Tiny PC Spec

lemeister

I'm thinking of buying the following PC from Tiny.com. Cost of this spec is STG1,000 including delivery to Ireland and to upgrade to a 17" TFT Flat Panel Monitor is an extra STG100.

Is this good value or could I get the same in Ireland? I have tried specing something similar on a few sites but they all work out much more expensive.

Processor - AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Processor
Operating System - Microsoft® Windows XP Home
Memory - 1024MB DDR RAM (2x 512MB)
Hard Disk - 200GB 7200 RPM ATA-100 Drive
Optical 1 - 8x Multiformat (+/-) DVD-Rewiter / DVD Copier Drive
Optical 2 - 16x DVD-ROM Drive
Graphics - 256MB ATi Radeon 9200 All-In-Wonder Graphics with PCTV & TV Out
PC-TV System - PC-TV System, Media Software and Remote Control
Modem - Dedicated high speed Supanet optimised 56K modem*
Internet Access - Supanet Internet Access Preloaded
Monitor - 15" TFT Flat Panel Monitor
Network - 10/100 Ethernet Port for Home Networking
Firewire - 2x 1394 Firewire Ports
Card Reader - ConnectPro 10 in 1 Multi-Format Card Reader & Writer
Sound - 6 Channel Sound Onboard
Keyboard etc. - Multimedia Keyboard, Wheel Mouse & Tiny Stereo Speakers
Ports etc. - 1.44MB Floppy Drive, USB2.0 Ports x4, Parallel & Standard Ports
Case - Full ATX Tower Case with Upgrade Capacity (7 Drive Bays)
Motherboard - Microstar MS6741 Micro ATX Motherboard
Software 1 - Microsoft Works Version 7
Software 2 - Microsoft Office 2003 - 60 Day Trial
Software 3 - Cyberlink PowerDVD Software Suite
Software 4 - Pinnacle DVD Copying Suite

garthv

Its a damn good deal mate,except for the graphics card,try and get a 9800 pro instead of the 9200,might cost u a little bit extra but tbh it would be worth it.
The AMD 64 processor you are going for is ultra l33t,i havent had a chance to fiddle around with one myself but from what ive heard they are super fast(like superman)
Anyway,good deal,go for it!

unkel

I don't think that is cheap at all m8. Would you not build it yourself? It's a great experience, it's not hard and help is at hand

You would get a better rig and save a couple of €100

garthv

hmm yeh unkel is right,in certain aspects,i would of built my machine myself but unfortunately i didnt have the cash to hand so finance was my only option,you pay a good bit extra but if you aint got the cash up front,tough ****:p

lemeister

I wouldn't mind building myself but I've absolutely no experience and I'd be afraid of cocking something up and having no PC at all!

ChipZilla

You'd need your head examined to buy from Tiny. Their crap customer service would make you think they were an Irish company. Avoid like the plague...

quarryman

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Graphics - 256MB ATi Radeon 9200 All-In-Wonder Graphics with PCTV & TV Out

Monitor - 15" TFT Flat Panel Monitor

Motherboard - Microstar MS6741 Micro ATX Motherboard

Software 2 - Microsoft Office 2003 - 60 Day Trial

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for €1600 you should be getting more than that crud.

microATX??!

leeroybrown

I don't know if Tiny have improved anything in the last year or so but their UK operation's customer service was always dreadful and spawned a few features on shows on consumer rights shows such as Watchdog.

ChipZilla

Tiny = "Tough, it's now yours!"

Some nice reviews on these two sites:

http://search.freefind.com/find.html?id=6715406&pid=r&mode=ALL&n=0&query=tiny+computer

http://www.romulus2.com/feedback/company.php?57&3

aaf

Build your own!! I was in exactly the same boat as you in January. Search this technology forum and you'll find a lot of similar threads since January or search my username for some helpful info. I was as sceptical as you but the guys here on Boards.ie convinced me otherwise. I also bought a book Build Your Own Computer by Kyle MacRae. Excellent book. That book, the manuals you get with everything and the advice here on Boards.ie is all you need. Last night, I just finished installing the last major piece of Software I need so I'm up and running. Sweet. Need any more info/advice, just ask!! :cool:

unkel

Originally posted by aaf
That book, the manuals you get with everything and the advice here on Boards.ie is all you need.

