PC Buying Guide

Last Update : 17th May 2008 » View Update Log
Please bear in mind that this guide was written with the average Joe in mind so don’t panic if you don’t know anything about computers
I will change the guide from time to time. Should you have any queries about the specification that I’ve presented, you may contact me. Do you have a suggestion to improve the guide? Do you wish to discuss this guide with me? Feel free to do so as well.
Anyway, the specifications are listed below.
Click to view the details. Click on it again to hide the details.
| Budget PC for Home & Office, Very Minimal Gaming | ||
| Suitable For : Browsing the Internet, downloading stuff, play some online games (like those at Yahoo!). You still can play some games but it’s usually only playable at lowest resolution with lowest detail settings.
Yes, it’s also a good setup if you want to give your child or some kid somewhere an experience with computers. |
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| Component | Item | Price (RM) |
| Processor | AMD Athlon64 LE1620+ (2.4Ghz, 1MB Cache) | 170 |
| Motherboard | ATI690G based goldfries suggests the ABIT NF-M2S, around RM 170 |
200 |
| RAM | 1x 1GB DDR2 667 | 75 |
| Hard Disk | 80GB | 155 |
| Graphics | Use onboard video | 0 |
| Monitor | 17in LCD | 600 |
| Casing | Basic Casing | 100 |
| Power Supply | Using the one with casing | 0 |
| Audio Device | Use onboard audio | 0 |
| Speakers | Really Cheap 2.1 Speaker setup | 50 |
| Keyboard & Mouse | Cheap Keyboard & Mouse combo | 50 |
| Optical Drive | DVD-ROM | 75 |
| Disk Drive | 1.44mb 3.5in disk drive | 25 |
| LAN Device | Comes with motherboard | 0 |
| Total : RM 1500 | ||
| This is one of the cheapest setup you could get, the only part that you should consider changing would be the power supply as those el-cheapo power supplies aren’t something you should put your trust on. Changing to a better power supply would ensure better safety to your components.
I mean seriously, if you can afford a better machine you wouldn’t be looking at this setup. Having a lousy power supply means you have higher chance of power supply failure and could possibly incur extra cost(s) should anything go awry. Do note that there’s also a budget allocated for a set of speakers, mouse and keyboard. You could always slash the cost further by aiming for cheaper speakers, mouse and keyboard. By slashing the cost you’ll be living with less satisfying sound output (if you don’t mind) and not-so-ergonomically friendly keyboard and mouse, this may end up hurting you in the long run. |
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| The Ideal Home & Office PC | ||
| Suitable For : Office productivity, browsing the Internet, downloading stuff, watch movies. The 22 inch LCD display is great for huge viewable area for working on documents, artwork, photo-editing. Light gaming? Sure! Games are mostly playable but you have to run at low resolution and low details settings. | ||
| Component | Item | Price (RM) |
| Processor | AMD Athlon X2 4600+ (2.4Ghz, 2x 512KB Cache) | 210 |
| Motherboard | ATI690G based goldfries suggests the ASUS M2A-VM, around RM 235 |
300 |
| RAM | 1x 1GB DDR2 667 | 75 |
| Hard Disk | 160GB | 180 |
| Graphics | Use onboard video | 0 |
| Monitor | 22in Wide-screen LCD | 1100 |
| Casing | Basic Casing | 100 |
| Power Supply | 400w | 250 |
| Audio Device | Use onboard audio | 0 |
