OT-Need to buy new desktop ASAP. What to buy?

[bearishgurl]

[quote=carlsbadworker]I recently got a Toshiba C655-S5231 Laptop (Core i3-2310M 2.10GHz, 4GB DDR3, 640GB HDD, 15.6″, 6 Cell, Win7) for $219.50 @ Staples B&M.[/quote]

That’s a good deal, carlsbadworker!

[sdduuuude]

Go to Best Bytes in the ‘hood south of University.

If they are still around.

Check Computer Edge for their ads to see what you can get.

OK, maybe they are too far south for you, but
the best thing about a computer from someone like them instead of Dell/HP, etc. is that it just has Windows on it and not the ton of invasive support and sales software that just takes up an already bloated OS.

And lots of memory. That’s key. Get lots of memory.

SSD is a solid state drive. Stuff stored on semiconductors, not magnetic disc. Fast. Really Fast. Not everyone is convinced they are reliable enough.

[an]

I’ve never bought a whole computer before. I’ve always built my own and just upgrade parts that fail. But like sdduuuude mentioned, you can keep an eye on slick deals. Another good site would be fatwallet and ben’s bargains. But if you need it ASAP, you can go to B&M to pick one right away at the price they have on sale. Or you can buy from Newegg. They’re just north of here, so their stuff usually come w/in 1-2 days.

[Rhett]

[quote=sdduuuude]Go to Best Bytes in the ‘hood south of University.

If they are still around.
[/quote]

Are you serious? You honestly think that a Best Buy practically adjacent to UCSD, one that is less than 2 years old, would not be around?

[shakes head]

[sdduuuude]

Not Best Buy. Best Bytes. A little local shop where they build their own. Been around for years. Moved there a few years ago from a Kearney Mesa location.

[paramount]

I built a decent system recently for just over $200 using Fry’s and pricewatch.

AMD Tri Core 450 3.2GHz
Biostar Mobo
2x500gb Hitachi (the best IMO) drives 7200RPM
9800GT PCIe
Bulldozer Case
Really good refurb power supply (don’t go cheap on this…)
4GB DDR3

Windows 7 Rating 5.5 (which seems low to me)

[paramount]

sdrealtor: I’d suggest taking a good hard look at a Mac Mini. They are hard to beat for around 500 bucks.

The iMacs are like BMW’s – beautiful machines, but will set you back $1200+.

[fat_lazy_union]

[quote=paramount]sdrealtor: I’d suggest taking a good hard look at a Mac Mini. They are hard to beat for around 500 bucks.

The iMacs are like BMW’s – beautiful machines, but will set you back $1200+.[/quote]
Not that sdr would but Macs are a pain if you want more than 3 partitions or if you are trying to triple boot

[bearishgurl]

[quote=paramount]I built a decent system recently for just over $200 using Fry’s and pricewatch.

AMD Tri Core 450 3.2GHz
Biostar Mobo
2x500gb Hitachi (the best IMO) drives 7200RPM
9800GT PCIe
Bulldozer Case
Really good refurb power supply (don’t go cheap on this…)
4GB DDR3

Windows 7 Rating 5.5 (which seems low to me)[/quote]

That’s a lot of bang for the buck, paramount! You’re a very “persistent shopper.” My Vaio has a 3.2 Ghz dual-core processor and is very fast with smooth video (predates tri core). My experience with Hitachi HDs is with their SCSI drives over the last 18 years. Although smaller than SATA/IDE, they are VERY durable and stable and almost never crash. And I have NEVER had one die on me … click, click (but have a small box of dead EIDE drives).

Vaio has a Windows Vista (Home Premium) rating of 7.8.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=paramount]sdrealtor: I’d suggest taking a good hard look at a Mac Mini. They are hard to beat for around 500 bucks.

The iMacs are like BMW’s – beautiful machines, but will set you back $1200+.[/quote]

I luv Macs but have only owned models prior to their release of the Power PC (1994). Mine were running System 7 and 8, lol. If I ever stopped working, I would buy a used 24″ iMac or a G5 tower for my main computer. Don’t know about now, but they used to be built like a tank.

Macs are superior to a Windows-based PC in every way, IMHO.

[ltsddd]

[quote=sdrealtor]So my clunky desktop is just too damn slow and buggy for me to take one more day of this. Its a few years old and running Windows Vista. Usually I just go to Dell.com and pick up an inexpensive desktop which last me 2 to 4 years. I dont need bells and whistles just a good functional PC for Internet, email, Word, Excel, photos,itunes etc. I’m a cheapskate and dont like to spend much on a PC like this nor do I see a reason to. Am I better off buying online or just running over to Costco?

Any suggestions what and where I should buy? My trigger finger is itchy![/quote]

If you haven’t defrag’ed your hard-drive then try that first before you rush out and BUY (yes buy don’t build unless you’re computer savvy).

To defrag your hard drive, click on:

Start–>All Programs–>Accessories–>System Tools–>Disk Defragmenter

[an]

[quote=bearishgurl]Don’t know about now, but they used to be built like a tank.[/quote]
Mac are no better than any other PC in term of the internals. Yes, the exterior are made out of metal instead of plastic, but internal, they’re the same parts. So, you pay for that shiny exterior. If you want bang for your bucks, Mac is not the way to go. All the computers today (Mac or PC) source their parts from the same supplier. I have a friend who used to work at WD (Western Digital) and he told me OEM with the highest volume gets the best components. So, that’s HP and Dell. I’m sure the other components manufacturers have the same policy.

[paramount]

Mac’s are expensive – a luxury brand not unlike BMW, Acura, etc…but again a Mac Mini can be had for around 500 bucks as a refurb and is very compelling, but I would wait until Mountain Lion is released.

My next purchase will be a Mac Mini, would love an iMac, but is hard to justify from a money/value perspective.

[paramount]

[quote=AN][quote=bearishgurl] I have a friend who used to work at WD (Western Digital) and he told me OEM with the highest volume gets the best components. So, that’s HP and Dell. I’m sure the other components manufacturers have the same policy.[/quote]

Can’t go wrong with Dell…

[an]

I would say Mac are more like Acura than BMW. Acura for the most part, internals (engine, transmission, platform, etc) are just Honda but with more leather and more luxury. BMW are 100% different than Mini. Mac, in general, internals are no different than other PC OEM. I am also very tempted at a Mac Mini. That’s the one form factor that have no competition and is very unique. I might just get one and toss Windows 7 on it.

[Author]

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