And if you'd get stuck someone here might even drop over to you to sort it

lemeister

Right, might just buy the book anyway and see if I can make head or tail of were to start!

Col_Loki

Case - Full ATX Tower Case with Upgrade Capacity (7 Drive Bays)

Mixing this with a micro-atx motherboard is strange!! And like the guys said the graphics card is very weak. Everyone is worried when it comes to there first self built PC, its not as hard as you think . You will have loads of help on the boards if you get stuck.

If your worried about specs or whatever just post what your thinkin, and some rough guidelines (budget etc) and we'll set you straight !!

zoro

yeah i was really confused when i saw the 7 drive bays along witha micro atx too ... i've been looking at this one though

very impressive specs, and the price is amazing considering it'd cost alot more to build the same machine yourself!

Zoro

jozi

lemeister i build my own pc for the first time last summer, don't regret it at all!
you'll get a far better understanding to by doing it your self

boards can be used for info etc done it many times before
or maybe you know someone who can advice you and help building in your area, i had some help at hand from friends

seriously it's not half as hard as it seems building the pc
all there various bit and pieces fit into each other so you cant really go wrong

jozi

ps. do watch out with static electricity, keep grounding yourself

PowerHouseDan

can someone tell me what speed does the amd athlon 3200xp+ barton

Col_Loki

Xp3200+ runs at 2.2ghz , 200mhz FSB x 11 (multiplier)...........

PowerHouseDan

they any good worth buying like was going to get one

Col_Loki

Dont get one of them, they are WAY out performed by the new AMD64 Xp3000+/3200+ and also the intel "C" chips with 800mhz FSB.

It really isint worth it. What alot of people do is get an Xp2500+ and overclock it to Xp3200+......... pretty easy to do and much cheaper. Your board has to support 400mhz FSB for the Xp3200+ to work properly, if your mother board is new then it probably will......... older it is the less chance.

The Xp3200+ athlon is prob one of the worst buys out there at the min, if your thinkin of upgrading you really should look in a different direction.

[edit] Have a look here.... http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/athlon64-3000_6.html and see what i mean.

PS Zoro that is a very good deal for the components you get. If you were building yourself you would probably make wiser choices which would keep price down....... like getting the 9800pro instead of the XT , getting a €15 artic cooler and overclocking to XT speeds (€200 saving) etc

zoro

Originally posted by COL_LOKI
PS Zoro that is a very good deal for the components you get. If you were building yourself you would probably make wiser choices which would keep price down....... like getting the 9800pro instead of the XT , getting a €15 artic cooler and overclocking to XT speeds (€200 saving) etc

Yeah I know ... I've already mailed them to see if i could downgrade/remove some unneccessary components in order to save money, as you're right .. no need for the XT for one, and so on...

But unfortunately they won't, i was told that every offer they have is fixed and cannot be modified. Ah well!

Zoro

RuggieBear

It really isint worth it. What alot of people do is get an Xp2500+ and overclock it to Xp3200+......... pretty easy to do and much cheaper. Your board has to support 400mhz FSB for the Xp3200+ to work properly, if your mother board is new then it probably will......... older it is the less chance.

Have to agree...Know next to nothing about assembling PCs so i just followed the advice on this board and built myself a decent enough machine and saved a packet.....ASUS A7N8X Deluxe and an extremely overclockable barton Xp2500, which i've got running like a Xp3200+. Everything was Very very easy except for the bloody thermal paste...

Reckon you'll find everything you'll need here and here

And today i've just bought a 9800pro to replace my ti4200...Woo Hoo!!!!


p

Col_Loki

But unfortunately they won't, i was told that every offer they have is fixed and cannot be modified. Ah well!

Ahh well, sure you can always build your own and have the lovely option of overclocking it when you want to !!

And today i've just bought a 9800pro to replace my ti4200...Woo Hoo!!!!

Yea i went from a Ti4200 to a 9700pro, 4200 still a good performer.

