Well since I'll be moving off to college soon my dad told me to pick out a computer. He wanted me to get a laptop, but I wanted something I can play games on, so I talked him into a desktop, and this is what we came home with:

















Its a Gateway SX2800-01 mid-tower with a 23" Widescreen LCD monitor.

Specs:

Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad @ 2.33GHz
Monitor: 23" Widescreen LCD with VGA/DVI/HDMI inputs (can you say nVidia SLI and 360?!?!)
System Memory: 4GB DDR3
Hard Drive: 640GB SATA 7200 RPM
Graphics: Integrated Intel Accelerator X4500 (Soon to be a 1GB nVidia 9500 GT)
Audio: 6-channel HD audio on 2 system speakers
Internet: Wireless 10/100/1000Base-T Ethernet WLAN
Disk Drive: 1- 40x dual-layer DVD+/- RW Lightscribe
Expansion: 1x PCI-e x16, 1x PCI-e x1
USB 2.0: 9 (5 front, 4 rear)
OS: Windows Vista Home Premium w/ free upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium upon June 28 release

Right now I'm installing my Microsoft Zune and hooking up my 360 and installing my Flight Sim. So whatcha guys think?

 

You look a little old to be starting college but hey, that's cool. Nice pc

 

why didnt you just go w/ a laptop? just outa curiousity

 

Nice computer, be sure to thank your Pops!

 

Haha thats my dad checking his e-mail. Since I have my own now we're reformatting his 2-year old HP so it dosen't have any of my stuff on it.

And I just don't want to tote a laptop around, worrying about where its at, etc. Plus my sister's LCD screen just cracked and IMO they are overall flimsy. I will mainly be doing gaming in my free time and to do gaming on a laptop, anythning under $1000 is going to be crap. So for this $700 and a $150 video card I can have a machine that will do what a laptop does but overkill on everything. Besides, if I were to type a paper up and if I did get a laptop, where would I be? My apartment. Exactly....

 

Saw the pic of you posting. Your pops must be really old!

 

Processor could be better. You don't want a 9500GT.

 

Just say it we all know you like it

 

A 9500 is mediocre. If you're going to buy a new one, get at least a 9800 or the new series, or you'll be buying another new card in a year .


edit: You asked us what we think. I offered my advice. In your original unedited post you said you were no novice. A novice wouldn't be buying a pre-built PC for gaming.

 

I didn't buy it

I've run the 9500 GT before and with DX10 it will run my Flight Sim, Crysis and Battlefield. So I'm happy with it

 

How are you going to get the 9500 in that case?

 

I'm going to open it up and put it in. I was also worried about the size when I went to pick it up but I checked and it has the clearance to fit it.

 

After looking up your new computer's dimensions on the Gateway site and then looking at the dimensions for several 9500GTs you will not be able to fit a normal one in that case. You are going to have to stick to a low profile card and those have heat and performance issues.

Here are the dimensions of your case:

10.7" (H) x 4.2" (W) x 13" (L)

Here are the dimensions of a 9500GT that isn't low profile:

4.376" (W) x 6.5" (L)

Again, you asked for opinions and this is just mine.

 

thats a nice monitor for sure

but did you set it up on your kitchen table? lol

 

Gateway makes towers so small you have to use tweezers to work on them.