For 1K?? Build one ffs.

I would be cautious about that deal. Devil is in the details. The PSU is probably a cheap, crap chinese OEM, the motherboard is really an entry level board and the optical drive is unspecified.

If I were you, I would start from a DIY kit like this one :

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.644166

add the optical drive that fits your needs, like for instance a !dvd burner & Blu Ray reader combo :

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151222

and a suitable graphic card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127565

Of course, you will have to add an OS ( win 7 home 64bit oem f.i.)

Or contact the seller and ask him a quote fo an upgraded version of this computer ( better MB, larger HDD, quality PSU and Graphic card )

That looks like a really good deal there. How much memory do I need? I know I'll need more than 4GB.

4GB is the minimum; 8GB is desirable. With 64-bit Windows, a 32-bit application is allowed to use 4GB; so you want 4GB plus something so Windows doesn't have to compete for memory, and it's easiest just to get 2x4GB.

Newegg doesn't guarantee compatibility on those kits, and there are known issues with that motherboard and G.Skill-branded memory. I would not use that memory. I have the same motherboard (it is a good one), and I use Corsair memory (16GB of Vengeance DDR3-1600) with it.

The only other questionable part is the disk drive. Seagate "Barracuda" is the bottom of the barrel. Almost any other would be better.

"Newegg.com cannot guarantee the compatibility of Combo items. Please contact the manufacturer(s) directly if you have issues or concerns regarding compatibility."

Okay, so is that combo compatible with this memory: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233144&cm_sp=DailyDeal-_-20-233-144-_-Product

and this video card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127565

Also, are there any precautions I should take when putting this together, like static prevention?

They are compatible as far as I can tell. However, before you rush out and buy them, a word of warning.

See those spiky things sticking out of the RAM sticks? I have no idea what they do. I suppose that they are claimed to work like heatsinks, at least in the marketing world. Even if they are, they're irrelevant, because if your RAM is overheating you're likely to have a problem that makes $45 worth of RAM look pretty meaningless. I do know that they pretty much double the height of the sticks, which can be a problem if you've got a CPU cooler like mine (a Noctua NH-U12P-SE2; I'm sure many others suffer from the same problem) that, if oriented in a certain way, hovers over a RAM slot of two. I'd suggest you buy just some normal-looking RAM like these Kingstons or normal Corsairs.

RAM : The things to check are the voltage ( 1.5 v for this MB) , the speed and the type (unbuffered). In this case, all three parameters match the requirements of the MB

GPU : yes, fairly standard issue. The main thing to consider is whether the PSU is sufficient and has the right connector. The Antec PSU in this combo is (more than) powerful enough of a single 560 ti and has 2 6+2 connectors, meaning its connectors will match anything currently on the market

Precuations : yes. There are quite a few interesting tutorials on the net on how to build a PC

edit : sorry for the typos. Quite tired

Thanks for the warning, I didn't even notice those spikes. If everything fits, I think I've found my computer. I'm not too worried about the hard drive. I just want something that works right now. If I need to, I'll upgrade eventually.

Except for a few USB optical drives, I'm not sure that anybody even manufacturers combo drives of that sort any more, or at least they're no longer common. These days if you're buying a combo drive it's much more likely to read Bluray and only burn CDs and DVDs. At this point there's just very little money to be saved by not allowing for DVD burning.

Would something like this run the Witcher 2? I've read alot of reviews that say this computer and card are great for their money. They said the power supply is fine too.

http://www.amazon.com/Microtel-Computer%C2%AE-AMTI9041-Processor-Microsoft/dp/B004FRSVPU/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1329626964&sr=1-5

A lot of reviews from naive consumers mean nothing. Here's some informed comment on Microtel PCs:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1038397919

Microtel uses crummy power supplies, usually Thermaltake TR2's. There is no way I am trusting all that expensive electronics to a Thermaltake made by a manufacturer of cheap power supply shaped objects like FSP or HEC (Thermaltake's usual OEMs).

That said, I have actually used a number of FSP-made Thermaltake TR2's (never the much worse HEC-made), and they're not totally awful, but they are strictly a niche power supply useful for the single purpose of replacing blown power supplies in obsolete computers. They have features like high current at +5V that are useful in old computers but useless in new ones.

They cannot and should never be used in a modern computer with a medium to high range graphics card that requires high current and excellent regulation at +12V, because they just don't have that and aren't meant for that.

If I were to buy it and upgrade it immediately with a good, 650w or higher PSU, would it be a good starter PC? I don't need the absolute highest end yet I don't think, and I'm planning on upgrading at some point anyway. Or would buying a pre built pc from cyberpowerpc or something be my best bet?

But they are right. I"ve never heard of microtel either.

If you're uncomfortable as you've said before with building your own, then don't take the risk yet. Buy prebuilt. Though the hardware purists will cry foul, truth is you don't save money on DIYs anymore, not more than a few percent. You just get more freedom to choose your hardware. Also, the price of a good power supply is high enough to make that a questionable choice for upgrade on a budget. You're much better off finding a computer that needs RAM or a bigger HDD or a DVD combo than a good power supply.

If you get a quad or hex core AMD and 16+GB RAM, you can throw in a midrange gig video card and get a really good gaming experience. Downside is you're locking yourself into a motherboard for the inferior (speed-wise) CPU manufacturer. But it'll be cheap.

If you get one of the second-gen i5 CPUs with 16+GB RAM (and, really, 16+GB RAM is an excellent use of $100) and a 1 gig midrange video card, you'll also get a really good gaming experience. It'll probably cost you a little more, but you'll be able to upgrade the CU later when the i7s get cheap.

Cyberpower isn't a bad choice for a cheap PC. But I see you're from the US. If you're on the west coast, go to a Fry's and see what's on sale. Anywhere else, try a Best Buy or, if you can handle the crowds, WalMart. You're not looking for an overpowered monster, so you just might find a really good deal on something on sale locally. It's worth a look, anyway.

It's not really great value either. The Phenom II 965 is not a bad CPU, but it is quite dated now. The Geforce 550 is not that great.

I'm not really aware of the US market, but I assume It's still cheaper than here ( If I can judge by comparing dell prices, of from the infor on Newegg). Yet the microtel config wouldn't even be considered good value here.

Just compare with this : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229292

(and before I get flamed , yes, AMD FX series is a disappointment but a 8120 still delivers something like 20 to 25% more performance than a Phenom II X4 965. Coupled to a Radeon 6870, it clearly beats the Microtel config and shows how overpriced it is

i would still recommend an Intel 2500K rather than an AMD Bulldozer though . If you conider buying a config and changing one component, why not start from this :

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229284

And replace the graphic card by a Radeon 6870 or a Nvidia 560 ti ?

I think I've made my decision, but before I do, is this a good computer? http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.827606

I know it's an AMD processor, but it has a really good power supply and video card already packaged in. I'm not planning on overclocking or doing anything fancy with it, if that's a problem with the AMD CPUs.