Looking for a good deal on a high-end desktop

[syamnew]

Hi!

 

I am looking for a good deal on a quad-core with a minimum of 3-4 GB RAM and a decent video card.

 

Can anybody help?

 

Thanks

Syam

[nirvana4all]

From most systems I have seen at a good price (say an HP m8200n for $659 at compusa a week or 2 ago) you have to ad in your own video card. with the new 8800gt out now, I would recomend it as well. There are other deals, but this is the best bang for buck I have seen lately.

[syamnew]

Thank you. Will look into it.

Looking for something Quad core if possible.

[nirvana4all]

Very few quad cores out right now, you will pay a MASSIVE mark-up on them as well. if you get say the M8200n from office depot this week ($699) added the 8800 GT OC video card from Compusa ($250 in their ad) you would have the fastest dual core with a motherboard that will take the quad cores for the next 2 years so you could upgrade when the price on them were more reasonable.

 

None of you intel options are going to give you this as they will be changing motherboard sockets. AMD has promised that the next few sets of processors will all fit in the current AM2 motherboards and work.

 

For the exact same machine in quad core as the m8200n, you are looking at the http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8542179&type=product&id=1188559785167 for about $500 more and a quick glance shows the only difference is dual core to quad core, a built in wifi and 100gb more HD space.

 

Not to tell you what to do, but there is a huge price markup on quad-core machines right now, you would be better off even buying a dual core with all the specs you wanted and then going online and buying a quad core: such as an AMD 9500 for $265 and then selling your old dual core.

 

Your best bet IMHO is to buy all the other components that will make you happy and if you really want quad core, buy a dual core, wait 1-2 months for the price premium to break, then buy your quad core.

 

My phenom quad core is coming as my christmas present and will be just dropped in my current motherboard.

[nirvana4all]

For those who ask why I keep using the m8200n often it is becasue I keep seeing it on deals, it is a solid machine from a sold company with top of the line internals unless you plan on overclocking that has room to put a great video card in. I have gotten 2 now for family at $659 at compusa and they could not be more estatic.

[Azzycat]

I think honestly the cheapest way to get a quad core is to build it yourself at this point. And from my understanding, many of the quad core processors aren't ready to take 4GB of memory yet anyways. I don't think they are able to do that until next spring. (but I could be wrong).

[nirvana4all]

The 4gb of ram is based on the operating system. If you buy a PC able to handle a 64 bit OS (say a athlon 64) you can install the 64 bit version of windows vista or XP and it can handle up to 32 GB of ram in most motherboards. With 32 bit versions of windows, the PC can't quite use all of 4gb of ram.

[syamnew]

I appreciate all the input. Will look at the m8200n. This sounds like good advice.

Thanks for taking the time to type it all up.

[nirvana4all]

Not a problem, look at it, and keep your horizons open, make sure to look elsewhere as well, but I think this is a good machine ($699 at OD this week I think) to compare others to and the deal to. It is also on one of the BF ads, BB I think, maybe CC. In that ad (please check because I am going from memory), it comes w/ wifi, large monitor and some other upgrade all for a total of like $899

 

Even if it is a deal posted here, never take just one deal, always look around and compare.