Buying New PC - Need To Do It Better This Time

Ok gang - not certain if this is the correct forum for this, but here goes ...

I'm starting over, and need to do it "right" this time. I'd LOVE to build my own PC - better yet have one built by someone who knows more (which means most people - and anyone under the age of 21 apparently!), but time and money are issues for me here.

Previously bought a Dell (4500S) in `02. Did not know at the time that it came with a bunch of junk pre-loaded (shareware, I suppose it's called??) - which has apparently compromised the speed & performance (and I believe the SECURITY) of this current model.

I would consider a Dell again (as I need something fairly IN-expensive), however, I'm looking for suggestions/advice/opinions on the best Desktop(s) for the money (low-end to mid-priced). I don't need a large or 'state of the art' monitor, and I don't need (I don't think) a lot of storage/space (at least not initially) - I would think a HD of 40-80 gig would suffice (looking for basics here folks - internet, email, and hoping to learn how build a website. I'm not a "gamer" (am not into "gaming") I might like a little bit of music, but not many pix). Speed & Perfomance are nice, BUT - "SECURITY" is my biggest (by far) concern ... speed/performance comes in second.

Lastly, I have done a little bit of 'hands-on' (have a little experience) inside of a few PC's - I can (have) added/upgraded memory, and have swapped-out a few Hard Drive's ~*QUESTION*~ What is/are the most expensive, and most difficult items to change/upgrade at a later date?? I would prefer to get whatever items these may be taken care of at the outset (have them already IN the PC at the beginining ... from the factory). I believe I can add more memory, or upgrade the HD as needed, in the future. Oh, and how different is Vista (as this appears to come on everything new)? I have mostly learned on XP & 2000 Professional - should I stick with one of these if I am looking to cut-down on what a friend of mine refers to as the; "AGG-factor"??

Thanks in advance!
g ...
PS Will I save any money if I buy online rather from one of the "Big-Box" stores??

 

Personal opinion? Build yourself a dual core machine whether amd or intel is irrelevant. The motherboard is your main component to select for upgrades . It will determine your upgradeability. Hard drives are cheap ram is cheap and for your needs a low end video card would suffice. As for Vista if you are comfortable with xp stay with it for now. Vista is good but still has compatibility issues with a lot of programs. Dell's have gotten better with their xps line but look online you may find a better deal then the brick and mortar stores

 

Thanks, I appreciate the response.

I have been "thinking" about doing my own build for a couple of years ... that'll have to be a long-term project - I cannot afford a lot of down-time either waiting for parts, or, more likely, in making mistakes with the build - or just plain flat-out getting 'stuck' somewhere in the middle of the project, and realizing I need help, and either not being able to find the help I need, or not being able to afford it (are there "kits", or would it be up to me to find and select every single part - case included?). Just not sure I'm comfortable right now with all the soldering, etc. on a unit that will be used as my main machine.

So, the "Mobo" seems to be where my focus should be regarding a new purchase. Where might I find info on mobo's (already present in new/retail PC packages)? Is there a 'mobo.com' or some such site, reviewing/comparing the boards installed in factory units?

Thanks again,
g ...

 

if i were in this situation id just get a prebuilt from Dell or HP. Building your own in this case will cost more money but will allow for upgrades in the future. You can get a decent Dell for ~$500-600

 

Hey thanks folks, thank you a lot.

To answer the question about cleaning/defragging, I defrag OFTEN (could I be OVER-doing that ... is there such a thing as TOO much defragging??), and have been using a free version of "CleanUp" for cleaning (in addition to the Windows 'Disk Clean', or whatever it is in System Tools that comes with XP). Is CCleaner (Slim) better somehow? I have used it, in the past, but seem to recall CleanUp removing more stuff than CCleaner ... just asking (?).

I would absolutely backup the registry if given the option - and would also certainly run DeCrapifier on a newly purchased PC.

~*QUESTION*~ It appearing that new Dell & HP's are pretty competitively priced, what is the general consensus on the e-machines?? They seem every bit as well made to me (though I don't know much about it all), yet seem to be a bit better priced.

Wow, so much to consider. I will be buying a new PC (I "have to" - the 2002 Dell is going to the kids) - but there is sooooooo much to think about! I suppose what it really boils down to is how much cpu speed I desire, and how big of a monitor (again, considering that space/storage is secondary to me - and "gaming" is not an issue at all ... at least not currently, that is - lol).

As always, I appreciate all feedback!

Thanks,
g ...

 

I have the 19 and I love it (I game a lot too and it works great) The pc's have become better lately so it's a good time to buy. As long as most of the junk is taken off of the machine any of them will be a nice performance boost from what you have now.

 

Just get a mac, and then load windows

 

It's possible to build a very good custom PC for about the same price as a pre-built model, or maybe a little more. Here's one that I spec'd for a guy I work with (he hasn't decided yes or no yet):

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.asp?ID=6063591


And a more "gamer" model I spec'd for a friend and will probably build after Christmas (probably with some different parts since new parts will come out and prices will drop by then):

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.asp?ID=6088311


For comparison, here's a Dell system I customized to be as close a match as possible for the PC in the first link. It's not bad, but for the same price I'll take a custom-built machine. Notice that the as-listed price is similar to the price of the 1st custom PC I linked to, and even after the $150 discount the Dell is more than the 2nd custom (and not as good IMO.) I charge $100 to assemble the PC, load OS, optimize, check reliability with CPU Burn-in, and benchmark.

https://ecomm2.dell.com/dellstore/basket.aspx?oid=eaf66e37-5454-43d3-a4e8-785dd82f12f8&

 

If you're looking to compare a home-built and factory computer, the important thing is to ask yourself if you're willing to 'spend' the aggravation it could require to get everything. For $500 you could build an entire system. There is however no tech support to call.

I'd definitely advise buying the Motherboard and CPU as a package.

 

You're exactly right, a lot of people who could do the job themselves won't because it involves quite a bit of research, waiting for parts to come in, and time doing the assembly. I'm a mechanic by trade so I do all my own work on my vehicles, and on my computers too LOL

 

Yeah, I know exactly how that kind of thing goes. Now all my latest lacks is a 64-bit operating system.

 

it would be a better investment, and much more affordable in the long run, just my opinion