Going for a new Computer tommorow

Boon · 07-01-2006, 19:36

hi
decided i've had enough of the laptop shutting down on me, so i've opted for a new computer.
I was going to buy another Dell (desktop this time though) until i saw this in a local paper, and i think its better value.
Would like some opinion of what others think too. If you dont think its any good, please say so.
http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Product.asp...Desktop/779415
many thanks
steve

GfK · 07-01-2006, 19:40

Seems like a reasonable price... however... it all depends what you want it for.

Might be a bit 'overkill' if all you use it for is internet and e-mail.

CT · 07-01-2006, 19:43

Looks a very well spec'd machine at a good price to me. From a photographic point of view, the fast processor, multi card readers, and 2 big hard drives for storage are all good.

Gandhi · 07-01-2006, 22:22

and cs2 now takes advantages of dual core chips

It's proper multithreaded app!

Venomator · 07-01-2006, 22:27

Unless you are at pro level I would suggest you should get eveything you need for about half that Stev ? The rest is not 'must have' as much as 'gotta have' ? Of course if money is no object ... why not ?!?

Mark Grant · 07-01-2006, 23:08

How about something cheap from Dell?

Looking here:

http://www.hotukdeals.com/Category28-All.phtml

http://configure.euro.dell.com/dells...13&x=12&y=1 1

the cheapest offer at moment is £293 inc delivery, that includes a Dell 17 " TFT that sells for £172 here
http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna...ctlisting.aspx

making the PC base unit only really costing you about £121

£293 inc VAT and delivery has got to be better than £899, and will be fast enough for emails etc !
(Take off the onsite warranty to get the price down)

The £603 saving compared to the toysrus site can be spent on another lens

Mark,

Venomator · 07-01-2006, 23:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Grant

How about something cheap from Dell?

Looking here:

http://www.hotukdeals.com/Category28-All.phtml

the cheapest offer at moment is £293 inc delivery, that includes a Dell 17 " TFT that sells for £172 here
http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna...ctlisting.aspx

making the PC base unit only really costing you about £121

£293 inc VAT and delivery has got to be better than £899, and will be fast enough for emails etc !
(Take off the onsite warranty to get the price down)

The £603 saving compared to the toysrus site can be spent on another lens

Mark,

Agree with Mark - Dell is good Stev ! Glass is better !?!

Boon · 07-01-2006, 23:41

hi guys
i have a dell laptop that i use at the moment, i want something that is not going to need upgrading for a few years, as i have started to use RAW files now, and will probably copy them as tiff (which is bigger, i think) and then probably need a copy in Jpg also, you can use a lot of memory like that, and i dont want the computer to slow to a crawl within a year.
i have toyed with the Dell 'build it ' and i got it to 799, but thats with a 17" TFT screen,and only 250gb HD.
i dont only use the computer for emails and internet so i really need speed and performance.

Braeden · 07-01-2006, 23:48

Dell's cheap systems often have everything included on the motherboard... making upgradability an issue. My brother in law brought me his Dell PC to upgrade... and it didn't even have an AGP slot.

Make sure you know exactly what you are getting, down to the brands of the components if you can.

Computers are like lenses... you get what you pay for

On paper that PC looks great, but I would still want to know exactly what make and model most of the components were.

Boon · 07-01-2006, 23:54

hi Braeden
a friend at work has a b-in-law who builds computers, and he says Dell use cheap components, thats why the price is low, Having said that, my laptop has been great for 3 years, its just this overheating issue, and it keeps shutting down.

Braeden · 08-01-2006, 00:19

he's right

£900 is a good budget for a PC, shop around and get the best you can for your money. There are a few retailers around that still build systems to spec so you get to choose what you want (I know, I work for one of them).

Plus it means you are not landed with hardware and software you don't want/need.

However, if you need a PC fast then you are limited I suppose - but even then I would advise against buying in a rush.

Gemok · 08-01-2006, 00:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevannie

hi Braeden
a friend at work has a b-in-law who builds computers, and he says Dell use cheap components, thats why the price is low, Having said that, my laptop has been great for 3 years, its just this overheating issue, and it keeps shutting down.

Pretty much everyone that mas builds computers uses the cheapest components possible which would include whomever toy r us got to build that one. Its doesn't really matter who you buy from its going to be the same cheap as possible rubbish one of my friends lost the repair cd for his pc he had major problems when he installed windows on a new hard drive because he couldn't find out what drivers he needed for everything so no sound, network or display above 640 x480 until we worked out what the motherboard was.

