Good Budget PC?

[Jmac 10+ year member]

X2....Plus if it turns out bad you can always RMA it and get new RAM with their lifetime warranty.
If I were looking for a budget PC I'd get a e2140 or any e2xxx, a decent p35 mobo to OC the chip beyond 3ghz(the stock cooler will get you here), some Crucial Ballistix, since they are so cheap now, and a 400w PSU by any reputable company(Corsair,Silvestone,Enermax, etc.....).You can manage that well under $300. You can get a cheap $30-50 case that will do just fine. The rest is relatively inexpensive...

n00b + overclocking = recipe for disaster ...
If this were someone relatively experienced w/ computers, I'd agree but someone experienced w/ computers wouldn't be asking for advice, especially not here //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/tongue.gif.6130eb82179565f6db8d26d6001dcd24.gif

AMD's a better choice for n00bs on a budget, IMO.

 

[Jmac 10+ year member]

maybe its just me but i like the idea of picking up a laptop for $500 when they're on sale. they are pretty darn fast, and you can use them as a desktop. in fact, im using one right now.
$500-700 to me is good budget when it comes with all the gizmos, like good storage, lots of usb ports, lots of ram and double layer dvd burners.

You and I have very different opinions on what is fast //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/tongue.gif.6130eb82179565f6db8d26d6001dcd24.gif

 

[darkhunter139 10+ year member]

Get one of the lower end intel dual cores and over clock it. They are very easy to overclock if you are willing to do a bit of research and reading. If not then yeah listen to jmac

 

[Jmac 10+ year member]

Consider what this is replacing...MSI KT3 Mobo, 1gig reg ddr ram, 50gig HD, AMD Athlon 3800+ (bout 2.4ghz), Asylum FX5200 AGP card

Athlon 3800+ is not 6 years old ...
The system you're getting isn't any faster than what you have now ...

 

[zins184 10+ year member]

thats a single core 3800+ (at 2.4GHz) he has and the other is x2 3600+ (at 1.9GHz) won't see much differece unless you use multithreaded software then the x2 3600 would be better. If your really on a budget then keep the computer you got and leave it at that or upgrade it, because $300 on a system you pretty much have is useless. unless you want to take advantage on the newer technology then go for it. but there is better hardware for the same amount money then what you seek. good luck

 

[PollyCranopolis 10+ year member]

Gotcha. My current PC's been upgraded. I've tripled the ram, flashed the bios to accept the 3800 chip, and put in the FX5200 within the past few years. Havent spent much time looking into new hardware as I havent been playing many games on that PC in a while. Last games that ran *well on it are Sims2, and Halflife 2. I have a 360 and a 42' 1080p lcd TV for that. Think I'll do some more looking and research though before I make a purchase as suggested above. I appreciate the advice.