Looking for a pre-built system - budget is $600

[OCNewbie]

My girlfriend's boss has given her a $600 budget to buy a new PC. She doesn't need any peripherals, and doesn't need a monitor (does that count as a peripheral?). All that is needed is what's within the tower. I would prefer to build it myself, but I'm going to be out of town for the next ~3 months and she needs to buy it in the next week or so (preferred).

Where should I look for prebuilts around that price? We'll probably (definitely) turn it into a gaming system, so I could skimp heavily on the video card for now, and upgrade it later. A decent case with some expansion room would be nice (for larger video cards).

Any tips are greatly appreciated.

 

[giantpandaman2]

Maybe this? http://www.microsoftstore.com/store...Signature-Edition-Desktop/productID.331152500

I prefer signature edition simply because I don't want to wipe windows and reinstall everything to get rid of preinstalled crapware. Getting a big case is unlikely in the $600 range unless you do a boutique.

 

[lehtv]

and doesn't need a monitor (does that count as a peripheral?)

Yes

We'll probably (definitely) turn it into a gaming system, so I could skimp heavily on the video card for now, and upgrade it later. A decent case with some expansion room would be nice (for larger video cards).

You'll be constrained by the power supply more than the case. Few prebuilt PC's are equipped with a strong enough PSU for a power hungry graphics card. As far as I know, the Dell linked above has a 300W unit inside.

But you should be fine with a compact lower power card as well. For example, there are GTX 950 cards that don't even require external power connectors, these would work fine in the Dell. GTX 950 can play almost any game without issues. Alternatively, you can look at next gen low power gaming cards, though I'm not sure when to expect them.

 

[Mike64]

Whatever you look at, be sure to check the detailed specs/manual (for specific configurations, not just the overall "model") with regard to future-proofing. In addition to power supply issues, one sometimes runs into limitations on CPU and RAM upgradeability (this seems to happen a lot with Dells, for example.) If push comes to shove, replacing a PSU isn't usually a huge expense, but there's nothing you can do at all about limitations imposed by a proprietary/modded motherboard (short of gutting the whole thing and just recycling the case, of course...)

 

[dealcorn]

Sometimes, it helps to verify everyone is on the same page. Are you confident your proposed build satisfies the unstated objectives of your girlfriend's boss in funding this build? Out of curiosity, are you confident the desire to turn this into a gaming build comes from your girlfriend rather than yourself?

 

[Ken g6]

Looking over Newegg deals, there are no new systems that fit and include an SSD. This refurbished system looks good to me. It's somehow categorized as having an i3, so I almost missed it.

 

[OCNewbie]

Sometimes, it helps to verify everyone is on the same page. Are you confident your proposed build satisfies the unstated objectives of your girlfriend's boss in funding this build? Out of curiosity, are you confident the desire to turn this into a gaming build comes from your girlfriend rather than yourself?

He's basically saying "your PC is old, and I'd like for you to have a new one. Here's $600, get what you want."

Well, "turning it into a gaming PC" might literally be just me paying for a higher-end video card myself and putting it inside (along with a beefier PSU if necessary).

 

[nsafreak]

I'd probably go with a prebuilt XPS 8900 from the Dell outlet, they typically go for around $620 I imagine you wouldn't mind spending ever so slightly over budget. Turning it into a gaming rig should be quite do-able simply replace the PSU and upgrade the GPU. The case has plenty of room for most GPUs.

 

[giantpandaman2]

I'd probably go with a prebuilt XPS 8900 from the Dell outlet, they typically go for around $620 I imagine you wouldn't mind spending ever so slightly over budget. Turning it into a gaming rig should be quite do-able simply replace the PSU and upgrade the GPU. The case has plenty of room for most GPUs.

This could work. Says the XPS8900 can support up to a 225 Watt GPU. Not good enough for a 1070 or 1080, but could support a RX-480. It's on Dell's website for $630 with "coupon" right now. Add an SSD and a vid card and you're good to go.

 

[frozentundra123456]

I'd probably go with a prebuilt XPS 8900 from the Dell outlet, they typically go for around $620 I imagine you wouldn't mind spending ever so slightly over budget. Turning it into a gaming rig should be quite do-able simply replace the PSU and upgrade the GPU. The case has plenty of room for most GPUs.

I agree on the XPS, although they tend to be overpriced. As said, you may have to get a close out or outlet model to get close to 600.00. The XPS does have a fairly decent power supply, 420 watts I believe, with 2 six pin connectors. I just find it strange that you are allowed to so heavily modify a work PC. Our work PCs are so tightly locked down by IT that we cant even install a printer driver or change the power management settings, much less install games and new hardware.

 

[lehtv]

This could work. Says the XPS8900 can support up to a 225 Watt GPU. Not good enough for a 1070 or 1080, but could support a RX-480. It's on Dell's website for $630 with "coupon" right now. Add an SSD and a vid card and you're good to go.

GTX 1080 is a sub 200W part and GTX 1070 uses even less, so even those should work fine. In the end it comes down to the number of PCIe connectors the PSU provides.. unless you want to use adapter cables.

 

[frozentundra123456]

GTX 1080 is a sub 200W part and GTX 1070 uses even less, so even those should work fine. In the end it comes down to the number of PCIe connectors the PSU provides.. unless you want to use adapter cables.

I have an older XPS system I got on close out at microcenter, and the psu has 2 x 6 pin connectors, although the wattage is only 420 or something like that.

 

[Mike64]

I just find it strange that you are allowed to so heavily modify a work PC. Our work PCs are so tightly locked down by IT that we cant even install a printer driver or change the power management settings, much less install games and new hardware.

I'm not the OP, but I'm assuming the OP's GF's work situation must be a very small and/or much more casual business than a typical "office" setting since her boss is letting/telling her to go out and buy her own PC in the first place, since that would obviously never happen somewhere that had "IT" of the sort that locks things down...

 

[frozentundra123456]

I'm not the OP, but I'm assuming the OP's GF's work situation must be a very small and/or much more casual business than a typical "office" setting since her boss is letting/telling her to go out and buy her own PC in the first place, since that would obviously never happen somewhere that had "IT" of the sort that locks things down...

Yea, true. I could have saved a ton of money on my laptop purchase if I could have bought it myself instead of through the IT channels. (I work for a large university, but previously for the federal government. If anything the federal govt was even more locked down than the university.)

 

[Mike64]

Yea, true. I could have saved a ton of money on my laptop purchase if I could have bought it myself instead of through the IT channels. (I work for a large university, but previously for the federal government. If anything the federal govt was even more locked down than the university.)

Even at the last law firm I worked at (some time ago, and noting that things like this tend to be less formalized at all but huge firms), they would never have allowed individual hardware purchases with firm money, even before security-consciousness became widespread enough for them to start locking things down. If you knew enough to do it without causing "trouble", you could get away with connecting your own hardware to their network, but any hardware purchases on their dime had to go through "channels", such as they were...

 

[OCNewbie]

I just find it strange that you are allowed to so heavily modify a work PC. Our work PCs are so tightly locked down by IT that we cant even install a printer driver or change the power management settings, much less install games and new hardware.

She works from home. Her boss lives in another state; he'll never actually see the computer. I'm not even sure they've ever met.