Well I did a write up on a cheap budget pc buildup in this section.
If you are looking for something a lil better let me run you through what I would consider a good gamming pc that would rip through all the latest games including HL2 and DOOM3 and still be within a normal working mans budget.
---Video Card (cant be cheap here so we go for the 3rd best of the AGP flavor of cards)
-Gefore 6600GT $219.00 (ranges from $190-$240 for agp version. I got the MSI on the way from newegg but thats only because the cheaper and faster Gigabyte version was out of stock
at least the MSI comes with more games and VIVO )
https://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe ... 150&depa=1
---Motherboard (This one is really up to you, just go with the Via KT600 for stability and reliability,they range from $50-$200. I like Gigabyte boards so I will link my board and a cheaper alternative)
-Gigabyte GA-7vt600-1394 $75.00 (my board)
https://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe ... 197&depa=1
-Gigabyte GA-7vt600-L $47.00(cheaper version)
https://www.futurepowerpc.com/scripts/de ... L&REFID=PW
---CPU (Gonna need an Athlon XP to fill the socket and anything T-bred - Barton will do. Price range $70-$150 )
Here is a nice cheap Barton with 333fsb (there is also T-bred 2500+ with 266 fsb and 333 fsb. Barton is the best of the XP series and 400fsb is the fastest fsb in the xp lineup)
-2500+ 333fsb Barton $77.00
https://www.newegg.com/app/viewproductde ... cessors+PC
Here is my current Processor
-3200+ 400fsb Barton $147.00
https://www.onlinepcdeals.com/compatabil ... ct_ID=1952
---Memory (PC3200 is what we will need and its a good idea to not go totally cheap here because memory makes a big difference and if its cheap and incompatible then you will have nuthing but errors and bluescreens)
-PQI Power Series PC3200 512mb $65.83 x2 = $132.00
https://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe ... 164&depa=1
My memory
-PQI Turbo Series PC3200 1gb Kit $170.00
https://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe ... 151&depa=1
(Where you see platinum in the title its just the color of the heatspreaders, they sell Gold, Platinum, Mirror Black and Gunmetal)
(PQI Also sells even higher performance versions of the Turbo memory with Timming of 2-2-2-5 and so on. Here is just 1 stick of that memory
https://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe ... 117&depa=1 Now thats some fast Memory)
---Hard Drive (IF you get the higher priced Gigabyte Board that I linked or any other board with SATA then you can get the faster SATA hard drives. If not then its good ol IDE. 80gb should be enough)
First up Sata Drive I have 2 of these in Raid 0
-Hitachi 80GB 7200RPM SATA 8mb cache $65.00
https://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe ... 049&depa=1
Next is a standard IDE
-White Lable (aka no name brand) 80gb 7200rpm $50.00
https://3btech.net/whlamadate802.html
After that you just have stuff like a
CD-rom, Case, Power Supply, Floppy Drive, CPU Cooler, and other misc cheap stuff that really just depends on what you like more then anything. I would estimate a total of
$150 maybe more maybe less will be spent on all these things combined.
Last but not least is the
monitor
17" is preferable and flat screen (not flat panel) is the way to go
I would say
$80-$150 locally
So it looked like if you get all the cheapest stuff I mentioned here then you would be spending
under $800 for everything
Not bad for a computer that will play all the newest games and probably cost $2k less then ur laptop
Ebay is also an "OK" place to try to get some of the stuff cheaper. I got my CPU for $10 less and my Mobo for $25 less on ebay, Both brand new Retail Mobo and OEM CPU.
I would never buy a used PC gear on ebay.
ALso stay away from video cards and Memory from ebay. You want a good warranty on these so buy them from Newegg if you can, just my preferences.
Building your own pc has always been the way to go.
Theres just something about making your friends alienware that they think is the best look like a total piece of shit when it comes to image quality and fps in a newer game like HL2,
especially when they spent $1k+ more
Sure they might out perform you in a Spec View benchmark but who really cares ???
Just tell them to fuck off and go run some spread sheets while you immerse yourself into the beauty of the newest 3d games lol