Help: how to buy a new computer

[excite]

Hi, I am new here. I want to buy a new computer in a week. I don't have too much money to burn. My budget is around $1200. I don't have much knowledge about hardware too. I seek help here because I want to buy something according to technology, not brand and price.
Here is my initial thinking:
1. A good monitor. I knew there are threads about 19 inch monitors. It surprised me because you guys simply ignore the results and reviews in some websites and PC world magazine.Say, Sony has never been selected No.1 in those ratings. Sould I also ignore those ratings?
2. I will buy CD-RW, DVD-drive, zip-drive separately, so I can save major bucks when I use coupons .
3. Then I go to dell or gateway.com to get the other parts. However, I do have no other idea what to buy.

Any help will be appreciated.
so how about pIII 550-650M, according to my budget.
What brand is good enough?
I do need printer and scanner for my work. But I need it right now just for web surfing. I am addictive to the hot deal.
2.

 

[Czar]

1. It all depends on what websites and what magazines you are talking about, sites like ZDNET are crap and we dont give a shit about them, you should find some comparison on monitors and pick a few that you like then go to http://www.reviewclick.com and search for reviews for that Monitor, read them all and then figure out what you need and how much you want to spend.

2. Dont really know, never used coupons, people here on this BBS have been buying GeForce2 and Voodoo5 cards with about $50 discount all with coupons.

3. Dont buy from Dell and Gateway, better just build your own computer with parts that you choose and parts you are sure you are getting the right componements and the lowest prices.

Buying a PIII650mhz sounds fine, people have been overclocking it to 900-1000mhz.

Printers from HP and Cannon are good. It all depends on what you do with your scanner at work, If its just for scanning photos then just get a cheap USB scanner.

 

[piku]

Yes I agree that Dell and Gateway will be way overpriced. Try building you own, or going to a lesser known dealer. My pick is http://www.cyberpowerpc.com. The computer I got from there is great and was really cheap.

But building your own would be your best bet if you really want to save money. And don't worry, the people from this forum would gladly answer questions and help you out.

 

[Ulysses]

You know, of course, that people have written whole books to answer the questions you have asked.

You have to start by asking yourself whether you are going to build or buy a system. Building a PC is easy enough if you know what you are doing. But if you don't, it will take a lot of time to understand the jargon, figure out which components are compatible, which work best and where to buy them cheap. Today there is a dazzling and dizzying array of CPU's, mobos and chipsets, just for starters, to confuse the newbie. It's a lot easier to go to Dell or a Gateway Country store and just tell them your budget and what you want to do with the PC. The downside is that you pay for their expertise and service. Personally I don't think you can learn what you need to know to build a system from forums like this - there will be too many questions you'll have and the answers in the forums are all over the map and just anecdotal.

If you want to become knowledgeable, start with AnandTech's Reviews summary page ( http://www.anandtech.com/articles.html ). There, as an example, click on the underlined blue link to 'Systems' and then click on 'Buyers Guides' and then on 'Buyers Guide: Value Systems-June 2000.' You should end up here:

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1248 .

Go to the bottom of that page & click on 'Print this article.' Then print the article and read it at your leisure.


That $1445 value gaming system looks about right for you, but maybe you'll think otherwise.

Other sites have similar guides from time to time, like:
http://www.arstechnica.com/guide/index.html .

As for monitors, I'd go to a local store and find one that looks good and go for it. There is great variation in monitor quality even within the same brand and specific model - i.e., from unit to unit.

Once you know the components you want, there are places to check prices:
http://ibuyer.net/
http://www.pricewatch.com/ .

And you can check vendors out at:
http://www.resellerratings.com/

I've used http://192.216.185.10/mwave/Index.hmx? with success.

Good luck.



P.S.
If you decide to buy a system then I'd strongly recommend you get one based on the new AMD Duron CPU. You might want to go to Gateway, since they have used AMD's processors for a while (Dell does not yet). The advantage of the Duron is that you should be able to replace it with a faster AMD Athlon later, with no other changes. Be sure to tell them you want the system to have a mobo based on the VIA Apollo KT133 motherboard chipset with a Socket A connecter for the CPU. This will insure max performance and upgradability. These systems are very new and may not be available just yet - but wait a few weeks.

 

[Sir Fredrick]

I'm in the process of building computers #4 and 5 from compucheap. Russ kicks ass. If you email him and tell him what you need the computer for, and how much you can spend, etc., he'll help configure a system in your budget.
http://compucheap.com

 

[Czar]

Yeah, and he will probably put RC5 on it to

 

[Lance]

Another cool guy is Bill Jeffers from OutsideLoop.com. Just email him, and see what he can do.

