New Computer (Is this a good deal?)

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by larryj, Nov 20, 2005.

  1. nitro

    nitro

    Sorry I don't know. That is something that a BB salesperson should be able to answer easily.

    http://www.matrox.com/mga/corp/financial/products/gseries.cfm

    or

    http://www.matrox.com/mga/corp/financial/products/pseries.cfm

    That's the low profile version which I get because lots of my computers are rack mountable.

    nitro
     
    #11     Nov 21, 2005
  2. nkhoi

    nkhoi

    Compaq Presario SR1650NX Desktop PC , 479.99 after rebate


    http://www.microcenter.com/images/specials/1105b_page01_full.jpg



    Processor
    AMD Athlon 64 processor 3500+ 2.2GHz

    Operating system
    Windows XP Media Center

    Memory
    1GB DDR PC3200

    Graphics card
    Integrated ATI Radeon Xpress 200 Graphics

    Hard drive
    250GB 7200 rpm Serial ATA [gigabyte is defined as 1,000,000,000 bytes, accessible capacity may vary]

    Primary CD/DVD drive
    LightScribe Double Layer DVD±R/RW drive with CD writer capabilities

    Secondary CD/DVD drive
    CD-ROM

    Memory slots
    4 DIMM (two available)

    Front-access ports
    9-in-1 memory card reader, 3 USB 2.0 ports, 1 IEEE 1394 (FireWire) port, microphone/headphone/line-in

    Communications
    Integrated 10/100Base-T network interface; high-speed 56K modem

    Sound
    Integrated audio, six-speaker configurable (speakers sold separately)

    Monitor
    Sold separately


    full spec from hp site
    http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/s...Z_series&subcat1=rts&catLevel=4#defaultAnchor
     
    #12     Nov 21, 2005
  3. Schaefer

    Schaefer

    I have always despised the HPs and Compaqs. The best computer is the one you build yourself, but if you do not have time or experience to do this, just give your local computer shop a visit and I do not mean Bestbuy or CompUSA or anyother major reatail stores. Just your local mom and pop store around the corner, tell them exactly what you want including how much reliability and quality you're looking for and they'll build one right infront of your eyes. And usually it's a lot cheaper and better support than the major retailers.

    Happy trading :)
     
    #13     Nov 22, 2005
  4. gnome

    gnome

    "... Usually it's a lot cheaper..."

    ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE!!!!!!!!!... though commonly believed... a myth. However, having one built at a local clone shop is a good idea for several reasons. But saving money is not one of them.
     
    #14     Nov 22, 2005
  5. hcour

    hcour Guest

    You should consider building one yourself. I'm in the process of building my own for about $500 (not including monitors and hd's, which I'll use from my old system), all top-quality components from Newegg. The thing is that by buying a good motherboard and case you can make sure your system is upgradable for years to come. This is my case, mb, processor, video card:

    COOLER MASTER CAVALIER 3 CAV-T03-UW Silver Aluminum Bezel, SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
    http://tinyurl.com/ajgok

    ASUS A8N-E Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard

    AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Venice 1GHz FSB 512KB L2 Cache Socket 939 Processor

    JATON Video-PX6600LE-256 Geforce 6600LE 256MB 128-bit DDR PCI Express x16 Video Card

    The ASUS 939 mb will take the higher-end Athlon processors (currently going for around a grand) and 4 gig of memory. The case is large and well-ventilated, and I'm putting in an Antec 500w power supply, so I'm sitting pretty for a several years at least as far as upgrades.

    Building a system is not nearly as difficult as you might think. Good components should have good manuals. A few screws for the ps, a few screws for the mb, plug in processor and memory, attach cables, install cards and drives, install software - bing bang boom, you gotta computer that'll last you for years. Something to consider, rather than paying $1200 for something that may not be as upgradable.

    Harold
     
    #15     Nov 22, 2005
  6. I'm just finishing up my PC build. I chose to go to a bit more of an extreme (you can build one of these WAY cheaper), but the idea is that you buy right below cutting edge and get a dependable PC that will be upgradeable and reliable for many years to come.

    I am not presenting this info to get into a discussion on what is needed for trading (I plan on playing games too), but I show it only to illustrate the very few items you actually need in order to put together a PC, and how cheap they are even when you aren't buying parts that one would consider to be cheap. I did not skimp much, and this thing rings in at about $1900, supports 2 monitors, and was rather easy to assemble. The prices listed are close to actuals within a few dollars, and were accurate as of last week.

    Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

    Case:
    Lian LI PC61 Black $118 Page Computer
    Power Supply:
    Seasonic S12 500W $120 Page Computer
    Motherboard:
    Asus P5WD2 Premium $208 ZipZoomFly
    Processor:
    Intel Pentium 820 $245 ZipZoomFly
    Memory:
    VS2GBKIT533D2 2 Gig Low End $165 ZipZoomFly
    Harddrive:
    Western Digital Raptor 74 Gig $163 ZipZoomFly
    Video Card:
    Asus GeForce 6800 GT Video Card $249 ZipZoomFly
    Optical:
    NEC ND3540A Dual Layer DVD±RW $45 ZipZoomFly
    UPS:
    APC 800VA (SKU: BR800BLK) $143 Page Computer
    Software:
    Windows XP Professional SP2 $95 A2ZComp
    Monitor(s):
    ViewSonic VP171B2 Black 17" LCD Monitor $290 ZiPzoomFly
    Mouse, Keyboard, Floppy: $50
     
    #16     Nov 22, 2005
  7. If you've never built a computer, don't waste your time. I'm not saying it can't be done, but why spend the dozens (plural) of hours it would take to learn. What if you screw something up and get stuck? Spend the extra $100 - $250 and buy one from a big chain, or $200 - $400 and buy one from a mom & pop shop.

    Anything less than 2 GB RAM will not efficiently execute multiple commands if you have multiple streaming data feeds. Read your news on your web browser too? Heck, I wish I had 4 GB RAM on my system at least once a day. That reminds me...
     
    #17     Nov 22, 2005
  8. larryj

    larryj

    Thanks again for your replies everyone. I would love to build my own system, but honestly don't have the time.......it would surely take me way too many hours considering I have never built one. After a lot of shopping and debate, I may buy a relatively cheap system from eMachines and upgrade the graphics card. Here's what I'm leaning towards:

    Net Price after $50 rebate: $559

    eMachines Model T6524:
    AMD Athlon 64 processor 3500+ operating at 2.2GHz
    512KB L2 cache
    Up to 2000MHz frontside bus
    Large 1.0GB of PC3200 dual-channel DDR memory, expandable up to 4GB
    200GB 7200-rpm hard drive with 2MB cache
    DVD±RW drive with Double Layer capabilities (16x DVD±R max. write speed)
    CD-ROM drive (48x max. read speed)
    10/100 Ethernet LAN port
    56K V.92 modem
    7 USB 2.0 ports (2 in front, 4 in back, 1 in media card reader)
    2 FireWire (IEEE 1394) ports
    1 parallel, 2 PS/2 ports
    8-in-1 memory card reader
    ATI Radeon Xpress 200 graphics with up to 128MB of shared memory
    AC '97 6-channel audio
    Amplified stereo speakers
    Multimedia keyboard
    2-button wheel mouse
     
    #18     Nov 22, 2005
  9. nitro

    nitro

    That's a good machine. I don't see a PCI-E slot which you will definitely want, but I assume it has one.

    I believe it was E-Machines that bought Gateway...

    nitro
     
    #19     Nov 22, 2005
  10. larryj

    larryj

    Yes, it does.....

    (2) PCI slots available and
    (1) PCI-E x16
     
    #20     Nov 22, 2005