New Computer

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huddsguy
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat 24 Jul, 2004 19.20

I know we've had loads of posts in the past about new computers - and I've trawled them all!

But my hard disk on my current main computer is making an awful clunking sound as if it's going to die. Which isn't good - luckily I'm all backed up!

But it's bringing forward my decision to buy a new computer - unfortunately as I've just shelled out for a new laptop (thanks for people's advice with that btw).

So, with a budget of around £500 what would you all advise - where to get it from, what's people's experiences?

Would be really grateful for your help.

Thanks in advance!
Neil Jones
Posts: 661
Joined: Thu 11 Sep, 2003 20.03
Location: West Midlands

huddsguy wrote:But my hard disk on my current main computer is making an awful clunking sound as if it's going to die. Which isn't good - luckily I'm all backed up!
Unusual noises from a hard drive are never good, especially if they involve clunking, screeching, loud-whining noises or just anything that hasn't been there for however long you've had the thing.
But it's bringing forward my decision to buy a new computer - unfortunately as I've just shelled out for a new laptop (thanks for people's advice with that btw).
You could just replace the hard drive, and they start from about £30. How old is your computer?
So, with a budget of around £500 what would you all advise - where to get it from, what's people's experiences?
Mine's custom built. Started off as buying mostly from Novatech but bought the memory from Crucial. The current motherboard was from eBuyer and the case from Savastore. The power supply came from QuietPC.com (yeah, it cost a bit more but it makes no noise whatsoever. As I kept suffering from earache under the PSU that came with the case, I thought it was worth the extra investment for my own sanity. I just use a piece of software to control the CPU fan to keep the noise of that down too).

As to what you should buy, depends what you want the computer for. What do you want it for? Another consideration is the fact that the next version of Windows is out next year so you might want to wait for that, plus of course lots of prices will come down between now and then.

Oh yeah, don't buy a computer from PC World either.
James Martin
Posts: 1011
Joined: Sun 15 Feb, 2004 19.26

If you're gonna buy branded, can I reccomend Compaqs? My new laptop is a Compaq and it's a dream.

Packard Bell is OK - our desktop is PB and is quite nifty, can't say the same for my laptop which died in the end.

Do not buy Advent though, they're shocking.
DJGM
Posts: 528
Joined: Fri 15 Aug, 2003 15.39
Location: Manchester
Contact:

And whatever you do ... don't even think about buying a Dell computer!

Why, You may ask? The answer ... Proprietary (non-standard) PC components.
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Sput
Posts: 7543
Joined: Wed 20 Aug, 2003 19.57

Don't know JM, I recommended an Advent last christmas for around this price and by all accounts it's fabulous.

Dells ARE rubbish though.
Knight knight
cdd
Posts: 2607
Joined: Fri 15 Aug, 2003 14.05

Advents are a Dixons (i.e. PC World) brand...
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Sput
Posts: 7543
Joined: Wed 20 Aug, 2003 19.57

That means nothing! It IS possible for them to make a decent one for the right price now and again! The only problem thus far has been crappy graphics drivers and no IrDA.
Knight knight
Chris
Posts: 845
Joined: Fri 15 Aug, 2003 19.03
Location: Surrey

The best solution would be to build for yourself, if you're up for a challenge, and know about the innards of your computer fairly well.

If the very thought of opening up the case scares the living daylights out of you, then I'd recommend you pop down to your local computer shop and ask them if they could build one for you. They'll be able to tailor the machine to your needs and get what you want.

If you really must go and get a branded PC, then Dell and Compaq are OK, but don't expect much in terms of upgradability, but be warned that Dell and Compaq machines have in the past used nonstandard proprietary components or ones specially modified so if it breaks out of warranty you'll have to fork out for new, pricey components that you can only buy from themselves. I don't know if they still do, but it wouldn't surprise me if they did.

Forgive me for being an old cynic but they have their reasons for doing this - to get you to fork out for more on parts when out of warranty, and also to eventually drive you to get a new machine all together once you find you've outgrown your current set-up or find it prohibitively expensive to repair or source parts for the broken machine.

In a business environment, computers will probably get replaced on a rolling cycle every few years to keep abreast with Microsoft/Adobe/Macromedia's bloatware so it's not a major issue if the computer packs up, say three years down the line. And plus, they'll probably have a service contract for the lifetime of the machines.
Neil Jones
Posts: 661
Joined: Thu 11 Sep, 2003 20.03
Location: West Midlands

Chris wrote:If you really must go and get a branded PC, then Dell and Compaq are OK, but don't expect much in terms of upgradability, but be warned that Dell and Compaq machines have in the past used nonstandard proprietary components or ones specially modified so if it breaks out of warranty you'll have to fork out for new, pricey components that you can only buy from themselves. I don't know if they still do, but it wouldn't surprise me if they did.
Dell aren't even doing PS/2 ports anymore on their newer machines:
Image
(back view of the Dell Dimension 3100 model) - click <a href="http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/produ ... p">here</a> for full specs</a>

Four USB ports, two of which will be taken up by keyboard and mouse alone. There's sod all on the back of that one - you'll find far more on a motherboard you buy yourself.

