build or buy updated

[CMC79]

So about a week ago I posted a thread where I asked if I should build a system for my wife or buy a system off the shelf. Overwhelming opinion was to build. I thought so too, but I waited around for Windows MCE with the Vista upgrade to come back into stock at Newegg, so I had waited on purchasing the parts. Today Best Buy had a HP on sale--Athlon x2 4600, 2gb RAM, 250GB HDD, Windows with Vista upgrade coupon, 17in LCD, new printer for $859 and no rebate. I didn't really have the time to spare on building a system, so I took the plunge and bought the system. Got it home and booted it up, and Windows reported an Athlon X2 5200 instead. CPU-Z confirmed it--2.6GHZ and 2x1mb cache. So I got quite a deal!!!

 

[bruceb]

You got this one:

HP® AMD LIVE! Smarter Digital Entertainment AMD Athlon? 64 X2 Processor 4600+ Computer
$859.97
After Instant Savings*
thru Nov 11
$170 INSTANT SAVINGS
with 17" LCD Flat-Panel Monitor and Color Printer. Windows® XP Media Edition Edition 2005 software, 2048MB DDR2 memory, 250GB hard drive, reads and writes DVDs and CDs, LightScribe disc labeling technology*, nVIDIA® GeFORCE? 6150 LE graphics and 9-in-1 media reader. Windows® Vista? Premium Ready. LCD. (A1630N/VS17E/D4160)

Not too bad a deal ... doesn't say anything about which printer you get or if it came with any software.
Did it have a restore cd or the actual XP OS CD ? ?

 

[Seekermeister]

Yes, it does sound like a deal, but the 5200 is an AM2 processor, therefore the motherboard must be also. Since the ram is DDR2, this should be kept in mind if you ever upgrade it.

 

[CMC79]

It has a recovery partition that can be burnt to CD or DVD. Software wise, it does come with the upgrade to Vista Home Premium as well as MS Works, CD/DVD software, and a large amount of worthless trials and bloatware that needs to be deleted.

 

[Old Hippie]

You could use the De-Crapifier. It's geared for a Dell, but will work on anything.