 

[Sir Fredrick]

Is that how he got such a kickass keyrate? Of all the computers I've bought from him, I've installed the OS (and RC5) myself.

 

[relyt]

I personally think that you should build one yourself. We will help you out if you have any problems. Here's some stuff to get you started, if you want to build a custom job. I'm willing to talk more about it, if you want.

The biggest decision you're gonna make is AMD or Intel. Both have their relative pros and cons, but AMD tends to be cheaper, and I think to new Duron is just what you're looking for. Plus, a Duron solution offers upgradeability to a faster chip when you want.

The mobo should be from a reputable manufacturer, like Asus, AOPEN, ABIT, Tyan, or similar companies. The mobo choice will depend on your CPU. You should look into online rewiews of your board before you buy, and also check out reviews of the chipset.

The memory should be PC100 or PC133 for your budget, SGRAM will break your wallet. PC100 is generally cheaper, see what your chipset supports. Go with name brand, like Crucial, Kingston, Corsair, or Mushkin.

The case is always one of the hardest parts to chooose. I would get the Fong Kai FK-320. It's about $60-70, and has great cooling.

Again, these are only basic recommendations. Post more here if you want to talk with me, or you can email me. Good luck!

 

[Scifione]

The new Anandtech buyer's guide is up if you are interested about building or if you want to look for a PC with as many components as the recommended systems.

I built my first computer, and I noted the hardest thing about building a PC was finding the courage to do it. LOL! Other than that installing Windows98 is as hard as it got for me. If you would much rather have a premade PC, Dell or Gateway would not be at the top of my list. One thing is that seal on the side of the box can not be broken by anyone but Dell or Gateway technician. Compaq is to be avoided at all cost; they have too many proprietary parts.

Post back some replies, and we will try to give you as much USEFUL INFORMATION as possible.

1. Do you think you can build a PC and feel comfortable doing it? Then do it.

2. Would you like and be happy with a premade PC? Then that is ok to.

 

[PCAddict]

You can break the seal. It's an urban legend that it voids the warranty. The main reason it is there is to show the customer that their system hasn't been tampered with since it was manufactured.

 

[Scifione]

If anything has not changed recently on Gateways policey, you are very mistaken about them.

 

[Cosmic_Horror]

Monitors are very subjective things. what you think looks great i may not like and vice versa. You must see the monitor you wish to buy running (preferably with the same video card that you will buy, yes video crads will effect the visual output of a monitor). Unlike everything else, monitor specs aren't everything.

You are most likely to keep you monitor longer than any other piece of hardware, so if you are planing on looking it out it for a couple a day for the next few years, make sure you get something you like..

It is better in my opinion to get a slower cpu or a smaller hard drive than skimp on a monitor.

 

[PCAddict]

Scifione, trust me. I am positive.

 

[Scifione]

There is one thing I will agree with you on PCAddict MAC IS SUCK, and iMAC is KING OF SUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also on a related note I hate MAC mice. Is that a toy or what. Give me a normal sized mouse that is comfortable!

 

[cardiac]

Relyt, where did you get the Fong Kai 320 for $60-70? I can't find it less than $90 or so.....

Sorry for the off-topic message guys (He doesn't have his profile or private messaging enabled).

Bob

 

[Ghost]

And careful when you go with a retail store. I work for one, and know the salesmen. They have incentives to sell you stuff, mostly warranties, so they can line their own pockets. And some places have a lot of leeway in their financing system. Like with a car dealership. They can foodle with the numbers.....be careful.

I've known people who've bought Dell and had good luck. They have a 3 year warranty. Micron has a 3 year warranty as well, but I have very little experience with those systems.

Stay away from Compaq, stuff is sh!t, don't buy HP either.

If you don't know what you're doing, putting together a pc from scratch for the first time can be a pain in the ass. You make a mistake and their is some risk of cooking a part or two.

Good luck....

And I agree with Scifione, Mac is suck....and IMAC's doubly so... and wtf is with that 1 button mouse on those things??

 

[Scifione]

I hear HP makes a good bookend.

