Starting to need a new computer, what to get?

NewEgg delivery in 3-4 days
4-6 hours assembly
OC to 5GHz
Cutting edge computer

$139 COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced Blue Edition RC-932-KKN3-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case with USB 3.0
$339 Intel Core i7-2700K Sandy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623i72700K
$209 ASUS P8P67 DELUXE (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
$154 G.SKILL Ripjaws Z Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2133 (PC3 17000) Desktop Memory Model F3-17000CL9Q-16GBZH
$499 ASUS ENGTX580 DCII/2DIS/1536MD5 GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
$50 COOLER MASTER V8 RR-UV8-XBU1-GP 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler Intel Core i7 compatible
$50 Creative 70SB073A00000 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer
$22 ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model
$105 Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-750 750W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V v2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
$1,399 Dell UltraSharp U3011 30" Height, Swivel & Tilt Adjustable Widescreen LCD Monitor 370 cd/m2
$47 Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Keyboard

$3,013
 
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omni550 said:
I have a eMachines PC that is 7 years old, a 6-year-old Dell 700m Inspiron laptop, and an 1-year-old Asus eee netbook.

...

I've read that PCs are rapidly dwindling in popularity, so there may be some good deals out there.
Click to expand...
Great deals have been out there for a number of years. But, like you I keep things going as long as possible. I still prefer Dell systems, but have an HP notebook with 17" screen for traveling. A bit heavy to carry, but I sacrifice nothing when I am consulting.

Set a budget for yourself, and see what that buys. Then adjust up or down to suit your needs. I think you can get free Word/Excel starter edition. If you buy full Office, that adds 25-50% to cost of system.

Something I ran into with last two installs I went out on--there are no com or parallel ports on an average system now. If you have a trusty old laser printer with just a parallel port, you'll need an adapter, or some workaround.

I'm still convinced these computer things will never catch on. :ROFLMAO:
 
After my post, I went through other messages and made a few notes:
- two burning drives, best performance will be with a desktop and internal bus.
- Mac, you may be presently surprised. But none of your PC software runs on it without purchasing add'l software. Then you have two OS's to keep updated!
- Support, if you work at a PC place, your computer guys have solutions for you. What about your legacy software. Do you use Quicken?
- Deskspace, plugging in a lot of peripherals to a notebook is a pain. If you get a dock thingy, it takes up real estate. If you have room, that's fine. See below.
- Self-build, you won't save anything by doing this. You'll learn a lot about what you don't know, though.
- Battery useage, factor in the cost of a notebook battery replacement or two down the road.
- Solid state, really nice option. Higher cost.
- Tablets (yes there are others), I only see these as auxiliary things, like a phone. You could cut the pc cord and see what it's all about.

img_1173638_0_af902d819985ae0bf122441c19c97b06.jpg
 
Zero said:
NewEgg delivery in 3-4 days
4-6 hours assembly
OC to 5GHz
Cutting edge computer


$3,013
Click to expand...
I take it you are a gamer Zero? I have never gotten into it so I don't need anything like this. Guys who worked for me were fanatics and built or bought high end machines. You have to be pretty particular about your Internet access as well since a little latency could overcome the advantages of the box. Next step will be specialized furniture to fit.
 
Zero said:
NewEgg delivery in 3-4 days
4-6 hours assembly
OC to 5GHz
Cutting edge computer

$3,013
Click to expand...

Wow...a bit more that I was planning on paying. :confused:

And probably a lot more capability than I would ever use.

(I did assemble a Heathkit ham radio in 7th grade and that was a lot of fun.)

omni
 
target2019 said:
After my post, I went through other messages and made a few notes:
- two burning drives, best performance will be with a desktop and internal bus.
- Mac, you may be presently surprised. But none of your PC software runs on it without purchasing add'l software. Then you have two OS's to keep updated!
- Support, if you work at a PC place, your computer guys have solutions for you. What about your legacy software. Do you use Quicken?
- Deskspace, plugging in a lot of peripherals to a notebook is a pain. If you get a dock thingy, it takes up real estate. If you have room, that's fine. See below.
- Self-build, you won't save anything by doing this. You'll learn a lot about what you don't know, though.
- Battery useage, factor in the cost of a notebook battery replacement or two down the road.
- Solid state, really nice option. Higher cost.
- Tablets (yes there are others), I only see these as auxiliary things, like a phone. You could cut the pc cord and see what it's all about.
Click to expand...

target 2019,

You brought up some good points. Thanks.

