Jamdin

Face it, my computer is a 4 year old dinosaur with only 2 GB hard drive, Intel MMX, 32 MB RAM (glad I upped when I bought it), 16x CD-ROM & 56k modem (I had to replace the 33.6 modem last year). I've been looking at new computers which have 10GB, Intel III & other nice features for $1,000. To upgrade the hard drive & RAM at the local computer shop would cost a few hundred dollars (they are high priced plus the labor). I've been thinking of just buying a new tower for about $500 (my 14" monitor is doing okay).

I had a friend who upgraded & it took them two weeks to get the upgrade done. Then when he got it back, the hard drive crashed. So I'm not sure I want to trust my baby to them.

So which do your prefer: upgrade or buy new?

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dropped9

Jam,

You can get a pritty nice dell desktop for just under a grand.....

I bought my chick one a few weeks ago, its kicks ass, everything was included monitor, keyboard,mouse, all that good stuff!


The best part is you can configure it to your taste and needs


My girls is a p3 900 mhz, 128 ram, 20 gig hd, 17 inch monitor and it gets the job done... my pc is the same shit and ie ebat it to death for about 2 years....


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blakkfrogg

I do all my own work; owned a PC building and repair shop a few years back. Although the industry has changed quite a bit, the basic premise is the same: The business is all f'ed up.

I bought all new components for a new tower three weeks ago. 500 mhz amd k6-2, 256 meg ram, 20 gig hd..... total cost was about $550 US dollars.

The difference 'tween doing it yourself and buying a dell, gateway, micron, or those evil chainstore carried brands (compaq, hp, packard bell, etc) is that you have no idea what's in the box when you buy them off the shelf. Is it a good motherboard? Is it upgradable?

The systems which boast P III 900 mhz and a free color printer... hmmm... you've told me the processor speed and brand -- what is the rest?

My advice (finally) is to build it yourself based on your own research and your own needs, not the Sunday ads in the newspaper.

Heh-heh-heh... Always seems that when I upgrade a system, I end up with two systems afterwards. Both using new and old parts. I'm a junkie. I can't help it. More is better. LOL

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Slick

Yeah, DEFINATELY get a new system if your system is that old. You can put all kinds of upgrades on that system and still have a slow system.

Like Headless says, you can get a nice new system for $1000. Dig around Dell's or Gateway's sites and see what you can build. I'd recommend Dell though, but Gateway is decent.

Anyways, you can sink a lot of money into your old system and still have an old system. If you buy new, you'll have new everything, plus a lot of extras like faster ram, a much better video card, a 17 inch monitor, must faster processor. If you had to piece those items into your old system, it'd cost you well over $1000.

Jamdin

Thanks, guys I'll look into Dell. Maybe I'll finally get Win '98. Don't want Gateway since I wouldn't want a spotted computer

Gemini

Dell blahh! If you have an idea what you want then get us on ICQ. We still do an odd custom system here and there for people. Dell is proprietary. Fry a port and risk the motherboard with it.

NightLizard

I say buy a new one, but I always go with a local small company that lets you pick what components you want, so do your research and decide what is the best for you, then have someone put it together for you or do it yourself, but I am still not comfortable doing it myself,
This is one of those big purchases, if done right it can be really great for a bunch of years, so all the research will pay off big time when it's quietly humming away a few years from now. Just my thoughts.

Phadreus

I've seen some good and bad in about every brand out there. I have 2 gateways,2 compaq's, 1 micron, 1 systlink, 1 ads, 1 pyrymid, 1 ibm, and 1 packard bell. If your comfortable with building your own, I would but if you want to buy one look around for a used one that is fairly new (I'm cheap), and if it's new definatly make sure that you know what parts are replacable/ upgradable , so that if you need to upgrade or change anything later you know more that just the processor speed and # of drives. I asked on one that i bought if it was upgadable and they said yes , later I found out that by upgradable they meant that i could buy a different motherboard to change things.
other than that everyone can go fuck themselves...lol

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RIDE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT

RedShoe

BlackFrog is right, build it yourself. I do.

