Computer Question - Get new or fix?

[DaddyTorgo]

Query: So my laptop died on Friday night. I think it's a hard-drive. I try to boot and it says I have a corrupt or missing windows system file, so I try to go into recovery console to fix it and recovery console says I have no hard drives attached. Also failed a BIOS hard-drive test.

Now the question is: buy a new laptop, or replace the hard drive (and the OS) on this 2 year old one.

I have plenty of money in the bank, and haven't spent really a dime on myself lately aside from food. The existing laptop is (as I said) around 2 years old, is not dual-core, and only has 2 GB of RAM and 256 of video memory.

Wondering what my FOFC brethren think my best move is - repair the existing laptop and continue with it, or make the step up. And if the step up, to what? Looks like I can get a 2.4ghz core 2 duo laptop from HP for around $1400 (dv9700t line), or $2k from dell (xps line) or vaio's starting at $1200.

(Note: all prices don't reflect customization)

And save the "buy a desktop" mantra - I prefer my computing power portable, so although a desktop may be the better value (and I have considered desktop+cheap laptop), I'm not going that direction. I like to be able to play FM on the can.

[PackerFanatic]

Splurge and treat yourself to a new one. I wish I could.

Depending on what you do with it, I prefer the Dell XPS line - really solid machines that you can do just about anything on. But certainly nothing wrong with HP either. I like them both really.

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

Query: So my laptop died on Friday night. I think it's a hard-drive. I try to boot and it says I have a corrupt or missing windows system file, so I try to go into recovery console to fix it and recovery console says I have no hard drives attached. Also failed a BIOS hard-drive test.

Now the question is: buy a new laptop, or replace the hard drive (and the OS) on this 2 year old one.

I have plenty of money in the bank (~10k), and haven't spent really a dime on myself lately aside from food. The existing laptop is (as I said) around 2 years old, is not dual-core, and only has 2 GB of RAM and 256 of video memory.

Wondering what my FOFC brethren think my best move is - repair the existing laptop and continue with it, or make the step up. And if the step up, to what? Looks like I can get a 2.4ghz core 2 duo laptop from HP for around $1400 from HP, or $2k from toshiba

What do you use the laptop for? $1400 sounds like overkill for a laptop unless you use it for some intensive graphics gaming. There are various websites like slickdeals that you can wait until a good deal comes up for the type of laptop you are looking for as well.

I just bought my wife a new laptop over the weekend since she is going back to college for a second masters degree and needed it. The one I bought her was a good deal, but only cost me roughly $599 + tax for an HP duo- 2.0Ghz AMD , 3 GB of RAM, 250 GB Hard drive and ATI Radeon graphics card.

It isn't high end gaming type of computer but she doesn't play games on it like WoW or first person shooter games anyways. The only real game she plays is the sims which is just fine on it.

I guess what I am trying to say is the answer is really what do you want? Do you want a new laptop? If so, you don't have to spend $1400 for one unless you really want a super powered one (or you just don't look for a good deal). You could buy a new drive for your old one and see if that fixes your issue.. but computers tend to depreciate after 3-4 years anyways and you are most of your way there for that.

If it was me, I'd just shop around for a good deal on a new laptop and go with that. Remember the top of the line is usually way overpriced, and yesterday's top of the line is usually underpriced. There is a happy medium somewhere in there!

[DaddyTorgo]

Alan - I do do some graphic gaming (things like Medieval 2, FIFA etc). Not necessarily anything "cutting edge" but I like to buy with an eye towards "will this be able to run the types of games I like to play 2-3 years down the road" - things like RTS games.

[MizzouRah]

I would replace the drive, but if you have the cash..

I would also go with a Dell because I hate working on HP laptops.

[DaddyTorgo]

well i certainly do have the cash, and like i said - i haven't spent any money on myself in the last 2 years pretty much at all.

[TheOhioStateUniversity]

Why exactly is it necessary for you to divulge how much money you have in the bank?

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by TheOhioStateUniversity

Why exactly is it necessary for you to divulge how much money you have in the bank?

edited.

wasn't to show-off or anything (lord knows i make fuckall right now, so the fact that i have any money in the bank is a result of my spending nothing rather than my measly 24k a year salary), was more to indicate that it wasn't a financial decision primarily.

