Which PC Tesktop would you choose?

Tough one for me to choose. Multitasking is a must, listening to music, watching YT vids and downloading some of them, lot of browsing. NOT a gamer.

Dell Vostro 460 Minitower.
Upgrades I chose:
from 4 GB to 8 GB memory
1 GB Nvidia GeForce GT 530
USB 3.0 PCIe Card (no clue here, believe it is to do a backup faster?)
Dell Pro Multimedia USB Keyboard
1 year Pro Service
Guess that's it. (see attachment)

Now here is a link to a Dell XPS: http://www.costco.ca/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=10361635&whse=BCCA&Ne=4000000&eCat=BCCA|84|22495&N=4011460&Mo=10&No=2&Nr=P_CatalogName:BCCA&cat=22495&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-CA&Sp=C&topnav= Not much info there.

TIA for any recommendations or changes to be done to my selection.

 

No need for 8gigs of RAM OR USB 3.0 Decent onboard graphics since you don't game, no need for a video card either. I love my 2600K but I think that's overkill for what you need. Find something with an i3 if you want to spend less.

 

Thanks augie. Made some alterations to the previous setup. Just a bit of upgrades although it's so tempting to go overboard eh?

Couple of questions though.

1. Can a second installed HD be used as a (bootable) backup (imaging or folders/files) of the 1st HD? I think to have read that installing a 2nd HD later on in this machine is virtually impossible. For one reason or another I think that installed HD are somewhat better than external ones?

2. Not sure if a modem is installed in this machine by default?

I will need an IT Tech to transfer all the info on this machine to the new one etc. and set it up since I never had to do that (complete NOOB in this regard) and that will add to the cost of a new PC desktop. So thanks to you I'll be saving myself some dough. :cool

Please tell me what you think of it this time? See pic.

 

No need for an IT tech oma, this is a great opportunity to really learn and not have to pay a tech for something that you can easily do with all the help that everyone here will gladly give.

Your choice of an i5 is excellent as it's more future proofed than the i3 dual core I suggested. Do you have a standard 56K phone connection? If so then you probably have to add the modem as that's not a standard anymore. I hope they're still available, if not then I have one in my junkbox to give to you or just transplant the one you have in your current machine.

On the hard drive question, you can have an image on the second drive but it won't be bootable until you restore it to your main drive. I'm not good with pre-installed OS machines but I believe you will have to create a set of rescue CD's/DVD's first. Perhaps start a new thread with that question. Have fun with your new machine!

 

You can have a bootable OS on a second drive, I have done this and your original key will allow it as it is on the same mobo.
Some people say it is a wast of space to have a second bootable OS but i have plenty of HDs and if anything happens i still have the ability to boot the PC without a boot disk, i also keep it updated so that it is ready to run.

The transfer of data is a simple process as Augie has said and lots of help here to guide you through it.

 

I'll just add that I read this as wondering if adding a second internal drive was possible. (Some very old Dells did not include a second bay. They were the only machines I ever saw that did not have an empty bay available.) It looks like each of the machines you are looking at have at least one extra HD bay to hold an additional HD.

Internal HDs are a bit more reliable in that you eliminate the USB connection and anything that can go wrong with that extra component. The HD inside the external case is usually identical to an internal HD but an internal HD can't be dropped or damaged as easily once installed--so less problems.

 

I do have a cable connection for many years but if having a modem gives me the option to change internet providers I'll add it in. BTW the Dell Vostro is a business PC. Thanks so much for the offer augie. I do need an IT Tech since I know my limitations.

Great to know Bill. That leads me to another question. Would I have to select a boot option when having 2 HDs every time when turning on the machine?

Great to have all of you helping me out now and also in the future. As I said previously, I am a complete NOOB what hardware is concerned so need an IT Tech on top of you guys.

 

Yes my current 2004 old machine has an empty bay available. Yes, the Vostro's are business machines. Comes with a lot less crap pre-installed and read here on this forum that these PC's are somewhat better quality than the others Dell offers?

Sounds good to me sach2.

Is a 350 Watt enough because I don't see any higher wattage than that?

BTW ordered a book: Windows 7 for dummies since I never had a chance to even see one let alone try it out.

 

When you have the second OS installed you can decide which one you want to boot from as a working OS and it will automatically load it each time you start the PC, you will have a choice during the boot sequence to select the second drive.

To select the primary OS to boot when the PC is fully booted click "start" then type in the control bar at the bottom "run" in the command window type "msconfig" in the window that opens you will see "boot" it is the second tab from the left, click it and you will see the two OS and one will say "default" this is the one that will open normally when you start the PC if you want the change it then select the other OS as default.

this is mine.

 

Just purchased the Dell Vostro 460 now!! :celebrate Am a bit afraid though since XP is just like my pj's=comfortable. New machine and Windows 7. :eek

Added 1 internal HD, Expensive! Sales Rep said that 8 GB memory would be better but I said no since that can be installed by me if I really need it.

No modem available, if needed can purchase an external USB modem adaptor? for abt $20-$30, or as augie said install the one I have currently in the new Vostro machine.

Optical Drive has double layer capacity, perfect.

Motherboard: Intel H67xpress.

To get a bootable 2nd HD, would need to be changed in the BIOS.

ProSupport for 3 years, hard drive and software support - parts and labor included - deep discount. Yep, fell for that.

Approx delivery: Dec 9.

 

Don't worry, it's a light learning curve. Congrats!:wine

 

Many thanks for the info and pics Bill. I've copied the pictures for later use.

 

Thanks augie for the encouragement as well. A light learning curve for you may not be for me though due to age and whatever. I'm going to get an IT tech, that's for sure as transferring info from this machine to the new one is definitely not what I can do. I don't even remember how I did set up XP Home in 2004. It's been tweaked to death over the years.

 

Deng!! Just remembered that In the dim past a Dell Rep told me that 1 GB memory is needed for every 100 GB Hard Drive. So a 500 GB HD would need 5 GB in memory sticks? Is that true or just a sales tactic?

 

Sales jerk!:mad I have 2TB with 6 gigs of RAM.:confused

 

Hm, that was a sales jerkess in the past. Just wanted to hear from you guys this time around if there was any truth to it or not, had my doubts.

Got to give my thanks as well to gman 863 for leading me to Dell Vostro: http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?p=1683626&highlight=Dell+Vostro#post1683626

 

Resurrecting this thread. No Desktop received yet today when estimated delivery was Dec 9. I called Dell today and they said the order would have to be redone again. I told her possibly due to HD shortage (I had ordered a 2nd HD) and asked her to cancel the order and put a new one in on a rush basis. Made some adjustments, no 2nd HD this time. Discount much better this time around. Estimated delivery Dec 26 by Purolator. I told her better be here on that date or before. Told her I was royally p*ssed off.

Dell Vostro Mini Tower:
Intel Core i5 - 2500 processor
Win 7 Premium 64 bit.
HD 500 GB w/Databurst Cache
4 GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz-4DIMMS
Video Card AMD Radeon HD 6450 1GB DDR3 (DVI,VGA,HDMI)
Optical Drive 16x DVDROM and 6xBD COMBO Dual Drive
Sound: Integrated 7.1 Channel HD Audio
Keyboard Dell Pro Multimedia Keyboard USB
No Speakers
No Monitor
3 Year ProSupport and 3 Year NBD Onsite Service
etc. etc.
Price, including Taxes $779.34 Think price not bad eh, gave me big discount.

What do you think?