Topic: Desktop PC Shopping- Please Advise (Page 1 of 1)

I am a Windows XP Professional user who is in need of a new PC, not an Apple.

I have heard real horror stories re: Dell and HP/ Compaq.

Could someone recommend a reliable PC brand?

Thanks.

Country Boy

I had a HP workstation at work that rocked my freaken feet off... Their workstations are good. I dunno about home PC's though.

So, it probably will come down to what you need to use it for and what you want to spend me thinks. Dont short sheet yourself with it either. What is its function?

Assemble your own.

agree @ reisio it will give you the best for your needs.

Buy a Mac

Definatly assemble your own, it'll save you money and your pc will be exactly how you want it to be. No compromises.

If you dont want to do that. my work laptop is a dell and i've never had any problems with them. it hasnt caught on fire or exploded yet!

You can certainly get the computer assembled where you buy it. Heck you can even customize one of the default configurations on an online shop and have it delivered assembled and ready to go.

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poi said:

You can certainly get the computer assembled where you buy it. Heck you can even customize one of the default configurations on an online shop and have it delivered assembled and ready to go.

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I agree. I bought a Dell not too long ago. After configuring it the way I wanted it (more memory, bigger hard drive, etc...) it was actually cheaper for me to do it that way as opposed to building my own. Free printer and larger monitor were a plus

Have a look at digitaldeals.net frequently. They have "coupons" for the online stores and such that can save you a couple hundred bucks maybe. I saved $300 on mine which made it worth the while.

Next time I will build my own just for the fun of it though.

Later,

C:\

DELL are awful if you'll want to upgrade it yourself.

I also remember the HP workstations in a place I worked to be very good.

Have neither the time nor expertise to invest in building a computer.

Anyone own a Sony Vaio out there?

Country Boy

Vaio's are nice, but they're damn expensive, if money is no object then getting a Vaio isn't a bad idea, in my experience they're made from good quality hardware, but there are much much cheaper alternatives out there, have you looked at Toshiba?

if money is no issue i would rather go for an ibm than a sony ..toshiba is a good and not so expensive alternative though.

Money is always an issue, but cheap is not always the best choice in the long run. Since Dell and HP are so horrific at the moment I am looking for an alternative.

Does anyone know if Sony and Toshiba are generic so that other parts can be substituted when needed or are they mostly proprietary with their parts the way Dell used to be.


Thanks.

Country Boy

I've never had any issues with Dell and I think that's a better option than building your own.

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Hugh said:

DELL are awful if you'll want to upgrade it yourself.

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really? When I got mine, I customized it so that nothing was integrated into the motherboard. I don't think it would be that hard to switch anything out on it. Plus I like the way the hard drive and other stuff sits in the case. Those little clips are pretty nice

Later,

C:\

CPrompt:
Well what I'm reffereing to is two PCs both friends, lower end models.. on both the motherboard is attached to a steel mounting, so your stuck with your case, the AGP port's port is missing, so you can see where you could possibly solder on your own. Only enough PCI slots, just enough power cables and only one real hard disk bay. That said im sure if your get it first time with all the bells and whistles you can swap out your RAM etc.. but if you go for the basic models, celeron type thingies you get screwed.

Also, its my opinion that the parts they use aren't the highest of quality, but if you do have a problem DELL will sort it out quick smart with little to no hassle. I had to replace my speakers , monitor, hard disk, dvd drive, keyboard and mouse within 2 years of its purchase. That said i've had enough problems with parts from komplett.

But yea, I mean if your not into the whole upgrade thing, you can just buy your custom machine and have them upgrade it, I'm a bit more hands on personally.

If your staying away from DELL & HP, I'd be tempted to say go IBM, but the two IBM workstations I've used had custom power supplies and the like that were'nt compatable with anything else/upgradable. I had to eBay me a Voltage Regulator to install a second processor, it would have cost over a $100 to buy from IBM. Im refering to a dual 866 which I still use.

So bottom line, HP workstations (not home pcs) seem to be the bee's knees IMHO. Last summer in a place I worked they got a load of dual processor HPs, had a look inside, there seemed to be plenty of space inside, nothing out of place, and they ran quite cold and quietly.

ah ok. gotcha.

I'm gonna have a look in my case when I get home just to see if the motherboard is bolted to the case.

I agree that IBM makes a good product. A lot of people at my office (except me of course) just got some new IBM laptops. They are pretty nice, some of them are the T-40 and T-42 models. Snap to switch out the hard drive or put in memory

Later,

C:\

Acer is a good company in my dealingas, though I've only helped other people with their Acers.

Voodoo and Alienware make nice, expensive, and high performance PCs.

One of the benifits of buying a system from a big company can be the warrenty. If you are not that handy with Pcs I would recommend that you look into the options.

Edit: I would recommend that you go with Acer/Dell. Voodoo and Alienware are mostly for the enthusiast market, but it can be fun to look.

__________________________
Eagles get sucked into jet engines and weasels are oft maligned, but beavers just make nice hats.

FA@H

(Edited by tj333 on 09-06-2006 01:58)

This is a PC desktop for home.

I have heard a very large no. of horror stories re Dell computers since they are now concentrating on corporate accounts.....are you folks saying that it is ok to buy Dell still?

Thanks.

Country Boy

Well when it comes to Dell IMHO, you may have a "horror story" but they'll be quick to fix it, get as long a warrantee as you can. You do have to take into consideration that Dell are great value for money.

I've used and owned both Gateway and Dell computers and find them both to be good products. I tend to prefer Gateway. I just seem to get a little better machine for a little less money from them.

.



-- not necessarily stoned... just beautiful.

So, in summary there does not seem to be a ground sell of support for any desktop PC in the Dell and Gateway price range.

Is there a website out there that would address this issue?

Thanks.

Country Boy