I don't have much legacy software, don't use Quicken, don't work (so no free IT support :LOL:), have lots of space (1800 sq ft house for 1 person) but can't foresee ever using 5 monitors LOL.

That's a good point about considering the lifetime cost of future laptop battery replacement.

(BTW, just curious, how do long do iPad batteries last and what is their replacement cost...anyone know? Or are iPads considered a disposable item?)

omni
 
battery is OK

target2019 said:
- Battery useage, factor in the cost of a notebook battery replacement ..
Click to expand...

I see having a battery as an advantage when power goes down.
And price is not bad:
ASUS Notebook battery - 6-cell - $47. It's like getting a new UPS after 6-7 years or so. Our HP laptop is more then 7 years old and battery is OK.
 
target2019 said:
Something I ran into with last two installs I went out on--there are no com or parallel ports on an average system now. If you have a trusty old laser printer with just a parallel port, you'll need an adapter, or some workaround.

I'm still convinced these computer things will never catch on. :ROFLMAO:
Click to expand...

target,

Aaack! I hadn't even considered the printer angle.

And, yes, I have an hp laser printer that I love. It's a true workhorse that has performed flawlessly for probably 7-8 years. I'd prefer to keep it if/when I replace the current PC.

I'll have to get an adapter, I suppose.

Any foreseeable issues with printer software/drivers, etc?

omni
 
omni550 said:
target,

Aaack! I hadn't even considered the printer angle.

And, yes, I have an hp laser printer that I love. It's a true workhorse that has performed flawlessly for probably 7-8 years. I'd prefer to keep it if/when I replace the current PC.

I'll have to get an adapter, I suppose.

Any foreseeable issues with printer software/drivers, etc?

omni
Click to expand...
Is it attached through parallel or USB or network?
Check the back of the printer. You might need one of these if it is parallel only:

Newegg.com - Koutech IO-UP111 USB to Parallel Port Adapter

What printer is it?
 
donheff said:
I take it you are a gamer Zero? I have never gotten into it so I don't need anything like this. Guys who worked for me were fanatics and built or bought high end machines. You have to be pretty particular about your Internet access as well since a little latency could overcome the advantages of the box. Next step will be specialized furniture to fit.
Click to expand...

donheff, nah, no gaming, just like to push the edge sometimes. I built a nice rig about 2 years ago that was 50% overclocked and when you clicked on something like MS Word or Excel, it would be open before the mouse clicked back.

But yeah, I also had many [-]nerds[/-] colleagues that spent lots of water cooler time comparing gaming performance.

BTW, look at the internet speed available in Seattle from CondoInternet, and I've visited a friend who lives at Escala and his internet is 400Mbps. Downloads happen instantly if coming from the right websites.
 
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I was a lifelong PC user but I replaced my aging Dell with a 13" MacBook Air 256GB a couple of months ago. I considered an iPad or tablet but I wanted the power of a computer to be able to use Photoshop and other real programs. The Air is about the same size as a tablet so if I am going to carry something around it might as well be a real computer. I also bought an Apple Time Capsule so I have wi-fi and 2 TB of storage space at home. When I am using it at home I am connected to my old Dell monitor and a wireless keyboard and mouse. I've got an external disk drive for the rare occasion I need to read/write a CD/DVD.

It took me about a month to "learn" the ins and outs of Apple software. It also took me a while to get used to keyboard shortcuts required for a a laptop and the small wireless keyboard. Overall, I am very happy with my decision and setup.
 
omni550 said:
target,

It's an HP LaserJet 1012. It has a USB connector.

What are the new computers (PC/laptops) equipped with these days?

omni
Click to expand...
You are in good shape. All new systems have USB.

When you get new computer, search for the driver software for that printer at HP. Stay away from the other hits you may find.

Here's an interesting thread.
 
Last edited:
martyp said:
It took me about a month to "learn" the ins and outs of Apple software. It also took me a while to get used to keyboard shortcuts required for a a laptop and the small wireless keyboard. Overall, I am very happy with my decision and setup.
Click to expand...

martyp,

The few times I've tried to help a friend (who is brand-new to using computers) to do anything on her Apple computer, I've been sorely tempted to pitch it into the nearest large body of water.

It seems like I'd always be saying something like "Well, on my PC, I'd be hitting control and key x...but I don't have a clue how it's done on an Apple."

Having been a long-time PC user, it seems as though learning to use the Apple products is sort of like learning a new language.

I was gifted with an iPod about 4 years ago, and did not find it particularly intuitive (or useful, for that matter).

I suppose it's a matter of what one feels comfortable with.