 

[birddog]

I new nothing about computer hardware 6 months ago. I decided to buy all the components & build one myself. It is not as hard as people think. I have build a half dozen since. It is great incentive to learn how to do it whey you have $800 worh of hardware on you kitchen table still in a bunch of little boxes. A good motherbard manufacturer will give you a detailed book in setting up the hardware (Tyan has the best manuals that I have seen). Once your MoBo, HD, CPU, RAM, Floppy, and CD-Rom are hooked up; Windows 98 will walk you through the rest. One note on harddrives, Western Digital drives have real good software for formating & partitoning (if you want to partition), I will always pay the extra few $$ for the WD's since they are so easy to work with.


If you don't want to try to build your own, don't buy a 'off the rack' PC. Anything you can buy at a store (i.e. compaq, HP, Acer, ect..) is usually a piece of sh*t. The motherboards are usually low quality with few Bios options (If they even let you into the Bios). The components are usually outdated -- I noticied a $2500 machine advertised at Best Buy with a TNT 2 video card. Also most of the 'brand name' computer have lots of stuff built on board (sound, video, modem) which is cheaper for them & performs lousy. Gateway is one of the worst in this aspect. Go to an online site like MicroPro where you can configure your own system (MicroPro is one of many computer building stores -- I think Micron's site is this way also). Make sure that where ever you buy from, you have the option to chose every main component (Motherboard, CPU, Sound Card, Video Card, Modem,CD-Rom, Case, RAM ect...). Stay away from on-board stuff. You can look at the options & then compare the specs between all the compnents (i.e. comparing different motherboards or video cards). If the store does not offer you choices on different components, you don't want to buy from them.

 

[birddog]

network glitch on work computer

 

[birddog]

network glitch on work computer

 

[relyt]

I use a website, http://www.pricewatch.com/. They take prices from online retailers and try to get you the cheapest one. They have a reasonably good search engine, but I prefer to go through the categories myself.

 

[birddog]

For $1200 you can build a real good system. A few recommedations:

Sound Card: SoundBlaster Live Value (@$50)
Video card: Creative Labs GeForce GTS (@$250)
RAM: 128 MB PC 133 7.5 or 8 ns (@$130)
Motherboard: *Tyan s1854 Trinity 400 (@$100)
CPU: P3 600 or 650e (@$200)
HD: Western Digital 20 GB 7200rpm (@$150)
Case: ATX mid tower with 300w poser supply (@$50)
Keyboard, mouse, floppy: your choice -generic(@$50)
CD-ROM: your choice (@$50)

* for a P3 system, I would recomment this tyan motherboard, it is real stable, the Bios is user friendly for someone new to computer hardware, the manual is first rate. There are other motherboard that are better of overclocking, but this is a quality board & a good one to learn on & has all the features you need. If you buy from Micron, they will use this board exclusively (Micron is the only exception to my 'rule' of not buying from someone who does not offer different options for components).

I have never delt with AMD systems, but I know that the Athalon processors are less expensive than The P3's, but the motherboards are more expensive. If you do go Athalon, make sure it is one of the new 'thunderbirds' -- they are much better than the origional athalons & not as power hungry.

Less expensive quality videocards are:

GeForce MX (@$120)
GeForce DDR (@$200)
Voodoo 3 3000 (@$100)

No suggestions on monitors, I havn't bought one in years -- still using my 17" proview I bought 3 years ago.

 

[relyt]

I agree with birddog. Micron is easily the best system manufacturer, and they are the only company I would buy a pre-fabbed system from. I know someone who has had a few, the support is first-rate. They have also been awarded numerous Kick Ass awards from Maximum PC, which is in my mind the only PC magazine good enough for hardcore tech people.

 

[excite]

Hi, thanks for all the advice.
I decide to build the computer. Since I need it soon, I will go through http://www.cyberpowerinc.com except for the 19' monitor, KDS or viewsonic.
Could anybody help me to go though http://www.cyberpowerinc.com/custom/coppermine.htm?
CPU PIII 650 (+230)
Motherboard: ASUS p3v-133 via 693A MB (+95)
ASUS p3v-4X VIA 694 4XAGP MB(+119)
What is the difference?
Memory: 128 M SDRAM PC133
CD-rom: sony 48*CD-ROM
Harddrive,Video card, sound card, speakers and case: I have no idea about these stuff in the site. Could somebody help me?
harddrive: 20.5 GB 7200RPM UDMA 66 (+165)
Vedio card: 3DFX VODOO 3 3000 16M AGP(+99)
Sound card: creative Lab SB live value(+49)
Modem: 3com winmodem PCI (+31)
Tower ATX full (+49)
and the total is 1016 with shipping of $50. If add KDS AV then the total will be around 1416. How do you think this computer? Thanks.