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Brian Elfert
11-20-2011, 8:08 PM
It is becoming clear in recent days that I need to get a new PC. Mine is just getting too slow. I'm not sure if I need to reload the OS, but if I need to go through that again I would rather get a new PC. I have a Dell XPS 400 3.2 Ghz Pentium 4 with 2 GB RAM and Windows XP Pro SP3 now. I'm not out of RAM so upgrading that won't help. My current PC was almost top of the line six years ago. I don't do video games or video editing. I do Internet browsing, email, and Microsoft Office. I do tend to keep a lot of programs open, but even with eight programs open right now I have 500 MB memory free.

What Intel processor will work for me and also get me five or six years down the road? I'm not sure sure if a Core i3 is good enough, or if I need a Core i5 instead. The Core i7 is probably more than I need. I looked at doing another Dell XPS, but the price is up there.

I figured I might get a more reasonable here than a computer forum.

Chuck Wintle
11-20-2011, 8:26 PM
go for the best that you can afford...i7 with plenty of ram and a good mother board. It does not need to be a Dell product....many small shops can supply you with a top notch PC. Also upgrade the OS to windows 7 64 bit.

Myk Rian
11-20-2011, 8:42 PM
Whatever you get, it will be old in 5 or 6 years, so get the best you can now.
I build my own machines. Built this AMD/ASUS 3.2mhz 5 or 6 years ago, so I'm also due for a new one. My needs are video editing of HD files, so a minimum of a 4 core with 8meg RAM, and a 1080HD video card is needed.

curtis rosche
11-20-2011, 9:06 PM
i have the i7 with 16gs of ram and i have never slowed it down

Brian Elfert
11-20-2011, 9:37 PM
I started off thinking desktop, but I am leaning towards laptop now. Right now I have a Dell XPS 400 desktop and a Lenovo Thinkpad SL400. A decent laptop isn't much more than a similar desktop.

I have almost never used the laptop since I bought it. When I do want to use it, it never has the right software or files on it. If I had just a laptop I would have everything all in one place. Mostly I use my work laptop when I need portability.

Bonnie Campbell
11-21-2011, 12:49 AM
Costco seems to have some good deals online at times.

Brian Elfert
11-21-2011, 1:24 AM
I ended up ordering a Dell laptop with i5 processor. I considered an i7 processor, but it was $90 more. The benchmarks for the two CPUs showed only a 3% speed difference. The price difference at the Dell Outlet between the desktop I originally looked at and a laptop was only $2 because the Latitude laptops had a 15% off coupon. The desktop would be a bit faster, but I am already increasing in CPU speed by six to seven times!

Dan Hintz
11-21-2011, 6:29 AM
I don't do video games or video editing. I do Internet browsing, email, and Microsoft Office.
If that's all you do, I fail to see the need for a new system... a new system will not make those programs faster. If you need head-nodding from others so you feel good about purchasing a new system ,that's fine, but you definitely don't need it. Bite the bullet for time, re-install the OS, and be done with it (and pocketing several hundred $s, to boot).

Larry Edgerton
11-21-2011, 6:42 AM
I am in the same boat, but my system is 13 years old running 98, and I just can't get updates any more. I paid $3800 for mine when I bought it, wanted the biggest single processor that Dell had. This time, because things change so fast I do not want to spend so much but rather buy something decent that will last 5 years.

For about $500, what should I look for?

Larry

Chuck Wintle
11-21-2011, 7:30 AM
I am in the same boat, but my system is 13 years old running 98, and I just can't get updates any more. I paid $3800 for mine when I bought it, wanted the biggest single processor that Dell had. This time, because things change so fast I do not want to spend so much but rather buy something decent that will last 5 years.

For about $500, what should I look for?

Larry

Look for a quad core processor, either i3 or i5, windows 7 OS, 2TB hard drive with sata(its all sata now anyways) dvd burner, flat screen monitor and middle of the road video card, and case + mouse etc. I usually take middle of the road components with good performance and because they are a lot cheaper than cutting edge technology.

