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Workhorse for less than $500
I am looking to get a desktop that will be on 24/7. Does not have to be the fastest slickest or brand new (refurbs are OK), but it must be super dependable. Something that I will turn on next week, give it a fair amont of use for the next 3 years without ever needing to open the side cover. What do you guys recommend?
Does Dell still produce something that is hard to kill?
Just buy a Dell, add on the 3-year "deluxe" warranty, and off you go, no fuss no muss.
Lenovo ThinkStation
+1 to random capital's suggestion re dell. however re your point of "not opening the side cover" - i strongly suggest you open it at least once a year to clean it out. unless you're buying a liquid cooled cpu (and i guarantee you if you're spending $500 or less you are not) - you will need to clean out the inside of the computer. if you don't it will collect massive amounts of dust and overheat.
all you need is a couple cans of compressed air and about 15 mins once a year and you're done. if you take care of your cpu, it'll take care of you.
if you think i'm making this up about dust in computers, go to youtube and type in "dust computers" and just see how disgusting and dangerous it is to not clean your computer for years. trust me, the last thing you want is to be in a trade and suddenly the screen goes blank b/c you're motherboard melted.
this works.
much easier to pull the trigger on your trades.
the 2 laptops are backup.
s
__________________
the world is so certain yet i walk on thin ice.
Here's a different perspective. Build your own mini-cube PC. I think that what I'm gonna do with my next computer. I built my current PC with a very nice minitower Lancool case. Components were selected for excellent value/performance ratio. But at the end of the day, only thing I really upgraded was the RAM. So I had this heavy box that I had to move around sometimes.
There is a wide selection of mini-ATX mobos and cube cases. They are small enough to keep on your tabletop or take on the road.
Quote from lwlee:
Here's a different perspective. Build your own mini-cube PC. I think that what I'm gonna do with my next computer. I built my current PC with a very nice minitower Lancool case. Components were selected for excellent value/performance ratio. But at the end of the day, only thing I really upgraded was the RAM. So I had this heavy box that I had to move around sometimes.
There is a wide selection of mini-ATX mobos and cube cases. They are small enough to keep on your tabletop or take on the road.
__________________
the world is so certain yet i walk on thin ice.
I've used a lot of different computers and Lenovo gets my vote as far as good bang for buck IMO especially at their outlet site.
http://lenovo.com/us/en/#ss Regular site
http://outlet.lenovo.com/SEUILibrar.../Portals/Outlet Outlet
I also personally like ibuypower.com for custom builds. It is more geared toward gaming but , high performance graphics is something I like as well as processing performance.
This is exactly what I sell to a lot of traders.
Dell Precision 490 Workstation - get one on eBay for ~$150-$200, upgrade the RAM + HDD + CPU's and for less than $750 you have an awesome workhorse that will rival a new/modern i7 machine.
If you have any questions PM me. Happy to recommend a shopping list for you to DIY or I can build one for you.
(please know i'm laid up right now after being on the losing end of a bad car vs. motorcycle accident so i have one hand in a cast and tons of dr's appts... might take me a while to answer your PM)
Wow, Winston, here's hoping you get better quickly.
They are noisy and hot....
Quote from lwlee:
Here's a different perspective. Build your own mini-cube PC. I think that what I'm gonna do with my next computer. I built my current PC with a very nice minitower Lancool case. Components were selected for excellent value/performance ratio. But at the end of the day, only thing I really upgraded was the RAM. So I had this heavy box that I had to move around sometimes.
There is a wide selection of mini-ATX mobos and cube cases. They are small enough to keep on your tabletop or take on the road.
There are 2 categories of smaller motherboards than standard ATX boards, microATX and miniATX. More selection of microATX which tend to be slightly bigger than miniATX. But miniATX do accommodate a decent GPU card.
This case comes with a nice 80Plus rated PSU. If you decide to splurge, going with a Gold or higher rated PSU would be nicer. Holds 3.5" and 2.5" HD and has room with a slim external 5.25" drive bay.
SilverStone Sugo SG05-B Black SECC / Plastic Mini-ITX Desktop Computer Case SFX 300W 80Plus Power Supply
A decent rated miniATX ASUS mobo. Can take i7/i5 Intel CPU. PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot for a nice GPU.
