I need to upgrade my pc

[zigzagg321]

What I currently am using, I have had for 8 years... 512MB RAM...80GB HD... Pentium 4. Its a Dell, and its never failed me.



I found a computer(another Dell) with no monitor (dont need one) for $350.00.

It has: Pentium Dual-Core E5300, 4GB RAM, 640GB HD, 2.66GHz...DVD burner...Windows 7... 1 year warranty with in-home service.

is that a good deal? is that a crappy setup?

Anyone know of somewhere to get more/better for the same price or less?

Im not looking for the most badass computer...Im just trying to upgrade and my budget is $350.00, I dont even need an OS...I like windows XP and have the discs. Dont need peripherals either...just the tower+guts.

 

[dturpen]

You should look over at Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more!. Especially if you don't need an OS, and if you have any technical skill, you can build a computer for 350 that would be better than the one you listed. It all depends on where you spend the money, and what type of computing you will be doing. If you use an onboard video card, you could get a 640GB HD, 4 GB of RAM no problem for 350 or less.

Newegg.com - ASRock G41M-S LGA 775 Intel G41 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115056

Newegg.com - OCZ Fatal1ty Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2F10664GK - Desktop Memory

Newegg.com - SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD753LJ 750GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Newegg.com - Rosewill R103A Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with 350W 20+4 pin connector Power Supply - Computer Cases

This is a pretty beastly machine. You could upgrade later to 8GB of RAM if you needed, and you could still upgrade the video card later on down the road.

 

[Kilbane83]

That'd be just fine for any regular user. If you plan on doing any gaming or something like that you'd need to pick up a graphics card and powersupply, but other than that the price is good for that machine.
The one above is good as well if you have the know-how to bulid it yourself. Of course 4gb of Ram on windows XP is useless. It'll only use 3.2gb.. but that's enough for any program really.

 

[zigzagg321]

You should look over at Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras and more!. Especially if you don't need an OS, and if you have any technical skill, you can build a computer for 350 that would be better than the one you listed. It all depends on where you spend the money, and what type of computing you will be doing. If you use an onboard video card, you could get a 640GB HD, 4 GB of RAM no problem for 350 or less.

Newegg.com - ASRock G41M-S LGA 775 Intel G41 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards

Newegg.com - Intel Core2 Duo E7500 Wolfdale 2.93GHz 3MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Processors - Desktops

Newegg.com - OCZ Fatal1ty Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2F10664GK - Desktop Memory

Newegg.com - SAMSUNG Spinpoint F1 HD753LJ 750GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Newegg.com - Rosewill R103A Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with 350W 20+4 pin connector Power Supply - Computer Cases

This is a pretty beastly machine. You could upgrade later to 8GB of RAM if you needed, and you could still upgrade the video card later on down the road.

thanks for the links. I think thats over my head though... I read over some things and having to make BIOS adjustments and such are way outta my league.

If all I had to do was assemble the parts and load the OS and peripherals I'd be fine. Id need good instructions though.

 

[zigzagg321]

That'd be just fine for any regular user. If you plan on doing any gaming or something like that you'd need to pick up a graphics card and powersupply, but other than that the price is good for that machine.
The one above is good as well if you have the know-how to bulid it yourself. Of course 4gb of Ram on windows XP is useless. It'll only use 3.2gb.. but that's enough for any program really.

good to know, thanks. Im running XP with only 512 RAM so I bet 4GB would speed up XP a ton.

 

[dturpen]

It's not terribly difficult to build a computer. The most you'd ever have to do in BIOS is change the boot order, and that's pretty easy. You just have to make sure you have compatible parts. All the parts I listed above will work together, and then it's just a matter of running the correct cables and connecting them to the right places. If you can work on a motorcycle, you can build a computer.

 

[mstewar1]

I'd have to agree that putting a pc together is not too tough -- if I can do it, you can. Bios settings are simple. Do a little reading before hand and you'll be fine, and very happy having done it yourself.

 

[macem29]

that deal sounds fine, might want to check just one thing though, if you can, plug it in and
listen to the Power Supply...I built a pretty decent PC last year and unfortunately cheaped
out on the case, who cares what it looks like right? it's the contents that matter, when I
got the thing built and OS installed, the power supply that came with that cheap-ass case
was so noisy you needed ear plugs to be in the same room, $70 for a new PS fixed that,
but for the extra dough, I could have gotten a better box that included a decent PS

 

[zigzagg321]

It's not terribly difficult to build a computer. The most you'd ever have to do in BIOS is change the boot order, and that's pretty easy. You just have to make sure you have compatible parts. All the parts I listed above will work together, and then it's just a matter of running the correct cables and connecting them to the right places. If you can work on a motorcycle, you can build a computer.

well I was a car mechanic for 12 years...that might qualify.

