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Since i got jibbed out of my computer i was wondering 2 things
1) your computers cost on average
2) HOw much should i spend on average on a computer

On average? $1,000 is usually what I aim for. If you can get somebody you trust to build one for you from the parts on up, you can cut your costs by half of what you'd pay for the same thing on Dell or Gateway. The downside is there's no warranty, but would you pay 2x more for that warranty in the first place?

Find a buddy who knows a heap about computers, compatibility, etc. Either that or check out some local computer shops. They can usually offer competitive prices compared to the big boys.

hey Dragoon, we both know some people that fall into that category at school.
talk to them about it (Belvedere, Rob)
and you could even talk to Melon

Make your computer yourself. Buy parts online where you can get each part the cheapest. I got mine for like 1500, i think about maybe more and it is not worth that much we just got it through rent a center.

I could MAKE like 3 for ziltch... If you lived close.

Yea 1k is a good max

1k is good. But mine is made from scratch.

Well I feel like a schill for buying mine from dell then.

Let me bring up the specs and stuff from 2 years ago.

Order detail - order placed 2006-05-14 23:31:40

XPS 600
Pentium® D Processor 940 with Dual Core Technology (3.20GHz, 800FSB), Genuine Windows® XP Professional with re-installation CD Qty: 1
Unit Price: $2,958.00


Dell XPS 600 Pentium® D Processor 940 with Dual Core Technology (3.20GHz, 800FSB)


Memory 2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz - 2 DIMMs


Keyboard Dell USB Keyboard

Monitors Featured Upgrade!! 20 inch UltraSharp Widescreen Digital Flat Panel


Video Cards 256MB nVidia GeForce 7900 GS
7900GS
(replaced with 320 MB nvidia GeForce 8800 GTS)

Hard Drive 320GB Performance RAID 0 (2 x 160GB SATA 3Gb/s HDDs)
320R0


Floppy Drive and Media Reader 13 in 1 Media Card Reader and 3.5 in Floppy Drive

Operating System Genuine Windows® XP Professional with re-installation CD

Mouse Dell Optical USB Mouse
(replaced with razer copperhead)

Modem 56K PCI Data Fax Modem

Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 6.0


CD or DVD Drive Dual Drives: 16x DVD-ROM Drive + 48x CD-RW Drive
DVDCDR


Sound Sound Blaster® X-FiT XtremeMusic (D), w/Dolby® Digital 5.1
XFI


Speakers Dell A525 30 Watt 2.1 Stereo Speakers with Subwoofer
A525

Office Software (not included in Windows XP) Microsoft Office Small Business Ed.- Basic plus PowerPoint and Publisher
XPSB

Anti-Virus/Security Suite (Pre-installed) McAfee SecurityCenter with VirusScan, Firewall, Spyware Removal, 15-months
MCAFE1Y
(Was on my computer for maybe a month before I got something better)

Hardware Warranty 2Yr Ltd Warranty, 2Yr At-Home Service, and 2Yr HW Warranty Support

Premier Warranty Support Dimension XPS, Specialized Support
XPSSUPP

Miscellaneous Award Winning Service and Support
DXPS3F2
(Never have I used this)

Dell Digital Entertainment Starter Entertainment Pack -Basic digital Music, Photo, and Casual Gaming
SEP


So yeah... almost top of the line gaming machine from 2 years ago that was almost 3k (and was my 21st Birthday present [and removing the flat screen monitor would of dropped the price by only $100]). That was done buying technology one step behind top of the line (where you usually get the most for your money).

Today, a computer with these specs HAS to be cheaper

S$1600 odd. Given exchange rates and all that other rubbish, it's pretty cheap. And it runs Crysis. On full settings.

[Disclaimer: The graphics card can't handle that much punishment and overheats about an hour in. Extra fans solve the problem, though.]

Ho yea! I got enough parts for 3 "no-name" brand ones, because my dad used to own a Computer Repair buisness and so had lots of parts ofr himself. They DO work, because it was mainly system incompatibility and not actual defects. I plan to copy the entire C Drive onto mine when i get it.

Note: get a MODERN one, all i have is this really old HP II, a C370 CMES, and some unidentifiable one. Not to mention a laptop who's battery will last 20 minutes alone now. 10 years baby!

Want a good hard drive AND a gaming console? get a PS3, the better one, and rip the hard drive out. ALso works backwards- rip that 60GB out and put in a better one!

I don't recommend paying $500 for a PS3 if you're just going to tear out the hard drive that may/may not survive whatever trials it takes to make it work on a PC. If you're going to spend that much money on a game system, get the PS3 for the Blue Ray player and the 2 good games it's failing to sell.

Oh, the hard drive will survive. It's on rails and is easy to remove. But it's a 2.5" notebook drive, so it's not the most convenient. Besides, harddrives are almost free. $150 will buy you 750GB on SATA2.

I've dropped just over $750 on my system, but I didn't buy a new OS or a new monitor. And because I didn't buy a new OS, I went with a high-end DX9 card instead of a DX10 card (I'm also waiting on the next generation of DX10 cards). For $1000, you ought to be able to assemble a pretty darn high end box. For $1500-$2000, it darn well better be a massive black steel monolith of the sort required by Crysis, able to uplift civilizations and convert Jupiter into a star.

Oh it works, its a full-fledged computer HD... Supposed to be like a laptop one at that...

Id get it for COD4 (for friend online) and a few others i forgot about
260 for AC6, H3, GTAIV (I officially have lowered my opinion of rockstar for going 360-only... turds...)
Wii for Batallion Wars 2 and some other games


A 1k computer might cost you much more, as its fun to have a few backup CPU's so you can find a good overclock setting for them. I think mines only itself for its CPU, MotherBOard and the casing! and the CD Crives except for the new DVD one

The laptop I got for college was about $1600, and I'm happy with it.

My current computer was built here in town, ran me for about $900 before compensating my buddy for spending about a day researching what would be best for what. It's not the prettiest laptop in the world - 19" widescreen in bulky Acer casing - but it works for most games. Outdated by today's standards.

You'd be suprised what "out-dated" tech can do. My last computer (used up till 2 years ago now residing honorably in the closet) was still using Windows 98 and managed to get Rome Total War to run on it and Guild Wars.

Yeah my gaming was a bit cramped, but my other computer needs were met.