ASUS P8H61-I (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI USB 3.0 Mini ITX Intel Motherboard
Quote from shopster:
pls post up some hardware links.........
s
Not at all. My current build is pretty quiet. Bought a decent CPU fan with alum/copper connects. Decent midrange GPU.
Both of those things can go into a standard miniATX board.
We are taking moderate performance here, not OCing so don't need all that extra cooling.
Quote from ElectricSavant:
They are noisy and hot....
As Random suggested; just get a Dell and upgrade to onsite warranty.
> Does Dell still produce something that is hard to kill?
Noone does, everyone does.
This is only a gamble, sorry. 3 years is a lot of time - not saying machienes are not robust, but even if you get a passively cooled system (low power, but ok) there is a chance you just get some crapped out RAM.
Anyhow, you need:
* SOmething with no moving parts, sorry ;) THat is a low power Atom - anything with a FAN has a chance that you must replace the FAN. Warranties of Dell are USELESS for your requirements -because you talk about "not needing the warranty".
Just yesterday my secretaries computer failed. Reset for patching. no start - hard disc did not come up. Bad luck - nothing would be different with a Dell. Now - the Warranty may mean Dell ships you another one, but that is not the question ;) The machine is out. Not that it took us long - replace disc, reinstall OS (nothing stored there anyway). But anything mechanic may fail.
The only way to do that is:
* Run 2+ machines - 3 is standard.
* Program in such a way that the system handles the loss of 2 machines.
If you want tom inimize the risk on one system, you need a system that has zero moving parts (SSD, no fans) and is redundant on important stuff (ssd mirrored, ECC ram, dual power supply hot swappable, get a GOOD USV to reduce downtime and scrub your power).
Point.
If that is not possible, GET 2-3 machines - keep them ready. If that must work, then waiting for spares does not work. Sorry ;) Life is as it is.
Quote from shopster:
this works.
much easier to pull the trigger on your trades.
the 2 laptops are backup.
s
Quote from WinstonTJ:
This is exactly what I sell to a lot of traders.
Dell Precision 490 Workstation - get one on eBay for ~$150-$200, upgrade the RAM + HDD + CPU's and for less than $750 you have an awesome workhorse that will rival a new/modern i7 machine.
If you have any questions PM me. Happy to recommend a shopping list for you to DIY or I can build one for you.
(please know i'm laid up right now after being on the losing end of a bad car vs. motorcycle accident so i have one hand in a cast and tons of dr's appts... might take me a while to answer your PM)
thx for the recovery wishes - dr is taking out the pins tomorrow & wed... still grosses me out to think about metal rods half in my bonr & half exposed to the air...
Just get a Dell P490 or T5400. They are great & cheap & robust as a mo-fo...
the old 64-bit PCI cards are now cheap and will kick butt...
There is an updated version of the case with better power PSU.
SILVERSTONE Sugo Series SG05BB-450 ALL Black Plastic / SECC Mini-ITX Desktop Computer Case with SFX 450W 80+ Bronze Certified / Single +12V rail Power Supply
This guy went for performance and built a gaming rig. Using mobo's native graphics and an i5 instead of i7 will probably cut down on all those fans. Video gives a good idea of how small the case is.
Quote from lwlee:
There are 2 categories of smaller motherboards than standard ATX boards, microATX and miniATX. More selection of microATX which tend to be slightly bigger than miniATX. But miniATX do accommodate a decent GPU card.
This case comes with a nice 80Plus rated PSU. If you decide to splurge, going with a Gold or higher rated PSU would be nicer. Holds 3.5" and 2.5" HD and has room with a slim external 5.25" drive bay.
SilverStone Sugo SG05-B Black SECC / Plastic Mini-ITX Desktop Computer Case SFX 300W 80Plus Power Supply
A decent rated miniATX ASUS mobo. Can take i7/i5 Intel CPU. PCI Express 2.0 x16 slot for a nice GPU.
ASUS P8H61-I (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI USB 3.0 Mini ITX Intel Motherboard
Thanks a lot for all the info. I am going to go with either Dell P490 or T5400. They seem to fit the bill.
Aside from Dell outlet, is there a place where one could grab them easily? Any info woud go a long way. Thanks!
I like Dell Small Business. Use your name as company name; it's legit.
