Hello everyone. 
Welcome to my desktop PC face-off: below is a list of desktop PCs with their pricing. Please choose the best desktop PC for its price and components (overall the most cost-effective item, not necessarily the BEST).
This is going to help me determine which one I should go for. Please note that I am not a rich dude, and actually struggle to pay for something like this (so something in mid $xxx would be the best price for me) but if the unit you think is most cost-effective for its performance [meeting my needs], then please don't hesitate to choose it.
My uses: I'm a web developer, small business owner, and regular gamer. I need something that will be able to multitask well (with, for example FireFox, PhotoShop, iTunes, and stuff like that) and be able to game well (for games including World of Warcraft, Rainbow Six, etc).
Please choose a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of three (3) desktop PCs that you feel are the most cost-effective [having the best performance] for its price in relevance to my individual needs.
Before I begin listing the options I have narrowed out, I just wanted to thank you for participating in this thread and helping me this whole time at this forum. I know I am probably a n00b to you guys but I am learning, and I love learning new things, especially the topic of/about computers. Your help is really appreciated and if there was some way I could thank you in a freep) way, just name it!
Now, onto my options which I'll put in descending order from highest to lowest price:
Elite Quad Express-SP
Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q6600 Processor (2.40GHz ,8MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz)
Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium
Hybrid TV Tuner - Digital & Analogue
SLI nForce 650i Mainboard
Was - 2GB , Now With- 4GB Memory
500GB Serial ATA hard drive with 16MB buffer
256MB nVIDIA Geforce 8600GT Graphics
22" Widescreen TFT LCD Display w/speakers
LightScribe Super Format 18x DVD Writer
Sounblaster X-FI Xtreme Gamer
T6100 - 5.1 Speakers + Subwoofer
6 USB, 2x Firewire, GB LAN
Multi-format Memory Card Reader
Logitech Cordless KB & Optical Mouse
USB Wireless Connection
$1,376.62
Elite Premier-SP
# Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E6320 Dual Core Processor(1.86GHz,4MB Cache,1066MHz)
# Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium Edition
# Digital & Analogue TV Tuner PCI Card
# New MESH Mini-Tower Micro ATX Case +250W PSU
# PCI-Express Mainboard - Pentium® D/Core™ 2 Duo - Micro ATX
# 2GB DDR2 667MHz Memory - (2x 1GB)
# 500GB Serial ATA Hard Drive with 16MB Buffer
# LightScribe Super Format 18x Dual Layer DVD Writer +R/-R/RW/RAM
# 256MB nVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT - DVI, HDTV, TV-Out
# 19" Widescreen LCD TFT Display with internal speakers
# 5.1 High Definition onboard sound card - 6 Channel Cinema sound
# Logitech Cordless Keyboard & Cordless Optical Mouse
# Free Microsoft® Works® 8.5 + 60 Days Microsoft Office Trial
# BullGuard Internet Security 7.0 -AntiVirus/Firewall/Backup/Spamfilter - 90 day trial
# Multi-format Memory Card Reader
$756.52
Matrix² A6000 - SP
# AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 6000+ - Socket AM2
# Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium Edition
# New MESH Mini-Tower Micro ATX Case +250W PSU
# ASUS M2A-VM HDMI,AMD Athlon X2/FX,Socket AM2 - Micro ATX
# 2GB DDR2 667MHz Memory - (2x 1GB)
# 500GB Serial ATA Hard Drive with 16MB Buffer
# LightScribe Super Format 18x Dual Layer DVD Writer +R/-R/RW/RAM
# 256MB(SMA) Integrated ATI Radeon X1250 Graphics with Dual VGA output and SurroundView
# 19" Widescreen LCD TFT Display with internal speakers
# 5.1 High Definition onboard sound card - 6 Channel Cinema sound
# Logitech Cordless Keyboard & Cordless Optical Mouse
# Free Microsoft® Works® 8.5 + 60 Days Microsoft Office Trial
# BullGuard Internet Security 7.0 -AntiVirus/Firewall/Backup/Spamfilter - 90 day trial
# Multi-format Memory Card Reader
$756.52
Acer Aspire E700-UQ660A Minitower
Processor Brand: Intel
Processor Class: Core 2 Quad