You know what's in it, you know why it doesn't work, and you load it with exactly what you need, nothing else.

I hate when computer companies, (DELL) say how they'll load all this fucked up, crap, software that you will never use. They do this, so you feel like you're getting a dell, I mean Deal.

Build it yourself, it's not that hard to do. I build my own computers, and I don't even know how to check the oil in my truck.

blakkfrogg

oh shit! cars and trucks hae oil in them?!?!?????

Wow. Someone actually thinks I'm, right and agreed with me. In public, too! I gotta' put this on my calendar because it's a first! LOL

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a32bitwhore

Buy a new one. And get it from a local or small shop to get premium parts. There's a some good shops that'll custom-build machines on the web, ones that come to mind are Alienware http://www.alienware.com, Computersuperstore http://www.computersupersale.com/, or if you know anyone in Canada buy your stuff from Razor Computers (they build it with no extra cost and ship it free within Ontario) http://www.razorcomputers.net/


I know what it's like to have a dinosaur computer. I got a p166 with 32MB and 2GB. I'm getting a new one soon, but I'm also emotionally bonded with this one it's probably turning into a mp3 server.

magnatique

my rule of thumb nowadays is if you are two generations behind, it's really time to change...

there's pIV now... you have a pI

it's really time hehe..

I wouldn't go for anything under a pIII 800ish....


I'm about to move myself, got an old celeron 300mhz, O/C to 450... but hey, it can still wait..


build it yourself man... it's not that hard... go to sharkyextreme.com or tom's or whatever, there's build-your-own-computer walkthrus... you'll save a few..


you can get a good deal online...

pIII 800s for like 300$, 2X256MHZ for 100$,

then the rest depending on what you want/need ....

aprilkorova

Hey Jamdin,

I would definitely buy new. There is too large of a gap between what you have and what is out there. Especialy since you can get a kick ass puter for not that much money.
My PIII 450 was state of the art with all it's goodies a couple of years ago. Got it for close to $2,000 with all the peripheals. You can get a hell of a lot better puter for half the price now. Upgrading myself soon, but shit with my DSL mine still rocks, so it's been hard to justify buying new.

XXXforU

Hi there...

I build my own systems. A few years back I too would buy Dell or HP or whatever and when I'd go to upgrade I'd find out that all the parts they use are crap. Motherboards are junk and so on, for a grand you can get some kick ass components and that way you know what you have in there. Now days I use alot of parts from a local wholesale supplier, but I find that some parts are cheaper at tigerdirect.com. The only down side for me is that tigerdirect is in FL too so I get charged tax, but they have some kick ass deals!

Build your own now, upgrade later. Don't buy factory assembled pc's!

Peace,
-Paul

whitbis

I kind of like my factory made pc.
It is a dell, 700 mhz, 128 mram upgradable to 776 I think , 19" color monitar, 250 meg zip, 8xdvd, and it came with digital cam, scanner, joystick, killer sound system with sub woofer, and best of all when ever I have a problem for the next 3 years they send someone down to fix it. That is a much better deal than my prolient 500 compaq.

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dropped9

Yeah building your pc yourself is good, but when i was shopping around for my girls pc i priced what it would cost to get everything i wanted and throw it together myself. It was only going to save me like $150 .

I have had a Dell pc for about 2 years now and i have never had a problem with it. Dell is far ahead of the game then the rest ( gateway, pb). You can choose what you want and customize it totaly. Its not an off the self in K-mart PC..... at least i have never saw a dell in kmart ~

My pc has totaly kicked ass for the past 2 years and i wouldnt think twice about buying a 3rd Dell... They just kick ass for the price.

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misterwalrus

Save yourself lots of headaches, buy new! But if you can, stay away from Dell, Gateway, etc. and put it together from scratch.

