Help to choose the right PC needed!

marmak · 08-09-2004, 04:20 PM

Hope you can help me choose the right PC. It’s mainly for home use (email, downloading music, website design, photoshop and some heavy maths software that my hubby is using). I’ve got three different ones in mind and max. GBP1,000 (roughly $1800) to spend on it (including 17” TFT monitor).

I’ll give you some details of each one so you can let me know what you would go for it you were me:

SONY VAIO RS502
P4 HT – 3.0 GHz – 512Mb RAM – CD/DVD-R – Graphs 128Mb ATI9200 – 160GB hard disk – Media cards 8 in 1 – No sound card (!) – Speakers – iLink – 7 USB ports – 1 parallel port

HP T645UK
P4 HT – 2.8 GHz – 512 Mb – DVD/CD-R – Graphs 128 Mb NVIDIAFX5200 – 160 GB – Media cards 9 in 1 – wireless mouse and keyboard – firewire – 7 USB 2.0 – 1 parallel

DELL DIMENSION 4700
P4 HT – 3 GHz – 512 Mb Dual Channel DDr2 400 Mhz – DVD-R – Graphs ??? – 160 Gb serial ATA HD with 8MB databurst cache – Firewire – no sound card - no info re. USB ports.

They’re all at about the same price so any opinions would be very welcome!!!

Also while you’re at it, I have a silly question: can I burn music cds on DVDR devices?

Thanks.
M.

tristan · 08-09-2004, 04:55 PM

Personally I would go with the Dell. They have good tech support, and enough money to just give you parts that are broken without too much of a hastle. The ddr2 puts it over the other 2 also. It also utilizes SATA which is good. Performance wise I would go with that one also.

Yes, if it burns DVD's it will burn audio/data cd's also. Unless it is just a DVD player. Can you post the specs it gives you about the rom?

**Praetor** · 08-09-2004, 05:42 PM

VAIO RS-502: http://www.microwarehouse.co.uk/prod...349FD33F958EDA

HP T645UK: http://www.comet.co.uk/comet/html/cache/207101.html

Dell 4700: http://www1.us.dell.com/content/prod...19&l=en&s=dhs&

- Note that the Dell uses onboard graphics and that it's not running in Dual Channel mode when you buy it. Both those points are subject to change depending on your configuration. By default the Dell ships with a CDROM. Anything else is optional. That's the bad news. The good news is that it's using the new i915G chipset which will give it some life

- The HP machine comes standard with a DVDburner (although I'm guessing its a remarked LG or Phillips drive). Really wierd is that it doesnt come with a NIC (either that or they have a really wierd way of not saying "onboard"). Odd. Now unless they are really deceptive (and i wouldnt put it past them), the video is actually a card so that's a good thing. There's no way to tell what chipset this thing uses (prolly the i848)

- The Sony is the only one to come standard with two optical drives, a DVD burner and reader. It comes with a 9200 card and onboard AC97 sound. Unfortunately there's no way in hell to determine what chipset this thing uses (i'm guessing the i848).

Summary: get the Dell but make sure you customize it otherwise you're better off with the HP.

marmak · 08-10-2004, 11:23 AM

Thank you both very much. The spec I gave you for Dell was the configured model. I can actually add a sound card but that takes the PC to an extra $200.

**Praetor** · 08-10-2004, 01:22 PM

Quote:

The spec I gave you for Dell was the configured model

How did you configure it?

tristan · 08-10-2004, 02:59 PM

Just go grab a soundcard from walmart for very cheap. I dont think you will be needing dolby surround sound for anything.

marmak · 08-10-2004, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Praetor

How did you configure it?

Erm, sorry, I meant "customized"

**Praetor** · 08-11-2004, 03:13 AM

Yeah well.... how did you customize it?

marmak · 08-11-2004, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Praetor

Yeah well.... how did you customize it?

Well, you don't have to buy in order to customize a PC over the internet. You just go into their website and do it and then it comes up with the price - if you're happy with your selection you proceed with the purchase. Otherwise, if you're like me, you come into this forum and get really confused

Question: does it really make any difference whether the processor is 3.0 or 2.8?

**Praetor** · 08-11-2004, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Well, you don't have to buy in order to customize a PC over the internet. You just go into their website and do it and then it comes up with the price - if you're happy with your selection you proceed with the purchase

Yeah I know but you said:

Quote:

The spec I gave you for Dell was the configured model

And looking at your specs....

Quote:

P4 HT – 3 GHz – 512 Mb Dual Channel DDr2 400 Mhz – DVD-R – Graphs ??? – 160 Gb serial ATA HD with 8MB databurst cache – Firewire – no sound card - no info re. USB ports.

It seems that you havnt spec'd out some stuff yet

(hence my confusion heehee)

Quote:

Question: does it really make any difference whether the processor is 3.0 or 2.8?