Processor Number: Q6600 with Viiv Technology
Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz
Front Side Bus: 1066 MHz
L2 Cache Size: 4 MB
System Chipset: Intel G965 Express
Memory Type: DDR2-SDRAM
Installed Memory: 2 GB
Memory Slots Total: 4
Memory Slots Available: 2
Total Hard Drive Capacity: 500 GB
Drive Controllers: SATA-150
Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
Optical Drives: Double Layer DVD+/-RW Drive
Card Slots: 1 x CompactFlash
1 x MicroDrive
1 x Memory Stick
1 x Memory Stick PRO
1 x Secure Digital (SD)
1 x SmartMedia Card
1 x xD-Picture Card
Audio Channels: 7.1 channel surround
High Definition Audio
Video Chipset Brand: ATI
Video Chipset: Radeon X1650
Video Bus: PCI Express x16
Video Integration: Motherboard
Installed Video Memory: 256 MB
Shared Video RAM (Max): 128 MB
Total Available Graphics Memory (Vista): 256 MB
Port Connectors: Front I/O ports:
* 4 x USB 2.0
* 1 x Audio - headphone out
* 1 x Audio - microphone in
* 1 x IEEE 1394 FireWire (4-pin)
Rear I/O ports:
* 4 x USB 2.0
* 1 x IEEE 1394 FireWire (6-pin)
* 2 x PS/2 (keyboard and mouse)
* 6 x Audio jacks
* 1 x RJ-45 Ethernet LAN
* 1 x RJ-11 Modem
* Coaxial and optical S/PDIF jacks
* 1 x Video - VGA 15-pin D-Sub
* 1 x Parallel
* 1 x Serial
PCI Slots: 2
PCI Express x1 Slots: 1
PCI Express x16 Slots: 1
External 3.5 Bays: 2
External 5.25 Bays: 2
External Bays Notes:
* 1 x 3.5-inch open
* 1 x 5.25-inch open
Internal 3.5 Bays: 4
Internal Bays (Notes):
* 3 x 3.5-inch open
Network Support: Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Mbps)
Modem Speed: 56 Kbps
Input Devices: Keyboard
Wheel Mouse
Installed Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium
$749.99
HP Pavilion a6109n Desktop PC
Intel Viiv Technology
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E4400
2GB DDR2 Memory
7200rpm 320GB Hard Drive
CDR/RW & DVD Player
15-in-1 media card reader
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 and 256MB of video memory—64MB dedicated
PCI-Express x16 slot
Six USB 2.0, two FireWire, and two PS/2 ports
Windows Vista Home Edition
$729.99
HP Pavilion Desktop PC (A6130N)
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+
7200rpm 400GB hard drive
3GB of DDR2 memory
Burns DVDs and CDs
NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6150 SE graphics with up to 632MB of video memory—128MB dedicated
Windows Vista Home Premium
$679.99
LAN Party Special
CASE: X-QPack II Aluminum Mini 500Watt Case with 3 See-Thru Windows (Silver Color)
CPU: (Socket AM2) AMD Athlon™64 X2 4200+ Dual-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology
MOTHERBOARD: (Socket AM2) GigaByte GA-MA69VM-S2 AMD 690V Chipset SATA PCIE 16X w/Video, GbLAN, USB2.0, &7.1Audio
MEMORY: (Req.DDR2 MainBoard)1GB (2x512MB) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory (Corsair Value Select or Major Brand)
VIDEO CARD: NEW!!! NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS 256MB 16X PCI Express (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
LCD Monitor: NONE
HARD DRIVE: Single Hard Drive (320GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)
Data Hard Drive: NONE
Optical Drive: (Special Price) 18X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER (BLACK COLOR)
Optical Drive 2: NONE
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
$599.99
Gateway Desktop PC (GT5432)
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+
320GB hard drive
Amplified stereo speakers
1GB of DDR2 memory
Burns DVDs and CDs
NVIDIA® GeForce® 6150SE
Windows Vista Home Premium
$599.99
Gateway Desktop PC (GT5432)
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+
320GB hard drive
Amplified stereo speakers
1GB of DDR2 memory
Burns DVDs and CDs
Integrated NVIDIA® GeForce® graphics with 128MB of shared memory
Windows Vista Home Premium
$499.99
Gateway Desktop PC (GT5464)
Intel Pentium Dual Core E2140
320GB hard drive
Amplified stereo speakers
1GB of DDR2 memory
Burns DVDs and CDs
integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with 224MB of shared video memory
Windows Vista Home Premium
$499.99
HP Pavilion Desktop PC (A6109N)
AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+
