The Official PC Hardware thread

Looking to upgrade my rather dated radeon HD 4850. Not looking for high-end graphics, or break the bank. Just something with a little more horsepower would be good. Thoughts?
 
Not huge, would even consider used eBay items. My PC isn't built for any real needs, I don't tend to game on it.

So with that in mind I'd say no higher than £100
Then I think that you should go with a GTX 650 ti (http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-01gp43656kr) it's 108£ but it's probably the best for its price.
On the other hand, if you're strict about your budget you could go with a radeon hd 7770 at 94£ (http://www.amazon.co.uk/DirectCU-Gr...UTF8&qid=1379450031&sr=8-7&keywords=radeon+hd) which is still a great gpu and will be able to run games like bf3 on ultra at 60 fps (with AA off probably) and at around 35fps with AA on....hope this helps :)
 
Cheers! I'm not too savvy when it comes to the specifics of separate PC components, it also doesn't help that the hardware updates so quick, I can't keep up with the constant advancement. Just do it like consoles and update every 6 years or so :p
 
Cheers! I'm not too savvy when it comes to the specifics of separate PC components, it also doesn't help that the hardware updates so quick, I can't keep up with the constant advancement. Just do it like consoles and update every 6 years or so :p
hahah I perfectly understand don't worry, and you're right btw; technology advances too quickly for someone to constantly be updated with the latest tech (unless he's got da cash and the interest in this sector). So get what you need, use what you have well and be happy with what you have :D
I always try to have good hardware not because I'm obsessed with graphics (I'm the "it's the fun that counts" type of guy haha) but because I need it for webdesign, programming, logo creation, photo editing, video editing and 3d modelling..... basically intensive stuff which requires power; but if I'd use it only for gaming personally I'd just do like you do (maybe every 3/4 years or so but one chooses to spend his money how he/she sees fit and how he/she deems useful for himself/herself obviously) being more of a console gamer. Anyways yeah, you'll be able to play on very high/ultra settings with the GPUs I recommended (though honestly the nvidia gtx 650ti is a lot more bang for your buck ;), but then again, it's all your choice ).
Have fun and game on! :) :bang:
 
Well I'm not quite ready to make my purchases yet but I'm also looking for a RAM upgrade and possibly adding a SSD. I'll be sure to post here when I get a better idea of what I'm after, appreciate the help! ;)

When you are ready for ram, just remember the basic 1600 ddr3 is a better deal than overclocked ram. You'll see only minimal gains for a bigger price tag. I'm a bit biased, but i've had nothing but good experiences with G.Skill ram, specifically Ripjaws and Sniper kits. As for SSD's Samsung 840's and stay far far away from OCZ ssd's (especially the Agility 3's). The failure rates on those, even with the firmware updates are insane.
 
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Hi guys! Nice thread. I probably could use this for helping me find PC. So here's the story:

My computer is nearly 10+ years old and never upgraded anything like that (I'm not a PC-person, so forgive me). Lately, it is starting to, basically, act like crap and the Internet is very slow (I have DSL). I also am getting a lot of errors lately with quite several programs (which probably explains why I'm having a low RAM memory). After a long discussion, my wife and I have decided to start from scratch: get a brand new PC, with protection program and all that for at least ~$500. If we have to bite the bullet, $600. So what do you have in mind for us?

  • We're not gamers
  • My wife likes to put a lot of pictures/music on computer
  • A good fair amount of memory or something to help the PC running smooth and quick
As of right now, I am looking at the list of PC available [here]. I don't know if All-in-One is good in general or not but if we only need a tower, then that is fine with me. I already have 21" monitor and a HP printer/scanner (HP Photosmart C4680) on the side.

So fire away!
 
Hi guys! Nice thread. I probably could use this for helping me find PC. So here's the story:

My computer is nearly 10+ years old and never upgraded anything like that (I'm not a PC-person, so forgive me). Lately, it is starting to, basically, act like crap and the Internet is very slow (I have DSL). I also am getting a lot of errors lately with quite several programs (which probably explains why I'm having a low RAM memory). After a long discussion, my wife and I have decided to start from scratch: get a brand new PC, with protection program and all that for at least ~$500. If we have to bite the bullet, $600. So what do you have in mind for us?

  • We're not gamers
  • My wife likes to put a lot of pictures/music on computer
  • A good fair amount of memory or something to help the PC running smooth and quick
As of right now, I am looking at the list of PC available [here]. I don't know if All-in-One is good in general or not but if we only need a tower, then that is fine with me. I already have 21" monitor and a HP printer/scanner (HP Photosmart C4680) on the side.

So fire away!
IMO this would be good for a pc that respects your "parameters" :) [url]http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Pavilion+Desktop+-+8GB+Memory+-+1TB+Hard+Drive/1307400203.p?id=mp1307400203&skuId=1307400203&st=HP%20Pavilion%20500%20500-070&cp=1&lp=2#tab=specifications[/URL]
 
@OmegaLion, that looks good. I can see myself getting this soon. Anyone in here recommend Norton for protection? I'd like to pay annually to ensure it does the job to keep virus/errors/etc. clean every week. The whole time with my old PC, I only use program(s) that are free (and obviously, it doesn't always do 100% of job). But yeah, this time I definitely want to pay something...
 
