View Full Version : Computer.
My 4 year old machine is beginining to annoy me, I'm getting a nice laptop in late january (Vista! Yay! ;) ), but for now I want something to muck around with. Requirements: 512mb of ram. 60gb + harddrive, DVD Burner, sempron 2800+ or better. Must have windows, XP home.
And the budget: $500
I can't be bothered building it.
This is what I'm looking at atm: 512mb of ram, 80gb hdd, dvd burner, 2.6ghz celeron D - $379 + xp home.
EDIT: I WAS IN TECHNOLOGY I SWEAR! GAH! Please move.
primal
17-11-2006, 09:03 AM
Vista YAY???????? not my first thought, and i'm a windows guy.
maybe after SP1, i will say yeah
as for you pc just see what you local dogy computer dealer is doing and buy that, you will only squeeze som much in for you dollar before.....its january already. better still go and buy a new bow ;)
Jean Lafitte
17-11-2006, 09:05 AM
If you know how to plug wires into the only slot they fit in, and how to screw things in, you have all the qualifications to build your own, which will save you a ridiculous amount of money.
Archangel
17-11-2006, 03:00 PM
(Vista! Yay! ;) )
Must have windows, XP home.
And here was me thinking that you had better taste than that...
hoyt for life 2
17-11-2006, 03:16 PM
If you know how to plug wires into the only slot they fit in, and how to screw things in, you have all the qualifications to build your own, which will save you a ridiculous amount of money.
Really? I watched a retired IT guy try and install a new dvd burner and he had huge problems, building a compuer would be much harder than that.
Archangel
17-11-2006, 03:37 PM
Really? I watched a retired IT guy try and install a new dvd burner and he had huge problems, building a compuer would be much harder than that.
Oh come on, all they need are two plugs and two screws in the side, it's not rocket science. You don't even need to do anything with drivers...
Jay.G
17-11-2006, 04:20 PM
what are plugs? :rofl:
hoyt for life 2
17-11-2006, 05:00 PM
Sticking it in wasn't to hard but the computer didn't reocise that it was there and he had to install some drivers to. But to install them he had to install and the other stupid free software stuff that was on the cd. Problem was he had taken the other cd drive out so he had no working cd drive for the cd.
Jean Lafitte
17-11-2006, 05:20 PM
Not a very good IT guy.
Archangel
17-11-2006, 05:29 PM
Sticking it in wasn't to hard but the computer didn't reocise that it was there and he had to install some drivers to. But to install them he had to install and the other stupid free software stuff that was on the cd. Problem was he had taken the other cd drive out so he had no working cd drive for the cd.
I don't think I've ever seen a CD-ROM that doesn't just work, unless it's external or you're using DOS or something. Funny how people who 'know all about IT' are the ones who create these sort of problems :rolleyes:
Building a PC is the easiest thign ever. ZJust find a website that tells you how and print it out. I did it and I only did an Arts degree.
Caleb, wink = sarcasm, I'm waiting for vista for future-proofing only. Dad's buying the bow, see you tomorrow.
Archangel, I have some windows specific things I need to use, and Xandros/Slackware is getting boring. But I'll still keep slackware on this machine, assuming I don't shell it for the ram and harddrive. (Might, probably won't)
@everyone else, I know building a computer is easy, I've done it. But at $500 bucks, buying is cheaper than building, and if my $60 cpu craps itself, I'll have a better warranty.
ninevalleys
17-11-2006, 08:37 PM
so what are you getting in yoru janurary laptop?
so what are you getting in yoru janurary laptop?
Not sure yet, probably an asus of some description, maybe a dell if I can't afford anything else with decent enough specs to run aero! :silly:
ninevalleys
17-11-2006, 09:09 PM
whats it going to be used for? schoolwork? work? graphics? multifmedia? sound? video? games?
Jean Lafitte
17-11-2006, 09:11 PM
@everyone else, I know building a computer is easy, I've done it. But at $500 bucks, buying is cheaper than building, and if my $60 cpu craps itself, I'll have a better warranty.
Brother did a computer that could run Oblivion for a little over 100. The parts will always be cheaper than the finished machine.
Brother did a computer that could run Oblivion for a little over 100. The parts will always be cheaper than the finished machine.
prices or gtfo.
http://www.archery-forum.com/images/smilies/new_shocked.gif
Also, that's not strictly true, who do you think can get parts cheaper, me or dell? Some asian mega-conglomerate, or me?
The cheap pre made computers tend to lack necessary parts such as video card. They run using the motherboards onboard graphics.
ninevalleys
17-11-2006, 09:33 PM
The cheap pre made computers tend to lack necessary parts such as video card. They run using the motherboards onboard graphics.
which in effect would make it nearly impossible to run Oblivion
The cheap pre made computers tend to lack necessary parts such as video card. They run using the motherboards onboard graphics.
Since when is a gpu necessary if it has intergrated graphics? I don't know about you, but I don't see gaming or video editing as integral parts of computing - intergrated graphics will suffice just fine.
recurve boy
17-11-2006, 09:38 PM
Not sure yet, probably an asus of some description, maybe a dell if I can't afford anything else with decent enough specs to run aero! :silly:
Any current laptop should be fine. After all Vista 2.0 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/22012371@N00/209845276/) is due early next year and that will run on current machines.
Jean Lafitte
17-11-2006, 09:40 PM
prices or gtfo.
http://www.archery-forum.com/images/smilies/new_shocked.gif
Also, that's not strictly true, who do you think can get parts cheaper, me or dell? Some asian mega-conglomerate, or me?