| Speakers | Cheap 2.1 Speaker setup | 100 |
| Keyboard & Mouse | Keyboard & Mouse combo | 100 |
| Optical Drive | DVD-ROM | 75 |
| Disk Drive | 1.44mb 3.5in disk drive | 25 |
| LAN Device | Comes with motherboard | 0 |
| Total : RM 2510 | ||
| Why did I call it The Ideal Home & Office PC? Simple, unlike the Budget PC configuration, this one comes with a dual-core processor, a 22 inch LCD display (for huge desktop working area), comes with a motherboard with better onboard video, a better power supply and of course a better set of speakers, mouse and keyboard for ergnomics. | ||
| The Artist / Photographer Setup | ||
| Suitable For : Artwork and Photo Editing. | ||
| Component | Item | Price (RM) |
| Processor | AMD Phenom X3 8450 (2.1Ghz, 3.5MB Cache) | 480 |
| Motherboard | AMD770 / AMD780 / AMD790 based goldfries suggests the ASUS M3N78-EMH, around RM 300 |
400 |
| RAM | 2x 1GB DDR2 667 | 130 |
| Hard Disk | 160GB (for applications and whatever stuff) + 500GB (for artwork / photo storage) | 180 + 420 |
| Graphics | ATI HD3650 256MB goldfries suggests the ASUS EAH3650 TOP, around RM 380 |
270 |
| Monitor | 20in Wide-screen LCD goldfries suggests the Dell 2007WFP 20″ UltraSharp, around RM 1,500 |
1500 |
| Casing | Basic Casing | 100 |
| Power Supply | 400w goldfries suggests the Silverstone Strider ST400 400w, around RM 180 |
250 |
| Audio Device | Use onboard audio | 0 |
| Speakers | 2.1 Speaker setup | 200 |
| Keyboard & Mouse | Keyboard & Mouse combo | 100 |
| Optical Drive | DVD-ROM | 75 |
| Disk Drive | 1.44mb 3.5in disk drive | 25 |
| LAN Device | Comes with motherboard | 0 |
| Total : RM 4030 | ||
| Why a 20-inch UltraSharp instead of a 22-incher?? Well the 20-inch UltraSharp from DELL is a great monitor compared to the other sub-RM 1.2k 22-inchers. Pair it up with an ATi HD3650 Graphic Card for crisp and clear image output PLUS you’re ready for computer gaming and even HDMI output anytime! | ||
| Gaming Setup : Low | ||
| Suitable For : Light gaming, meaning games are mostly playable but you have to run at low resolution and low details settings. Choose this setup IF you don’t game much and don’t mind playing with horribly ugly looking polygons on screen.
This machine works fine for office productivity and Internet activities. |
||
| Component | Item | Price (RM) |
| Processor | AMD Athlon X2 4600+ (2.4Ghz, 2x 512KB Cache) | 210 |
| Motherboard | ATI690G based goldfries suggests the ASUS M2A-VM, around RM 235 |
300 |
| RAM | 1x 1GB DDR2 667 | 75 |
| Hard Disk | 160GB | 180 |
| Graphics | Use onboard video | 0 |
| Monitor | 17in LCD | 600 |
| Casing | Basic Casing | 100 |
| Power Supply | 400w | 250 |
| Audio Device | Use onboard audio | 0 |
| Speakers | Really Cheap 2.1 Speaker setup | 100 |
| Keyboard & Mouse | Cheap Keyboard & Mouse combo | 100 |
| Optical Drive | DVD-ROM | 75 |
| Disk Drive | 1.44mb 3.5in disk drive | 25 |
| LAN Device | Comes with motherboard | 0 |
| Total : RM 2015 | ||
| Everything you need to play games, however the games would generally work decently nearly the lowest resolution and details settings, it still works a little bit better than the setup above. With the RAM slots and PCI-E slot available, you could always upgrade the gaming capacity later. | ||
| Decent Gaming Setup | ||
| Suitable For : Computer gaming at decent resolution and details, when I say decent I mean that it’s usually around medium or slightly below.
