New tower computer suggestions?

A few years ago I bought an e-machines computer from Costo. recently I bought a 10$ game from a local store and it cannot even play it. So I'm looking into getting a new tower. However it has been years since I have been up to date on what is good and how I should go about getting a good system. I've heard rumors of websites like Newegg and one called Mynewpc (I think). Costco of course is offering 3 towers at around 535, 850, 960ish with tax. There are also other local stores that have prebuilt towers for sale but I have no idea what to tend toward or stay away from. I've only personally done minor internal alterations and would prefer not to build one.

So I guess the basic question is if you had 1000 or less to spend on a PC (tower only) where would you go and what would you look for.

 

A few thoughts as a PC tech...

* Avoid HP & Compaq. They are loaded with crapware that slows them down dramatically.

* If considering Dell, look at their Vostro and Optiplex small business models at the Dell website. Dell's Vostro/Optiplex models usually have better components than the home (consumer) grade series and have less crapware preinstalled. The Optiplex series also has a three-year on-site service warranty included at no extra charge. If you want a pimped-out gaming system, Dell also offers their Alienware line which I've heard is pretty decent.

* If you know someone (such as an IT person at work) who is has built systems before, it is worth paying them $100 - $150 labor to custom build a system for you. By picking and choosing the components, you should end up with a system that will be easier to upgrade in the future. If you want to consider this, reply and I (and others) can post a suggested build list that for about $800 in parts.

* On a higher end desktop system, I would lean towards an Intel i5 or i7 processor.

Hope these tips help.

 

adding my thoughts to gman863's excellent ones...

HP and Compaq are fine (my experience), but the same thing applies to them as to Dell regarding less crapware if you get an HP small business system instead of a home system. Crapware can be uninstalled, of course, but sometimes it takes some doing to determine what can be uninstalled. My XP Pro HP laptop from 4 years ago had 69 running processes when new, much of it crapware and things running at startup that didn't need to be. I've since whittled that down to 23, but it took me a while and a lot of research. Just about any name brand is going to have some crapware with it, some more than others.

From a hardware standpoint, about 6 years ago I switched from Dell to HP because I think HP is better put together and has better components, and I still think that. Dell's seem to be getting flimsier all the time, but that's just my impression.

However, one big problem with HP and Dell (and others) is that they use proprietary Master Boot Records (MBR), I think primarily to support their Recovery Partitions . A Recovery Partition is used to reload Windows if there's a problem; you won't get a Windows disk. Recovery Partitions and no Windows disk can be a royal PITB if you're in the situation of needing a disk if something goes wrong during a recovery. A proprietary MBR is also a problem if malware makes it impossible to use the Recovery Partition if malware modifies the MBR. There's no way I know of to fix the proprietary MBR without losing the Recovery Partition. Knowing what I know now about Recovery Partitions and proprietary MBRs, I probably won't ever again buy a computer that has these, but computers without Recovery Partitions are difficult to find anymore from just about anyone. Having an honest-to-gosh Windows install disk makes things much, much easier if Windows has to be reloaded.

When you get a PC with Recovery Partitions, you will be asked during the initial bootup to make Recovery CDs (copy of the Recovery Partition info). That's all well and good but the CDs have to be perfectly made and there's know way of knowing if they are without using them. So when push comes to shove and you need them, if a CD can't be read you are just SOL, period. A retail, full-install copy of Windows on your very own CD is well worth the piece of mind, in my experience, even if it does cost quite a bit more. One can spend hours and hours, maybe even days battling problems with Recovery Partitions and Recovery disks. Of course, if you think it will never happen to you, then Recovery Partitions are just fine.

And that's not to say that Recovery Partitions and Recovery CDs are not OK. They are just fine and dandy for a simple recovery with no malware involved. Once the latter comes into play, though, it can be hell trying to get things fixed without a Windows install disk. You'll be downloading drivers and putting them onto a boot Linux CD and jumping through all kinds of hoops that are all avoidable if you just had a Windows install CD.

All this points very strongly toward building your own system or having it built. Just buy a retail copy of Windows and tell the builder to use it and not an OEM copy (which is usually much cheaper). And of course, building allows getting exactly what you want (fewer compromises), not to mention no crapware at all, so a very clean, easily restorable system right from the get-go.

The above are impressions from my experiences. If I said anything misleading regarding Recovery Partitions and proprietary MBRs, someone please jump in and correct me.

Anyway, my 2-GHz worth

 

I have never once seen a burned restore disc fail in any manner, sure its possible, but cd burning tech has come a long ways from when we burned cds at 2x and prayed they wouldn't coaster. I would consider this a non issue in purchasing a computer. Just make sure you burn a copy of the disc if the new system prompts you to, and dont loose it. Also this bit is copy pasted from a story i can't link to for some reason, but explains the oem/retail difference.
"Can I buy OEM?

