~1500 bucks for a new PC

[mrex]

So, like I explained, I came darn near buying that 8.1 PC yesterday and might actually buy it tomorrow. But the thought of abandoning something decent but slow for something fast but unfriendly makes for an unmakeable decision.

What pc is it actually? With specs hp, i3, 22" i find only some Touchsmart desktops around five hundred dollars.

 

[jefboyardee]

I had said HP i3 quad, 8GB, 1TB, 22", etc. It was also 64-bit as I recall. And it was a tower, not an AIO. I'm not there now, but other than having W8.1, it rang all my bells. And 500 looked pretty good, compared to everything else I've seen, usually at least 700 for specs like that. I'd buy it but for that damn OS... perhaps the price was lowered because of the OS?

 

[jefboyardee]

I went back there to discover that apparently I lied, partly:









...still seems tempting, wish I actually needed it.

...with assorted reviews.

 

[jefboyardee]

...with assorted reviews.

This one got me to give up:

The stats on the box looked good. AMD Quad Core and plenty of RAM. Unfortunately its only running at 1.5GHZ ! I opened the case and it looks just like a laptop! One small motherboard and a tiny fan for cooling!

 

[Digital Controller]

This one got me to give up:

The stats on the box looked good. AMD Quad Core and plenty of RAM. Unfortunately its only running at 1.5GHZ ! I opened the case and it looks just like a laptop! One small motherboard and a tiny fan for cooling!

Yeah I definitely would reconsider that, especially if you are looking for something to last you up to 6 years.

I know that I usually keep my processors for 4 years then give them to my Dad to use in his computer or create a server out of it.

I am still suggesting the DIY idea. We can even help you pick out the parts.

P.S. If you live near Cincinnati, OH I can help you build it.

 

[jefboyardee]

If you live near Cincinnati, OH I can help you build it.

Tough commute from central AZ. ;(

 

[jefboyardee]

This appears to be the best deal I've seen, but with a jumbled description... opinions?:

Dell OptiPlex 780 PC Desktop - Customized
US $229.99 Free shipping

Condition: Manufacturer refurbished : Split the cost with friends
Seller Notes: “Units may have scratches or wear. There is no defects in operation.”
Brand: Dell
Operating System: Windows 7
Model: OptiPlex 780
Processor Type: Intel Core 2 Duo
Type: PC Desktop
Processor Speed: 3.00 GHz
Graphics Processing Type: Integrated/On-Board Graphics
Memory: 8 GB
Product Line: Optiplex
Hard Drive Capacity: 160 GB
MPN: 780
Operating System Edition: Professional

Product Information
The Dell OptiPlex 780 desktop has been customized by the seller, so read the detailed listing and feel free to reach out to the seller to ask questions about specific adjustments. Without any modifications, this OptiPlex customized desktop is powered by the Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 2.93 GHz processor that lets you multi task with ease. Moreover, with a DDR3 SDRAM of 2 GB, the Dell OptiPlex 780 desktop facilitates an enhanced computing performance and fast rebooting. Boasting a 250 GB HDD capacity, this OptiPlex customized desktop lets you store ample digitized videos, photos, and music in high-definition formats. What’s more, get an exceptional experience of playing your favorite high-end games on the Dell OptiPlex 780 desktop as it features an Intel GMA 4500 graphic card.

Dell Slim Desktop CD/DVD Burner Windows 7 Pro 64-bit 8 GB RAM DDR3 Intel Core 2 Duo Processor @ 3.0 GHz (E8400)

...and, based on q&a, it has 8 USB2.0 ports, was built in 2010 and is very quiet... I hate buying anything on eBay, but it's sometimes unignorable.

 

[Digital Controller]

This appears to be the best deal I've seen, but with a jumbled description... opinions?:

Dell OptiPlex 780 PC Desktop - Customized
US $229.99 Free shipping

Condition: Manufacturer refurbished : Split the cost with friends
Seller Notes:

 

[Crashdamage]

Might be a little slow and that's really not much HD space. You may need to add an external drive eventually. But 8GB of RAM and Win7 Pro are pluses.

 

[jefboyardee]

it is rather old compared to today's standards, since it doesn't even rock a quad core.

Rather new compared to my '05 but I know what you mean.

Any idea why the owner is getting rid of it?

He's one of those guys that sells lots, got four of these, no idea where.

Might be a little slow

That's the comment that might stop me cold... slow is probably the only thing I really want to put in the past.

that's really not much HD space.