Did you 'take to' the Apple easily...or was it a struggle...or ?

omni
 
martyp said:
I was a lifelong PC user but I replaced my aging Dell with a 13" MacBook Air 256GB a couple of months ago. I considered an iPad or tablet but I wanted the power of a computer to be able to use Photoshop and other real programs. The Air is about the same size as a tablet so if I am going to carry something around it might as well be a real computer. I also bought an Apple Time Capsule so I have wi-fi and 2 TB of storage space at home. When I am using it at home I am connected to my old Dell monitor and a wireless keyboard and mouse. I've got an external disk drive for the rare occasion I need to read/write a CD/DVD.

It took me about a month to "learn" the ins and outs of Apple software. It also took me a while to get used to keyboard shortcuts required for a a laptop and the small wireless keyboard. Overall, I am very happy with my decision and setup.
Click to expand...
U.S. Mac share is about 15%, and PC sales are declining. So buying a Mac is not an unusual decision these days. It is very much like a fine car. BMW gets you there for 50K. OTH, a PC is like a Hyundai, maybe half the cost and the interior will not get you a model girlfriend.

I've been the whole cycle with Apple Mac. I had most of the models in the first ten years. Business market share was anemic, and after a while I left the Apple fold and specialized in PC hardware, as that is where the business market went.

Still, as wife reminded me this morning, "Why didn't you buy Apple stock ten years ago?" It is a very successful company. If you are near a store, the tech support is really fine. Even out of AppleCare warranty they do stuff for free.

For a home user, a Mac is probably the finest bottle of wine. Some people like beer, though. :cool: I still run my business out of an old Powermac 7500 on M.Y.O.B.
 
martyp said:
It took me about a month to "learn" the ins and outs of Apple software. It also took me a while to get used to keyboard shortcuts required for a a laptop and the small wireless keyboard. Overall, I am very happy with my decision and setup.
Click to expand...

martyp,

The few times I've tried to help a friend (who is brand-new to using computers) to do anything on her Apple computer, I've been sorely tempted to pitch it into the nearest large body of water.

It seems like I'd always be saying something like "Well, on my PC, I'd be hitting control and key x...but I don't have a clue how it's done on an Apple."

Having been a long-time PC user, it seems as though learning to use the Apple products is sort of like learning a new language.

I was gifted with an iPod about 4 years ago, and did not find it particularly intuitive.

I suppose it's a matter of what one feels comfortable with.

Did you 'take to' the Apple easily...or was it a struggle...or ? Any tips/tricks on making the conversion?

omni
 
omni550 said:
martyp,

Did you 'take to' the Apple easily...or was it a struggle...or ?

omni
Click to expand...

I know what you mean. I used to hear people rave about their Apples and how easy it was but I never saw the appeal. As an engineer I was always annoyed with having to accommodate people with Apple's that were generally not compatible with our systems. Also, the Apples didn't seem to be any more reliable than the PC's but the Apple users always seem brainwashed to overlook the limitations.

Once I retired and was not required to run programs that could only run on PC's (in particular CAD programs) I became a little more open minded. Once I decided on what kind of system I wanted I felt that the Apple hardware was all nicely integrated and it just seemed like an easier purchase than a PC purchase.

I'm an engineer and have been using PC's since the 1980's. I thought DOS was just fine and throughout the years learned new operating systems and programs as they came along. So I knew that I could adapt to Apple software in about a month if I put my mind to it. Also, since I'm not working I didn't have to worry about my productivity during my learning curve. As I mentioned, it is not just Apple software but adapting to keyboard shortcuts required for smaller laptop keyboards. I have to say, that I depended on internet resources to figure out how to do what I wanted to do. You can easily enter questions into Google and find what you need to know pretty easily. Of course, like anything you need to use what you learn in order to retain it.

My mother is old, not naturally comfortable with computers, and not a frequent user. I would never recommend a switch from a PC to a Mac for her. If you are adept at computers and motivated than the switch from PC to Mac is doable. I don't regret my purchase decision.
 
Some interesting things you need to adjust to with a Mac.

The mouse has one button. Keyboard is a little different as mentioned.

The browser, Navigator, sometimes has problems with web sites. For instance, my wife and daughter always have Yahoo difficulty. Just get another browser and that is solved.

PC software you have purchased needs additional software to run on a Mac. MS Office is a good example. What is your total investment in software?

Peripherals may not have drivers for Mac. May have to buy new.

Sharing between different OS takes a bit to learn. Do you have other computers at home?

