After our house move next Thursday we should hopefully have a bit of cash left over for a new PC. The current one is a DIY job consisting of a bottom of the dual core range E1400, a half decent (but old) nVidia GS7900 graphics card, 2Gb of RAM and a 250Gb hard drive. Thanks to the graphics card, son can play World of Warcraft and a few other not too old games on it, but he did buy one recently that was beyond its relatively modest capabilities.
Budget is tight - we've got showers to install and kitchens to enlarge which apparently take priority - so it's not going to be a Mac this time. I'm a great believer in cheap and cheerful when it comes to PCs, and I thought this looked pretty good:
cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120622821391
Summary: E6500, nVidia GT240, 4Gb RAM, 1Tb HD
I know at least one of the c4p regulars builds PC, so I wondered what they thought of it? I realise it's not going to cause iffy any sleepless nights thinking he'd made the wrong choice, but it's a good step up in spec at a price I think I'd stuggle to match just buying the equivalent parts from eBuyer. I'm happy to replace bits myself if something goes wrong out of warranty, but it's nice to feel reasonably confident that it's going to work when you first turn it on :)
BTW we'll be transferring Windows 7 (retail) from the current PC which I'll probably sell on as a linux machine - did that with previous PC and get a sensible amount for it.
Last edited by: Focus on Sat 6 Nov 10 at 15:20
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...it's not going to cause iffy any sleepless nights thinking he'd made the wrong choice...
True, although the pc in your link has very similar performance to my Mac for, about, ahem, six hundred quid less.
It's pcs for value as we all know.
Would you not prefer one in a smaller cabinet?
Although I suppose the big box makes swapping components easier.
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If I had a Win7 retail I'd get one of these cheapo eBuyer systems, there's usually one for around 220 quid:-
www.ebuyer.com/product/239782
Depends how cheap you want to go, GFX & PSU is limited on that system.
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>> If I had a Win7 retail I'd get one of these cheapo eBuyer systems, there's
>> usually one for around 220 quid:-
>>
>> www.ebuyer.com/product/239782
Yes, I regularly peruse the eBuyer site, and had seen that system. But by the time you've added on another 2Gb of RAM and a decent graphics card (a 1Gb GT240 alone is £68) I think you'd end up paying more.
I forgot to mention the ebay PC I'm looking at is £307, for those who haven't followed the link.
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"True, although the pc in your link has very similar performance to my Mac for, about, ahem, six hundred quid less."
By the time you factor in the cost of a decent monitor, a pair of speakers, an operating system and the cost of software that £600 differential comes down quite a lot a
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>> Would you not prefer one in a smaller cabinet?
Ideally yes, but beggars can't be choosers :)
>> Although I suppose the big box makes swapping components easier.
True - and at least up to now the PC has been hidden away in a spare/utility room, so aesthetics aren't that important.
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As one of the C4P computer builders my comments:
That is a really downmarket and end of range CPU and the video card is lacking in performance.
Hard drive and Memory capacity are good.
Wouldn't be my idea of a PC that will last me for 3 years.
Last edited by: Zero on Sat 6 Nov 10 at 20:48
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>> As one of the C4P computer builders my comments:
>>
>> That is a really downmarket and end of range CPU and the video card is
>> lacking in performance.
Yes - that's what I'm expecting at that price, where I think you get the best value for money. I'm only looking for a significant step up from the current system, and this gives it in all areas as far as I can see, including CPU and graphics. With this I'm only lagging, what, 2 years behind? :)
>> Can't see any mention of an operating system.
Nope - moving the Win 7 from the current PC, which I'll sell as a linux system.
Last edited by: Focus on Sat 6 Nov 10 at 20:53
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with that CPU? no its more than two years behind.
I would be expecting an I3 or I5 at that price barrier.
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>> with that CPU? no its more than two years behind.
>>
>> I would be expecting an I3 or I5 at that price barrier.
If you can find one, I would be very interested.
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I can buy all the components to build that PC featured on the web page at £298 quid inc VAT.
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Ok you can get all the components to build a Pentium I3 version of that PC, with an LGA 1156 socket ( and hence at least 3 years of upgrade path ) for 360 quid,
Thats where I would be looking at my next entry level PC,
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>> Wouldn't be my idea of a PC that will last me for 3 years.
