$300 AMD REGOR Dual Core Desktop with Win 7

[blckgrffn]

Originally posted by: Wreckage

Originally posted by: Kipper717
Could I use this to set up a HTPC? How about a TV tuner card?

It does have a free PCI slot for a tuner card. It's also fast enough to run sites like Hulu and it has a DVD burner to offload video to. It says it has 6 channel audio as well.

Maybe not a super HTPC, but for the price it can work. You would just need to add a video card to support your tv (DVI, HDMI, etc.).

The $35AR card Mac linked above would probably work just fine.

Here's a little cheaper one without a rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814261043

That card would be way more attractive if it were passively cooled...

 

[California Roll]

I need to buy 3 computers for a small office. Typical office usage as well as medium duty Photoshop and Illustrator. No audio/video encoding. Would these fit the bill? Trying to go as cheap as possible without the computers being the work bottleneck.

edit: considering this or this deal: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2345738&enterthread=y

e5300+24" monitor for $484 before taxes. We'll need to buy 3 monitors anyways if we go with the Compaq systems.

 

[Wreckage]

Originally posted by: California Roll
I need to buy 3 computers for a small office. Typical office usage as well as medium duty Photoshop and Illustrator. No audio/video encoding. Would these fit the bill? Trying to go as cheap as possible without the computers being the work bottleneck.

edit: considering this or this deal: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2345738&enterthread=y

e5300+24" monitor for $484 before taxes. We'll need to buy 3 monitors anyways if we go with the Compaq systems.

This computer will be more than enough for your office. (that's what I'm going to use it for)

If you can get the other one with the monitor and it works out cheaper that will work as well.

Personally I would still add a $30 video card for the DVI output and to free up system resources.

 

[richierich1212]

Originally posted by: Thump553
I'd hate to buy the $300 system, then have to spend more for memory, more for better graphics card (may be necessary for either), more for bigger HD, etc. shortly down the road.

Hardly a big difference between having a 500gb HD and 750gb HD. And there's always bigger, cheaper HDs being released.

 

[Macgyversite]

BF Deal confirmed here in the forums unless they change the add.

$239.99

Wait in line or spend an extra $70.......

 

[ElFenix]

i wonder if in-store also has the half off office home & student deal?

 

[Wreckage]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
i wonder if in-store also has the half off office home & student deal?

That's a good deal as well!

http://www.staples.com/BI111797/cat_BI111797

:thumbsup:

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: Scholzpdx
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...t.aspx?Item=14-161-303

Just slap this guy in and you'll be able to play all games on high w/o AA.

Not at 1920x1080. I had a 4650..DiRT was a slideshow.

 

[jalaram]

Originally posted by: Macgyversite
BF Deal confirmed here in the forums unless they change the add.

$239.99

Wait in line or spend an extra $70.......

That's OfficeMax, right? No OfficeMax stores in NH anymore.

 

[California Roll]

Ended up getting 2 of these and 1 of the Dell/Samsung. I'm at the age now where time is more valuable than money to be waiting in lines on BF. Now if I was guaranteed to get these after waiting in BF lines, I'd probably do it. I'd go bonkers tho if these sold out after the wait.

Thanks OP for the deal!

 

[Macgyversite]

How are they? How do they perform with Windows 7?

 

[Wreckage]

How are they? How do they perform with Windows 7?

Mine runs great. I did add a video card. My Windows score went from 3.3 to 5.5 (5.5 being the slowest part, which is now the memory).

Luckily I had an extra card laying around. I would suggest adding a card to these systems if only to free up memory.

It did of course come with a lot of crap software pre-installed. But it all un-installed just fine.

Of note. It's got a 300w PSU, a PCI-e modem (ha!) and plenty of room in the case. The side panel comes off with just one screw. Very clean and organized inside, the PSU had plenty of extra plugs hanging off it. The memory did look really cheap, I have some extra memory I may try but I don't know if it's compatible with this board. Both the Hard Drive and DVD writer are SATA.

 

[Macgyversite]

Thanks for the post. I saw the pics Newegg had and it looked to be a decent case with room and such. Yeah a vid card is probably a must and most likely helps a great deal as you stated.

Not a bad thing to wait for on Black Friday then if you need a PC. $70 is $70.

 

[Wreckage]

Not a bad thing to wait for on Black Friday then if you need a PC. $70 is $70.

Well I got in on the half off MS Office deal so I did end up saving $70.

Although if I missed out on this, I would be trying for one on black friday.

