Advice on Buying a PC Locally

Scego

Long time lurker,first time poster,be kind

I simply need advice on a certain HP Pavillion which I'm told is the most powerful in the local computer shop (I realise buying online is probaly a better idea but parents are business owners and big into buying locally etc..& shop owners are family friends.).
I have trouble believing that it is the most powerful though.

Specs
-AMD Athlon II x3 440 3.0GHZ
-Memory 4GB DDR3
-nVidia GeForce 6150 SE Graphics
-320GB SATA 7200 rpm
-Hp 20" S2031a Display

I've done some research and the processor and RAM seem OK at best but the graphics card is apparently outdated,integrated and poor quality.This might not be a problem as I understand Cards are cheap and easy to install,or maybe I'm wrong

I don't need this to run high end FPS games or anything,just some simple RTS/TBS games.I hope it's suitable.

Two questions;
-For €695,Am I being ripped off?
-Will this rig run Napoleon:Total War at recommended specs?

Thanks:)

zappb

its not the best computer, but it's very good,

your in a difficult situation,

I also like to buy locally whenever possible...but you can do way better for the same price online. Still my feeling would be to buy it, and get a graphics card online (ask them the model and make of the mobo and let us know just to make sure).

Is it including vat? If it's including VAT they are probably making only 50 - 100 euro margin and that would be including their time building it and supporting it, so they are deffo not trying to rip you off, they are just trying to stay in business.

How do people make money in this business? Anyone have any ideas?

Scego

Still my feeling would be to buy it, and get a graphics card online (ask them the model and make of the mobo and let us know just to make sure).

As I have only basic PC knowledge,another noob question.
What is a mobo?

An acronym for something? I presume they will know what I'm on about if I ask them,but to avoid looking like an idiot,I'd like to know what is stands for(If anything).

As far as I know,it includes VAT.

Solitaire

mobo = motherboard

And that's a dreadfully old, cheap, naff one in there - the vintage integrated GPU is the giveaway

The CPU is cheap but decent. The RAM might be; don't know what speed that stuff will run at but it should be fast enough. HDD is quite small by modern standards.

x in the city

Scego wrote: »

Long time lurker,first time poster,be kind

I simply need advice on a certain HP Pavillion which I'm told is the most powerful in the local computer shop (I realise buying online is probaly a better idea but parents are business owners and big into buying locally etc..& shop owners are family friends.).
I have trouble believing that it is the most powerful though.

Specs
-AMD Athlon II x3 440 3.0GHZ
-Memory 4GB DDR3
-nVidia GeForce 6150 SE Graphics
-320GB SATA 7200 rpm
-Hp 20" S2031a Display

I've done some research and the processor and RAM seem OK at best but the graphics card is apparently outdated,integrated and poor quality.This might not be a problem as I understand Cards are cheap and easy to install,or maybe I'm wrong

I don't need this to run high end FPS games or anything,just some simple RTS/TBS games.I hope it's suitable.

Two questions;
-For €695,Am I being ripped off?
-Will this rig run Napoleon:Total War at recommended specs?

Thanks:)

if thats the most powerful in your local shop i wouldnt want to see the slowest..:o

buying local is admirable, but thats worth about 300e tbh.

i dont know if dell still do outlet deals, but 600/700 would buy a xps desktop that would whup that into the relic museum it belongs

Scego

Motherboard? Now I feel like a real TechNoob

I honestly don't see myself filling 320GB at the minute.Maximum of 3/4 old games that take up a small amount of space.Except for Total War,any opinions on if it will run that?

Solitaire

It would run any of them if you added a decent graphics card. Whether the PSU would have enough spare overhead to run one is another matter...

Still, that rig is pretty horrendously overpriced, but that's offline retail for you

zappb

Scego wrote: »

Motherboard? Now I feel like a real TechNoob

I honestly don't see myself filling 320GB at the minute.Maximum of 3/4 old games that take up a small amount of space.Except for Total War,any opinions on if it will run that?

Everyone starts somewhere, no worries!!

I was trying to be nice but have to be honest x in the city and Solitare are right.


Guys is it possible to make retail hardware shops work or is that completely dead?


For that cpu - probably the online price for these components is - without paying someone to build it and support it.

CPU - 100
RAM - 100
Mobo - 50
Hard drive - 35
PSU / case - 60
Monitor 125
CD rom drive - 25

Solitare , x in the city, you agree?


495 euro in total including vat

Not including Os if its windows 7 thats an extra 100 quid,

if it takes an hour to build, the cost isn't totally off the wall.

The problem with the bricks and mortar stores is stock, which loses value really quickly.

Any ideas how a bricks and mortar store like the one mentioned by the OP can survive these days?

Solitaire

Hmm...

CPU - €75
RAM - €90 (bargain basement stuff)
Mobo - €35 (again, its that nasty resurrected nForce4 with DDR3 slots I've seen lurking!)
HDD - €35
DVD - €20
PSU - €30 (not so much awful as low-capacity)
Case - €20 (this on the other hand...)
Monitor - €100 (low-end 19/20", not Dell-quality either)
OS - €85 (forgot that! )

Total - €490. And that's for aftermarket parts - HP doesn't pay a fraction of these prices. Between HP and the retailer there's a ~120% markup over base price to hit €700 :eek:

zappb

Solitaire wrote: »

Hmm...

