My old custom gaming computer has dies. The computer geek said that my mother board is fried and he has proposed a replacement, Lenovo that he states is far superior than my old system. I have never heard of this company and don't know what questions to ask before I give him the go ahead. It has Windows7 which I am not crazy about, love my WXP. What are the basic questions I should ask before I tell him to start rebuilding. This msy seem starnge for someone like me who has playd games since 1995 and have had several computers but this gaming computer hs dsigned by a friend of mine who knew what was needed for the long haul.

Lenovo is a Chinese company which bought out parts of IBM. Their laptops are said to be great business machines. I don't know anything about them as far as building gaming computers.

Are you talking about a laptop? All of the Lenovos I've worked on have been laptops.

If you are looking for a gaming desktop, then a lot of people here have had great luck with eCollegePC which will build a computer for you from scratch. They also provide a 3 year parts and labor warranty at no extra charge.

Do not be afraid of Windows 7 - especially for gaming. Check out the Windows 7 and Games thread stickied in the Glitches forum to get a feeling for how games are working on Windows 7. Keep in mind that XP is an ancient operating system by technology standards and is being phased out. In less than 2 years, Microsoft will no longer provide support for it.

I'm sure if you post your preferences for laptop or desktop, what kind of games you play and your budget, you will get a lot of good recommendations. The critical thing for gaming is to get a good stand-alone video card, not a video chip integrated into the motherboard.

Thanks for the response. This guy knows that I want a desktop and not a lap top. After zi posted here I did some research and found that they do make desktops but was unable to find any reviews from folk who own one. I have asked about the video card and I am waiting for a response from him. All I know right now is that it runs Windows 7, has 4GB of ram and has 500 GB hard drive...I will keep you posted on my decision.

Lexxy you can find Lenovo desktop computers at Staples and BestBuy. If you go to Staples on line you can read reviews on them. From what I've read there are lots of positive comments.

There is a Best Buy and Staples just minutes from my house. I will check them out this week end before I give my tech the go ahead.

However, do not buy one of those from Best Buy or Staples. Neither store carries computers with stand-alone video cards. They only carry computers with integrated graphics which you will not be happy with for gaming.

Besides asking about the video card, ask about the power supply's wattage.

Also ask whether the RAM can be upgraded. 4GB may be OK for now, but in a couple of years, who knows?

Find out if it's a 64-bit Windows 7. It probably is, since most pre-installed Windows 7 being sold is 64-bit. But if it's 32-bit, that limits the usefulness of upgrading RAM.

Don't let anyone tell you a brand name computer is better than a homemade. Some name brands are reliable, but that doesn't equate to a good gaming machine if the computer is designed only for business apps.

Thanks all for the input and advice. I checked back with him and it was an intergrated sound and video card that he was prepared to sell me. The good thing is that he can customize it to my specs and I will insist on a good video card and the ram can be up graded to 8GB. Speaking of a solid video card any suggestions. I feel so lost and totally uninformed when I talk to him and I don't like feeling dumb.

If you upgrade the video card, make sure the power supply has enough wattage to accommodate it.

Be SURE to also ask about the power supply as Jenny suggested. These OEM computers tend to put in vastly underpowered power supplies. What video card to ask for is very much dependent on the power supply. I would also get a firm price from him and then compare what that same computer would cost if a company like eCollegePC built it. Also ask what kind of warranty he provides on parts and labor.

An integrated sound card is not as big of a deal as the majority of integrated sound is pretty decent. If great sound is a priority for you, then you should ask for a sound card.

Ask him what brand and model the motherboard is. How many USB ports does it have? Does it support USB 3.0? I'm not saying you need USB 3.0, but it's good information to have. Some of the low end motherboards only have 2 or maybe 4 USB ports - which may or may not be enough. Again, it's just good information to have.

Also ask what the CPU or processor is. Is it a current generation AMD or Intel processor?

