I want to replace my old Pentium 3 computer with something a little more modern. I use the computer for web surfing and email. I also play games, such as Warcraft 3, Neverwinter Nights, etc. I don't play any massive 3D games like Doom 3. I am wondering if the computer in this link will suite my needs and am looking for user input.

http://www.radioshack.ca/estore/Prod...roduct=2511359

Thanks, Glenn

 

That price can be had in Canada with Canadian dollars I believe.

I don't know about that AMD processor but my suggestion is:
Have one made for you special or build it yourself.
Have them build it with premium parts & hardly ever look back.

A small but lucrative computer business can offer Immediate support as opposed to boxing up a Name Brand compauter & sending it to be repaired.
Don't fall into the Big Box Stores trap.

 

The choices are endless. There are all types of systems out there.

A pentium 4 processor, 1GB RAM, and 80GB 7200rmp HD is then norm these days.

If you have the skill, build your own.

 

Do you get any discounts through work? I get Dell through school and saved significantly, although this computer has some annoying quirks. I have heard that Compaq doesn't make great computers though. Alienware is expensive but good for gaming... but you'd be better off building your own I think. If you want a quick and simple (and cheap) solution, HP and Dell are probably pretty good bets. Gateway as well, but I haven't heard much good of them.

 

AMD is a great chipset, I am running a 1.6 now with no problems. The Athlon version is pretty good too. The memory seems to be ok, but the integrated video isn't that great. I have that on mine, but set it up myself to use whatever memory the app isn't using to run the video- usually it's around 256, on top of the 128 dedicated vram. The real problem with compaqs is that you can't add boards. Everything is on the mother board, no expansion slots, just what it came with.

 

Check with your local computer repair store and have them build a computer for you from generic parts that can be upgraded. Use retail box add on cards as opposed to OEM "white box" components so you can get driver updates later. A generic computer can be upgraded and repaired by anyone. Usually if you have a computer over 4 years old it is better to buy new than upgrade tho.

 

The computer you are looking at is a good price and it would fit your needs. Unfortunatly, you have to buy other parts....monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers.
If you buy a computer from a store, be it sony, compac, hp, you don't know what kind of hardware is in it. Being able to update specific drivers for specific hardware is what adds longevity of your system. The more research you do beforehand, the beter your chances are of getting somthing that will fit you needs.
I did a lot of research.
Best motherboards..........................Abit...Asus. ..Gigabyte
Best RAM......................................Crucial.. .Corsair
Best processor for business apps......Intel
Best processor for gaming................AMD
Best Video card..............................ATI
Best Monitor...................................KDS..Vie w Sonic
Best Harddrives..............................Western Digital
If you want to research go to the home pages of these products. They usually have links to help you build your own, or go to sites that do independent reviews of hardware.
I buy most of my parts now from MonarchComputer.com

 

I built my own and it was a lot easier then I thought. Got what I wanted at a great price, bought the componants through newegg.com and still going strong after a year of high end gaming, CAD rendering and other graphics intensive tasks. I would look to go that route again should I decide to get another one. Also I can upgrade very easily as it is all in a case with lots of extra expansion slots and such. 7 cooling fans, clear door, UV wiring, looks great and faster then all get out. I run two 120 GB Seagate 7200 rpm HD in serial RAID which allows for even faster operation as both hard drives are used to access info and allows the program and computer to run instructions and operations simultaneously, speeding up the process by about 15%.

Here is the basic stuff:
ASUS KV8 Deluxe motherboard w/AMD Athlon 3400+ Processor, VIA K8T800 chipset
Gigabyte video board using ATI Radion 9800XT Pro 256MB onboard memory
2- Seagate 120 GB 7200 rpm HD in Serial RAID configuration
Audigy 2ZS Platinum 5.1 audio w 4 sattelite speakers and powered sub woofer
(makes all you guys audio of loping engines and burnouts sound awesome by the way!!)
52X 32X 52X Memorex CD-R, RW
Plextor DVD, R-RW
WiFi
Cable Modem
500 watt power supply w/internal fans 2
5 case fans

Good system and very upgradable. Go for it guy. It was a lot of fun and ended up with a great system to boot. By the way, my son plays Warcraft all the time. If you like gaming well, we can run every game at its very highest settings and no system crashes or game lockups.

 

If you're like most folks, you aren't going to build one and most likely you don't know all of the parts that work well together. Shop around. Might try
www.tigerdirect.com
They have all of the parts or units for gaming or business.