If I didn't play games on my machine then I'd have a much cheaper and slower machine with a big hard disk and about the same amount of RAM (1GB)
but I'd be building it myself its not difficult and you know what you've got.Plus you could spent the money you saved on new glass or a huge monitor

evilowl · 08-01-2006, 08:45

No offence but I really wouldn't ever consider going into a toyshop to buy a computer.

And who has ever heard of Medion? A search of Google has not even bought back the companies website!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevannie

hi Braeden
a friend at work has a b-in-law who builds computers, and he says Dell use cheap components, thats why the price is low, Having said that, my laptop has been great for 3 years, its just this overheating issue, and it keeps shutting down.

You are aware that as the largest single computer manufacturer, Dell's bulk buying power enables them to obtain huge discounts on components, right?

As far as the laptop overheating issue - might I suggest that after 3 years of use the CPU fan is probably stuffed up with dust and various other cr*p - so may well just need a good service.

Back on topic - my advice would either be to seek a reputable manufacturer - who will undoubtably be able to respond to support issues or warranty claims a lot faster than Toys'R'Us, or as suggested above - to build your own.

Building your own PC really isnt difficult! For your budget you should be able to build something from components that would outperform off-the-shelf PCs costing 1.5x as much.

If you need any help with component selection then ask away!

Boon · 08-01-2006, 09:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by evilowl

No offence but I really wouldn't ever consider going into a toyshop to buy a computer.

hi guys
would you ever of thought of going into a garage for bread and milk or video's at one time, who would have heard of lexmark a couple of years ago, although they have been building printers for years(for IBM) until they came for themselves.
I really appreciate all this concern about this computer, i have just looked at their warranty policy, and it says, covered for 12months, within 12 months if there is a problem, a technician will come to the house to repair, if he cant repair it, a new item will be given.
I am not sure what to do now, and my brother is calling for me in an hour to go, i'll go look at their website again.
cheers

RobertP · 08-01-2006, 10:00

I have to say I have heard only good things about Medion. They are the largest computer company in germany. Aldi supermarkets often have offers on medion PC's and have people queuing outside when the offers start.

When I built my last PC I costed all the parts (which were all named branded major components) in a Medion offer at Aldi and could not buy the parts for the same money, never mind an OS as well. I can't do the queuing thing so I bought the parts and built my own.

There are websites just for medion users. I looked on one at the time. The only moans were about the drivers for the TV card being poor. Might be worth a search to see if users are still happy.

Mark Grant · 08-01-2006, 10:40

How about this one:
http://configure.euro.dell.com/dells...11&x=12&y=1 1

3.0 P4, X600 graphics etc,

I get that to £657 with 1024mb memory, taking off the onsite warranty ( you dont need to pay for on site warranty if you have a friend who can repair PC's

)

you could add the built in card reader for £23.50.

Almost the same spec as Medion, but with faster CPU, but it is a Dell for less money than Medion

Cheaper to add more hard drives yourself (or your friend) later !

for example a maxtor SATA 160gb is only £45 + VAT at ebuyer,

Another big advantage of Dell machines is that they are almost silent.
when a shop builds a cheap PC they usually use a cheap CPU fan and cheap PSU, both are noisy, Dells are almost silent

Hardly worth building your own PC when you can buy them pre-built that cheap !

Mark.

07-01-2006, 19:36	#1 (permalink)
Boon Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Robin Hood County Posts: 523	Going for a new Computer tommorow hi decided i've had enough of the laptop shutting down on me, so i've opted for a new computer. I was going to buy another Dell (desktop this time though) until i saw this in a local paper, and i think its better value. Would like some opinion of what others think too. If you dont think its any good, please say so. http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Product.asp...Desktop/779415 many thanks steve

07-01-2006, 23:08	#6 (permalink)
Mark Grant Quite Chatty Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 83	How about something cheap from Dell? Looking here: http://www.hotukdeals.com/Category28-All.phtml http://configure.euro.dell.com/dells...13&x=12&y=1 1 the cheapest offer at moment is £293 inc delivery, that includes a Dell 17 " TFT that sells for £172 here http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna...ctlisting.aspx making the PC base unit only really costing you about £121 £293 inc VAT and delivery has got to be better than £899, and will be fast enough for emails etc ! (Take off the onsite warranty to get the price down) The £603 saving compared to the toysrus site can be spent on another lens Mark, __________________ http://www.pbase.com/markgrant/ 20D, 24-105 f4 L IS, 70-200 f2.8 L IS, Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro USM, Canon 1.4x extender, Canon 550EX, Canon MT24EX, Manfrotto 055 Tripod with 322RC2 head. Last edited by Mark Grant : 07-01-2006 at 23:10. Reason: added a link

