New Desktop advice

kev_pecker · 22 August 2007 at 4:58PM

Hello,

I have about £400-500 to invest in a new desktop PC, not including the monitor as I already have one.

To say I'm confused would be somewhat of an understantement, I have read this thread;

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=503077

It was very helpful, although I don't want as higher spec as this person

The type of PC I'm after is one for internet surfing, watching movies and I may well get into a bit of gaming, when I have the time. I have talked to a techie guy at work about this, but you could literally hear the 'whoosh' of air go over my head as he began talking about it.

I have got another friend who use to build comps for novatech and he can build one for me but I was hoping for some advice/opinions on here before I went for anything.

I was looking at off the shelf stuff as well with dell. But all in all I don't really have much of a clue.

Any advice on what I could get for my money would be much appreciated, please be gentle. :beer:

Markee · 22 August 2007 at 5:54PM

A fairly modest machine will do your internet surfing and watching movies bit.

These will also do email, and conformtably run office applications.

However, you mention the golden word 'gaming' which requires high end machines, especially to run the latest games.

As an alternative to Dell, Evesham has a good reputation and you can also get a 3 year on site warranty (depending on the machine).

Mesh are quite good as well. Although they can be a bit noisy.

Both Evesham, Mesh and Dell can do base units only. Also, have a look at the Dell outlet site as there can be some good bargains there, but it can be a bit hit and miss.

kev_pecker · 22 August 2007 at 6:50PM

Evesham seems very expensive in comparison to the other two, am I missing something?

Is it worth having my friend build it for me, would I get that much more for my money?

albertross_2 · 22 August 2007 at 7:15PM

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=evesham+bust&btnG=Google+Search&meta=

http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/tv_and_radio/watchdog/reports/consumer_goods/consumer_20070502.shtml

I'd get a Dell, www.dmxdimension.com

your friend will find it hard or impossible to beat them for value.

GoofyGAT · 22 August 2007 at 7:41PM

The best value is no doubt Dell, but there's a reason for this - the components & build quality may not be the best (but that doesn't mean they're terrible either!). They sell many machines & most people are satisfied I'd imagine.

Mesh have a very bad reputation for customer service - see this BBC Watchdog article. One can find many disgruntled customers on other sites/forums too - an example. Or, do a search for mesh at PCAdvisor (select search in All). Keep this link handy if you buy a Mesh: Mesh Support forum at Hexus.

Yes, Evesham is the most expensive compared to the other too, but may offer the best quality & better support(?). They are on the verge of going bust though I think?? Edit: albertross' search confirms this

It's definitely worth having your friend build it for you - I would go for this option if I were you & couldn't/didn't want to build it myself. Though you won't get the best value (compared to a Dell), you can be assured that the system is best suited to your needs & has all the components of your choice. G

Mobeer · 22 August 2007 at 8:10PM

As other people have noted, Evesham used to be good but have undergone a change in management and sacked most of their staff. Mesh I've never dealt with.

Dell are generally good value. If you are not sure about gaming, then you could consider the Dimension 9200 here. You might need to reduce the waranty down to 1 year collect and return to get the price down to £411. You could spend more by having more RAM or a faster processer (E6600) depending upon your budget and needs.

I recommend the 9200 over the newer Inspirion since the newer PCs have lesser power supplies. If you ever get serious about gaming, the 9200 can be fitted with powerful graphics cards like the Nvidia GeForce 8800GTX at a later date, which I doubt the Inspiron range could power.

If you use the Dell Outlet, remember to make allowances for VAT and delivery.

sarylou · 22 August 2007 at 8:17PM

OR you could just spend £548 at Tesco on a Medion 6486 machine.
Depends how bothered you are on 'known names' and support?
Most of the parts appear to be named brands, but I've only recently heard of them. :rolleyes:
It'll need a graphics upgrade in a year or so, but it has the DX10 card and Vista Home Premium, now.
See this review: 3 pages with details
Unless you don't want all the gubbins. Although...I couldn't build one for this price! :mad:

I can't support any good Dell experiences - I only get the troubled ones

- those with OS crashes, heat issues and poor (gaming) graphics capabilities, typically.

Mesh still keep winning awards. I've got a few good experiences with them, too...we'll see.

Evesham used to be OK, in my view. Been too expensive for a long time. That lay-offs business don't help either?
Stupid companies!

What type/genre/connection of gaming were you looking at, by the way? :undecided

kev_pecker · 23 August 2007 at 1:48AM

Thank you for your responses. I'm definitely leaning towards the dell 9200, for the convinience and support as much as anything else. I do have a few questions though

1) What is the E6420 processor like in comparison to the E6600?

2) Also I notice it says that vista premium isn't comatible with the E6600, so if I chose that I'd have to go for vista basic. Whats the difference and whats vista like in general as I've always used.

3) Having looked at the outlet website, it doesn't actually seem to be cheaper, is it one of those places where you only get a bargain if you get lucky?

4) What is this one like, apart from not having vista it seems very similar to what I could get for more money at dell?

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=0&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=128312

5) The tesco pc does look a pretty good all rounder, I'll keep it in mind

Thank you in advance

Mobeer · 23 August 2007 at 11:15AM

1) Tom's Hardware have graphs that compare processors (sorry, don't have the URL to hand). For most office use, web surfing and film watching a 6420 is easily powerful enough. A 6600 would be faster for some office applications and, if matched to a good graphics card, for games.

2) For Windows Vista Preimum you have to pick the "Intel® Viiv™ Core™ 2 Duo" option; the cost is the same for each type of processor, only the name changes.

3) Sometimes the outlet looks good, sometimes it doesn't. I suspect that some resellers try to get the best deals then sell them on.

4) Agreed that is does look like a good.

5) Agreed also that the Tesco PC looks tempting, albeit at a higher price.

You can also use Tom's Hardware to comapre graphics card to see how well these PCs would compare for 3D graphics (none are that good).

kev_pecker · 23 August 2007 at 4:03PM

Thank you, much appreciated.

I tried to have another look at that dell and the link doesn't work and when I go on the site, I can't find it for the same price? Any ideas?

Also is it worth going for vista or sticking with XP?

I would be interested in peoples thoughts. Thank you

Chippy_Minton · 23 August 2007 at 5:41PM

kev_pecker wrote: »

I tried to have another look at that dell and the link doesn't work and when I go on the site, I can't find it for the same price? Any ideas?

Also is it worth going for vista or sticking with XP?

Dell Dimension 9200 £679 - http://www.dmxdimension.com/blogcategory/dell_uk_dimension_9200.html

Vista should run OK on new PCs designed for it.

New Desktop advice

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