@OmegaLion, that looks good. I can see myself getting this soon. Anyone in here recommend Norton for protection? I'd like to pay annually to ensure it does the job to keep virus/errors/etc. clean every week. The whole time with my old PC, I only use program(s) that are free (and obviously, it doesn't always do 100% of job). But yeah, this time I definitely want to pay something...
Norton 2014 is an excellent antivirus, though my personal favourite is kaspersky pure, which does cost 100$/year.....but it's worth every penny http://www.kaspersky.com/pure-security?icid=PURE_bnr_hp_GLOBAL
Either way they're both great you can't go wrong (kaspersky is more complete and efficient though, with some security components)
 
I have a laptop that died, but I harvested the memory from it. I also have an old Desktop PC that I believe has a failing hard drive.

Can I put a laptop hardrive into a Desktop PC?
 
I have a laptop that died, but I harvested the memory from it. I also have an old Desktop PC that I believe has a failing hard drive.

Can I put a laptop hardrive into a Desktop PC?
is it an IDE hard drive or a SATA?
 
I visited the Norton site and Norton 360 seems good. Might get that. Will do more research on other protection programs...
 
I'll have to dig up the parts and check again.
Anyways if your desktop has mounting points for 2.5" HDD's then you'll be able to use it in your desktop without issues. If this is not the case you'll have to purchase a 2.5" to 3.5" drive bay converter like this mounting kit: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817994141, or you could purchase an external USB drive enclosure (like this one:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... ) and install your HDD into that :)
 
I visited the Norton site and Norton 360 seems good. Might get that. Will do more research on other protection programs...
yeah norton is great, never said it was bad haha :)
Both kaspersky and norton 360 have their cons; for example:
kaspersky's spam filter slows mail downloading and backed-up files are not encrypted.
On the other hand norton can have some negative effects on pc performance
Overall kaspersky pure seems to be slightly/very slightly more efficient than norton at blocking malware. But again, they're both great and will both protect your pc very efficiently ;)
 
Lol yeah, I'm sure each program has some pros/cons when compare to each other. To be honest, I'm not iffy picky about everything. Just enough to protect our personal information, money (credit card), spams, etc. and I'm good to go.
 
Anyone use ESET Nod32 Anti-Virus? It seems to have a good reputation. Might be worth testing the free trial if your looking for an AV.
It is a good AV, good not great, certainly not much compared to norton or kaspersky
its main pro probably is the fact that it's simple to use and its main con (from what I've read) is that its ability to perform repairs in a Windows 7 environment is not among the very best and it's pretty bad at blocking malware ( while good at cleaning MW)
sources: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2392633,00.asp
http://anti-virus-software-review.toptenreviews.com/eset-nod32-review.html
 
Lol yeah, I'm sure each program has some pros/cons when compare to each other. To be honest, I'm not iffy picky about everything. Just enough to protect our personal information, money (credit card), spams, etc. and I'm good to go.
yeah I understand; anyways I'm just showing you the doors, you have to decide which one to walk through, always find the cheapest solution possible between those that efficiently do what you need, avoid higher prices if you don't need the extra content....but you certainly know that :)
 
If you want to be able to update later down the road and not have to deal with proprietary parts, check out Newegg for their combo deals.

This rig, if you can get the parts installed, will last you a lot longer and can also power new games on medium to high settings.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1418846


I work in IT (a+ce, net+ce, mcitp, hdi, and mos certified) and I can tell you that while Norton is good, it uses A LOT of system resources. Not to mention the firewall isn't that great. Unless it comes bundled, save your money and go with security essentials and malware bytes. I work for a 700k+ university and thats essentially all we use - apart from the enterprise version security essentials. Windows 8 has its own built in antivirus (security essentials) too, btw.
 
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Well, it's official. We are expecting to have the money anytime today (in the bank) and so, we are going to buy new PC today. As of right now, I'm going to go with what @OmegaLion suggested; I think the PC looks great and will try it out. :) Will let you guys know tonight how everything's going.
 
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Got the computer and Norton 360 (gonna try this and see how it goes). I was going to hook it up right now but my wife insisted I should wait until she gets off work at 11pm. Blah. ;) I have to say it feels great to have a new PC after a long 10 years. Whew.
 
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Yay I'm on new PC! It is much, much better than the old one! The desktop now looks like Window 8 from the phone/Xbox 360. Loved it. :D The only thing I dislike is the new keyboard. It's small and kinda awkward. I probably will buy a new different keyboard with more comfortable for me. But other than that, everything is cool (so far)!
 
Yay I'm on new PC! It is much, much better than the old one! The desktop now looks like Window 8 from the phone/Xbox 360. Loved it. :D The only thing I dislike is the new keyboard. It's small and kinda awkward. I probably will buy a new different keyboard with more comfortable for me. But other than that, everything is cool (so far)!
Glad you like the pc :)