Computer Recommendations?

[Maladict]

How's this for ~1000 euros? 

PSU: Recom M600 600 Watt
Motherboard: MSI P55-GD65
Processor: Intel Core i5 750
Cooler: Intel Boxed
Video: PowerColor Radeon HD 5850 1 GB
Audio: 7.1 onboard
Network: Gigabit LAN onboard
Memory: 8 GB DDR3 1333 MHz (4x 2 GB)
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F2 EcoGreen 1.5 TB (SATA II)
CD/DVD:    NEC AD-7240S DVD-rewriter
Microsoft Windows 7 Home 64-bit (OEM)

[derspiess]

How's this for ~1000 euros? 

PSU: Recom M600 600 Watt
Motherboard: MSI P55-GD65
Processor: Intel Core i5 750
Cooler: Intel Boxed
Video: PowerColor Radeon HD 5850 1 GB
Audio: 7.1 onboard
Network: Gigabit LAN onboard
Memory: 8 GB DDR3 1333 MHz (4x 2 GB)
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F2 EcoGreen 1.5 TB (SATA II)
CD/DVD:    NEC AD-7240S DVD-rewriter
Microsoft Windows 7 Home 64-bit (OEM)

Looks good to me.  I was looking at doing something similar, but then figured it might be a bit overkill since I'm not doing much PC gaming these days.  I might bump mine down to a Core i3 processor & go with 4 or 6GB RAM.  I'm fairly agnostic regarding video cards, but I want something that does a solid job processing HD video.

[DontSayBanana]

How's this for ~1000 euros? 

PSU: Recom M600 600 Watt
Motherboard: MSI P55-GD65
Processor: Intel Core i5 750
Cooler: Intel Boxed
Video: PowerColor Radeon HD 5850 1 GB
Audio: 7.1 onboard
Network: Gigabit LAN onboard
Memory: 8 GB DDR3 1333 MHz (4x 2 GB)
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F2 EcoGreen 1.5 TB (SATA II)
CD/DVD:    NEC AD-7240S DVD-rewriter
Microsoft Windows 7 Home 64-bit (OEM)

Warning!  Warning!  Danger, Will Robinson!

If you must go with a cheapie ATI card, you may want to try a Sapphire; PowerColor keeps their costs down by skimping on cooling, so their cards tend to overheat pretty frequently.

I've gotten away with a PowerColor X1650 Pro in my Compaq, but only because it was a fairly cold computer to start with; the X1650 probably spiked the board temperature a good 7-8 degrees Celsius- if it was any hotter, I'd have to go out and get a card cooler to run it.

And yes, ATI cards running on the hot side are prone to the "black squares" issue.

[Maladict]

Warning!  Warning!  Danger, Will Robinson!

If you must go with a cheapie ATI card, you may want to try a Sapphire; PowerColor keeps their costs down by skimping on cooling, so their cards tend to overheat pretty frequently.

I've gotten away with a PowerColor X1650 Pro in my Compaq, but only because it was a fairly cold computer to start with; the X1650 probably spiked the board temperature a good 7-8 degrees Celsius- if it was any hotter, I'd have to go out and get a card cooler to run it.

And yes, ATI cards running on the hot side are prone to the "black squares" issue.

Really? It's not a cheap card (300 euros).
Must say I've only been looking at benchmark numbers, not user reviews.
I'd better ask some questions when I go check it out tomorrow. There migt already be a cooler built in.
But the card isn't bad performance-wise, is it?

[MadBurgerMaker]

Really? It's not a cheap card (300 euros).
Must say I've only been looking at benchmark numbers, not user reviews.
I'd better ask some questions when I go check it out tomorrow. There migt already be a cooler built in.
But the card isn't bad performance-wise, is it?

The 5850 has gotten good reviews all around, even the PowerColor version (its been kind of a shitty brand in the past, but they did get it right sometimes).

And yeah, there will be a cooling fan and such built onto it.  Probably with some stupid ass design on it that you, luckily, won't have to look at, since it's inside your case.

Edit:  Hey they one on newegg doesn't have some silly anime or whatever design on it at all.  Just looks...bulky...like they all seem to now.

[Maladict]

Probably with some stupid ass design on it that you, luckily, won't have to look at, since it's inside your case.

Yes, it looks pretty horrible, good thing I'll probably never open the case.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Yes, it looks pretty horrible, good thing I'll probably never open the case.

You pick the new machine up yet?

[Maladict]

You pick the new machine up yet?

No, still vacillating. I've been hearing rumors the store is about to go under.
Maybe I'll splurge and get a Pavilion HPE-120 or HPE-140 instead. 


   Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bits
   Intel® Core™ i7 Processor 860
   Intel® H57 PCH
HPE-120: 6 GB DDR3
HPE-140: 8 GB DDR3
   4 DIMM-sockets
HPE-120: 2-TB (2 x 1 TB) SATA 3G HDD (5400-rpm)
HPE-140: 3-TB (2 x 1,5 TB) SATA 3G HDD (5400-rpm)
   Blu-ray ROM drive
   SuperMulti dvd-rw player (LightScribe)
HPE-140: NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 230 met PureVideo® HD technologie
HPE-140: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 260 Special Edition   
   15-1 card reader
   TV-tuner +remote control
   Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g/n PCI-Ex1 minikaart
   3 yr pick-up en return service

[Maladict]

No, I went back to my original plan and ordered the i5.
Had to scale back the GPU from a 5850 to a 5770 as they were out of stock, bu I got a nice price reduction out of it.
Gaming commences in T minus 6 days. 

[Maladict]

...and the fucking thing has broken down in less than two weeks. 

[Caliga]

Well, you have your "3 yr pick-up en return service" that you probably paid a hefty premium for, though.

Personally I prefer to build my own PCs with high quality parts so that I wouldn't need such a service even if I could get one as a DIYer.

[Maladict]

Well, you have your "3 yr pick-up en return service" that you probably paid a hefty premium for, though.

Personally I prefer to build my own PCs with high quality parts so that I wouldn't need such a service even if I could get one as a DIYer.

No, that was included with the HP I didn't buy in the end as it wasn't available and too expensive.
I do have a 3 year "bring it in yourself you lazy fuck" warranty on this pc, which is ok since the shop is just around the corner (and it only cost me about 50 euros).
Just returned it, should be able to pick it up again on Friday with a new HDD.
I am: skeptical.

[grumbler]

Just returned it, should be able to pick it up again on Friday with a new HDD.
I am: skeptical.

HDD hardware failure when new is not only common, it is almost coming to be expected.

[derspiess]

HDD hardware failure when new is not only common, it is almost coming to be expected.

Had it happen with a 500gb Seagate drive I installed in my Tivo, about 2 months after I got it.  I fully expected to make use of the 5-year warranty at some point, but not that early.  Seagates in particular aren't what they used to be

[DGuller]

Seagates never were what they used to be.