New computer

[Maverick]

Yeah I'm thinking of getting a new computer for myself for Christmas. And I need some recommendations.

My budget is about a grand - plus a few hundred at most. I'm not a gamer so keep that in mind when it comes to specifications.

Some help would be nice. There are so many choices out there its hard to decide.

[Whisper]

I know someones going to come on and be like KODIE'S AN IDIOT
but from what I know
this would do:
http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop_studio_17?c=us&cs=19&l=en&ref=lthp&s=dhs

inexpensive
great service

[Patchy]

Depends what your looking for, gaming? Work? Mainly Internet?

you could also delve into custom computing if you know how to follow instructions and have a bit of tech know-how.

[Blahages]

Are you looking for a prebuilt, one you can build yourself, or does it matter?

What would you be using it for? Just general use?

Do you need a Monitor (If so, what size?), Keyboard, Mouse, etc?

[Brandon639]

One of the new MacBooks would be nice, or an iMac :]

[Falk 'Ace' Flyer]

Not a gamer? Build one yourself. It'll set you back about $300. Or, if I were you, I'd invest in a laptop - a little more expensive, but again, you don't do anything...at all...so it doesn't have to be that great. HP for the win!

[theOperaGhost]

My laptop has been good...no problems thus far and it was about $650-700 without buying the warranty. I got a Gateway...one of the M-series.

[Maverick]

Are you looking for a prebuilt, one you can build yourself, or does it matter?
I never built a computer before, and I'm really not comfortable or confident trying to do so on my own.

What would you be using it for? Just general use?
Basically. The most extensive thing I'd do is watch a DVD.

Do you need a Monitor (If so, what size?), Keyboard, Mouse, etc?
Yes I need all of that. As for size, I have no particular preference. I guess something like 19" or 20" is standard nowadays?

[0=]

If you're spending a grand to watch DVDs you should look into a 24" monitor and surround sound or at least a high end 2.1 set and a decent sound card.

[Skhorpion]

As a computer tech I can give you some information on the prebuilts.

Dell is really your worst bet. We get a lot of Dell's in the shop, mostly with bad harddrives. If your power supply goes out in your Dell you have to buy a proprietary Dell power supply, which costs more than an aftermarket psu I might add, or else it'll take out the motherboard. Same for the motherboard, it has to be a Dell board or it'll die. There was one of those compact Dells, GX series I believe, in the shop yesterday with a bad motherboard because it had inferior cooling.

HP makes good laptops. Their desktops aren't that bad either. I haven't noticed any real common problem with them. The power supply isn't proprietary so that'll save you some money on repairs if it needs it. Don't get any of the compact ones though, this goes for any compact prebuilt desktop, they usually have a part go bad earlier than a full desktop, they're harder to upgrade due to limited space, and it's hard on your local computer tech to try and figure out their proprietary chassis. =P

Well those are the two main ones that I can think of right now. Personally, I would have one built, even if someone else has to build it, as it allows you to be much more flexible with it. If you want to try your hand at building it yourself you will learn a lot. I'm available on AIM/MSN/YIM if you want me to walk you through the build or anything.

[george]

Do you want a laptop or a desktop?

This is a pretty good desktop for its price and what you get.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9999101500050001&type=product&id=pcmprd101600050001

You can try customizing your own computers with maybe Dell, Gateway or Compaq.
http://compaq.com/country/index.html
http://www.dell.com/
http://www.gateway.com/retail/consumer.php?cmpid=topnav_shop

Or you can just buy an already made one from say Best Buy, Circuit City, or any other place. Would you be okay with ordering it online and having it delivered?

This is kind of an old model but its still a pretty good laptop.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8779397&type=product&id=1204332554359

[Whisper]

As a computer tech I can give you some information on the prebuilts.

Dell is really your worst bet. We get a lot of Dell's in the shop, mostly with bad harddrives. If your power supply goes out in your Dell you have to buy a proprietary Dell power supply, which costs more than an aftermarket psu I might add, or else it'll take out the motherboard. Same for the motherboard, it has to be a Dell board or it'll die. There was one of those compact Dells, GX series I believe, in the shop yesterday with a bad motherboard because it had inferior cooling.

