Dell computers

[TraD_MaN]

must be some computer peoples on here who know there stuff...:spudwhat:

how good are these computers etc..

looking at the Dimension 5150. the main use will be photoshop and other photo software becuase my dad is mad on his photography etc..
this computer cant handle all these programs its sooo slow n bunged up now.

some help would be awesome :niceone:

[Antallica]

You could get a custom made PC to suit you exactly and a 17-19" LCD for cheaper. Been a while since I sold a PC.

Go to www.c1com.co.nz and custom make yourself one and see what you find.

[Colapop]

You could buy yourself a cheap ex lease one from someone such as;
www.computerlink.co.nz
I got a 30gig HDD, DVD, 256 ram .... blah blah blah for $200 + gst. They're based in Petone and can freight stuff to ya easy as....

[bungbung]

We have some Dell optiplex and precision machines at work. They're fine. Like Antallica says, you can get more for less money. Dell is convenient though.

[Sniper]

You talking about one from the warehouse? I wouldn't really waste my time.

Best to go with what Anttalica said on go custom.

[T.W.R]

if you want a decent computer with plenty of power & is easy to upgrade/hotrod, definately go custom made!
have heard different stories about dells from people & some have had good runs with them & some haven't.

getting a computer custom built to suit your needs can be a lot cheaper than an off the shelf package, and can be done with better quality components also.

[motobull]

Hey,

Some good points made about custom pc's here all valid.
I do pc/it support for Telecom Fonterra and a few other clients , Fonterra are using Dells almost exclusivly while Telecom is using IBM's and another client uses HP/Compaq Dells win hands down as far as reliability go followed by Compaq and IBM a distant third place.

You can get quite good deals from Dell online dell.co.nz and you get the option form ther website to customise the pc to your spec. I would do this rather than by them from the big red shed.

good luck

[Drunken Monkey]

Customs usually don't give you an on-site warranty = they're typically RTB only. If on-site warranty is important to you, stick to one of the name manufacturers, otherwise get a custom built PC to suit your needs.

[TraD_MaN]

cool thanks,

its not a wharehouse one its this one here.. http://www1.ap.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/desktops_Q4_W9_2005-12-27_dimen_5150_M211216?c=nz&l=en&s=dhs



only thing about customs and computers is i know jack all about them and dont want to get ripped off :no:

[Teflon]

must be some computer peoples on here who know there stuff...:spudwhat:

how good are these computers etc..

looking at the Dimension 5150. the main use will be photoshop and other photo software becuase my dad is mad on his photography etc..
this computer cant handle all these programs its sooo slow n bunged up now.

some help would be awesome :niceone:

What's the specs of your current comp? could be cheaper just to slap some more ram in it

[Sniper]

What's the specs of your current comp? could be cheaper just to slap some more ram in it

Like just slapping a turbo on a car to make it go faster? Few PC's handle the old "slap some more RAM on it" unless it is specified. Some motherboards ect have the ability to upgrade RAM no problems. Just be careful whatever you do, too many variables

[Biff]

Dell computers are good bits of kit, built on a half decent hardware platfrom. But you could buy similar bits yourself and build your own for cheaper.

Bear in mind that they don't use high end/top quality hardware (but will blind you with their specs) and you'll be fine.

[skelstar]

Someone can confirm this for me maybe: Dell computers like Dell spare parts. From what I have heard you can have real issues putting your own bits into the computers (peripherals people!).

A mate put a CDRW drive into his wiz-bang cheapy and had all sorts of problems. A bit Win OS related, but it came down to the Dell motherboard not liking it.

I maybe talking bullshit, but maybe get THEM to assure you that you can put your own favourite brand of RAM, CDRW drive, HDD, video-card etc in.

[Teflon]

Like just slapping a turbo on a car to make it go faster? Few PC's handle the old "slap some more RAM on it" unless it is specified. Some motherboards ect have the ability to upgrade RAM no problems. Just be careful whatever you do, too many variables

thats why i asked for his specs. unless he does shit loads of ripping or gamming, a simple upgrade could be what is needed.

[Teflon]

Someone can confirm this for me maybe: Dell computers like Dell spare parts. From what I have heard you can have real issues putting your own bits into the computers (peripherals people!).


