New build and Pc fix 1500$

[jkm1687]

Hey Everyone

Ive been planing on building a new pc so i can play Warcraft with my wife instead of fighting over the pc aswell as newer games coming out BF3 namley. But of course the one i have started giving me issues last night.
Ill start with my current problem.

Well last night my pc started to blue screen and reboot every so often often(core2duo, 3gigs ram, 460 nvidia card) Its an older alienware bout from 06. Anyway today when i start it ill hear a beep and either not display anything or go to the alienware logo and freeze before i can enter bios or anything and it just hangs there. Any ideas about that? Otherwise i have about 1500$ to build my pc and fix this one.

The new rig will need to be a full setup with monitor and speakers and the other pc i just need to get running if possible, Any advice or tips for fixing the pc or the new build would be appreciated.

Thanks
James

 

[Knufire]

Here's for the build. Forgot an aftermarket CPU cooler, and I don't want to do the entire thing over again. xD. Gorgeous keyboard and mouse though. I'm one who believes there's no point in having a beast computer if you don't have the equipment to match. It's all ultimately for the gaming experience, and therefore anything you physically touch is just as important as FPS.

 

[jkm1687]

Thanks for the reply.. The thing is i either need to build 2 pc's.. one with monitor/speakers other just the tower or i need to fix the one i have and build one with the 1500$ budget,

 

[jkm1687]

Heres what i was thinking of going with, https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=16589425, Then for the second computer either buying http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227261&Tpk=AMD Athlon II X2 240(2.8GHz) or building something similar for less seeing that will just be for my wife either on wow or facebook.

 

[Knufire]

It's freezing before you enter BIOS, I'll bet it's the motherboard.

The thing is, if you order the stuff for the new computer, you have the parts to swap in and out to actually isolate the problem.

Since you want some left over, get a less expensive mouse and keyboard, those two are really nice and on the higher end. You could probably shave off a good $70-$100 there.

Alienware's cost a good amount of money, no point shelling our for two new systems when one probably has a single part that needs replacing.

 

[Adak]

Strip down the ailing PC to the barest basic necessities, and see if it will boot up, that way. If not, and if you aren't getting any "beep codes" sounds (1 beep just means the computer is starting it's boot up, but any string of beeps, would be part of an error code to help diagnose boot up problems like yours).

Since the PSU is 5 years on, that would be my first suspect, in your case. Only by substituting with a known good PSU, with the proper power rating and connectors, can you be sure. High temps on the cpu will cause a similar problem, as the BIOS throttles and then shuts down the system to protect itself.

You have already checked for loose connections, bulging capacitors on the mobo, RAM sticks knocked loose from their slots, and graphic boards that have wriggled partially loose, right?

Figured you had, of course. Be sure to check the tightness of the heatsink against the cpu. The pins that Intel uses are not always good holders. Also, clean out any dust, dirt and hair to help keep the temps down. Note that if anything like hair gets caught up in a fan, the fan can take a lot more power to turn it, or turn slower than it should - increasing case and component temps.