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Best deal on a budget desktop PC?

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VirtualLarry said:
Just be aware that that CPU is a 22nm Atom, and as such, it has very poor single-threaded performance compared to Core CPUs, even Core2Duo.
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Yeah, the idea that this sports a "powerful" quad core CPU is an illusion. Also, no WiFi. For whatever reason, most desktop units don't include them.
 
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Those CPU Boss numbers are highly suspect. Most likely they're using benchmarks that scale well with core count, which normal desktop tasks do not. Notice how far behind the J1800 is in these benchmarks, and that's comparing to the slower G2030 instead of the G3220.

I'm not saying that the J1900 is completely unsuitable for what you want to do, but it's definitely nowhere near the same class as the CPU in that Dell Inspiron 3647.
 
What model is your laptop? If there is a docking station available, I would just do that if you don't want to spend much money.

If there is no docking station for your laptop, then it is a pita to use as a desktop. Constantly plugging and unplugging monitor, keyboard, etc. gets to be a real drag, not to mention every time you do it you risk the connector wearing out.
 
Dells inspiron line is pretty good. Few months ago I upgraded the machine in the conference room. Didn't need an optiplex machine like in the offices so I went with the inspiron. Haswell i3 4130, 4gb RAM, 500gb HDD Win 7 Pro etc. etc. for something like $400 if I remember right. I believe you can get them cheaper than that and sometimes they run a sale. Nothing that machine has to do will ever tax it as it is primarily powerpoints, word docs and videos.
 
Someone I know needs to buy a "desktop" for basic use (Internet, email, Office) But, does it make more sense to buy a laptop? They can use a wireless keyboard and mouse, for the desktop ergonomics. But, they can still use it as a laptop when desired.

Any downsides to this setup? Lower RAM and CPU than a desktop? Know a good deal on a laptop? The alternative is to get a Dell 3647 for $299. For a little more, worth getting the laptop?
 
Revisiting this....Needs to buy a "desktop" for basic use (Internet, email, Office) But, does it make more sense to buy a laptop? They can use a wireless keyboard and mouse, for the desktop ergonomics. But, they can still use it as a laptop when desired.

Any downsides to this setup? Lower RAM and CPU than a desktop? Know a good deal on a laptop? The alternative is to get a Dell 3647 for $299. For a little more, worth getting the laptop?

Duplicate thread merged in here.

mfenn
General Hardware Moderator
 
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Downside... Many laptops don't support 1080p or better.
Not the best solution when connected to a monitor or TV.
 
It might help if you indicate who will be using it? If for your grandparents, they will appreciate a larger screen. If they don't plan on moving around with it, a laptop makes little sense. If for children, drinks will kill that laptop on the first spill. Believe you me, unless you are constantly monitoring kids, they will do what they want.
 
If they get a desktop, will they need a monitor as well? If so, you might be able to get by cheaper on total initial cost with a laptop. However, unless they need the mobility of a laptop, I would still go for a desktop. I just have had much more longevity out of desktops than laptops. Not to mention they are easier to repair should something go wrong, and can be upgraded as well if the need arises later.

I recently purchased an HP laptop for my wife with a 2.4ghz i3 for 360.00, because she wanted some degree of mobility. It is decently fast, but for the same price you could get a much faster desktop, sans monitor.
 
GoodEnough said:
Good points, but which laptop the best bang for the buck in the list above?
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The ASUS is the best bang for the buck, but it's a Bay Trail, so it's not going to be zippy. The Toshiba much faster, but also costs $100 more. They all have crap screens and questionable touchpads though. If they have a monitor, mouse, and keyboard you can reuse, the Dell desktop is a better machine for the price.
 
If you want fast you don't want a 4500 rpm hard drive. Any time they don't tell you the speed of the hard drive, you can bet it is a slow one.
 
piasabird said:
If you want fast you don't want a 4500 rpm hard drive. Any time they don't tell you the speed of the hard drive, you can bet it is a slow one.
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More likely 5400RPM these days, but yes if they don't specifically mention 7200RPM, it's probably not.
 
GoodEnough said:
Bay Trail?

Ok, so dollars aside, Toshiba is the best laptop of the 4 ?
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Bay Trail is Intel's next generation Atom processor. It's really quite a lot faster than the original Atom, and on par with AMD Kabini. Still nowhere near a true Core part though.

Yes, I'd call the Toshiba the best, but against that competition, it's a bit like being the fastest snail.
 
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