I think I saw a tower at Costco for around 550 or so. It had like 6GB Ram, Quad Core, and a TB Hard Drive. Not too sure how much bigger you can go with your budget. Unless you build like these guys.
Quote from saxon22:Thanks a lot for all the info. I am going to go with either Dell P490 or T5400. They seem to fit the bill.
Aside from Dell outlet, is there a place where one could grab them easily? Any info woud go a long way. Thanks!
It seems that e bay has got them at the lowest price. Thanks for the info guys.
On a side note. Since creating this thread I have gotten at least 3 private messages suggesting I do something else than trading, reason being I am only trying to obtain a rig for less than $500. The stipulation being this is all I can afford. I wonder where is all this unprovoked hate coming from? Perhaps I should put together a $10000 machine to halt the hate mail? LOL BTW nothing wrong with 10 grand machine if that is what one needs to harvest $$.
Love and Peace!
If you cannot control your emotions, trading is going to be a one way street. 
Quote from saxon22:
a rig for less than $500. The stipulation being this is all I can afford. I wonder where is all this unprovoked hate coming from?
Go with what Winston has recommended. I have a 490 that i bought for 250, added a second processor, hdd, ram and it runs 24-7 in a corner. I use it as a home server for backups. No issues wht so ever.
__________________
Guru,
-----------------------
"Happiness is not at the END of the road, its ALL the way along it"
------------------------------
I would not stop until I can say the following : " I can't help making money"
You have to spend money to make money imo. A solid workstation will enable you to focus on what you need to... Trading.
Quote from Pekelo:
I don't think it is hate, just common sense. God knows, I am a cheap bastard, but you are basicly trying to get away and go real cheap with the most important part of your trading set up. You want to use this for 3 years, so about $15 per month. Your internet cost is probably 3 times as much....
Computers are so cheap nowadays that you shouldn't really worry about lasting it for 36 months, you should be able to afford to buy one per year easily.
Also, why go with old, when for that money you can buy pretty decent new machines, that would have costed 20 times as much 10 years ago? (just showing how much prices have dropped)
Build your own and educate yourself, it is relatively simple and you get exactly what you need and don't need... especially the builder software bloat....
Newegg is a good source for components and has a DIY building guide [there are ofc other suppliers i.e. ZR1trader's post]. Along with a google search on how to build a computer, shouldn't take more than a Saturday Afternoon to build and configure a system
Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Store/Promoti...-_-DIY-_-100111
Google: https://www.google.com/search?sourc...0.0.WOYOLvTqpTE
If all you want to do is purchase an inexpensive system Dell & Lenovo are both fine, you just want to avoid compact/mini cases which may use non-standard motherboards and limited upgrade space for add'l drives, video cards, etc... [also future replacement is a pain, must go through them to replace = $$]
Good Deals / discount coupons can be found: http://bensbargains.net/
Windows 7 install Tips: http://www.tweakhound.com/windows7/tweaking/index.html
> you just want to avoid compact/mini cases which may use non-standard
> motherboards and limited upgrade space for add'l drives
I go the other way. Everything here including some servers is micro atx based - I get 8 discs into a 2x5.25" bay ;) All standard components - heck, my workstation is a MicroAtx board with 16gb RAM and can handle 2 full length high end graphics cards ;) No need to put lots of air in in case you want to expand - and files better go on a SAN somewhere ;)
Quote from NetTecture:
> you just want to avoid compact/mini cases which may use non-standard
> motherboards and limited upgrade space for add'l drives
I go the other way. Everything here including some servers is micro atx based - I get 8 discs into a 2x5.25" bay ;) All standard components - heck, my workstation is a MicroAtx board with 16gb RAM and can handle 2 full length high end graphics cards ;) No need to put lots of air in in case you want to expand - and files better go on a SAN somewhere ;)
Since the OP didn't say if there is a special usage (let's say graphics or music), I really don't see the point of going old, instead of getting a low budget new desktop. When you can buy a new one for under $300, why bother with old, unless you like to tinker with it?
But to be helpful, here is a reliability comparison from 2009:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/1874...s.html#desktops
Interestingly, eMachines is in the top in the "Any core component problems" category as better than the rest.
Edit:
As a surprise, it turns out that nowadays desktops are LESS reliable than laptops, so if it is a big issue for you, go laptop:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2110...y_desktops.html
By the way, Dell for Home got really bad reviews...