CPU - €75
RAM - €90 (bargain basement stuff)
Mobo - €35 (again, its that nasty resurrected nForce4 with DDR3 slots I've seen lurking!)
HDD - €35
DVD - €20
PSU - €30 (not so much awful as low-capacity)
Case - €20 (this on the other hand...)
Monitor - €100 (low-end 19/20", not Dell-quality either)
OS - €85 (forgot that! )

Total - €490. And that's for aftermarket parts - HP doesn't pay a fraction of these prices. Between HP and the retailer there's a ~120% markup over base price to hit €700 :eek:

Yup this looks much better and realistic then my attempt, that motherboard is like the devils spawn or something, nforce4 with ddr3? UNHOLY!

I didn't forget the OS - I edited the post about a second before you replied! It was a very very short split second so I'm not surprised you missed it !

Anyway, the question reminds, Solitaire you own a pc shop for example, like these folks trying to make a living and stay off the dole, how do you make it profitable and work, but without ripping people off, is it possible?

Solitaire

And the answer always comes down to: you're at HP and/or Dell's mercy. Always. I've worked in one before and that was always the way of things.

Besides, carrying stock rather than building-to-order is oddly unfitting in all sorts of ways for PCs and puts lots of inventory-driven economic stress on a smaller retailer, resulting in some off-the-wall prices. It was different back in the CT years where you could always rely on x number of laptops departing the shelves by the end of the week, but nowadays just one wrong move with inventory can put the hurt on a shop for a year or two

x in the city

I haven't had a desktop for years, and use a m1730 now.

I don't do any desktops now now enough to see that the specs in the ops rig are ancient and worth diddly squat.

Its retail in local shops, and that's what people are charged

people who don't know computer geek stuff will pay this money that's the bottom line.

people who do know stuff take their business elsewhere and buy on line, or second hand.

if i had 600e i could get a desktop that would destroy that pc the op suggested, im sure every one else into building could also

x in the city

Solitaire wrote: »

And the answer always comes down to: you're at HP and/or Dell's mercy. Always. I've worked in one before and that was always the way of things.

Besides, carrying stock rather than building-to-order is oddly unfitting in all sorts of ways for PCs and puts lots of inventory-driven economic stress on a smaller retailer, resulting in some off-the-wall prices. It was different back in the CT years where you could always rely on x number of laptops departing the shelves by the end of the week, but nowadays just one wrong move with inventory can put the hurt on a shop for a year or two

my opinion is that its probably not viable to run a pc shop now.? would i be right.?


its like panel beaters, people don't really get cars fixed no more, its too costly, and in most cases the car is worth less than what the repair costs would be. i know a few places gone to the dogs, labour, costs, insurance. 1000e for a bumper and spray job..

sign of the times

Scego

if i had 600e i could get a desktop that would destroy that pc the op suggested, im sure every one else into building could also

How much more powerful? I'll try to buy local but theres a limit on how much I'm willing to pay for inferior tech.

In response to those estimates,It also includes a lightscribe thing(Which seems trivial at best)USB mouse/Keyboard,Windows7 64,A couple of headphones,mircophones,internet security and a PSC thrown in.This might heighten your estimates although I think I'll find the same online for much less.

Icyseanfitz

well i just mocked this up it would probably cost around 850 with OS included and it would destroy the pc listed (as far as i can tell )

ASUS TA-863 PC Tower
Cooler Master 460 W PSU
ASUS M4A785TD-V EVO-AM3 Socket motherboard
Amd Phenom II x4 955 3.2GHz Processor (actually buying this in my upcoming rig as its really good value)
PALIT GeForce GTX 460 - 768 mb Graphics card
OCZ 4 gigs of RAM
ASUS 22 inch 1680x1050 LCD
500 gig HDD
DVD RW

This is a build that would be able to run just about on any game on high to max as the GPU is brand new and was only released a couple of weeks ago but if you wanted to save more money you could buy an ati GPU instead anyway with the processor gpu and other components it blows the listed pc out of the water for a small bit more money - came to €749.41 on pixmania (add shipping as i dont really know how much that costs as well as an OS but as i said you could deffinatly cut down on the GPU with something cheaper). Trying to sort money out to build my new rig sucks im going to be doing this for weeks to come

ED E

Scego wrote: »

How much more powerful? I'll try to buy local but theres a limit on how much I'm willing to pay for inferior tech.

In response to those estimates,It also includes a lightscribe thing(Which seems trivial at best)USB mouse/Keyboard,Windows7 64,A couple of headphones,mircophones,internet security and a PSC thrown in.This might heighten your estimates although I think I'll find the same online for much less.

Lightscribe - Meh
USB Mouse+KB - Free with oh so many desktops, worth maybe a fiver.
Windows 7 - Included under "OS" above.
Headphones - Probably muck, only a few quid in any case
Internet security - What package? How long? A 6 month trial is common, and there are many free options out there.
PSC as in a Printer Combo? Could add value there.

Solitaire

Icy, I don't think we're playing with a €850 budget here

Icyseanfitz

well even if he cut 50-70 euro off of the gpu in favor of an ati maybe this it would be very near the cost of his original build and still destroy it