Looking for good deals on PCs

If you're moments away from throwing your printer out of the window or re-arranging your desktop with a golf club, post your issues here.

Moderators: Aladinsaneuk, MartDude, D-Rider, Moderators

Message
Author
User avatar
MartDude
Admin
Admin
Posts: 2857
Joined: Tue May 26, 2009 11:36 am
Location: South Shropshire

Looking for good deals on PCs

#1 Post by MartDude » Sun Nov 03, 2013 5:34 pm

In the next few weeks I'll be replacing my sclerotic desktop.

Any recommendations for a): current good deals, and b): brands to go for/avoid, please?

And I'd rather have Windows 7 than 8;can one buy new a PC running Windows 7?
It flies sideways through time
It's an electric line
To your zodiac sign
I've got a Black and Silver Machine!

User avatar
Aladinsaneuk
Aprilia Admin
Posts: 9503
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 10:37 pm
Location: Webfoot territory

#2 Post by Aladinsaneuk » Sun Nov 03, 2013 5:48 pm

I would go for windows 8 ..... After the 8.1 update it is useable IMHO

I would go for at dedicated graphics card - nvidia or ati/amd

Stack the ram....


Let's face it, you wouldn't go to a nurse to get good advice on a problem with a Falco - you'd choose an Engineer or a mechanic...


User avatar
mangocrazy
Admin
Admin
Posts: 3903
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2008 3:24 pm
Location: Sheffield, UK

#3 Post by mangocrazy » Sun Nov 03, 2013 5:58 pm

ebuyer.com offer the range of Zoostorm PCs (I know, odd/naff name), that offer splendiferous value for money, especially if you buy them with an AMD processor and minus operating system. You do have have to supply/install the OS of your choice, but that isn't as daunting as it looks at first sight.

You can essentially build a PC to the spec of your choice. Other folks that will do that for you are CCL (based in sunny Bradford, I believe).

User avatar
Willopotomas
GP Racer
GP Racer
Posts: 2256
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2010 10:11 pm
Location: Coventry, ENGLAND

#4 Post by Willopotomas » Sun Nov 03, 2013 8:55 pm

Aladinsaneuk wrote:I would go for windows 8 ..... After the 8.1 update it is useable IMHO

I would go for at dedicated graphics card - nvidia or ati/amd

Stack the ram....
Says the token iWhore :smt003

Windoze 7 is far superior to 8. Unless you have a touch screen, it holds no real benefit and is bit of a pain to navigate.

I'll have a word with a mate of mine tomorrow. He's ran his own IT business for years and often has good machines at clearance prices. I bought another laptop from him last week for around £75 less than it's current market value.
Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handle bars to the saddle.

User avatar
MartDude
Admin
Admin
Posts: 2857
Joined: Tue May 26, 2009 11:36 am
Location: South Shropshire

#5 Post by MartDude » Sun Nov 03, 2013 9:02 pm

Cheers, Will
It flies sideways through time
It's an electric line
To your zodiac sign
I've got a Black and Silver Machine!

User avatar
D-Rider
Admin
Admin
Posts: 15560
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:09 pm
Location: Coventry

#6 Post by D-Rider » Sun Nov 03, 2013 9:23 pm

You really will struggle to find a new PC running 7.

8 was universally hated. Some versions of 8.1 were launched with stability issues .... let's hope they sort them all out as 7 is getting hard to obtain (and expensive)
“Scientists investigate that which already is. Engineers create that which has never been.”
-- Albert Einstein

User avatar
Falco Frank
SuperSport Racer
SuperSport Racer
Posts: 421
Joined: Fri Oct 23, 2009 8:48 am
Location: Hartlepool, UK

#7 Post by Falco Frank » Sun Nov 03, 2013 9:37 pm

I got to play with a Dell Win8 laptop recently and was surprised how nice it was to use.

Much better than our stacked to the hilt quad core Win7.
01 Hyper Falco / 93 - 900ss Ducati (944cc)

My Ducati Alter-ego = Iconic944ss

User avatar
Aladinsaneuk
Aprilia Admin
Posts: 9503
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 10:37 pm
Location: Webfoot territory

#8 Post by Aladinsaneuk » Mon Nov 04, 2013 7:06 am

as he said - for assorted reasons I have spent parts of the weekend in various computer related shops - and I did not see one new machine with anything but win 8

(For the record, the PC's in the house have a selection of OS's - Mine and Hannas are both running windows 8 pro - upgraded to 8.1, Michaels has win7 pro and Jades has win 7 home premium..... so I have played with them a bit.....!)

I actually started my windoze machine this morning so I could set up some parental network monitoring - you have to do it via M$ - and win 8 was ok

last time I looked on evilbay, win7 was around 50 quid for a licence


Let's face it, you wouldn't go to a nurse to get good advice on a problem with a Falco - you'd choose an Engineer or a mechanic...


