For those who need a basic gaming machine (like two of my three kids), I decided to do a little experiment I like to call "how little can I spend to put together a CoX-capable desktop?".
I already did this for myself, and spent less than $200. I have two kids who played CoH right until the close, and to his credit, my stepson introduced us all to the game. Two of those three told me they no longer have basic gaming rigs, but that they'd want to play again if the game returned, so I decided I'd get enough parts to build 2 more machines roughly like what I built for myself. For the record, I have a HP/Compaq dc5800 (small form factor) desktop with 6GB Ram, Windows 7 Pro 64-bit, a 1TB HDD, and a Geforce GT 640 graphics card. I was willing to go with a smaller HDD for the other machines, only 4GB RAM, and Windows 7 Home Premium (I got Pro because of a student-only upgrade thing purchased years ago).
Here's the run down of what I purchased:
- Two HP/Compaq dc5800 small form factor desktop computers (1GB RAM, no HDD, boots to BIOS), ebay from GreenCitizen (a popular corporate recycler): about $32 each (including shipping);
- 3 GB RAM (three 1GB sticks of PC6400/240-pin to bring each machine up to 4GB), $21 per machine ($7 per 1GB stick, also with free shipping, from eBay);
- Two 250GB SATAII hard drives from newegg.com for $29 each, also free shipping;
- Two GeForce GT 640 cards for PCI Express 2.0 slots with small-form-factor brackets (the dc5800 has a PCI Express 1.0 slot that's fully compatible with 2.0 hardware), cost each ~$55 ($70 each, and I happened to catch a NewEgg $30 rebate on MSI brand cards, one per customer, so I'm averaging), also free shipping;
- Two licenses for Windows 7 Home Premium, $29 each. From eBay, also free shipping;
- I had to spend $1 per mounting screw for the type needed to put HDDs into these machines, so add $4 each;
- I also installed Ubuntu 14.04.1 "alongside" Windows. Personally, I only boot to windows for games that cannot be made to run in Linux, and I boot to Ubuntu for ANYTHING else. I'm a "red pill" type, but I understand if you choose not to be. Cost: ZERO! (Yeah, some time to install, and to let Windows check the integrity of the re-sized partiiton, but no money).
Bada Bing, Bada Bing! Two CoX-capable desktop PCs, average cost each: $170 (just the computer, not the keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, network cables or power cords). About those parts: Keyboard, mouse, speakers, network cables and power cords are something I have plenty of because I've been building my own PCs for many years. If you don't have these lying around, check local garage sales, thrift stores, or ask your generous local computer geek. You should be able to find all this for dirt cheap with minimal effort. As for monitors, these are the only high-ticket item not factored in above. If you have a TV with HDMI input, you're in luck, as the MSI Geforce GT 640 cards sold by NewEgg (with small-form-factor brackets) also have an HDMI output port. Any used computer monitor (19-inch or above) will work fine, and if you don't have one sitting around you should be able to also find at a thrift store, garage sale or your local tech-savvy neighbor. If you do need to buy one, expect to spend around $25 used. That still comes in under $200 total. Your mileage may vary, OF COURSE.
In conclusion, if any of you cash-strapped CoX fans need to come up with a basic gaming machine for the return of our beloved game, know that you can do it less than $200, with a little basement bargaining (some eBay, some newegg.com), and with the ability to install RAM, video cards, hard drives, operating systems from CDs/DVDs. Your local CoX-loving geek can probably help if you don't know how to do all that. Be sure to consult with her or him first, so you order the right (compatible with each other) parts.
Good luck in your own efforts! Anyone in central AZ who needs help, feel free to PM me.