Any bargain desktops out there?

elsien

Mine is donkeys years old and having revamped it once with the help of people on here, I've just lost my job so have decided it would be a good time to get a new one while I still have some money to do it with. Then hopefully it'll keep going for lots more years.
I'm not techie, I don't have a clue what the different processors are or mean and I don't do gaming. It's basically for everyday browsing, word processing, doing a bit of work from home. I do have a laptop but I'm happier doing proper work on a desktop - personal preference thing.
Budget - no idea as I don't know how much these things usually are, £400 ish, give or take? I prefer new to refurb and something that'll last rather than cheap and cheerful even if it costs a bit more.
Can anyone give me some pointers as to where to start. Thank you.

googler

OH just bought a Dell mini desktop for £199, retaining the existing monitor to use with it. Win 8.1 pre-installed, you'd need to install word processing and other software.

Physically, it's compact, but little room for expansion inside.

However, OH has had a frustrating 3 days since it arrived, disabling the (unwanted) Macaffee virus software, and all manner of Windows pop-ups (also unwanted). Getting to the point now where it's a usable machine.

SailorSam

If you're on benefits now have a look at these, although i think they are refurbs,

http://www.getonlineathome.org/

elsien

No I'm not on benefits and won't be in the imminent future as I have a redundancy package that will keep me going for a while.
I'm also not sure what's a good deal or what I need in terms of memory, processing speed etc so if there's an idiot's guide somewhere that someone could point me to, that would be useful.

Ebe_Scrooge

I came across this site a while ago. It's quite useful at explaining what all the different parts of a PC do, and help you choose what's right for your particular requirements. Might be helpful when looking around, so at least you spend your money on things that you need, and not waste money on things you don't.

www.pcspecialist.co.uk/pc-help/

[Deleted User]

Asda are stocking three Medion desktops (I've used Medion for years, and always found them excellent), for well under £400.

bingo_bango

Should seriously consider building your own.

I've just put a six core machine together for less than £400. Decent gaming case, SSD, GPU, PSU, RAM, fan controller, liquid cooling all included.

Fot what you intend to do that is overkill, so certainly don't pay over the odds for a basic desktop. Had a look at Amazon desktops? Worth a check and well within budget.

[Deleted User]

Does the less than £400 include the cost of the OS, and other software?

SurferDan

Try Palicomp
Recently bought 2 desktops from them one i3 (£319)one i5 (£530) based. Windows 8.1 included but no monitor.
Spec your own or buy ready built. Ex web site, ex product, ex customer service and very highly rated in reviews.
No I don't work for them

Jnelhams

Well you could trade in your old PC and get a nice desktop with Windows 8.1 for £100

http://www.ebuyer.com/643319-zoostorm-desktop-pc-7260-8000

macman

Why are you anti-refurb? You can get a decent Dell desktop for under £200, with a full 12m warranty. I've installed a couple of these without issue: they're visually as god as new.
http://www.refurbthat.com/