I need a new computer; help me narrow my search?

[BrookValley.]

My Christmas present to myself is going to be a new computer. I pretty much know how I want it configured, but I can get the specs I want from most any manufacturer and am having a hard time narrowing my search.  

 

I currently have a few Dells, an HP, a Toshiba, and an iMac. I've been more satisfied with the Dells than the other (I'd gladly use that HP and Toshiba to shoot skeet), and another Mac is out (I want a Windows-based machine). But I'm not married to the idea of another Dell. I just don't know much about what else is out there. 

 

I don't need a big, screaming gamer set-up, so something mid-range in terms of capability and price is what I'm after--just something that won't be obsolete in 6 months. Something configured with decent speed that is expandable. It'll be used for plenty of plain ol' internet surfing, but I also will be using Adobe products (PhotoShop, InDesign, Illustrator, etc.). Desktop publishing, some web development, stuff like that. I want a desktop. I've got plenty of monitors and keyboards laying around, don't need another laptop, and can get more for my money in a desktop machine. 

 

Opinions on brands or models I should look at? 

 

Thanks!

 

 

[Katy]

If you can wait until two days after Christmas, go to Best Buy and ask what open items they have.  You want stuff that's been returned after Christmas but get there before the New Year.  You'll get amazing discounts.  Like, we got two macs for the price of 90% of one last year discounts!  If you want more than one, ask the clerk to get a manager and ask what type of deal they can give you for both of these open items.  They want to get them off the books before the first, they'll make you an offer.  Ask for 10% less and you'll probably get it approved.

 

Do turn on the computers and make sure they work before you leave the store though.  One we bought hadn't been wiped and we had to drive back to the store to be able to set it up - they no longer come with reformatting disks in most cases.

 

ETA:  This is not only for apple products.  Two years ago we got a PC that we now use as a media server, with a 2TB hard drive for $200.  Not a huge deal now, but back then that was SUPER CHEAP.

Edited December 1, 2015 by Katy

[BrookValley.]

If you can wait until two days after Christmas, go to Best Buy and ask what open items they have.  You want stuff that's been returned after Christmas but get there before the New Year.  You'll get amazing discounts.  Like, we got two macs for the price of 90% of one last year discounts!  If you want more than one, ask the clerk to get a manager and ask what type of deal they can give you for both of these open items.  They want to get them off the books before the first, they'll make you an offer.  Ask for 10% less and you'll probably get it approved.

 

Do turn on the computers and make sure they work before you leave the store though.  One we bought hadn't been wiped and we had to drive back to the store to be able to set it up - they no longer come with reformatting disks in most cases.

 

ETA:  This is not only for apple products.  Two years ago we got a PC that we now use as a media server, with a 2TB hard drive for $200.  Not a huge deal now, but back then that was SUPER CHEAP.

 

 

Ooohhh, never thought of that. I can and was planning on waiting until after Christmas, anyway. Thanks for the idea!

[gardenmom5]

I've just been through this (actually, I have to reorder as there were so many delays with the HP, I finally cancellled the day before I got notice of *another* delay.).  I want a 2-in-1, but at the least it will be touch screen.

 

anyway, toshiba, lenovo or asus.  no to dell and hp.

 

 

eta: dd bought a lenovo yoga and sent it back because she didn't like the speaker placement.

 

eta: any other site besides HP that allows you to build your laptop?  I haven't found anything else I like yet.  my computer is really acting up - I'm not sure it will last until christmas.

Edited December 1, 2015 by gardenmom5

[Lanny]

FYI, this is the best time of the year to have something fragile like a computer shipped. The trucks and aircraft are packed to the gills and it is very unlikely that your carton is going to fly around, or, be crushed by something that flew around and landed on top of it.

 

We are a Dell family.  If possible, I strongly suggest that you pay more, for a model that is designed for, and sold/leased to Enterprise (Corporate) customers. Those models typically have much better design (very easy to service) and higher quality components.  Our family bought 3 Refurbished Dell Latitude E6400 laptops from Blair Technology Group (blairtg) during the last 20 months, but now we also have a Dell Latitude E6410, that was Used, that I won in an eBay auction, for my wife. I am watching for that eBay Seller to list another E6410 like that one. The E6410 is a later model than the E6400.  

 

In the customer reviews on Dell.com, the model after the E6410, the E6420,  had a smaller percentage of customers who recommend it.

