Is there such a "rule of thumb" in the gaming computer world?
Yes. Your graphics subsystem and power supply are the places
to spend the bucks.
400W is not nearly enough to run a modern graphics card and
processor, plus at a minimum one optical and two or three hard
drives, plus other stuff. I had the PS issue on my last build:
http://esande.net/features/conroe.html
Not exactly professional photography but it gives the idea.
This is a fairly old machine but it still rocks, and contrary to
opinion it cost less than the equivalent Dell when I built it.
Much less.
Most folks don't seem to get that you need a LOT of graphics
horsepower when gaming. This is completely at variance with
what you need for a general purpose office computer.
In my experience, that is.
Would it make a difference if they started with an off-lease Dell
workstation from http://www.dfsdirectsales.com/, or are those too old?
BTW, that's quite a fan in your machine. Could heat the whole room, save
on your heating bill.
Betty
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