Which PC is best?

Hi,

I'm at the point that my pc needs to be replaced very soon. It's 4 years old, slow, and I'm having too many problems with it. I like to do my shopping on eBay and came up with these 4 pc's. They're barebones but I already have a 300G IDE hard drive, a "BenQ 16x Double Layer DVD±RW IDE DVD Burner" and Windows XP Pro 64 bit disk. There are other things that I'll need to buy for it and I'll buy them one at a time. These are the 4 that I've been looking at. The auction has ended for some of them but they get put up again. I want one that has the capability to install an ATA IDE hd because all of my hardware is ATA, but I want it to have the capability to install a SATA hd and peripherals in the future.

Would you give me your opinion as to the one you think is the best pc for my needs?

http://cgi.ebay.com/AMD-ATHLON-64-3...6261908QQihZ011QQcategoryZ52475QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/P4-3-0GHz-LGA77...5470770QQihZ005QQcategoryZ52476QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/AMD-ATHLON-64-3...5470755QQihZ005QQcategoryZ52475QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/P4-Pentium-D-2-...0271403QQihZ005QQcategoryZ52476QQcmdZViewItem

Denise

 

Are you going to use PCI-E video or AGP?? PCI-E is more expensive than AGP, if you are going to buy new video card/cards for it.

I myself, am an AMD man...and that beings said, there are only two AMD options that you posted, and of those two...the AMD Athlon 64 3500 is PCI-E for video and the Athlon 64 3200 is AGP for video. Either system is up there in specs, but the 3500 is just a bump above the other one and PCI-E video is latest in video technology!!

So depending on what you are wanting to do in dollars spent now as opposed to upgrading later...you need to figure out the route you want to go with the video.

Hope that helps a little bit!!

Roger

P.S. If your not locked into Ebay...then you ought to check out some other places for some barebones kits...you might be surprised the deals you'll find!! A couple of the BIG companies that are well reputable are...

http://www.tigerdirect.com/

http://www.newegg.com/

 

Thanks for responding rogvalcox. I checked out NewEgg and Tiger Direct. These are some of the systems that I thought were comparable/near comparable to the first 4 that I listed from eBay.

1. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1894273&sku=M450-2018 H

2. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2226940&Sku=B450-2305 A

3. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2302468&Sku=I69-2119 Q

4. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16856101470

6. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16856140018
This one I like but I it doesn't have an additional bay for a hot-swappable hd tray.

These next 2 are from eBay also.

7. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8795470901&fromMakeTrack=true
Another barebones at eBay from the same seller but about $100.00 cheaper than the first 4 barebones.

8. http://cgi.ebay.com/Intel-3-06GHz-V...3249728QQihZ005QQcategoryZ52476QQcmdZViewItem
Another barebones at eBay from the same seller but about $140.00 cheaper than the first 4 barebones.

What I need is a pc that doesn't have known bad issues with bios/set-up, parts that have a good track record, more speed than my 946Hz processor delivers (that'll be easy), one that's really good for watching movies that are stored in my pc because I do a lot of that, and good technical support because I have no idea what I'm doing, lol. And, as I mentioned in my first post, I want one that has the capability to install an ATA IDE hd because all of my hardware is ATA, but I want it to have the capability to install a SATA hd and peripherals in the future. I also need it to have an extra bay so that I can install a hot-swappable tray. I know that I'm asking for a lot but this pc is going to have to last me a long time and it'll get almost constant use. Once in a while I have to force myself to shut it off at night while I'm sleeping instead of doing some processing of one thing or the other.

I do no gaming.

If there are better options than the ones I've chosen, I'm open to receive them.

Denise

 

Buy a Dell.

 

WHAT????

 

Thanks, but no thanks for the Dell suggestion. I've posted in this forum a number of times and I feel I can depend on their good judgement. I know it's asking a lot but if someone has the time to check them out, I know I'll wind up with the best pc for me.

Denise

 

Hi,

I'd appreciate it if someone would take a quick look at the pc's. Most of it's Chinese to me and I'm not sure if half of the descriptions are hype, like selling out of date parts but making them seem like state-of-the-art. Even if some of them can be eliminated so that I have less to compare.

Denise

 

Sorry I've been away...been really busy!! If you can hang on until in the morning, I will be back and take a gander at what else you've come up with!!

In the meantime...I've got to go to bed...somebody pulled my plug!!!!

Roger

 

Sure, no problem rogvalcox. As long as I know someone can help, I can wait.

 

Ok...here's what I think.

Out of all the options you showed me...I would, without a doubt, go with option #2 from Tiger Direct!!!! Here's why...

