Desktop help advice please....

gojoroan2007

Hi All,

Really stuck as we are looking to buy a new desktop for family use as our 7 year old 63gb Packard Bell is giving up the ghost...

Not being all that techie I don't want to blow our budget (£500) on something unsuitable/unreliable/noisy etc etc.

The one I am currently looking at is the HP 500-081EA from PC World - with 10% discount and 1.5% cashback it comes in at around £470.

I can't find any reviews for it though and was just wondering if anyone has any advice tips or better suggestions before we spend what is a lot of money for us.

Many thanks in advance for any help, advice or input.

Gordon.

SailorSam

That one ?
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/desktop-pc-monitors/desktop-pcs/desktop-pcs/hp-pavilion-500-081ea-desktop-pc-with-23xi-full-hd-23-ips-led-monitor-21501010-pdt.html

closed

giving up the ghost means what?

backup, reinstall windows, install avast free.

gojoroan2007

Hi SailorSam - yes but without the monitor...

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/desktop-pc-monitors/desktop-pcs/desktop-pcs/hp-500-081ea-21472245-pdt.html

and closed - by 'giving up the ghost' I guess I meant it just keeps going wrong - it freezes - especially if I try and open more than two tabs on I.E. or try and use Facebook. It's slow, noisy and overheats - I have regularly taken the covers off and cleaned the dust out) and as I said it's seven yeas old and only 63Gb.

NiftyDigits

gojoroan2007 wrote: »

Hi SailorSam - yes but without the monitor...

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/desktop-pc-monitors/desktop-pcs/desktop-pcs/hp-500-081ea-21472245-pdt.html

and closed - by 'giving up the ghost' I guess I meant it just keeps going wrong - it freezes - especially if I try and open more than two tabs on I.E. or try and use Facebook. It's slow, noisy and overheats - I have regularly taken the covers off and cleaned the dust out) and as I said it's seven yeas old and only 63Gb.

Seven years is not old. Mine is of a similar age.
How much RAM is installed? Back up your data and reinstall the OS.

DigForVictory

Possibly worth giving it a going over for malware? Just to cover as many bases before blueing £470.
Or as well as, and leaving the old machine tidied/sanitised for "the rest of the family" to use...

closed

10 minutes effort, and it could be like new again

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2436849

unless the disk is full 64GB doesn't matter.

googler

Install more RAM, install a new primary disc with a fresh operating system, and move the current primary drive to be a secondary.

If you have an install disc for the current operating system, you should be able to do this for less than £100

NiftyDigits

googler wrote: »

Install more RAM, install a new primary disc with a fresh operating system, and move the current primary drive to be a secondary.

If you have an install disc for the current operating system, you should be able to do this for less than £100

That is completely mad. £100 on such a system? :money:

If the OP bothers to come back with the PC model number, we could check the options.
But perhaps £30 on a hard drive and more RAM.

gojoroan2007

Thanks all - just back from work...

The computer is a Packard Bell IMEDIA 1459

Model number PB34316401

Over the years it's been back to PC World twice - once for a BIOS replacement/upgrade and once for a replacement hard disk - apart from that it's just got slower and slower - I borrowed a laptop from work the other day and it is 10 times faster on the same internet connection....

NiftyDigits

How much RAM is installed?

Press the Flying Windows key and whilst holding it down, the Pause Break key.