new game PC time again

[Winin]

But this time for my brother. He is looking at this one:
www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227274

and today's Woot:
www.woot.com/

I have built my own but some of these deal systems are cheaper and just about as good these days I think. Plus they should just work.

So the questions are: What are some decent pre-builts? Anything he should look for in particular (must have this graphics card or that processor, etc.)? Or is it still way better to build your own?

He doesn't need bleeding edge, and he gets a new ulcer each time he has to reinstall Windows. He can do it himself, but doesn't enjoy it.

Thanks!

[Keinermacht]

Hey Todd I know it's been a few weeks since you posted this and your brother may have already gotten his new gaming PC but I thought I would reply anyway.

Overall I would say iBuyPower is a decent outfit, they have been around for several years and advertise heavily in all the computer magazines I get at home (Maximum PC, Computer Power User, etc.) Their reputation is solid build quality and low prices, but if you get one of the 1% of the machines they mess up, their customer service is not as good as the big players like Dell, Lenovo, HP, etc.

It looks like this machine is one of the better ones they have out now... I could easily put it together myself from parts for $100 less but as you say sometimes things should "just work."

As for "things to look for" any CPU that does 3GHz or more will be decent for gaming... AMD gives you 90% of the performance for 50% of the price so I have been sticking with them on my gaming desktops but AMD laptop chips are crap so I got an Intel Core i7 in my newest gaming laptop. But really, for gaming, the video card is what is most important. I generally avoid all machines that lack a discrete (standalone) video card.

You have to be careful with the video card model number to concentrate on the last two or three digits only. For example you would think that a Radeon 6450 would be better than a Radeon 5770, one number is a lot bigger than the other, right? Nope... the 6450 is actually a very mediocre card, the 5770 will run circles around it. Just cut off the front digit and compare 770 to 450 Same goes for Nvidia... a GeForce 480 is MUCH better than a GeForce 550... again cut off the first digit and compare 80 to 50. As for choosing between the two video card brands themselves, currently Radeon cards are a bit more powerful overall but I like GeForce drivers/support better so it is kind of a wash in my book.

Hope this helps,

-Adam

[Winin]

Thanks! I may be upgrading someday, so good to know. Although maybe I need a tablet...