Ask how many fans there are in the case. If you start adding more demanding components such as a good video card, cooling will be important. A lot of the cases I open up to work on a computer only have a little 80 mm fan on the back which would not begin to properly ventilate a higher end computer.

What Draclvr has stated is very sound advice ! What I would advise against , is onboard video . Run from onboard video ! Run far and fast ! Having 8 GB of ram would be wise as well . Depending on the motherboard , up to 32Gb of ram can be utilized . Insist on a quality video card and psu . The psu is the heart of a computer ! Just one last bit of information . For example , if a video card recommends a psu rated at 450 watts , it is highly advisable to have some leeway , meaning , instead of a 450 watt psu , utilize a 550 watt or 600 watt psu . Working a psu too hard will shorten it's life , & quite possibly cause the failure of other system components .

I want to thank everyone for the advice and help you have offered so far. I talked to my tech guy last night and I am almost ready to give him the go ahead but I m confused about his wanting me to go with intel HD Graphics 2000. I know little about it but he said that it will save me a lot of money using this intergrated card as opposed to a stand alone grapgic card which could cost me any where to $120.00 and up. The specs so far is a Lenova intel core i5-2310,3.0GHz, 8GB DDR3,1.5TB HDD DVDRW, windows 7 64bit running Windows 7 Home Premium. Everything seems acceptable except for the video card. I will ask if one can disable the intergrated card and insert a stand alone card. Do I need to ask if there is an expansion slot? I am more knowledgable now that I have talked to you sll but I still feel there are a lot of questions I should ask. I will double check but I think the power is 280 watts, but that too could be increased couldn't it?

Here's the thing about onboard video . For starters , what your "tech guy" is attempting to convince you to go with , how do I put this politely , stinks ! What onboard video does , is utilize memory from the system's memory . Depending on how much the onboard video utilizes , it could be 1gb or more . So , instead of 8GB or ram , you will have less , maybe 7GB of ram . That's just an example .

All modern motherboards have at least one pci-e slot for a dedicated video card , so requesting a video card will be just a question of what you are looking for , and what you can afford to pay . A dedicated video card will automatically require an upgraded psu . That puny 280 watt would , in all probability , fry as son as you tried to power on your computer if you get any decent video card . I would definitely suggest a good video card & psu ! What psu you decide on , mostly depends on the video card you choose . Expect to pay at least $75 for a decent psu .Your quote of $120 and up for a decent video card is pretty accurate though .

It almost seems like your tech guy is wanting to do things his way , instead of yours . If you are going to pay him to build a computer , you are the boss . He builds a computer to your specifications , or go to someone who will build a computer to your specifications !

lexxie, this is not a video card. It is video which is integrated into the CPU itself, in this case the 2nd Generation (or Sandy Bridge) Core i5. It's not the same as graphics that are integrated into the motherboard. I'm not sure how it utilizes memory - from the CPU or from the motherboard.

To be honest, I've been asking the question about these new generation Sandy Bridge CPU integrated graphics and gaming and have found no consensus around the internet.

To know what type of expansion slots are available, you need to ask about that motherboard. My main concern with this PC is that it is a small form factor which may limit your expansion options even if you wanted to get a separate video card. Plus, most of these small form factor cases have extremely limited cooling options.

Then there is that power supply - 280 watts is not enough for any upgrades at all. Then if you want to upgrade the power supply, you will be very limited in your choices because of the small form factor of the case.

If you are set on buying something from this tech guy, and can live with these limits and the unknown about the integrated CPU graphics, then it's not a bad general purpose computer. I'd be concerned it might not be the best choice for a gaming PC - even casual games which are having higher computer specs all the time.

Hopefully Jenny, Inland, Creeping Doom and some others can weigh in here too. This is a link to what I was able to find on a Lenovo desktop with these specs.

Lenovo Essential Desktops - H Series

EDIT: I was trying to be polite about what my impression is of this tech guy. But Creeping Doom said what I was REALLY thinking!

I followed the link you posted Draclvr . That particular computer appears as something that is used in shopping centers for cash registers .