Yes, you can. Microsoft licenses OEM software to "system builders," which the license defines as "an original equipment manufacturer, or an assembler, reassembler, or installer of software on computer systems" (emphasis added). You can install software on computers, right?

When asked, Microsoft says that OEM software is not intended to be installed by end users. Off the record, Microsoft spokespeople have told me that the big concern in Redmond is for Joe Newbie. They don't want inexperienced users buying OEM software, but the fact of the matter is that anyone can buy OEM versions of Windows.

Truth be told, Microsoft is not opposed to the practice. Rather, the company says that people who purchase OEM software will simply be expected to abide by the terms of the licensing agreements.
What's missing from the OEM version?

When you buy OEM, you need to understand what you're getting.

OEM editions of Windows don't come in pretty boxes, nor do they include manuals. Of course, a real "manual" has never shipped with Windows, and chances are, if you're interested in OEM software, you don't need what passes for a manual these days, anyway. And the pretty box... well, that's not really worth much anyway, is it? Rest assured, though: the software on the disc is the same as that found in any retail edition.

There are some gotchas, though. OEM software cannot be returned once opened. There are no exceptions. You open it, you've bought it.

OEM software is also tied to the motherboard it is first installed on. Unlike the retail versions of Windows which can be transferred to a new computer, OEM versions are not transferable. What about upgrading hardware? Microsoft says that anything is fair game, except the motherboard. Replacing the motherboard in a computer results in a "new personal computer," which the company considers to be synonymous with a transfer. It's not permitted with an OEM edition of Windows." So why not save a few bucks?

 

I for one appreciate your input, Colemanguy. It's interesting how different people have different experiences.

I don't argue at all your points about OEM vs. retail. The worst that could happen with OEM is that one might have to eventually purchase a retail copy. Like many things, it's a gamble.

But having once gone through a Recovery Disk fiasco, it's never again for me. It just wasn't worth all the time and effort needed to get things back to where they were two days before things broke (I'm talking days and days here). But then again, that's just me.

 

Eventually purchase a retail copy? By the time your ready for a new pc, its probably time for the newest version of windows. As far as recovery discs, i repair probably 5-10 pcs or laptops a month, most infected, and only once did i have to call dell to get a repair disc because the restore partition was bad and in that case i actually ended up having to replace the hard drive too, dell overnighted me a disc that arrived before the replacement hard drive off newegg did.

 

Good points.

Adding to the fair use of an "OEM" disc and license is the fact that Microsoft freely allows the sale of OEM copies to do-it-yourself system builders through both Internet and brick-and-mortar retailers (Newegg, Amazon, Fry's, etc.). If they did not want it in the hands of build it yourself geeks, my thought is it would only be available at wholesale with proof of a valid business license.

 

Colemanguy,

Again I appreciate your input and the info you provided and I'm not trying to argue with you. Like I said, everyone has different experiences.

But I didn't say which retail version of Windows I might buy if the OEM recovery failed, did I?

And my point about the Recovery Disks and an infected MBR is that oftentimes a repair of the MBR, if the MBR is proprietary, can lead to the loss of the Recovery Partition, a point that the folks in the Malware-Removal forum make clear to people who need their MBR repaired and a generic MBR has to be used.

Sure, I understand that one can use the Recovery Partition or disks if an infection hasn't modified the MBR, but if an MBR fix resulted in the loss of the Recovery Partition, then obviously there's nothing to recover with other than Recovery CDs made in the distant past (if made at all), and if those fail to work, it's all over. That's what happened to me and others I know. But you're quite right about the technology of writing CDs being much better than it used to be, so maybe I'm being too alarmist based on my previous, bad experience.

My reason for bringing the whole thing up to begin with is that people just don't know what they may be getting into if they have only Recovery Partitions or Recovery CDs as OS-reinstall options, that's all. Most times maybe it's all well and good with most people, but the worst can happen and does to some people. Once was enough for me. As long as the OP knows the possibilities, he or she can do as they wish.

When it comes down to comparing all the points of OEM versus retail copy, it's a matter of spending less now at some risk of more trouble or cost later. It's a gamble either way and there are no guarantees no matter which way one goes. With my luck, buying a retail copy for a new build as insurance against having to deal with Recovery Partition problems later would almost certainly guarantee that I would never have a need for reloading Windows on that PC. :-D

 

Ok, im not sure i understand why you recommend a retail copy versus an oem, it has nothing to do with a recovery partition. As long as the motherboard is the same, you can use a retail copy or an oem disc for format/reinstall, or repairs with no different, oem has nothing to do with with the recovery partition. I dont mean to be argumentative or anything either, but i read your posts and i find it very confusing as to what you recommend. There is no gamble using an oem copy unless you plan on upgrading your motherboard in the near future.