Having done a major upgrade (ie. new PC), I can carry on upgrading individual components, as I have been doing for the last few years (the current PC's graphics card, CPU and motherboard are all the result of single component upgrades).
The fact is I wouldn't be allowed sufficient funds to buy a PC now that would last 3 years, much as I would like to.
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Thats the point, you cant upgrade this. Its a LGA 775 motherboard, your CPU upgrade path is nowhere. It locks you out of all the future Intel CPU upgrades.
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You might find something of interest at similar prices in the special offers, clearance etc sections at:
www.itcsales.co.uk/
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>> You might find something of interest at similar prices in the special offers, clearance etc
>> sections at:
>>
>> www.itcsales.co.uk/
I had a quick look, but for example a Dell system with only an E6300, 320Gb hd, 2Gb RAM (not sure what graphics) costs £328. You're possibly paying for the name.
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>> Thats the point, you cant upgrade this. Its a LGA 775 motherboard, your CPU upgrade
>> path is nowhere. It locks you out of all the future Intel CPU upgrades.
I think a quad core in a year or 2 would be a worthwhile upgrade, and there will still be plenty of PCI-E graphics cards for while. And I don't want a DIY PC for this sort of money - too risky/stressful.
I don't know, I'll keep looking at the new CPUs and motherboards, and perhaps see how much more I can squeeze out of my financial controller. But I'm not optimistic...
Last edited by: Focus on Sat 6 Nov 10 at 23:16
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Ok as you say, the bean counter has it, but its a poor technology choice in my book.
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Upgrading the CPU in that will be impossible in a couple of years time - nothing faster will fit in the socket. Then again how many people really upgrade the CPU?
AMD did have a reputation of keeping the upgrade path open for purchasers of their CPUs - the sockets did not change too often. But lately that has changed and Intel's latest processors are faster.
Looking at the GPU you've listed, if one use is games, then unless you up the spec of the CPU then little point in getting anything much faster. The bottleneck for the GPU in games will be the CPU.
EDIT: Never looked at the spec but see mention of an upgrade to Quad Core in a few years could be worthwhile. I'd go quad core now. Even if an older Intel CPU. Better still an i5.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Sun 7 Nov 10 at 00:08
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Ok, you've forced me to start looking for i3/5 PCs, and actually the same people that do the system above do an i3 530 version for £339, although it's 'only' a 500Mb drive (4Gb and GT240)...
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i3 530, 4Gb, 1Tb for £286 (ebay) + ATI HD 5670 from eBuyer for £70 = £356. Happy now? :)
EDIT: ...although the 1Gb 5670 is only £15 more... STOP!
Last edited by: Focus on Sun 7 Nov 10 at 09:39
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>> Ok, you've forced me to start looking for i3/5 PCs, and actually the same people
>> that do the system above do an i3 530 version for £339, although it's 'only'
>> a 500Mb drive (4Gb and GT240)...
Look you wont fill a 1TB drive. This is a good bet if you want to stick as close to your 339 as possible.
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Focus,
I know it's always easy to spend other people's money, but it does seem the addition of £100 or so to the budget would pay dividends.
No one, either inside or outside your household, could accuse you of being extravagant.
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>> Not an i3 but cheap as you already have an OS:-
>>
>> www.hotukdeals.com/deals/scan-intel-pentium-dual-core-e6600-/794787#comments
Thanks SC. Yes, it does look like good value, although I think it would come out close to the ones I've been looking at on ebay after adding a decent graphics card.
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>> I know it's always easy to spend other people's money, but it does seem the
>> addition of £100 or so to the budget would pay dividends.
I think I've convinced myself it's worth paying extra for an i3, but that's the easy part... :)
To be honest, I might have been a bit premature. Knowing what needs doing at the new place (including extending the kitchen, putting in a shower), and having just gone through the figures, we might have to make do with the existing PC for a little while longer :(
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....we might have to make do with the existing PC for a little while longer :(...
Better that than over-extending oneself, the results of which are not nice.
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Or making a perhaps hasty purchase and regretting it afterwards.
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New PC - Iffy
