Need a new home computer..

[Eds01Lightning]

..to replace my 7 year old HP Desktop w/vista. Nothing high powered necessary..no gaming intended, basically, just email and and web browsing. I plan to get another DT (don't need a LT as I also have an IPAD) and have a budget of under 1k dollars and prefer W7. Any recommendations/links ?

 

[TK Doom]

Assuming you don't want to put it together yourself, just by the most expensive Dell at Best Buy when its on sale. If you don't want Dell, then buy a Lenova, but thats probably more money.

Be careful though, with monitor connections. If you're using HDMI or SVGA, you're probably ok.

i was going to replace my mom's computer (using a sweet Apple Cinema Display 30"), but only the more expensive ones came with vid cards that had DVI. She just needed a cheap modern computer, which would be faster than her 12 yr old one.

It'll last you...computers are cheap these days, all things being equal.

 

[weems]

I was in the same situation, except I was ok with W8. I got a mover coupon from the post office for BB, got a 24" led monitor and a cheap hp slimline and it does everything I need it to plus the screen looks great.

 

[kevinatfms]

ibuypower.com has some serious home computers for great prices. If i knew less than i do now i would go with something like the pro series. You can configure it to your price level and or power needs.

Or, grab a bundle off newegg and build yourself a computer for a few hundred less. Its nice to learn about them and then you dont need to pay for repairs.

 

[IT-Purrrs]

If you want to build it yourself there are some awesome deals on sites like newegg.com. It is really easy to build computers these days. If you can tear cars a part I am sure you can figure out how to plug stuff in on a mother board to save some money.

If you are looking for just a cheaper box to buy for just some basic web searching I would check out what ever deals you can find in your area and any reviews on those products. I have not bought a store computer (besides my current laptop is a Dell) in over 10 years.

 

[SID297]

W7 machines are getting tougher to find, unfortunately. Almost have to go business class to get it in a laptop.

 

[venom_inc]

http://www.dell.com/us/p/inspiron-3847-desktop/pd?oc=fddort201w7&model_id=inspiron-3847-desktop

You can select which monitor on there for an additional fee of about $120.

Pretty decent computer which will do exactly what you want for years to come.

 

[CobraBob]

I highly recommend that you build it yourself. I did that and saved a few hundred dollars. I even found a video on YouTube that clearly explained the whole build process. I just followed the instructions step by step. Here is an example on YouTube. There are tons of them. And for the one or two questions I had, I posted a thread here and got the answers. Simple! By doing it yourself, you can configure it exactly to your needs and choose better quality components that fit into your budget.

 

[CobraBob]

Here's another educational video I recommend you view. He does a pretty good job explaining the install process. And tips/info. I'm posting it just so you can see how easy building a computer is with helps videos like this.

[youtube_browser]i_7MbLxKRC4[/youtube_browser]

 

[Blown 89]

Building is definitely the way to go, you can get a hell of a computer for $1k. Honestly, if your'e just using it for email and browsing you shouldn't spend more than $500

 

[Eds01Lightning]

Thanks everyone for the advise and recommendations. Based on the videos that Cobra Bob provided I'm thinking I may research the "build" route after all as I don't need to get something right away. Thanks again, Guys!

 

[Blown 89]

Building a computer is a hell of a lot more complicated than the physical process of screwing things together from a Youtube video.

It's going to be hard to follow but the very best advice I can possibly give you is to spend money for a good power supply. It will save you a lot of problems down the road. It's the single most important component in your system. I recommend a Seasonic gold or platinum power supply. It's tempting to go with a cheaper unit or get something like an Antec that is included with the case but trust me don't cheap out.

An example build that would be a beast for $1,060:
Elite 130 case
Samsung 840 Evo 256 GB hard drive
MSI motherboard with bluetooth and wireless
8GB Ram
Intel i7 4770
Zalman CNPS8900 CPU fan (runs nice and quiet)
GTX-750Ti video card (you could do without this since you don't game)
Seasonic Platinum PSU

If you were to use the integrated video on the CPU you'd save $130. A mid level processor drops another $120. Entry level but still very capable processor lowers it another $100. If you don't need wireless on the motherboard drop that $50. If you don't mind a louder stock CPU fan drop that price another $25. None of that includes a Windows 8.1 licence ($100). In the end you'll end up with a robust computer that will outlast a prebuilt computer by years and years. Chances are it will be slightly more money because you'll want to go for higher end components that will last longer but you'll end up with a better computer if you research things right. Try reading the subforums at www.hardforum.com to get an idea of which parts you will want and which to stay away from. There are ways to save money on builds but they come at a cost so you'll want to research the heck out of each individual part.

Good luck.

 

[Eds01Lightning]

Good info...Thanks!

 

[CobraBob]

Building a computer is not complicated. There are definite steps where you'll have to take a step back and figure what to do next, but you'll do fine. Trust me that a YouTube installation video will help you big time. If you have the time, search YouTube for other well done installation videos. Just be sure they are fairly current as hardware changes over time. Viewing them will serve as a good tutorial and prepare you to actually build yours. I built my computer with literally no prior build experience except for one simple computer I built about 15 years ago. I used a YouTube video for guidance (on my laptop) to guide me. Fortunate for me, the YouTube video I chose happened to use 90% of the exact same components as I had purchased. It was invaluable. The most difficult part was attaching the various cables to the motherboard, as the location of the connectors varies from motherboard to motherboard, but they are labeled. You just need to scan the board for them. I advise that you figure ahead of time what connectors you'll need before you start the assembly. Kind of a "pre-assembly". The more preparation time you take prior to the assembly, the easier the build will be. Anticipate any steps that might raise questions and get the questions answered ahead of time. You'll then avoid the frustration of having to stop a step to get an answer, or worse, make a mistake.

