New Desktop PC Help Wanted

Hi, my desktop has gone a bit kaput after 6 years and I'm looking to you guys for some advice on what I should get, been looking at a few today and I am on a limited budget, don't need anything all singing and dancing as I have access to a laptop too.

These are the ones I have been looking at, could you tell me off if they are crap or point me in the right direction at some similar kind of models (£400 tops)


ACER ASPIRE SA/P4 £399.99



Brand ACER Processor Intel Pentium 4 Intels entry-mid level processor, enough power for more advanced computing tasks such as editing photos

Processor model number 524 The model of the processor- the higher the number the better
Processor speed 3.06 GHz How fast the processor works - the faster the better
Processor bus 533 MHz How quickly the processor can receive information to work on - the higher this number, the more powerful the PC is
Processor cache 1 Mb The buffer of the processor - the larger it is the smoother the PC will work
Memory (RAM) 1024 Mb Allows more functions to be performed at once. More memory means a faster PC
Storage (hard drive) 160 GB Also known as the hard disk, where all your files, such as documents, MP3 music and games are stored. Larger drives can store more. 1GB = 200 MP3 music songs
Optical drive Plays & records CDs and DVDs Choose an optical drive that suits your needs. CDs are great for albums, DVDs are great for large data back-ups and movies. Look for Blu-Ray and HD DVD drives which are the latest technology and give far more storage - great for high definition content & data back-ups
2nd optical drive Not featured
Lightscribe technology Not featured
Operating system Windows XP Home Operating system is what you see when you use the computer. Windows XP is the current standard, there are 3 versions - Home is the basic version, Professional is for use with networks, Media Center is for organising and enjoying your pictures, music & TV. Vista is the next version about to be released - a Vista Ready computer is more futureproof
Application software tbc
Graphics 128MB UMA An economical solution that borrows your computers main memory to use for graphics. Fine for basic computing tasks but not powerful enough for digital photography, video editing and gaming
USB 2.0 slots 6 Lest you connect peripherals such as printers and digital cameras to your PC
Firewire Not featured
Media card slots 9-in-1 Use cards from your digital camera - a quick and easy way of getting your digital photos onto your PC
Remote control Not featured
Watch & record live TV Not featured
Keyboard Yes
Mouse Yes
Sound card 5.1 surround This outputs sound to your speakers from your PC. Look for surround sound for amazing film and gaming experience
++MONITOR++ > > > Monitor EmprexLM1904 19 inches the make and model of the monitor supplied with the number.
Viewable area 940 cm2 The total viewable area of the screen measured by multiplyin g the height by the width. Choose a large viewable are if y ou are watching DVDs or playing games to get you closer to t he action.
Pixel resolution 1440x900 The total number of pixels displayed horizontally and vertic ally the greater the number of pixels displayed on screen gi ves you better quality images. Consider a high pixel resolu tion if you are editing photos due to the precision required .
Contrast range 500:1 This is the measurement of the difference in light between t he brightest white and darkest black displayed. The greater the difference between numbers gives a great range of colour giving a better picture quality.
Input sockets D-SUB VGA The different types of inputs the monitor has for connecting to other products such as DVDs, camcorders as well as impro ved digital connections from your PC. Dsub is a standard PC or laptop connection. DVI is a digtal monitor connection f or better quality images. Scart and RGB are for connecting D VDs and camcorders.
Brightness 300 cd/m Brightness is measured in Candelas per metre2. 250cd/m2 is t he equivalent of having 250 candles in a square metre. Brig htness is a important factor for picture quality so look for a greater number. Response time 8 ms Measured in milliseconds. Quicker response times are essent ial for lifelike moving images and free flowing movement on your screen from your games and DVDs. The lower the number the better.
Total speaker output 1x2 The total output of the speakers (if supplied) measured in R MS. Look for powerful built in speakers to save more space on your desk and increase your enjoyment from your monitor.
Colours supported 16.2M The total amount of colours that the screen can produce. Gr eater numbers are better for games, digital imaging and vide editing as the images are much more lifelike. This is most easily seen on skin tones and sky scenes where one colour i s predominant.
Power saving mode The monitor switches to low power if the PC is not being use d for long periods.
Viewable from N/A
One touch screen adjustment N/A
Monitor dimensions 380x449x180 mm The measurements of the monitor in millimetres.
Monitor weight 4.2x0.2 kg The weight of the monitor measured in Kgs. Other featuresDual layer & +/- DVD recordingDual layer gives double the storage of a standard DVD. Dual format lets you record DVDs that will play back on any DVD player
Other featuresBuilt-in 56k modemLets you use the internet. 56k dial-up modems are now becoming obsolete as broadband internet becomes more popular
Other features10/100 wired networking built-in Lets the PC plug into a wired network


or


COMPAQ 1939 INTEL PENTIUM D 805 PROCESSOR + 15" TFT FLAT PANEL MONITOR £399.99



Features for this COMPAQ 1939
Intel Pentium D 805 Dual Core Processor-2.66GHz, 800MHz FSB
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
512MB DDR RAM-80GB
Hard Disk Drive
Dual Layer DVD ReWriter Drive
-256MB ATI Radeon X200 Express Graphics
-9-In-1 Media Card Reader
-7 USB Connections
-15" TFT Flat Panel Monitor
Specification for this COMPAQ 1939 Processor TypeIntel Pentium D Processor 805 Dual Core
Clock-Speed2.66GHz
Front Side BUS 800MHz
Operating-SystemWindows XP Home Edition
RAM Memory 512 mb
Hard Disk Capacity 80 Gb
Optical Drive 1- DVD writer Double Layer
Plug In Removable Hard Drive - No
Built-in Digital TV Tuner- No
Remote Control - No
802.11g Wireless Network Ready - No
Graphics Memory - 256mb mb
Graphics Description - ATI Radeon X200 Express
Sound Card - High Definition Audio 7.1
Soundcard included -No
Speakers Included -No
Media Card Reader9-In-1 Built-In
HP Docking Station -No
No of USB connections 7
No of PCI Slots 4
No. of Firewire Connections 2
Keyboard Yes
Wireless Keyboard and Mouse No
Mouse Yes
Weight12.8 kg
Height182 mm
Width420 mm
Depth390 mm
Network LAN10/100 BT Network Interface
Software Titles IncludedMicrosoft Works 8.0


Thanks in advance for your help guys