HP makes good laptops. Their desktops aren't that bad either. I haven't noticed any real common problem with them. The power supply isn't proprietary so that'll save you some money on repairs if it needs it. Don't get any of the compact ones though, this goes for any compact prebuilt desktop, they usually have a part go bad earlier than a full desktop, they're harder to upgrade due to limited space, and it's hard on your local computer tech to try and figure out their proprietary chassis. =P

Well those are the two main ones that I can think of right now. Personally, I would have one built, even if someone else has to build it, as it allows you to be much more flexible with it. If you want to try your hand at building it yourself you will learn a lot. I'm available on AIM/MSN/YIM if you want me to walk you through the build or anything.


I've had a dell for 2 and a half yrs and I haven't had any severe trouble
my dads had the exact same dell desktop for like 6yrs and its holding strong

my friend had a problem with his he called dell and in less than 24hrs they were right at his door in duck fuck Alberta
they fixed it right in his house at no charge it was all part of his coverage he bought when he made the initial purchase

BAM
If your spending any amount of significant cash espicaly on something you NEED for school and such
Service is important

Dell has great service and IF I buy another PC it'll be either a Dell or Alienware
I want a mac though just for shits n tits

[DarkWingedAngel]

right now I got an MDG computer with a 19 inch BenQ monitor and it has worked pretty well for like 4 years
if I were you I would go for an MDG computer or a laptop

[Falk 'Ace' Flyer]

I've also had problems with Dells; our school used them for laptops, and they would constantly crash, the hard drive/motherboard would fail, or something stupid like that. I strongly recommend a cheap HP pre-built, and buy a large monitor.

[0=]

The only time I never encounter hardware-related issues is with a well-made custom-built. Computers from the big companies like Dell can't match up to a system you build yourself.

[Maverick]

Thanks guys for the help so far. You guys are awesome. ^_^

Other people have told me I should build my own computer. It sounds good and all but the problem is that I'm chicken. My biggest fear would be putting it all together and it not working.

The only hardware experience I really have is adding memory to an old computer a few years ago and plugging in a wireless antenna in a PCI slot. Does that count for anything? :P If its not too difficult I'll consider doing it.

[Jesse]

Putting a compter really isn't all that difficult. If you can match up shapes with their respective holes, then you can put together a computer. :p
There are some things that do require a bit of knowledge to put in there, but I'd be glad to help you if you get stuck. (Or I'm sure someone else here would be just as happy)
Also, if you do decide to build your own computer, DO NOT under any circumstances, forget the thermal paste. :)

[0=]

There are plenty of us who would be willing to walk you through it.

[Falk 'Ace' Flyer]

If you've put in RAM and something in a PCI slot, you've pretty much cover half of putting a computer together. The biggest problem people tend to have is getting parts that aren't compatible. Considering you're worried, however, I'd recommend investing in a grounding tool; they make pads that you keep on your wrist, and those work pretty well (so I've heard). It's extremely important that you keep yourself static-free while handling the parts, though it's not very difficult to do so. Other than that, there are step-by-step video guides online, plus it's rather intuitive; ther only thing I could see somebody switching up are the case's speaker/usb/etc. cables into the motherboard, as those are generally not labeled very well...although it's no big deal if you do mess them up.

[Maverick]

Thanks guys. Now where do you recommend I buy the parts from and what parts do you recommend I buy?

[Skhorpion]

Newegg is cheaper than Tigerdirect. Best bet right now is a socket 775 motherboard, Q6600 processor, 4gb DDR2, 700-800w power supply, whatever chassis tickles your pickle, whatever video card tickles your pickle, 1tb harddrive, and whatever else optional things you may want.

[Blahages]

Thanks guys. Now where do you recommend I buy the parts from and what parts do you recommend I buy?

Okay, Well, Here's a quick "Wishlist" I put together.

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=8024825

I don't know how much HDD space you want or need, and I just put together a computer that should last a while for most people.

I have that case on my Media Center/Server, and it seems good. Depends on your preference. Choose a different one if you like. :P

The video card will be sufficient for everything but higher end games. I have the EVGA 8800GS which is the same thing as the 9600GSO I listed, but a different branding and mine has a single slot cooler. Otherwise, it's the exact same. It more than handles everything I've thrown at it. IF I ever game it's Counter Strike: Source, and it plays that on highest without any issues.

