Gaming Computer Help

[gamfreak]

I've been looking for a new, high-end PC to play the latest games on (half life 2, battlefield 2), the problem is, i'm on a budget of under $3,00. I've looked at almost every PC site you can imagine and the best value i've found so far is the Cyberpower Ultimate Gamer XLC ($2,600 w/ 7.1 speakers included!). Though this is a fantastic deal, i've read many bad reviews about cyberpower. These are my minimum requirements:

2x Nvidia Geforce 7800 GT video card
At least 1 GB of RAM
AMD FX-57 processor
7.1 Audio sound card

I've also been wondering if there's a big difference between sound cards and on-board audio, because i'm not much of an audiophile but a cool 7.1 surround setup would be nice. I figure that many people who write bad reviews about companies are just venting their anger, so maybe I shouldn't pay attention to the negatives for cyberpower as most people who are satisfied stay quiet. If you have any experience with Cyberpower or would like to recommend a better deal, please speak up, all your opinions are appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[Super Hazmat]

Check out Overdrive PC. They may be able to come up with something for you in your price range. I will be purchasing a Gemini SLI rig very shortly. I would recommend that one.

http://www.overdrivepc.com/

Good luck

Hazmat

[JimJRJ]

Get a sound card instead of using onboard sound. There can be a difference using onboard sound and a sound card while playing games since the onbourd sound uses the CPU more and you might notice some slowdown while playing games. Do a google search on onboard sound versus sound cards if you want to know more about it. Audigy 2 sound cards aren't that expensive, around $50 for the value ones. In regards to the reviews I would say they are pretty accurate. There are many companies with excellent reviews, its not just the unhappy ones that write reviews.

[Viking_LW]

I have dealt with them. It is a crapshoot. You'll either get a perfectly good pc or a piece of crap. Their customer service department is the worst I have ever dealt with, and their tech support is completely useless. If you don't know how to work on a PC, I would stay away from them. BTW, they also operate under the name of buyXG.com.
At the risk of being flamed (again) by JimJRJ, your sound issue depends by and large on what you are going to do with it. My experience has been that the newer on board sound cards are excellent quality. For my games, they work perfectly well, and if you are limited on funds, that is a good place to cut back, especially if it means that you can get a better cpu or video card(s). However, if you use your pc for music mixing or serious .mp3 work, then a sound card would more than likely be a good investment. I caution you, though : a $399.00 Creative Labs Audigy sound card sounds amazingly like a $16.00 I/O Magic card on $15.00 speakers .
As far as buying an high end gaming PC, try Widowpc.com. Their RR ratings are awesome, and I'll bet you can get a nice AMD based system for that $3000. (there are several listed in the $2500 range). GL and have fun shopping !