Computer...upgrade or new ?????

[macca2]

Reading some of the threads on this BB it appears there are any number of computer gurus lurking in the woodpile.
My question regarding my 5 year old clunker is should I upgrade it or buy a new one. :confused:
What are the chances of a "ordinary bloke" doing an upgrade or building his own computer. :eek:
Lets have it fellas.

Macca

[Zed]

buy the bits and build a new one, its not that hard... and that way you can re use some of your old gear. if you get a copy of XP SP2 its pretty much point and shoot anyway.

[silentC]

Flog the old one for $400 and buy a new one preloaded with WinXP for $1999. Save yourself the heartache. You've got better things to do with your time.

[TassieKiwi]

What C said. I picked up a Dell for home off their website with more megs than you can poke a floppy disc at (for me anyway) and also came with speakers and subwoofer, and 17" LCD screen, for $1499. And then the boss paid for it!


www.dell.com.au

[johna]

forget brand name computers they are a rip off.
build one up yourself.
I recently did a new computer with the following specs

Asus p4 mainboard
P4 3.2 prescott
1 gig ddr ram
200 gig sata HDD
256 meg video card
pioneer dvd burner
19" lcd screen
case
for $1990

build time took a whole 10 minutes

[silentC]

forget brand name computers they are a rip off

How do you figure that? Dennis paid $1499 for his Dell, yours cost $1990 and you had to build it yourself.

If you can build a PC from components in 10 minutes you must be a wizard. I presume you then installed an O/S? Bet that took more than 10 minutes

[bitingmidge]

Or spend $1500 on a Computer instead of a hobby.

Turn it on and talk to us!

No building no loading no nuffink.

P

[silentC]

Ha ha ha, ho ho ho, hee hee hee, good one, Midge, you're such a comedian

[johna]

How do you figure that? Dennis paid $1499 for his Dell, yours cost $1990 and you had to build it yourself.

If you can build a PC from components in 10 minutes you must be a wizard. I presume you then installed an O/S? Bet that took more than 10 minutes

ok have a look at the difference.

on dells site they have a customise option
same specs as mine
dell comes to $3630
i think John is way in front here.

yes 10 minutes to put together. I have been putting computers together for a long time so its second nature.
With a computer that fast you can install xp pr in around 20 minutes

[silentC]

OK, fair point. If you start adding options they add up. The cheap price is on the standard model obviously.

Now for the 10 minutes, not that I don't believe you can do it (I reckon it would take me longer than that to unpack everything and remove the bubble wrap) but I think it would take a newcomer considerably longer than that, assuming that they could work out what goes where. I wouldn't recommend it to someone who just wants a new PC. If you get into it at that level, then you certainly are buying a hobby like Midge says.

Also, if you have a problem, where do you turn? It's OK if you've been building PCs for years, you know what to do if things go wrong.

My original comment stands. Save yourself the heartache and buy a ready built one. Even if you go to the local computer shop and buy one from them. If it plays up, you take it back and they fix it.

[johna]

i agree with you there for newcomers to computers.
But realy they aren't hard and things can only go in one way and into its correct slot.
There are no jumbers to set on motherboards anymore so you can't set the wrong voltages or cpu values.

But yes if you are going to purchase a ready built computer go to the local store and get one built to your specs.
Brand name computers use the same parts interanly but you are paying the premium for the name, and whatever you do don't go to hardly normal to buy a computer

[journeyman Mick]

Macca,
I got a new one built and kept the old clunker. The clunker had pretty much everything stripped out/off and is used for the net. This is my firewall! If perchance I get a virus or whatever I can just wipe the hard drive without losing anything and reload the OS. I only transfer stuff from the new computer to the old one, not vice versa so there's no danger of transferring any nasties. I'ts 7.5 years old now and will need replacing some time soon, but I'll just get another new box built and swap them around so they all get bumped down one position (bottom one goes in the big green filing cabinet on wheels out the front of the house ).

Mick

[barnsey]

When I decided that my old clunker was about 1/2 the power to run the programs I was running I thought I get the bits for an update.

Found a supplier prepared to listen to what I wanted and priced it up. From the outside in the old clunker was no longer compatible with todays technology apart from the floppy!!! :eek:

Fair dinkum - shop around and it'll not only be cheaper than all the bits but it will look schmick and you won't have to work on it in the dusty workshop coz SWMBO won't appreciate even the ten minutes that you use the dining room table to put it together. :eek:

I'll bet johna gets his bits at dealer prices which you won't. A local reliable guy will know the good deals about when you want to buy and you'll get the benefit coz he's still buying for less than you are and if it only takes him 10 minutes to do it then your labour cost is 4/5 of 5/8 of squat.

Stop muckin around and go and buy one.

Jamie

For interest 17" LCD monitors at the moment can be bought under $400 at the moment, retail so again talk to someone - soon

[johna]

and 19" ones for just over $600 i love computer parts, prices drop quicker than womans pants.

[TassieKiwi]

and 19" ones for just over $600 i love computer parts, prices drop quicker than womans pants.

Show me those women! Where?