I was reading through each part you listed a link for and people are saying I have to change voltages in the BIOS and use jumper instructions with the motherboard. Is that hard? At the same time, people are saying the instructions are almost non-existent with that motherboard.

 

[shuckle]

well I was a car mechanic for 12 years...that might qualify.

I was reading through each part you listed a link for and people are saying I have to change voltages in the BIOS and use jumper instructions with the motherboard. Is that hard? At the same time, people are saying the instructions are almost non-existent with that motherboard.

As was mentioned earlier, the BIOS isn't something to be worried about. On your current Dell, you should be able to get into it by hitting F2 before windows starts loading (i think it's F2 - it usually is) and take a look around in there. You'll quickly find that it's not rocket science. The default settings are usually fine. I've used lots of different brands of motherboard in the past including Asus and normally haven't had to make any changes to anything. Most will come with a manual or a cd with the manual in pdf format. The manuals tend to be written by someone who barely speaks English so they are very amusing.
If you decide to build your own you'll find it pretty easy.
1. Install the motherboard in the case. Usually about 4-6 screws that line up perfectly with the case.
2. Install the power supply if the case didn't come with one. Only one spot it'll fit properly and screws right in there nicely.
3. Install the CPU. Only fits one way, there's a little notch that lines up nicely.
4. Install the CPU fan/cooler. This is the only part that can be tricky. you put a little silicone grease on the top of the CPU then put the fan on. The grease usually comes with the motherboard. Plug the fan into the connector on the motherboard (two pins near the cpu labelled "CPU FAN")
5. Install the RAM. It only fits one way. Take a quick look at the motherboard manual to ensure there isn't preferred slots to use. For example; if you have 2 sticks of ram and 4 slots, sometimes it's best to put them side by side, sometimes in slots 1&3. The manual will tell you, and if you do it wrong everything will still work fine.
6. Install the Hard Drive(s) -- easy mount in the case, plug the cable (probably SATA) into one of the connectors on the motherboard.
7. Install the DVD Drive. similar to the hard drive install.
8. Connect the power cables. There's likely two to the motherboard (again, it's obvious which ones go where) and one to each of the drives.

If you're going new, it's worth getting Windows 7. Get a 64-bit version.

I've done this enough times that I can do it in about 15-20 minutes. A newbie should be able to do it in about an hour or so.

Just like working on your bike. Take your time and look for what makes sense. The connectors are usually different shapes for different things. If something uses the same connector you can probably interchange them. The only exception to that I can think of is the stupid PS/2 connectors for plugging in your keyboard and mouse. Why they are identical is beyond me.

And of course, since this is the FZ6 forum, there's plenty of people here to help.

Good Luck.

 

[Hellgate]

Just a thought but notebooks have come way down in price. I like the portability of them vs. a desktop.

 

[Wavex]

To answer the OP's original question, if your plan is to just use the computer to check the forum, your email, listen to some music, catalogue your pictures etc... this $350 computer you mentioned sounds perfectly fine.

Personally I would recommend you use Windows 7 though as MS will stop supporting XP in a year or 2... the sooner you get used to using the newer OS the better off you'll be, and Vista/Windows 7 are perfectly fine OS.

Notebooks are fine, but very small screen (would need another screen), no CD/DVD player/burner (would need to buy that on top), keyboards are often small and not really practical and they're slower than a desktop for an equivalent setup/price... they're great, but they have their specific purposes...

Considering you sound happy about your previous setup, I think the $350 setup you found will make you very happy.

Good luck!

 

[necrotimus]

I will comment since I used to be a computer rep in another life. You will get more bang for your buck by building your own PC but buying from a company may give you support options you won't have from building your own. Think of it as buying a used car from a private owner vs a dealership. Yes a dealer costs more but they have to stand by ther product for X number of days and to someone who may have little experience the protection may be worth it.

Assuming average computer usage the tradeoffs for equal price are these. With the Dell PC you will get less performance and storage which in the long run will mean you have to upgrade again sooner. With the homemade PC your support options are limited to yourself, the internet, and your checkbook.

To sum it up is squeezing one more year of usage out of your PC worth the cost of having no support?


To add my own personal opinion, building your own PC is not worth the hassle for average users because you arent pushing the maching until the life span is near its end anyway. If you are a gamer or a multimedia fend then you should always build your own because the extra savings allows you to get more. That being said I have had both homemade and premade machines go belly up due to both hardware and software problems. I've gotten so sick of chasing problems down that now it usually results in a new machine or a complete reformat. And on a final note I no longer PC game seriously because of the expense of upgrading hardware. I'd much rather plunk down my cash on a console now than a new graphics card or OS or faster hard drive or new sound card...