Office productivity, browsing the Internet, downloading stuff, watching movies - They’re all fine. |
||
| Component | Item | Price (RM) |
| Processor | AMD Phenom X3 8450 (2.1Ghz, 3.5MB Cache) | 480 |
| Motherboard | AMD770 / AMD780 / AMD790 based goldfries suggests the ASUS M3N78-EMH, around RM 300 |
400 |
| RAM | 2x 1GB DDR2 667 | 130 |
| Hard Disk | 250GB | 235 |
| Graphics | ATI HD3650 256MB goldfries suggests the ASUS EAH3650 TOP, around RM 380 |
270 |
| Monitor | 19in Wide-screen LCD | 750 |
| Casing | Basic Casing | 100 |
| Power Supply | 400w goldfries suggests the Silverstone Strider ST400 400w, around RM 180 |
250 |
| Audio Device | Use onboard audio | 0 |
| Speakers | 2.1 Speaker setup | 200 |
| Keyboard & Mouse | Keyboard & Mouse combo | 100 |
| Optical Drive | DVD-ROM | 75 |
| Disk Drive | 1.44mb 3.5in disk drive | 25 |
| LAN Device | Comes with motherboard | 0 |
| Total : RM 2915 | ||
| This setup pairs the ATi HD3650 based graphic card with a 19 inch Wide-screen LCD monitor. Why 19 inch? With the native resolution of 1440×900, you’re sure to get more framerates compared to playing it on a 20 inch or wider screen with 1680×1050 resolution. | ||
| Gamer Setup : Almost Medium Range | ||
| Suitable For : Gaming Gaming Gaming…….and practically every thing else under the sun. | ||
| Component | Item | Price (RM) |
| Processor | Intel Core2Duo E6550 (2.33Ghz, 1333FSB, 4MB Cache) | 540 |
| Motherboard | P35 / P31 / G33 based goldfries suggests the GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L, around RM 350 |
400 |
| RAM | 2x 1GB DDR2 800 | 160 |
| Hard Disk | 250GB | 235 |
| Graphics | ATI HD3850 256MB | 450 |
| Monitor | 19in Wide-screen LCD | 750 |
| Casing | Basic Casing | 100 |
| Power Supply | 500w goldfries suggests the Silverstone Strider ST50F 500w, around RM 270 |
300 |
| Audio Device | Use onboard audio | 0 |
| Speakers | 5.1 Speaker setup | 400 |
| Keyboard & Mouse | Keyboard & Mouse combo | 100 |
| Optical Drive | DVD-ROM | 75 |
| Disk Drive | 1.44mb 3.5in disk drive | 25 |
| LAN Device | Comes with motherboard | 0 |
| Total : RM 3505 | ||
| An Intel Core2Duo E6550 paired with an overclockable motherboard, some DDR2-800 RAM just in case you wish to overclock. Then we have an ATi HD3850 based graphic card paired with a 19-inch Wide-screen LCD monitor and a 5.1 speaker setup to add to the enjoyment. All this, powered by a 500-watt PSU. | ||
| Gamer Setup : Medium Range | ||
| Suitable For : Gaming Gaming Gaming…….and practically every thing else under the sun. | ||
| Component | Item | Price (RM) |
| Processor | Intel Core2Duo E8200 (2.66Ghz, 1333FSB, 6MB Cache) | 680 |
| Motherboard | P35 / P31 / G33 based goldfries suggests the GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L, around RM 350 |
P35 / P31 / G33 based |
| RAM | 2x 1GB DDR2 800 | 160 |
| Hard Disk | 250GB | 235 |
| Graphics | nVidia 8800GT 512MB goldfries suggests the Albatron 8800GT-512X, around RM 800 |
700 |
| Monitor | 19in Wide-screen LCD | 750 |
| Casing | Basic Casing | 100 |
| Power Supply | 500w goldfries suggests the Silverstone Strider ST50F 500w, around RM 270 |
300 |
| Audio Device | Use onboard audio | 0 |
| Speakers | 5.1 Speaker setup | 400 |
