Buying Desktop for Small business, Advice really appreciated..

Drumpot

Hi,

I run a small business and have been buying Laptops for years. Generally spending around €600 and having mixed results to be honest. Sometimes the speed went very poor , computers crashed (and sometimes just fixed themselves) and issues connecting with internet.

Generally I use a laptop for Excel, Word and some company related aplications. One of the applications I had subscribed to never really worked on my current laptop for reasons unkwnown. The recent problem may of played a part, the laptop will not actually install updates from Windows (or intel at this stage).

I phoned up a repair man but he said it wasnt worth replacing for numerous reasons. He also recommended that I buy a desktop if I dont need a laptop and have an office. He said these are usually better quality computers and last longer (presumably because you arent carrying them around). He also said the Windows Pro edition would be beneficial.

I had originally thought of pushing the budget to €1000 and he suggested I throw in a few more quid if money wasn't a problem. He also suggested a Lenovo one so this was the one I found, I actually upskilled aload of specs to the highest hence the higher price I am quoting:

This is a link to the PC I was looking at https://www.lenovo.com/ie/en/workstations/p-series/ThinkStation-P330-SFF/p/WMD00000363 and these were the specs after I adjusted them to mostly the best available:

Processor : Intel Core i9-9900 Processor (16MB Cache, up to 5.00GHz with Turbo Boost)
Operating System : Windows 10 Pro 64
Operating System Language : Windows 10 Pro 64 English
Memory : 16GB DDR4 2666MHz UDIMM
Memory Qty : 1
First Video Adapter : NVIDIA Quadro P620 2GB (4xMini DP) High Profile
Power Supply : Tower C246 92% Power 400W
Audio Adapter : Integrated Audio
First HDD Boot Drive : Yes
First Hard Drive Selection : 512GB Solid State Drive, 2.5", SATA3, Opal
First HDD Selection Qty : 1
Keyboard : USB Traditional Keyboard Black English (UK)
Pointing Device : USB Calliope Mouse Black
Power Cord : LineCord - Ireland
Language Pack : Publication-English
Warranty : 5 Year On-site delivery
ThinkVision T23i 23" Monitor

€2056.62


Its not that I have money to burn, more a case of if I spend a bit more now if I have a more reliable PC, that will last longer, quicker, be more secure and make my job a bit easier. I added a longer warranty and a monitor for maybe 250e so there is a difference of maybe €750 between the specs in the link I attached and the upgraded specs I have mentioned above. Is the extra €750 worth it in terms of the things I want, more reliable, longer lasting and quicker ?

Is there anywhere else I should be considering (was told HP are crap since new CEO took over so to avoid them). I dont necessarily want to spend 2k but I want to have a PC that works and is reliable and everytime I have spent €600, I have regularly had issues even though I dont use Laptops for much else then highlighted here. I want to make sure that any future applications for my work will work on a PC and I have probably never used a PC or computer which have been top of the range like this so I am curious to see if there will be benefits. Even a PC that mostly works when I want it would be start.

Oh and I trust the PC guy, twice I have contacted him to fix PCs and both times he put me off (at his expense) and spoke with me for a long time with alternative advice. So whatever the PC guys advice was, it wasnt driven by personal motive, so I tend to trust his judgement.

galvo_clare

You’re going way overboard on that spec and spending money needlessly for your stated use.

Get an i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 from any decent manufacturer- Lenovo, Dell, Acer etc. We’ve bought Zoostorms recently and they’re grand.

Spec 16gb of memory and an SSD solid state disc and it’ll fly.

If the maker has put a whole load of crapware on it, make it your first job to get rid of it.

EDIT: Windows 10 Pro is a good call in my view.

Drumpot wrote: »

Hi,

I run a small business and have been buying Laptops for years. Generally spending around €600 and having mixed results to be honest. Sometimes the speed went very poor , computers crashed (and sometimes just fixed themselves) and issues connecting with internet.

Generally I use a laptop for Excel, Word and some company related aplications. One of the applications I had subscribed to never really worked on my current laptop for reasons unkwnown. The recent problem may of played a part, the laptop will not actually install updates from Windows (or intel at this stage).

I phoned up a repair man but he said it wasnt worth replacing for numerous reasons. He also recommended that I buy a desktop if I dont need a laptop and have an office. He said these are usually better quality computers and last longer (presumably because you arent carrying them around). He also said the Windows Pro edition would be beneficial.