 

[AdamDJ]

To answer the OP's original question, if your plan is to just use the computer to check the forum, your email, listen to some music, catalogue your pictures etc... this $350 computer you mentioned sounds perfectly fine.

Personally I would recommend you use Windows 7 though as MS will stop supporting XP in a year or 2... the sooner you get used to using the newer OS the better off you'll be, and Vista/Windows 7 are perfectly fine OS.

Notebooks are fine, but very small screen (would need another screen), no CD/DVD player/burner (would need to buy that on top), keyboards are often small and not really practical and they're slower than a desktop for an equivalent setup/price... they're great, but they have their specific purposes...

Considering you sound happy about your previous setup, I think the $350 setup you found will make you very happy.

Good luck!

I think you meant Netbooks... Not Notebooks..

To the OP, just get the $350 computer.. sounds like it will be more than enough for you and the price isnt too bad..

 

[Wavex]

Thanks Adam, you are correct, I meant netbooks.

 

[PB Hand]

I think this is a fairly good deal and the machine seems to have some horsepower, if you just need for non-gaming type applications. And, if you're not computer savoy and this comes with a warranty or any service, so much the better.

Personally, I would uninstall Windows 7 and install XP, but that's just me....at least you didn't get stuck with Vista.....yuck :shakehead:

 

[goker]

Here is another place you can find good prices:

TigerDirect.com - Computers, Computer Parts, Computer Components, Netbooks & Electronics

 

[zigzagg321]

since I dont need an OS, it looks like I can assemble myself a pc that is far better than the already made dell, at the same price. $350-400.

So im on newegg.com... how do I know what parts will work with what? Is there a compatibility chart somewhere out there? well a reliable one? There are many...dont know whats right.

 

[zigzagg321]

My newegg results

Im pretty sure that in each setup I have all the things needed to run the pc...

setup 1:



SAPPHIRE 100252HDMI Radeon HD 4550 512MB 64-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Low Profile Ready Video Card

SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4550 100252HDMI Video Card
Item #:N82E16814102819
Return Policy: VGA Standard Return Policy
$44.99


APEX TU150 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ATX 12V 400W with 20+4 pin Intel/AMD listed Power Supply

APEX TU150 Black Computer Case
Item #:N82E16811154013
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$59.99


SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 500GB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #:N82E16822152181
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$54.99


ASUS M4A78 Plus AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard

ASUS M4A78 Plus ATX AMD Motherboard
Item #:N82E16813131381
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$79.99


AMD Phenom II X2 545 Callisto 3.0GHz Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Processor Model HDX545WFGIBOX

AMD Phenom II X2 545 3.0GHz Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Processor
Item #:N82E16819103694
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy
$89.99


G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBNT

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Item #:N82E16820231207
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy
$86.99

Grand Total: $416.94

__________________________________________________ ______


Option 2 is moar power(I think..lol) but moar dollars


Patriot Extreme Performance 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model PDC34G1600ELK

Patriot Extreme Performance 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Item #:N82E16820220347
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy
$95.99


ASUS M4A77TD Pro AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard

ASUS M4A77TD Pro ATX AMD Motherboard
Item #:N82E16813131397
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$89.99


AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition Callisto 3.1GHz Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Processor Model HDZ550WFGIBOX

AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition 3.1GHz Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Processor
Item #:N82E16819103680
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy
$102.00


Sony Optiarc 24X DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Black SATA Model AD-7240S-0B

Sony Optiarc DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Black SATA Model AD-7240S-0B
Item #:N82E16827118030
Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy
$29.99


CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX 400W Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
Item #:N82E16817139008
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$15.00 Instant
$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card
$64.99
$49.99


ZOTAC ZT-72SEG5N-HSL GeForce 7200GS 256MB 64-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready Video Card

Item #:N82E16814500126
Return Policy: VGA Standard Return Policy
-$1.00 Instant
$5.00 Mail-in Rebate
$23.99
$22.99


COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811119137
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5

Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822136319
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$15.00 Instant
-$45.00 Combo
$159.98
$99.98

Grand Total: $490.93


am I missing anything?

Both options are above $350, but I think both are overall better than what Dell would give me for $350, or even $600 for that matter.

 

[zigzagg321]

Re: My newegg results

I bought the dell, couldnt build a better system for the money.

Core 2 Duo-1066 FSB, 2.93 MHz, 4GB RAM, 640 GB HD, Intel MOBO with onboard audio/graphics. ( I dont play pc games at all)