Yeah they can be.. some Dell and HPs i've upgraded with no probs.

[Drunken Monkey]

Someone can confirm this for me maybe: Dell computers like Dell spare parts.

The use of proprietary components was common for Dell, IBM, Compaq, Hp, etc... back in the day, but most parts are now generic these days. Remaining proprietary components tend to be with the case and PSU. Most name brand PCs will take generic RAM, CPUs, etc... these days, but definately consult the manual and/or the support site before attempting to substitute with a non-OEM component!

[MOTOXXX]

hell NO!!

ive worked with some of the dell techs for a couple weeks. the laptops are absolute shite. hardware repairs all the time. the cables to the mother boards are flimsy as and have a fold over thing to keep them in place. they always broke down. ethernet ports die, keyboards dont work.

desktops....well lets just say that ive been to some places that have hundreds of them and have had a 30% failure rate strait out of the box.
there thrown together too cheaply. there was one particular modle that would always get swollen capaciters on the mboard.



they are tempting. no one can match there prices.

imo i would spend a little extra and get something made or get something different.

:calm:

[idb]

I'm on a Dell now....how does it look from your end?

[Pathos]

I personally wouldn't touch a dell. cheap junk.

My university is getting all its motherboards replaced.

the one I use at work has a brand new dell cdrom drive that ... doesn't work.

saying that I'm sure theres plenty of people who own dells and are very happy.

As for the specs I went through the purchase process and added a couple of things optical mouse, DVD writer, floppy drive, better speakers, better graphics card (which are well worth it) and added a couple of hundred bucks on the price. It was around $2200 including gst.

I'm sure you could make a higher quality machine for that much money but keep in mind it has one or two goodies such as the 19inch lcd, Sata drive and a reasonable processor.

[skelstar]

www.pricespy.co.nz
www.pp.co.nz
www.ascent.co.nz

Just to start with anyway.

[MOTOXXX]

I personally wouldn't touch a dell. cheap junk.

My university is getting all its motherboards replaced.

the one I use at work has a brand new dell cdrom drive that ... doesn't work.

saying that I'm sure theres plenty of people who own dells and are very happy.

As for the specs I went through the purchase process and added a couple of things optical mouse, DVD writer, floppy drive, better speakers, better graphics card (which are well worth it) and added a couple of hundred bucks on the price. It was around $2200 including gst.

I'm sure you could make a higher quality machine for that much money but keep in mind it has one or two goodies such as the 19inch lcd, Sata drive and a reasonable processor.


did a heap at a uni down wellington too

[geoffm]

Ever heard of Dell Hell? If not, you soon will if you buy one and something goes wrong...
Let me tell you about my Dell Inspiron 5150 laptop, which I got Feb last year. It took 7 weeks to arrive, and I had to go to the courier office to collect it so I could get it in time before I left for Christchurch the next day. Under warrenty, it has had a new motherboard (twice), new DVD drive, power supply, keyboard, case top and probalby other things I have forgotten. Now, a couple of months ago, the DVD drive has died again, coming up with errors writing DVD drives over 85% full. Of course, it is out of warrenty, so a replacement is priced like it is made of gold. Naturally, the Consumer Guarentees Act should apply, but I would have to take a day off work to take it to the Disputes Tribunal and more time to get my paperwork together- assuming I can find a local address in which to serve the summons. Which brings me to Dell Hell...
The so called hell, er help desk is in India. Got a problem, put aside a couple of hours (no joking) to call them. They haven't a clue, but no matter what the problem, they only have one process. Not that it matters, since the english language skills are ... poor anyway.
Got a problem ("like where is my machine? I was supposed to have it 7 weeks ago") or something that is not in the script, they are buggered. Don't believe any promises about calling you back or returning emails. There is no local office you can go and bang on the desk. The companies office lists the address as a lawyers office in Akl.
Dell are ok as long as everything keeps going, but in that case you may as well buy from the local assembler, and actually save money, get a better machine and have some local support when it dies. PBTech are quite good, although there are cheaper for the more technically inclined. AVOID SueprCheapPC.
It would be a cold day in hell before I buy another Dell PC.
Geoff

[MOTOXXX]

yea the helpdesk is in asia somewhere. then it gets passed to melborne, then sydney then auckland then to the dell service team in your area.

its a lot of mucking around :lol

[danb]

Please be aware people - Laptops and Desktops are a total kettle of fish.
Desktops will always be more reliable than laptops because of the fact that laptops are moved around alot more and parts do/will come loose. I.e. screws etc. For the servicing of laptops especially when they are nearer the end of the warranty, parts will become scarce in all brands to save on costs, not to mention Desktops parts is more "standard" than laptops. I think comparison between Laptops and Desktops can’t be judged to well.