Curt Harms
11-21-2011, 7:50 AM
I am in the same boat, but my system is 13 years old running 98, and I just can't get updates any more. I paid $3800 for mine when I bought it, wanted the biggest single processor that Dell had. This time, because things change so fast I do not want to spend so much but rather buy something decent that will last 5 years.

For about $500, what should I look for?

Larry

If you use yours for what Brian is using his for, web surfing, occasional youtube video, office-type stuff I think you'd be hard pressed to buy a machine that is inadequate. There is a difference in build quality, though. Many manufacturers sell two (or more) lines, a 'consumer' line and a 'business' line. The business line will likely last longer. For instance with Dell, I'd expect an a Latitude series laptop to be built better and outlast an inspiron.

I build my own desktops and for laptops, for me there's Thinkpad and everybody else. I find the UltraNav pointing device actually usable, as opposed to touchpad only machines for which a mouse is mandatory for me. I don't know if Thinkpads will maintain their rep now that IBM is out of the picture; I guess we'll see. My last laptop purchase was an X61 Thinkpad off Ebay. $127, installed Ubuntu and I have a 4 lb. 12" screen machine that is IMO more useful than a netbook for less $. How long will it live? Probably as long or longer than a netbook/consumer class machine.

Matt Meiser
11-21-2011, 8:23 AM
I'm with Curt. What I would look for today in a basic laptop is a 64-bit CPU, 4GB of memory, or upgradeable to at least that, and then any other features you want--screen size, DVD or Blu-Ray, etc.

My shop PC is an HP desktop bought on sale at Staples for $329 and its more than adequate for the purposed Brian listed. I run Sketchup too. With the RAM upgraded to 6GB, I run VMWare Server when I need a second place to run images for work on it and its no slouch. Before that my shop PC was a Dell with lower specs than what Brian has now. I had Windows 7 on it and wasn't a bad machine. I replaced it because the proprietary power supply was making aweful noises and the DVD drive would sometimes disappear and required unplugging/plugging back in to see it again.

Laptops, my wife has a clearance-at-Best-Buy I bought about 3 years ago for $500. Still more than adequate for the needs Brian listed, Sketchup, etc. My daughter has an Acer with a Celeron we paid $300 for. Its borderline and if we'd waited 6 months, prices dropped on better machines. My own laptop is a now-5 year old Dell I bought from work for $200 when they upgraded me this past spring. It was getting slow when I was running SQL Server, Visual Studio, and a VMWare image. Biggest issue was probably RAM, maxed out at 3.2GB since its a 32-bit machine. But for web surfing, iTunes, Sketchup, etc its more than adequate.

All of the above are running Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit execpt for the Dell which is running 32-bit.

Even the Atom-based netbook I had before I got my iPad was adequate for basic needs, other than the very small screen. But those aren't 64-bit.

Moses Yoder
11-21-2011, 8:39 AM
If I was buying a new home computer, I would buy a laptop with Windows 7, at least 8 MB Ram, and at least 100 gig hard drive. I would read through the processor recommendations here and make a decision according to the best I can afford. Then I would buy a nice 18" monitor and a keyboard to plug it into at home and use it exactly like a desktop when I am at home. I would purchase all my stuff from newegg.com. The laptop costs a little more for maintenance than the typical desk top but the portability makes it worthwhile.

Dan Hintz
11-21-2011, 8:51 AM
The business line will likely last longer.
One would hope... but unfortunately, it doesn't always work out that way :( Our relatively new Dell Precision T3500's from late last year came with Western Digital Velociraptor hard drives... they're failing all over the place, which means lost data. I'm not a happy camper :mad: I purchased a boatload of Seagates to clone to and replace them all. One bad choice in options and the entire machine starts to look bad.

