cheap box - HP PAVILION SLIMLINE S3200N - $380

[keyclone]

this just came across my email... it looks like it could run 2 or 3 wows... might be a good secondary box

hopefully you hardware gurus can chime in...

note: does Recertified == refurbished?

--

HP PAVILION SLIMLINE S3200N AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core processor 4800+, Wireless LAN 802.11 b/g, NVIDIA GeForce, 360GB, 1024MB DDR2, SuperMulti DVD Burner with LightScribe Technology, 15 in 1 memory card reader, Vista Home Premium - Recertified - GN566AAABA

$379.99

http://ak.buy.com/db_assets/prod_lrg_images/532/205611532.jpg
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=205611532

Operating system Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium Processor AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core processor 4800+ Memory 1024MB Memory speed PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM Total memory slots 2 DIMM Maximum memory expansion Expandable up to 2x1GB Graphics Nvidia GeForce 6150 SE graphics TV and entertainment experience N/A PCI expansion 1 PCI slot (occupied) 1 PCI-E x16 (22) slot (available) Hard disk drive(s) 360GB 7200 rpm SATA [gigabyte is defined as 1,000,000,000 bytes, accessible capacity may vary] Primary CD/DVD drive SuperMulti DVD Burner with LightScribe Technology Secondary CD/DVD drive N/A Communications Integrated 10/100Base-T-network interface Sound card High Definition Audio Speakers 6 speaker configurable Front-side bus (processor dependent) 2000MHz System Bus Power supply N/A I/O ports Front panel 15-in-1 memory card reader 5 USB 2.0 ports (1 Front, 4 Back) 1 FireWire (IEEE 1394) port(s) (Back) 2 PS/2; Digital Audio-out; Software - full versions Photosmart Essential to manage your digital photos; Roxio Creator featuring LightScribe Technology: Edit, burn and archive data to to DVDs and CDs; muvee autoProducer Basic: Automatically create professional looking home videos videos and burn to DVD; Roxio MyDVD Basic: Make movies and slideshows and burn to DVD or CD; Microsoft Works 8: Includes a word processor, spreadsheet, database and calendar; Adobe Reader 8.0: Read and print PDF files; HP Total Care Advisor: Customizable desktop tool provides support, system health and shopping information Software - introductory versions Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Trial: 60-day trial version (14); Norton Internet Security 2007: Protect your PC out of the box (60 days of complimentary live updates) Trial Internet service Easy sign-up to major dial-up and broadband Internet Service Providers: (16) - AOL Basic Dial-Up (offer included), AOL Dial-Up Advantage (offer included), AOL High Speed (offer included), MSN dial-up (offer included), NetZero Dial-Up (offer included), NetZero Accelerated Dial-Up (offer included), EarthLink dial-up (offer included), EarthLink High Speed (offer included) - High Speed Internet Services Comparison Shopping Dimensions 13.39 x 4.21 x 10.87 in http://ak.buy.com/buy_assets/v6/july/dot2.gifBasic warranty One year of hardware parts and labor coverage, 90 day software toll-free phone assistance

[Wilbur]

chuck a graphics card and some more RAM in there and you'll be Golden.

Re-certified means that they were licensed to someone, but for some reason HP has relicensed them (Large order that didnt get shipped).

Pretty good deal IMHO.

[keyclone]

it would be interesting to find the computer with the lowest cost per clone.

ie: runs 2 clones and costs $600 ... $300 / clone
runs 4 clones across 2 monitors (in portrait mode)... cost: $1,200 .. cost per clone: $300

i'd want to say a clone should run @ 25 maxfpsbk and 50 maxfps to be valid
cost must include monitor(s)

[Gallo]

A quad core can run 5, and can be built for ~$850 (I just did this). I already had 2 monitors.

Thats $170 per character.

[keyclone]

you still have to include the price of the monitors. the idea is for someone off the street that wants to get into it... or has 1 computer and needs a 2nd to handle the other clones

the res of the clone area should also be considered. (ie: 800x600 minimal .. no overlap)

[Schwarz]

A quad core can run 5, and can be built for ~$850 (I just did this). I already had 2 monitors.

