Advice on Cheap Desktop

Posh Boy

Hi,

Am looking to get a cheap replacement desktop PC for my dad. It will only be used for some minor office stuff and internet surfing.

Was looking on PC World and HN but am unsure if their lowest price models are any use.

Budget wise, I'm looking to get as cheap as possible.

Any ideas?

Torqay

I just got a Core i3 desktop PC (Zoostorm) from Dabs.ie, €300 (without OS). 4 GB RAM, 500 GB HDD, VGA & DV-I out.

A suitable 22" monitor costs around €100.

As accessories you might want a DV-I cable and a 3.5mm <> 3.5mm cable to connect the integrated speakers to the sound card.

wil

Cheap?
For desktop I wouldnt have a problem going secondhand, much better value as shops are mostly phasing out in favour of laptops so tend to stock premium or high margin versions.
Most store models will be W8 so if it is a replacement, that might be a consideration

Regularly see Dell core i3s similar to Torqays spec above with W7 around the 200 mark on adverts.
Screens these days can be got for very little money s/h, depending on your preferences, but a 19inch is comparable to a 22 widescreen in screen acreage for under 50, and a 17 you'd get for 30 or less.

TBH there is little price benefit of PC over laptop these days so might be worth considering. Almost any Windows 7 pc/laptop from the last 5 years will meet the basic requrements you mention. Laptop convenience of built in everything (webcam/speakers) and space saving might be more important than bigger screen size external monitor, but you could still hook up a monitor or TV screen to a laptop.
I've seen some fairly reasonable new laptops for under 400. Recently saw an i7 gen 3 laptop for 530 in a B&M store
If warranty is important, then better value online than in the stores you mentioned

Torqay

wil wrote: »

Regularly see Dell core i3s similar to Torqays spec above with W7 around the 200 mark on adverts.

Maybe not so regular, I could not find any Dell with an Ivy Bridge Core i3 for 200 yoyos on Adverts.

The difference between the 1st and the 3rd generation of Core Processors is quite significant:





It is not just the computing power but also the graphics performance has also greatly improved with Intel HD 4000.

And you'll get 2 years warranty with a new computer.

wil

You're right, used to be more regular, doesnt seem to be many on here at the mo, definitely was someone with a few i3 3120s 500Gb W7 for 250 which sold for 200 not that long ago.
I found this i5 in my watchlist, sold for 200.

When it comes to high spec vs price for basic use, most users dont notice that extra 25% faster loading word doc over the 100 less in their pocket.
Anything else then the spec becomes more relevant.
And for peace of mind - yes the warranty

Just giving it as the cheap consideration, if you dont have the cash, doesnt matter what the specs are:)

Have you tried this crowd, recently got a generic laptop g4 i7 for for a relative through them. A little plasticky but seems ok.

Torqay

Don't get me wrong... I'm all for 2nd hand PCs, some decent deals out there. But you should be well able to help yourself if something goes haywaire.

Posh Boy

Thanks for the replies folks. He already has a laptop but doesn't like using it, hence the requirement for a desktop.

Was thinking of picking up a second hand one alright but only if it's a good bit cheaper than a new one.

In terms of processor speed and RAM requirements if it's running W7 or W8 what would be the best option balancing performance and price?

How much RAM would be needed to run the OS and have plenty left over?

Torqay

Posh Boy wrote: »

In terms of processor speed and RAM requirements if it's running W7 or W8 what would be the best option balancing performance and price?

How much RAM would be needed to run the OS and have plenty left over?

Can't go wrong with a newer Core i3 (they're close enough to a 1st gen Core i7), you'll get a good few years out of it. 4GB RAM is perfectly fine for "some minor office stuff and internet surfing"

wil

Torqay wrote: »

Can't go wrong with a newer Core i3 (they're close enough to a 1st gen Core i7), you'll get a good few years out of it. 4GB RAM is perfectly fine for "some minor office stuff and internet surfing"

thats why it's annoying when many people expect nearly new prices for old spec just because it cost them more than the new stuff when they bought it. Now prices really have come down, well except for storage. So yes there are good bargains on new stuff.

