.com, and I've come across an Acer machine that runs at $390. It seems pretty good to me, but then again, I only know how to use computers!

Here is the link to the system:

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=208648410

I recently purchased a 4 GB kit of RAM, and want to put it to good use. Also, this machine here has been out of warranty, and is starting to run like garbage.

 

[SuxoR]

What kind of computing do you do? Any gaming?

This computer looks like a good deal, you have some room to upgrade also :]

Really depends on the user though, personally I would go for it

 

[DPtheGod]

Well, I do minor gaming (the only games I really play are Medal of Honor Allied Assault + expansions (which are ages old, they run fine on this machine), Guild Wars (rarely), may want to pick up Universe at War. I hardly do any gaming, to be honest. The main activities I do on my PC are web design, graphic design, etc. So, I use a lot of Adobe Photoshop, and a lot of internet browser usage for testing and whatnot. But, I like to listen to music when doing such work, so I usually have quite a few windows open: Windows Media Player, Photoshop, Image Ready, some form of text editor for internet programming, etc.

This current PC only has 1.5 gbs of ram available, with a weak processor so I can't really do much of that for long before I have to restart. It's really a drag, and completely slows down my productivity.

I was thinking it was an awesome deal. I was also looking for a budget PC, so I'm pretty glad I was able to find such a PC.

 

[rohan23]

You want to go ahead and look for a quad core. The Core 2 Quad or the Phenom x4 series will benefit you tremendously. If you're up to a few hours of quick learning, you can easily build your own PC. Mostly everyone here will be willing to help you. Most of the time it just turns into an argument about who has better advice, haha. But, building a PC is very simple. I built my first one with only basic knowledge and watching my cousin build one ages before.

 

[DPtheGod]

I've definitely thought of building my own computer, but right now I'm looking to keep on a tight budget, just in case job issues in the neat future leave me to rely on the money I have right now. How much do you think it would cost roughly to build my own PC?

 

[Holysky]

you could build a pretty good system for under 500 dollars

 

[PokerDegenerate]

you could build a pretty good system for under 500 dollars

and if you can salvage some of the parts from your computer now like the HDD and disc drives you can get it even cheaper....What part of the world are ya from??

 

[DPtheGod]

I live on the Western side of the US, in Washington state to be exact. Hmm, I was definitely thinking of wanting to add an additional hard drive if I was to keep the one from this PC. I would be looking for the 3.5" SATA drives, correct? Also, could I use the same tower that my computer is using now, or would I have to upgrade that as well?

I definitely want a new motherboard, one that supports up to at least 8GB of ram. I want to put my new 4GB kit to good use.

I think I will need to replace my DVD-RW drive, it barely reads and writes discs anymore. I also want to replace this weak processor.

Edit: Scratch the DVD-RW drive, I still have my Sony external one I can use

So, basically, I would need:
- an additional hard drive (thinking 320 - 500 GB)
- new motherboard
- new processor
- power supply and tower if needed
- DEFINITELY a video card
- the only OS discs I have are for my old Dell desktop and my Gateway laptop. Would either of those work?

Do you guys have any suggestions for those types of materials? Unfortunately, I don't know exactly what to look for, just the specs of the speed

 

[PokerDegenerate]

OK sorry couple more questions what case do you have now that you are wondering if it will work.

What is the max budget you are willing to spend

What are the specs of the ram is the 4gb's you have

Im not sure what OS you have but if its not 64 bit you will need 64 bit to utilize 4Gbs or Ram

 

[DPtheGod]

The computer model itself is a HP Pavilion a6120n. Here are a few images of it I found online:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31IrzpnajaL._SS500_.jpg
http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/hp-pavilion-a6120n-core/4505-3118_7-32517994.html
http://www.google.com/products/cata...1&ie=UTF-8&cid=8181606489786277325#ps-sellers

Well, I was hoping to definitely keep it under 500, but I'm willing to take suggestions and make a decision. That Acer desktop for 400 looked to be an awesome deal with an awesome price, so I'm hoping to keep it roughly around there

The ram I bought is DDR2 PC2-5300 @ 667 MHz, but it also supports PC2-4200 and 3200.

This PC is running 32-bit Vista. And, after checking, my Laptop runs the same. So, I'm sure I'll need a new OS disc too