The PSU will be more than Sufficient. The specs on that PC are similar to my Desktop. I have a Q6700 CPU (Basically the same, but a bit faster), Same HDD (Except mine has a smaller Cache), Same Video card (Different Model, but same card), Same PSU (Except mine's a 650watt because it was on Sale). I also have a DVD Burner, Aftermarket CPU Cooler, and it uses about 150-170 watts idle/standard load, and 290 or so MAX under load, so 500 watts will be MORE than enough for that config. Antec is also a lot better brand than most of the cheaper build PSUs out there.

My CPU is overclocked to 3.33GHz, so it uses a bit more power.

I have a Different Motherboard, so I don't know anything about that particular one, but it was a lot cheaper, and has good reviews.

I chose that monitor because I have the 22" version of that and absolutely love it.

You can probably see that monitor in person at most Best Buy or Circuit City stores if you wanted to see it in person before choosing.

If you're think that video card sounds good, but don't want to wait for the recertified one to come back into stock, or don't trust recertified, you can get the same card but new for 119$.

If you look around, like on Slickdeals.net, they list good deals on hardware and various other things each day. That's how I found some parts for my computer.

Those specs should be more than enough for most people, possibly minus the video card or HDD size. I've never had any performance issues with my Desktop under a similar config, although I did up my RAM to 8GB just because I do a lot of work with Virtual Machines, which use a lot of RAM.

Personally, I'd think about what you want, and then look through Newegg or Tigerdirect yourself and if there's something you think you'd like better or have questions about whether it is better than something else, go ahead and ask and we'll make the best effort to answer it.

As of right now, the total price on that wishlist is $977.85, but may go up or down after Friday.

If someone else could look through the wishlist I listed above it might be helpful. I'm not always really great at choosing hardware.

EDIT: I forgot to add a DVD Burner, so I added one.

EDIT2: Newegg just sent me their "Black Friday" Specials in Email:

http://promotions.newegg.com/NEemail/Nov-0-2008/BF24Nov28/index-landing.html?nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL112808&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL112808-_-email-_-E0-_-PromoWord&cm_lm=

The Antec P182 Case a little ways down the page on the left is the case I have on my main computer. It's a lot nicer than the one I posted above, and it's 89$ with the promo code listed in the link there, so if that looks good, there's that. :P It's normally listed as 170$. I got it for 125$ back in April which was the cheapest at the time.

[Skhorpion]

Blahages: That power supply is really lacking. I'd recommend a 700w minimum.

[Blahages]

Blahages: That power supply is really lacking. I'd recommend a 700w minimum.

Why? That PSU should be way more than adequate. With the Config I spec'd above, it shouldn't use more than 250-270 (If that) watts under full load.

I have a very similar spec'd machine, except with Q6700 CPU overclocked to 3.33GHz, Two HDDs, and twice the RAM and it never uses more than 300 Watts.

If he wants, he can always change it to a 650 or so, but it's really not needed unless you have a high-end video card or something. People tend to overkill on the PSU a lot of times, in terms of watts, or buy a brand that is a cheap POS. :P

EDIT: I just measured my Power Usage on my Desktop, and at Idle, it runs at about 152 Watts, and under the highest load I was able to give it (Running a CPU Stress Benchmark stressing the CPU's 4 cores at 100% and running 3DMark 06 to Stress the Video) I maxed out at 290 watts.

500 should still be more than enough. If the OP wants to up it to something higher, that's his purgative. :)

Here's the exact PSU I have if you want to know: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371011

I only went that high because it was on sale at the time and cheaper or like 5 dollars more than the 550 watt (I forget which).

If you're okay with spending a bit more at first (But then getting a rebate) this PSU is way more than you'd ever need, although WAY overkill: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

Anything 500w+ should be more than enough unless something strange happens, and anything 550w+ would definitely be overkill.

I'd recommend choosing something Antec or Corsair branded for PSU's. Make sure you post back with your decision on what PSU as well as what other parts you decide on before you buy them just to make sure everything should work well together.

This is actually the PSU I had orignally suggested to me when I was building my computer: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139001

[Falk 'Ace' Flyer]

@Bill - I'm not sure if you guys are familiar with what he does, but Anthony isn't much of a computer user...I doubt he needs a quad core, or 4GB of RAM. That being said, a 500 W PSU is sufficient, especially considering he won't be doing any overclocking...

