Help Me! Getting a new computer

[CarebtheNarb]

Currently, I'm using the family computer which I 'hacked(according to my brother)' in order to play TF2 and other stuff like *cough* pirated *cough* games.

Now that I have money and stuff, I can actually get a new computer for myself, so I won't have to fight to use the one I'm using at the moment. This will help me with my school work and projects and stuff.

First of all I have a budget. $700 is my max limit.

Secondly: Do I get a laptop or desktop?
Laptop: Portable(able to bring near piano to view difficult song), Cheaper

Desktop: Much more power, (I already have moniter, keyboard, and mouse at home, so no need to buy it), easier to repair

Because of my $700 limit, I can go for i5, or i7. No AMD junk. If I go for i5, its less power, and seeing as how fast technology is going at the moment, it will be obsolete in a few years. Surprisingly enough, I can now find i7s for $700, which is crazy, because I always thought that was a dream.

Ram: I like 6 gigs of RAM, but now I can't find anyone that doesn't have 8 gigs for an i7. Does it really matter?

I'm generally going to use this computer for things like schoolwork(projects) and TF2. And probably some games likes Skyrim(but not a lot).

Being Asian, my parent's don't trust shipping, and they love Costco. So shipping is out of the question.
Also they trust Costco with their life.

I'm just asking for general ideas and thoughts as to what I should get.

At the moment, I'm looking at something like this:

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product...spx?path=a5e383de830819a07b95a687236966d8en02

I like the 3rd gen i5 processor.

Any thoughts?

By the way, when I do get a computer, what should be the first things I should install(essential things, like antiviruses, don't say TF2 and Steam please).

Edit: No Dell. Seriously. Just no Dell.
Edit #2: I'm not going to build my own computer, sorry. No experience, and my parent's probably won't let it.

 

[JonJon]

Well
Get a Desktop
Cause Laptop
Your Gonna get a Hard Time Fixing it and Getting it Rage on it

Im Looking for one But
i Have this Laptop and it Dell
But Sometime When i Play anygames and Like in 6 Min My Laptop Shutdown on itself Because My Laptop Alway get Hot and It Shutdown
But i Buy a Cooling Pad But it Did't Work
So My Guess it a Desktop :D

 

[Ceubie]

Don't take advice from jonathan, just dont. it will ruin your life and or money.

 

[CarebtheNarb]

Don't take advice from jonathan, just dont. it will ruin your life and or money.

Wasn't planning to.

 

[Ceubie]

Wasn't planning to.

good boy

uh oh, Jon rated my post dumb, looks like someone's jimmies are rustled.

 

[Ninja_DC]

Is it a little over the top here to recommend to built it yourself if your going with a desktop. It'll be a lot cheaper.

Spoiler: Pretty much everything you need to know to built a pc

If you DID get a laptop, an AMD Trinity APU powered one seems a good choice.
It'll be cheaper
It can do everything an Intel powered laptop can do (with exception of encoding effiecently)
It will run games a lot better with GPU integrated into the CPU with Radeon technology. Which think about it, is the big sacrifice you are normally making in a laptop.

These laptops are only being introduced to the market now so you have trouble finding a wide choice and whether they will sell on sites you have(?) to buy on.

If not, buy a pre-built piece of shit that'll last you a few years which is shit an' all that.

 

[Rvsz]

I don't think you need an i7 or 8GB ram to play games, put every cent you have into the graphics card.

 

[Ceubie]

Is it a little over the top here to recommend to built it yourself if your going with a desktop. It'll be a lot cheaper.

Spoiler: Pretty much everything you need to know to built a pc

If you DID get a laptop, an AMD Trinity APU powered one seems a good choice.
It'll be cheaper
It can do everything an Intel powered laptop can do (with exception of encoding effiecently)
It will run games a lot better with GPU integrated into the CPU with Radeon technology. Which think about it, is the big sacrifice you are normally making in a laptop.

These laptops are only being introduced to the market now so you have trouble finding a wide choice and whether they will sell on sites you have(?) to buy on.

If not, buy a pre-built piece of shit that'll last you a few years which is shit an' all that.

Whats the average money saved if you build your own computer vs. buying one?

 

[CarebtheNarb]

Is it a little over the top here to recommend to built it yourself if your going with a desktop. It'll be a lot cheaper.

Spoiler: Pretty much everything you need to know to built a pc

If you DID get a laptop, an AMD Trinity APU powered one seems a good choice.
It'll be cheaper
It can do everything an Intel powered laptop can do (with exception of encoding effiecently)
It will run games a lot better with GPU integrated into the CPU with Radeon technology. Which think about it, is the big sacrifice you are normally making in a laptop.

These laptops are only being introduced to the market now so you have trouble finding a wide choice and whether they will sell on sites you have(?) to buy on.

If not, buy a pre-built piece of shit that'll last you a few years which is shit an' all that.

Sorry, forgot to add that I'm not going to built my own.

put every cent you have into the graphics card.

Does it really matter? I don't really care much about graphics. Unless its TF2.

 

[DaivdBaekr]

Well, I would suggest a desktop as a laptop carries with it the frustrations of increased maintenance.

Moreover I own a Dell brand laptop, but attempting to play any sort of game yields a shutdown from overheating. Despite purchasing a cooling pad, the issue persists.