Upgrade ability inside is even worse: Two PCI slots and a PCI-Express slot. One will usually be taken up by a modem, the other filled with something Dell will insist you have and that PCI-Express slot cannot be used for graphics so you're stuck with the shitty Intel Extreme graphics.

Oh and its a P4 processor with a 230w PSU. It'll last about four months I reckon.
Forgive me for being an old cynic but they have their reasons for doing this - to get you to fork out for more on parts when out of warranty, and also to eventually drive you to get a new machine all together once you find you've outgrown your current set-up or find it prohibitively expensive to repair or source parts for the broken machine.
On the above machine, you will spend near enough £600 alone on a machine that has literally no upgrade paths and will feature the shitty Celeron processor. I know its over the OP's posted budget but it just goes to show; Dells are shit. Cases are nice, but the bits inside suck.
DJGM
Posts: 528
Joined: Fri 15 Aug, 2003 15.39
Location: Manchester
Contact:

Chris wrote: If you really must go and get a branded PC, then Dell and Compaq are OK, but don't expect much in terms
of upgradability, but be warned that Dell and Compaq machines have in the past used non-standard
proprietary components or ones specially modified so if it breaks out of warranty you'll have to fork
out for new,pricey components that you can only buy from themselves. I don't know if
they still do, but it wouldn't surprise me if they did.
Dell are the worst offender by a huge margin for using non-standard components. And yes, they still do it. A good example
of this is the power supply unit. Dell are notorious for building system with PSU's that are wired in a non-standard way. If
the Dell PSU fails, you can only replace it with another Dell PSU. If you use a standard PSU in a Dell, stand well back,
and prepare for the possibility of a call to a certain emergency service that drive round in big red trucks!
Chris
Posts: 845
Joined: Fri 15 Aug, 2003 19.03
Location: Surrey

Neil Jones wrote:
Chris wrote:If you really must go and get a branded PC, then Dell and Compaq are OK, but don't expect much in terms of upgradability, but be warned that Dell and Compaq machines have in the past used nonstandard proprietary components or ones specially modified so if it breaks out of warranty you'll have to fork out for new, pricey components that you can only buy from themselves. I don't know if they still do, but it wouldn't surprise me if they did.
Dell aren't even doing PS/2 ports anymore on their newer machines:
Image
(back view of the Dell Dimension 3100 model) - click <a href="http://www1.euro.dell.com/content/produ ... p">here</a> for full specs</a>

Four USB ports, two of which will be taken up by keyboard and mouse alone. There's sod all on the back of that one - you'll find far more on a motherboard you buy yourself.

Upgrade ability inside is even worse: Two PCI slots and a PCI-Express slot. One will usually be taken up by a modem, the other filled with something Dell will insist you have and that PCI-Express slot cannot be used for graphics so you're stuck with the shitty Intel Extreme graphics.

Oh and its a P4 processor with a 230w PSU. It'll last about four months I reckon.
Forgive me for being an old cynic but they have their reasons for doing this - to get you to fork out for more on parts when out of warranty, and also to eventually drive you to get a new machine all together once you find you've outgrown your current set-up or find it prohibitively expensive to repair or source parts for the broken machine.
On the above machine, you will spend near enough £600 alone on a machine that has literally no upgrade paths and will feature the shitty Celeron processor. I know its over the OP's posted budget but it just goes to show; Dells are shit. Cases are nice, but the bits inside suck.
Well I never, Neil. :shock:

I've been out the loop for a while when it comes to Dell computers - the last ones I saw, Optiplex GX280s with the SFF cases were fairly sorted when it came to connecitivity - a few more USB ports, complete with all the standard parallel/serial/PS2 gubbins. Was about a year or two back though.

It looks like they've phased out all of what we would call 'legacy' ports - but the truth is that the legacy ports IMO are much better than all USB, especially when it comes to mice/keyboards - USB stuff has a strange way of fucking up and behaving oddly and/or not being detected by the BIOS/OS before you've installed drivers - a pain in the arse, and more trouble than it's worth. The back of that PC looks so bare, it's unbelievable, and the upgrade options are very limited, like you say.
DJGM wrote:Dell are the worst offender by a huge margin for using non-standard components. And yes, they still do it. A good example
of this is the power supply unit. Dell are notorious for building system with PSU's that are wired in a non-standard way. If
the Dell PSU fails, you can only replace it with another Dell PSU. If you use a standard PSU in a Dell, stand well back,
and prepare for the possibility of a call to a certain emergency service that drive round in big red trucks!
Well, there we go. Comes as no surprise then - a leopard never changes its spots.

What about other brands? Do they use such methods?
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