Need Suggestions in upgrading this PC.

[Chargers]

Hi. I have very little experience in building computers, but after my pc breaking down a month after the warranty ended and taking it 2 times to best buy (which they charged $50 "labor fee" each visit) i got fed up and decided to ask the experts in this community.

I have a HP MEDIA CENTER PC m7657c.
Best Buy replaced the the Power supply with a DYNEX- DX-400WPS (with the $50 labor fee...)
They also replaced my graphics card with a NVIDIA GEFORCE 8400 GS 512MB DE


Im open to any suggestions even ditching this computer and building a new pc. ( budget of $700) I use my pc for mostly surfing the internet, watching movies, and playing a few games hopefully COD Modern warfare 2. Thanks a lot and makes me happy there r people in the world who doesnt charge a $50 service fee for everything. (:

[Nuclear Krusader]

Hi and welcome to the PC Mech forums.

I'd suggest building a new system. Although 700 dollars is quite tight, but it can buy you the hardware. Windows and the rest of the software will be extra.

I have to ask, though, is your current machine running fine or is it still giving you problems?

[David M]

Download Belarc Advisor at Belarc.com and post the results here so we can see if it is cost effective at all to upgrade this computer.

$700 is a really tight budget for a gaming computer which may leave you disappointed with the results.

[Chargers]

It still gives me problems. it runs a few times. the two times i went to best buy one guy said it was the motherboard? and the other person said it was the harddrive.

[Chargers]

Originally Posted by David M Download Belarc Advisor at Belarc.com and post the results here so we can see if it is cost effective at all to upgrade this computer. $700 is a really tight budget for a gaming computer which may leave you disappointed with the results.

i am currently using another pc because the one i have a problem with doesnt want to run right now. For me gaming is not a big deal js something i would casually play.

[Nuclear Krusader]

What are those problems? Maybe it can still be patched up.

[Chargers]

I boot the computer and it takes me to the load screen. Either the bar is continuously loading or it takes me to a blue screen saying error.

[Nuclear Krusader]

Does the blue screen stay long enough for you to record the error message/code? Can you boot from a CD? Can you boot into safe mode?

[Chargers]

At first i was able to boot it in safe mode.

I first boot the pc in safemode with networking.
-My friend helps me dl a program called malwarebytes because he thinks it is a malware or virus causing the problem.
-He runs the scan and then reboots.
-He reboots the pc and it seemed to work fine.
-He shuts it down and reboots it again to show me that its working and it js shows the continuous loading screen. Just the loading bar moving.

[David M]

I went though through the continuous loading problem recently. Just let it keep loading. Go out to a movie or something in the meantime. Come back in a few hours and it has loaded while you were out. Eventually the load times go back to normal for whatever reasons. For me, the system updates were the cause and being patient was the solution.

[Chargers]

ok thx david.

im going to try that and run the belarc. Thanks for all the help. (:

[rmk5358]

A few months ago I purchased a laptop from Best Buy for 399.00.15" screen Toshiba.Works excellant.If I had to do it again I would use the Toshiba as my main PC .I iuse the laptop for my travel needs.I have a 23" external monitor on my Dell desktop which stays at home.For 399.00, and I see Office Max with the same Toshiba at the same price,it hard to justify repair of a PC.If my PC dies Ill pitch it and replace it with the Toshiba laptop.I have an external screen and external hard drive(750GB) for back up as I do now.Ill not see any difference between the Dell and the Toshiba.

[Chargers]

DOES NOT WORK! im just going to build a new pc. hopefully I can salvage some parts from my old pc.

Seeing another thread about the $800 pc I looked around newegg and found these parts. Would these parts fit together well?

1)CASE Newegg.com - NZXT Apollo Black SECC Steel Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

2)HARD DRIVE Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

3)GRAPHICS Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100253HDMI Radeon HD 4650 512MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Low Profile Ready Video Card

4)POWER SUPPLY Newegg.com - Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 Modular Active PFC Power Supply

5)MEMORY Newegg.com - Kingston HyperX 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 Desktop Memory Model KHX8500D2/2G

6)MOTHER BOARD ASUS P7P55D-E LX LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

7)PROCESSOR Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor BX80605I5750

8)and Windows 7 home premium Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - Operating Systems

I want to thank you all for helping a stranger like me and tolerating for my lack of knowledge building PCs. If I can salvage any parts from my old PC to the new one plz let me know. I want to thank the $800 budget thread also. lol I dont want to anger anyone by taking information form other threads without recognition.

[glc]

Got some problems there.

1. If you like the case, that's fine. However, your budget dictates you should look at cheaper ones. Look at the Coolermaster 310's.

2. Good choice.

3. Nowhere near strong enough for gaming. You need at least a 5770.

4. Decent.

5. No good, that mobo takes DDR3. I'd recommend a 4gb kit, the best deal now is the 2x2 A-Data DDR3-1333 kit.

6. Very good choice.

7. You may have to cut back on that to stay in budget. Look at the i3-540.

8. Good choice.