I had originally thought of pushing the budget to €1000 and he suggested I throw in a few more quid if money wasn't a problem. He also suggested a Lenovo one so this was the one I found, I actually upskilled aload of specs to the highest hence the higher price I am quoting:

This is a link to the PC I was looking at https://www.lenovo.com/ie/en/workstations/p-series/ThinkStation-P330-SFF/p/WMD00000363 and these were the specs after I adjusted them to mostly the best available:

Processor : Intel Core i9-9900 Processor (16MB Cache, up to 5.00GHz with Turbo Boost)
Operating System : Windows 10 Pro 64
Operating System Language : Windows 10 Pro 64 English
Memory : 16GB DDR4 2666MHz UDIMM
Memory Qty : 1
First Video Adapter : NVIDIA Quadro P620 2GB (4xMini DP) High Profile
Power Supply : Tower C246 92% Power 400W
Audio Adapter : Integrated Audio
First HDD Boot Drive : Yes
First Hard Drive Selection : 512GB Solid State Drive, 2.5", SATA3, Opal
First HDD Selection Qty : 1
Keyboard : USB Traditional Keyboard Black English (UK)
Pointing Device : USB Calliope Mouse Black
Power Cord : LineCord - Ireland
Language Pack : Publication-English
Warranty : 5 Year On-site delivery
ThinkVision T23i 23" Monitor

€2056.62


Its not that I have money to burn, more a case of if I spend a bit more now if I have a more reliable PC, that will last longer, quicker, be more secure and make my job a bit easier. I added a longer warranty and a monitor for maybe 250e so there is a difference of maybe €750 between the specs in the link I attached and the upgraded specs I have mentioned above. Is the extra €750 worth it in terms of the things I want, more reliable, longer lasting and quicker ?

Is there anywhere else I should be considering (was told HP are crap since new CEO took over so to avoid them). I dont necessarily want to spend 2k but I want to have a PC that works and is reliable and everytime I have spent €600, I have regularly had issues even though I dont use Laptops for much else then highlighted here. I want to make sure that any future applications for my work will work on a PC and I have probably never used a PC or computer which have been top of the range like this so I am curious to see if there will be benefits. Even a PC that mostly works when I want it would be start.

Oh and I trust the PC guy, twice I have contacted him to fix PCs and both times he put me off (at his expense) and spoke with me for a long time with alternative advice. So whatever the PC guys advice was, it wasnt driven by personal motive, so I tend to trust his judgement.

Drumpot

galvo_clare wrote: »

You’re going way overboard on that spec and spending money needlessly for your stated use.

Get an i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 from any decent manufacturer- Lenovo, Dell, Acer etc. We’ve bought Zoostorms recently and they’re grand.

Spec 16gb of memory and an SSD solid state disc and it’ll fly.

If the maker has put a whole load of crapware on it, make it your first job to get rid of it.

EDIT: Windows 10 Pro is a good call in my view.

Thanks very much for the reply

I think going down from

Intel Core i9-9900 Processor (16MB Cache, up to 5.00GHz with Turbo Boost)
To
Intel Core i5-9600K Processor (9MB Cache, 3.70 GHz)

Takes about €450 off the price. Is it that its not really worth it ? If I am spending €1500, I honestly hope this lasts me 4+ years and maintains most of its speed (and it doesnt go out of date for newer apps fast). I dont fully understand all the specs so apologies for maybe stupid questions, but would spending €450 extra be any benefit or much benefit in this regard ?

galvo_clare

Just had a quick look at the Lenovo site and they’re far from cheap.
Try somewhere like komplett.ie, businessdirect.btireland.com or elara.ie
They have filters to narrow down what you’re looking for and their prices will be much keener.
Generally the pc won’t come with a monitor so buy that separately from your chosen pc supplier - just make sure pc and monitor are compatible ie check if both have hdmi connectors or DisplayPort.
You can get a nice 24” to 28” monitor now for small enough money.

galvo_clare wrote: »

You’re going way overboard on that spec and spending money needlessly for your stated use.

Get an i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 from any decent manufacturer- Lenovo, Dell, Acer etc. We’ve bought Zoostorms recently and they’re grand.

