Hi all,

I'm interested in building a cheap gaming machine. It doesn't have to
be too crazy, just to let me play recent games at a decent detail
level. Nothing like Half-Life 2 or anything, more like Civ4, etc. I
would like a flat screen, 17 or 19 inch, an 80GB HD minimum, cheapo
speakers, keyboard and mouse. No optical drives, I have them already.
Max I would like to spend is $1000 CDN before taxes and shipping. I
would like to build it from a site like Tigerdirect.ca, but not
necessarily from there, if you can reccommend something better (though
I have had good experiences with them). I'm asking for this help
because I feel a little disoriented with all the different
motherboards, video cards, etc, in terms of making sure that a
component will fit with the others. Can anyone give me a list of
components that'll go good together, with part numbers from a Canadian
site? Thank you!

I am also a fan of Tigerdirect.

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2120037&Sku=A455-2116%20A

The link I posted above is for a barebone kit.  They include almost
everything you need for a good computer, minus the operating system,
graphics card, and monitor.

For a graphics card I would reccomend the following:

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1828833

Here is an inexpensive 17" lcd monitor

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1960183&CatId=0

And finally windows xp home oem

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=335878&CatId=672

Hopefully you will like this computer setup or find another barebone kit you like.

Hey, thanks for your help.

I already have a couple of IDE hard drives that I'd like to keep. ANy
suggestions for a slightly cheaper system, that will take my IDE
drives?

Thanks again.

The following is what I would consider to be a pretty song system. 
Features include a PCI-express motherboard and video card, as well as
a motherboard that supports SATA and IDE, incase you should get sata
drives in the future.  The barebones kit comes with a nice processor
and a beefy powersupply for the price you are paying.  I also included
1Gig of memory which should ensure solid performance but could be
downgraded if you wished.  Some of these items have rebates on them
for before July 31st.  So if you act quickly you could save quite a
bit more!


Bare Bones:    

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2323294&sku=M452-2816%20B

Hard Drive:    

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1477509&CatId=134

Monitor:

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1470378&CatId=0

Speakers:

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1820058&CatId=487

Keyboard & Mouse:  

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1649623&CatId=0

Memory:

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1071020

Video Card:  

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2151051&sku=B52-7826

Windows XP Home:  

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=335878&CatId=306

I put these all in my cart and the cost came to 846.90.  That's before
taxes and shipping but also before some of the rebates, which include
80 dollars off the barebones kit.  Overall a pretty strong

system for the price.

Hi!

Thanks a lot for the extra help. I had about given up on getting a new
system, as the other one was a bit more than I could justify on a
gaming system when my current system works just fine (a Dell p4 2.4
GHz, 768 MB RAM, PCI ATI Video card). I might end up getting more or
less the kit you put together for me (maybe I'll get a better/nicer
keyboard/mouse). Thanks for the help to both of you.

I have another question, though. I've taken out drives, RAM etc, but
I've never put together a barebones kit. Anything special I need to
know?

Thanks again!

If you would rather get a cheaper desktop pc with top quality
components, look for Emachines at tigerdirect.  This is a great idea
if you are unsure if you want to build a whole pc yourself.  Many
things can go wrong, so it's a good idea to start with the basics. 
Since I don't know your preference on computer hardware companies, I
won't give you a link.  I would recommend AMD over Intel for gaming if
you decide to search tigerdirect.  Any AMD that is at least 3200+ will
be great for gaming.

I think you are ok for right now with your processor speed.  It's
definitley going to last a little while, unless you are playing the
most graphic-intensive games.    What you could do, is get a nicer
mouse, keyboard, monitor, and graphic card for now.  Then get a
cheaper barebone kit that comes with just the processor and ram.  Then
you just switch out your components and you have a nice new setup for
less money.  As barebones go, installing the processor is the hardest
part.  Here is a link for barebone kit installation:

http://www.gaming-computers-authority.com/Building-A-Computer.html

As far as graphics cards go, I would go with Nvidia cards over Ati
personally.  I am gaming with a Nvidia 6600gt (which i got for $130
american) and I can play Half-Life 2, Doom 3, etc. at top performance.
 Remeber you don't need to go out and by the best card.  The best
strategy would be to buy midrange components from now on.  So they
will last, but wont break the bank.  If you decide you want to upgrade
your mouse or keyboard, look into Logitech.

Hopefully some of this information will help you get a good pc without
wasting money.

Once again, thanks for your comments. I was going to sell my current
PC to someone, and use that cash to finance the new purchase, but my
buyer backed out, so the point is moot at the moment anyways. But I
will definitely come back to your comments when the time comes to get
a new system. I only hope that I'll be able to play Spore with what I
have when it comes out!! :)

I wouldn't worry to much about having a good enough graphics card for
Spore.  The real problem is that it's recommended to be played on
Windows Vista.  I'm sure you will be able to play it at top quality
none-the-less.