Victory is mine, motherf*ckers!

[Ethan Schuman]

(If this thread should be in Off-Topic, please move it there. I'm putting it here not only to explain my absence, but to get more input.)

So, after more than seven and a half years of loyal and faithful service, my PC has finally given out. That's why I haven't been around for the past couple days (which the few of you that noticed only did so because of the absence of evil laughter and Nanao jokes).

My system has been slowly failing over the past month or so, so I knew it was just a matter of time. I was in Windows working on something when my system blue screened due to a memory problem, and after I shut it down, it refused to restart, giving the dreaded three beeps of doom. I figured it was done for.

While I was going through some old things in a box, looking for a copy of Final Fantasy Tactics or Chrono Trigger, I stumbled upon a plastic bag with some bubble wrap. I opened it up, and found my OLD GeForce that was my first video card with this system. But that's not all that was in the bag. There was also the stick of RAM I had in it at first, before upgrading to higher speed. I look back at my system and figure, "Ah, what the hell? Not like it could do any harm."

I pop out the current sticks and plugged the old one into the first slot on the motherboard. Three beeps, failure to start. Slot two, three beeps, failure to start. Slot three... system boots up, single beep. Windows starts loading. SUCCESS! Log in. First couple programs load up, then blue screen. I was discouraged, but decided to try again. Blue screen again. Just for shits and giggles, I try to boot into safe mode. Loads up, and everything is all good, in its minimalistic 640x480 resolution. I turn off almost all services and start up programs, and boot back into standard. It works, but since I've cut all but the core components of Windows, I can't access the web. Very annoying. I start manually activating each service, but I don't get very far before blue screening again. I reboot into Safe Mode, and try to work with Network support. No net. Curses. I'll spare you the next couple hours and the utter rage I experienced when I realized Avast! had deleted all my system restore saves "for my protection."

As you can see by this post, I've managed to get internet working. I'm going to continue to attempt to get Windows to boot up fully, but I have no idea how much success I'll have there. However, even if I do get it working, I think it's time I acknowledged what people have been telling me for quite some time...

I NEED A NEW PC! Thankfully, I can now do shopping and research online, so I have that. However, there are tons of reviews and whatnot out there, but I'd like to get input from you all of you as well. Any suggestions you guys have in the hardware department would be really appreciated. If you're going to suggest specific parts and/or build combos, there are a few things to keep in mind:

-Most importantly, I need a legitimate license for Windows 7. I don't care whether it comes boxed or as part of a prebuilt (to be used as is or ripped up for parts).

-I have a budget of around $600 to spend on hardware + Windows. I can go a little over (depending on cost/gain), but I'd prefer to come in under that, the more the better. That being said, I'd like to get as much for my money as possible. This includes upgrade potential.

-The 500W power supply in my current system isn't very old, and could easily be swapped in to replace a lower caliber one.

-While I'm more than fine with shopping online, I live in Columbus, Ohio, and we have a Microcenter here ( http://www.microcenter.com/ ). It's not far away, and the prices there are fairly competitive. Consider this, as while a certain part from Newegg may be a little cheaper, the cost and hassle of shipping may offset those savings.

-I don't frown on prebuilts, or modding prebuilts. If you can find a good deal on one, post it.

-It has to have, at the absolute most bare minimum, 500GBs of storage. 1 TB would be preferable. It also has to have a dedicated video card, either ATI or Nvida. I've read a bunch of different reports and comparisons on various cards, and the only thing they seemed to agree on was that the 1GB Radeon 5750 was the best card out there. That card, however, is probably out of my range for now.

Currently, I'm looking at:
/>http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0336138

If I upgrade the power supply and pop a new video card in there, that would hit me right around my price range. However, if you guys can put something better together, I'll give it strong consideration.

Alright! Those are the specifications for you guys to work with. It's going to be so nice to finally go out on raids and actually fight. I thank you all greatly in advance for your assistance.

[Lanny Ansar]

Kinda sounds like your motherboard ate a dick. Which isn't too bad nowadays, because there are some really nice motherboards on the market that won't cost you both arms and a pancreas.

[Cyphre Iredell]

Pre-builds can be had for SUPER cheap without a graphics card, while still including all the minimum necessary parts like the latest Windows, Intel Core i7, etc. Like I had suggested to my dad, buy a super cheap Dell or HP that at least has the PCIe slot for graphics, upgrade some parts that would be cheap while you're at it (Windows 7 Pro, faster CPU, RAM) and purchase a graphics card elsewhere to get the best deal.

Newegg carries a "Builder's Edition" Windows which is an OEM copy like is supplied with Dells, Gateways, and other prebuilds, and costs somewhere over $100 I think for a full version, rather than an upgrade.

[Nrom Normandy]

Pre-builds can be had for SUPER cheap without a graphics card, while still including all the minimum necessary parts like the latest Windows, Intel Core i7, etc. Like I had suggested to my dad, buy a super cheap Dell or HP that at least has the PCIe slot for graphics, upgrade some parts that would be cheap while you're at it (Windows 7 Pro, faster CPU, RAM) and purchase a graphics card elsewhere to get the best deal.

Newegg carries a "Builder's Edition" Windows which is an OEM copy like is supplied with Dells, Gateways, and other prebuilds, and costs somewhere over $100 I think for a full version, rather than an upgrade.

This.

You can also buy barebones systems that include basically a power supply or not, with a motherboard, cpu and ram.

The system you linked to was okay but remember it is refurbished. Getting refurbished systems from Dell was always a good deal, but I don't know the company selling that computer.

[Nakita]

Swap the 300watt PS on that prebuilt with your current 500 watt PS. Drop in a 8 or 9 series nvidia geforce GFX card, because they are now dirt cheap and are smoking for SL and most games will run stable on.

[Zerowinged Vasiliev]

Swap the 300watt PS on that prebuilt with your current 500 watt PS. Drop in a 8 or 9 series nvidia geforce GFX card, because they are now dirt cheap and are smoking for SL and most games will run stable on.

Just for reference, currently running a 8600GTX and getting ten/twenty to thirty FPS with everything down and twenty-thirty with the new SL source.

[Lanny Ansar]

>_> When i get accepted into my Community College here, i'll be able to purchase Windows 7 Professional for $30. College Student Discount here.

[Zerowinged Vasiliev]

>_> When i get accepted into my Community College here, i'll be able to purchase Windows 7 Professional for $30. College Student Discount here.

I had to buy the OEM. . . . NO FAIR >:[

[Steeltael Lykin]

Just for reference, currently running a 8600GTX and getting ten/twenty to thirty FPS with everything down and twenty-thirty with the new SL source.

I don't get it, your video card is probably twice as beefy as my own. And I push 40-50 FPS with everything down. :(

[Zero Itamae]

Discount? I got mine free! MSDNAA rocks.

[Lanny Ansar]

ASUS EAH 4850 top here. ATI based card. Only issues i get are either with my internet or in sims with an excess of 20-40 people in it.