If I had to purchase a system right now to last me for 5 years, I'd go for an i5 or i7, 8Gigs, 1TB, running Win7-64, with a 23-24" screen.

What I'm running right now is a quad core with 4 Gigs, 500GB, running Win7-32, with a 24" Ultrasharp. The laser is using a dual core with 4 Gigs, 320GB, running Vista-32, with a 24" standard. The only reason I would want more CPU power is when I start playing in Corel.

Greg Portland
11-21-2011, 2:09 PM
You will get a lot more bang/buck by getting a SSD drive (i.e. i3+SSD is much better than an i5+HDD for normal tasks). Recommended specs for "office and web browsing":
- SSD drive for O/S
- Large capacity HDD to store movies/music if required
- Any modern processor with integrated graphics
- You do not need a video card
- At least 4GB of memory. Extra memory is cheap and the extra capacity is nice if you've got a bunch of programs running.

Paul McGaha
11-21-2011, 3:49 PM
Costco seems to have some good deals online at times.

Last 3 or 4 computers we've bought have come from Costco. Pretty good computers and very sharp pricing. Weve been buying DELL computers from them.

PHM

Bryan Morgan
11-23-2011, 12:01 AM
It is becoming clear in recent days that I need to get a new PC. Mine is just getting too slow. I'm not sure if I need to reload the OS, but if I need to go through that again I would rather get a new PC. I have a Dell XPS 400 3.2 Ghz Pentium 4 with 2 GB RAM and Windows XP Pro SP3 now. I'm not out of RAM so upgrading that won't help. My current PC was almost top of the line six years ago. I don't do video games or video editing. I do Internet browsing, email, and Microsoft Office. I do tend to keep a lot of programs open, but even with eight programs open right now I have 500 MB memory free.

What Intel processor will work for me and also get me five or six years down the road? I'm not sure sure if a Core i3 is good enough, or if I need a Core i5 instead. The Core i7 is probably more than I need. I looked at doing another Dell XPS, but the price is up there.

I figured I might get a more reasonable here than a computer forum.

Honestly I would just clean that computer up. Its better than what we give most of our users who probably use them a harder than you and they don't have issues. For what you use it for that machine is more than adequate.

Jeff Bratt
11-23-2011, 3:02 AM
Processor speed is just not an issue for PCs these days. Even gaming makes its largest demands of the video processor. Unless you do large photo editing, video processing, or some other heavy duty computing, your processor spends 99% of its time just idling. It can spell check your document or recalculate a spreadsheet in between keystrokes. A faster or slower processor will not noticeably affect your computing experience - delays from the internet or your hard drive generally cause what is perceived as slow performance.

Have you really cleaned up you present system? Defragmented your drive, cleaned out temporary files, made sure that extra programs or utilities are not automatically running? Your processor is faster than mine, and I run CAD programs, the latest program development tools, and stitch together gigabyte-sized panoramic photographs - all just fine. (Well, that last thing would actually take advantage of extra processor horsepower, but you get the picture.) Your present system should easily handle the programs you listed. A new computer will have a shiny new OS, and will run great out of the box, but all Windows computer systems will need maintenance eventually...

If you want a new system - then go for it. But you don't need to obsess over the processor speed.

Kenneth Crisler
11-23-2011, 4:38 AM
If you're going for a new system, check Micro Express (http://microexpress.net). Very high quality components that will last years to come.