Spec 16gb of memory and an SSD solid state disc and it’ll fly.

If the maker has put a whole load of crapware on it, make it your first job to get rid of it.

EDIT: Windows 10 Pro is a good call in my view.

challengemaster

For essentially office use computer you're spending about 3-4x more than you need to, at least. Nevermind taking 450 off €2k, take 1450 off.

galvo_clare

Those Lenovos are crazily priced. I was looking to buy an i7 recently so I had a look there myself and quickly moved on.
I ended up building a pc myself for very small money. I know building is not for everyone but I ended up with a Ryzen 7 - roughly equivalent performance to your i9. I reused some bits from my old pc but the build cost if I bought everything new would be around £500 + VAT excluding a monitor.
You do get the best bang for your buck by building but it’s not for everyone and I suspect it isn’t for you and no insult intended. You’ll get a very nice pc with a decent monitor for well less than €1,000 but not from Lenovo. There are better options out there.

Drumpot wrote: »

Thanks very much for the reply

I think going down from

Intel Core i9-9900 Processor (16MB Cache, up to 5.00GHz with Turbo Boost)
To
Intel Core i5-9600K Processor (9MB Cache, 3.70 GHz)

Takes about €450 off the price. Is it that its not really worth it ? If I am spending €1500, I honestly hope this lasts me 4+ years and maintains most of its speed (and it doesnt go out of date for newer apps fast). I dont fully understand all the specs so apologies for maybe stupid questions, but would spending €450 extra be any benefit or much benefit in this regard ?

get one from dell

https://www.dell.com/en-ie/work/shop/scc/sc/desktops-n-workstations?~ck=mn

even the cheapest ones will do.

cheaper to buy additional ram yourself on amazon and slot it in

Generally I use a laptop for Excel, Word and some company related aplications.

no need for anything fancy there - AT ALL

Drumpot

Thanks everybody, looking at a much cheaper alternative (a third of the price!) thanks to the advice here.

Do you think 2 screens or one large screen is better ? I have usually been using 2 screens (laptop connected to another screen), which has been fine. Large screen looks like it would do the job but not sure what its like having a big screen, think maybe two smaller ones might be better for the eyes.

Also, are these the same machines?

https://www.laptopsdirect.ie/lenovo-thinkcentre-m7720q-tiny-core-i5-9400-16gb-512gb-ssd-windows-10-pro-d-10t700aauk/version.asp

v

https://www.elara.ie/productdetail.aspx?productcode=ECE5602121

weighing in to agree with everyone else that those first few specs are way over the top

i dunno how youve been so unlucky previously but for the uses you're setting out there, there really is no need at all to go beyond a fairly recent i5 with space for ram upgrade and ssd for the OS- that should definitely keep you in running order for 4-5 years for general office tasks and be quite nippy and reliable too.

agree also that maybe a regular cleanup of the software on the thing is worth looking into, if you've had numerous issues across different machines in the past i think a tune-up routine would be a good idea

edit: if you do any work at all that involves switching between windows, go for two screens imo

takes about a week to get the hang of and once you learn the tricks you would NEVER go back- in fact you'll wonder how you ever survived with only one.

last tip- intel NUC are a very neat little suite of performers at good prices with great connectivity, worth looking into if you're not afraid of putting in yr own RAM imo

If you're intent on pissing money away Drummer, I'll send you my Revolut details

I bought a Dell G5 in January, I highly recommend a Dell laptop.

Drumpot

Deleted User wrote: »

If you're intent on pissing money away Drummer, I'll send you my Revolut details

I bought a Dell G5 in January, I highly recommend a Dell laptop.

Ah no, I came here so boardies would show me how idiotic it would be to spend loads on a PC and they havent dissapointed ! ! :pac: (thats meant to be a compliment!)

Hmm. I could go back and Look at Dells again. Thats two people thats recommended them.