Thats $170 per character.Can you list more details on this the box that I was looking to put together was more like $1400 sans monitors

[Vos]

assuming you have nothing to start with It takes around 1600 to build a 5 box setup,

I did this in 5 minutes, with careful planning and watching sales you could probably knock off a couple o hundred bucks, maybe... There's also 85 bucks in rebates and 35 dollars in shipping to consider, but that's the basic idea...

I did not include mouse, keyboard, speakers, keyclone, or wow accounts.....

This is not intended to be a recommendation for particular parts (although I consider each of these to be good parts), just an example....


Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price 1
http://c1.neweggimages.com/ProductImageCompressAll/11-129-018-01.jpg
Antec Solo Black/Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case -
79.99

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

$69.99
2
http://c1.neweggimages.com/ProductImageCompressAll/24-009-094-02.jpg
Acer AL2216Wbd Black 22" 5ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor with HDCP support -

$499.98$439.98($219.99 each)
1
http://c1.neweggimages.com/ProductImageCompressAll/14-130-318-02.jpg EVGA 512-P3-N801-AR GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card -
$239.99
1
http://c1.neweggimages.com/ProductImageCompressAll/17-341-011-10.jpg PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad (Crossfire Edition) EPS12V 750W Power Supply -

$199.99$149.99
1
http://c1.neweggimages.com/ProductImageCompressAll/20-220-293-04.jpg Patriot Viper 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model PVS24G6400LLK -$30.00 Mail-in Rebate
$99.99


http://c1.neweggimages.com/ProductImageCompressAll/13-127-031-11.jpg
ABIT IP35-E LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard -
$30.00 Mail-in Rebate
$99.99


1
http://c1.neweggimages.com/ProductImageCompressAll/19-115-017-03.jpg Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model BX80562Q6600 -

$277.99
1
http://c1.neweggimages.com/ProductImageCompressAll/32-116-204-02.jpg Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM


$111.49
Subtotal: $1,599.40


edit: blerg, in trying to edit the links out I accidentally got rid of the mobo... fixed

[Schwarz]

So sans monitors the setup is still $1100. How do you shave $250 off it?

[Vos]

you could get a cheaper power supply, cheaper ram, cheaper case..... but i wouldn't recommend it.... there are lots of good powersupplies in the $100 range, there's always cheaper ram to get, etc etc.... that was just intended as a general list for keyclone

[Vos]

Keyclone you could also get a dell xps 420 with a quad core, 4gb of ram, an 8800gt, and 2x 22" monitors for around 1700 if you want it put together for you....

I think the answer to your question is 1 box 2x monitors cost per account for 5 is $275-$325 depending on the particulars... But that's assuming you are starting from scratch, and I would argue that most wouldn't be

[Schwarz]

OK sorry to Hijack this thread but are the parts you listed earlier missing a motherboard?

[keyclone]

@Vos
it's not for me, as i already have my setup, although i find the info very interesting (i'll probably upgrade the setup sometime in the spring).

my intention, after i saw the very cheap box... was to start people talking about a peer reviewed set up that would work for our needs. maybe have like 2 or 3 different set ups. cheap, mid range and max. and have the hardware updated monthly so people would know the equipment to get.

we would probably need a special thread that wouldn't allow for posts (it'd get too cluttered) and would just show the set ups.

[Vos]

I didn't think it was for you specifically 8) I do enjoy the hardware discussion of single boxing though. Just to through a monkey in the works, I went with the basic quadcore, 8800gt, 4gb of ram setup that most seem to agree on as the baseline for a "good" setup, however, I'm not convinced that with the right video card and ram that an overclocked dual core wouldn't offer performance that meets or exceeds your 25/50 fps reqs for considerably less...

[MunkeyMuck]

^ ^ something like that would be awesome for someone just starting off such as myself. I am thinking of building a new box to either run 3 on with my current box for my main (not even sure if you can do 1 on one and 3 on another).

[Monkofdoom]

2 weeks ago my workplace offered me around 12 pc's (old ones) and I tried to value the costs to see how much I would end up spending to upgrade them to be good enough clones. At the same time I also looked up individual PC's (built from scratch) and got a total of £154 per pc and around £100 for a "19 monitor.

This obviously working out at £250 ~ per pc which for England terms is cheapish, however the American prices are insane compared to ours so our 5 box builds are far more costly.