Quote from NetTecture:
> you just want to avoid compact/mini cases which may use non-standard
> motherboards and limited upgrade space for add'l drives
I go the other way. Everything here including some servers is micro atx based - I get 8 discs into a 2x5.25" bay ;) All standard components - heck, my workstation is a MicroAtx board with 16gb RAM and can handle 2 full length high end graphics cards ;) No need to put lots of air in in case you want to expand - and files better go on a SAN somewhere ;)
Quote from easymon1:
Interesting...where could we get specifics on something like that?
Quote from Pekelo:
Since the OP didn't say if there is a special usage (let's say graphics or music), I really don't see the point of going old, instead of getting a low budget new desktop. When you can buy a new one for under $300, why bother with old, unless you like to tinker with it?
But to be helpful, here is a reliability comparison from 2009:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/1874...s.html#desktops
Interestingly, eMachines is in the top in the "Any core component problems" category as better than the rest.
Edit:
As a surprise, it turns out that nowadays desktops are LESS reliable than laptops, so if it is a big issue for you, go laptop:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2110...y_desktops.html
By the way, Dell for Home got really bad reviews...
Quote from saxon22:
I want a PC that is not the latst and greatest but the most reliable.
[QUOTE]Quote from NetTecture:
[B]Sure ;) What you want to know? As in - this is really very varying. Currently I have a couple of that cases in reserve:
Thanks NetTecture
Quote from saxon22:
It is a brand new world out there when it comes to PCs, but I digress. I want a PC that is not the latst and greatest but the most reliable. That is why I am willing to go back in time a little bit to get that build like a tank quality. For that it seems that dell workstations are still the ones to beat.
Some machines are built to work 24/7 and some are not. One day you will get it.
Quote from johnkurtz:
What makes DELL so bulletproof? Do they utilize "special" components in their builds? How is their RAM, motherboards and HD's so superior to those from high quality brand manufacturers such as ASUS and GIGABYTE for instance?
I just don't get it
If one wants a Dell or HP notebook, go for the very high end. My company of 7k employees is a basically a Dell/HP shop and the quality of both Dell/HP notebooks has dropped a lot recently, especially the HP probooks. Even the Dell latitude has a lot of problems. Many of my coworkers run matlab over-night on them only to see them shutdown because of overheating.
On the other hand, the Dell desktops are very solid but they are less portable.
Quote from WinstonTJ:
Every computer manufacturer has different levels of parts. Dell has everything from throw-away (or garbage) to top of the line servers. Dell's Precision line is essentially server-grade hardware in a robust desktop/workstation chassis. There is a massive difference between the machines & hardware that run Intel's Xeon CPU's and the regular "retail" CPU's.
HP has a factory outlet too... HP's workstations are just as robust but HP tends to 'option out' higher than Dell - meaning that HP usually comes with faster clock speed CPU, more memory, etc. Also for example, a Dell machine (take the T5400/T7400) was only available to be shipped with a 3.16ghz CPU whereas the similar HP machine (xw8600) could be purchased with a 3.2ghz CPU (dell = xeon x5460 vs. HP = xeon x5482). It may seem like a small difference but the x5482 is a far better CPU than the x5460... so I'll buy the cheap Dell & put the better CPU in it.
The difference is something made for home/retail vs. small business vs. enterprise.
To put it another way the difference is like trading on a home/retail platform (like etrade, schwab, scottrade, etc) vs. an IB or entry level prop firm vs. being colocated and getting direct data feeds.
I could purchase T5400 for $500 (even less). You show me a place where your machine can be had for that money and I will buy two.
It is not about the latest and greatest 2K machine. It is about buying precisely the kind of rig you need and not a dollar more.
Quote from saxon22:
I want a PC that is not the latest and greatest but the most reliable.
Quote from johnkurtz:
What makes DELL so bulletproof? Do they utilize "special" components in their builds? How is their RAM, motherboards and HD's so superior to those from high quality brand manufacturers such as ASUS and GIGABYTE for instance?
I just don't get it
Quote from saxon22:
I could purchase T5400 for $500 (even less). You show me a place where your machine can be had for that money and I will buy two.
It is not about the latest and greatest 2K machine. It is about buying precisely the kind of rig you need and not a dollar more.