Before you decide, I'd reconsider getting a laptop, as they can perform to the standards you need, and they're good for them smartuns in college.

[Blahages]

@Bill - I'm not sure if you guys are familiar with what he does, but Anthony isn't much of a computer user...I doubt he needs a quad core, or 4GB of RAM. That being said, a 500 W PSU is sufficient, especially considering he won't be doing any overclocking...

Before you decide, I'd reconsider getting a laptop, as they can perform to the standards you need, and they're good for them smartuns in college.

I know, that's what he said. I just figured I'd future-proof it to some degree.

He said he was planning on spending about that much on one, so I just went with it. :P

I can spec something lower if wanted. :P

[Aηdy]

I spoke to Ant about this on msn last night. But I really think that the specs you guys have posted are WAY over the top. Ok, yes, there is futureproofing, but then there's a waste of money.

Ant doesn't play games, he simply surfs the internet, goes on msn and does his work on it. I mean you could easily do all that on a bare minimun spec.

Ant, you'll be much better off buying a computer from Dell, cheap as chips, not over the top and you get all the customer service etc.

[Blahages]

Well, I don't know what type of computer he has right now.

If he's just going to be browsing the internet and writing papers or something, pretty much anything circa 1995 would work for that, minus a few annoying issues with the software.

Anything that can handle XP without any issue would be just fine.

All Right now, How about this?

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=13805547

$558.15. Athlon X2 4850e (Dual Core), 2GB RAM, Foxconn 780G Chipset Motherboard (With Integrated ATI Radeon 3200 HD), 500GB Seagate HDD, Antec Earthwatts 430watt PSU, Some Basic Black Case, Vista Home Premium x64, Acer 20" Widescreen LCD, and Samsung SATA DVD Burner.

Bah. :P

Personally, I'd still prefer 3 or 4GB of RAM with Vista under any Circumstance, but that's a choice I'll let you make. 2GB would probably be fine in most instances. It can always be added if the need arises.


OR, If you want some prebuilt computers:

You'll have to add a monitor (and possibly a mouse/keyboard) if you choose any of these:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9022924&type=product&id=1218009475406

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Compaq-Presario-SR5510F-Desktop-PC-KQ513AA-ABA/sem/rpsm/oid/213655/catOid/-12962/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8773464&type=product&id=1203815924037

EDIT: For Dell, there's this Computer:

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=19&fb=1&l=en&oc=ddcwdd3&s=dhs

Which if you customize it like this, comes out to 669$:

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b191/blahages/Dells.png

[0=]

Why so big on the Q6600? Higher clocked dual cores perform better in almost every application, and he's not planning on overclocking. The best bang for your buck is the E8400. 1333MHz FSB, 3GHz clocks, 6MB L2 cache, and it's a Penryn, so it uses extremely little power, and it only costs $160. Assuming you want the computer to be a high end media center and you already have a printer, speakers, etc...

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/930/neweggcomonceyouknowyouhf4.jpg

Take off $40 on the video card for the rebate and $50 on the monitor. If you don't give a shit about sound quality the sound card can be gotten rid of to save another $50. That can be added later, anyway; it's the core components that are important. If you can get a hold of a copy of Windows it'll be $90 cheaper, too, or you can save $10 if you don't mind Vista; I avoid it like the plague, but that system should handle it with hardly any performance hit, and 64-bit will recognize the full four gigs of RAM, so it's just down to personal preference. Based on those options it's a system ranging from $1,100-$1,240. I personally use that monitor (the flavor without an adjustable stand) and can vouch for its image quality and responsiveness. If you're not really going to use it for movies that much you can save a few hundred by going with a smaller monitor, lower end graphics card, and replacing the HD LG optical drive with another Samsung (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824005116 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127336), lowering the price range to $910-$1,050. If you're looking into a good set of 2.1 speakers I highly recommend the Logitech Z-2300s, they're $105 on Newegg.

