Wolverines

The one on www.woot.com

Seemed like a good deal, and if it turns out to blow, I can always just use it at the pizzeria and build one for myself

It's a Gateway.

Specs:

    *  Intel Core2 Quad Processor Q8200 featuring 4 processing cores, 1333MHz frontside bus, 4MB L2 cache and 2.33GHz processor speed per core
    * 4 complete execution cores in 1 processor for better multitasking and multithreaded performance
    * Intel® Smart Memory Access optimizes data bandwidth to accelerate and improve instruction throughput
    * Intel Advanced Digital Media Boost accelerates the execution of Streaming SIMD Extension (SSE) instructions to significantly improve the Media Boost performance on a broad range of applications
    * 8GB (8192MB) 800MHz DDR2 Dual Channel Memory (4×2048MB Modules) for multitasking power
    * NVIDIA® GeForce® GT120 Graphics with 1GB DDR2 Total Video Memory
    * HDMI output easily connects to a TV
    * 640GB 7200RPM SATA II hard drive with 16MB Cache provides enough storage for your data at fast read/write speeds
    * 15-in-1 High Speed Digital Media Card Reader with Smart Copy Button
    * 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 port)
    * 18X DVD +/- RW Super Multi-Format Dual Layer Drive featuring Labelfash Technology Records up to 8.5GB of data or 4 hours of video
    * Built-in HD TV tuner lets you watch and record live television
    * 8-Channel (7.1) High Definition Audio with Dolby Home Theater® Sound
    * Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit with SP1 preloaded

For under $500 seemed like a good deal to get me out of the dinosaur age.

I stopped reading after "It's a Gateway"

i know what you were using before you'll keep this

great deal for the price most def

good buy.  I saw that today.  I might've bitten too if I didn't already have too many computers.  I need to dump some of this old stuff.

http://www.gateway.com/systems/product/529668232.php  might be cheaper other places but on the gateway site its 300 bucks more, can't beat 5 dollars shipping too.

I hate Gateway with every fiber of my being but this looks like it was a pretty sweet deal.  Good pickup Stu.

I agree with all of the thread, had to force myself to continue reading after "Gateway". But the computer specs are nice and blow the heck out of my ice age computer. To me 8gb of RAM seems overkill, but that is because I haven't built a computer in 5 years. Good deal, don't see any issues and a great price. Should get the free upgrade to Windows 7 as well.

I'm not a bit fan of Gateway either.  When I worked for DHL I one of the accounts we had was picking up and returning defective Laptops for them.  We got alot of them.  But....for those that don't know this is my system now:

AMD athlon xp 2200+ 1.81 ghz
2 gigs ram
250 gig hd
ati radeon 3600 series 512mb

And...I don't remember the rest of the specs
Built about 5 or 6 years ago and still chugs along ok but haven't been able to play much brand new in a couple years so...we'll see how this gateway does.

those new gaming rigs that are orange and black are nice

I built mine when PCIexpress came out, so it has AMD singlecore 2.8, Nvidia 6800GS overcloaked, 2 gigs RAM dualchannel, ASUS nForce mobo. Pretty much went for economy on all parts getting most speed for the cost, think I spent total around 450 including antec powersupply. It still plays most new games, but frames average is probably 20-30 now. (running xp)

heh mine is agp, pre pciexpress.  Don't even remember that being an option back then.

nice rig.

got it in the mail today, going to order some cooling fans for the case and maybe a ps upgrade.  Not a bad starting point I think, read all the reviews and I guess theres a problem with it overheating after a bit.  The lack of case fans could be the problem.

Stu, im sure you know this, but if you get a psu upgrade make sure you get one with a PCI-E connection, most of them do have this today, but when i made my "big upgrade" i missed the fact that most mid to high end vid cards need at least one (and sometimes 2) of these.

OK I'll keep that in mind, thanks Varg.