first time computer buyer needs HELP!!!

Question

Hi. My husband and I are about to purchase a new computer, and we have no idea where to start!!  We need a computer for home, nothing too special, just use internet, burn some cds, gaming, digital pics, etc.   There are just so many choices, we do not know where to begin!  I have always loved Dell, so this is my first step.    I was wondering if anyone could lead me to a website that possibly helps you out, and what is the difference between and AMD Athlon and Pentium/Intel processor?    I have so many questions, any help would greatly be appreciated!!   Thank you

Dale Nihiser · Answer

km29

From your brief description, it sounds like you need more than just the "nothing special" computer but rather a more rounded "general purpose" one, capable of performing several functions, like gaming for instance. Rule of thumb, "nothing special" computers are just that: nothing special. You get what you pay for in the computer business.

So start by telling us what you want to spend for a new machine and I'm sure forum members can start helping you cobble together a new system.

Here are a few basics however:

Buy a machine that has a pci-e x16 video graphics slot. No exceptions.

Buy as much system memory/ram as you can afford. 1GB of system memory for starters, but 2GB would be ideal (especially if you upgrade to Windows Vista later).

Buy as powerful a cpu (whether it be AMD or Intel) as you can afford.

Buy as big of a hard drive as you can afford.

Good Luck

Dale

Cool Master Centurion 5 CAC-T05 Mid tower case
AMD Athlon 64 3700+--->AMD Athlon 64 4000+ San Diego
MSI K8N Neo4-F Socket 939 ATX motherboard
1GB Cosair ValueSelect PC 3200 DDR 400 SDRAM
EVGA GeForce 6800GS 256Mb GDDR3 PCI Express
Maxtor DiamondMax 10 200Gb 7200rpm SATA 150 HD
Plextor 708A 8x burner
OCz GameXstream 700 watt psu
Logitech Optical Mouse MX310
Logitech Wingman Rumblepad
Altec-Lansing headphones w/mic
Viewsonic G90fb-2 19"
Windows XP Home Sp2(all updates)
D-Link 524 Wireless Ethernet Broadband Router

Message Edited by Dale Nihiser on 11-25-200612:30 AM

RTK07 · Answer

Your specs are what I was looking for in a 2nd pc. I bought from the Dell outlet (around $600). You should be able to find what you're looking for - and save $.   I'm sure books have been  written on the differences a between Intel and Athlon. There are a lot smarter people in the forum than me. Therefore, I'll pass on this question.    Rich

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first time computer buyer needs HELP!!!

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