A newb choosing an used computer

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Amagic

Baron
I'm trying to find a decent used computer, since my budget for computer related stuff is painfully small, so I can't waste much on individual parts or complete sets. I don't know much about the technical parts of computers, I just shoot off people's heads in computer games so I'll ask for advice here. I've chosen three sets that caught my eye, and my question is: how good are these for playing games? I'm not looking to play Crysis 2 maxed out. If it can run games on medium graphics without stuttering or other problems, I'm happy enough. They are:

First one:
Processor: Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E8200 (6M Cache, 2.66 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-G31M-ES2l
Memory: 2GB DDRII PC6400
Graphics: integrated + HD5450 512mb DDR3 (warranty)
HDD: 320GB
Windows 7
Second:
AMD Athlon II X2 245
4 GB DDR2 RAM
1000 GB=1 TB HDD
Club 3D 9500GT 512 MB DDR2
Third:
*CPU Type DualCore AMD Athlon 64 X2, 2800 MHz (14 x 200) 5600+
*Motherboard Name Asus M2N68-LA (Narra2) (2 PCI, 1 PCI-E x1, 1 PCI-E x16, 4 DDR2 DIMM, Audio, Video, LAN, IEEE-1394)
* Motherboard Chipset nVIDIA nForce 6150SE-430, AMD Hammer
*4 gb ram ddr2-667
*Disk Drive SAMSUNG HD501LJ SCSI Disk Device (500 GB, 7200 RPM, SATA-II)
*Graphics ATI Radeon HD 4890superclocked (1024 MB)

There's also this, but it's on auction, so the price may grow too high, otherwise I think this would be the one:

processor - AMD Phenom 9650 Quad
memory - DDR2 2GB 6400-800 Apacer
motherboard - Gigabyte GA-MA770-DS3 s.AM2+
Graphics - 512MB Gigabyte 9800GTХ+
HDD - 500GB Seagate/Maxtor SATAII 7200 32M
DVD - DVDRW LG H22LP20 LS 22x must
case - Frontier WI09A-BK/SV no PSU

Apart from the computer, I got all the other stuff, like monitor, keyboard + mouse etc. Also got an external HDD so space isn't very important. Also left out some of the not-so-important stuff like memory card readers etc. I'd be grateful if you can help me choose.
 
Well, I'd rather not go over 300€, computers aren't something I'd like to sink all my money into. If I find a really good offer, I might throw in a hundred extra. Since I'm looking for an used computer, 300€ should find me something good.
 
You could probably build a decent machine for 300 euros (or at least $300, not sure about euros)

How much do the respective PC's cost?

If I'm not mistaken, the third one doesn't really have much potential in terms of upgrading the processor which could cause problems later on. Of course, if somebody else with a bit more knowledge says differently, listen to them.  The first selection's motherboard is an LGA775 (same as my current motherboard) which means that getting a Quad-core is rather pricey (2.8 ghz for $220 is the best I've found), so you'll likely regret that purchase eventually (I'm going to be getting a new motherboard soon).
 
My friend recommended me this piece instead. Costs a full 300€ but allegedly runs Crysis 2 on high graphics without any hicups. If that's true, then it's a sick deal for just 300€. I decided to go check it out at the sellers place. I'll take it if it works like he claims it does. Specs are:

Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU E8400 @ 3.00GHz
4 GB Dual Channel DDR3 1066 MHz RAM
ATI Radeon HD 4870
2x HDD: 500GB / 80GB

Certainly sounds better than the other computers I found.
 
I'm not sure if a dual-core will run Crysis 2 at highest graphics. I do know that a quad-core with those specs probably could. The video card is a bit dated, with the standard ATI's being in the 5 or 6 thousand series these days.
 
Yeah a Core2 dual wouldn't like Crysis 2.

An i5 or maybe an i3 dual would be okay I'd think.
 
Never said it would run Crysis 2 maxed out, just on a playable level. Besides, I was just given that as a comparison, I'm not much interested in that game. Still, sounds pretty good for just 300€, no? At the very least I would have a decent base to start upgrading piece by piece.
 
Don't worry overly much about the video card at first, as most games can still be run on 512mb of video memory. Look into getting a decent CPU or some RAM as soon as you get your hands on enough money.
 
4 Gig's is fine...

Havoc runs 3 and he plays most games at pretty much max.
 
Bought it, tried it, loved it. Ran a huge battle in ETW for a test, max graphics and all. Worked like a charm.

EDIT: Tested it on another dozen games, max graphics and all. I have absolutely no problems at all (except it's a Vista, but that's a different kind of problem) when it comes to performance. Thanks for the advice.
 
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