07-01-2006, 23:41	#8 (permalink)
Boon Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Robin Hood County Posts: 523	hi guys i have a dell laptop that i use at the moment, i want something that is not going to need upgrading for a few years, as i have started to use RAW files now, and will probably copy them as tiff (which is bigger, i think) and then probably need a copy in Jpg also, you can use a lot of memory like that, and i dont want the computer to slow to a crawl within a year. i have toyed with the Dell 'build it ' and i got it to 799, but thats with a 17" TFT screen,and only 250gb HD. i dont only use the computer for emails and internet so i really need speed and performance. __________________ Hi Ho Silver...Away Canon 350d : BG-E3 Battery Grip : Sigma 18-50mm : Sigma 55-200mm :Canon EF-S 17-85mm IS USM...

08-01-2006, 10:00	#15 (permalink)
RobertP Forum Regular Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Woodford Essex Posts: 841	I have to say I have heard only good things about Medion. They are the largest computer company in germany. Aldi supermarkets often have offers on medion PC's and have people queuing outside when the offers start. When I built my last PC I costed all the parts (which were all named branded major components) in a Medion offer at Aldi and could not buy the parts for the same money, never mind an OS as well. I can't do the queuing thing so I bought the parts and built my own. There are websites just for medion users. I looked on one at the time. The only moans were about the drivers for the TV card being poor. Might be worth a search to see if users are still happy. __________________ 20D. Kit lens. Canon 50mm 1.4. Sigma 150mm 2.8 macro. Tamron 28-75 XR Di. Canon 70-200 f4L . Canon 100-400L. 580EX.

07-01-2006, 19:40	#2 (permalink)
GfK Forum Regular Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 861	Seems like a reasonable price... however... it all depends what you want it for. Might be a bit 'overkill' if all you use it for is internet and e-mail.

07-01-2006, 19:43	#3 (permalink)
CT Feet under the table Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: West Mids UK Posts: 3,500	Looks a very well spec'd machine at a good price to me. From a photographic point of view, the fast processor, multi card readers, and 2 big hard drives for storage are all good.

07-01-2006, 22:22	#4 (permalink)
Gandhi Forum Regular Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: bath, somerserset Posts: 966	and cs2 now takes advantages of dual core chips It's proper multithreaded app!

07-01-2006, 22:27	#5 (permalink)
Venomator Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Hertfordshire Posts: 922	Unless you are at pro level I would suggest you should get eveything you need for about half that Stev ? The rest is not 'must have' as much as 'gotta have' ? Of course if money is no object ... why not ?!?

07-01-2006, 23:48	#9 (permalink)
Braeden Getting Comfy Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 131	Dell's cheap systems often have everything included on the motherboard... making upgradability an issue. My brother in law brought me his Dell PC to upgrade... and it didn't even have an AGP slot. Make sure you know exactly what you are getting, down to the brands of the components if you can. Computers are like lenses... you get what you pay for On paper that PC looks great, but I would still want to know exactly what make and model most of the components were.

07-01-2006, 23:54	#10 (permalink)
Boon Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Robin Hood County Posts: 523	hi Braeden a friend at work has a b-in-law who builds computers, and he says Dell use cheap components, thats why the price is low, Having said that, my laptop has been great for 3 years, its just this overheating issue, and it keeps shutting down.

08-01-2006, 00:19	#11 (permalink)
Braeden Getting Comfy Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 131	he's right £900 is a good budget for a PC, shop around and get the best you can for your money. There are a few retailers around that still build systems to spec so you get to choose what you want (I know, I work for one of them). Plus it means you are not landed with hardware and software you don't want/need. However, if you need a PC fast then you are limited I suppose - but even then I would advise against buying in a rush.

08-01-2006, 10:40	#16 (permalink)
Mark Grant Quite Chatty Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Yorkshire Posts: 83	How about this one: http://configure.euro.dell.com/dells...11&x=12&y=1 1 3.0 P4, X600 graphics etc, I get that to £657 with 1024mb memory, taking off the onsite warranty ( you dont need to pay for on site warranty if you have a friend who can repair PC's ) you could add the built in card reader for £23.50. Almost the same spec as Medion, but with faster CPU, but it is a Dell for less money than Medion Cheaper to add more hard drives yourself (or your friend) later ! for example a maxtor SATA 160gb is only £45 + VAT at ebuyer, Another big advantage of Dell machines is that they are almost silent. when a shop builds a cheap PC they usually use a cheap CPU fan and cheap PSU, both are noisy, Dells are almost silent Hardly worth building your own PC when you can buy them pre-built that cheap ! Mark.

08-01-2006, 10:44	#17 (permalink)
Boon Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Robin Hood County Posts: 523