 

I would get AS MUCH RAM as you can.   I would get Windows 7 (64 bit).

 

The E6410 we have has an i7 CPU and that would be nice.  It also has a Discrete Nvidia card, for video, and 8 GB of RAM.

 

The models I mentioned have "Matte" displays, so you do not get the glare from lights that you would on a Consumer model.

 

These are easy to service (you can replace the keyboard or hard drive in 2 minutes) and components are widely available.

 

We once had a Compaq Desktop PC that I won in a raffle in the superstore where we shopped.  It was an Enterprise model, and good, but then I ran into a problem, I think the PSU (Power Supply) died and that it was proprietary. When I posted in the appropriate Compaq/HP forum, I never had a reply, from an HP employee or from another customer.  I am certain that the same type of question, on the Dell Customer Forum, would have received responses.  

 

I would try to get an upscale panel in the display.  My E6400 and my wife's E6410 have extra cost 14.1 inch panels and I believe with the upscale panel, their resolution is 1440 x 900 or something like that. Better than the standard resolution with the standard panel.  Easier on the eyes...

 

GL with whatever you buy!

 

ETA: If you can walk into a store and buy a computer, those models are designed for and sold to the Consumer market. Lower cost to buy, but you get lower quality design and lower quality components, for the convenience of being able to walk into the store and walk out with your purchase. 

 

ETA #2:

EEK...  I read your first post more slowly this time and I see that you want a Desktop with expansion capability.  I would look at Enterprise Desktops.  In the Dell line, I think those are Optiplex models. They also have the Precision line, which are Workstations.  Ignore what I wrote that is specific to Laptops, but the information about the RAM, Windows 7, a Discrete video card, applies.  

Edited December 1, 2015 by Lanny

[BrookValley.]

I've just been through this (actually, I have to reorder as there were so many delays with the HP, I finally cancellled the day before I got notice of *another* delay.).  I want a 2-in-1, but at the least it will be touch screen.

 

anyway, toshiba, lenovo or asus.  no to dell and hp.

 

 

eta: dd bought a lenovo yoga and sent it back because she didn't like the speaker placement.

 

eta: any other site besides HP that allows you to build your laptop?  I haven't found anything else I like yet.  my computer is really acting up - I'm not sure it will last until christmas.

 

I assumed most manufacturers let you upgrade their base models. I was playing on the Lenovo website earlier doing just that. Unfortunately, when I added the processor, memory, and SSD upgrades to the $300 base model I priced myself out of my budget. Whoops.  :laugh:

[BrookValley.]

FYI, this is the best time of the year to have something fragile like a computer shipped. The trucks and aircraft are packed to the gills and it is very unlikely that your carton is going to fly around, or, be crushed by something that flew around and landed on top of it.

 

We are a Dell family.  If possible, I strongly suggest that you pay more, for a model that is designed for, and sold/leased to Enterprise (Corporate) customers. Those models typically have much better design (very easy to service) and higher quality components.  Our family bought 3 Refurbished Dell Latitude E6400 laptops from Blair Technology Group (blairtg) during the last 20 months, but now we also have a Dell Latitude E6410, that was Used, that I won in an eBay auction, for my wife. I am watching for that eBay Seller to list another E6410 like that one. The E6410 is a later model than the E6400.  

 

In the customer reviews on Dell.com, the model after the E6410, the E6420,  had a smaller percentage of customers who recommend it.

 

I would get AS MUCH RAM as you can.   I would get Windows 7 (64 bit).

 

The E6410 we have has an i7 CPU and that would be nice.  It also has a Discrete Nvidia card, for video, and 8 GB of RAM.

 

The models I mentioned have "Matte" displays, so you do not get the glare from lights that you would on a Consumer model.

 

These are easy to service (you can replace the keyboard or hard drive in 2 minutes) and components are widely available.

 

We once had a Compaq Desktop PC that I won in a raffle in the superstore where we shopped.  It was an Enterprise model, and good, but then I ran into a problem, I think the PSU (Power Supply) died and that it was proprietary. When I posted in the appropriate Compaq/HP forum, I never had a reply, from an HP employee or from another customer.  I am certain that the same type of question, on the Dell Customer Forum, would have received responses.  

 

I would try to get an upscale panel in the display.  My E6400 and my wife's E6410 have extra cost 14.1 inch panels and I believe with the upscale panel, their resolution is 1440 x 900 or something like that. Better than the standard resolution with the standard panel.  Easier on the eyes...

