My final choice for a desktop

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venky07

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Greetings!

I am addicted to this forum now. Even if i don't post or reply regularly, I can't help visiting it as often as i possibly can! This is a great place.

I think i have finally made my choice. I don't have the time and required effort to go and build one PC. I would prefer to rely on a known manufacturer like Dell/ Compaq/ HP/ IBM etc. so that i am assured of the warranty and of the brand name.

For the following, HP offers immediate delivery. Even if the price is 10% more than places like overclockers/ pcspecialist, et. al., i am willing to live with it. Your ideas/criticism on the following specs vs. cost is welcome:

Regards

Venkat

The motherbored(!) is MSI MS-7184

HP Pavilion w5151.uk : 750£
Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
Processor AMD Athlon™ 64 processor 3400+
Chipset ATI RADEON® XPRESS 200
RAM 1 GB : DDR-SDRAM
Memory slots 4 DIMM sockets
Internal drives Internal hard disk drive 160 GB
Hard disk controller Serial ATA hard drive
Hard disk drive speed (7200 rpm)
External hard disk drive 160 GB Personal Media Drive
Optical drive type DVD writer
Optical drive speed Double Layer ±R/ ±RW 16x/2.4x max supporting LightScribe technology
System features Memory card device 9in1 memory card reader
Network interface 10/100BT network interface
Video capture interface IEEE 1394 FireWire® Interface
Video adapter ATI RADEON X600
Video RAM 256 MB video memory
Compatible interactive TV services TV and FM radio tuner card with remote control
Internal audio Integrated 5.1 sound solution
Speakers and microphone (Speakers provided with Monitors)
Keyboard Wireless keyboard and mouse
External drive bays 2 external optical drive bays, 1 internal HDD bay, 1 external HDD bay
Video adapter, bus 1 PCI-Express 16x
Expansion slots 3 PCI (1 free)
External I/O ports 6 USB 2.0 ports (2 in front); 2 FireWire-IEEE-1394 ports (1 in front); 1 parallel port
Software Microsoft® Works Suite 2005: Microsoft® Word 2002; Microsoft® Works 8.0; Microsoft® AutoRoute 2005; Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia Standard 2005; Microsoft® Money Standard 2005; Microsoft® Picture It!® Photo Premium 10
Included/Pre-installed softwareMicrosoft® Internet Explorer 6.0; Microsoft® Outlook® Express; Adobe® Reader 6.0
Optical drive driver software Sonic™ DigitalMedia Plus 7.0: Sonic™ RecordNow; Sonic™ MyDVD; Sonic™ Easy Archive; Sonic™ Express Labeler; Microsoft® MovieMaker; HP Image Zone Plus; Microsoft® Windows® Media Player 10; Apple iTunes and QuickTimes; InterVideo WinDVD 5.0 with Dolby Digital Playback
Software - education / reference / entertainment InterVideo Home Theater™ 2.5
Software included HP Pavilion on-line user's guide; HP Help; HP Pavilion recovery partition (including possibility to recover system, applications and drivers separately); Optional re-allocation of recovery partition; Recovery CD/DVD creation tool; Symantec™ Norton Internet Security™ 2005 (60-day liveupdate)
Dimensions / weight / warranty
Weight 13.8 kg
Package weight 20 kg
Dimensions (w x d x h) 192 x 420 x 385 mm
Package dimensions (W x D x H) 500 x 600 x 340 mm
Warranty Statement 1 year, pick-up and return, parts and labour.
 
Hi venky07,

I'm glad you've found the forums useful :D Mucks will be very pleased you've found the name of the motherboard you are using ;)

MSI are a decent make, so you shouldn't have any problems there. However, the X600 isn't the best graphics card around - so if you are a gamer I would look for a different card. The CPU, Ram and everything else seem fine though :)

What would you be using the PC for exactly? Also, does that price include a monitor?
 
I've priced up a similar spec Dell machine, and it comes to £737 (inc vat+shipping) including a 19" TFT Flatscreen.

