New PC VPR MATRIX, BEST BUY

[stevenxos]

I am a first time PC buyer. I have done alot of research on computers. I have head good and bad things about HP, Dell, Compaq and Gateway. I found that BestBuy is selling their own brand called the VPR MATRIX. I am interested in model #2250. It has a P4, 2.2 ghz, 512 ddr, 120 HD, cd=rw, dvd and a gforce 4 mx440 with Plenty of POrts. Price $1499. Package with 17 monitor and printe for 1550.

I cant find any GOOD info on this brand other than they are new to bestbuy. No one has anything BAD to say about this. Can anyone provide me with any info on this. Or know of any internet sites that have USER REviews, Reliability reviews, ANYTHING.

Please help. I have a rain check for this computer and I need to know if I should stay away.

Thanks

Steve


------------------
Don't Fake The Funk, On That Nasty DUNK!!!!!

[Whyzman]

Hello stevenxos,

Welcome to http://www.pcguide.com/ubb/pcgubb.gif Forums!

Hmmmm....Well, a track record is a genuine concern!

Do you have any specs as far as which Motherboard they are using?

It could be an advantage that nearly every town of size has a BestBuy where you could bring it into for repairs...if they would ever be needed. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/frown.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif

It sounds like some pretty impressive numbers...although my personal choice would probably be to go with two 60gig Hdds rather than a massive 120gig. That's a lot of defragging in a one lump sum. Also, you could have a system backup.

We will be getting the Sunday ads today and I'll make sure to take a look at the BestBuy and see if I can find the system you're interested in.

Well, HERE (http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=11120986&m=488&cat=490&scat=491) are the specs from the BestBuy site for others who might want to comment. No mention of the MotherBoard. Oh, and don't forget the $100.00 in store rebate card!

------------------
May all your dealings in life be win/win!


Whyzman
----------------------
Reserved for Punishing Humor...A Pessimist's blood is always B-negative!

[This message has been edited by Whyzman (edited 05-18-2002).]

[YODA74]

Well I hope for that price it's comeing with more than just the tower? Other than that I would seriously think about building your own.SHEEEEZ
if that is all it comes with is the tower, I would save a couple more Bucks and purchase a complete ALIENWARE system / Best buy Joke IMHO

------------------
YODA74@windows-sucks.com
CCMR (http://www.dreamwater.net/tech/yoda74/index.html)

[stevenxos]

Thanks for responding. Does anyone have anything negative to say about this PC?

Thanks

------------------
Don't Fake The Funk, On That Nasty DUNK!!!!!

[mjc]

512 MB PC2700 ddr $121
P4 2.2 GHz $354
Tyan P4 mobo $71 (probably better board)
Plextor 40x12x40 $125 (better/faster burner)
LITE-ON LTD-163 $45
GeForce4 TI 4200 $178 (better video card)
maxtor 120GB $145
SB Audigy Platinum $164 (better sound)
MS Internet Pro KB $35
MS optical Mouse $25
Antec 1030 $102 (much better case)
Win XP Home about $100 (pro about $150)
____________________________________________

$1465

(the above was not done with shipping or actual comparason shopping in mind,though most of the prices are including shipping, just to show that with a little effort you can match or beat that system without even blinking)

------------------
mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.




[This message has been edited by mjc (edited 05-18-2002).]

[saphalline]

I think we need to keep in mind that stevenxos is a first-time PC buyer, so perhaps telling him to build his own isn't the best idea? Unless he has extensive experience with PC's and just hasn't gotten around to buying one yet.

I remember reading a newspaper article awhile back about these computers that Best Buy was going to make, but alas one cannot judge quality by a newspaper article. I don't happen to agree with everything Best Buy does, but I have no reason to think that their PC line would be any worse than the ones they normally sell. Probably better when you think about it, just because by putting out their own line they're eliminating another manufacturer, and thus another middle-man. This means less profit slicing and (even if the quality is the same) better prices compared to the ol' Compaqs they sell.

As to the component list, looks pretty good to me. The price, too, for that matter. Sure, sure, you could build a better one for about the same price, and you can whine all you want about having two hard drives instead of one, but if everyone built their own PC's how we (those who build) fuel our egos http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif? Seriously, tho, I think it would be OK to buy this computer system, but get it at $1499 and choose your own monitor and printer!

The reason I say this is because 1) - bundled monitors are almost always at the lower end of "quality", and 2) - bundled printers are cheapos that will cost you more in ink for the first 6 months than it saved you in the rebate! Viewsonic and Sony monitors are good for budget and high quality, respectively. The Lexmark Z52 is an excellent color printer for the money (just don't anyone talk you into the lesser Z32/42 or similar printers).

Are you quite sure you need this level of power? I mean power is cheap these days, but you better have some sort of PC gaming, image/video editing, DVD playing activities in mind. If all you want to do is get your first PC for getting on the internet, then you could get buy with a sub-$1000 PC.

------------------
"No, we do not gnaw on our kitty." - Dr. Evil

[stevenxos]

Thanks for the response. I am also new to this website and I am not sure if this is where a respond to thank people who wrote. You are right about building a PC. I am a first time buyer and building a PC is NOT an option for ME. Though I would love to learn how in the future. I do plan on Gaming and digital photos. I have all the gaming consoles (ps2, xbox, DC) and have decided to expand my gaming on PC. Thats why I want a good system.

Again thanks for your thoughts.

------------------
Don't Fake The Funk, On That Nasty DUNK!!!!!

[Rick]

I’ll add my 2 cents now.
Best Buy tech Support??

What tech support?
Don’t forget the infamous Extended Warranty $$
For Tech Support and hardware replacement ?

Sorry Ladies and Gents.
But if it’s a Best Buy Brand then they have to support it.
I for one have never seen a single Best buy store with a tech in it that wasn’t a first year computer science student or less..

[mjc]

I think I have seen some BestBuy stores where their toaster( http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif) salesman knew more about computers than their computer tech.....

Seriously, though I would try to find out who makes the mainboard in this model, whether or not things like the CD & DVD drives are namebrand or are they "housebrand" also, the video card is a budget card (and if you are used to gaming consoles, you wil not be happy with a budget video card) so that seems to say other components will also be budget parts (my example showed that higher end parts can be had for within the same price range as that system.....).

The issue of support is real, I have dealt with various systems that have "support" from their manufacturer...and some of that is pitifully poor (a certain vendor I know offers you 1 year, but after the first 90 days you need to put a $25 deposit with a credit card to actually talk to a person), others you have to take (or send) the machine back and then they send it to a central location for repair and you wait 6-8 weeks, also with most extended warranties this means you have to go to them for any kind of upgrading (or risk voiding the warranty)...this includes adding more memory,new video card, etc. Also for full support you need to basically leave it in the configuration you bought it in...in this case it would probably be a single partition on that HUGE drive, wouldn't be able to add another operating system (like Linux) or make any real changes until the warranty period was up. You probably also wouldn't receive an actual operating system installation disk...but some sort of "restore" disk that is usually just an "image" of the factory fresh install.




------------------
mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[Jude3085]

I would say that all the other stuff is good just the video card. Ypu should get a geforce 4 ti 4600 or 4200. The mx4400 are nothing but carp. There no better than the geforce 2 cards.

------------------
John

[Jude3085]

My friend just bought that pc and i would say that its a Great pc but u need to a a fan or so cause it doesn't come with any.