 

GL with whatever you buy!

 

ETA: If you can walk into a store and buy a computer, those models are designed for and sold to the Consumer market. Lower cost to buy, but you get lower quality design and lower quality components, for the convenience of being able to walk into the store and walk out with your purchase. 

 

ETA #2:

EEK...  I read your first post more slowly this time and I see that you want a Desktop with expansion capability.  I would look at Enterprise Desktops.  In the Dell line, I think those are Optiplex models. They also have the Precision line, which are Workstations.  Ignore what I wrote that is specific to Laptops, but the information about the RAM, Windows 7, a Discrete video card, applies.  

 

Thanks, Lanny. One of my Dells is actually the Latitude E6400.  :thumbup1:  It's been a decent little machine, but yes, I need a desktop for this one. I've outgrown the Latitude. Also, it's starting to break down--the touch pad no longer works, for example--and it did so within about the same time as any of the consumer models I own (it's about 4 years old, about the same age my last Inspiron was when it started to go). And to get a faster, more powerful machine within my price range, I might have to go with a consumer model. I did look at the Optiplex models, but to get the specs I want I'd have to go out of my budget. I want the Intel i5 or i7, 8 GB memory, and a 1TB hard drive. I'd really like to go SSD, but I can't afford it. I'd like the NVIDIA card or something comparable.  In a Dell, that means I'm looking at the XPS 8900, which I can get out of the box with those specs and within my price range. That's definitely a consideration.  

Edited December 1, 2015 by BrookValley.

[Lanny]

@BrookValley

 

Sorry again that I posted the stuff about laptops, but almost everyone here is looking at laptops.  I didn't Edit that stuff out of my response, because it may be helpful to someone looking for a laptop.

 

With regard to your E6400 with the issue.  You can Download the .PDF service manual from support.dell.com

Parts are *widely* available on eBay, etc. at very low cost.    I bought a used replacement DVD Drive for our E6410 (the Sellers listing on eBay had indicated it had an issue)  from DiscountedLaptopParts (?) on eBay. They are in Central FL.  I will look to them, first, when I need something else.

 

I bought a Brand New Dell OEM keyboard for my wife's Latitude E6410,  for $22.50 including shipping in the USA.  It is in a carton with 6 other things, "Out for Delivery" as I write this. We can replace the keyboard in 2 minutes or less.  She was having an intermittent problem, with Windows popping up on the display, very annoying, which we tracked down to a defective keyboard. The laptop was used and that's trivial, because the internal components are in top notch condition.

 

Now, to your quest for a new box.   If I had the money, I would take a very long and very serious look at this machine from Blair Technology Group (our 3 Dell Latitude E6400 laptops were purchased from Blairtg, the first 2 on Amazon and the last one from eBay).  Blair is a Microsoft Authorized Reseller. There is a fresh and legal copy of Windows installed and when you do the OOBE (Out of Box Experience or first boot of the OS) it is just like if you had purchased a Brand New box from Dell. Their Support is very good.  Everything but laptop batteries is covered by a one year warranty.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Optiplex-990-Desktop-3-4-GHz-I7-Quad-Core-Computer-4GB-250GB-Windows-7-Pro-/141688032390?hash=item20fd43cc86

 

NOTE: If you are interested, I would investigate, on Crucial.com what the maximum amount of RAM that motherboard can hold is and how much it costs.

 

NOTE #2: We were very lucky, and each of the 3 Refurbished Dell Latitude E6400 laptops we bought from Blair had better configurations than what the Blair listings showed, but there is no guarantee that will happen, if you purchase from them.  If you buy from them, wait until you receive it, before you buy more RAM, to see what configuration you actually get. Possibly you will get one with more RAM. One of our E6400s arrived with 2X the RAM in their listing, a hard disk drive with much larger capacity, etc.  No guarantees that you will get anything above what is shown in their listings, but it happened to us, on all 3 of the laptops we purchased from Blair..

 

NOTE #3  I am not sure about Expansion room in the Optiplex models.  if you need more than what they have, you may need to go to a Precision Workstation?

 

My wife's E6410 has an i7 CPU (2.8 Ghz) and that is probably still a pretty hot processor, and it has an Nvidia card and 8 GB RAM.