Jerome Stanek
11-23-2011, 7:06 AM
Take a look at Micro center they have some nice units the last one I bought from them was a refurbished one that runs my CNC

Jim O'Dell
11-23-2011, 11:51 PM
I built a desktop system last year to replace a 12 year old PIII 650 running Win 2K. Old system still works. May give it to my parents if they want it. I started out with the new system thinking I'd spend about 500 bucks. Didn't need anything wild. I don't game. I got an I3 3.2 mhz CPU, a new MB, a new case, hard drive had to change as the new boards are SATA hook up. New DVD buner. I think the case was 50 bucks, the MB was 95, 8 gig memory about 60, CPU 99, HD 60, DVD burner 40 (you can get these as low as 18). Win 7 Pro (32 or 64 on OEM) about 125. I ended up getting a 24" monitor for about 165 after rebate. 3 extra case fans about 8 ea. Wireless keyboard and mouse another 100. HDMI Cable another 15. I already had a newer 500 watt power supply and a speaker system.
When I found out this summer that I was going in for surgery (next week) I decided to get a laptop. It's also an I3, 2.2. Add to that 8 gig memory 34 after rebate, and various accessories and I've got about 520 in the laptop, and another 80 in wifi items. But it performs faster on Speedtest than my desktop!!
If I had known last spring about the surgery, I would have gone with a nicer laptop that was an I5 minimum. Would still work with the 24" monitor. Jim.

Richard Wagner
11-24-2011, 6:38 AM
I hope you are very satisfied that all that speed and memory. You'll now have the capacity to do a lot more than browse the internet and do word processing.

Richard Wagner
11-24-2011, 6:42 AM
Why do you need updates. Windows 98 was mature when Microsoft moved on to bigger and more complex. If Windows 98 does what you need from your computer, why spend money getting something you don't need. Spend your money on wood working tools. You always need those.

Richard Wagner
11-24-2011, 6:48 AM
Good luck with your surgery. While recovering, don't go to sleep with that laptop laying on your lap. They don't bounce.

Greg Peterson
11-24-2011, 10:41 AM
I agree with with Jeff said. For the average user, processor speed is more a function of marketing than an accurate indicator of performance.

I know people that download and install seemingly every gadget, widget or trial version of something they will never likely use. They have a fair number of these widgets running automatically. I will at times have five or six programs open on my work PC, but as soon as I am done with one I close it. I don't leave anything open I do not need or plan on using shortly.

Unless you require those extra 7 or 8 running programs you could try shutting those down and freeing system resources. You might try a cold boot to ensure any memory leaks are purged.

Any program that inserts itself into a Startup folder gets a strike against it in my book. I decide when a program will run.

Jim O'Dell
11-24-2011, 8:57 PM
Good luck with your surgery. While recovering, don't go to sleep with that laptop laying on your lap. They don't bounce.

Thanks. Oh, and that's what that roll around tray they put your food on's for, isn't it? :rolleyes:

The big thing about changing to an OS that is current and has updates is the security side of it, at least for me. I was totally happy with Win 2K, but have to admit I really like Win 7. Jim.

Brad Adamson
11-25-2011, 5:57 AM
I have always built my own from scratch and personally I recommend taking the time to do it that way. By doing this you are not limited to certain parts and brands and can upgraded your computer whenever you want and however you want.

My computer cost a little under a grand and is completely decked out and MUCH faster than any commercial system you could buy on the market pre-done. And if it gets slow or new parts come out I can just upgrade it without worry of compatibility.

There are lots of videos on youtube now showing how to do it from scratch if you do not have experience with it as well. When I do buy computer components online I purchase from TigerDirect as they have some of the lowest prices and best products.

Jim Becker
11-25-2011, 10:34 AM
The trend seems to be that the i3 class "goes away" and many machines now come at i5 level with i7 as optional. Unless you are doing "really intensive" work, my choice would be to go i5 and beef up the memory. More memory almost always pays, especially since so many folks are doing more visual types of things that can leverage that memory...editing photos and movies, etc. So rather than spend more on the processor, put it toward RAM, a larger monitor and...a second external hard-drive for backing up your system automatically and regularly.

Brian Elfert
11-25-2011, 12:42 PM
I gave up on building my own PCs years ago. I got sick of dealing with driver conflicts and such. An already built PC usually has tested drivers. Besides, If you want a legal copy of Windows you can't really build anything for less than what most PCs cost new. Building your own only makes sense if you have have some very specific wants/needs such as a high end gaming machine.