| Keyboard & Mouse | Keyboard & Mouse combo | 100 |
| Optical Drive | DVD-ROM | 75 |
| Disk Drive | 1.44mb 3.5in disk drive | 25 |
| LAN Device | Comes with motherboard | 0 |
| Total : RM 3925 | ||
| An Intel Core2Duo E8400 (3.00Ghz, 1333FSB, 6MB Cache) paired with an overclockable motherboard, some DDR2-800 RAM just in case you wish to overclock. Then we have an nVidia 8800GT based graphic card paired with a 19-inch Wide-screen LCD monitor and a 5.1 speaker setup to add to the enjoyment. All this, powered by a 500-watt PSU. | ||
| Gamer Setup : Medium-High Range | ||
| Suitable For : Gaming Gaming Gaming…….and practically every thing else under the sun. | ||
| Component | Item | Price (RM) |
| Processor | Intel Core2Duo E8400 (3.00Ghz, 1333FSB, 6MB Cache) | 660 |
| Motherboard | P35 / P31 / G33 based goldfries suggests the GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3L, around RM 350 |
P35 / P31 / G33 based |
| RAM | 2x 1GB DDR2 800 | 160 |
| Hard Disk | 320GB | 290 |
| Graphics | nVidia 8800GTS 512MB | 900 |
| Monitor | 22in Wide-screen LCD | 1100 |
| Casing | Basic Casing | 100 |
| Power Supply | 550w goldfries suggests the Silverstone Strider ST56F 560w, around RM 400 |
400 |
| Audio Device | Use onboard audio | 0 |
| Speakers | 5.1 Speaker setup | 400 |
| Keyboard & Mouse | Keyboard & Mouse combo | 100 |
| Optical Drive | DVD-ROM | 75 |
| Disk Drive | 1.44mb 3.5in disk drive | 25 |
| LAN Device | Comes with motherboard | 0 |
| Total : RM 4630 | ||
| An Intel Core2Duo E8400 (3.00Ghz, 1333FSB, 6MB Cache) paired with an overclockable motherboard, some DDR2-800 RAM just in case you wish to overclock. Then we have an nVidia 8800GTS based graphic card paired with a 22-inch Wide-screen LCD monitor and a 5.1 speaker setup to add to the enjoyment. All this, powered by a 560-watt PSU. | ||
| Gamer Setup : Quad-Core High-End | ||
| Suitable For : Gaming Gaming Gaming…….and practically every thing else under the sun. Yes, this one’s for you guys who have no clue on what to buy yet crave blazing graphics and all! | ||
| Component | Item | Price (RM) |
| Processor | Intel Core2Quad Q9450 (2.66Ghz, 1333FSB, 6MB Cache) | 1170 |
| Motherboard | X38 based goldfries suggests the ASUS Maximums Formula, around RM 950 |
950 |
| RAM | 2x 2GB DDR2 800 | 300 |
| Hard Disk | 320GB | 290 |
| Graphics | ATI HD3870×2 1GB | 1500 |
| Monitor | 22in Wide-screen LCD | 1100 |
| Casing | Basic Casing | 100 |
| Power Supply | 550w goldfries suggests the Gigabyte Odin GT 550w, around RM |
400 |
| Audio Device | Use onboard audio | 0 |
| Speakers | 5.1 Speaker setup | 400 |
| Keyboard & Mouse | Keyboard & Mouse combo | 100 |
| Optical Drive | DVD-ROM | 75 |
| Disk Drive | 1.44mb 3.5in disk drive | 25 |
| LAN Device | Comes with motherboard | 0 |
| Total : RM 6310 | ||
| An Intel Core2Quad Q9450 (2.66Ghz, 1333FSB, 6MB Cache) paired with a really bad-ass overclockable motherboard, some DDR2-800 RAM just in case you wish to overclock. Then we have an ATi HD3870×2 based dual graphic processor card paired with a 22-inch Wide-screen LCD monitor and a 5.1 speaker setup to add to the enjoyment. All this, powered by a 550-watt modular PSU. | ||





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