New computer, few questions

M

musho3210

New Member
After my emachines failed for the 5th time (same computer) i was allowed to trade it in for a new computer free of charge, as long as it was the same value. The store gave me a budget of $400, i could get a computer for more, but i decided not to since i plan on getting a high end laptop soon because i am about to go to college.

So, looking at some different computers (there werent that many to chose from, and we had to choose those ones, no ordering) we got a compaq s5610f, it cost $400. I know it isnt the best computer, and im not expecting it to be a beast.

I play games on my computer, my newest game on my computer (the most high tech one at least) is sims 2 seasons, other than that game, i dont do any other labor intensive stuff on my computer, mainly just internet and schoolwork, no graphic design software (no photoshop, autoCAD etc.)

A few questions, how long do you think the computer is going to last me? The emachines lasted for 2 years until the final bring in, and it failed for the first time in 1 and a half years. I'm guessing the compaq shouldnt last more than 2-3 years. I want to get a general idea on the longevity of compaqs so i can know when i should make my laptop purchase.

Next, sleep vs off, i turn my computer on every day, and it stays on for about 6-7 hours on weekdays, and 10-15 hours on weekends, so its on almost every day, unless im not at home for whatever reason. I turned my emachines off every day, im wondering should i do the same? If the energy consumption is just a little more with the sleep mode, but lets the computer last longer for whatever reason, i'd go with that.
 
it should last a while, although you should put a few bucks to your 400 bux to get a slightly more dcent lappy!
 
definitely, the 400$ budget was only for desktops at that store, my laptop will have no budget and it will be bought straight from the manufacturer (probably gonna be a lenova).
 
oh, Soz, i didnt read your whole thread :P and just now realized that your gonna get a laptop as well :D

Well, my parents bought a compaq before, it lasted for like 7years before the mobo finaly gave out. 4 years ago (more less?) my parents bought an emachine, still running. So maybe your PC will alst longer than your last one !
 
i perfer turning it off when you do it wipes the ram memory and make it better to run if your computer is set up correctly it should have to much troble booting also doesnt sleep mode use HDD space ?
 
Ya I would have to agree. I do not think leaving it up is going to wear it out any time soon. But I do know if you turn it off when you are not using it will prevent a little wear and tare and save a little power.
 
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You may think that turning it off every night and then back on in the morning doesn't do any damage. You can leave your computer on and have a contant "burn" of the components. When you turn it off and then back on your still screwing with the components. They get heated,cooled down,heated,cooled down etc etc. I'd go with standbye to keep the stress at a minimum.
 
Agreed. Stand by was created for a reason, it's not there to click it accidentally. Although I've been using the same computer for around 7 years, I wouldn't say that turning it off and on rather frequently does much damage...So yeah, if you're converting, downloading, loading or whatever, it's no harm to keep it on, but if you don't need it, you should close it.

A friend of mine working in Intel always keeps their computer open. It's a wreck in comparison to mine still standing strong so I would suggest caution with power-playing.

And musho3210, buy a duo, or even quad core, they're really cheap, and you can fix some pretty good damn specs at around 400 (although a screen, keyboard, mouse and rest components would increase it a bit). I understand you don't wish to spend a lot of money since you are going to go to college, same goes for me actually, but its no harm to have a good computer at home, to leave it for the rest of the family when you're gone.
 
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