figmentPez
Staff member
My computer of 6 years is finally showing signs that it's got something serious wrong. Since malware scans haven't found anything. I'm assuming it's either a massive case of bit-rot since my last reinstall, or it's parts starting to fail. Given the computer's age, I'm betting on the latter.
The problem is that I'm living off my parent's dime right now, and while they will buy me a new computer, I have no idea what type of budget they'll approve, so I need to convince them of what a reasonable budget would be. If you guys could help me figure out what a mid-range system is these days, since I'm out of the loop on current models of anything.
I really like some help finding out what a decent case costs these days. The case I'm using is an Antec 1030B from my first computer build, back in 2001 I think. I reused it in my last build (my computers tend to last, my first build survived 7 years). I'd like to get something more modern, with larger fan sizes and less noise. I'm not looking for silent, but the 4x80mm fans in my current case are more than noticeable. I probably won't be working on my computer very much, and I won't be overclocking or anything, so it doesn't have to be some perfect gem of design, but I don't even know where to begin to look.
I'll keep my monitor, speakers and mouse, and I think I have a Win7 license I can reuse, but I think everything else needs to be replaced. Technically my keyboard is still functional, but I want to at least look at replacement options. (It's a Microsoft Natural Keyboard Pro, and while it's very comfortable for typing, it's starting to show wear in how well the keys respond, and very few of the function keys work with the current version of Windows because it's so old.)
TLDR: Fill me in on what's current mid-range options are for:
- Case
- Mobo
- Processor (and should I go with a 3rd party cooler if I'm not overclocking?)
- Memory amount & standard
- Are optical drives even a thing anymore?
- Video card
- Hard drive (or SSD, if they're cheap enough to be mid-range)
- PSU
- Is ATX still going to be the best bet? Or is Micro-ATX or some other smaller format a viable option these days?
- Am I correct in assuming that it would not be wise to reuse my PSU? It's 520 Watts, which is still enough for a mid-range system, but I'm guessing it's not going to deliver reliable power forever.
Bonus:
- Keyboard recommendations
- Any decent audio cards that output either DDLive or DTS-connect? My speakers accept digital input, either Dolby 5.1 or DTS 5.1 but I've never gotten an audio card that can actually process game sound into that format.
The problem is that I'm living off my parent's dime right now, and while they will buy me a new computer, I have no idea what type of budget they'll approve, so I need to convince them of what a reasonable budget would be. If you guys could help me figure out what a mid-range system is these days, since I'm out of the loop on current models of anything.
I really like some help finding out what a decent case costs these days. The case I'm using is an Antec 1030B from my first computer build, back in 2001 I think. I reused it in my last build (my computers tend to last, my first build survived 7 years). I'd like to get something more modern, with larger fan sizes and less noise. I'm not looking for silent, but the 4x80mm fans in my current case are more than noticeable. I probably won't be working on my computer very much, and I won't be overclocking or anything, so it doesn't have to be some perfect gem of design, but I don't even know where to begin to look.
I'll keep my monitor, speakers and mouse, and I think I have a Win7 license I can reuse, but I think everything else needs to be replaced. Technically my keyboard is still functional, but I want to at least look at replacement options. (It's a Microsoft Natural Keyboard Pro, and while it's very comfortable for typing, it's starting to show wear in how well the keys respond, and very few of the function keys work with the current version of Windows because it's so old.)
TLDR: Fill me in on what's current mid-range options are for:
- Case
- Mobo
- Processor (and should I go with a 3rd party cooler if I'm not overclocking?)
- Memory amount & standard
- Are optical drives even a thing anymore?
- Video card
- Hard drive (or SSD, if they're cheap enough to be mid-range)
- PSU
- Is ATX still going to be the best bet? Or is Micro-ATX or some other smaller format a viable option these days?
- Am I correct in assuming that it would not be wise to reuse my PSU? It's 520 Watts, which is still enough for a mid-range system, but I'm guessing it's not going to deliver reliable power forever.
Bonus:
- Keyboard recommendations
- Any decent audio cards that output either DDLive or DTS-connect? My speakers accept digital input, either Dolby 5.1 or DTS 5.1 but I've never gotten an audio card that can actually process game sound into that format.