I'd keep it in the comparison, though. It can work for you.
 
martyp said:
I know what you mean. I used to hear people rave about their Apples and how easy it was but I never saw the appeal. As an engineer I was always annoyed with having to accommodate people with Apple's that were generally not compatible with our systems. Also, the Apples didn't seem to be any more reliable than the PC's but the Apple users always seem brainwashed to overlook the limitations.

Once I retired and was not required to run programs that could only run on PC's (in particular CAD programs) I became a little more open minded. Once I decided on what kind of system I wanted I felt that the Apple hardware was all nicely integrated and it just seemed like an easier purchase than a PC purchase.

I'm an engineer and have been using PC's since the 1980's. I thought DOS was just fine and throughout the years learned new operating systems and programs as they came along. So I knew that I could adapt to Apple software in about a month if I put my mind to it. Also, since I'm not working I didn't have to worry about my productivity during my learning curve. As I mentioned, it is not just Apple software but adapting to keyboard shortcuts required for smaller laptop keyboards. I have to say, that I depended on internet resources to figure out how to do what I wanted to do. You can easily enter questions into Google and find what you need to know pretty easily. Of course, like anything you need to use what you learn in order to retain it.

My mother is old, not naturally comfortable with computers, and not a frequent user. I would never recommend a switch from a PC to a Mac for her. If you are adept at computers and motivated than the switch from PC to Mac is doable. I don't regret my purchase decision.
Click to expand...
Marty, I agree with all you wrote. One thing I will do different in retirement is buy an all-in-one-Mac if it is still available. I've set up a few of those for business owners, and the complete package is really nice. Displaying pictures and movies is awesome on the large screen.
 
I needed to purchase a new version of Photoshop for the Mac. I had been upgrading my PC version for 10 years and stopped at version 6. Fortunately, I was able to get a very good deal on the Mac version.

I lost my recipe software which only works on PC's. I was able to export all the recipes to txt files. I haven't purchased a Mac recipe program but I know there is one out there and I will get to it eventually.

You can purchase a fairly cheap version of Microsoft Office for Mac.

My flatbed scanner was only 2 yrs old and it worked just fine on my Mac.

The Mac Lion X operating system is very nice. Yes, the mouse is one button but it is also a touch pad. You can just swipe your finger vertically or horizontally to get additional performance. I love the mouse!

I had to download a program call VLC to play mpeg videos. It was easy and free. iMovie and iPhoto are both very nice programs and come free with the Mac. Better than the programs I purchased for my PC.

I also have an iPod and iPhone so there is some nice integration with these devices through iTunes.
 
target2019 said:
Marty, I agree with all you wrote. One thing I will do different in retirement is buy an all-in-one-Mac if it is still available. I've set up a few of those for business owners, and the complete package is really nice. Displaying pictures and movies is awesome on the large screen.
Click to expand...

I agree. The all-in-one-Mac's are nice and have awesome large monitors. My decision was based on only having one computer that was mobile but at the same time preserved my desktop experience.

After leaving work I missed my laptop!
 
Last edited:
target2019 said:
Some interesting things you need to adjust to with a Mac.

The mouse has one button.
Click to expand...


When I was using Macs (I'm mainly on Linux now), I always bought a cheap 3-button scroll wheel mouse. Just plug 'em in and they work fine (you might need to activate the third button in the preferences, I don't recall now).

I haven't played with their new 'touchpad' mouse, that probably works well. Sounds like martyp is a fan.

As far as difficulty moving from PC to Mac, just remember that in most cases it is mostly a matter of what you get used to. Sometimes, when people say it is hard to adjust to the Mac, they make it sound like the Mac is hard to use, but mostly it is just small differences, and is a matter of perspective. Someone going from Mac to PC would have many (if not more of) the same issues. I noticed that on my DDs new MBP with Lion, they actually did 'fix' a lot of long standing things that bugged me - like you can finally re-size a window from any edge, about 20 years too late).

I've used both Mac and PC (at work) over the years, moved to Linux for my main machine a few years ago. I really should try re-assigning some of the keys to be like the Mac. Control-C, X,V,B ,N are so much more convenient as Command (Apple-Key)-C, etc (ALT Key on a Windows keyboard). That extra stretch is awkward. But Linux uses the Alt key for some things, and it would probably get confusing.

-ERD50
 
Marty, consider putting your recipes on Googledocs. You can then use NoteMaster on the iPod touch to access them in the kitchen. Works great for me.

Jobs once said "Having only one mouse button makes it very hard to hit the wrong button.". That's cute and sounds profound, but it is dead wrong.
 
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