VERY GOOD bang for the buck!!!!

It comes with An Athlon 64 3200 processor which is a notch better than the Sempron, which is what is in option #7 from ebay.

This motherboard has a 2000mhz FSB, as most of the other options only have 1000mhz FSB.

It comes with 512mb of DDR 400 memory, which the two shuttles, from Newegg, and the two ebay options have no memory included in the package. And the motherboard also supports dual channel, and can hold up to 4gig of memory, if you want to keep adding over time. However...if you decide to use the dual channel feature...each pair of memory sticks have to be 100% identical, so pair 1 has to be the same manufacturer, same speed, same code #'s, etc., and then the same with pair 2, but pair 1 and pair 2 do not have to be identical, even though it wouldn't hurt anything!!

The power supply is larger than any of the others, which will give you more upgrade capability. However...I strongly recommend that sometime down the road you invest in a GOOD name brand PSU, but this one will atleast get you started!!

It has built in video on the motherboard, and while it is not the best...it is good, and will allow you to use it until you get ready to invest in a PCI-E video card, which is the latest technology in video, just short of going SLI but that is getting into the big bucks!!

It has PCI-E capabilities, along with a couple of regular PCI slots.

It is IDE and SATA capable, which will allow you to upgrade to SATA hard drives, like you are apparently anticipating.

Biostar is a reputable motherboard manufacturer, from what I've read and heard.

It is also a good sturdy case, where as a lot of aftermarket cases are more light weight aluminum, and are pretty flimsy!!

And the best...after your $100.00 mail in rebate, it is only $210.00, which is cheaper than most of the others.

All-in-all...It is excellent bang for the buck, and has a lot more upgrade capabilities than the others!!!!

On top of that...you will be buying from a large reputable company that I know for a fact has good customer service!! If you buy from Ebay (in my opinion) you never REALLY know what you are getting into!!

The reason I stayed away from the shuttles, is because they are VERY small, and don't allow much room for upgrading, tinkering, etc. and not only that but the ones you picked didn't come with a processor, so that would be more dollars out of you pocket!! I've also heard that some Shuttles seem to have an issue of overheating, which doesn't surprise me considering how crammed they are inside!!

So that's my 2 cents!! If I missed anything, or if you've got another question, then feel free to ask!!

Roger

 

Hi Roger,

Thanks so much for reviewing all the pc's. I know it took time and a lot of thought, so it's much appreciated.

I'll go with #2 from Tiger Direct. Just to make sure, though, is this the one you're recommending?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2226940&Sku=B450-2305 A

Questions? I've got a gazillion questions, lol.

I already have an IDE ATA hard drive. Can you tell me if it would be compatible with the Tiger Direct? The specs are:

I also have a DVD R/RW CD player/burner, and Windows XP 64bit OEM. Taking into consideration the things that can be replaced in the future, what else will I need to buy to get the pc up and running?

Also, since it has only 512Mb RAM, I'll want to buy another 512Mb, which'll be all that I'll need for what I do. Do I have to place that RAM in a slot for the other core?

Also, when it finally comes out of the oven, what should we name it? LOL.

Denise

 

Yes...that is the one I was refering to.

Technically speaking...it should be fine!!

If you want a floppy drive, you will need to get one of those.
If you are on dial up, then you will need an internal PCI modem.
Other that the extra 512mb that you are gonna add...that should put you whistling on down the road!!

I've attatched a PDF of the manual...carefully read page 8/27 in the manual and that tells you how to configure the ram in relation to what specific CPU you will get. In fact it wouldn't hurt to read the whole dang thing anyway, since you'll have a couple of days before it will arrive!!

Good luck....let me know how she turns out!!

Roger

 

Sorry for the double post, but I forgot to add the attatchment of the PDF manual for that motherboard!!

Better yet...here is the link to it, since it is too big to upload as an attatchment. Obviously you will need Adobe reader in order to utilize this link!! Here you go...

http://static.tigerdirect.com/pdf/Biostar_TForce6100-939_Manual.pdf

Roger

 

Hi Roger,

Thanks for all of the information. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I had a near fatal accident with my present pc. If you have the time and inclination, take a look over in the software forum under "Major Problem - PC is almost dead except for a few services." This is why I ask so many questions . . . left to my own devices, I can easily take a healthy pc and turn it into a pile of scrap metal with a few taps of my fingers, lol. I was reading up on svchost.exe and several sites had said that it was a trojan. I searched my pc for the file and I had 2 of them. I didn't want to delete them but I didn't want to keep them in my Windows folders so I moved them to separate folders on my desktop. After that, just about nothing worked on my pc. Gecks helped me out an awful lot . . . if it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here now. Picturing the weekend without my pc felt like Armagedden was near! But it's all sorted out now, thank heaven!