Ohh yea another link or two for purchasing ...........

www.jes-computer.de (cheapest place i know of, cheap delivery - good company)
www.hitide.ie (silent computing / overclocking)
www.elara.ie (great range of cases etc)
www.computerbits.ie (best customer service ive ever ever had, getting much better of late price wise)
www.excaliberpc.com (good for cheap light things, like a CPU - there american and have a $150 and 2lb posting restriction, only $12 delivery and with the way the dollar is going it works out very good)
www.xcase.co.uk (biggest range of cases with great prices - worth a look)

PowerHouseDan

AMD Athlon XP3000+ 2.167 GHz Socket A 333MHz, 512KB Barton, OEM
Asus A7V8X-X mainboard Socket A DDR LAN VIAKT400, ATA/133, ATX, USB2.0, 8X AGP
Thats wat i was going to get on a bit of a budget,

RuggieBear

Originally posted by COL_LOKI
Yea i went from a Ti4200 to a 9700pro, 4200 still a good performer.

Actually, trying to keep my expectations realistic....don't want to feel underwhelmed if the improvement in framerates isn't as massive as i'm hoping...


I reckon i'll try and build a 2nd pc with the bits and pieces left after my upgrades....have 40gig hd, 1.33athlon, old motherboard and now the ti4200...reckon i could get a v reasonable little perfomer with those...just need to pick up a cheap sound card and a PSU!!!

p

Col_Loki

just need to pick up a cheap sound card and a PSU!!!

Erm you will have to act fast on this but how about a brand new sound card for €1 ....... http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=110717&s=sc , komplett are not re-stocking it. lol quite an offer and you can get a cheap case/PSU aswell delivered for €10.


Dan, what will you be using the PC for mainly? If its games then mabye...... www.jes-computer.de

CPU AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Box € 219,90
MotherBoard ATX S754 Gigabyte GA-K8N Pro € 108,55

Sub-Total: € 328,45

Or............. www.komplett.ie

Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz Boxed PC800 Socket PGA478, 512KB cache

€185.76

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Abit IS7-E mainboard for S478/800mhz I865PE,SATA,ATX,Dual-DDR, LAN

€94.38

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Your Ref: Total: 280.14

I personally think the Xp3000+ / Xp3200+ are a waste of money, if you want a cheap option then get an Xp2500+ and an Abit NF7 motherboard and do a small overclock to get it to Xp3200+ .......... the P4 or AMD64 would be a nicer system tbh.

That A7V8X isint a good motherboard either, its older tech ..... Asus A7N8X or Abit NF7 / NF7-S would be a much better board

RuggieBear

Erm you will have to act fast on this but how about a brand new sound card for €1 ....... http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=110717&s=sc , komplett are not re-stocking it. lol quite an offer and you can get a cheap case/PSU aswell delivered for €10.

Jaysus...that's not bad at all....but just realised i have my auld santa cruz on the A7N8X....it has some nforcey sound so i can use it. Never tried the onboard sound as i read there were some issues with crackling and the like but i'll investigate...

Just noticed the muse 5.1...always had a good rep and at only €27

neXus9

Tiny and Time are the same company. From what Iv'e heard a lot of this stuff breaks down. Time have even been featured on watchdog on the bbc. Also heard that there was a guy protesting outside one of the stores, because his PC broke down and they refused to fix it. Even Dr. Spock stopped advertising for them, which led to a court case in which he agreed to give back his fees.

I was nearly going to get one from time, because they sure are cheap.

Beware:eek:

Col_Loki

Just noticed the muse 5.1...always had a good rep and at only €27

lol, i have a A7N8X aswell and the sound went when i pushed the FSB too high. I got the muse 5.1. TBH i couldnt get surround sound working with the onboard sound only 2 speakers, so the soundcard was an advantage.......if you have the deluxe version then i dont see much point as its good onboard sound.

how about a 7.1 soundcard for €9 then......... i wouldnt spend €27 TBH (even though i did :rolleyes: - wiser now), if your paying for it then get an Audigy and really notice the difference. Onboard sound isint bad on the A7N8X and i doubt you will notice any difference between it and the €27 card. For €9 id say they will be gone by morning, order fast if u want one !!

http://www.komplett.ie/k/ki.asp?sku=122106&s=sc


And yea i heard bad things about Time, but didnt Tiny take over lately enough? I dont think Time/Tiny were the same a year or so ago....... mabye its gotten better im not sure, but i wouldnt be going near it until i was better informed TBH.

neXus9

Time are basically a sister company of tiny. They also had (have?) a company called pc superworld or something.

here's interesting reading