He re-used some things from old computers. He basically payed for (some of the) RAM, a video card, and a DVD drive. He threw the rest together from older computer parts.
Why do you think nerds get so mad when the industry tries to change to a new standard? Because they can't reuse old parts.
He re-used some things from old computers. He basically payed for (some of the) RAM, a video card, and a DVD drive. He threw the rest together from older computer parts.
Why do you think nerds get so mad when the industry tries to change to a new standard? Because they can't reuse old parts.
So he didn't buy a new computer, not even enough to qualify for an OEM copy of windows. I have nothing to reuse, hence $500 is my entire budget.
Any current laptop should be fine. After all Vista 2.0 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/22012371@N00/209845276/) is due early next year and that will run on current machines.
Har, har. I can't afford it until vista will be out anyway. Plus, there should be DX10 graphics cards for laptops by then. :D
Jean Lafitte
17-11-2006, 10:04 PM
So he didn't buy a new computer, not even enough to qualify for an OEM copy of windows. I have nothing to reuse, hence $500 is my entire budget.
Tomorrow I'll find you parts within that budget to build a rad computer; remember that the things he didn't buy (HD, fan, etc.) are pennies these days.
Tomorrow I'll find you parts within that budget to build a rad computer; remember that the things he didn't buy (HD, fan, etc.) are pennies these days.
Okay. :)
ninevalleys
17-11-2006, 10:08 PM
there is only 1 DirectX10 card on the market and its been temporarily recalled or at least where i am.
cheers NV
But there will be by the time I get a laptop in 2 or 3 months.
ninevalleys
17-11-2006, 10:28 PM
better have at least $700 to fork out for it though!! youd be better off getting waiting till then, and get one of the 'now' expensive cards for much cheaper, say about $400... or you could just waste your money? either way youll have a damn good card.
cheers NV
better have at least $700 to fork out for it though!! youd be better off getting waiting till then, and get one of the 'now' expensive cards for much cheaper, say about $400... or you could just waste your money? either way youll have a damn good card.
cheers NV
Dude, I'll have about $2500 to spend on a laptop. If I can't find a laptop with a DX10 card in 3 months for two and a half grand, it's not worth having.
ninevalleys
18-11-2006, 04:45 PM
note that laptop stuffs are more expensive! for $2500 youll be EXTREMeLY lucky to find the card you want. and have the proper requirments to run it.
cheers NV
note that laptop stuffs are more expensive! for $2500 youll be EXTREMeLY lucky to find the card you want. and have the proper requirments to run it.
cheers NV
We'll see. :)
Eberbachl
18-11-2006, 07:54 PM
What a shame that you need to drop $2500 on a new laptop to even run Vista properly....
Mark M
18-11-2006, 08:02 PM
I think ninevalleys is right on this one Liam usually laptops are the last thing to get new tech and most geeks who use lappies dont want such a high end card anyway then there is the cooling issue sorry but get your hand off it Liam lol....
What a shame that you need to drop $2500 on a new laptop to even run Vista properly....
There are plenty of laptops that will run vista fine for a lot less, but that's what I hope my budget will be...
I think ninevalleys is right on this one Liam usually laptops are the last thing to get new tech and most geeks who use lappies dont want such a high end card anyway then there is the cooling issue sorry but get your hand off it Liam lol....
Considering in that price range at the moment, you can get pretty decent graphics cards in laptops, it wouldn't be extremely surprising. :rolleyes:
But, can we get this thread back on topic! Best $500 machine with windows please!
Eberbachl
18-11-2006, 10:01 PM
But, can we get this thread back on topic! Best $500 machine with windows please!
Geez dude...rock down to a decent computer parts supplier with your $500 already!
Grab any all in one mobo, a Sempron or a Celeron, half a gig of generic RAM, hard disk, cheap case, CD/DVD burner.
Job's done.
Grab an OEM copy of Windows XP and your on the way.
You'll get out of it for less than $500, and it will work just fine.
If you don't want to do the build yourself, they'll most likely whack it all together for you for a modest fee.
You are so over analysing this problem...
ninevalleys
18-11-2006, 10:07 PM
ditto what eberbachle said!!, you could even get a free copy on Windows XP if you know some one with Torrent files, or LImewire. youwont be able to upgrade it as such, but it will still do the job while you wait for your MEGA AWSUM GRAPHIC LAPTOP :D
NV
ditto what eberbachle said!!, you could even get a free copy on Windows XP if you know some one with Torrent files, or LImewire. youwont be able to upgrade it as such, but it will still do the job while you wait for your MEGA AWSUM GRAPHIC LAPTOP :D
NV
Except I like legal copies of things. :mad:
ninevalleys
18-11-2006, 10:26 PM
its only like 6 weeks till janurary? why not jsut save your 500, then you can have a $3000 laptop, then you may just get that card you want...
Eberbachl
18-11-2006, 10:30 PM
Except I like legal copies of things. :mad:
:thumb:
Archangel
19-11-2006, 02:41 PM
its only like 6 weeks till janurary? why not jsut save your 500, then you can have a $3000 laptop, then you may just get that card you want...
Give the poor guy a break, if he wants a desktop as well it's his $3000...
I reckon Luke's onto it; rock into a local computer shop and get them to spec up a machine for that price. They'd build it for you; a lot of the ones around here wouldn't charge for it if you're buying a complete machine from them.
And yeah, you _could_ get Windows through Bittorrent, but that's a bit like stealing someone's Lada - you can do it, but why would you want to? ;-)
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