I am desperate for a new computer as my mother board is failing and I need my computer to earn a living.

My hubby gets a discount at Tiger Direct so he would prefer I get it there but anywhere I can go pick one up would be acceptable such as Best Buy.

This is my gaming computer so it has to be able to handle the new games. I would really like to keep it under a thousand dollars.

I also prefer Nvidia graphics card.

Any suggestions please and thank you. I need to decide really quickly.

Ana

Have you considered having eCollegePC build you one? They will build one to your specifications and provide a 3 year parts and labor warranty at no extra charge. Shipping is free too. A bunch of people here at GB have gotten new gaming computers from them. They are also very fast in building one for you.

This is an example of one that cuts no corners for $1053, free shipping and 3 year warranty. You can always back off on a couple of things to stay under $1,000.

Intel Core i5-3570 3.4Ghz 6MB Cache Quad-Core
Stock Intel LGA1155 Heatsink and Fan
ASUS P8H77-V LE (Intel H77, HDMI, DVI, 2xPCI-E, 6xSATA, 4xDDR3)
4GB (2GBx2) PC3 10666 DDR3 1333Mhz Memory Lifetime Warranty
1TB 7200RPM 32MB Cache SATA3 6Gbps (Major Brand)
24X LG SATA Lightscribe Dual Layer DVD+/-RW DVD-RAM w/Nero
1GB GeForce GTX 560Ti GDDR5 PCI-E Dual-DVI/HDMI (Major Brand)
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
Antec Black Three Hundred Two (3 5.25, 6 3.5) 2 Fans, Audio/USB 3.0
650watt AGI Power Supply
Onboard LAN included
Onboard Sound included
Wires and Cables neatly tied up away from fans
3 Year Parts and Labor Warranty

You can always add more RAM later if you need to, but if possible, I'd go with 8 GB.

If hubby knows what to get, check them out.

EcollegePC

EDIT: I should add that unless they have changed, places like Best Buy sell computers with integrated graphics and as a gamer - even the new adventure games - you will not be happy with one from there.

Thanks Drac! Even though I did not want to order, I will pray mine holds on for a few days and will order it in the morning unless someone has anything better. I value all your opinions, I really do not know where to start on my own.

I'd agree with Draclvr. You can order what you want, and if anything happens to the computer, eCollege will give you good customer service.

It's hard to find a good gaming computer at a local store like Target or Best Buy. Most of them sell pre-built computers that aren't meant for better than casual gaming. And if they do sell gaming computers, they charge more for them than eCollege would for an equivalent computer.

Thanks Drac and Jenny. With the two of you behind it, I won't wait till morning.

Thank you!

EDIT: What do you guys think about adding cooling?

Just wanted to say that my son has a computer from eCollege and he couldn't be happier with it.

And if you do order from them, be sure to take advantage of that 5% discount code showing on the top righthand side of their home page.

Well, I thank you all and I just finished buying it.

I upgraded the memory to 8GB, the cooling system and got the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi sound card and with the 5% discount it ended up being 1048.00.

Now I just have to pray mine stays up till it gets here.

Thanks again!

EDIT, Marian, thanks about the discount. I saw it when I loaded the page and fortunately remembered when I checked out, It helps!

Wow, good buy. I just grabbed a good Antec Case - or did you get a different one? They have a ton of other ones too. The Antec case is nothing fancy, but gets very good ratings at Newegg. The two USB ports on the front of the case are USB 3.0 too. I would definitely stay away from the default case. It's OK for a lightweight system and I've used it for one build for a guy in his late 70's. But it's too small for enough cooling for an Ivy Bridge processor and that video card.

If you upgraded the stock cooler, that's a good upgrade. From what I understand the Ivy Bridge CPUs run a bit hotter than the Sandy Bridge CPUs do. Even an extra case fan would be good depending on which case you got.

You could have upgraded the motherboard too, but that Asus is a very good one and has plenty of upgrade potential should you ever need to. It's a good compromise and let's you get the better video card and stay close to your budget.

Just FYI, the business is right here in St. Louis in the South County Shopping Center. So your ground shipping should be pretty fast.

Congrats, BrownEyedTigre !! Hope your new machine is fabulous !!

I'll be coming to these fine people here at Gameboomers for advice also - as soon as I have the cash to go buy

Drac, I left the case that you picked. It was hard to make a choice without a bunch of pictures. As long as it runs, I don't care what it looks like.

Thank you again for your help. It is much appreciated.

Mad, I hope you can get a new one soon. I hope that Sherlock runs on yours!

Ana

I just hope your old one holds up until the new one gets there!

I am talking to it really nicely.

Give it TLC Ana. Congrats on the new one.

Are we going to see pictures of your new baby when it arrives? I just looovvveee pictures.

Nice selection, ana.

I can most certainly post a picture Homer.

Thanks Bets!

I emailed them this morning to upgrade the motherboard but haven't heard back yet.

Ana

Ooo... what did you upgrade to?

Not a huge upgrade but at least it's something:

GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-D3H (Intel Z77, 3xPCI-E, 8xSATA, 4xDDR3)

I just wish they had a phone # since they haven't responded to my email. I suppose the worst that can happen is it's too late to upgrade. I am sure the other choice will be good also.

Ana

A great upgrade - the Z77 gives you even more options for things such as using a SSD for a cache drive and some other things. Excellent choice! I just threw in stuff to try to keep it under $1,000.

I'm sure they are still wading through orders from the weekend. Mike is very good about responding to emails. I've even done last minute changes and they never blinked an eye.

I responded to the email they sent me this morning to look over the specs. Do you think I should send a separate one?

Ana

If you don't hear a confirmation by this afternoon, I would definitely send a follow-up to make sure they got your upgrade information.

Thanks Drac, I sent them another email and then they responded. They were able to do the upgrade, it was only 22 dollars with the discount so I figured it was worth it.

I am thankful for your help, I was lost on my own.

Ana

Sweet! Without question, a worthy upgrade. You will be in heaven... Are you going from XP or Vista to Windows 7? If so, I can do Windows 7 in my sleep, so just holler if you need help. Inland is even better...

Because this computer will be just as though you built it yourself, it will come with none of the bloatware on a branded computer. For instance, if you used Outlook Express or Windows Live, you will have to download Windows Live Essentials for email, Messenger and a ton of other free extras. If you have a paid subscription to an antivirus program, you should be able to transfer it. Otherwise, download and install one of the excellent free ones such as Microsoft Security Essentials or Avast. Unlike branded computers, you will get all your original driver and operating system disks too.

I have a new Win 7 machine here. I use two complete sets on my desk that are networked.
I write my strategy guides on the Win7 on my right and edit screenshots on that one, while I play the games on the left gaming computer and take screenshots and network share it with the one on the right. My gaming computer is the one retiring and it's an XP. It turns 4 in 2 days.

I do not do much else on the computer so I don't really need anything. My other computer is the one I do mail and the internet on. I like my gaming computers clean and that's a plus on doing it this way. I have Microsoft Office also that I believe I can carry over if I disable it on the other one.

Thanks again!

I'm drooling - I want that setup!

I do like it Drac! It took me awhile to get the way I needed it to be productive. I also like that I can play a game on one and watch GameBoomers on the other without missing a beat.