So I was looking through the PC ads in the newspaper, and I saw a desktop computer for $500 that's looks very interesting. It's almost an impulse buy at this point. I was wondering, how good at gaming is it? I know a lot about computers, but not the very technical stuff, so I was wondering what you guys thought. The specs are below.

OS: Windows 7 Home Edition

CPU: AMD Athlon II Quad-Core at 2.5GHZ

RAM: 8 GB

GPU: Nvidia Geforce 9100 with 256 MB of video ram. Includes DirectX 10 (not 100% sure)

DVD/CD writer with Lightscribe technology

It also comes with a 20' inch monitor and a free printer after rebates.

So what are your opinions? I've read things about the 9100, and that it's performance is more comparable to an 8400. So could this card stand high graphics or not? I'm not planning on doing heavy gaming on it, but I would like to pick up a game and not have to mess with graphics settings and drivers. I'll be using it also for HD video rendering. Overall, I think this would be an awesome purchase, a huge upgrade from the Windows 2000 computer I'm using right now. I think this computer would be perfect for me, but is there something suspicious in the ads that I'm missing? Let me know what you think. Thanks.

Obviously it'll depend on the game and settings you want to play, but that card is rather weak.

Of course, if the card isn't that good, I can always add one.

You will have to change the card and probably the power supply.

I got a very similar computer for 400 bucks, but it probably had a crappier card and a 300W supply, got it for the gf and I'm about to pick it up on monday. Not sure if it came with a monitor though.

Would changing the power supply mess up the hardware in the computer? And I'm also thinking of a 9800GTX or something along those lines to add to it. And I think the 9100 is integrated, or on-board, so there might be a free PCI slot or something.

No, also make sure the graphics card will fit, some of these pre-built PCs are the room saving types and need compact only cards.

From gaming point of view this looks like crap.

Either you typo'd or that's a false advertisement, since presently, if I'm not mistaken, the only Athlon II X4s are clocked at 2.6 or 2.8 GHz, not 2.5. :o

You're right. I just got the computer this morning at 6:00 am. I just checked my system info and it is 2.6 GHZ. The advertisements must have rounded it down or something.

Have you decided on a graphics card? I suggest the GTS 250 at $110.