Not really

The 2.8 as stick runs damn near the same and even not, you can OC the piss out of the 2.8Ghz chips and run them fine

View Poll Results: HP or Dell
HP (details in the posts)	1	50.00%
Dell (details in the posts)	1	50.00%
Voters: 2. You may not vote on this poll

08-09-2004, 04:20 PM	#1 (permalink)
marmak New Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 21	Help to choose the right PC needed! Hope you can help me choose the right PC. It’s mainly for home use (email, downloading music, website design, photoshop and some heavy maths software that my hubby is using). I’ve got three different ones in mind and max. GBP1,000 (roughly $1800) to spend on it (including 17” TFT monitor). I’ll give you some details of each one so you can let me know what you would go for it you were me: SONY VAIO RS502 P4 HT – 3.0 GHz – 512Mb RAM – CD/DVD-R – Graphs 128Mb ATI9200 – 160GB hard disk – Media cards 8 in 1 – No sound card (!) – Speakers – iLink – 7 USB ports – 1 parallel port HP T645UK P4 HT – 2.8 GHz – 512 Mb – DVD/CD-R – Graphs 128 Mb NVIDIAFX5200 – 160 GB – Media cards 9 in 1 – wireless mouse and keyboard – firewire – 7 USB 2.0 – 1 parallel DELL DIMENSION 4700 P4 HT – 3 GHz – 512 Mb Dual Channel DDr2 400 Mhz – DVD-R – Graphs ??? – 160 Gb serial ATA HD with 8MB databurst cache – Firewire – no sound card - no info re. USB ports. They’re all at about the same price so any opinions would be very welcome!!! Also while you’re at it, I have a silly question: can I burn music cds on DVDR devices? Thanks. M.

08-09-2004, 04:55 PM	#2 (permalink)
tristan Gold Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 296	Personally I would go with the Dell. They have good tech support, and enough money to just give you parts that are broken without too much of a hastle. The ddr2 puts it over the other 2 also. It also utilizes SATA which is good. Performance wise I would go with that one also. Yes, if it burns DVD's it will burn audio/data cd's also. Unless it is just a DVD player. Can you post the specs it gives you about the rom? Last edited by tristan; 08-10-2004 at 02:58 PM.

08-09-2004, 05:42 PM	#3 (permalink)
Praetor Administrator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Age: 24 Posts: 19,946	VAIO RS-502: http://www.microwarehouse.co.uk/prod...349FD33F958EDA HP T645UK: http://www.comet.co.uk/comet/html/cache/207101.html Dell 4700: http://www1.us.dell.com/content/prod...19&l=en&s=dhs& - Note that the Dell uses onboard graphics and that it's not running in Dual Channel mode when you buy it. Both those points are subject to change depending on your configuration. By default the Dell ships with a CDROM. Anything else is optional. That's the bad news. The good news is that it's using the new i915G chipset which will give it some life - The HP machine comes standard with a DVDburner (although I'm guessing its a remarked LG or Phillips drive). Really wierd is that it doesnt come with a NIC (either that or they have a really wierd way of not saying "onboard"). Odd. Now unless they are really deceptive (and i wouldnt put it past them), the video is actually a card so that's a good thing. There's no way to tell what chipset this thing uses (prolly the i848) - The Sony is the only one to come standard with two optical drives, a DVD burner and reader. It comes with a 9200 card and onboard AC97 sound. Unfortunately there's no way in hell to determine what chipset this thing uses (i'm guessing the i848). Summary: get the Dell but make sure you customize it otherwise you're better off with the HP. __________________ ASUS P5K Premium WiFi-AP, Q6600@3.7 / ASUS P5ND, E6400@3.8 4GB OCz Platinum XTC 8500 / 4GB CorsairXMS2 6400 5x500GB Seagate 7200.10 / 2x500 Seagate 7200.10 OCz 8800GTX 768MB @ 630/800 / 2x Galaxy 8800GT SLI

08-10-2004, 11:23 AM	#4 (permalink)
marmak New Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 21	Thanks! Thank you both very much. The spec I gave you for Dell was the configured model. I can actually add a sound card but that takes the PC to an extra $200.

08-10-2004, 02:59 PM	#6 (permalink)
tristan Gold Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 296	Just go grab a soundcard from walmart for very cheap. I dont think you will be needing dolby surround sound for anything.

08-11-2004, 03:13 AM	#8 (permalink)
Praetor Administrator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Canada Age: 24 Posts: 19,946	Yeah well.... how did you customize it? __________________ ASUS P5K Premium WiFi-AP, Q6600@3.7 / ASUS P5ND, E6400@3.8 4GB OCz Platinum XTC 8500 / 4GB CorsairXMS2 6400 5x500GB Seagate 7200.10 / 2x500 Seagate 7200.10 OCz 8800GTX 768MB @ 630/800 / 2x Galaxy 8800GT SLI

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