Quote from johnkurtz:
Thanks for the info. However, I believe wholeheartedly my personal build i7-3930K, ASUS P9X79 Pro, 16GB G.Skill DDR-1600 and Crucial 64 GB SSD will blow away a DELL T5400. My build is superfast! And cheaper too!
Quote from WinstonTJ:
I'm calling your bluff on price, that's a $600 CPU, $500 used, $300 motherboard, $250 used, $100 SSD and $100 in RAM for 6 cores and 12 threads (and you must keep the thing in a case and i'll bet you needed a PSU). Best case you are talking about $1,200 in parts.
You can get a T5400 for $500 all day long.
that newegg link is to a garbage computer - i'll tale a $500 P490 up against that all day long.
Quote from pepper_john:
If one wants a Dell or HP notebook, go for the very high end. My company of 7k employees is a basically a Dell/HP shop and the quality of both Dell/HP notebooks has dropped a lot recently, especially the HP probooks. Even the Dell latitude has a lot of problems. Many of my coworkers run matlab over-night on them only to see them shutdown because of overheating.
On the other hand, the Dell desktops are very solid but they are less portable.
Quote from johnkurtz:But the i5 sys i outlined just above could be built for about 600, and would smoke an old used T5400 i'm pretty sure of it. What do you think?
Quote from WinstonTJ:
I'm not going to lie - there is a big difference between DDR2 and DDR3 just as there is a big difference between 45nm and 32nm architecture - but when I say big I think it's misleading because so many tasks are mundane and trivial on a computer. What is the difference between "super fast" and "lightning fast"??
Most of the HFT servers I host are actually Intel Atom CPU's because all they need is a dual core and 4-6GB of RAM. Most people get a hard on for RAM and CPU cores - most people use less than 25% of their machine's capacity.
I've never owned an i5 so I can't speak to them. The nice thing about the Dell & HP workstations is that Xeon processors work in pairs - which allows you to take a single older CPU and double it - right down to L2 and L3 cache. I go through so many Xeon x5060 CPU's that there is a pair at the top of my keyboard right now. *** sorry these are x5080 - 3.73ghz... but 4mb of cache is small... how about when you combine two and now you have 8mb of cache, 4 logical and 4 hyperthreads - for less than $50.... for the money you simply can't beat it.
Quote from WinstonTJ:
that newegg link is to a garbage computer - i'll tale a $500 P490 up against that all day long.
for 500 bucks? Fuck it man, just buy two. When one goes out, dispose of it, and use the other one and buy a new disposable.
I lost a lot of money in my calculator repair business. otherwise, if you need a good refurbished cigarertte lighter, we have a lot of them cheaper than you can buy at walmart.
I paid a lot of money for a good cordless phone. It was a real workhorse. Still works if you're interested.
Quote from Pekelo:
That link was provided by me, not him. But anyway, what is garbage for you?
As long as it runs for 3 years and does the job what the OP wants it to do (what we still don't know about) big words like garbage is well, garbage.
All of the specs of that computer beats your precious little P490's....
Quote from Scataphagos:
And the issue of the motherboard....
Most computer buyers think the CPU is the brains and end-all of the computer.. .nothing matters as much.
I disagree. IF the CPU is the "brians", then the motherboard is the "central nervous system".
If one is looking to get a workhorse on a limited budget, better to go with an older workstation for its server-class components. It's like having to spend $10,000 on a car... would you rather buy a new Dodge Neon or a 2-year old Lexus with 5000 miles on it.
Before I replaced all my computers 3-4 years ago, I was running Dell Dimension 8300s. One I sold to a friend who still uses it daily.. that's going on 11 years.. and the Dimension 8300 was a mid-level rig, not even a workstation class machine. (I'd also sold him an el-cheapo Compaq... needless to say, it's not still running.)
Quote from WinstonTJ:
The CPU is fine but the OS (w7 home) is junk...
Quote from Pekelo:
So this was your only negative opinion about it? Since we don't know what the OP wants to use the computer for, W7 might be just as fine as anything. (You do know that people have used XP for years and years)
Also, staying at your car analogy, if the owners of those cars just want to do 15 miles per day city driving for 3 years, both cars should be just fine.
Bottomline: Unless we know what he wants to use it for, pretty much anything should do it for 3 years... I would go with the new (more bang for the buck) but if he wants to go old, so be it...