Wanda

I think if I had that setup, I would start looking for a good deal on a barebone.
Check out Pricewatch.com for some good deals.
simple to find the lowest priced computer hardware and software that you are looking for.

Exxxotica

This was my first computerwhen I was like 11yrs old! Had Cool video games!

Anybody remember the Comadore Vic20?

1mhz
3k memory
Cassette Tape drive
Thats POWER and SPEED!!!

Gemini

The key is to make your list of YOUR wants or needs then hit the phones. You can save alot more than Headies 150 bucks believe me. And if it takes you more than an hour to put that together then somethings wrong. Buy a dell etc and buy a proprietary MB that 9 of 10 times won't upgrade much but RAM.

Try to stay away from MB's that have built in this and that. Some of them refuse to shut down say the built in video which usually is less than you want after a month. Lots of tricks to it. But we made good money selling them for quite a few years. Headaches for Joe Know it all newbie puter owners got to be more than the profit was worth. We built p3-450's for about 300-400 including the ATS cases when they were selling out the door for 1200.
If you go used, make sure its in an ATS case or the MB will be useless to swap out. And get the highest wattage you can get. 250 minimum. Clones from shops built the way above are industrial grade and you can't get much better except going to a micro or mini computer. (the big uns)

We still use a p2-333 for a server and have 233p1's in use as well as a cpl 166's etc. They are great for storage or isolating certain programs on such as your quicken etc. (turn it off and its safe from net prowlers when you're online)

Whew! Have to get a drink. All sweaty now

magnatique

aHHHH comodores I loved those.... those games we had on those were kick ass

remmember the Frog game?, maybe not

Exxxotica

Sorry...I dont quite remember the frog game.
My favorite was GORF!!!

I also loved the mystry text games like "The Count" and "Voodo Castle" Those were great!
When I was 11, me, my brother, and the now famous BONEPRONE, sat around for hours trying to slove those games! Ahhh...to be young again!

Jamdin

Thanks all for the info. I'll have to brand new all the way. The last time I worked on something, it broke three days later. I'm not allowed to fix vacuum cleaners anymore

MrBrian

jamdin-
i would get a whole new system
time is money. and if you are on a fast computer you will work more efficient

i bought my lil brother a p3 800, 256megs of ram, 20 gig hd, 19 inch monitor from expensive dell for $1200.

im sure you can get something cheaper on ubid.com i bought an HP p3600, 128 megs of ram, 20 gig HD, cd-r, cd player, usc, speakers, etc for 500 bucks + 55 bucks shipping. 17" monitors are 150 bucks and sometimes they have free shipping which would be a big plus

aprilkorova

Exxotica,

Commodores rocked! I loved those goddamn puters. You remember a hitchhikers guide to the galaxy on that thing? How could we have ever been so completely amused by a text only, completely basic game back then LOL. It was tha bomb! Ahhhh the simpler times.

Exxxotica

Aprilkorova,

I just dug out my old Comadore! It was in storage at my parents home.

When I set it up...would you like to come over and play?

Jamdin

I checked out the local computer stores & none of them will sell a P3 system for less than a $1,000 (no surprise there). After shopping around & comparing prices, it looks like Gateway is going to win out

aprilkorova

Wish I could Exxotica but I've spent far too much time and trouble in your neck of the woods. It wasn't like they told me that could never come back, but they would certainly prefer it that way. LOL

Bexman

Of course I remember Frog... not long after pong, right ?? ;-)
BUY A FUCKIN' NEW SYSTEM !!!
(why Intel -AMD is just doing better and cheaper?)

Bexman

Oh, I forgot - buy a new Monitor !!!
Did you ever worked on a nice 17" or 19" Monitor?? It's so much better !

stangster

lol

GORF!! That was an awesome game! Damn I'm fucking getting old!

Galaga rules too!

boneprone

powerful

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