Go here and change the following options from their origional config to get the same price:

Warranty to 1 Year Collect and Return
16x DVD+/-RW
19" Flat Screen
Add X600

You get almost the same PC, but the 3.0Ghz CPU (new 630 series with 2MB cache) is slower than the A64 3400+, although if that price didn't include a monitor it makes this a nice deal.
 
Oh yes ... don't I just hype on about motherboards and for good reason. ;)

This is an OEM MSI/Microstar MS-7184 motherboard. You WONT find it in the shops and you WONT find it at MSI.

Don't worry, that is how they all do it, including Dell ... on higher end PCs you will see some using a 'general on sale at your local shop' MB but not often.

Just be aware of the limitations when it comes to 'upgradeability' usually, there is non ... oh you can add more ram and you can plonk in a better graphics card (if you’re lucky) ... but that is about it.

"Chipset ATI RADEON® XPRESS 200" ... it's onboard, yuck, I don't care for onboard video, and nor do 'gamers' but you could add, as it does have a PCI-E 16x slot free, a better card.

I personally do like MSI MBs, not this one but ... in your case, don't forget, you'll have to use HP/Comcrap website for sundry thing like driver updates ...

Note:
The bios program has been altered to a Compaq/HP specific version. Don’t mess with it.

Overall not bad ... make sure you GET a recovery/backup/windows CD ... insist on it, or don't bother. I can't remeber who, but one company want £25 for them to send you a CD ... HUH! nope, they aint kidding.

:D
 
Thank you all...!

Dear All,

Thank you very much. Sometime soon, i will start posting some real experiences in the humor collumn.

My need for gaming is quite small as i have a PS2. I might do some gaming, games like Prince of Persia, need for speed, burnout, etc. I just need it to process videos from my camcorder, surfing, email, running some web sites that i manage, etc.

The price does not include a monitor. Looks like the Dell deal mentioned above could be interesting. But considering some negative feedback on Dell on these forums, i am not really very confident on Dell.

Regards

Venky
 
Dells are usually OK to be honest, I've had quite a few - simply because they are cheap and work well :) However, that PC isn't a bad deal, so if you are happy with it then it might be worth it!
 
But considering some negative feedback on Dell on these forums, i am not really very confident on Dell.
Click to expand...
The 'feedback' is respective to the amount of people that buy a Dell.

I would rather have a Dell than a HP/Comcrap ;)

I have the luxury of being a PC builder, though now retired I still keep my hand in. I point blank refuse to even look at a Comcrap ... as for HP, well I'll look. Now they are the same company ... Oh Boy!

Don’t let me put you off, your system spec' is good for the price that's out there ... I just have a great adversity to any propriety manufactured PC. :D

Just ignore me, I rattly about a lot lately. :rolleyes:
 
hp is good quality stuff, but overpriced like hell most of the time. I have an hp and it is very solid, its just it cost me £1300 a few years ago !
 
Ian Cunningham said:
Hi venky07,

I'm glad you've found the forums useful :D Mucks will be very pleased you've found the name of the motherboard you are using ;)

MSI are a decent make, so you shouldn't have any problems there. However, the X600 isn't the best graphics card around - so if you are a gamer I would look for a different card. The CPU, Ram and everything else seem fine though :)

What would you be using the PC for exactly? Also, does that price include a monitor?
Click to expand...
hi ian
just found your sight by chance trying to find details on a computer i am thinking of buying.
It is an HP Media Centre m7240.ukPC and has almost identical spec to the one you replied to Venky about in September 2005.
Point is I can't find any reviews for this computer anywhere, but the price is a straight £400 in a clearance sale from a major department store and comes with a 2 year guarantee.
It has the wireless keyboard and mouse, but no monitor which can be bought later.
All the software and spec is almost identical to the one quoted be Venky.
Do you have any views on these media centres and any reason why there is so little in the way of reviews.
One other thing is that I don't know what disks it comes with although they say there is an option to produce a back up disc,-once.
As this is in a cleasrance sale your urgent help would be most appreciated.
thanks
 
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