For today's standards, yes. I actually have 200GB on my beast but only use about 50, so I this is not a real issue in my case.

 

[lunatic59]

He's one of those guys that sells lots, got four of these, no idea where.

The Dell Optiplex line is sold though their commercial division and given that it has Win7 Pro, it most likely came from a business that was upgrading or liquidating assets. I see a lot of these machines in medical offices. Nothing wrong with them although the cases are rather basic.

For today's standards, yes. I actually have 200GB on my beast but only use about 50, so I this is not a real issue in my case.

Adding additional storage or upgrading the storage in these is really easy. You can pick up a 1TB 7200 RPM drive from Best Buy for under $100 and clone the old drive to it ... or you can just add a second drive for additional storage.

 

[jefboyardee]

Appreciate all your comments, but I'm still stuck in maybe-ville -- it's a nice place where I spend a lot of time. Previous awful eBay experiences have told me to never try that again. Although I can't hold the current responsible for the previous, those voices in my head...

 

[sfbloodbrother]

If you do spend a lot of time on the computer and you think that this is the best for you, go for it.

I sure spend a lot of time on my desktops. But my cell phone has always been my go to device for anytime that I need to connect to the Internet. I think that's where the generation is going.

 

[jefboyardee]

But my cell phone has always been my go to device for anytime that I need to connect to the Internet.

I sync Firefox to my desktop systems and my android but almost never use the droid for internet -- 3G, tiny screen, eats juice. No prob, I just wait til I get home for netting... sign of my generation.

 

[jefboyardee]

If you do spend a lot of time on the computer and you think that this is the best for you, go for it.

If you do spend a lot of time on the computer: yes.

you think that this is the best for you: yes.

go for it: no, I just can't do it. Even if it doesn't blossom into yet another eBay personal horror story, it just isn't worth spending all that much for quadrupling my RAM and getting a bit faster.

I may ask him if he's willing to cut the price in half, that I can do. Otherwise and meanwhile, I think I'm just going to annoy people with pointless questions until Win9 comes out.:turtle:

 

[mrex]

It is not only gigahertz but the architecture too.. the old 3ghz processor may be much slower than a new 1ghz processor with its new architecture...

 

[jefboyardee]

the old 3ghz processor may be much slower than a new 1ghz

So would my previous find actually be better...

AMD Quad Core and plenty of RAM. Unfortunately its only running at 1.5GHZ

HP 110-243wb Desktop PC with AMD A4-5000 Quad-Core Processor, 8GB Memory, 21.5" Monitor, 1TB Hard Drive and Windows 8.1

 

[mrex]

I dont think that A4-5000 with radeon 8330 is good deal.

 

[Digital Controller]

Yeah I would avoid that CPU, seems rather bad to me and I think a lot of Dual Cores could still give that thing a run for its money.

 

[jefboyardee]

Seems that any of these possibles will just make me wonder why I bothered, that each of them requires that I compromise something. The only one that will seem to work right is that HP Pavilion 500t Desktop | Intel Core i5 | Windows 7 Professional I mentioned earlier, but at a price.

I still blame MS for all this, building a technological roadblock called Windows 8.X. I won't jump 'forward' into that and staying with Win7 is not really an upgrade at all...

 

[lunatic59]

There's an old saying in [insert just about any industry here] ... Quality, Performance, Value .... pick any two.

 

[Crashdamage]

You're mostly at units around $500 or less. Of *course* that means compromises!

 

[mrex]

What bothers me most is that these packages dont have decent displays. You should check those displays and see them IRL. Especially viewing angles when you sit in front of them and the performance producing dark and bright.

I would get the better display... just for avoiding terrible headache. Go to a store and check the difference between cheap tn-panel and ips-panel.

 

[Digital Controller]

Seems that any of these possibles will just make me wonder why I bothered, that each of them requires that I compromise something. The only one that will seem to work right is that HP Pavilion 500t Desktop | Intel Core i5 | Windows 7 Professional I mentioned earlier, but at a price.

I still blame MS for all this, building a technological roadblock called Windows 8.X. I won't jump 'forward' into that and staying with Win7 is not really an upgrade at all...

This is the main reason I started building my own computers. I don't want to make compromises! I want what I want...exactly .

I was sick of making these compromises so I taught myself how to build them. It pays off in the end

 

[jefboyardee]

My HP Pavilion's fan is almost dead silent all the time, which means it's not working very hard, which means I might able to overclock it? But I've never wandered there and might get lost.

...just looking for a way to wait for Win9 as quickly as possible.