Hey guys, long time no speak. Great to 'see' some of the old faces still around.

At the risk of you thinking im only using you for your brains, I would like to run my PC situation by you, and invite helpful responses.

My current PC is really old, it still works, but im getting to the point where any recent game needs to be played on low settings, and that is traditionaly what prompts me to buy a new one. Even browsing the net and playing a browser game that runs a load of clunky javascript is really slow. My work laptop on the same router runs the browser game much faster.

I dont do a lot of game playing nowadays, but when I do I like it to be fast and high quality. When i get time to play I end up playing the above mentioned browser game because I know a 'proper' game will run badly.

Anyway, I would normally make a PC a big purchase, and would look at £1000 being my money limit.

Marriage and children do strange things to a man, and if i spent that much on a pc these days I would be very unpopular indeed.

soo...

Views on this please

http://www.ebuyer.com/282546-zoostorm-premium-desktops-pc-7873-0286

For £392.69 (or in my words, 3 hundred and something)

Processor

* Intel Core i3 2120 Processor 3.3Ghz,
* 3MB Cache

Memory

* 8GB DDR3 1333Mhz (16GB Max)
* Configuration 4GB + 4GB
* 2 x DIMM slot

Hard Drive

* 1TB SATA II

Optical Drive

* DVDRW Supermulti

Software

* Operating System: Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64

Display

* Monitor Not Included

Graphics

* NVIDIA GeForce GT430 – 1GB

Input Devices

* USB Keyboard and Mouse Included

Networking

* Network Interface: 10/100/1000 LAN

Dimensions

* Width 375 mm
* Depth 180 mm
* Height 360 mm

Interfaces

* 1 set 5.1 channel Audio jacks (3 jacks)
* 1 x PS/2 keyboard port
* 6 x USB 2.0 ports
* 1 x RJ45 LAN port
* 1 x VGA port
* 1 x DVI
* 1 x HDMI

Expansion

* 1 x PCI-e x 16 slot (Used)
* 2 x PCI-e x 1 Slot (Free)
* 1 x PCI Slot (Free)
* 4 x Sata II ports (2 free)

Warranty

* 1 Year Manufacturer Warranty




In short - is that any good - where does it fall short?
Im well out of step with whats good and whats not these days.

There are various options like better processor, but less ram etc.

My brain says if its cheap its probably shit.

TIA
James

Hey hey Maui. Good to 'speak' to you. Graphics card is the shits (bad, not good) mate. See here and look towards bottom of the list for the GT430.

Similarly the CPU is a bit 'low end' compared to older, perhaps cheaper, CPUs (I have a Q9450 quad core, running at 3.2G, which is still running today's games ok).

If you like your gaming fast and high quality (which is all relative), and you mean today's games, then you might need to investigate older (cheaper) but faster components. However; in the long run, it would probably pay you to spend just that little bit more on a better CPU and GFX card. If you use the last sentence on the wife, it won't be a problem

Hope the family is all well mate.

Cheers,
Lee.

o/ Maui

- GPU is basically for a HTPC/falsh games (imo). I'd say you want it to game 260/275/460/560 (1gb versions) or Similar ATI cards are really what you'll be looking at for any decent screen resolutions.
- Cpu, I actually like the i3's but I would look at an i5 or AMD x4 or x6 if your thinking of making it last a few years really.
You could try dropping the ram down to 4/6GB and upgrade it later to help with that?

But Just quickly looking on scan you can put together a i5 with a 560sc for just over 4-500.
Could get it closer to the 400 with offers and some time looking I would think.

Hope that helps.
Drew

Id advise you to look at some of the AMD CPUs about .. I was an Intel man until i bought a new PC for Piggy and have since got myself a AMD x4 black edition CPU. The price is a lot cheaper than a comparable Intel CPU. If money becomes an issue overall you can drop down to 4gb as Nat says and upgrade that further later on. The one thing i wouldnt skimp on is the GFX card. You need to get as far up the scale as you can possibly go which not only allows you to play current games very well but future proofs you for a while against the next wave of graphic intensive games..

I stick the money on a PS3 or XBox 360 myself.

Thanks for the replies guys. I didnt realise i hadnt selected to be notified of replies, so im sorry i didnt get back sooner.

I have done a whole lot more searching and found that it really is a minefield, so your advice would have been great.

I say would have been, because the subtle references to my wife, with an angle on the "its probably quite affordable", have somehow led to 'us' deciding to get a new bathroom.

Im sure if I replay it in slow motion I will be able to see how it happened, but that will have to wait as I need to look at wall tiles. Im thinking white. What ya reckon?....

Take this opportunity to get a bunch of power tools that you need for the job, also point out that you hate to spend the money on the tools but it's for the good of the family as you don't want to do a crappy job. If you do it well enough you'll wind up with a bunch of new toys but they won't be classed as such so when you do want to get another toy she can't say "You got all those tools last year, I'd rather buy shoes blah blah blah".

Beans, I worry about you. If Maui has a brand new set of power tools laying about, she's not likely to let him use them once is she? It's a one way street to being her DIY biatch every weekend for the lifetime of the tools. Buy cheap, use them hard and make a real bodge of the bathroom so that she doesn't ask again.

I like DIY Probably because I spend all day on a computer and people just assume I can't build stuff. I'm currently building this for Logan.

I fixed the leaky bath, so we will proably end up with neither.
I like getting my hands dirty too - more so in the garden than the house. I find that bodged jobs are easier to get away with in the garden.

Like the look of the project Beans. If i made something like that it would be sadly void of right angles

I will sign off now - there's only so long I can resist the urge to make a 'tool' joke

Did she have a certain part of your anatomy in her hand and or mouth at the time of discussion? My wife finds lightening my wallet much easier using such techniques.

Beans m8 that project is great, I especially like the fact that each stair is a toy box. . Word of caution though, those types of raised beds are a bugger to change the bedding on if your wife is only 5ft4 (like mine) lol

Wife is only 5ft 2 and a half but I reckon she'll be able to climb on it to change it as she's under 100 lbs. I'm 6ft 5 and I don't think I could change it without climbing up there because of the railings but I'd rather not risk it with my weight.

Fat bastard !

There's no denying that. I could certainly do with losing 1 or 2 or 40 lbs. The problem is that I'm waging a one man war against bacon cheeseburgers. If I stop eating them we'll be over run!