I am looking to buy a PC for my son's but do not know much about them. I am on a tight budget and think I may have found one but would like some advise on if it is a good choice.
It's an Acer L100
graphics - Intergrated NVIDIA Geforce 6150
graphic memory - up to 384 shared
hard drive - 160Gb SATA
memory - 1Gb ( 2x512mb) SODIMM
processor - AMD Athlon 64
processor speed - 2400mhz
It has Windows Vista Premium, DVD Rewriter and a 19" monitor and is £380
This is about as high as my budget will allow.
My boys will probably use this for a lot of gaming and the above info means nothing to me.
Could anyone advise me if this is a good buy please ?
Thanks
2007-11-12 10:44:09 · 8 answers · asked by mich 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Desktops
Not bad, if they want to use it for up-to-date games then a discrete graphics card would be better. You might want to add more memory at some point too.
2007-11-12 10:48:55 · answer #1 · answered by Gavin T 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Four things. First, while your integrated graphics is Geforce 6150 with up to 384mb shared memory, it's still integrated. So if it will be used a lot for gaming, you're gonna experience a lot of slow down. Fortunately, graphics cards can always be added to the machine later, so this could help tide you over till then.
Second, I'm assuming the processor is a single-core. While 2.4 is not terribly slow, it's not that fast either. Again, you'll be unable to run a lot of the newer games at their higher settings.
Third, 1 gig of RAM combined with Vista is not a good thing for gaming. Especially if you'll be using integrated graphics. But again, memory can always be added to a machine later, so this is acceptable.
Fourth, the machine is an Acer. I've heard too many horror stories about their quality and customer support, or lack thereof.
All these things together, I cannot recommend this machine for purchase as a gaming machine. Everything else is good, but my advice is to see if you can possibly find another brand, preferably something with a newer or faster processor. If you can wait till after the holidays, a lot of companies will have their machines marked down.
2007-11-12 10:54:30 · answer #2 · answered by Ronin 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Okay, the video card is probably one of the worst for gaming. You'd want a video card that has some dedicated memory (128mb would do) hard drive can store around 30 of the newest games. if the athlon processor is dual core, it will do. also consider buying one with a core 2 duo processor (not to be confused with just dual core) if your budget permits. you'd want to upgrade the memory, which can be done for $50-70 USD which is around 25 euros. another thing about the graphic memory, if the computer is a desktop, the memory can be upgraded for around $70 USD, so don't worry too much. If it's a laptop, i would highly recommend browsing some more, because video can't be upgraded, and you can't play the latest games on a NVIDIA Geforce 6150.
good luck
2007-11-12 11:15:57 · answer #3 · answered by Brian 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
ok.. the memory is a little on the low side, 2gb is better esp for vista. (you could add that later on) 256 mb will be taken by the gfx card.
when ur on about gaming, if its things like call of duty etc, the graphics card isn't really up to the job.. processor speed also seems a tad low. is it an amd x2 2400? and not 3400 etc?
is it a very slimline pc from a well known supermarket.. problem with that is when it comes to upgrading, its a pain as the case is so small.
have a look here > http://www.ebuyer.com/product/126116
bigger hard drive, the nvida card is slightly lower spec.
but 4000 x2 cpu instead =)
add another say £100 for a monitor also off that site.. and it comes in about £350
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/125736
would be a good monitor though, or the samsung one there.. but well I used LG for a few years and I've had no problem with 5 of them.. (i use dual screen setups, hence so many)
as for anti virus / firewall put them on, get someone to download both for you
www.filehippo.com
"avg free"
"zone alarm free"
I have an acer t180 , BUT i upgraded the memory/gfx card/psu as buying the parts seperatly to build it was more expensive.
2007-11-12 10:55:33 · answer #4 · answered by junglejungle 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It is a good business PC but NOT good for gaming. Its integrated graphics is too slow for current games. Being a slimline desktop, you might have very little options for a dedicated graphics card if it has an expansion option at all.
If gaming is a major consideration, do not get a slimline or small form factor PC. Get at least a mini-tower type. Be sure the PC has a dedicated graphics card, at least an ATI HD2600XT or a Geforce 8600GT.
2007-11-12 10:58:10 · answer #5 · answered by Karz 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
todays pc gaming require a very high graphics and speed. This will probably last for about a year or two to play games. Later on, new games will require higher technology. So this wont last for long on gaming if your son wants to play the latest game. because in order to play pc game you need a very high performance computer to last for couple of years it will cost up to $3k or $4k U.S dollar. This computer your talking about is pretty old so you might need to upgrade very soon if its for games. The only thing thats need to upgrade is the video card, CPU, and maybe memory...and I dont recommend acer for gaming..many problems...If I were you I wouldnt buy it at this point...just save until you can buy the good one
2007-11-12 10:56:33 · answer #6 · answered by Sang 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is a good system for the money. You may at a later date wish to add a new graphics card and some more memory but that can wait until you can afford it. I am sure your son's will love you for it.
2007-11-12 19:13:12 · answer #7 · answered by Nigel B 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It sounds alright, however, If able, I would remove Windows Vista Premium and replace with Windows XP which uses less RAM memory.
This would allow many high end games to run better.
2007-11-12 10:52:04 · answer #8 · answered by DavidC 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