thespungo Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 So I saw this computer in Circuit City today and couldn't believe the price on it: HP Pavilion - M8120N It's got a quad processor, 3 GB of RAM, and a ridiculous amount of HD storage. I'm thinking of pairing it with this monitor: HP 19" Widescreen Monitor And then possibly upgrading to this video card: GeForce 8500GT So here is what I want to do with my new machine: - Photoshop design work and video editing, if possible. - Play any EA sports title and any Grand Theft Auto title. And here are my questions: - As you can see, I'm not a big gamer. I'll play MVP '05 the most, followed by the latest Madden and maybe NHL, as well as GTA: IV when it comes out. So do I need to upgrade to the 8500GT, or will the stock GeForce 7350 LE do me just fine? Keep in mind I want MVP '05 to look great and for GTA:IV to look great as well. - Could I do some video editing work on this? Will the quadcore make a huge difference in this? - Considering everything I want to do, is this computer a good deal for me? If not, could you recommend something else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stEdfuNk Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Upgrade the gfx card Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pudge77 Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Dang that has a nice price on it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maestro23 Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Upgrade the graphics card and you might have to purchase a new power supply. That depends on what card you get and it's power requirements. *I read one of the reviews, looks like that system comes with a 240-watt PSU. If you are updgrading the card to anything decent, a new power supply is definately a must. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stEdfuNk Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 holy ****.. 240 watt? even if you decide not to upgrade, get a 550 in there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxbjr Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 I agree with everyone else here, upgrade to a 550-watt PSU. And since you have Vista Home Premium installed on it, go with the GeForce 8500GT. You'll really spend $1300 to $1500 with the upgrades, but still worth it. Your biggest concern is not if the computor can run the programs you want, but rather can it run Windows Vista well. Vista eats up more RAM & video memory than XP did. I bought a Dell 520c in Jan with basicly the stats as your HP has: intel duo core 2.4, 250 HD, GeForce 8500GT, 4G RAM, Sound Blaster 7.1 sound card. Everything I run on it works fine, so I think with the graphic card & PSU upgrade you'll do great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thespungo Posted July 11, 2007 Author Share Posted July 11, 2007 Ok, new power supply -- check. Will that be something I can easily change in and out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil1182 Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 You don't need to upgrade the graphics card for MVP and Madden 'cause EA doesn't upgrade their graphics for any of their series. GTA: IV won't be out until next year for the PC, so, you should just wait on getting a card until later in the year cause you'll prob. get a better deal on one of those DX10 cards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thespungo Posted July 11, 2007 Author Share Posted July 11, 2007 I agree with everyone else here, upgrade to a 550-watt PSU. And since you have Vista Home Premium installed on it, go with the GeForce 8500GT. You'll really spend $1300 to $1500 with the upgrades, but still worth it. Your biggest concern is not if the computor can run the programs you want, but rather can it run Windows Vista well. Vista eats up more RAM & video memory than XP did. I bought a Dell 520c in Jan with basicly the stats as your HP has: intel duo core 2.4, 250 HD, GeForce 8500GT, 4G RAM, Sound Blaster 7.1 sound card. Everything I run on it works fine, so I think with the graphic card & PSU upgrade you'll do great. Ok, that's very reassuring. I like posts like this, very intelligent and very comparable to my situation. Since all the feedback seems to be positive, I think I'm gonna try and get this computer with the power supply and video card upgrades. However no one has addressed the quad core -- is it really a great deal on an amazing computer, or is it too good to be true? I'm just surprised that technology so new can be so cheap. Also, have there been any problems with MVP '05 and Vista? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thr33niL Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Ok, new power supply -- check. Will that be something I can easily change in and out? Just a lot of unplugging and plugging back in. Drives, cards, MB, fans, etc. Easy sneezy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thr33niL Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 That is a really good deal on the overall system. The proc would cost you in the $400 range all by itself. So, yes, smokin' deal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thespungo Posted July 11, 2007 Author Share Posted July 11, 2007 So for the power supply, are there some good recommendations out there? I'd prefer to order off of Newegg, so if anyone knows of some good power supplies that would work with my computer from that website, I'd appreciate the input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil1182 Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Most applications and games don't utilize the core duo processors let alone the quad core, but it's still good to get. I think some people had problems with Vista and MVP, I remember seeing a thread around here about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil1182 Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 So for the power supply, are there some good recommendations out there? I'd prefer to order off of Newegg, so if anyone knows of some good power supplies that would work with my computer from that website, I'd appreciate the input. I like this one. Most power supply's fit it any computer, you first have to check the dimensions of the old power supply and compare them. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16817182044 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEOLINK Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Spungo DO NOT GET A PRE-BUILD for better gaming and everday use of a computer build you PC. also the parts you want can be found at a cheaper price at Newegg.com oh and get the 8800gts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil1182 Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 You could look at these for video card comparison. http://www.gamespot.com/features/6173135/index.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stEdfuNk Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 a pre-build isnt "worse" for every day gaming, it just costs a bit more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thespungo Posted July 11, 2007 Author Share Posted July 11, 2007 Spungo DO NOT GET A PRE-BUILD for better gaming and everday use of a computer build you PC. also the parts you want can be found at a cheaper price at Newegg.com oh and get the 8800gts. While I'm capable enough to build my own, I'd rather buy a sweet stock computer and upgrade it to my liking. I like the security of buying from a company in case anything should go wrong. And why should I get the 8800 GTS? Because you said so? Do I even need that with the games I will be playing? I need some constructive help, here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil1182 Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 And why should I get the 8800 GTS? Because you said so? Do I even need that with the games I will be playing? I need some constructive help, here. If your only going to be playing sports games and GTA: IV, then no, you don't need a $500 card for that. If your going to be playing games like Microsoft's Flight and Train simulators then yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stEdfuNk Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 you dont need an 8800GTS for EA Games and GTA, maybe if you were doing some battlefield and quake 4 stuff, but not for EA and GTA, and the 8500GT is DX10 so it should look good even if you did want to play those games, but for a light gamer, the 8500GT is fine if you want to shed out a few more bucks, this card is far better http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814130056 though it's only DX9, but it doesn't seem as though you'll need DX10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thespungo Posted July 11, 2007 Author Share Posted July 11, 2007 Yeah, thanks you two, I am definitely staying away from high high end video cards. It's advice like that that I don't need, Geolink. I'm not in this to have the sweetest system, I just want a decent card that will play my games and a computer that is very fast for a very good price. I think what I'll do is get the computer and monitor, test it out for a week or two, then get the video card and/or power supply if I really need it. Thanks for all the constructive help so far, and if anyone has anymore to add about the video card or even the quad core, I'd be interested to see it. I'm definitely intrigued about this quad core stuff... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stEdfuNk Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Good thinking, though I'd really suggest upgrading the power supply, a 240 watt power supply could bottle neck your stuff, I'd suggest going for an antec or OCZ 520/550 watt psu or even thermaltake is good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guildster Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 However no one has addressed the quad core -- is it really a great deal on an amazing computer, or is it too good to be true? I'm just surprised that technology so new can be so cheap. Also, have there been any problems with MVP '05 and Vista? It is a great price right now, but the quad core will pretty much be standard issue in a year. The problem with the unit is the power supply. It is so underpowered that it's scary. I haven't seen the full specs (only the ones HP wants you to see on their site) but I'll bet it is undercooled also. Make sure it has front and back chassis fans. I've been running the 07 mod on Vista for a couple of months now with no problems. If you have problems, think UAC, then kill it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evil1182 Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 Here's some reviews about that quad processor. http://techgage.com/article/intel_core_2_quad_q6600/ http://www.techspot.com/review/36-intel-core2-quad-q6600/ http://www.sharkyextreme.com/hardware/cpu/...cle.php/3652811 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maestro23 Posted July 11, 2007 Share Posted July 11, 2007 You see that alot in stock systems (HP, Gateway, Compaq, etc...). They will make these multi-media systems and stick a crappy, low wattage power supply in them. Gets people every time. Spungo, you will notice the benefits of the multiple cores when you are running several applications at once. Many, many games today are not yet using the multiple cores. (And the games you are going to be playing will be running just fine) :smile: Check the case either online or when you get to the store. If you can add a back chasis fan to it, then do it... especially when you go to upgrade the PSU and video card. Video cards need air and sufficient power. If not, you will see your system over-heating, freezes, CTD's, etc... Do like you said though, get the system and run it for like a week doing all the things you said in your first post. See how things are then go from there. Just my 2 cents... :smile: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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