7200rpm 320GB hard drive
CDR/RW Drive & DVD Player
2GB of DDR2 memory
Burns DVDs and CDs
15-in-1 media card reader
NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6150 SE graphics with up to 623MB of video memory—128MB dedicated
PCI-Express x16 slot
Six USB 2.0, two FireWire, and two PS/2 ports
Windows Vista Home Premium
$499.99
Acer Aspire T180 Desktop
Standard Memory 1GB
Manufacturer Acer, Inc
Controller Serial ATA
Processor 1 x AMD Athlon 64 3800+ 2.4GHz
Network 10/100/1000Mbps IEEE 802.3ab Gigabit Ethernet
Hard Drive 160GB Serial ATA
Ports 1 x IEEE 1284 Parallel
1 x 9-pin D-Sub (DB-9) Serial
RJ-45 Network
1 x VGA
1 x mini phone Headphone
1 x mini phone Microphone
IEEE 1394 FireWire
2 x 4-pin Type A USB 2.0 - USB Front
4 x 4-pin Type A USB 2.0 - USB Rear
1 x 6-pin mini-DIN (PS/2) Keyboard
1 x 6-pin mini-DIN (PS/2) Mouse
RJ-11 Modem
Operating System Windows Vista Home Premium
Processor Technology HyperTransport Technology
AMD64 Technology
Maximum Memory 4GB
Optical Drive DVD-Writer (Double-layer) - DVD±R/±RW
Standard Warranty 1 Year(s) Limited
Manufacturer Part Number AST180-UA380A
Graphics Controller Integrated
Dimensions 7.2" Height x 14.6" Width x 17.9" Depth
Memory Technology DDR2 SDRAM
Manufacturer Website Address www.acer.com
Bus Speed 2000MHz
Product Name Aspire T180 Desktop
Chipset nVIDIA nForce 430
$429.99
Please choose your recommendations for most cost-effective one based on performance and my needs. If you honestly thing the first one or second one is a good bang for the buck, be honest and tell me! That's why I said please make a minimum of TWO (2) recommendations and a maximum of THREE (3). I don't want you guys just recommending me the CHEAPASS ones that won't really be good for my needs etc. 
Please don't recommend me custom either. I know that route is better in most cases, but I can't build my own and people around here cost too much. I need a prebuilt and that is what I am looking for right now.
I may add one to three more for comparison etc via reply at a later time in this thread but hope not to. Thank you very much in advance for your help!
Welcome to my desktop PC face-off: below is a list of desktop PCs with their pricing. Please choose the best desktop PC for its price and components (overall the most cost-effective item, not necessarily the BEST).
This is going to help me determine which one I should go for. Please note that I am not a rich dude, and actually struggle to pay for something like this (so something in mid $xxx would be the best price for me) but if the unit you think is most cost-effective for its performance [meeting my needs], then please don't hesitate to choose it.
My uses: I'm a web developer, small business owner, and regular gamer. I need something that will be able to multitask well (with, for example FireFox, PhotoShop, iTunes, and stuff like that) and be able to game well (for games including World of Warcraft, Rainbow Six, etc).
Please choose a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of three (3) desktop PCs that you feel are the most cost-effective [having the best performance] for its price in relevance to my individual needs.
Before I begin listing the options I have narrowed out, I just wanted to thank you for participating in this thread and helping me this whole time at this forum. I know I am probably a n00b to you guys but I am learning, and I love learning new things, especially the topic of/about computers. Your help is really appreciated and if there was some way I could thank you in a free
p) way, just name it!Now, onto my options which I'll put in descending order from highest to lowest price:
Elite Quad Express-SP
Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q6600 Processor (2.40GHz ,8MB L2 Cache, 1066MHz)
Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium
Hybrid TV Tuner - Digital & Analogue
SLI nForce 650i Mainboard
Was - 2GB , Now With- 4GB Memory
500GB Serial ATA hard drive with 16MB buffer
256MB nVIDIA Geforce 8600GT Graphics
22" Widescreen TFT LCD Display w/speakers
LightScribe Super Format 18x DVD Writer
Sounblaster X-FI Xtreme Gamer
T6100 - 5.1 Speakers + Subwoofer