The list of hardware that Blown 89 shows is a good list. You can substitute your personal preferences if you have any (ie. a different motherboard), but you might want to just make it easy on yourself and go with his recommendations. Be aware that the hard drive is a solid state drive (you'll love it). It is physically smaller than a 3.5" hard drive, so you will probably need to buy a 3.5-inch to 2 X 2.5-inch hard drive HDD SSD bay converter. It is used to mount the smaller 2.5 inch Samsung drive in the 3.5 inch bay on your case. The cost is only around $8.00. Here is an example from Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Silverstone-Tek-3-5-Inch-Converter-SDP08/dp/B002BH3Z8E/ref=pd_bxgy_pc_text_y NewEgg has the same item for the same price.

 

[CobraBob]

Oh, and you can buy a copy of Windows 7 on Amazon. Just go with the OEM product. You'll have to decide on 32bit or 64bit. If you're not going to any heavy gaming, same your money and buy the 32bit version. Just be sure you get the full-install version and not the upgrade version because you'll be doing a full install.
Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit - $88.24 http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Premi...UTF8&qid=1406029800&sr=1-3&keywords=windows+7
Windows 7 Professional 32 bit - $121.50 http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Profe...UTF8&qid=1406030032&sr=1-6&keywords=windows+7
Windows 7 Ultimate 32 bit - $189.99 http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Win...TF8&qid=1406030084&sr=1-31&keywords=windows+7

 

[venom_inc]

For just browsing and emails, building a computer is a bit overkill. You'll get a nice computer for sure but it's way more powerfull than you need it to be.

i7 = overkill, no need
ssd = overkill, no need
dedicated gpu = overkill, no need

What you should be looking for is the cheapest desktop offered with these specs (minimum)

i5 processor 3.0 ghz
8gb memory
500gb hdd @7200 rpm

You may be able to save a few bucks building it yourself but it won't be much. You also don't get tech support or extended warrenty (if that's something you desire).

Good luck OP.

 

[CobraBob]

Buying a ready made budget computer is a definite option, but why buy budget when you can easily put together a higher quality system. The advantage of building your own, outside of the personal satisfaction that you did it yourself, is you get more bang for your buck. Why buy a ready made computer that likely has proprietary and/or lesser grade components when you can step up to better (more trouble-free) components.

IMO SSD (solid state drive) is definitely the way to go. Quiet. Faster. Boot-up times are so much better, as is shut down. No need for a 500gb hard drive unless you're going to be storing lots of photos, videos, songs. Or you plan on installing a lot of software apps. From what you said in your original post, a 250gb drive is more than sufficient. Sure, you can get a 500gb hard drive for what you'll pay (or less) for a 250gb SSD, but the SSD has definite advantages you should consider. I have an SSD on my home computer and at the office. It is easily my drive of choice now.

 

[venom_inc]

Buying a ready made budget computer is a definite option, but why buy budget when you can easily put together a higher quality system. The advantage of building your own, outside of the personal satisfaction that you did it yourself, is you get more bang for your buck. Why buy a ready made computer that likely has proprietary and/or lesser grade components when you can step up to better (more trouble-free) components.

IMO SSD (solid state drive) is definitely the way to go. Quiet. Faster. Boot-up times are so much better, as is shut down. No need for a 500gb hard drive unless you're going to be storing lots of photos, videos, songs. Or you plan on installing a lot of software apps. From what you said in your original post, a 250gb drive is more than sufficient. Sure, you can get a 500gb hard drive for what you'll pay (or less) for a 250gb SSD, but the SSD has definite advantages you should consider. I have an SSD on my home computer and at the office. It is easily my drive of choice now.

Agreed that a SSD is a much perfered choice but as he stated, he isn't running any programs. He just wants it to browse and check email. Not really worth the much higher cost of a SSD IMO.

Building a computer is also a great option but if he wants to have that added security of a warrenty or tech support, he may want to look at a pre-built computer. Either way he decides to go he will be fine.

 

[w00t]

All of the suggestions above are great. You mentioned Windows 7, while it is difficult to find you can use Windows 8 and still have the look and feel of Windows 7. Check out "Classic Shell" http://www.classicshell.net/

 

[04SVT_COBRA]

Building is the way to go unless you value your time more than the money saved. There are plenty of computer specific forums that will really help you as well. I am in the middle of building a trading/gaming system and the people on www.overclock.net have been HUGELY helpful in my build log thread. Always best to check to make sure all your parts are compatible before ordering parts.

The PSU advice above was good. You will want to read Johny Guru reviews to find the best solution for you.

Also, you can save a BUNCH of money by buying slightly used (even NIB) HDD's, SSD's, disk drives, power supplies, cases, and even video cards. The CPU and MOBO are the only two things that I personally would want to have new in box.