I'd also be very interested in what price range people from the UK can get a pc / build a pc from to run 1 simple clone with similar reqs as KC posted.

[Diamndzngunz]

Nice solid computer, do what Wilbur suggested and your set.

Thanks Rob for the link. Should help out people who are on a budget.

[BobGnarly]

Hey,

This is not intended to be a recommendation for particular parts (although I consider each of these to be good parts), just an example....

$277.99
1
http://c1.neweggimages.com/ProductImageCompressAll/32-116-204-02.jpg Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM


Sorry for a bit of a derail here, and I know you specifically said that you weren't recommending parts as much as giving an example. Nevertheless, I wanted to point out, so that somebody here doesn't get burned by this, that the System Builders OEM version of Vista will not allow you to transfer to another computer. To understand, in Microsoft parlance transferring computers can be as simple as changing one component (like the motherboard). IOW, if you get this and ever want to upgrade your computer in the future, you probably will not be able to use this Vista again.

Too bad, because the price is definitely right.

[MaxD]

assuming you have nothing to start with It takes around 1600 to build a 5 box setup,

I did this in 5 minutes, with careful planning and watching sales you could probably knock off a couple o hundred bucks, maybe... There's also 85 bucks in rebates and 35 dollars in shipping to consider, but that's the basic idea...

I did not include mouse, keyboard, speakers, keyclone, or wow accounts.....

This is not intended to be a recommendation for particular parts (although I consider each of these to be good parts), just an example....


Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price 1
http://c1.neweggimages.com/ProductImageCompressAll/11-129-018-01.jpg
Antec Solo Black/Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case -
79.99

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

$69.99
2
http://c1.neweggimages.com/ProductImageCompressAll/24-009-094-02.jpg
Acer AL2216Wbd Black 22" 5ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor with HDCP support -

$499.98$439.98($219.99 each)
1
http://c1.neweggimages.com/ProductImageCompressAll/14-130-318-02.jpg EVGA 512-P3-N801-AR GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card -
$239.99
1
http://c1.neweggimages.com/ProductImageCompressAll/17-341-011-10.jpg PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad (Crossfire Edition) EPS12V 750W Power Supply -

$199.99$149.99
1
http://c1.neweggimages.com/ProductImageCompressAll/20-220-293-04.jpg Patriot Viper 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model PVS24G6400LLK -$30.00 Mail-in Rebate
$99.99


http://c1.neweggimages.com/ProductImageCompressAll/13-127-031-11.jpg
ABIT IP35-E LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard -
$30.00 Mail-in Rebate
$99.99


1
http://c1.neweggimages.com/ProductImageCompressAll/19-115-017-03.jpg Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model BX80562Q6600 -

$277.99
1
http://c1.neweggimages.com/ProductImageCompressAll/32-116-204-02.jpg Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM


$111.49
Subtotal: $1,599.40


edit: blerg, in trying to edit the links out I accidentally got rid of the mobo... fixedYou must not live in Alaska that system would cost me over 2k :)

[MaxD]

note: does Recertified == refurbished?

Not sure if this was mentioned but Recertified means it was recived by the buyer normally a company or Military and send back because they ordered more than they needed. So its still new but out dated

[Teamboca]

I am looking to dual-box would this computer be able to handle it for me (i dont care if i have to play with the lowest settings). If not will getting a $300 videocard do it for me. I am such a noob when it comes to computers ;( .

[keyclone]

Hi boca and sorry to hear about your machine (but i was laughing ^^ )

which machine to get depends on a number of factors. how much you want to pay, how fast you need to be set up, how many characters do you plan on running and how much tolerance does your family/S.O have.

either way, try to imagine what the set up would look like. 1 screen with everything crammed in, or 2 screens with a 2x2 + 1 for the main. or, probably the sexiest so far, 3 screens with 2 sitting portrait on the left & right of your main (Elo's setup... very nice)

stop by the screenshots section and browse the rigs for what you'd like / can afford. there are tons of people here that know their hardware inside & out that'll help give you a guiding hand... but you should be prepared and offer as much info as possible so people can more readily give you a proper solution. (worst case scenario, you could always drop me a note and i'll do what i can... but i'm more software then hardware... Xzin is the hardcore hardware geek around here, i believe)

i hope that helps

[Teamboca]

Thanks for your help keyclone. Im still in shock over my Computer on fire.