User avatar
BikerGran
Gran Turismo
Posts: 3924
Joined: Sun Dec 17, 2006 5:12 pm
Location: Any further south and I'd fall off!

#9 Post by BikerGran » Mon Nov 04, 2013 2:44 pm

I got my new computer built for me by the man in our local computer shop. I told him what I wanted and that's what he gave me! (Have to be fairly specific cos I never told him I wanted to go Wifi so I've had to add a dongle).

Said I didn't want W8 so I've got W7. Said I wanted oodles of storage for photos, so that's what I have. Told him I didn't want to play games so I haven't paid for the whatever it is you need for the graphics. Etc etc. If you have a local(ish) computer shop I'm sure you can find some comments online about them to help you choose o - good or bad, local Facebook pages are good for that, you know the ones where people sell stuff.
The tragedy of old age is not that one is old, but that one is young.

User avatar
Willopotomas
GP Racer
GP Racer
Posts: 2256
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2010 10:11 pm
Location: Coventry, ENGLAND

#10 Post by Willopotomas » Mon Nov 04, 2013 7:45 pm

The mainstream places will tell you it's not possible or that it'll cost a fortune to put Win 7 on a Win 8 machine.. They've been saying this sort of thing for years. You're better off going to an independent computer shop as they're more willing to cater for your needs. The chap I know was putting XP on a new system last week as the specialist software it's built for won't run in 7. Horses for courses. Windoze 7 is still available, and isn't that expensive.

Mart. I'm awaiting a reply. As soon as I get one back, I'll PM you. :smt001
Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handle bars to the saddle.

User avatar
D-Rider
Admin
Admin
Posts: 15560
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:09 pm
Location: Coventry

#11 Post by D-Rider » Mon Nov 04, 2013 8:24 pm

Willopotomas wrote: Windoze 7 is still available, and isn't that expensive.
It's significantly more than Windows 8 ..... having built up a new PC in the last few months and put Windows 7 on it, I'm well aware of the price differentials (and that's with a lot of hunting stuff down too)
“Scientists investigate that which already is. Engineers create that which has never been.”
-- Albert Einstein

User avatar
Willopotomas
GP Racer
GP Racer
Posts: 2256
Joined: Sat Mar 06, 2010 10:11 pm
Location: Coventry, ENGLAND

#12 Post by Willopotomas » Mon Nov 04, 2013 9:21 pm

D-Rider wrote:
Willopotomas wrote: Windoze 7 is still available, and isn't that expensive.
It's significantly more than Windows 8 ..... having built up a new PC in the last few months and put Windows 7 on it, I'm well aware of the price differentials (and that's with a lot of hunting stuff down too)
Windoze 8, about £60-£70. Windoze 7 HP (as most of us have no need for the full blown 'pro' version) is around £40-£50 for a licence key. After all, the important bit is the licence. Win 7 software is fairly easy to obtain. Can burn you a copy if you like for future use. :smt001
Most motorcycle problems are caused by the nut that connects the handle bars to the saddle.

User avatar
D-Rider
Admin
Admin
Posts: 15560
Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:09 pm
Location: Coventry

#13 Post by D-Rider » Mon Nov 04, 2013 10:48 pm

When I was looking recently, Windows 8 was about £40 to £50 whereas 7 was about £80+

In the end I did manage to get a copy a fair bit cheaper but that was very atypical and was a limited special deal.

Of course, things may have changed but the impression was that in normal MS style they were coercing people into the new version by putting up the price of the old version.
“Scientists investigate that which already is. Engineers create that which has never been.”
-- Albert Einstein

User avatar
mangocrazy
Admin
Admin
Posts: 3903
Joined: Thu Jul 17, 2008 3:24 pm
Location: Sheffield, UK

#14 Post by mangocrazy » Tue Nov 05, 2013 12:57 am

Personally, I'd stick Linux (Mint or Ubuntu would be my preference) on it. It will handle all the usual things people want (Internet, email, music, office applications) unless there was a Windows app that I really, really needed and couldn't replicate on Linux.

And with Linux, if you fancy getting a bit geeky you can dual-boot it with any version of Windows you like.

jonnie_r
Track Day Addict
Track Day Addict
Posts: 199
Joined: Sat May 11, 2013 2:18 pm
Location: Tadley, UK

#15 Post by jonnie_r » Tue Nov 05, 2013 2:26 pm

mangocrazy wrote:Personally, I'd stick Linux (Mint or Ubuntu would be my preference) on it. It will handle all the usual things people want (Internet, email, music, office applications) unless there was a Windows app that I really, really needed and couldn't replicate on Linux.

And with Linux, if you fancy getting a bit geeky you can dual-boot it with any version of Windows you like.
I run my servers on Manjaro, which is fantastic, based on Arch, and nice and smooth.

I used Linux Mint(which is based on Ubuntu btw, unless you use the Debian edition) a few years back and always found it very good.

Post Reply