Does this look decent?

https://www.laptopsdirect.ie/lenovo-thinkcentre-m7720q-tiny-core-i5-9400-16gb-512gb-ssd-windows-10-pro-d-10t700aauk/version.asp

I suppose the alternative in Dell would be

https://www.dell.com/en-ie/work/shop/desktop-and-all-in-one-pcs/optiplex-5080-micro-form-factor/spd/optiplex-5080-micro/n009o5080mff

Drumpot

Will most monitors work with a Dell ? Like if I buy a 27" screen from elara (much cheaper), in most cases it should work if I buy the dell directly from Dell ?

any monitor will work once there is the correct connection type

laptopsdirect don't have a great reputation tbh - a lot have had issues with them

to be honest for your needs this would actually do

it has the power of a core i5 mobile intel of a few years ago - plenty for your uses

has 2 hdmi out connections for monitors, 4 usb 3 ports, ethernet

shipped through Europe, no customs. can pick up to 512gb ssd. neat little thing.

https://www.geekbuying.com/item/Beelink-Gemini-X55-Ultimate-Gemini-Lake-J5005-8GB-256GB-MINI-PC-421969.html

Drumpot

Sorry, just to add, I do expect that I may have to move to a more Conference call (zoom or some other application maybe) in the long term. My business has been mostly face to face, but I anticipate that may change and I can actually do many meetings remotely if I can adapt my business.

here is the benchmark for the pentium quad-core j5005 cpu in the beelink mini pc

it's over 3000 - that's more than plenty for fast windows 10 operation for general browsing and office work.

I'm running off a core i5 mobile that doesn't score as high and once you have 8gb ram and an ssd smooth and snappy windows experience is provided.

the power usage is low wattage also - saves some € over the lifetime.

8gb ram, ssd and a 2.5 inch expansion option inside for further 2.5 inch sata ssd or hdd storage in the future. €265 for 8gb ram and 512gb ssd model.

https://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Pentium+Silver+J5005+%40+1.50GHz&id=3144

review summary here of that cpu in a similar mini pc where it handled heavy multitasking and even video editing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MG7_CLR8Es&feature=youtu.be&t=920

Drumpot

Drumpot wrote: »

Ah no, I came here so boardies would show me how idiotic it would be to spend loads on a PC and they havent dissapointed ! ! :pac: (thats meant to be a compliment!)

Hmm. I could go back and Look at Dells again. Thats two people thats recommended them.

Does this look decent?

https://www.laptopsdirect.ie/lenovo-thinkcentre-m7720q-tiny-core-i5-9400-16gb-512gb-ssd-windows-10-pro-d-10t700aauk/version.asp

I suppose the alternative in Dell would be

https://www.dell.com/en-ie/work/shop/desktop-and-all-in-one-pcs/optiplex-5080-micro-form-factor/spd/optiplex-5080-micro/n009o5080mff

You're in good hands here with glasso tbh, he was very helpful when I was searching for a new laptop.

The only thing I would reiterate is try to avoid laptopsdirect.

I just copped though that it's a desktop you are looking for and not a laptop, so that renders me completely useless to you. Best of luck your purchase drummer.

Drumpot

Deleted User wrote: »

You're in good hands here with glasso tbh, he was very helpful when I was searching for a new laptop.

The only thing I would reiterate is try to avoid laptopsdirect.

I just copped though that it's a desktop you are looking for and not a laptop, so that renders me completely useless to you. Best of luck your purchase drummer.

Glasso has been taking care of me, superb advice and pointed me in the right direction . . I could prob buy a season ticket with United for the money I am not spending on the laptop I was originally looking at!!!

Thanks again Glasso and everybody else who has offered advice.

_Kaiser_

Stick with the likes of DELL in my view if buying business kit. Go with the 3 year onsite NBD warranty and if anything breaks, they'll have an engineer out the next working day.

Buying from these small independent retailers or no-name brands is a false economy unless you have the skills to troubleshoot/replace bits yourself, or the time to wait while parts are mailed back n forth.

_Kaiser_

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Stick with the likes of DELL in my view if buying business kit. Go with the 3 year onsite NBD warranty and if anything breaks, they'll have an engineer out the next working day.

Buying from these small independent retailers or no-name brands is a false economy unless you have the skills to troubleshoot/replace bits yourself, or the time to wait while parts are mailed back n forth.

I've bought from geekbuying several times with no issue. they deliver promptly through Europe by courier from their European warehouses. they are a significant operation.

I had an issue with one product (wireless earphones) and they promptly refunded me in full and let me keep the item. I would agree that with a more expensive item you would have to send it back most likely if there was an issue.