[Mustang]

[DaddyTorgo]

hahaha 'stang

[DanGarion]

Get a new Dell XPS laptop.

[DaddyTorgo]

the XPS is an expensive series though. Those run starting at like 2k - I wonder if that's a bit of overkill - I don't do WoW or play a ton of first-person shooters (although COD and Ghost Recon/R6 type stuff is fun), it's mostly RTS games and the occasional EA game (particularly FIFA). That being said, if the new FM is as amazing as it looks I don't see myself buying much beyond FM and FIFA this coming year.

okay I lied. Looks like the XPS isn't that crazy expensive on 2nd viewing

[MizzouRah]

Yeah, and XPS is probably too much for what you are going to use it for. Start with a basic Inspiron and build from there.

[DaddyTorgo]

dola

although the XPS only comes with nvidia geforce 8400 (128mb) versus some of the others you can get with the geforce 9600 (256mb) -- or am i being overly concerned with video ram?

[DaddyTorgo]

well it is a desktop replacement mizzou - because i have no desktop computer. hmm

dola - and the inspiron's only come with integrated video - blech

I had a studio customized at around 1500 that looked nice - right about the same price as the HP

[CU Tiger]

search dell outlet.
You can get a XPS M1530 Intel Core 2 Duo 1660 15.4 inch screen, 250G hard drive, 2GB memory, 128MB NVidia geforce for under $800

[CU Tiger]

Dola - I have bought about 4 from the outlet, FWIW Certified Refurbs are just thats.

Scratch and Dent may be as named OR may be a brand new never sold "outdate" IE if the C2D 1660 has now been moved down to the lower tier (non xps name) but an XPS case is still sitting with that set up it goes to 70% off.....

With a little watching you can actually score screaming deals ffrom Dell Outlet

[DaddyTorgo]

interesting - will definately check that out mr. cu tiger

[DaddyTorgo]

you've never had a problem with certified refurbs having a short lifespan?

[MikeVic]

Did the computer tear an ACL?

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

Did the computer tear an ACL?

something like that

might have been caught dog-fighting too, i'm not sure

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

something like that

might have been caught dog-fighting too, i'm not sure

Touche.

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

you've never had a problem with certified refurbs having a short lifespan?

Bought one certified refurb it had 3 problems within 90 days. On the 3rd they replaced it with a brand new machine. That was thee 2nd of 4, the last 2 I went back to S&D (like #1)

[Ryan S]

If you were happy with the performance of the laptop before the HD failure, I would buy a new HD and replace the laptop 18 months or so down the line.

[MizzouRah]

Desktop? Build a Dimension then.. I priced a nice one out for my neighbor last night on dell.com - dual core, 3 GB memory, 256MB XT video card.. priced out at about $900

[DaddyTorgo]

i was happy, but i've noticed a crack in the case, from where the screen meets the hinge running up alongside the screen. i surmise that perhaps when i dropped it (in its carrying bag) in the rainstorm because the douchebag in front of me wouldn't open the door b/c he was too busy on his cellphone hogging the awning, that it smacked it good right on that corner (where the HD is too) and nicked the HD. This was about a month ago (5 weeks). Anyways, with the crack (which will only grow) and the HD, the extra $$ to upgrade processor, video card, HD space, RAM, and OS doesn't look too bad.

edit: add in the fact that i feel like treating myself.

[DaddyTorgo]

well i called HP this morning. The guy on the phone was like "you can send it in and we'll fix the cracked molding. be at most like $300. then send it back in for the HD."

however I just had the tech in here and he said that the HD was DYING (not dead yet) and we recovered what needed to be recovered (although I just realized i might have missed one file, but now I know it's dying and just won't boot versus dead I can get onto it myself and grab it if i don't have it backed-up), and stashed it on the 2nd HD, which is fine. So I can get that data. And I could have HP repair the existing laptop for like ~$300 plus the time. Or I can live with the peeling molding (or fix myself with some like gorilla glue) and put in a new HD myself that I have (for free) and run the recovery partition and see if i can restore it to working order in that way.

However I also ordered a new laptop while on the phone with the HP guys (although I could always call back and cancel).

Vista (64bit), Core 2 Duo T9400, 4gb RAM, 512mb NVIDIA chip, 250gb HD, dvd rw.

Now I'm really torn as to what I want to do.