Considering a copy of Windows 7 is like $100+ alone it's really a steal.

 

[webdawg77]

I know someone who owns this PC. It's a really good deal for general purpose computing.

However, there is one major downside. He was upgrading and wanted to move his old HDD into this machine. There was one major problem ... there isn't an open 3.5" bay. Newegg pics and specs say it all.

Also, there are no IDE / PATA controllers on the board.

Just my 2 cents. If this doesn't bother you, have fun!

Case Picture

 

[Macgyversite]

I saw the newegg pics and it definately doesnt have an extra 3.5". If you really must you can buy a CDRom slot to 3.5" adapter and use that extra opening or just lay the drive there or on the bottom of the case.

However there seems to be a IDE/PATA availible on the MOBO lower left corner.

Since this chipset it somewhat older. I would assume that this is availible and maybe the bios has it off.

 

[hans007]

I saw the newegg pics and it definately doesnt have an extra 3.5". If you really must you can buy a CDRom slot to 3.5" adapter and use that extra opening or just lay the drive there or on the bottom of the case.

However there seems to be a IDE/PATA availible on the MOBO lower left corner.

Since this chipset it somewhat older. I would assume that this is availible and maybe the bios has it off.

actually ther is a spare 3.5" drive spot.

its on the inside of the front panel, a lot of compaq's have this. you bolt the drive through the metal (remove bezel first) , so you screw the drive against the front wall of the case. you can see it in the picture (the 5th one at newegg).

you can see 4 screw holes there in the same pattern that they are on the bottom of a hard drive (not the normal side mounts most people use) you have to remove the front panel, attach the drive using the 4 screws through the metal...

 

[webdawg77]

However there seems to be a IDE/PATA availible on the MOBO lower left corner.

That's a floppy drive (34 pin) connector.

The IDE / PATA pins are on the board, but there isn't a "connector". Look in the pic just behind the HDD (to the right of it) / to the left of the SATA ports and you can see where the connector would go but the "pinouts" are just there. Zoom in a few times to see it.

It looks the same (although smaller) as where the extra two RAM slots would go (just pinouts but no connectors).

 

[webdawg77]

actually ther is a spare 3.5" drive spot.

its on the inside of the front panel, a lot of compaq's have this. you bolt the drive through the metal (remove bezel first) , so you screw the drive against the front wall of the case. you can see it in the picture (the 5th one at newegg).

That's good to know. Didn't even know they did things like that. However, his old drive is IDE so still no go. And besides, he only had about 800 MB of files he wanted to get off of the old drive. Guess he'll never fill up the 500 GB drive .

 

[Wreckage]

Also, there are no IDE / PATA controllers on the board.

Easy fix
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16816132005

10 bucks. :awe:

 

[Dogsbody]

When I go to the link it's showing at $399, not $300. What am I missing?

 

[Wreckage]

When I go to the link it's showing at $399, not $300. What am I missing?

I think the sale was for one week only.

Rumor has it that this same computer will be $230ish at Office Max on Black Friday. If you have one near you and can get up early.

 

[Craig234]

Not at 1920x1080. I had a 4650..DiRT was a slideshow.

My old abacus, er ~2200+ AMD PC, with an AGP MB, had the 7600GS graphics card burn out and I 'upgraded' to a 4650 AGP 1GB from Fry's for $110+tax.

I coulda got it for $23 less (at least) online but with the hassle/wait and Fry's having almost no AGP cards, I rewarded them for having it. The card does ok on WoW.

 

[Thump553]

Reviving an old thread because the same computer is on sale this week at Staples. For Black Friday Office Depot had it, but at 299.98 rather than the lower price expected.

I ended up getting one for my wife's business (their computer was dying) and it is quite nice, better than I expected. One drawback is that it apparently only has one hard drive bay.

A question about video cards for this. Most of the video card deals mentioned previously in this thread are now dead, but I turned up an ASUS ATI Radeon HD 4670 512 MB at Newegg for $45 after rebate here:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121329

What do people think of this card? The first review is pretty negative and I haven't looked into video cards since the AGP days. I'm thinking of getting another one of these computers and a decent video card if that will enable me to run average games for the next few years. Oh, and quiet is important to me and I don't overclock.

 

[Macgyversite]

That is a good choice b/c it doesnt need an extra power plug from the powersupply.
I believe there are not too many cards that can keep up with the 4670 from Nvidia that dont use an extra power coupling. I cant say that with 100% certainty but the 4670 is a good deal.