I ended up with a laptop so I couldn't build one anyhow.

My brother contacted me last night about buying a desktop PC for the in-laws. I had him buy a $300 HP with an Intel processor on special at Officemax. There are some desktops for about $250, but they have really crappy AMD processors. The benchmarks on the AMD aren't much faster than my 6 year old Pentium 4! The processor he got is about three times faster than the cheap AMDs even though it is still on the low end. Plenty good for the in-laws upgrading from a computer from the late 90s.

Ken Garlock
11-25-2011, 4:29 PM
Good afternoon good people.

The first personal computer I had was an off the shelf, back when everyone had their own brand, and the their ads could fill a page in the newspaper. Since then I have built my system and always used SCSI. This computer I am writing on is running XP Pro with all the recommended Microsoft maintenance. The days of bad fixes from M/S are a thing of the past.

A significant point is that having more than 3 GB of memory installed in a 32 bit system is a TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY. Simple mathematics dictates that the most memory a 32 bit computer and OS can use is 3.2 GB. If you want to utilize more memory you must go to 64 bit hardware and software.

My system is about 7 years old with a 3.2 Ghz single core Intel processor. Behind me on a table is my new in-process system. It is a modest configuration consisting of

An Antec quiet cabinet with 550 watt power supply
An Intel DX58SO2 mother board,
Intel i7 960 4-core processor operating at 3.2 Ghz.
A 500 GB Western Digital SATA boot drive
ATI Fire Pro V5800 video card
Tthe cd/dvd player/writer is Plextor.
And 12 GB CRUCIAL MEMORY yes, it will be a 64 bit system running Windows 7, 64 bit.
I only use Crucial memory since it is manufactured in Idaho USA, and it is the memory business that Texas Instruments sold when they got out of the memory business.

Do I need such a beast? Heck NO, but it was time to play with the current hardware available in the marketplace.

I must say that things are not what I remember when I built my last/this system in 2005. Now, the whole world is either USB or SATA, with some Ethernet and sound thrown in. I had to order USB mouse and keyboard. What is the world coming to? Talk about putting 10# of Stuff in a 2# bag, those internal headers require a magnifying glass to find then, not to mention making the connection to the proper pin.

The processor I bought from Micro Center down the road in Dallas. The had the best price by about $30. Most of the rest came from our friends at AMAZON.

Well, I am out of breath and brain. Enjoy buying or building your new toys....

Brian Elfert
11-27-2011, 8:18 PM
I just looked at some Crucial memory I bought a while back to install in a laptop. The memory says Singapore right on it. Micron has some sort of plant here in the USA, but does it really make memory?

I just buy memory based on the best price from a reputable manufacturer. I haven't seen any memory recently made in the USA.

Greg Portland
11-28-2011, 7:44 PM
I just buy memory based on the best price from a reputable manufacturer. I haven't seen any memory recently made in the USA.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Semiconductor_Fabrication_Plants

Micron phased out there 200mm fab in ID a few years ago. The cost to build a new (price competitive) plant is in the billions... TSMC, Global Foundries, Intel, and Samsung are the only remaining major players & manufacture other company's silicon. Note that assembly, test, and sort tend to be done overseas (for all these companies).

Dennis Peacock
11-30-2011, 1:16 AM
Boy, you guys spec out some really fast / nice machines.
I use my machine for everything...including building multimedia video's, email, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, CAD drawing, and more. I'm still running a 2.0 GHz machine with 4GB of memory and a 1 TB drive. I do back mine up on a regular basis and I do wipe mine clean and start over about every 16 - 18 months. I'm currently running Windows 7 Ultimate and all without any problems or lag. It's 5 years old and it keeps on running just fine.

Sure, I'd like to have a newer / faster machine, but when it comes to money or time? I have a lot more time than I do money. :)