6 USB, 2x Firewire, GB LAN
Multi-format Memory Card Reader
Logitech Cordless KB & Optical Mouse
USB Wireless Connection
$1,376.62
Elite Premier-SP
# Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E6320 Dual Core Processor(1.86GHz,4MB Cache,1066MHz)
# Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium Edition
# Digital & Analogue TV Tuner PCI Card
# New MESH Mini-Tower Micro ATX Case +250W PSU
# PCI-Express Mainboard - Pentium® D/Core™ 2 Duo - Micro ATX
# 2GB DDR2 667MHz Memory - (2x 1GB)
# 500GB Serial ATA Hard Drive with 16MB Buffer
# LightScribe Super Format 18x Dual Layer DVD Writer +R/-R/RW/RAM
# 256MB nVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT - DVI, HDTV, TV-Out
# 19" Widescreen LCD TFT Display with internal speakers
# 5.1 High Definition onboard sound card - 6 Channel Cinema sound
# Logitech Cordless Keyboard & Cordless Optical Mouse
# Free Microsoft® Works® 8.5 + 60 Days Microsoft Office Trial
# BullGuard Internet Security 7.0 -AntiVirus/Firewall/Backup/Spamfilter - 90 day trial
# Multi-format Memory Card Reader
$756.52
Matrix² A6000 - SP
# AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 6000+ - Socket AM2
# Genuine Windows Vista™ Home Premium Edition
# New MESH Mini-Tower Micro ATX Case +250W PSU
# ASUS M2A-VM HDMI,AMD Athlon X2/FX,Socket AM2 - Micro ATX
# 2GB DDR2 667MHz Memory - (2x 1GB)
# 500GB Serial ATA Hard Drive with 16MB Buffer
# LightScribe Super Format 18x Dual Layer DVD Writer +R/-R/RW/RAM
# 256MB(SMA) Integrated ATI Radeon X1250 Graphics with Dual VGA output and SurroundView
# 19" Widescreen LCD TFT Display with internal speakers
# 5.1 High Definition onboard sound card - 6 Channel Cinema sound
# Logitech Cordless Keyboard & Cordless Optical Mouse
# Free Microsoft® Works® 8.5 + 60 Days Microsoft Office Trial
# BullGuard Internet Security 7.0 -AntiVirus/Firewall/Backup/Spamfilter - 90 day trial
# Multi-format Memory Card Reader
$756.52
Acer Aspire E700-UQ660A Minitower
Processor Brand: Intel
Processor Class: Core 2 Quad
Processor Number: Q6600 with Viiv Technology
Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz
Front Side Bus: 1066 MHz
L2 Cache Size: 4 MB
System Chipset: Intel G965 Express
Memory Type: DDR2-SDRAM
Installed Memory: 2 GB
Memory Slots Total: 4
Memory Slots Available: 2
Total Hard Drive Capacity: 500 GB
Drive Controllers: SATA-150
Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
Optical Drives: Double Layer DVD+/-RW Drive
Card Slots: 1 x CompactFlash
1 x MicroDrive
1 x Memory Stick
1 x Memory Stick PRO
1 x Secure Digital (SD)
1 x SmartMedia Card
1 x xD-Picture Card
Audio Channels: 7.1 channel surround
High Definition Audio
Video Chipset Brand: ATI
Video Chipset: Radeon X1650
Video Bus: PCI Express x16
Video Integration: Motherboard
Installed Video Memory: 256 MB
Shared Video RAM (Max): 128 MB
Total Available Graphics Memory (Vista): 256 MB
Port Connectors: Front I/O ports:
* 4 x USB 2.0
* 1 x Audio - headphone out
* 1 x Audio - microphone in
* 1 x IEEE 1394 FireWire (4-pin)
Rear I/O ports:
* 4 x USB 2.0
* 1 x IEEE 1394 FireWire (6-pin)
* 2 x PS/2 (keyboard and mouse)
* 6 x Audio jacks
* 1 x RJ-45 Ethernet LAN
* 1 x RJ-11 Modem
* Coaxial and optical S/PDIF jacks
* 1 x Video - VGA 15-pin D-Sub
* 1 x Parallel
* 1 x Serial
PCI Slots: 2
PCI Express x1 Slots: 1
PCI Express x16 Slots: 1
External 3.5 Bays: 2
External 5.25 Bays: 2
External Bays Notes:
* 1 x 3.5-inch open
* 1 x 5.25-inch open
Internal 3.5 Bays: 4
Internal Bays (Notes):
* 3 x 3.5-inch open
Network Support: Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Mbps)
Modem Speed: 56 Kbps
Input Devices: Keyboard
Wheel Mouse
Installed Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium
$749.99
HP Pavilion a6109n Desktop PC
Intel Viiv Technology
Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E4400
2GB DDR2 Memory
7200rpm 320GB Hard Drive
CDR/RW & DVD Player
15-in-1 media card reader
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 and 256MB of video memory—64MB dedicated
PCI-Express x16 slot
Six USB 2.0, two FireWire, and two PS/2 ports
Windows Vista Home Edition
$729.99
HP Pavilion Desktop PC (A6130N)
