I need a new computer

[Pruka]

Nothing new here, another computer newbie coming to the forum asking for help with a new computer. Currently I have an Alienware Area 51M that I purchased back in 2010. Since I've had it, it's been a great computer. Two weeks ago I started to have issues and took it into the repair shop. They determined there is an issue with the cooling system, they cannot replace it so they directed me to contact Alienware. Since I am out of town on business I contacted Alienware tech support who informed me it was a legacy computer, but in order to troubleshoot the issue and determine what needed fixed I would need to be at my computer.

Well... I cannot be there until Thursday so of course I am sitting in my hotel room going stir crazy wondering if it is just time to purchase a new computer. Obviously I have been out of the market for 5-years and have absolutely no clue about what to buy. So I go to the Alienware site and basically learn that for me to purchase a computer it will be $2300 - $2600, while I could afford it, my wife would most likely give me a beating if I spent that much money on a computer.

Clearly I have no experience with building a computer myself, though I would not mind giving it a shot, then again I do not mind buying a computer preassembled either.

All I play on my computer is WOW, current set up allows me to play on pretty much ultra video settings in WOW with a 100-102 FPS. I prefer to keep that performance, but to do so do I need to purchase another high end computer? Or is WOW so old now I could get away with a lower price point system and still be able to achieve the same performance results?

All I am looking for is the ability to play WoW, surf the internet to well.. surf and pay bills and create excel spreadsheets for the budget etc.

I do not want a bottom of the barrel computer in case I decide I want to play something like a Call of Duty FPS game. But I do not want to spend huge amounts of money either.

So I come to you ladies and gentlemen with a request. Should I build a computer? If so any clear guidance on what items to purchase? Should I just go to Walmart and get a $500 preassembled thing? (LOL), or is Alienware what I need to get the performance I am after?

Final thing, I play WoW to raid, I am not casual but not a mythic bleeding edge guy either. But as the tank, I kind of need to see the battlefield clearly, with no video lag or processing hangups.


Thank you for your time in reading and hopefully giving me some guidance.

[chazus]

A couple things.

1) Moving this to the correct forum

2) What are the exact components of the system? You could possibly move some parts to a newer system to save some money.

[Deleted]

As Chazus said you need to tell us the specs of your rig. After looking around "Alienware Area 51M" comes up as a pretty old laptop?