I have a few friends of mine who use Dell machines from the red shed and they are working fine.

Personally I would not buy anything else but Toshiba for Notebooks and Dell for Desktops/Servers though I do build all of my new desktops up myself.

[Deviant Esq]

Dell = poor man's computer.

Don't do it to yourself. Almost all of their available machines use old technology manufactured cheaply or bought cheaply in bulk because it's old. They still commonly use the Intel P4 2.8 GHz chip with 512kb cache. Granted, it's not a shabby chip, but there are better on the market given it's been around a couple of years... but that's just the processor.

Anyway. You wouldn't catch me near a Dell unless I was armed with a good bludgeoning weapon. :innocent:

[Angry Puppy]

I've got a Dell myself and have not had any problems yet. At the end of the day no service desks are going to be as fast or efficient as we'd like, so don't assume any one brand is going to offer better service than the next. Sure the guy in the highstreet are immeadiately available, but when you need support don't assume they'll be able to resolve the issue completely or any issue.

THink about it, if your hard disk dies, Dell won't bother fixing it. They'll just chuck it away and fit a new one. The guy up the street will have to return it to Seegate or Maxor or whoever and wait for it to be fixed/replaced.

6 of one and half a dozen of the other.

In terms of what we think of the spec of the box you are looking at at Dell, it looks OK although the memory is a bit on the light side. I wouldn't buy anything with less than 512 MB (but looks like they're chucking in an upgrade to 512 anyway).

If you do decide to go clone my one peice of advice would be don't skimp on the monitor. a cheap TFT will give you a headache in no time at all. Your better off buying a 2nd hand Compaq TFT off of Trademe than a cheap new one.

FB

[raster]

I have been through the repair process several times with Dell Hell, the only way we could get any repairs done on one of the machines was to take it to a large corperation that runs them and get them to fix it. Dell would not give us anywhere to take it. Ended up there were 2 faults in the machine.

They look after the Corporations not Jo Bloggs.

We custom built machine using intel branded motherboards, CPU's, Legend Ram is often used but we do use others, Seagate HDD's in a Foxcon Case, BTC DVD writers are good, keep away from BENQ. Don't use the slim HDD's or anything with Maxtor writen on it.

We used to use other brands of motherboards and sometimes AMD chips, our warrenty repair costs (we cover all our machines for 3 years) went from $3000/month now down to about $200/month, covering the same No. of machines now using intel motherboards, speaks for itself I think.
Now we go into panic mode when a machine comes in.

You can PM me if you want a price.

http://www.computerwareplus.co.nz

[raster]

One word of caution, onsite warranties may only cover major centres, check first.

The 19" monitors are still quite expensive, we have trouble matching their price on those, tend to try and stick to Philips or Viewsonic as they have 3 year onsite(major centres) no bright pixel warranty. I have only heard of 4 in the last 2 years fail.
We have dropped back to CMV or Hyundai for the cheap ones and have had a higher failure rate on these, they only have one year rtb warranty.

Don't use more than 60hz refresh rate on LCD's as they can over heat, some can cut out till cooled down then startup again, can get annoying.

[Eurodave]

Ive got a Dell from the Red Shed & am completely happy with it & have had nil problems in the year or so that its been weighing down my computer desk:yes:

[Marmoot]

I'm with Antalica. Go custom to get more power for the best bang of bucks.

If you want to go one step better, get one of your Chinese mate that knows a thing or two about computer and ask him to help you shop around at Chinese comp shops.
You'll be surprised at the bargain that you can get.

I got twice the power for the same bucks that get me a mere celeron with bond&bond, and I don't even speak Chinese.

