This hit me while I was trying to fix my computer.

How hard would it be to build a computer system just for gamers.
This is how I envision it. Internet ready, with at a minimum of 200 gigs memory, 27 inch flat screen, built in web cam, with options such as ( top programs for modling ) Paint Shop Pro Paint program. game control ports on front of system. ability to play PSP, Gamecube, and X-BOX games.

top line processor - dual, sound/video cards,
wireless keyboards and mouse
fully upgradable,

I see this costing around $750.00 USD.


Unless you all can come up with one better.

If you get the proper video cards (yes, more than one, most likely using SLI if you were to buy this today), those alone will double the cost of your system.

Also, by 200 gigs of memory, I'm going to assume that you mean 200 GB of hard drive space.

Memory usually refers to RAM... and anything less than 2 GB of RAM would be sacreligious.

Chances are this box would use XP (not Vista quite yet while they work out the production kinks, but just my personal preference), so anything over 2 GB of RAM would also be wasted on XP.

Grand total, I think you could build the system yourself for somewhere between 2000 and 2500 USD.

a gamer's pc...

it's such a waste and I'm speaking from the numerics side of this. No gamer would need 2 gig of RAM (that's something we need here ) because those damn stupid textures, well who needs them to be round perfect?? (double question mark is a rare feature of mine..)

I say: something up to 2800MHz speed, passively cooled Radeon 9200, 300 Watt PSU (a good one then) 160 GB Harddrive, onboard sound and lan and a pack of two good ears, eyes and hands on the user's side and we're ready to rumble or whatever it's called nowadays..

really, it's microsoft and the game companies wanting to make business together with the hardware producing companies so they make games deliberately only playable on hard-core high-end machines. it's nuts..

Hehe have you got a spare couple of grand? Check out Alienware computers...

*slobbering and mutterings about money*

The best computer-decision I ever made was putting 2 GB of RAM in my laptop. I upgraded it from 2 256 sticks to a single 1 GB stick. I wasn't quite satisfied with it, and invested in the second gig stick.

Best thing ever.

While I'm not sure about a PC that can use Console games like you suggest Winterhawk, my dream Gaming PC would end up costing me well over $30,000. I'm talking Quad Core Processor(s), 8GB of RAM, 12TB+ of external storage and a couple of Raptors internally, and 4 GeForce 8800GTX Graphics cards .

Of course, if I had money to spend on something like that, BOTFII would be done as I'd have hired someone to develop it already .

Ouch! glad I asked.. Guess trying to start a business that built such a computer would not be worth the full research then. I thought hard about a quad core processor. To me it seemed like a waste of processor, as I not sure any of it would be fully used.


Great Ideas guys... but my price hmm is way to low.. and I wanted to mass produce so all would have the same chance to own one.

Oh well!

8 GB of RAM is only a good idea if your operating system can use it. I'm not sure how much Vista can support, but I'm pretty sure XP can only recognize 2 GB of RAM.

However, with 8 GB of RAM, it'd be pretty interesting to see if you can run the entire OS in RAM without a page file.

Quad-cores might not get utilized properly for a while. It highly depends if programs capable of utilizing dual-cores correctly can easily be altered (if it is needed at all) to use the additional cores. There are still new programs that are not taking advantage of the dual-core technology.

Quad-cores would be useful for multitasking. So either programs/games that are made to do this, or being able to work with multiple (heavy) applications/processes at the same moment.

yeah, I build computers for people, and get some cash doing it. Though now adays im more of a 'consultant'

Here goes:

- Dont get an Alienware, since they were bought by Dell, and now suck.

- Dont get more than 2gb of RAM, unless you have a x64 processor. This is because 32 bit programs cant use more than 2gb at a time, so everything else is worthless (in a sense)

- If you want the ability to play PS/Xbox/etc games, most can be done through an emulator (until PS2 and Xbox, then you'll have to mod a complete version into your case (ive done it )

- I would suggest AMD64, since they're fast, and pretty cheap.

- I wouldnt suggest getting a new one unless you have to, but although prices are low, PCI-E 2 is coming out soon, so is Wifi USB and a bunch of other fun stuff.

- DONT get XP. Get Vista. No matter what. This may be the most important thing I say in this spiel. XP Sucks compared to Vista. I'll leave it at that.

