New Computer Advice

What do you want to use it for?
How much do you want to £££ spend?
Buy online or in the high street?
 
Many thanks for your prompt response

I tried pricerunner, but as soon as I put in dedicated graphics no results are found!

It's for a relative, so reliability is a key requirement
I have had to attend to their current PC three times due to virus / trojan infections, each time just reformatting the hard drive and restoring (as it was quicker)
This is a new computer for their son

Primary use is gaming / online gaming

There is NO budget (and I really do mean that)

No monitor / screen is required, to be connected by either VGA or HDMI / base unit only
However, it will require :
keyboard / wireless keyboard
mouse / wireless mouse
At least 4 USB ports

The purchase will be high street, so that if it goes wrong they can easily deal with a known high street brand
I will be recommending they purchase a three year (parts and labour) warranty, but I will already have some policies / quotes in advance so as to avoid expensive / inappropriate own-store products

I have had a look in :
comet
I was not impressed and could only find one computer that met this requirement (high RAM, high spec processor, and high video RAM)
currys
As this is the next closest retailer to me, but the two sample computers were not connected to any screens

I will also look at :
John Lewis (often seen as expensive, but when the time is right they have some really good deals)
supermarkets, etc
 
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Suggest you carry on with your market research and if you find a pc you like see if john lewis sell it, as they will match it & offer a free 2 year warranty. Downside to JL is that sometimes their pc's are slightly outdated in as much as pc world seem to change their stock every 3 months or so!

At the moment some good offers are on, staples, pcworld/currys, comet & even argos!
And also the supermarkets offer some good deals.

I would suggest novatech if your near cardiff, bristol or portsmouth.
They offer very good service, builds and you-want-it-they-build-it!!!
 
First off by restricting yourself to only high street stores you will either be buying a machine that will be lacking in some way or pay over the odds for a decent gaming machine.

Forget Comet; Currys; Dixons & PC World, they are all crap.

The supermarkets do actually sell some good machines but having had a quick look none of them are suitable for gaming. John Lewis do some good deals but is there a branch near your neck of the woods?

Argos come close with their top-specced machines, may be worth considering if high street purchase is prime importance and you don't mind paying over the odds compared to buying online, here's a link to some: Argos

If you have a local computer specialist shop that's probably your best bet, as long as they're good. You can discuss your needs with a smaller trader, discuss specs and agree prices. And then always handy for repairs/upgrades.

Look for an Intel i5 or i7 minimum quad core CPU, at least 4Gb RAM (peferably 6 or 8Gb); 1Tb hard disk and a graphics card aimed at gaming with at least 1Gb memory, such as most of the Nvidia 5 series of cards.

It's worth mentioning that High Street store readymade machines will often skimp on the quality of internal components, such as PSU & memory whereas a home built or online-specced machine will not shirk in these areas.
 
floppybootstomp said:
First off by restricting yourself to only high street stores
Look for an Intel i5 or i7 minimum quad core CPU, at least 4Gb RAM (peferably 6 or 8Gb); 1Tb hard disk and a graphics card aimed at gaming with at least 1Gb memory, such as most of the Nvidia 5 series of cards
Click to expand...
The high street requirement is not my specification, the relative wants this for ease of service support

As above, looking for HIGHEST specification
I was already looking at :
Intel i7 quad core
8GB RAM
1TB HDD
2GB dedicated graphics

I have loads of experience ATi graphics cards, swapped many over last few years
I have had problems in the past with Nvidia graphics cards

I will also need to get a list of games that the relative owns and plans to own or has not yet installed, but they will probably all be releases from within the last 3 months
 
Alright, you're on the right path but finding what you want in the DVD section at Asdas may prove problematic ;)

In my opinion Nvidia still rule the roost but I wouldn't shy away from an AMD card right now. ATI or Nvidia cards failing tell you little, I've never had an Nvidia card fail on me but have had two ATI/AMD cards go belly up on me. What does this prove? Nothing. Except, maybe, that the makers of those cards (Hercules and XFX) should maybe not be trusted but I wouldn't write off AMD as a whole because of my experience.

If you're going high spec consider using an SSD drive for OS and small software apps such as office and a large disk or disks for storage and games.

I have a 120Gb SSD for Win 7 and a pair of 500Gb SATA disks for storage and games and the Games disk, which has my Steam folder on it, is almost full.
 
floppybootstomp said:
Alright, you're on the right path but finding what you want in the DVD section at Asdas may prove problematic
Click to expand...
I bought loads of desktop computers during the 1990s and 2000s
I used to upgrade every 3 to 5 years
More recently I have been buying laptops, so a little rusty on desktops, hence seeing what has changed and bringing myself back up-to-date

Equally, I know you won't find a desktop computer in the DVD section at Asda
Furthermore, my local Asda doesn't even sell computers!
 
My comment, it was, how we say? A leetle tongue-in-cheek, an attempt at humour, albeit a somewhat lame attempt ;)

You seem to know what you're doing, good luck with the purchase. Let us know what your relative ends up with eh?

And a Happy Hogmanay to you :)
 
floppybootstomp said:
You seem to know what you're doing, good luck with the purchase. Let us know what your relative ends up with eh?
Click to expand...
So apart from looking at those specifications, there are no other recommendations...