[TraD_MaN]

What's the specs of your current comp? could be cheaper just to slap some more ram in it


i have no idear what the specs are, its like 3 years old thats all i know :slap:

man i never knew these dells where so bad? looks like ill be going custom. ill go into the PC shop in town where we got this computer from and see what they can do for us.

[idb]

i have no idear what the specs are, its like 3 years old thats all i know :slap:

man i never knew these dells where so bad? looks like ill be going custom. ill go into the PC shop in town where we got this computer from and see what they can do for us.
I'm no expert, all I can say is that I've had one for about three years with no probs at all.
Photoshop, AutoCAD plus scanner, CD writer (time for a DVD writer as well) etc.
Get the best specced machine you can afford and it'll last you longer.

[N4CR]

I will reccomend these guys: www.computerlounge.co.nz

Good white guys who understand what you want and tailor to your specs (not just the pre-built stuff on the site). They dont muck you around and get the job done properly. A few of the chinese places are rather dodgy, from experience...

I wouldn't touch anything dull/hp/comcrap whatever, custom is the way to go - none of this OEM 'gotta get the right parts or you got no warranty' bullshit.

Laptops are... as said.. another story though.

[Marmoot]

A few of the chinese places are rather dodgy, from experience...

Yes. Definitely get someone you trust that can speak the lingo. :mellow:
Plus, the discount is more. And also more if you pay cash. Mention it to the seller before you ask for the final price.

[N4CR]

Yes. Definitely get someone you trust that can speak the lingo. :mellow:
Plus, the discount is more. And also more if you pay cash. Mention it to the seller before you ask for the final price.

Dunno if ya taking the piss or not, but I really prefer talking to some guys who actually know what they are talking about rather than getting fobbed around by someone who can't even help you. Not to mention various RMA return horror stories I read with faulty products that went down the drain when it got to the shop. There are some great chinese places, but they are rather rare to come across.

I'm recomending computerlounge out of experience. ascent.co.nz is good but if you want somethign custom and made for you they can't do it.

[Mooch]

Most of the home users I know of that have brought Dell have been happy.
Performance wise they are fine. I'd also say that of all the desktop brands used in the last 11 years the Dell's have been the most reliable (We buy several 1000 PC's at a time). Laptops are a different kettle of fish.
Spec wise the Dell's components are well matched and more importantly the drivers are normally well sorted. Looking at the spec your after I'd change it's Ram memory to 1 gig as the video card is using shared memory. The dual layer DVD burner will be excellent for backing up your photos.250g 7200 RPM disk is good as well with plenty of storage.

You can go down the custom PC for a bit more go , but unless your into gaming or video rendering I believe the support issues aren't worth it unless you know what your doing. Don't forget to get a surge protector for the mains power. Hopefully everyone hasn't confused you with there opinions.

[kro]

Dell's do represent good value for money, but be warned, if you are going to use photoshop and other graphical editing software, that the major downfall of a Dell, is typically they have no graphics cards in them, and share around 64 meg of their meagre 256mb of memory (RAM), with the onboard graphics system.

This will tax the PC heavily when using Photoshop, trust me on this, I know. If you want a PC with a warranty, then buy thru Harvery Normans/Noel Leeming/Dell, but be prepared to pay up to 6 times the nett worth of the components if buying from a department store.

I build PC's on the side, and have yet to have one crap out on a client. I am currently building one for a workmate, that is costing her 750.00 and will eat anything Dell has to offer, by a large margin. For the love of Jiminy Cricket, don't ever buy a Compaq (if they still exist).

[DMNTD]

I had my last PC built by Able Business Machines down in Wellington. Great service and got a LOT for my money. Recommend them

[Marmoot]

Dunno if ya taking the piss or not

Not taking the piss. That was a serious suggestion.

Good stuffs are there in sealed boxes. You just need to talk in a same language.

Another suggestion is to buy them in sealed boxes and assemble the PC yourself. Saves $150 at least, and only takes 1 hour.

Besides, I have paid my income tax already. I don't believe in paying GST for someone selling if the person is willing to pay the GST for me. That's one-eight of the price.

