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Originally Posted by zettahertz
+1 on building, never bought a desktop since 1999.
Can be cheaper, full control over parts and customization to likes/needs.
And if you're really into it, you can get more bang for the buck by overclocking your processor so it's performance equals one that's 2X the cost.
I'd suggest looking for an intel core 2 duo or core 2 quad (screw AMD until they get their act together!), Asus motherboard, 2GB of PC6400 Corsair XMS2 or XMS3 RAM. I dunno, really depends on how much you want to spend.
check out newegg.com for your parts, might not be the best prices but they are awesome. For better prices, look on fatwallet/slickdealz/pricegrabber.
If this is your first build... these are the basic parts you would most likely need:
Case
Power Supply - something 600W+
Motherboard - Asus is a personal preference, Gigabyte etc are ok. do some research on reviews, each board is different, various architectures, DDR2/DDR3
CPU processor - Core 2 Duo/Quad
Graphics card - geforce 9800GT, u'd have no problems with games with this 150-200 buck graphics card, or 9600GT if u prefer something cheaper
RAM - 2GB Corsair
Hard drive
CD/DVD drives
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I am an AMD fan and I too am saddened by the current state of their offerings, BUT with a $800 limit, AMD would be the best choice. It does limit his expansion in the future, but I think a black series processor would still give him all the power he needs and more (once he gets into overclocking), for a lot less that Core2Duo...
Eric,
Does the $800 include the cost of the operating system? Do you have access to old windows XP software or something?
P.S. I like Epox for a motherboard, mainly cause of the on-board LED diagnostic readout...