Ok before anyone gets annoyed the following is an opinion sparked by the use of the word minor above.
TBH I feel manufacturers/B&M shops overplay the need for higher specs to run the latest sw and bloatware. I think online/cloud apps, android, tablets and phoneware have put paid to that somewhat with better more efficient coding, smaller memory and smaller screens. And with W8 being pared back on the GUI it'll be a while yet before 4Gb wont handle most day to day stuff.
And cloud storage/ online multimedia reources / HD prices have curtailed the home storage need.
Unless someone's requirements included HD multimedia, gaming, photoshop, or other high end processing, then for standard office and internet, a pretty basic spec suffices.
/End of highly controversial opinion:) Thats just me. Tell me where I am completely wrong.:)

W7 yes, (xp nicer/cheaper for some things but not online based activities) W8 for the latest security and tech
Linux cheaper/more powerful if you are comfortable with but a major premium on the user

Warranty - yes warranty - v important if you are not good under the bonnet.

Torqay

Currys had an interesting deal a few weeks ago, an ASUS mini tower with a dual core Celeron G1610, 2 GB RAM, 500GB HDD and Windows 8 for €189. I had two of them here, added another 4 GB RAM and all was well, doesn't get much better for 220 yoyos. The price has gone up since and it costs €259.



That processor is as good as a 1st generation Core i3, the on-chip graphic, I believe, is Intel HD2500 and the power consumption is 30% lower.

But if you want something a little more "future proof", €300 is a pretty good deal for a new desktop with an Ivy Bridge Core i3. You couldn't build such a machine yourself if you order the parts.

You can set it up with a modern Linux distro, which should be perfectly fine for "some minor office stuff and internet surfing". If your father doesn't get along with it at all, you can still get Windows later.

Shabaz50

tbh id go for a laptop
try this one outhttp://blog.laptopmag.com/top-8-laptops-that-cost-less-than-500
its not the best but for the price its not bad the only thing it will run a little slow

Torqay

Shabaz50 wrote: »

tbh id go for a laptop

Everyone's perfectly entitled to their personal preferences, but...

Posh Boy wrote: »

He already has a laptop but doesn't like using it, hence the requirement for a desktop.

Shabaz50

Lol sry did'nt read.then i would suggest build your own

Posh Boy

Thanks again for your help. In terms of a second hand one, I've seen one with the following:

HP Compaq DX2200. Pentium D 2.8 dual core CPU, 2Gb DDR2 ram, 250Gb SATA Hard Disk + 160Gb SATA Hard Disk

It seems to fit the bill in terms of what its required for, but it has XP as the OS.

Would the processor be up to requirements? I can always add more RAM.

What would be a fair price for this?

yoyo

Posh Boy wrote: »

Thanks again for your help. In terms of a second hand one, I've seen one with the following:

HP Compaq DX2200. Pentium D 2.8 dual core CPU, 2Gb DDR2 ram, 250Gb SATA Hard Disk + 160Gb SATA Hard Disk

It seems to fit the bill in terms of what its required for, but it has XP as the OS.

Would the processor be up to requirements? I can always add more RAM.

What would be a fair price for this?

XP is end of life in a few months, so running it after April 2014 will be a security risk (Microsoft will stop patching it). The specs on that machine are also extremely poor compared to second hand 1st gen i3 machines & even Core 2 Duo (earlier than i3's) ones. Pentium Ds are dual core Pentium 4 chips, and the performance nowadays is pretty poor.

Nick

Torqay

50 yoyos, tops. That Pentium D is 8 years old now. Although it was Intel's first true dual core processor, it is a reliq from a time when Gigahertz ruled advertising campains and power efficiency counted for nothing.

If you're looking for a 2nd hand desktop PC, you should get at least a Core 2 Duo processor if you expect to get a few years out of it. I've seen some Dell Optiplex on Adverts for €65 (no HDD, business machines often have them removed)

fl4pj4ck

if you want second hand:
http://www.ijtdirect.co.uk/?sct=higradepc
Free UK delivery, enter HGRADE at the checkout to reduce the price by £25 and use ParcelMotel (e3.50)
e75 in total, e15 in Argos for basic keyboard+mouse set