Basically me and my bro both want to buy a computer together we are willing to put $500 dollars in each. We would like to dual-box so when one of isn't on the other one will be playing. I am willing to risk that he will be playing on my accounts or i will be on his with the chance of being banned by not playing your own account (stupid blizzard and their terms). I want a computer that will be lag free anywhere im going.

I have never experienced this, entering main cities was almost unbearable at times. I think im just going to go with 1 screen with one char on top and one on the bottom for the time being. I fell in love with Krynn's interface. I have no experience building my own computer, the only thing i am comfortable doing is inserting a video card. By the way im sixteen years old and have just gotten a job at dunkin doughnuts. (free doughtnuts FTW)

[Katharsis]

I recently bought two XPS 420s from the Dell Outlet store. One was a scratch and dent, quad core, 4G Ram, 8800GT 512M, 500Gig HD, etc etc for $895. The "dent" was a BB size ding on the side. This was close to a 50% savings at the time. If you watch the listings in the outlet store over a period of time you can find some nice bargains, IMO.

[aetherg]

The four boxes for my minions are all identical Dell Inspiron slim-towers. 2gHz Core duo, 1GB RAM, 250GB HDD, Integrated graphics/network/sound. The total cost for all four was $1300 (free shipping), a few months ago. Even with the cheap Intel integrated graphics, I get 20+ FPS in the middle of Shatt, 35+ in most instances and combat, and 60+ while questing. They don't use up much power (250W power supplies, and I know they aren't even coming close to that), and don't take up much space, which is ideal for me.

[Richard5657]

Took a plunge and bought 4x computer in the OP. Shipping to my parents house back in the US so it will still be another 2 months before I even see them, let alone provide feedback. Should be cake to play 4 separate clones on though.

[Vos]

Click here ('http://slickdeals.net/?pno=11563&lno=1&afsrc=1') Select the following options:
Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q6600 (8MB L2 cache,2.4GHz,1066FSB) [add $90]
Add to cart and check out, your total will be $440 If using your Dell Preferred Account to pay, your total will be $422
Specs:

Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q6600 (8MB L2 cache,2.4GHz,1066FSB) Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic - English 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz- 2DIMMs 250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache 16X DVD+/-RW Drive Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3100 Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio Dell USB Keyboard and Dell Optical USB Mouse 56K PCI Data Fax Modem Trend Micro Internet Security 36-months 3Yr In-Home Service, Parts + Labor, 24x7 Phone Support

add on a 8800GT and 4gb of ram (400 bucks) and 2 monitors (400 bucks) and you got 5 boxing from 1 pc for 250 bucks per account.... (assuming that dell power supply can handle an 8800gt)

[Teamboca]

This looks good i think, just want to get the approval from you guys my brother showed it to me and fell in love. He knows as little about computers as i do and he will probably buy this no matter what anyone tells him, thats just how he is. Anyway... here it is. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3484597&CatId=114

[Gallo]

Sorry that I took so long to reply... but my quad core that I made for ~$850 sans monitors, I did by semi-patiently looking for deals/rebates on slickdeals.net.

- MSI Nvidia 8800GT 512mb - 239.99
- Intel Q6600 G0 stepping 2.4ghz - $277.00 (no deal there)
- http://www.clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A1306233 - Case - $65 - $50 rebate = $15
- Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L Mobo - $88
- http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10006237 - Coolermaster 750W PSU - When I got it, it was $99.99 - $50 rebate = $49.99
- OCZ 4gb (2x2gb) RAM - $109
- Seagate Barracuda 250gb - $69
- Cheapest DVD-burner/rom - $23

Total - $870

I also eventually got an aftermarket CPU fan/cooler so that I could overclock, adding another $23, but i didn't count it as its not necessary.

If you're in no hurry, browse through slickdeals.net every day and look for deals on individual parts.

[nightelf]

i have found that the cheap dells they offer on tv work just as well as any other i have seen well up to the person buying it i guess but there is a web site i know of you can buy comps with no os cheap www.pricewatch.com or www.cyberpowerpc.com check em out if i find more ill post