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buying a computer
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03-11-2002 6:54pm#1
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thanks for all the info. I saw this machine in the esb. it is also on Datacom online. irish company. Has anybody bought from esb or data? I think it will be basic games and encylopedia stuff maybe printing out c**p you know drawings they have done on paint or whatever. there is a cdwriter and a dvd on it so they can watch dvds on it and i can back up any games they get so they dont wreck the originals
. Can you think of any questions I could as k so that i dont sound like a complete loser???
thanks
gonk0 -
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There are actually quite a few Irish sites out there worth looking at these are probably the best value for your spec
www.elara.ie (dublin)
www.marx-computers.com (dublin)
www.e-stock.ie (cork)
They have pretty good specs and prices that dont rip you off like the shops
Good Luck!0 -
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had a look at all the websites. May as well have shown me a haystack and told me to find the needle . I am buying with cash so no finance needed
. What are the customer service like with all these companies? They all sound wonderful, but are they???? I live in the midlands portlaoise area. You all say to buy local but as far as i can from the midlands board the local places are not great 
. Also what printers would you recommend taking into account three children and their usage of ink cartridges......Also a friend told me that the internet connection on our road averages between 1400bps and 1600bps.. That is slow isnt it??
gonk0 -
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'Shared' or 'integrated' graphics do not reach a very high standard at all (I know, I had a 64MB on board Graphics card - a few months ago I got a brand spanking new GeForce4 and haven't looked back since ) I wouldn't say avoid integrated peripherals like the plague, just treat them as spreads compared to butter .
Therefore, if like you say you want to only run basic stuff like encylopedia and games then tbh the onboard is fine. Just don't expect it to run graphics hungry applications easily. I must say that I had a good laugh at the "broadband ready" 10/100. Don't be fooled by this, it is a network card, only good if your PC is on a Local Area Network. It is not a DSL or ISDN device (more standard broadband services).
Since you are new to the PC world you are better buying from PC companies like Dell. Tbh they have a good reputation and their customer support is good (allegedly). Do not touch Compaq. The only problem with doing this is that you are paying for a lot of software included in a package that you do not necessarily need. For superior price/performance, you would be better off getting someone to build it for you. However, you would have less recourse if anything were to fail.
For €1300 or thereabouts I would expect
512MB SD RAM / 256MB DDR RAM
RAM is a fast area of memory that deals with resource hungry applications. It makes things run faster. The more you have, the faster it will run. DDR is a newer RAM technology that is faster than the standard SD ram. However it is more expensive. I however believe (if you have the choice) you go with DDR. It looks like it is going to become the standard in future computers. RAM prices are on the increase again, unfortunately.
40GB HDD
The space on your hard drive. Again, this depends on what you want your computer to do. I've got about 90Gigs of used space on my PC, but I have a lot of mp3's/games. If you want to go into more detail then look at the cache on the hard drive, the higher the cache the better. Also take a look at the speed, most hdd's run at either 5400 or 7200 RPM. The 7200 speed means faster access times but can run at a higher temperature.
PROCESSOR
This is where you have the choice. There are two main processor chip manufacturers, Intel and AMD. AMD typically provide you with a better price/performance ratio on thier chips. Intel are typically more expensive but their chips run cooler, which gives greater potential for overclocking (if you wanted to do a silly thing like that). The athlon XP range of processors are very good. Their clock speeds are typically slower than their Intel counterparts, but the circuitry on the chip use more efficient means of processing instructions.
Bear in mind however that your motherboard must be compatible with the chip. In many cases you cannot simply swap and choose between Intel and AMD once you have chosen the motherboard. For AMD, your motherboard often must be in what is called "Socket A" configuration.
Intel 1.7GHz is nice and fast. An Athon XP 1900+ will run at approx the same speed, but will be more efficient in other areas. Both are available at IIRC approximately the same price.
GRAPICS CARD
Onboard, or not onboard. Tbh even a late model GeForce2 card would be better than any onboard graphics card you can have. If you do decide to get a GeForce graphics card, stay away from the MX range. An alternative graphics card would be the Radeon range. The Radeon 8500 is quite good when it comes to price to performance ratio. A top of the line graphics card is the Radeon 9700. It is better than any GeForce out there (the top spec GeForce is the GeForce 4 Ti 4600). However, if you'd rather not shell out more cash, you can stick with your onboard. Just don't expect it to perform miracles.
I would expect most of your sound/audio devices would be onboard as well. For most people, sound is not a priority anyway, so I wouldn't worry about this for the mean time. Creative make good soundcards, if you want to make the plunge. The soundblaster range in particular have received good reviews.
In terms of net connection, the standard is a 57,600 bps modem. This is a theoretical maximum speed, but it depends on line quality. 16000bps is absolute pants. I would expect 3 times this figure from a good quality line. Give out to EircoN (if you read these boards you will see that Eircom are not universally liked) about the line, and ask what speeds they support. Also see if they can increase the carrier gain on your line.
Oh, and for red vex, if you just look at the specs above, beef them up a bit (for a price, obviously) and you've got a killer pc. 0 -
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Because I want bigger specs. I want the best graphics. I want the best sound. That's why I'm advising him to buy it!!!
Well, if you felt like you wanted to spend a little less, then you can get some very good deals at buyandsell.net
http://www.buyandsell.net/classifieds/index-2.php?Search&Location=15&Section=5
Example
Obviously you have to be careful when purchasing online, especially from untested sources. You also have no recourse if anything goes wrong (unless you get a warranty). Most computer retailers often only sell new PC's, however, if you enquired around, checked local ad's etc, you could probably pick up a good deal as well.AMD 1600 MHz. Hand built, 17" monitor, keyboard, USB optical & wireless mouse,128MB DDR Ram, 40GB HD, 32MB graphics card, network card, Price: €4500 -
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