Beelink are a well-established maker of mini-pc's (and android boxes).

mini-pc's are fairly simple devices and with a low wattage cpu like that there is not going to be an issue of over-heating / heat dissipation (which would be the cause of a lot of problems where they arise in laptops and desktops)

here's a review of that unit

https://androidpctv.com/review-beelink-x55-ultimate-opinion/

As we have seen in the review, the Beelink Gemini X55 Ultimate is a very complete miniPC in NUC format, it stands out for its compact size and for the possibility of expanding its internal storage. A small computer that can be valid for desktop use, browse intensively or run design applications at the basic level. This model has 8GB of RAM soldered on board and allows us to also install a 2.5″ disk, certainly very flexible despite its size.

The Beelink X55 Ultimate mini PC has an internal fan that keeps temperatures low and although it does not have semi-passive operation it is quite silent. At the level of network use the Wifi aC adapter behaves normally and we have a Gigabit Ethernet so we are well covered. The connectivity options are good with several USB ports and we like its dual HDMI 2.0 4K@60fps output where we can connect two monitors simultaneously.

The Beelink Gemini X55 Ultimate as we see is an interesting and compact computer, a good low-consumption mini PC model for desktop use or multimedia playback of a very compact size.

Tow

To answer you screen question. Two screens, do *not* get 4k ultra HD etc for office work. Two standard 1920x1080 or 1920x1200 (getting harder to find) at ~23 inchs. This will allow you to have the likes of accounts once in one screen and excel/email etc open in another. This makes a huge difference it you are often comparing info (or jumping) between two programs etc. I have stuck two monitors on several peoples desks and they have gone from "why do I need this/it takes up too much room/I don't want it", to not being able to live without two. As others have said, your 512GB SSD and 16GB for ram are fine, don't pay extra for a i9 etc. As reliability is important, then the likes of DELL/Lenovo with 3 years (next day) on site support etc.

Drumpot

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Stick with the likes of DELL in my view if buying business kit. Go with the 3 year onsite NBD warranty and if anything breaks, they'll have an engineer out the next working day.

Buying from these small independent retailers or no-name brands is a false economy unless you have the skills to troubleshoot/replace bits yourself, or the time to wait while parts are mailed back n forth.

I agree with you That I am taking a risk going a less mainstream direction but the savings I might make by using this versus the price I’d be paying for an alternative more expensive model make this a risk worth taking. If this actually works I can also purchase a second for my wife who works with me. If this doesn’t work it won’t break the bank and I can still purchase another model that will still work out cheaper then my initially overly expensive target that savvy users here have educated me on that strategys folly!

here's a comprehensive (fairly technical but can skip to final thoughts) review of that Beelink x55 unit

https://www.yuenx.com/2019/review-beelink-gemini-x55-mini-pc/

interestingly they provide the cable to allow the addition of another 2.5inch ssd or old-style hdd with the unit - no need to buy it if you want to add an old hard-drive from a laptop or a new ssd.

Cuddlesworth

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Stick with the likes of DELL in my view if buying business kit. Go with the 3 year onsite NBD warranty and if anything breaks, they'll have an engineer out the next working day.

Buying from these small independent retailers or no-name brands is a false economy unless you have the skills to troubleshoot/replace bits yourself, or the time to wait while parts are mailed back n forth.

Yeah, its nuts you are all recommending these random brands and retailers. For a business, you don't buy for the device, you buy for the support contract first so in the event of a hardware failure you can be back up and working quickly.

Lease for 3 years off dell with a support contract, then upgrade again. Write it off as a business expense. Spec mid range, 8+gigs of ram, make sure its a SSD hardrive and the screen is minimum 1080p and your good.

ednwireland

i know its probably going to be laughed at but we by dells at work normally latitude 7000 series core i7

my new one is stuck in newcastle

but one thing we bought for people travelling a lot was the onsite and accidental damage cover, i have batteries , casings, water damage all repaired on that

i have several of these parked in a warehouse in newcastle (argueing with people to go in and get them shipped)
https://www.dell.com/en-ie/work/shop/laptops/latitude-7400/spd/latitude-14-7400-laptop/s076l740014ukie?view=configurations

actually the one thing that did bump the price up was the dell WD15 docking stations we get with them but very handy


edit or if you just need occasional access buy an dell optiplex desktop, chromebook and use google remote desktop