It's Almost Time for a new Desktop

[RWild]

Well I try to get a new PC every three years. I bought my last Desktop from Dell, it's great and I have no complaints. It's just me and I like to get a new one every now and then.

I also got my Dell Inspirion 5100 Notebook a shortwhile back. I've been buying computers from Dell for years, as have the company I work for.

Question being, continue with Dell or try out another manufacturer? If so, who.

Open to suggestions. Oh FYI I'm not looking to spend over $2500. That's my only request.

So any directions towards the right step would be great.

 

[Ladygnome]

I figure if you have been happy with Dell in all ways, it might be good to stick with a good thing. I have had a number of different types of computers and for the most part, I don't have problems if I take care of them.

I do feel that you should stay away from computers whose manufacturer's names start with "A" - seems quirky, but I have my reasons. I'm also not so keen on Compaq's. I prefer clones. I don't like having to go to the manufacturer for parts that cost twice as much when I can get the same thing for less for a clone.

 

[TheGoatMan]

What I recomend is you build yourself a new PC. Its fun and you get a faster higher quality PC. Trust me most manufacturers put really crumby parts in their PC's. Their selling point is the CPU. Anyways you can probably build a pretty kickass AMD system for under $1000. If you go Pentium look at spending alot more cheese. The performance difference isn't worth it. Plus we'll help you out on buying good parts and putting it together.

 

[ceh4702]

Look for some Christmas or New years Deals. They often have free shipping or right now Dell has a Free Kodak Digital Camera upgrade deal going on. A good 17" Monitor may be just fine. We have a lot of these NetVista (IBM) at work. They seem to run just fine. I think now IBM calls them "Think Centre" PC's.

If you have the money ready or a credit card with enough room on it strike at just the right moment when the deal is right. If your employer is always buing Dell, then maybe they have an option for a payment plan thru work to split the payments up over 2 years. Sometimes an employer can get the employees a discount. Dell may even have a special credit card. I think Dell has a model they gear toward the Gamer type as well.

I would look for some P4 Model with 800Mhz BUS CPU like a 2.6C Gig Processor. Most computers are using Dual DDR and run just a little faster with 2 pieces of DDR RAM. I Also Like the AMD Athlon XP Processors and the Nforce2 chipset motherboard for saving money.

The main thing about building your own PC, is you get to choose the parts. It is a little more work, but it is fun too. I think for about $2000 you can build a nice computer, and then you have $500-$600 left for maybe a LCD Monitor. A lot depends if you buy the monitor and Printer separately or all together. I sometimes use the same keyboard on several computers. I am still using the IBM keyboard from my old P133, but I like my newer MS Optical Mouse.

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[Grenage]

If you are comfortable with building PC's and it is for home gaming/power use I recommend building your own.

If it's for work you can't go too far wrong with Dell

 

[TheGoatMan]

For $2000 you can build a hella nice PC. But for a reasonable Pc with plenty of power you can pull off under $700.

 

[Xemus]

Building your own PC will give you a better understanding of how it works and how to fix it if/when it breaks. If it's the first time you're building one, something is likely to not go super smoothly, but the learning experience is worth it, assuming you are interested in it. Some sites to check out for PC parts are

http://www.newegg.com

http://www.zipzoomfly.com

http://www.mwave.com

I've built tons of computers and those sites have great parts and great customer service in the event that something goes wrong.
Also check out

http://www.pricegrabber.com

which lists prices from a bunch of different sources, but beware the manufactures with no ratings. Your fellow techs are the best source for reviews and keep this in mind when buying from soneone that noone has given a good rating to.
If you decide to buy one, Dell is about the best for low end PCs, but if you are going into the $2000 range, look at:

http://www.alienware.com

http://www.falconnw.com

Higher price, but they use quality parts that will last longer and give less headaches in the long run.

http://www.closedsocket.com

 

[RWild]

I actually decided to do something different. I have a spare monitor at my house. So I just bought the actual PC from dell. 900 before the 150 mail in rebate. Not to bad.

I plan on using it for Linux. I've wanted to experiment with Linux for ages. I can't wait until it arrives...

 

[TaiChi56]

I am too a fan of AMD. But they are so noisy. What do you guys recommend for a Athlon that does not sound like it is taking off. I want to build one but I am afraid that it will be too noisy. That is why I have been looking at the Pentinum 4. Any suggestions?

The secret in education lies in respecting the student. {Ralph Waldo Emerson}.

 

[Sival]

There are some good, quiet CPU fans out there for AMD Athlons. Thermaltake Silent Boost is a good fan, for example. Search some of the computer review websites like Toms Hardware and Anandtech for some Athlon cooler reviews. It's obviously your choice of CPU, I would simply say don't discount AMD just because some of the fans are a bit loud.