I was hoping to hear about recent purchases and computers that people had received for Christmas or were considering with their Christmas money

Equally, integrated bundles

My two previous desktop PCs were bundles
The first was a IBM
The second was a HP Pavilion (top spec at the time), it was so good I bought a second

I will wait until the second week of January then see what is on offer

edit :
Just noticed I joined in 2006, been visiting several times since, eeek
Can't believe it is 5 years since I even replied to a post
 
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m8internet said:
So apart from looking at those specifications, there are no other recommendations...
Click to expand...

Not from me, no, unless you want to go the AMD route which is a really good choice but I do think Intel has the edge over AMD atm.

I'm no Fanboy of either I'll go with whatever's best, but I went AMD for ten years exclusively until Intel introduced the Core Duo Socket 775 series.

Personally, I'd never buy a tailor made machine, much less an HP/Compaq/Dell/Whatever machine, I've always built my own right from my very first machine, a 386, but that's just me.

You're asking about bundles, what do you mean? I thought you wanted to buy a base unit from the high street with all peripherals bar Monitor - correct? If so kinda narrows down the field a bit. When I hear 'bundles' I think of CPU/Memory/Motherboard which would imply a home build.

My latest build was last September, see specs under my avatar to the left of this post.
 
m8internet said:
I was hoping to hear about recent purchases and computers that people had received for Christmas or were considering with their Christmas money
Click to expand...


I would say the vast majority of regular forum users have built their own PC's and very few if none would buy high street :D
 
floppybootstomp said:
You're asking about bundles, what do you mean?
Click to expand...
It is a trick on the high street to now offer two types of base unit only
One has just the OS (and limited security)
The other has a bundle, including OS and third party software, usually for an extra small payment (about £50)

My IBM was the first type
My HP Pavilion is the latter type and came with the HP digital software suite and was well worth the extra £38 I paid for it (although I uninstalled the anti-virus software once it expired)

Agreed, I could build them a system, but I just don't have the time to run backwards and forwards to deal with any issues
As above, I dealt with virus / trojan issues and these alone take up several hours (from leaving home to getting back home)
 
Buying off the high street and wanting "The HIGHEST Spec PC" is a contradiction in terms. ;)

If your serious about 'no budget' then a specialist high end PC/Component online retailer is your only option.

You say no monitor is needed, why? What monitor do they already have? If your spending mega bucks on a PC then you may as well get a nice new 30" Dell Ultrasharp for about a grand too. ;)


Heres a starter for your no budget PC...
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-180-OE&groupid=43&catid=2040&subcat=1270

Will still need a Keyboard, mouse etc...
 
V_R said:
Buying off the high street and wanting "The HIGHEST Spec PC" is a contradiction in terms
Click to expand...
Not really, as I was comparing what I could find online to the high street
The main issue is when you take that specification to the high street, the choice is very limited

V_R said:
You say no monitor is needed, why? What monitor do they already have? If your spending mega bucks on a PC then you may as well get a nice new 30" Dell Ultrasharp for about a grand too
Click to expand...
Why would a ten year old need a such another new TV?
I suggested earlier this year they could use their existing TV (bought about April 2011) with a new computer and connect via HDMI

The family PC is quite old and will be retained by the oldies

Anyway, the goal posts have now changed
I have convinced them about online retailers, after showing the aria.co.uk and advising them to purchase via their Credit Card
Ironically one of the parents works for a high street bank, but has been stung in the past by an online retailer
 
m8internet said:
Not really, as I was comparing what I could find online to the high street
The main issue is when you take that specification to the high street, the choice is very limited
Click to expand...
Not just limited, but far more inferior with regards to components used etc. You will be looking at the likes for HP's, Compaqs, even Dells, etc. Which use cheap crap motherboards and PSU's as an example, but most parts in 'off the shelf PC's' are of poor quality... Thus my original statement remains true. ;)

Why would a ten year old need a such another new TV?
Click to expand...
You didn't mention that it was for a kid, nor did you nemtion it was to be use in conjunction with a TV, and its a monitor not a TV there is a big difference.

I suggested earlier this year they could use their existing TV (bought about April 2011) with a new computer and connect via HDMI
Click to expand...
So you will be running at a maximum of 1080p. So you dont need a 'No Budget' PC.

Anyway, the goal posts have now changed, I have convinced them about online retailers, after showing the aria.co.uk and advising them to purchase via their Credit Card Ironically one of the parents works for a high street bank, but has been stung in the past by an online retailer
Click to expand...
Link to the PC your looking at?
 
V_R said:
You didn't mention that it was for a kid, nor did you nemtion it was to be use in conjunction with a TV, and its a monitor not a TV there is a big difference
Click to expand...
See earlier post, relative and would be base unit only

V_R said:
Link to the PC your looking at?
Click to expand...
No specific PC, was just using aria.co.uk as an example for them
I have sent them there to have a look then get back to me
As previous the thing that puts them off (the parent that is) is having to wait for delivery, no shop to visit, etc

Their latest response sounds better as they like my idea of taking the base system then adding what they need for online gaming; more RAM, replacement graphics card, and one SSD (which none of them have as standard)

No budget doesn't just mean 1080p, its all about the specification
Could easily spend £2000 just on RAM and graphics for the best online gaming experience from the computer

My own computer is connected to a 50" TV, acts as a monitor
Not bothered about that any more as this computer is only switched on once every 3 months (backup for laptop)
 
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