Haven't shopped computers in years

[Gator515151]

One of our desktops here at the house just craped out. I took it into a local computer shop and the tech said it was the motherboard. How he could tell that by just looking at it I don't know but that is what he said anyway. So I am getting ready to start looking for a new desktop. I need some imput on what bare minimums I should look for.

First a little about our needs. 1. I'd like to stay as cheap as possible without getting something slow as molasses. 2. We are not into gameing so don't need some super machine. 3. Our main uses will be browsing the internet and running software such as turbotax. I'd like something that would do these tasks efficently but don't want to spend a ton of money. 4. We will probably use our existing monitor & keyboard.

[td21]

I own a computer shop.... what was the old desktop doing? Also... if you want a quote contact me...

[rtango54]

AMD is the way to go. Their 6 core processors are dirt cheap. Get your bang for your buck.

[Gator515151]

I own a computer shop.... what was the old desktop doing? Also... if you want a quote contact me...

When you turned it on, before anything starts up you get a bunch of lines and symbols on the monitor screen.

He pointed to a couple of capacitors or diodes or something on the motherboard that he said were bulging. He said that usually meant the motherboard was bad. I don't know about these things....does that make any sense?

[orangeblueorangeblue]

I work motherboards and electronics a lot recreationally. A "bulging" capacitor? Never seen that before. Typically issues with motherboards tend to be more catastrophic. There are very few parts that can go wrong without making the whole board worthless.

That said, salvage your HD in case there's anything interesting on it. As for computers, if it's a desktop and you don't do any gaming, this should be no problem. You can get a machine in the $300-$400 range that will work for several years dependably.

[gatorfansrule]

There is a Dell Optiplex line that is known for their bad motherboards. The capacitors bulged and sometimes busted/leaked. It is the GX270 & GX280 lines. We had a bunch of them at my job and a lot of them ended up having that problem.

Found a story about it: http://news.cnet.com/PCs-plagued-by-bad-capacitors/2100-1041_3-5942647.html

[G8RBrave]

I work motherboards and electronics a lot recreationally. A "bulging" capacitor? Never seen that before.



I've seen it a lot. There was a series of Dell Optiplex's we had at work years back that had that problem over and over. You'd open up the case and one or two of the capacitors would literally have erupted....whatever's inside the capacitor. I think we had upwards of 10 of them that did the exact same thing over the course of a few years.

Either way, 5151, it's real easy to spot a bulging capacitor and see if the guy is BSing you or not.

[G8RBrave]

LOL I totally didn't read gatorfansrule's post before I posted mine, I swear. And yep, it was the GX270 that we had the problem with. Glad I wasnt the only one that dealt with that headache.

[HALLGATOR]

Here's an older link to some pics of bulging capacitors. It will give you an idea of what to look for. Notice the x looking marks across the top of it.

http://www.facilitateit.com.au/Capacitors.htm

[Gator_Tom66]

dell.com

[HALLGATOR]

dell.com

I'm on the verge of buying another PC and can't decide between building one and buying one already built. I have a Dell now that has really been a good machine but it's like me, it is getting old and beginning to get a bit quirky.

[Gator_Tom66]

I'm on the verge of buying another PC and can't decide between building one and buying one already built. I have a Dell now that has really been a good machine but it's like me, it is getting old and beginning to get a bit quirky.

I always buy from dell. Good machines at a good price. Nice warranty.

There are good reasons to go either way. (build vs buy)

It is just easier to me to buy from them. The customer service is good and replacement parts are sent quickly if needed. Probably ordered about 50 last year for work.

[brainstorm]

I agree with Tom. Unless you want a higher end machine I don't really see a benefit to building your own.

[HALLGATOR]

With me it is not really that I believe a built machine of the caliber I want is going to be much better it's just the aspect of doing the build. I like to mess with them and building my own is something I have been going to do for awhile. Still I am looking at prices and I can get what I want from Dell for around $800.00 since I have a good monitor. I don't do any heavy gaming on my computer so I am not worried about that part.

The one I priced out would give me a 2nd generation i-5-2320 processor with 8GB DD3 memory and 1 TB hard drive and a few more little perks like upgraded video card. This should prove more than enough for my needs.

[Gator_Tom66]

With me it is not really that I believe a built machine of the caliber I want is going to be much better it's just the aspect of doing the build. I like to mess with them and building my own is something I have been going to do for awhile. Still I am looking at prices and I can get what I want from Dell for around $800.00 since I have a good monitor. I don't do any heavy gaming on my computer so I am not worried about that part.

The one I priced out would give me a 2nd generation i-5-2320 processor with 8GB DD3 memory and 1 TB hard drive and a few more little perks like upgraded video card. This should prove more than enough for my needs.

I saw a dell optiplex 990 I7,8gb ram with a nice video card for $850 yesterday.

But if enjoy building it, build it. That can be fun.

[gatorfansrule]

Dell has good support for business, but I've heard bad things about their home user support.

[panamacitygator]

I faced the same dilemma myself last year, I had a computer that was "homebuilt" and was 8 years old. My philosophy has always been to buy the best I could afford, so when my Pentium 4 3.2 GB crapped out, I looked at Best Buy and they had a HP with a Amd quad core , 8 gigs of RAM and a 1 TB drive. It also had Hdmi and a video card that had 4 gigs on it.

I couldn't have happier. It is so fast. I had a 24" monitor and a good wireless mouse/keyboard do I got just the tower for $399.00 on sale. I'd check around, I couldn't have built it myself that cheap.

This is the one I got, it was on sale at the time (December) for 399.00

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+Pavilion+Desktop+-+8GB+Memory+-+1TB+Hard+Drive/4672416.p?id=1218525518716&skuId=4672416

[HALLGATOR]

That's a good price on the HP. Looks like a lot of bang for the buck. I was already considering an AMD processor if I built it myself because of the price difference between them and the Intels. Thanks for the info.

[AirGuard_Gator]

Building vs. Buying. If you want cheap and easy, just buy whatever suits your needs. Building is really for those who want powerful or specialized rigs and know they will be upgrading components sooner than the average user.
I love AMD processors because they are so much cheaper than Intel and work just as good if not better IMO.
Don't forget to shop Newegg when you consider that new pc. Great prices (at least on parts) and superb service. Also, I picked up an excellent laptop for less than $400 from Amazon. Check them out.

[brainstorm]

My son was 13 when he built his gaming computer. The old man helped but I was shocked. He played hookey from school and finished up the hardware checks, installed Windows and was gaming when I came home from work.

[HALLGATOR]

Thanks AirGuard, I have bought from newegg before and found them to be a reputable site. I also shop on Tiger Direct at times and if a dealer has a lot of feedback I will consider ebay for used stuff. Like I said I don't do any heavy gaming on a PC but I just like to put things together (and take them apart).

@brainstorm.

computers are second nature to a lot of kids today. Unlike a lot of us they grew up in a world full of them and take to messing around with em like ducks take to water.

[helix139]

There is no reason to build a computer based on the criteria set forth in the OP. IMO, the only time to build is when the cost of the PC exceeds $1000. Below that, you're not going to beat the economies of scale of the big PC makers.

[Jaggator]

There is no reason to build a computer based on the criteria set forth in the OP. IMO, the only time to build is when the cost of the PC exceeds $1000. Below that, you're not going to beat the economies of scale of the big PC makers.

While I agree with you concerning the OP, others like Hall indicated they just like the fun aspect and challenge of building it themselves...Personal satisfaction!