Looking for a new PC

zums · 07-05-2010, 05:40 PM

Tried searching and didnt see any recent threads so thought I would start a new one. The time has come for me to (finally) replace/upgrade my main desktop pc. My current pc is a 7 year old pentium 4 dell I bought in college. It has slowly been dying and struggling more and more to handle online video, etc... For the past month or so I have been using my fiance's HP Core 2 Duo laptop and it has been pretty much fine for my uses.

My question is this: how much of an upgrade from the Core 2 Duos are the i3, i5, i7 etc... and is it really worth likely paying more to "future-proof"? What about the quad-core pcs? I dont want to pay anythign more than I have to, but dont want something that will be semi-unusable in only a couple years...

I obviously havent stayed in the loop since it's been so long since I've bought a new pc. My goal is to find something (tower only, no monitor needed) for $500-600 at most. My main uses are really just web surfing and normal use I guess - I'm not a gamer at all, dont do any heavy video editing or anything like that. All my music, dvd/blu ray rips are stored on my HP Windows home sever so dont need a lot of storage either.

Got any words of advice or some recommendations for this guy so I have a jumping off point to start shopping?! Thanks in advance...

Edward64 · 07-05-2010, 06:43 PM

I monitor the below websites for technology deals. Check them out daily over the next 2-3 weeks and you should see something good for $500-$600 w/o monitor.

Hot Deals - SlickDeals.net Forums
HP Deals, Computer Coupons and Bargains - GotApex?
Dell Coupons, Best Deals, Discount Cheap Laptops, Computer Sale, Codes

For basic computing - over the next 2-3 yrs, I think the current i3 or older quad cores are the min you should get (my wife has a 2 year old q9300 quad and is still functioning well). For longer, I would go with the i5. I've read the i7 performance increase is not worth the cost.

If you are a little more adventurous, you may want to consider building your own. I built my i3 from parts bought at newegg. It was more than a pre-built Dell, but at my next cycle, I will only have to buy CPU mobo, memory and (maybe) harddrive. Build your own maximizes your future options and in general, gives you better quality than Dells et al.

FWIW, 7 yrs would have been too long for me. For me, desktops/laptops last 2-3 yrs before I get the itch and pass them down to the kids.

Autumn · 07-06-2010, 01:06 PM

I did this about six months ago - same deal, a 7 year old computer, looking to spend about $500 and realistically don't need much (though I do some multimedia work).

What I got was a Gateway SX-2800-03. They stopped doing this particular model right about then, but it was a fantastic steal. It was just over $400, and had a quad-core and 3 gigs of RAM I believe. The downside on this machine is that it's small (not a lot of expansion) and doesn't have a good graphics card. But I don't play any graphics intense games anymore, so it was worth it to me. Miles ahead of similarly priced systems other than that. Good luck.

07-05-2010, 06:43 PM	#2
Edward64 Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2005	I monitor the below websites for technology deals. Check them out daily over the next 2-3 weeks and you should see something good for $500-$600 w/o monitor. Hot Deals - SlickDeals.net Forums HP Deals, Computer Coupons and Bargains - GotApex? Dell Coupons, Best Deals, Discount Cheap Laptops, Computer Sale, Codes For basic computing - over the next 2-3 yrs, I think the current i3 or older quad cores are the min you should get (my wife has a 2 year old q9300 quad and is still functioning well). For longer, I would go with the i5. I've read the i7 performance increase is not worth the cost. If you are a little more adventurous, you may want to consider building your own. I built my i3 from parts bought at newegg. It was more than a pre-built Dell, but at my next cycle, I will only have to buy CPU mobo, memory and (maybe) harddrive. Build your own maximizes your future options and in general, gives you better quality than Dells et al. FWIW, 7 yrs would have been too long for me. For me, desktops/laptops last 2-3 yrs before I get the itch and pass them down to the kids. Last edited by Edward64 : 07-05-2010 at 06:45 PM.

07-06-2010, 01:06 PM	#3
Autumn Head Coach Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Bath, ME	I did this about six months ago - same deal, a 7 year old computer, looking to spend about $500 and realistically don't need much (though I do some multimedia work). What I got was a Gateway SX-2800-03. They stopped doing this particular model right about then, but it was a fantastic steal. It was just over $400, and had a quad-core and 3 gigs of RAM I believe. The downside on this machine is that it's small (not a lot of expansion) and doesn't have a good graphics card. But I don't play any graphics intense games anymore, so it was worth it to me. Miles ahead of similarly priced systems other than that. Good luck.

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