What new computer

[choop]

I'm looking to buy a desktop computer for my wife at home. A Coworker told me to buy an athlon. I've looked on ebay at those outfits that assemble less expensive computers. It looks like I can get an Athlon 1Ghz with 128 meg and a Cdrw for around $1000. The most processor intesive work we will do I think is mp3 to CD. Should I look at something different? Should I look somewhere besides ebay? Also, do most LCD display hook up to most computers, or is there some guideline to follow.

Thanks for the reply.

[Paleo Pete]

Check CSO (http://www.computersurplusoutlet.com) and Pricewatch (http://www.pricewatch.com) both have very good deals pretty often. Be careful with ebay, ripoffs are fairly common, make sure you get some kind of return policy or warranty, and check out the seller if possble.

LCD monitors I'm not sure about, but I think you have to have a certain type of plug to use them, and a computer that supports that monitor type.

Also watch the brand you buy. Some don't have a very good reputation. eMachines seem to be one of the "stay away" machines according to what I've read on the forums, I would not recommend Compaq or HP either. Any off brands I'd be wary of...Often you'll get something with the cheapest parts available, generic or proprietary memory, and it's nearly impossible to avoid winmodems, or onboard video and sound cards... unless you build your own.



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My hairdresser charges me a finder's fee!!

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[xor_chad]

Hiya
Sounds more than adequate for your situation but i say it is a fine choice.

LCD displays work same as CRT. The signal is the same, the only difference is how it is displayed. If you get a digital monitor tho you will need a digital video card. (digital signal, not digital controls)

With computers, you get what you pay for (duh)
Dont spend $800 and expect to blast 85fps in QuakeIII!

If expansion is something that concerns you. Ask questions about the PC like how many open slots for PCI/AGP/Memory/etc...

I know we trash Compaq and HP throughout this forum, but for some ppl these computers are ideal.
Just spend alot of time researching what you get, $1000 is alot to dump for something.
MAke sure you get what you want, not what others want you to get.
Laters...

ps
it has been my experience that everyone starts with the "i just want to be able to type reports and send e-mail" syndrome (ie $1000 typewriter) and quickly advances to the "ohhh i wish i could play this new game on my pc...but instead i was more concerned with saving $100. So think ahead.
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Chad Wilson
C++/ASM Programmer
PC Support Technician

[This message has been edited by xor_chad (edited 01-05-2001).]

[sleddog]

When you ask advice regarding what computer to get, the number of opinions will be equal to the number of responses http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif

The first question I ask someone when they ask advice about a new computer is, "Do you, or will you, play high-end computer games?" If the answer is a "yes" or "maybe" then the computer is very different from if the answer is a definitive "no".

By games I mean stuff like Quake, not children's games like Magic School Bus. (I recently revamped my old Pentium Pro 150 for my 6 year old daughter. With 64mb RAM, an old Stealth 64 2mb vram video card, an old 2.6gb harddrive and a relatively new 32X CD drive it zips through all her (many!) children's interactive learning games beautifully.

If you don't game, then I'd recommend a system based on the AMD Duron or Intel Celeron CPU. You can't beat the bang for the buck. Either will provide excellent performance for office applications, internet use, etc. Others might argue, but for general computer use the performance difference between a Duron/Celeron and the higher-priced Athlon/P3 is negligible. A large application might start a split-second faster, but so what?

If you do play games, or think you might in the (near) future, by all means go with the AMD Athlon. You will also need to weigh the cost/performance of the various high-end video cards, a critical component of a gaming system. For a non-gaming system, just about any good-quality, modern video card with 8 or 16mb of RAM will do just fine. Of course some are better than others.

Whichever your route, base your system on a good motherboard. It is (IMO) the heart of your system. Avoid cheap motherboards. Avoid motherboards with integrated sound and/or video. By from a reputable manufacturer. Asus and Abit are both well-respected names. You will get a long life out of a mid-to-high range motherboard from either of these makers. You might put a Duron CPU on one now, and do an easy upgrade to an Athlon 1ghz in a year or 18 months time (when they're a lot cheaper!)... I just checked the price of a Duron 650 at pricewatch.com -- under US$50. How can you go wrong for that?

I wouldn't buy a computer on e-bay, it just makes me nervous not to know whom I'm dealing with for such a purchase. If you have a knowledgeable friend, seek his/her help and build it yourself. Alternately deal with a reputable local shop -- but get the computer you want, with the components you want, not this system that's on special this week (unless of course they happen to be the same!)

Final few thoughts... sucessfully burning CD's depends a lot on your harddrive. Most modern harddrives will be fine, but don't scrimp to save a few dollars in this area. 128mb RAM will be fine for a general use, non-gaming system. Make sure you get a single 128mb stick and not two 64's -- it makes upgrading much easier (and possibly cheaper). And the PC133 memory isn't much different in price than the PC100, so go for the faster stuff.

Enough... I'm boring everyone http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/smile.gif



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sleddog (http://www.sleddog.f2s.com)
Pulling for a SmartLabrador (http://www.labradorit.nf.ca/smartlabrador/)

[Paleo Pete]

Very nicely done guys, you both thought of details I was too tired to get a good grip on last night...

I agree with both, get the computer you want, not what's on sale this week or what someone else wants to sell you...

One thing I forgot last night, take a look around the different stores, and find out the system requirements of the kind of applications you plan to run, write down the recommended minimums most require, and go for something that will surpass those specifications, and leave room for future expansions and upgrades.

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My hairdresser charges me a finder's fee!!

Please post your questions on the forums, not in my email.

Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)