[TraD_MaN]

Hopefully everyone hasn't confused you with there opinions.

nah im not at all confused :thud:

ok so far ive learnt dell is crap, but they are not so crap but are kinda crap?

custom looks good but i got no idear what all these thingis are that goes in computers...

all i know is i want heaps of RAM and a big hard drive and a good graphics card :wacko: and has to be in my parents budget, they where looking at the cheaper dells :pinch: but i told them not to go there!

[Cookie]

nah im not at all confused :thud:

ok so far ive learnt dell is crap, but they are not so crap but are kinda crap?

custom looks good but i got no idear what all these thingis are that goes in computers...

all i know is i want heaps of RAM and a big hard drive and a good graphics card :wacko: and has to be in my parents budget, they where looking at the cheaper dells :pinch: but i told them not to go there!

I have bought two Dells and have had nothing go wrong.

Overall in my experience, they are cheep, no-brainers. You tick the boxes for the things you want, and they arrive, you plug them in and they go.

Yes you could custom build one, but it sounds like that's not your cup of tea, so waste hours of your time getting up to speed with the latest PCI adaptors and SATA interfaces, or buy a Dell.

People say you have trouble with the service. Yes the help desk is a long way away but buy something cheap from your corner computer store - if something goes wrong, suddenly the English is not so good....

Your millage may vary, but mine has been okay.

Good luck.

[Colapop]

I'm no expert, all I can say is that I've had one for about three years with no probs at all.
Photoshop, AutoCAD plus scanner, CD writer (time for a DVD writer as well) etc.
Get the best specced machine you can afford and it'll last you longer.
CAD man?? Ooo that piqued my interest sitting here (at work) doing nothing - no engineers here this week.

[Oakie]

My turn.
This thread is why I hardly ever log on to the computer forum I belong to any more. Different people have VASTLY different opinions so asking for an opinion on a particular PC product can result in you wanting to tear your hair out because for every person who thinks something, there will be one who thinks exactly the opposite. Have a look at pressf1.co.nz and pick any thread if you don't believe me.
Main question is ....What is your budget. No point thinking too high spec if you've only got $1500 to spend.
Second question is ... what is it to be used for? You mentioned using photoshop. This would mean that you probably need to go for a separate video card rather than integrated graphics. Apart from that, the specs in the advert looked OK for everyday use. (Shame that '$100 off 'deal closed yesterday though)
Comments: Dell is fine for the home in my opinion and I know of many government departments and large businesses that use them. I've got a Dell desktop bought online 6 months ago and apart from a small problem right at the start which was caused by some rogue 3rd party software... it has performed flawlessly.

[N4CR]

And just to stir the thread up a little more, go for AMD chips over Intel... cheaper, they have the performance advantage in pretty much everything and you save $60+ a year on power usage (waste/heat issues from most of their recent cpu lineup.. aka the Intel prescott cored cpus). This is at the current point in time.

Enough of that.. bit too geeky but yeah - just a wise tip.

/me waits for the fan boys to come out and play :rofl: (tiggerz...?)

[TraD_MaN]

budget around 1500 max at 1800

im so confusedddd now lol but its givin me a good idear on what to look for, im not letting my olds go alone on this they will stuff up <_<

yeah it will be used for photo software mostly.

[MSTRS]

I'd agree with those on here who say go custom. You decide what you need/can afford - THEN get it built with one step up in all the important bits. That way you will probably spend more than you budgeted, but you get a machine that won't need upgrading for a very long time & will perform beyond expectation.
Note - you never know just what to expect in the way of requirements until you really get into it. Hence I have had two custom builds in the last 8 years. My current one is 4/5 years old & I have added RAM, a second HDD, USB2, soundcard (to do LP conversion to CD), Video card (for the cameras I have since purchased), A single- and a double-layer DVD writers, Ethernet card for Broadband.
See what I mean....Try doing that with your average off-the-shelf Dell etc.
Try these guys cw2002@paradise.net.nz They are in Napier & their prices are quite good.

