Friend wants to buy a prebuilt system - which one?

[Slickone]

I used to recommend Gateway, but they don't offer AMD anymore. Don't think Dell does either. I see Micron does. How are their PC's? Any other recommendations? Maybe I'll have to let them buy an Intel system.

 

[mindiris]

Hard to say. Please state the ball park figure he/she will be willing to pay.

 

[eplebnista]

IMO, I'd recommend CyberPowerPC. They offer AMD systems at very reasonable costs, as well as offering more flexibility with choosing components. My sister got a system from them over two years ago and hasn't had any problems wih it.

hth,
eplebnista

 

[imgod2u]

If you're buying from an OEM, AMD machines aren't neccessarily more "value" than Intel. Simply because when selling chips to OEM's, Intel gives them volume and vendor discounts that usually bipasses the premium one would encounter when buying the chip separately making the price comparable to a similarly performing AMD chip. So if you're buying a pre-built system, simply avoiding an OEM because they don't offer an AMD solution is kinda naive.

With the experience (and granted, although limited) I've had with troubleshooting and fixing other people's computers (that they've got from OEM's), I can tell you that probably the most important factor to look at would be the support and warranty you get. CNet recently published an article grading the support provided by many major manufacturers and Dell, Gateway and Compaq came up as pretty decent. Gateway doesn't neccessarily make the greatest quality computers and neither does Compaq so I'd say, go with Dell. I've been through their tech support as well as gone through a couple of warranty issues and they're pretty good, much better than the experience I had with HP and supporting my mom's computer.

Some people think tech support is a joke, but when it comes to OEM systems, they're not. These are not standard systems, they're custom made systems with modifications only the manufacturer knows about and can provide support for. Of course, for the enthusiasts, there are always companies like FalconWest or Alienware which make great systems that you can troubleshoot yourself (or with the help of forums like these), but if you want a brand-name OEM, go with Dell or perhaps even Gateway. I haven't had as much experience with Micron system support so I don't know about them.

 

[JohnnyPC]

How about this one...it's not the biggest fastest bestest system but if your friend needs to ask, then I'm sure he'll be just fine with it...

 

[soulm4tter]

check out Aberdeen, i ordered a pc from them. Good choice of hardware, decent prices, good service and fairly fast delivery for a custom rig.

outsideloop has great service and good hardware. My friend bought a system from them and loves it.

 

[Siddhartha]

Have you looked into a local shop? These guys will build a system to your specifications, for a price competitive to Dell et al. And you establish a relationship with them which will facilitate having the system serviced.

 

[ezdriver]

Yep, local shop is the route I recently took when I bought a new system. They did a sweet job setting it up, good cabling for ventilation, etc. Also, it's nice to know that if I have a problem, they are only 5 minutes away from my home. It just makes life a little easier for me. Plus, as Dr. Smooth said, you build that relationship with them and they will go that extra step to solve your complaint. Give it a try.

 

[freebee]

Having built a top-of-the-line AMD system about 3 months ago, and just buying a new Dell 2 weeks ago, I must say that as pre-built go, you can't go wrong with a Dell. Its absolutely quiet (doesn't even have a cpu fan, just plastic duct), perfectly stable, and support (had to call them for a number of questions) was great. I'm actually amazed stores like Cirucit city and Sears can even sell computers given the great buisiness model (and current free shipping) that Dell has.

 

[BreakApart]

Buying a prebuilt system reputation and quality are far more important than picking certain hardware. Allow me to give you an example, just because they carry AMD and you get to pick your favorite CPU, that does NOT mean the motherboard included isn't bottom of the barrel. Without picking all the parts you are left wondering if (1) part here or there will cripple the rest of the system. Then if the company does allow you to pick your parts, then its not really a prebuilt is it, and you'll pay more for that custom setup.

This last year i ordered a few prebuilt systems for the big-wigs at work. Depending on what they wanted i ordered from various companies. If they wanted an above average system, but nothing too fancy i went with Gateway, for the money spent Gateway has some great setups. Now if they wanted a nicer, top of the line, professional system i went with Dell, for the additional money spent you get a PC that looks as nice as it runs. Even i'll admit the prebuilt Dell, black case, black 17" LCD, P4-1.8 the system runs as nice as it looks! But you do pay a bit more...

The average person won't be upgrading as often as most of us do, so it's better for them to get an all around quality system with a good warranty. Hate to say this but for a system that may never get opened for upgrading, cleaning, etc, i'd much rather have my friends get a cooler running Intel chip than AMD.