Complete numpty here - can someone help me buy a pc

Hootie19

Our current computer has just gone to computer heaven. My husband thinks its either the motherboard or the . . . . something else .

Anyway, the upshot is, he thinks we need a new computer.

But OMG - can I get a straight answer out of him as to what one and/or cost?? Can I bobbins!!

So I'm going to do it myself. This will save both our marriage and his life! Only, my knowledge of PCs can be written on the rear of a postage stamp, and still leave room for my name and address etc etc etc. (DH has worked in IT for 30 odd years - you'd think he'd be able to give a straight "this is what we need" answer when I ask him, wouldn't you :mad::mad:)

Anyway, we have just bought a new 22" widescreen monitor (Acer) and we don't need a new keyboard, mouse or printer. So (I think) that just leaves the box thingy.

It will be used for:

"home office" stuff (letters, spreadsheets etc)

my husband is an amateur photographer, so it will be used for manipulating photographs etc

he plays "Eve" and other similar online games

our sons use it for listening to music (although DH refuses to allow them to download anything :rolleyes:)

they also use it for MSN etc

I think he's recently bought a reasonable graphics thing, so presumably that can be salvaged and put into the new one, although I wouldn't be upset if the new one had a decent card in it (as the old one could then be put into the computer that he's been threatening to build for the boys since dinosaurs were around)

So - can anyone suggest something suitable. I'm thinking of spending up to £400 but I don't know if that's a realistic sum.

I know I can walk into Tesco and pick one of the shelf for less than that, but I assume that it's not going to be a particularly brilliant spec. As I said, I am a complete numpty and have NO knowledge whatsoever.



p.s. something quiet would be good. Our now-dead computer was soooooo loud. I had to have subtitles on the TV almost all the time, otherwise I had to have to volume up so much the windows shook (slight exaggeration, but you get the drift )

boatman

Have a look at these two deals from Dell, if your husband works in IT he might be impressed you got a Quad core processor!!
http://www.hotukdeals.com/item/144390/dell-vostro-400-desktop-base-quad-c/

Or a little cheaper without quad processor

http://www.hotukdeals.com/item/140954/del-inspiron-530-desktop-base-2-2gh/showthread.php?t=140954
You'll be able to add your graphics card to this one as it only has standard onboard graphics.

espresso

Hootie19 wrote: »

Our current computer has just gone to computer heaven...........

So - can anyone suggest something suitable. I'm thinking of spending up to £400 but I don't know if that's a realistic sum.

Have a look at this one here available on the 14th.

:cool:

digp

try ebuyer.com

Hootie19

thanks digp - but which one? ebuyer has got loads of stuff on there.

boatman

Theres nothing special on Ebuyer at the moment. Acer here at comet

Halfmad

Eve doesn't require a hugely powerful computer to play, however other online games do. These are upgradable though, but it shouldn't be necessary straight off.

Personally on that budget I'd go for one of these:

Acer T671 Core2Duo - Ebuyer - £300+shipping

Primo Vantage from overclockers - £337.14 +shipping + operating system
(I'd upgrade the graphics card to the 8600 GT 512mb, you'll have to pick your the OS you want and add on the cost for it)

The alternative is a Dell PC which frankly I think are very good, except when it comes to upgrading. I've used Dell at work, literally about 8000 or so of them and never had any major problems, however I've always been a little worried about having one at home, mainly down to the lack of decent upgrade options on most models.

Alternatively if you want to a laptop this would probably do, it'll never be a pure gaming computer but it will play Eve Online without any huge hassle (it's better than the laptop I use for Eve - by a long way!)

Ebuyer laptop deal - £399.99

boatman

I looked at the ebuyer Acer and thought the comet one was better for the same money as it has a better processor and looks a more upto date model. As you say Dell PC's seem a bit like marmite, love/hate thing, personally i've had 2 and no complaints. I thought the Quad core Dell was a bit of future proofing but still on budget!?

Halfmad

Both Dells are fine mate, just giving more options! absolutely nothing wrong with buying from Dell, I've a Dell laptop sitting next to me

The two Acers are different models, different graphics cards specifically and one has a TV tuner, the other doesn't etc. Again just about adding choice, not putting anyone else's links down.

Personally I'd buy a Dell or at a main street store for a computer if I wasn't into building my own. I've ordered from ebuyer for years with no complaints but as with a lot of retailers it could get messy if you had to start sending things back. At least with Dell and Overclockers I know they have decent support - as I've used them a few times.

BritBrat

Dont throw your old one away you may be able to use parts of it.

Hard drive could go in a caddy and be used for external backup.

If I was you, but I am not. I would buy a bare bones computer Motherboard, memory, case and processor and build the new one using all the other parts from the old PC. CD/DVD rom, keyboard/mouse, display and floppy drive.

Maybe add a larger hard drive.

Sounds complicated, but it's not.

Some examples here:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/barebones.html

But lots of other stores do them.

Hootie19

BritBrat wrote: »

Some examples here:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/barebones.html

Thank you. I looked, but it might just as well have been written in hieroglyphics for all the sense it made to me :rotfl:

Himself could easily build a PC - he's done it before - and I'd be quite happy for him to do it. If I just knew what to buy, I could put the bits in front of him, with a pot of coffee on standby and lock him in the room until he's finished