Couldn't resist regarding the argument between new and old...
Simple Analogy: Man walks into a Brothel, he is faced with two choices; save a few bucks and go with the "older" proven workhorse, or for just a little bit more go with the newer, faster, "hotter" option...
imho, the choice is clear....
If you want a true "workhorse" you need a higher budget. And if it's a trading box, the presumption is that your success is dependent upon the performance of the machine (and other factors). Up that budget to $1k or more.
Quote from WinstonTJ:
The title of the thread states "$500 Workhorse"
Quote from Pekelo:
He only meant running it 24/7 but nothing else.
Anyway, let's move on. What will you use 10 years from now??? I assume today's new computers, unless you want to stick with 15 years old ones...
Generally, I agree with you, that if there is a design that proved to be particulary robust/stabil/reliable it is worthy to keep it around as long as it is possible, but there is a cut off years and tasks, when the new ones can do the same task just as fine as that old one.
So how long would you keep this P490 around?
Now I assume you are getting these things as used ones. And this brings up another issue. If you could get it as brand new and cheap, that is one thing, but if the machine already has 5-8000 hours on it, that could and will effect its reliability. The Precision line is 5 years old already I think...
For the OP, I have found this website, selling Dell Precisions, with 1 year warranty:
http://www.stikc.com/Catalog/Dell-Precision-490
$325 or the P380 for $250, P390 for $300...
The T5400 is almost the same, $369...
Quote from Realistic:
Couldn't resist regarding the argument between new and old...
Simple Analogy: Man walks into a Brothel, he is faced with two choices; save a few bucks and go with the "older" proven workhorse, or for just a little bit more go with the newer, faster, "hotter" option...
imho, the choice is clear....
Quote from Pekelo:
Now I assume you are getting these things as used ones. And this brings up another issue. If you could get it as brand new and cheap, that is one thing, but if the machine already has 5-8000 hours on it, that could and will effect its reliability. The Precision line is 5 years old already I think...
For the OP, I have found this website, selling Dell Precisions, with 1 year warranty:
http://www.stikc.com/Catalog/Dell-Precision-490
$325 or the P380 for $250, P390 for $300...
The T5400 is almost the same, $369...
Quote from Realistic:
Couldn't resist regarding the argument between new and old...
Simple Analogy: Man walks into a Brothel, he is faced with two choices; save a few bucks and go with the "older" proven workhorse, or for just a little bit more go with the newer, faster, "hotter" option...
imho, the choice is clear....
As for new vs old, if a pc is very old then it is probably too old. I have an 13 yrs old thinkpad that still runs very well, all the hardware parts are working even though it has taken a lot of abuses from my kids. But the problem is that it has no wireless moderm, no earthnet jacket, no UBS port, and only 32 MB RAM.
Quote from pepper_john:
As for new vs old, if a pc is very old then it is probably too old. I have an 13 yrs old thinkpad that still runs very well, all the hardware parts are working even though it has taken a lot of abuses from my kids. But the problem is that it has no wireless moderm, no earthnet jacket, no UBS port, and only 32 MB RAM.
Quote from pepper_john:
As for new vs old, if a pc is very old then it is probably too old. I have an 13 yrs old thinkpad that still runs very well, all the hardware parts are working even though it has taken a lot of abuses from my kids. But the problem is that it has no wireless moderm, no earthnet jacket, no UBS port, and only 32 MB RAM.
Quote from johnkurtz:
When buying a used machine how do you know how many 10's of thousands of hours those components have seen, and that it won't fail tomorrow? Workstations are more often than not staay on 24/7/365.
Better buy two and setup both in advance because if one goes down..
Quote from johnkurtz:
When buying a used machine how do you know how many 10's of thousands of hours those components have seen, and that it won't fail tomorrow? Workstations are more often than not staay on 24/7/365.
Better buy two and setup both in advance because if one goes down..
Quote from johnkurtz:
When buying a used machine how do you know how many 10's of thousands of hours those components have seen, and that it won't fail tomorrow? Workstations are more often than not staay on 24/7/365.
Quote from Scataphagos:
Gigabyte just announced the new version of it's "Ultradurable" line... I also read an article about an ECS(?) mobo which they virtually claim "will last FOREVER"...