[Mooch]

Has anyone actually checked the spec of the Dell , Looks good for the price

19 inch LCD monitor
3.0 Ghz 5150 intel
512 mb ram , (1 gig for extra $99)
USB Keyboard / Mouse
250gb Sata 7200 rpm drive
48x DVD/CDRw Combo (Dual layer DVD writer option $32)
Modem
128 meg shared video card (could be better but option for 256 meg video card for another $32)
7.1 Audio
Speakers
Ethernet card


This spec looks good to me for the price

[Antallica]

The spec is fine, but I can see the mobo dying fairly soonish, same with the PSU. Intel boards tend to crap out more often than AMD's, specially the cheap ones.

[Brian d marge]

ok
If i was to build a computer, most bang for bucks , what would I do?
my current is a Amd chip odf around 1.1 ghz 80 gig hdd, usb2 etc ....

The chip needs upgrading as skype and video tv ,,,dont like each other ,,

but for arguments sake ,,,(not 1800 nz for a chip ) ,,,but what would be the ulitmate computer???

Stephen

[Indiana_Jones]

me and computers don't get along, example


Computer..........................Me

<img src="http://www.libertyfilmfestival.com/libertas/wp-content/RockyIV_FF_300x225_02122004.gif" align="centre" vspace="10" hspace="10">

"I must break you"

-Indy

[Racey Rider]

Come my Birthday, I might put the money into a bit of a upgrade of m.. our computer. (aways thinking of the family I is!)

Is it worth me spending up to $200 on mine old thing? or replace with a newer secondhand unit?

I use a 6 years old Macrocom PC
64MB PC-lOO SDRAM (shared or something - acually makes it 56 Mb Ram.)
WINDOWS 98 sec Ed.
INTEL CELERON 500MHZ processer.
10.2 GB SEAGATE HARD DRIVE (Thats all I need)
JETWAY BX 100 SLOT37O VGA/SND (????)


I would like more RAM. + bigger processer. Plus 'Firewire'? to run vid from my camera to store on computer. At some stage later I will want Broadband internet.

Upgrade or buy another secondhand one?
Cheers.
Racey.

Pic shown my computer inturnals. dailup card on the bottom. USb card in middle. spare on top. + a Big spare right at top of Mother board.

[geoffm]

Come my Birthday, I might put the money into a bit of a upgrade of m.. our computer. (aways thinking of the family I is!)

Is it worth me spending up to $200 on mine old thing? or replace with a newer secondhand unit?
.
You won't get much for $200 - the SDram is expensive these days becaue it is so old. Depending on your budget and needs, you should be able to swap-a-box fairly cheaply, giving you a new computer with modern parts for not to much money
Geoff

[Mooch]

You'll need at least 4 gig of disk for one DV tape from the video camera , another 12 -15 gig to rendor it to a DVD. You'll need at least a 1.7 ghz plus machine to run a video package such as MS movie maker. 512 ram is also minimuim without swapping out to disk so go for 768 or 1024 meg of ram. If you don't you'll get extra pops and clicks and bad video jitter.
If you want good sound then look past AC97 sound , go for 24bit 96khz sound chipsets which has been around since early 2005.

[bungbung]

You'll need at least 4 gig of disk for one DV tape from the video camera

Uncompressed DV takes 17gig per 60min of tape

[Mooch]

Checks ..... Your right about that , sorry was thinking Mpeg2

[motobob]

budget around 1500 max at 1800

im so confusedddd now lol but its givin me a good idear on what to look for, im not letting my olds go alone on this they will stuff up <_<

yeah it will be used for photo software mostly.

Hey Tad what I suggest is that you tell the geeks here on the thread exactly what you want to use the PC for. They can then give you the spec that you require and then you can shop around or compare with the Dell. So far everyone appears to tell you what not to buy. Going to get a custom build when you don't know what you need is difficult.

So good luck.

[TraD_MaN]

Hey Tad what I suggest is that you tell the geeks here on the thread exactly what you want to use the PC for. They can then give you the spec that you require and then you can shop around or compare with the Dell. So far everyone appears to tell you what not to buy. Going to get a custom build when you don't know what you need is difficult.