 

Whoops...you're quite right, colemanguy. I apologize to you, the OP and any others for the confusion.

I meant to distinguish between purchased, name-brand computers that have Recovery Partitions and building a system that doesn't have Recovery Partitions, but I somehow neglected to copy all my notes over and after I last posted I erased my notes. Looking back I can see how it appears that I'm mixing apples and oranges. It's the remote-but-possible Recovery Partition problem on some (most) name-brand computers that I wanted to caution the OP about and how building a system from scratch helps to get around that.

So, in a nutshell:

1) A name-brand computer will most likely have a Recovery Partition. For most people this will not be a problem if they have to recover, but others have had problems trying to do a recovery, either because the Recovery Partition could not be accessed and/or because Recovery CDs could not be read.

2) If a system is custom built, one can use either an OEM or a retail copy Windows and one won't have to worry about potential Recovery Partitions or Recovery CD problems.

Please correct me if I misstated either 1) or 2).

Then there are the other considerations of OEM versus retail copies of Windows from the article posted by you originally.

Again, my apologies for the confusion.

 

In answer to a couple of the questions along the way there. I don't have anyone I know who I could pay to build me a computer other than some local retail stores and that has been hit and miss for me in the past.

As far as the game itself it came out in 2008. The main problem possibly could have been graphic card based since it was so slow and jumpy it was like trying to run through molasses with 400 points of weight strapped to you. Another game as well I got on the cheap through steam was much like that and actually tended to just fail 80% of the time the rest was just unmanageable. (the games are farcry 2 and fable 3 for the curious)

the specs needed for the fc2 are xp or vista as OS
Processor they were looking for pent 4 3.2ghz, pentium D 2.66Ghz, Amd Athlon 64 3500+ or better, intel dual core family, Amd 64 x2 5200+, Amd phenom or better
Ram: 1 Gb win xp 2gb vista w/ recommends of 2 or 4
video cards: 256mb direct x 9.0 compliant shader 3.0-enabled video card
sound the same
direct x: ver 9.oc or 10
dvd rom: 4x or faster dvd rom drive
hd space: 12 gig

Current system emachines vista home premium service pack 2 (with one of the updates that perpetually fails.) if you want real specific the model is ET1161-07
Processor: Amd 4050e 2.10 ghz (looks like I'm missing the specs already to me)
Ram 3.00 gig
system type: 32-bit operating system
video card seems to be: Nvidia GeForce 6150e nForce 430

This was the cheapest thing they were selling a couple of years ago about the time my previous computers power source failed and fried several components of my motherboard, like sound and the floppy or CD drive (forget which) oh and the video card slot. I didn't have enough knowledge about it at that time to know what was going on and thought it was just due to a loose power connection in the back.

Ideally I'd like something that can efficiently run current games with required specs along the lines of what is needed to play Skyrim. That however is not critical most of the games I do play are older ones. It would however be nice to have something that could handle the odd newer one I'd like to play.

While I am not looking to build or have someone build one for me it might be nice to know some specifics in on what to aim for and avoid in case I have one of the pre-built sets or custom order pieces for someone else to do online through Newegg or dell or w/e. as far as Alienware some of my friends online seems not to think too much of them, calling them overpriced and inferior to other building sites.

As far as upgrading my PC as I go I do know enough to replace drives and video cards and ram and likely installing a new power source now. Anything more than that and I'll have to be uneasily watching how-tos on youtube.
Generally I end up just getting a new comp at a certain point just because of how dated the motherboard has become. Recently I've decided I should just build into my expenses a save for a new computer plan and just get a new one every 2-3 years (the pricetag to aim for I'm still debating)

Thank you already for everyone who has taken the time to respond and those who do after.
-Aktino

 

Alienware does build ok machines, but, and this is a big but, a lot of the price is the Alienware name, not the system itself.

 

I have always had cpusolutions. com build mine. You can take a look at the website, Look under barebones, just kinda poke around.

They will let you build what ever you want, How ever you want. It will give you some ideas on different ideas.

If you do see something that kinda gets your interest, Hit youtube and get reviews. Thats how I ended up with the case I own. Love it. Hope that helps.

 

Naturally, you could build your own as some have elluded too, I'm a big fan of Puget Systems otherwise. Their computers are as good as what a tech could build you.