NCIX Pre-Configured Systems
 

So I currently have a iMac in which the video card and HD have fried (8800 GS, 500 GB HD) and the repair shop is stating its going to cost $440 for the card, $60 for HD and $180 for install.

The iMac is worth about $1000 on the used market and the store is offering me $500 if I wish to sell it to them. I'm pretty pissed that the repair cost is so much for apple parts especially since this video card is 2 years old and probably worth $50 bucks if I had a PC... and if I had a PC and my video card went I could simply replace it with either the same card for way cheaper or upgrade, with the iMac this isnt possible. So the short of it is I am wanting to move back to owning a PC

NCIX seems to be the go to place and there is one located near my house... So my question is: Are the pre-configured systems found here http://pc.ncix.com/ncixpc/ any good? My budget is around $1500 and I do require everything but the mouse (PC, Monitor, Keyboard).

Is there one of these systems you recommend? or should I go the total custom route? and if so since I have been out of the PC scene for 2 years what do you recommend?

$440 for a 8800 GS? WTF?

The pre-configured systems are not bad. What are you mainly using your PC for? Gaming? Video Editing? Not knowing what you'll mainly use your PC for, kinda hard to recommend a keyboard tbh, I use a standard multimedia keyboard and I use my PC for gaming.

I'm assuming you'll need an OS as well?

Gaming and normal PC use...I will require Windows 7 aswell.

CPU: Intel Core i5 750 ($228)
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 460 ($255)
MoBo: MSI P55-GD55 ($109)
RAM: G.Skill RipJaws 4GB DDR3 ($98)
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB ($89)
DVD/RW: Samsung SH-S223C ($30)
Case: CoolerMaster HAF 932 ($150) <-- looks ugly imo but pretty good
PSU: Corsair TX-750 ($145)
Monitor: Samsung 2494SW 24" ($240)
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit ($123)
Keyboard: Logitech Wave ($20)

Total: $1487
Prices after instant rebates, on-sale etc. but BEFORE mail-in rebates

You didn't specify whether or not $1500 was before or after taxes so I'm assuming it's before. Monitor, Keyboard and other small things will vary since those are pretty much personal preference. I've been out of the computer scene for a bit so my recommendations might not the best but I'm telling you what I know.

Thanks for your recommendation!

Not sure if you can do that but I won't say they won't. If you don't mind ordering online you should do that instead. They charge you $50 for PC Assembly which is pretty good imo but I don't know how fast they can build it and get it ready since they have other systems to build too. Another option would be to just order the stuff and build it yourself. If you don't think you can, get a friend to do it. If neither is possible shoot me a PM

ya just pick and choose the part urself @ ncix and pay 50bux for the assembly say urself the trouble. and use shopbot to price match. i recently helped my friend build a computer and the guy at ncix just price matched everything for me without even bother checking whether the link was accurate/in stock lol i ended up saving close to 600 bux in total. 70bux off each set of corsair dominator gt rams :D

Use www.shopbot.ca and www.pricebat.ca to price match with NCIX.

i'm not familiar with the innards of an imac, so i don't know if the video card is a different shape than the ones you buy for a pc, but the HDD swap looks very doable.

ya its not the cost of the HD ($60) its the cost and replacement of the Video card that has me pissed off and its not something I can do myself as I believe its soteried onto the mobo

When price matching do I just print off the website? or do they check it online when I am there?

When you add an item to your cart, you're given a price match option. Make sure you read the rules (basically the item can't be on sale and it must be from a canadian store/canadian funds or both I think) and they can deny the price match if it doesn't follow the rules. Most of the price matching I've done in the past have been accepted though

Thanks! with the price matching I got the total down about $150 bucks and just finished placing my order!

thanks again for your help... lets just hope they process the order in a timely fasion as not having a PC is killing me hahaha

Np, glad I could help :)

Btw I recommend picking it up (you stated you lived near an NCIX branch). I personally found it faster and it seems safer picking up a fully assembled rather than getting it shipped. Hope you'll be happy with your new PC :)

Edit: Price matching might take longer than usual fyi

honestly if you are going to go for the i5, dont.

mind as well go for the AMD X6 1055T since they are going to be very similar price wise but performance wise X6 1055T > i5 by a little, and having a extra 2 core is a bit more futureproof
unless you spend the extra bit for the i7

both can easily be overclocked to 4ghz no problems

I'm looking to build a comp soon. Don't really have a budget but would like to get a comp around 1000 or a bit more including montor, mouse and keyboard. I'll be using the comp for gaming, normal and movies. I haven't been playing games for a while so I don't know what I'll need in the comp. I would also liek an external hard drive also. 500 gigs ish. Also the monitor preferred 24 inch. CAn anyone help me set one up plz? thank you