Mostly what I'm saying... "Get a quality motherboard and you'll likely not be disappointed in performance and reliability". (I estimate 80% of the world's desktop computers have some version of the ubiquitous el-cheap mobo... costs about $20. Quality motherboards usually cost $200+ when new and current.... but they're still "quality" when they are no longer leading edge.)
Quote from johnkurtz:
Great point. I wonder if the motherboard is not the weak spot that fails most often. Do you know if this is true, or which component or components are most vunerable?
Scat speaks the truth , robust quality MB and power supply are the foundation.
Quote from Banjo:
Scat speaks the truth , robust quality MB and power supply are the foundation.
Quote from johnkurtz:
I believe it but the question is then how can you be sure of a quality MB and Powersupply from DELL, and from a used DELL at that? Who makes their MB's and power supplies? No body knows, and isn't that the point?
Quote from johnkurtz:
"... When I make a build buying an ASUS Pro and Platinum rated powersupply (or even bronze) I know I am getting quality!
Computers don't become obsolete from hardware failures - it's from malicious changes in software that make your hardware fail to continue functioning. It's only backwards compatible so far. Fire up a Windows 95 box and log onto CNN and try to read the news; it's not going to happen even though that box works just great. The whole industry is full of pigs. Apple is the worst and Microsoft is right up there in a close second. Everything Adobe is trash.
Websites are whores. The content is 3kb and the trash to play all the advertisements is 50mb and eats 3gb of RAM and sucks bandwidth. Ever notice the last thing to appear is that which you are there to view? It's by design. They're pigs and whores.
Re: Workhorse for less than $500
Dell is a good look.
Quote from saxon22:
I am looking to get a desktop that will be on 24/7. Does not have to be the fastest slickest or brand new (refurbs are OK), but it must be super dependable. Something that I will turn on next week, give it a fair amont of use for the next 3 years without ever needing to open the side cover. What do you guys recommend?
Does Dell still produce something that is hard to kill?
Re: Re: Workhorse for less than $500
Quote from tenthousandmen:
Dell is a good look.
check the bare bones kits at newegg.com and tigerdirect.com. These are generally more reliable than off the shelf boxes over years. They also have no crap-ware, something everything at costco will have.
Quote from johnkurtz:
Great point. I wonder if the motherboard is not the weak spot that fails most often. Do you know if this is true, or which component or components are most vunerable?
Quote from WinstonTJ:
99% of the time it is heat that's the killer which leads to blown caps on the transistors. 99% of them I come across are on motherboards but some are in PSU's (Power supplies rarely "burn out" they either die initially or last forever). Video cards also go too but that's because their fans & air ducting can be bad (or the card was used in a cheap chassis) and they overheat or the fans get clogged.
http://andysworld.org.uk/blog/wp-co...011/09/psu1.jpg
That's a pic that came up on Google but if you type "blown transistor cap" into Google Images you'll get the picture.
Dell & HP got it right with their workstations - they are far superior to others. If you look at either brand of chassis you will see that they are wide open up front - so things like cat/dog hair or office dirt & dust don't clog up the intake. They also use server grade parts or uber-high end parts where possible - but there is a difference between true server grade parts and workstation parts. Yes they are both high-end but server grade parts are made for environmentally controlled environments which have everything from sound deadening to temperature and humidity control.
I learned the hard way in the beginning with server hardware. It's loud as heck and also very temperamental - the fans got clogged right away and the heat started cooking the chassis. Since most server rooms are dust free and have air conditioning they assume that's where a server will live. On the contrary Dell & HP assume that a Workstation may be used as a server or any other number of grueling 24/7/365 tasks - but at a construction site, on set at a movie, on an oil rig, etc...
The reason why the older high-end workstations are so great is that they are built very robust and 99% of the time they just sit in an office like any other desktop would.
Very satisfying for me to put together my own sys. Very easy and I get to choose the best parts for the job. Always on the watch for deals, I buy that part and in a few months I have everything for another kick ass sys. fun. inexpensive. educational. Never will I buy another generic "suit" off the rack, all custom fit for me now
Quote from Scataphagos:
Yeah, but... but... what about the new, hot, fast CPU... and 200 FPS video cards...??
any cyber deal today?
Quote from nkhoi:
any cyber deal today?
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