To get back on track with the PC from Tiger Direct, I'm a little confused about something after reading the manual. Thank you very much for it, by the way. When I read the specs on it at the Tiger Direct site, it said that there were 2 2.0 USB ports up front. The manual says that there are 4 rear 2.0 USB ports. I can see the advantage of having front ports if I was into gaming but since I have 8, yes, count them, 8 ext hd's, I wouldn't want all those wires coming out of the front of the tower. I read both specs two times and both times they seem to conflict. I ordered the PC yesterday but if the USB ports are located only up front, I'll have to cancel the order, even though it's a terrific pc at a great price. What do you think about the location of the ports?

Denise

 

Let me re-phrase what I said. I tried to edit the first post but I didn't make it in time.


I ordered the PC yesterday but if the USB ports are located only up front, I'm thinking of cancelling the order for it so I won't have 8 cables and splitters coming out the front of it, even though it's a terrific pc at a great price. But the more I read your description about how great a pc it is and how it includes so much at such a great price, the more I think I should keep my order in. What do you think about the location of the ports? Are there 4 in the rear? Could I somehow put USB and firewire ports in the rear of the unit if they're not already located there?

Denise

 

This guy is a foo...

 

I can see where you would have gotten confused on the USB bit. Looking at the Detailed Specs of the motherboard itself and not the barebones system as a whole...

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1559988&Tab=2&NoMapp=0

You will see that this motherboard come with 8 USB ports. Since there are two USB headers on the motherboard itself, then that tells me there will be 4 ports in the back of the system, and then you use one of those USB headers on the motherboard to connect the two USB ports on the front panel of the case, and/or you can use one or both of the USB headers to either add a USB PCI card like this...

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=762407&CatId=511

Or something like this...

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1515411&CatId=511

Or...

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=29628&CatId=0

Basically, you can see where I'm going with this. So to answer your question...don't be worried about that, because this mobo has several options for USB connectivity!! The purpose of the front panel USB ports are for if you have a camera or such that you want to be able to reach a USB port just for a short amount of time, and that will allow you to plug it in and unplug it without having to dig around and pull the tower out etc.!! Plus nowdays...a large majority of people use these...

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2212224&CatId=904

So as I'm sure you can see, a front panel USB port is very handy for such a thing!!

Hope I didn't confuse you in trying to clear this up for you!! Sometimes I have a tendacy to ramble on!!!!

Roger

 

Hi Roger,

You suffer from the same malady as I do . . . I love to ramble on also, as you can tell from my posts. But I don't consider it rambling on . . . I think of it as being helpful and amicable, giving a person enough information to help them understand what I want them to know. My sister sends me an email with 2 sentences in it and I send her 5 large paragraphs, so it's nice to meet a kinsman, lol.

Thanks for your lengthy reply. I have a very good picture as to what the pc has now and I'm even more satisfied with it.

I'm not quite sure what the Samsung 1GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive is or how to use it, how many ports it has, or if it's a plug-in to make all the USB ports run faster, etc.

Denise

 

LOL...don't worry about it!! It really isn't anything that "needed" so to speak.

All it is is a portable media storage device...aka...a disk. Is does the exact same thing as a 3.5 floppy disc, only it has the capacity of a CD and then some (atleast the one gig model, you can get various sizes, 64mb, 128mb, 256mb, 512mb, 1gig, 2gig) and the advantage is it is very compact (obviously) and all you have to do is plug it into the USB port on the front of your comp and you automatically have another drive to move files to and from, and it has very fast transfer rates!!

Roger

 

On July 24, AMD is supposed to drop the prices on their processors by up to 60%. Wait until then and buy a system with an AMD processor.

 

Thanks again for replying, Roger. The flash drive is a nice little device and would be great for mp3's, so I might buy one for my daughter. Christmas is just around the corner!

Thanks for saying what I didn't, iandoh

I already purchased the pc and I'm very happy with it, but thanks for letting me know that AMD will be lowering their prices on their systems, Wyatt. They just may lower their prices on their CPU's also, even if they don't reduce them to such a high extent. . . a great tip!

I'm buying everything piece by piece as funds are available. I already have the bulk of what I'll need and I'll be installing them as soon as the barebones pc comes in. It's going to be very hard at that point not to use plastic to buy them though.

I can't say thanks enough . . . you've all been terrific and so helpful!

Denise

 

Don't worry about it...just enjoy your new system!!

Roger