Can this gateway micro-Atx pc fit a good video card inside?

[calmius]

Hello guys, I want to buy a basic computer with a quad core processor like this Gateway here then install a video card to enable it to cover most of my gaming needs.

I am not sure if this size case will have space to fit a video card inside, or maybe it will only have enough space for certain video cards? Can someone give me some helpful hints and info?

Thanks

[David M]

Before you install any new graphics card you need to be sure the power supply can handle the additional power requirements.

Brand name computers like Gateway, Dell etc tend to install power supplies that are just good enough to run the hardware that the computer came with. You will need to know the power rating of your power supply. That can be found at the Gateway website.

Graphics card manufacturers give the cards physical dimensions on their websites. Some reviews also provide this info. Buy your graphics card from a retailer with a no hassle return policy...like Newegg.

[Masaki 7-11]

Have you thought about building your own? It's not hard and while you may not save much money going this route, you will get better quality and exactly what you want, not what someone thinks you want. Another option if you don't want to build it yourself is to get all the parts and then get a reputable local computer store to build it for you. If you think you are interested in doing one of the options I mentioned, start a thread in Build Your Own PC section with your budget, what OS you want, what peripherals you need and what kind of computer (tower) you want (like intended use, formfactor/power consumption limitations, ect.).

[calmius]

Originally Posted by Masaki 7-11

Have you thought about building your own? It's not hard and while you may not save much money going this route, you will get better quality and exactly what you want, not what someone thinks you want. Another option if you don't want to build it yourself is to get all the parts and then get a reputable local computer store to build it for you. If you think you are interested in doing one of the options I mentioned, start a thread in Build Your Own PC section with your budget, what OS you want, what peripherals you need and what kind of computer (tower) you want (like intended use, formfactor/power consumption limitations, ect.).

Hi, I definately have though about building my own computer and I have built 3 computers over last 10 years, I am not worried about the difficulty. I just added the parts, and the savings weren't significant because if I am buying a desktop that is $600 or under and count in the cost of a legal Windows operating system it was almost same price. I was able to get Windows 7 upgrade for the laptop I am using through a student acount of my mom thought. Its only $30

If you could approximate for me how much it could cost to built a pc that has specs as posted in my orignal post, we could see how much it costs. Maybe I am wrong about this.

The preliminary parts list I made was through newegg.com

[Masaki 7-11]

Regarding the Gateway computer, possibly if you followed their spec, the price would come out to about the same, however there are a few problems with the specs of the Gateway; the Q8300 is a pretty slow quad core due to it's lack of cache, for the price of the Q8300 you could get a faster AMD Phenom II X4 (which has an upgrade path, meaning it's more futureproof), and there isn't much point in getting 6GB of ram (although this amount is common for socket 1366); 4GB of ram is more than enough for most applications, and in cases where more ram is needed (such as heavy video/photo editing and other heavy workstation applications), 8GB is better. Below is a build list for a faster, better quality (than the Gateway) computer for a little over $600 including OS:


LITE-ON Black 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Model iHAS-324-98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106334
$29.99

COOLER MASTER Elite 330 RC-330-KKN1-GP Black SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119115
$39.99

Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136317
$84.99

ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131324
$74.99

OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ500MXSP 500W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply compatible with core i7
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817341016
$59.99

CORSAIR XMS2 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X4096-8500C5C G
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145247
$74.99

AMD Phenom II 925 Deneb 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Processor Model HDX925WFGIBOX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103656
$149.99

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116754
$109.99

Subtotal: $624.92

What the build list above gives you over the gateway is:
1. Better processor, the Phenom II X4 has more cache, and a higher clock speed.
2. Good quality motherboard with good (much better than Intel) integrated graphics and an upgrade path (Socket 775 will not have any new processors coming out for it, it's been surpassed by socket 1156); if you will be buying the graphics card right away, you also have the option to get an AM3 motherboard without integrated graphics and faster DDR3 memory for the same cost as the AM2+ motherboard and DDR2 memory.
3. A good, reliable modular power supply that can handle most graphics cards, if you do end up getting the Gateway, most likely you'll have to get a power supply when you get a graphics card.
4. A larger case with better airflow and more room to handle upgrades or better parts.
5. A choice between Windows 7 Home Premium 32-Bit and 64-Bit
6. Not having a bunch of trial programs pre-installed and not having to worry about breaking the warranty if you decide to make changes to the hardware.

[calmius]

Wow, thanks a lot for that detailed parts summary. I actually will seriously consider doing this. Looks better than my first option. Thanks a lot man.