I’m sure all of the recommendations for vendors are appreciated, but none of them so far have UK distributors, which is where the OP is. I doubt that, even if they ship to the UK, the OP is going to want to build a PC with components obtained at such a reach.
My bad - I did not see the location of the OP.
Well I guess newegg is out then, but I’d still recommend the Tom’s Hardware build and the changes I suggested - except I would change the power supply to a UK version of the Corsair 750TX
Thanks all - regarding the component salvaging, my main idea was to take my HD and have it as a secondary so I have all of my music and programs still. Given that it’s only 80GB there’s no way I’d consider having it as my primary! I doubt the other components are worth trying to salvage, I might just flog the computer or give it to a friend. It still works, it’s not broken or incapable of running things, it just doesn’t do it very well and I’m tired of playing choppy games on the lowest graphics settings.
I’ll start a new thread so get recommendations for the components I should be aiming for. I’d found some custom PC companies that produce things fairly cheaply so think that is a better option than going for a Dell or Alienware and paying through the nose when I don’t need to.
I don’t play WoW so I can’t really speak confidently on what you need, but I’m sure other Dopers can. Sounds to me like you probably need an upgrade, but not a high-end gaming rig since WoW is a not that graphics heavy and doesn’t require a insane frame-rate. Usually FPSs are the most taxing.
It sounds like your first decision to make is if you want a laptop or a desktop for gaming. If you want to keep your current laptop for productivity stuff and get a desktop to game that’s one option that can be done cheaply. If you think your current laptop is getting long in the tooth and you think it’ll need to be replaced sooner than later for non-gaming stuff then perhaps it’s best to just get a new laptop. This would be more expensive, but some people just have no interest in having 2 computers or having a desktop. That’s your call.
To both of you. I used to be a dedicated home builder. I still think building a PC is a very educational, fun and worthwhile task. Picking out your components and building a PC to spec teaches you a ton and helps you be a better, more informed computer shopper in the future. However, when I bought my last PC about 6 months ago I went the retail route. I bought this Dell for about $400 as a factory refub from MicroCenter. It’s been great and it is a lot of power for the money, it’s rated over 5 on the Windows Power Score with the exception of the Video because I haven’t bought a dedicated card. I could install a mid-range PCI-E Video Card and play all but the most intense games.
I think it’s very important to accurately evaluate if you truly need a gaming rig. Most people who think they do really don’t. You usually can get buy with a basic, new PC for cheap after you upgrade the memory and Video card. You can very realistically get a 2.6 GHz Dual Core Intel, 4GB memory and a really good GeForce card for $500-600. It might not play Crysis but it’ll play 95% of whats out there at max settings. Don’t spend $1500 on a gaging rig until you find a game that a brand new budget PC can’t play.
Also, don’t get too hung up on brands. Dell’s get a bad rap, but that’s mostly because their customer service sucks. In reality most people with any computer know-how will never need Tech Support unless you get a lemon. Lemons happen but they are rare and happen with every brand. I wouldn’t let tech support concerns drive you to spend hundreds of dollars more. Computers are so cheap now that they can be treated as essentially disposable, take advantage of that. You could buy 3 Dell desktops for the price of 1 gaming rig and the 3rd one you buy will kick the shit out of that Alienware box come year 3.