Best PC for under $800?

[Robert W]

Hello,

My old laptop is getting, well.. , old, and I need to find a replacement.

I got about $800 to spend on a desktop/monitor/keyboard.

I don't do any gaming, but I want to do some home music recording (using a GuitarPort/POD Farm and Riffworks and Reaper), so I guess something w/ a decent sound card will be a priority.

Thanks.

 

[krokussl]

Would you build your own Pc?
Or would you buy a Pc?

Following hardware would be suitable for you:
Cpu:AAMD Phenom II X4 955 Cpu Black EditionT ~160€
Motherboard:ASUS M4A87TD ~100€
Memory:Kingston KHX1600C9D3K2/4G 2*2 GB ~100€
Hard Drive:2 Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB ~120€
Power Supply:Any 700 watt Power Supply ~100€
Drives: Some DVD and CD drive + Cd and DVD Burner ~ 50€
Case:Sharkoon Rebel-9 ~ 60€
Sound Card:TerraTec SoundSystem Aureon 5.1 PCI Soundkarte ~ 60€
Keyboard:Logitech Media 600 Keyboard ~ 20€
Mouse:Someone about ~ 20€
Display:Any Display under ~100€

~890€

Sorry, but the Pc is more expensive than 800 € but service costs.
The rates are in € but they are not in higher in $.
I hope I could help you,sorry for my bad english.

 

[KungFuKid]

get a DELL precision 490 on ebay for 400-600, try to find a used hammerfall multiface soundcard for 300-400 (old but SOLID and very high end). get a the best deal you can on an ACER lcd. the p490 is great because its not the LATEST (most expensive) machine, but it can hold 32 gb of ram (64 with an expansion) and it has 2 cpu slots so you can start with 2 single cores, and update later to 2 dual cores, then 2 quad cores. lots of room to expand. since the i5 and i7's are out now, the p490 prices have dropped significantly. I usually get the 2nd best generation, I'll wait and get the i7 or i5 later when its no longer the top dog (and top price)

 

[KingZ]

I'm gonna build my own as well. What's the best monitor to use for fighting games. I'm on mame if that helps. I need a 2ms response time or better.

 

[Uncle Jason]

About a year ago I bought a Toshiba Satellite L555 laptop (320GB hard drive, 8GB RAM, AMD dual core processor). I run Presonus Studio One Pro and I use Reaper here and there; haven't really had any issues. Bought this refurbished on newegg.com for about $500.

I eventually wanna get something with an i7 processor though.

 

[TheInsane]

It might be to late but I would recomend a custom made computer. If you have the knowledge yourself then you can put it togther. If not ask for help with an expert.

I did it without any good knowledge but I had one made for me nbased on what I use my computer for and it has worked like a charm. Its both cheaper than a complete package deal from Dell for example because you only pay for what you need.

 

[_Wes]

Check with your hardware manufacturers for what they suggest - and go with that.

I would never, ever recommend a Dell -they are made from cheap parts, and crap out really easily (I've gone through more than 5 hard drives on 3 laptops!). And I'm an IT guy as a profession.

For example, I use Pro Tools - on the Avid website (they are company that produces pro tools) they have a section on what computers or equipment works best with their software. Not sure if the others follow suit, but certainly worth looking into.

Good luck!