- Get a very good PCI Express card (PCI E 2 if you can wait) but make sure it has dual outputs. I have learned that dual monitors are awesome.

- get a nice mouse. Mice are very important, since its what you use to game. (Although I still use a PS/2 mouse from 1995 or so)

- Get a good sound card/speakers. These are not as important as most components, but they really give life into the game.

ill increase this list if i can think of anymore.

You might want to rethink you recomended RAM. I heard somewhere that the minimum RAM for Vista is 2 Gigs as opposed to 256 MB for XP.

min ram for vista is 512mb

though it'll run on 256 if you do the basic basic basic stuff. Though it may be a bit laggy.



quote comes directly from teh Microsoft website.

I've run Beta 1, Beta 2, and RC2 on my laptop with 480mb RAM (32 diverted to integrated video) with a processor undervolted/clocked down to 800mhz. It wouldn't win any speed demon awards but I took notes with it in class in Office 2007 (beta at the time) and browsed the web at the same time just great.

Ended up taking Vista off 'cause I don't like to overtly pirate when I don't have to, especially when I had a legal copy of XP MCE that could go on it.

Anandtech put together a pretty decent gaming computer recently:

http://www.anandtech.com/guides/showdoc.aspx?i=2910&p=5

That 8800GTS will play any game one could ask it to and just about any resolution for now. For extra bang-for-buck, I'd of gone with their Overclocking motherboard selection (the Gigabyte) and an E4300 and taken it on up past 3ghz, but that's not for everybody for sure. Not bad, still, at $1749 for the whole package, and pretty close to what I'll have coming from NewEgg in a couple weeks.. (You guys will know when its built when my F@H production doubles )

sounds like its gonna be a good computer

Vista is a bit of a memory hog. I run Vista Ultimate on my desktop workstation with 1gb RAM, and I get by. I've got Vista Business on my MacBook Pro, and between the OS and Visual Studio 2005, I really felt I needed 2gb RAM to give myself enough wiggle room. The OEM prices for Vista really aren't all that bad (if you don't mind doing your own tech support). I recommend picking up a copy. I bought Ultimate for $199 from NewEgg and got Business for free off the MSDN Academic Alliance at the university.

Currently, my computer has 2 Gigs of Ram even though it runs on XP Pro. The reason for this is because I like to play games like Civ 4 on the HUGE world setting and one Gig just wan't enough. Running under Vista I imagine I would have to have at least 3 Gigs to avoid any problems.

So what I was aiming for is a bunch of US making our own computer business. I'm good at sales and marketing but the basic savvy I would need you all for..

It is just a dream!

Good to see that someone else shares my euntrepenourial... euntrepenorial... entrepenorial... Darn french spelling... I shall now call it Betty. Well anyway it is good to see that someone else shares 'Betty' spirit besides me.

entrepreneurial

you may also want to check out maingear.com or 3btech.net

MSDN sent me goodies this month, including Vista and Vista Enterprise Edition (32 and 64 bit).

But I still think I'll wait for a bit to see if someone finds a security hole the size of Texas.

With the amount of money you'd spend though - Isn't buying a 360 a far better deal in the long run? Unless you've just won the lottery

Vista Ultimate runs fine for me at the moment on 1024Mb, hardly any lag problems at all.

Thats like what I call Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; Frank.

Far too lazy for.. that whole thing. In fact, I was too lazy to attempt to even spell it, that above spelling is courtesy of Google and copy and paste functions..

Darn MSDNAA guy on campus wouldn't hook me up though. I tried to convince him as an economics major I desperately needed Office 2007's improved Excel application, but.. no luck. It was worth a shot. Computer Science, a few Engineering majors, and Management of Information Systems majors only.

anyway - winterhawk, I would love to join you in your entrepreneurship, but im already in the middle of one of my own

Cool Nem, if you need sales, let me know.. lol

It wouldn't have done you much good, since Microsoft refuses to add the Office suite to MSDNAA anyway. You can only get Access, OneNote, Publisher Pro, and Visio Pro. But at my school you at least have to be registered for one CS class to get access.

When I read your post, Ringold, I was going to suggest exactly this.

Also, Office isn't even standard for the MSDN subscription either. I don't get any office products... but I get development tools for it. Go figure.