In summary, a desktop is a much more reliable and capable alternative to most laptops in your price range. :D

Fixed.

 

[Ninja_DC]

Whats the average money saved if you build your own computer vs. buying one?

It's hard to say. I would say at least 10% to 30%.
However, pre-built computers from HP, Toshiba whatever usually include lower end parts on stuff like the Motherboard, Wireless Card, PSU etc. so when you buy your 80+ efficiency PSU or your Motherboard from ASUS, you are already buying a lot better quality components.
Plus you pay for them for designing a shitty case and building it.

 

[Ceubie]

Sorry, forgot to add that I'm not going to built my own.

Does it really matter? I don't really care much about graphics. Unless its TF2.

You care about the grafics.

 

[Ceubie]

It's hard to say. I would say at least 10% to 30%.
However, pre-built computers from HP, Toshiba whatever usually include lower end parts on stuff like the Motherboard, Wireless Card, PSU etc. so when you buy your 80+ efficiency PSU or your Motherboard from ASUS, you are already buying a lot better quality components.
Plus you pay for them for designing a shitty case and building it.

Read that as "or your Motherboard from ANUS"

 

[butterfingersman]

I'd go with a desktop because I don't need to move my computer around, ever. Also, it's muuuuccchhh cheaper to get a desktop that'll run anything at top speeds than it is to get a laptop that does the same.
My experience with laptops has led me to believe that nearly every one will eventually overheat, which bogs the computer down.
So, I guess it all depends on what you prefer, power or mobility.
The computer you posted looks good, except for the graphics card. Many say it completely sucks and will totally bog down the rest of the build. I'd look for a stand alone card with good reviews and 1 GB+ of memory. It's also nice to have one with at least one fan. If the GPU overheats, it could eventually get fried and destroy, basically, the entire computer. Also, I never liked computers that weren't custom made. They overheat like a bitch and don't offer any room for upgrades.
I've always liked Malwarebytes as an anti-virus.


For, I dunno, a guideline, here's my build. I got it all custom made from some guy on Craigslist for three hundred bucks, it runs nearly every game I have on the highest settings without my framerate dipping below thirty.
AMD Athlon II X4 640 (Fancy name for a cheapy quad core processor that runs at 3.0 Ghz)
MSI R6670 (The star of the build. It's got two fans that run pretty loud and 1 GB of memory.)
4 GB of G.SKILL DDR2 RAM (Old RAM, shitty brand, not a whole lot, but it's been enough for me. Bonus points because it looks badass in the tower.)

Everything else is pretty standard, this has been the best computer I've ever used. Especially for the price.

((Oh, I guess you're not custom building your computer. Whoops.))

 

[Roman]

Well
Get a Desktop
Cause Laptop
Your Gonna get a Hard Time Fixing it and Getting it Rage on it

Holy shit.

Jonathan said something that I agree with.

That, and an equivalent laptop won't be as powerful when you come down to dollars and cents. You're paying for portability, not power.

 

[Ceubie]

Holy shit.

Jonathan said something that I agree with.

That, and an equivalent laptop won't be as powerful when you come down to dollars and cents. You're paying for portability, not power.

 

[CarebtheNarb]

Please enlighten me about Graphic Cards and stuff.

Personally, I don't play a lot of games that have crazy high graphics, the highest would probably be Skyrim(and even then I don't play on max settings for long periods of time).

Really, the only thing I don't really get is Graphics stuff. I understand fan, and the need to cool down the computer, but don't all computers have 1 fan built in?

 

[CarebtheNarb]

The computer you posted looks good, except for the graphics card. Many say it completely sucks and will totally bog down the rest of the build. I'd look for a stand alone card with good reviews and 1 GB+ of memory. It's also nice to have one with at least one fan. If the GPU overheats, it could eventually get fried and destroy, basically, the entire computer.

Well, according to the specs:

• Graphics: Radeon HD 7450(I'm assuming this is the graphics card, right?)
• Graphics Specs: Dedicated Video Memory: Yes, Shared Video Memory: Up to 4855 MB

For reference, the computer I'm currently using is has a Radeon HD 5570.

Isn't having Dedicated Video Memory and Shared Video Memory(4855 MB worth) a good thing?

 

[PsychoRealm]

Don't take advice from jonathan, just dont. it will ruin your life and or money.

You sounded worse than Jonathan at this point, bro, since as Roman mentioned, Jonathan suggested some pretty good shit (as funny as it sounds).

1. Desktop is a better option for gaming due to couple of reasons:

• Better hardware for less price
• Ability to upgrade you hardware at any given point of time

2. Dell's desktops are a pretty good solution cause:

• Outstanding technical support (Dell is the best when it comes to resolving your issues or updating your drivers with the latest ones)
• Reliability
• Extended warranty (it actually works).

With your $700 budget you can get a pretty solid desktop rig. Let us know if you are ready to proceed in this direction and I believe that guru's like KOS-MOS, Roman, Creepy, Oaky, and me could suggest you something relevant.

 

[Flurf]

Really, a Desktop will be better for gaming and even with that budget you can upgrade later.

Upgrading a laptop is hard except for memory. If i was going throw down on a laptop, I'd push for top of line just because you really can't upgrade it as much as a desktop.

If you travel a lot and need a computer while away, then go for laptop.

Gaming? Desktop hands down.