Addiction Wins Control

[KTSid]

of my money... So after starting with dual boxing and swearing I would NEVER go over two I have moved up to quad and have started plans for 8. So what's the point of this thread you ask? Well I was going to wait for my first team to hit 70 before I got another computer (their at 67) and was going to run with one of the new doghouse systems that were mentioned on the podcast The Instance which the lowest priced one being 1,500 + dollars. Now my current system isn't note worthy but it handles my four instances of WoW with no real problems. So today I notice a computer is for sale that seems to be stronger than mine (don't know much about computers) but it's priced at half the price (its at 869.00) as the doghouse systems. My whole point in getting a doghouse system was the fact that I knew they were way stronger than my machine and if mine could handle 4 copies then I could get 4 more accounts and throw them on the second machine and thus join the wonderful world of 8 boxing. Well since this other machine seems to be stronger than mine anyway I was wondering what y'all would think. I know you get what you pay for but I'm so tempted to get this other machine since all I wanted was something that was better than what I'm using so I would know for sure when I got home it would handle the 4 WoWs.

Current Machine:
HP
RAM: 3071 MB (i think that makes it around 3 GB)
32-bit OS
360 GB Harddrive
Intel Dual CPU E2200 2.20GHz
ATI RXI550 256 MB DDR2 Graphics Card (TD256EH)


Machine on sale: ($849.00)
Asus Essentio CS5111-AP007
4GB DDR2 SDRAM
32-bit OS
640GB hard drive
Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core processor E2200

*The one I was going to get* (i just copied pasted this info thats why this one has so much)
Doghouse System: ($1,595.00) (basic system)
Armor ES 4850
Asus P5Q E CrossFireX
P45 chipset motherboard
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
3.0GHz processor
6 MB Shared Cache,
1333MHz FSB
4 Gigabytes Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800 Memory (2 x 2GB DIMMs)
1 x 500GB 7,200 RPM
Western Digital RAID Edition III
SATA drive
ATI Radeon HD 4850 Video Card


Now yes I know the doghouse system is better than all. Seeing as their sole purpose is a gaming rig but I figured something must be wrong with the second system since it *looks* better than mine but I think mine cost about the same price or a bit lower. Since I don't know much about computers I don't mind spending the money to get something that works and I dont have to replace much (well minus the vid card of course since im use to that) so I dont mind getting the doghousesystem. I just figured well maybe I should get this other one if it's better than what I have which would mean it can do what I would need it to do. Thanks for any advice y'all can give.

Please excuse spelling and grammar and TLDR style post.

[Style1one]

Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core processor E2200 ($73)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819116063


Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 ($165)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...5037&Tpk=e8400


4GB DDR2 SDRAM (can be aslow as 30)


4 Gigabytes Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800 Memory (2 x 2GB DIMMs) ($65-90)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...s2&name=4GB%20(2%20x%202GB)

(unsure of video card) ($63-75)
(saying they go with a cheaper vcard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...ce%209500%20GT)

ATI Radeon HD 4850 Video Card ($150-260)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...d&Order=RATING

Case will likly be cheap and not cool well, and though the arrmor isnt that great it got better airflow then most stock cases.

All in all its your likly to get better quality components in the Doghouse system, and with that it costs more (by all means I am no tech guru, that is what I see between the two)

[Plaq]

*The one I was going to get* (i just copied pasted this info thats why this one has so much)
Doghouse System: ($1,595.00) (basic system)
Armor ES 4850
Asus P5Q E CrossFireX
P45 chipset motherboard
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
3.0GHz processor
6 MB Shared Cache,
1333MHz FSB
4 Gigabytes Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800 Memory (2 x 2GB DIMMs)
1 x 500GB 7,200 RPM
Western Digital RAID Edition III
SATA drive
ATI Radeon HD 4850 Video Card

Well that`s WAY too expensive. If I go to newegg.com and add the prices of everything you listed there I stay under $700. Add a power supply, DVD-ROM and OS and you have a system for < $1000 that´s equal or even better. If you are willing to spend $1600 you can get a much better system than the doghouse one.

[daviddoran]

Don't bother with that one thats on sale. It's barely better than what you have, and way overpriced. If you're willing to go for $1500, you can make a killer system if you piece it together yourself. Yes, you lose having a single place for tech support, but to me, it's way worth it.

Just go to newegg, and put together a parts list, and post it here, and we can help you out from there. Chances are you can get a kick ass system for way less than the doghouse one.