[george]

You guys are turning this into a computer that YOU would want :P

[0=]

Actually, I basically made a non-gaming version of mine, so it's one I do have. That's better than picking random shit because I know the PSU, processor, monitor, etc. all perform well and are reliable. Only big differences are my sound card and video card are both better (I use it for gaming and a lot of music), but I don't have that LG drive yet, 2GB less RAM, and my HDD was purchased before 1TB was available. Not enough money to go around between guitar gear and computer hardware D:

[Falk 'Ace' Flyer]

Actually, I basically made a non-gaming version of mine, so it's one I do have. That's better than picking random shit because I know the PSU, processor, monitor, etc. all perform well and are reliable. Only big differences are my sound card and video card are both better (I use it for gaming and a lot of music), but I don't have that LG drive yet, 2GB less RAM, and my HDD was purchased before 1TB was available. Not enough money to go around between guitar gear and computer hardware D:

Are you kidding me? NON gaming? My GAMING rig had similar specs to those. Youtube doesn't need a 512 mb video card, MS Word doesn't need 4 GB RAM OR 3.0 ghz processor, and it's files certainly don't use up one terabyte. You also included two disc drives, on of which was...Blu-Ray? I guess you COULD use that, but why include a second? And the sound card is just...I mean, why bother?

Here's my specs that I showed him last night: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=7418894

I may have to swap out the case for one with a better power supply, and the non-component stuff can always be replaced with better (I went with low-end for pricing, but he does have money to spend...)

[Blahages]

The last post I made above is full of computers that are cheaper and lower end machines, meant for general use. I didn't know what the OP wanted exactly, and I felt it best to future proof him.

People complain too much. :P

I'll post the one I did yesterday again:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=13805547

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b191/blahages/BasicComp.png

You can always swap the copy of Vista there for a Copy of XP, although the copy of Vista is currently 10$ cheaper.

Why so big on the Q6600? Higher clocked dual cores perform better in almost every application, and he's not planning on overclocking. The best bang for your buck is the E8400.

The Q6600 is better for a huge amount of multitasking, the can be better for gaming or other tasks sometimes, which is why I have the Q6700. The Q6700 was on sale at the time and roughly the same price as the Q6600 then.

What do you mean by "So big on?" It's been suggested once in this thread.

[Blahages]

Here's my specs that I showed him last night: http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=7418894

I may have to swap out the case for one with a better power supply, and the non-component stuff can always be replaced with better (I went with low-end for pricing, but he does have money to spend...)

Those specs are similar to what I posted, but some are lesser, and the price is more. :P

That motherboard doesn't need a video card added. The Radeon HD 3200 that is integrated into it is pretty good, far more than he'd ever need with just general use. :)

Newegg must have been out of XP Home OEM yesterday when I created the wishlist, because I looked all over their site, and the only edition of XP they had at the time was Media Center. :P

[0=]

Are you kidding me? NON gaming? My GAMING rig had similar specs to those. Youtube doesn't need a 512 mb video card, MS Word doesn't need 4 GB RAM OR 3.0 ghz processor, and it's files certainly don't use up one terabyte. You also included two disc drives, on of which was...Blu-Ray? I guess you COULD use that, but why include a second? And the sound card is just...I mean, why bother?

He said he wanted it for movies, so I stuck a 24" monitor in there. To drive a 24" monitor you should have a halfway decent video card that's HDCP compliant, as well. 80 bucks is a pretty cheap card, and it wouldn't be capable of any modern gaming despite being better than yours because the resolution is much higher. Also, a card that's slightly overkill will be much quieter during operation because its fan will stay at a lower speed. If you have full 1920x1200 resolution and you watch movies it's only logical to include a Blu-Ray drive (HD is 1920x1080). Two drives (the second is simply DVD/CD combo burner) is pretty much standard, and it's very useful for copying discs and multitasking. As far as the processor and RAM go, same thing, multitasking. The system won't even take a hit if there's a virus scan going while he's watching a Blu-Ray. The terabyte drive is for media obviously. I don't know if you've ever ripped a DVD to your hard drive, but it takes up a lot of space. The sound card is clearly optional, but it makes a massive difference if you have decent speakers. I made a high end option designed for media, it's supposed to have bells and whistles. I figured there were ample midrange suggestions already, so I went for max budget.

What do you mean by "So big on?" It's been suggested once in this thread.

Eh, I saw it twice. I did post at one in the morning after I got back from a concert :P