Which new PC should I get Hivemind?

[Minkyboy]

Ahoy there Sailors!

My PC is dying.
With 3 kids under 2 years old I don't have any budget to play with, around £550 I reckon is the max I could spring for.
 
I wondered if any of you had advice/recommendations on a replacement machine/supplier or current issues I should be aware of?

Here are two I am looking at to give you an idea:

Novatech clearance section
Isys EX nVidia Pro - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 4GB DDR 800Mhz 500gb HDD nVidia 9600GT 512Mb DVDRW
http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/spec ... ml?PC-1238

New from MESH
XGS Special Edition (with Graphics upgrade to 1GB ATi HD4850)
http://www.meshcomputers.com/Default.as ... KEY=551426


I don't need a new monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers or printer.
If push came to shove I could keep XP-Home from old machine as my OS for a while.

My purchasing priorities:
1.Quality components and reliable retailer
2.Graphics card
3.Processor

Any advice?

Minky

[TordelBack]

With 3 kids under 2 years old I don't have any budget to play with

You randy bugger, you!  I can't seem to produce more than one every three years or so.

I know, I'm no help.  But I'm in a similar market myself, so I'd be interested to hear the buzz of consensus on this one.

[Minkyboy]

Ha!

I cheated. Had twins first (22 mths) and now newbie (6 weeks).

[Martin Jameson]

I would go for the Novatech one and put your own copy of XP on it until you can upgrade to Windows 7 when it comes out. Avoid Vista if poss.

[TordelBack]

Avoid Vista if poss.

This is a key question for me.  I live in MacLand, where I've been happily insulated from such matters since, oh, Windows 2000.  The better half now needs a new PC (both Windows machines in our house are now a decade old), but I have been advised time and again to skip Vista, and yet everything seems to come with at least cut-down version of the thing installed.  Will I be up to my oxters in the registry (ah, memories) if we take the quick and easy path and go for Vista, or will I cause her great woe in interacting with the Wider World if I keep her in XP purdah?

[klute]

Novatech clearance section
Isys EX nVidia Pro - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 4GB DDR 800Mhz 500gb HDD nVidia 9600GT 512Mb DVDRW
http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/spec ... ml?PC-1238

As above poster also suggested

[klute]

You can put a partition on your harddrive so you could run both vista and xp

[Minkyboy]

Hmmm I emailed a few friends with the same question.

An I.T. professional recommended OverclockersUK as using top quality components.
He also said to avoid Vista completely! (How can a company as big and powerful as Microsoft produce a next generation operating system that is panned and avoided by professionals?!)

Looking at their site I found this little fella:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showprodu ... -OK&tool=5
The Graphics card is significantly better than the Novatech one but the processor is slightly weaker.

Opinions?

Minky

[Martin Jameson]

You can put a partition on your harddrive so you could run both vista and xp

I partitioned mine, dual booting with Vista, which was preinstalled, and Ubuntu (Linux) which to be honest I used most of the time -  and only used Vista when I really had to.
I have since took a chance and replaced Vista with the RC of Windows 7 and my laptop runs so much smoother and so far a joy to use.

[Banners]

Four suggestions...

1. Buy a copy of PC Pro. Alternatively, look at their website.

2. Avoid Mesh. There are too many horror stories to make them viable.

3. Try PC Specialist. They make quality machines which you can configure away to your heart's and budget's content.

4. Wait a few months until Windows 7 comes out - or at least until new PCs come with a free upgrade voucher.

M@

[Devons Daddy]

AVIOD VISTA
get an older versoin of XP with the word,excel and other bits and bobs you need, with vista you have to pay extra for them.

for PCs, i am not in the west so cant really offer much in the way of pricing. i bought last week a new compaq presario.0 (atom processor)CPU only, used my old monitor and key board, why waste the money on new ones?
its tiny and litterally sits on the book shelf. its the smalled the then the XBOX 360 in dimensions. quiet and smooth.lots of USB ports.

out here it was 459 singapore which is about 200 sterling, fully loaded. plus a years free anti virus software. XP loaded.
runs SPORE with ease, Sid meyers Pirates also no problems gaming wise.
skype,messenger and Itunes all smooth as silk.

[Pete Wells]

Hey Minky, congrats on the bairns and woohoo for a new PC!

Just want to add to Banner's advice about avoiding Mesh. I ordered my PC from there and heard all the horror stories after I'd placed the order - natch. When it turned up it wouldn't boot up, asking for some password that I wasn't given (making me wonder if it hadn't been used before?) and tech support was strangely unavailable. Luckily my technician from work was at my house but he spent hours getting the twat to boot up. I've had no bother since but the shakey start didn't impress me.

[TheEdge]

Make sure to stay away from 32bit,SCSI, IDE and PCI stuff.


make sure at least its DDR2/SATA and PCI express

Vista or XP will also affect your hardware to some extent


( just in case you ever want to upgrade)

[Dark Jimbo]

I dread the day I have to get a new PC. This thread might as well be written in a foreign language.

[Marbles]

I'm hanging on until October 22nd when Windows 7 is out, despite having a computer that is now more than 6 years old and incredibly slow and painful to use. Just a few more months!