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+
7200rpm 400GB hard drive
3GB of DDR2 memory
Burns DVDs and CDs
NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6150 SE graphics with up to 632MB of video memory—128MB dedicated
Windows Vista Home Premium
$679.99
LAN Party Special
CASE: X-QPack II Aluminum Mini 500Watt Case with 3 See-Thru Windows (Silver Color)
CPU: (Socket AM2) AMD Athlon™64 X2 4200+ Dual-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology
MOTHERBOARD: (Socket AM2) GigaByte GA-MA69VM-S2 AMD 690V Chipset SATA PCIE 16X w/Video, GbLAN, USB2.0, &7.1Audio
MEMORY: (Req.DDR2 MainBoard)1GB (2x512MB) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory (Corsair Value Select or Major Brand)
VIDEO CARD: NEW!!! NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS 256MB 16X PCI Express (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
LCD Monitor: NONE
HARD DRIVE: Single Hard Drive (320GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)
Data Hard Drive: NONE
Optical Drive: (Special Price) 18X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER (BLACK COLOR)
Optical Drive 2: NONE
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
$599.99
Gateway Desktop PC (GT5432)
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+
320GB hard drive
Amplified stereo speakers
1GB of DDR2 memory
Burns DVDs and CDs
NVIDIA® GeForce® 6150SE
Windows Vista Home Premium
$599.99
Gateway Desktop PC (GT5432)
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+
320GB hard drive
Amplified stereo speakers
1GB of DDR2 memory
Burns DVDs and CDs
Integrated NVIDIA® GeForce® graphics with 128MB of shared memory
Windows Vista Home Premium
$499.99
Gateway Desktop PC (GT5464)
Intel Pentium Dual Core E2140
320GB hard drive
Amplified stereo speakers
1GB of DDR2 memory
Burns DVDs and CDs
integrated Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with 224MB of shared video memory
Windows Vista Home Premium
$499.99
HP Pavilion Desktop PC (A6109N)
AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+
7200rpm 320GB hard drive
CDR/RW Drive & DVD Player
2GB of DDR2 memory
Burns DVDs and CDs
15-in-1 media card reader
NVIDIA® GeForce™ 6150 SE graphics with up to 623MB of video memory—128MB dedicated
PCI-Express x16 slot
Six USB 2.0, two FireWire, and two PS/2 ports
Windows Vista Home Premium
$499.99
Acer Aspire T180 Desktop
Standard Memory 1GB
Manufacturer Acer, Inc
Controller Serial ATA
Processor 1 x AMD Athlon 64 3800+ 2.4GHz
Network 10/100/1000Mbps IEEE 802.3ab Gigabit Ethernet
Hard Drive 160GB Serial ATA
Ports 1 x IEEE 1284 Parallel
1 x 9-pin D-Sub (DB-9) Serial
RJ-45 Network
1 x VGA
1 x mini phone Headphone
1 x mini phone Microphone
IEEE 1394 FireWire
2 x 4-pin Type A USB 2.0 - USB Front
4 x 4-pin Type A USB 2.0 - USB Rear
1 x 6-pin mini-DIN (PS/2) Keyboard
1 x 6-pin mini-DIN (PS/2) Mouse
RJ-11 Modem
Operating System Windows Vista Home Premium
Processor Technology HyperTransport Technology
AMD64 Technology
Maximum Memory 4GB
Optical Drive DVD-Writer (Double-layer) - DVD±R/±RW
Standard Warranty 1 Year(s) Limited
Manufacturer Part Number AST180-UA380A
Graphics Controller Integrated
Dimensions 7.2" Height x 14.6" Width x 17.9" Depth
Memory Technology DDR2 SDRAM
Manufacturer Website Address www.acer.com
Bus Speed 2000MHz
Product Name Aspire T180 Desktop
Chipset nVIDIA nForce 430
$429.99
Please choose your recommendations for most cost-effective one based on performance and my needs. If you honestly thing the first one or second one is a good bang for the buck, be honest and tell me!
That's why I said please make a minimum of TWO (2) recommendations and a maximum of THREE (3). I don't want you guys just recommending me the CHEAPASS ones that won't really be good for my needs etc. Please don't recommend me custom either. I know that route is better in most cases, but I can't build my own and people around here cost too much. I need a prebuilt and that is what I am looking for right now.I may add one to three more for comparison etc via reply at a later time in this thread but hope not to. Thank you very much in advance for your help!
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