 

HTH

[Lanny]

Follow on: I think you said you would like a 1 TB hard disk drive. As I recall, I think you can buy one on eBay for about $70 or so?   New.   

I just bought a 500 GB, 7200 RPM drive, 32 MB cache, for $35, including shipping in the U.S., but it isn't "Brand New". It was installed in a new laptop and they pulled it, to install a larger HDD or an SSD.

 

Regarding SSD, disregarding the price, you would need to research those. One of my childhood friends is an Electronic Engineer with a lot of experience. He has a Server in his house and he carefully selected SSD drives for a RAID.  He (and possibly Support in the SSD company) was going crazy.  There was less and less available space on the SSD drives. It eventually was decided that all of the SSD drives were defective and he replaced them with something else...

[BrookValley.]

No worries on the laptop thing. My current Dell laptop is actually my work machine, and they will replace it rather than repair it. However, if my company will let me buy it inexpensively (I think they usually do this), I might do so to keep it as a personal laptop.  So the information is helpful, thanks! And yes, might be helpful to someone else. 

 

I really doubt I'll end up with SSD, but I will do additional research. 

 

 

 

 

[Lanny]

If you can get it, keep the Latitude E6400. Dell probably made hundreds (?) of thousands of them? True workhorse laptops. You can buy a Motherboard (used, but checked out and tested) for $10 or $15...  The most expensive replacement part for them is probably the Panel for the Display.  Extremely easy to service. 

 

In addition to the SSD technology (which I cannot afford and do not have a lot of faith in) there is a Hybrid drive available. The majority of the space is a conventional mechanical HDD, but there is also a small Cache (32 MB or 32 GB?), which, if it works properly, should speed up your OS or whatever is in the cache. I looked into those drives, and they are very inexpensive, a little more expensive than a mechanical HDD, but I wondered about what issues, if any, I might get into, like my friend did with his SSD Array. That said, lots of people are using SSD drives, without issues. Something to research.

 

On the Dell Optiplex that I linked to, I believe Blair will give you your money back, if you return it to them, within 60 days of your purchase, if you are not happy with it. They even check the Capacitors on the Motherboards, which is crucial for any used Electronic equipment.  They replace defective Capacitors.

 

The last E6400 we got is for DD. We ordered it last May.  When it arrived, the DVD drive was OK, but 2 or 3 months later, I couldn't get it to read various DVDs I was trying to boot from.  I sent them an email on a Sunday afternoon, explaining the symptoms, and the next day I received an email asking me for our Shipping Address. They sent us another DVD drive and DD replaced it in about 20 seconds.

[Amy in NH]

I just got a refurbished optiplex

64 bit Windows 7

8gb ram

Discrete video card w/2gb ram

1tb hdd

Dvdrw

Hdmi, dvi, 8 usb (2) of them usb3

 

Newegg $299

Doesn't come w/screen, mouse, keyboard because it is replacing an older dell media server. I purposely got the large tower because the last one died when the motherboard/processor overheated due to the case being too small. Plus we had run out of expansion slots and it really couldn't hold the video card we wanted with the giant heat sink.

 

Don't know what your budget is...

[Lanny]

@BrookValley   A few minutes ago, I got an email from Blair Technology Group, about this Dell Optiplex tower.  I am not sure if the CPU is fast enough for you, but it might be worth taking a look at their URL for it:

 

http://www.blairtg.com/dell-optiplex-960-tower-core-2-quad-2-8ghz-8gb-ram-500gb-hdd-dvd-rw-windows-7-professional.html?utm_source=Master+Customer+Email+List&utm_campaign=3b2ddef598-12_02_15_Dell_960_Twr12_2_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9f9fd514ee-3b2ddef598-225270409&mc_cid=3b2ddef598&mc_eid=2cf7c73d06

 

 

ETA:

If your company will sell you the E6400 at a good price, be sure the BIOS is updated to version A34. That's the latest BIOS for them.  And if you do not have a Windows 7 installation DVD, you can buy one like I did, on eBay for $6.99, wipe the hard drive, and install a "Clean" version of Windows 7 and start over.

Edited December 2, 2015 by Lanny

[Lanny]

OP take a look at the Dell Refurbished computers listed on eBay.  Some of them are "Buy it Now" and some of them are eBay auctions. Possibly you will find something you like there. Hopefully, at a good price.

 

http://stores.ebay.com/Dell-Financial