So good luck.

ok geeks this is what i want (well my olds aswell) to use it for

photo storage, photoshop and all other photo programs eg what comes with the camera... also im loooking to get a digi video camera so i want the computer to be able to handle the programs to run that an play around with the films etc... also want to be able to use word/writting programs and CAD aswell. also want to burn cds\dvds :shifty: play dvds and etc...

sweet ? :woohoo:

[Wonko]

My 2 cents worth

you need a spec sheet, and then go down to local computer shop and see what they can offer you.

If you/your dad is goiong to be using photoshop and are wanting a decent pc then I recomend something like dell spec.

19 inch LCD monitor
3.0 Ghz chip(amd or intel. At the end of day no real difference)
300gb Sata 7200 rpm drive
1 gig of ram
Dual layer DVD writer
256 meg video card
Modem/network card

300 hard drive might not be big enough if you plan on doing a lot of video editing

Go in and talk with a couple of different shops.

[Pathos]

I'd get something based on a AMD Athlon 64 3000+ 1.8GHz Socket 939.

Its cheaper than the intel chip and would be easily upgraded when the prices for the fx57 drop.

get a good ASUS motherboard so it won't blow up on you.

i'd recommend an nvidia card you won't need anything special, my Fx5200 is about as cheap as you can get and wouldn't have a problem with what you need it for. If you want something better a legend 6600GT is a good deal.

[N4CR]

Pathos has chosen a decent cheap CPU (3000+).

A brand new article I have just located: Build Your Own computer... some good info outlining the choices that you can make and how to build the computer itself.
http://www.overclockers.com/tips1219/

Good luck!

[Pathos]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Computers/Complete-systems/auction-44390698.htm

Just add OS and possibly another hard drive.

ugly as shit tho...

[Gremlin]

Got an Inspiron 5100... 2 and a half years old... going well

Getting them to look at it, replace something, upgrade whatever, will cost you an arm, 2 legs, and any other bits you might think are unnecessary.

That said, bought from dell - not the warehouse, customised the spec, then upgraded afterwards (try half the cost again), but its had a very hard life, doing a lot of work, and has run fine.

[Mooch]

Built a PC using a Gigabyte motherboard / kingston Ram / Amd / Graphics card a few years back. The first motherboard lasted two weeks. Was replaced under warranty. The Gigabyte boards have good reviews for performance and are well priced. However , mine will blow a memory sim every now and then. Fortunately for me the memory has had a lifetime warranty. PC was state of the Art at the time costing about 4k to build.
I don't think I'll go down the Gigabytes route again. They are probably ok now. If anyone gets one, then don't forget to remove the bio's jumpers otherwise it's possible for a script kiddies to wreck your motherboard via tftp downloads.

[Mooch]

ok
If i was to build a computer, most bang for bucks , what would I do?
my current is a Amd chip odf around 1.1 ghz 80 gig hdd, usb2 etc ....

The chip needs upgrading as skype and video tv ,,,dont like each other ,,

but for arguments sake ,,,(not 1800 nz for a chip ) ,,,but what would be the ulitmate computer???

Stephen

For multimedia use something like this.

http://www.newlaunches.com/archives/sony_vaio_vgx-xv80s_and_vgx-_xv40s_hdd_recorders.php
http://www.jp.sonystyle.com/Style-a/Product/X/

[Pathos]

Built a PC using a Gigabyte motherboard / kingston Ram / Amd / Graphics card a few years back. The first motherboard lasted two weeks. Was replaced under warranty. The Gigabyte boards have good reviews for performance and are well priced. However , mine will blow a memory sim every now and then. Fortunately for me the memory has had a lifetime warranty. PC was state of the Art at the time costing about 4k to build.
I don't think I'll go down the Gigabytes route again. They are probably ok now. If anyone gets one, then don't forget to remove the bio's jumpers otherwise it's possible for a script kiddies to wreck your motherboard via tftp downloads.


I've had friends who have had problems with gigabyte motherboards before too.

I can only recommend ASUS from experience. My machine is running probably 10 hours a day at the moment (brothers on holiday) and I've used it nearly every day for the past 2 years. I've restarted it while running, pulled the power out while running etc and it just soldiers on.

[Mooch]

Agreed, . Asus offer excellent value for money, and have model ranges to suit the even the hard core PC person. Will probably go this way myself for next desktop replacement at some stage. Trad Man , this could be a way for you to go.