[KTSid]

Don't bother with that one thats on sale. It's barely better than what you have, and way overpriced. If you're willing to go for $1500, you can make a killer system if you piece it together yourself. Yes, you lose having a single place for tech support, but to me, it's way worth it.

Just go to newegg, and put together a parts list, and post it here, and we can help you out from there. Chances are you can get a kick ass system for way less than the doghouse one.

My only concern with purchasing a bunch of parts seperate would be putting them all togather. I'm not to computer savey and wouldn't want to screw up building one. Yea I don't mind paying the 1500 or more if I have too, mainly because it gives me the piece of mind that it's probably a solid system and I don't have to worry about screwing it up. Now I don't mind buying a part here and there to add to a computer just scared to build one.

I'm starting to see a lot of systems on sale I guess it's because of the holidays around the corner. Either that or they know I'm iching for more toons.

[heffner]

Putting together a computer is not as hard as it may seem. Things are so easy these days it would take you only a couple of hours (plop CPU/RAM/Heatsink into MB, install MB into case, plug the front panel/power switch into MB, install HD/DVD (get all SATA) into case, plug drives into MB, install video card, install PS, plug PS into various spots - fans, drives, MB (2 connections), video card - make sure you plug the CPU fan into the MB - turn it on, stick in OS DVD and install [that's the jist of it, and the order may vary]). It's well worth it. You save money and get quality components. Also if you are worried about the warranty or what not it's not that big a deal to just take the piece back to the store or ship it to the manufacturer. I am not sure, the only thing you might want to stay away from is the 64-bit Vista since AFAIK people are still having driver problems (correct me if this is wrong) so you would need to do more research to make sure your hardware is supported. Personally, I buy all my stuff from a local shop (has good prices) but wouldn't hesitate using an online retailer like Newegg (If I lived in the USA).

Otherwise, maybe Newegg has a decent pre-built system? or often retailers will build to order for an extra $50-100..which may be perfect for you and still save you money.

Good luck!

[daviddoran]

Well, don't think of it as a whole new system. I bet your case, hard drive, and optical drive are all fine, so you really only need to put in a new motherboard, cpu ram and video card. Hardest part depends on how old your case is. Some older ones have the front panel port connectors non standard, and some dont have the built in speaker, for error beeps, some do, etc.

An easy way to not have to do too much work, but still save over a fully prebuilt system is to find a barebones system, which is usually just a motherboard and power supply pre mounted into a case. That takes most of the guesswork away, and all you have to do is drop in a cpu, ram and graphics card.

Something like this

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102770

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16856101066
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136296
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115017
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820220341
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231122[/url] (x2)

gives you quad cores, 8gb ram, 10krpm raptor drive for the OS, and a 32gb SSD for the WoW folder, the same video card as the one you linked, and a nice compact case, that's pre-wired. All for under $1300 shipped, with tax. You could even bump the CPU to the newer ones with more cache, and still be cheaper than the $1500 system you were looking at, and this one is waaaay better. If I didn't already have a comprable system, a system like this would appeal to me greatly. And it's portable. Strap a LCD or two and you got a portable LAN Party ready multiboxing rig I'd also throw in a Blu Ray drive, just because you can.



EDIT: Vista x64 has been running strong for me ever since SP1 came out. Even before that, it was still decent. I think most of the kinks have been worked out. It also helps that i disabled the requirement to sign drivers, which is so stupid IMO. So what if the driver writer didn't submit the driver for microsoft's "blessing" i just want my components to work...

[Schwarz]

physically building a computer is pretty easy. Essentially you put the square pegs in the square holes. Each piece lines up to a slot on the motherboard. It is physically impossible to like put your ram where your video card should go. The only thing that is strange the first time you build a computer is the ammount of force somethings take to fit into place. I remember putting alot of force on my processor fan to get it into the motherboard. I was scared even though i had built several before.

[Caspian]

I just built almost the exact same system as that doghouse one for under a grand. The big Difference? I have a quad core CPU vs a dual core.

Runs great.


QFT

. I remember putting alot of force on my processor fan to get it into
the motherboard. I was scared even though i had built several before.

[pengwynman]

I remember putting alot of force on my processor fan to get it into the motherboard. I was scared even though i had built several before.

i remember putting a lot of force on my heatsink to get it onto the mobo... then my screwdriver slipped and jammed straight into the mobo >.> luckily it was a cheap throw-away system got for free. wouldn't want to do that with my current system haha. but yeah, building a system is pretty simple when it comes down to it. i'm sure there are numerous guides out there, and you feel more pride after you get it up and running... not to mention it's cheaper if you do it yourself.