Twiggy

I have received $600 from my grandmother. She is a very sweet lady and I need help making a decision on how I should spend it I have two choices either build a custom computer and use some parts from my current computer like the hard drive, LCD screen, and CD drive cause the computer I have now was bought at Best Buy and I dont want to waste money upgrading a computer if I'm not sure its going to work. Or I can buy either a xbox360 or a Ps3 and make PC gaming a second priority. Which one would you choose to do?

MagnaCentipede

I would go with the PC option, but I haven't been a console gamer since SNES.

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Gambit7

The PC will save you a helluva lot more money in the long run compared to a Console. PCs generally keep their users inside working (or playing or learning) when they'd otherwise be out pissing away dollars at a bar or nightclub.

Also, you can't Learn from a Console. Consoles are only good for playing games. The amount of knowledge you can store, study, and use on a PC is well worth it regardless of if you even play games on it.

There's not even a comparison. I'd only even slightly consider a Console if I had a HDTV to plug it into, and even then maybe not. It'd probably gather dust anyways.

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CingularDuality

If you invest it smartly, you could have over $30,000 when you're looking to retire. (assuming you're 25 years old, want to retire at age 65 and are able to get 10% average from a good growth/income mutual fund, which is easy...) That's without you adding any other money, just the interest on that $600!

Oh, and if you're only 20 years old, it would be over $50,000!

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bulletproofsoldier

PC is definitely the best option, you're going to want to post your older computer specs and do your research before you go out trying to mix and match old with new. CD drives are normally compatible with a new system, and LCD screens are just plug and play. Your old hard drive should work as well, as for RAM, Mother Board, and Video card, you should probably upgrade to better meet those gaming/studying/entertainment needs ;-P. I just built a new system a month ago, hence why I now play bf2142, anyway... it helps to research individual parts on websites like newegg.com or product forums to learn what kind of problems other people have been having. You can also familiarize your self with the specification more thoughtfully before buying something and having to open it up to find out what it really does. I had a bad experience with a defective mother board, and it took me 4 days of troubleshooting every other component before i figured out the damn thing was no good.

Well, Cheers

also... try recycling your old computer case, it help save money that can be spent on better components.

bulletproofsoldier

a risky investment if he wants to make his name known throughout the online gaming world, and go pro... ;-P

I like your idea better... but judging from the fact that he hasn't already had $600 floating around to spend or save, he could probably use the money to help pay for schooling or a brand new beer distillery set up... depending on the route in life he hopes to take.

Twiggy

No I'm not gonna use the motherboard and other stuff from my old computer. I'm gonna buy everything except the hard drive, LCD, and Cd drive

Grunt 70

I bet you could do pretty well for yourself at newegg.com. Use the older components and mix and match with newer ones. Use your old case and (maybe?) PSU and buy a new CPU, RAM and Vid card...bet you could do it with $600...Building a computer is easy. There are lots of online tutorials on how to do it and if you can assemble set up a stereo system you can build a computer.

GhostintheShell

Buy your Grandmother something nice?

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Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter.
Ernest Hemingway, "On the Blue Water," Esquire, April 1936

Twiggy

Already ahead of you

MagnaCentipede

So she buys something for herself by proxy?

I don't get it.

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Twiggy

What are you trying to say I bought her a gift especially from me whats so wrong with that

ShooDaddy

For even more extra cash, if you have any computer parts left over try the Buy/Sell/Trade forum we have.

Oh and, although I myself want a 360, a computer is well worth just as much money then a console.

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I see, I come, I conquer.

MagnaCentipede

Who said anything about wrongness? I expressed confusion. Do you think it was wrong?

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GhostintheShell

Nice to hear. Someone who isn't only thinking of them self for once.

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Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter.
Ernest Hemingway, "On the Blue Water," Esquire, April 1936