View Full Version : New Computer.....self built? Mac? Dell?
First of all, I haven't bought a new PC in about 8 years and not upgraded the CPU for 4/5 years. Well apart from getting a new GFX (ATI X800 XTPE 4 years ago) and upgraded to a Widescreen TFT around the same time, with a new PSU and more ram. It is still the same as P4 3.2Ghz, 2G DDR RAM (not even DDR2) as before.
It is time to get a new rig now, I am open to anything.
Options:-
1 - Get a iMac 20" or 24". Reason being that these days i don't use CAD (i did when i had the last machine), and these days its all Web, Photoshop and Lightroom. So I thought i would give Mac a chance.
2 - Get something like Dell, just base unit as i already have 2 monitors i can use it with...which also means they are a waste if i get an imac and i think a mac mini is not enough.
3 - Self Built PC....could do but i have no idea how to install the mobo and vaguely knows how to install the CPU and heat sink.
Obviously the imac is the most expensive but i think the price can be justified. A Dell unit often can be a bargain as it comes with an OS pre-installed and legit with warranty on the entire unit. Self built is cheapest and i can use windows 7 for the next 7 months at least.
I want something with at least 4G of ram, Quad Core if possible, low spec GFX would be fine, just enough to run HD res. HD wise, i am just going to get external from now on i think, with 1TB drives like £60, its easy just to fill up, and then back up and put it in the cupboard or something.
I guess the question is, i don't know what spec is good, what can one get for £600 PC wise? I know why imacs are as they spec are fixed on the apple site. But with PC i am very lost, which DDR are good?
Can someone spec me something for say £500 to £600? including case, and PSU.
P.S. I wanna go Intel, not AMD.....bad experience....
Dymetrie
26-01-2009, 15:08
I'm looking at upgrading to a Phenom quad system shortly and priced up the chip, mobo (gigabyte) and 4GB PC1066 for about £250-£300...
So if your budget is £600 then something like that with a decent case, PSU and GFX card should be easy.
Of course, most people will probably advise a core2 quad, I just like the name Phenom :D
The thing is that i have no idea what advantages of one of them over an other?
If the difference in number crunching is minimal then i would save my money obviously...I have looked, there are quad cores at 2.44 ghz at £130 ish but there are ones at 3ghz or there about at £900 !!! WTF ?
Of course, most people will probably advise a core2 quad, I just like the name Phenom :D
Indeed, because even if you get a Phenom that can compete performance wise with a Core 2 chip, they are hugely more power hungry.
AMD have been slapped silly in the CPU game recently and unless you have a motherboard already that will just take one, it takes a special kind of love to buy their stuff at the moment.
Flibster
26-01-2009, 15:20
Shuttle with a quad core, 4gb and if you use the onboard graphs it is easily done for that. If you're using external drives then there is no real need for much internal capacity which means you can go for the shuttle case.
Pluspoints - really nicely made little machine - will be quite rapid
Downsides - limited space inside.
Just a quick spec here.
4GB Corsair (2x2GB) TwinX XMS2, DDR2 PC2-6400 (800), 240 Pins, Non-ECC Unbuffered, CAS 5-5-5-18
£40.99
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 G0 SLACR, Kentsfield Core, Socket 775, 2.40 GHz 1066MHz 8MB Cache, OEM
£143.36
250GB Samsung HD252HJ, Spinpoint F1, SATA300, 7200 rpm, 16MB Cache, 8.9 ms, NCQ
£36.97
Shuttle XPC SG45H7, S775, Intel G45, DDR2 667/ 800 MHz, PCI-E 2.0 (x16), SATA 3Gb/s, On Board VGA
£288.57
Total - about £510
Add in any basic DVD writer for £20... or HD-DVD/Bluray and DVD Writer for £70
4GB Corsair (2x2GB) TwinX XMS2, DDR2 PC2-6400 (800), 240 Pins, Non-ECC Unbuffered, CAS 5-5-5-18
£40.99
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 G0 SLACR, Kentsfield Core, Socket 775, 2.40 GHz 1066MHz 8MB Cache, OEM
£143.36
250GB Samsung HD252HJ, Spinpoint F1, SATA300, 7200 rpm, 16MB Cache, 8.9 ms, NCQ
£36.97
Can't go wrong with a Q6600 and 4GB RAM.
If you don't fancy the shuttle idea, a nice P35 motherboard can be had for about £70, with onboard sound, graphics card something like a 9600GSO for £65 provides plenty of beef for not a lot of cash and then a case to your liking, something like an Antec 300 for £50 and a 550W Corsair PSU for £50 again.
Of course that can all be done cheaper if you want. £50 for a P31 board, £30 graphics card, cheap case etc.
Matblack
26-01-2009, 15:29
[slaps self]
Strikes me the Mac is pretty much built for what you want to do with it.
I have to say that if I start to take a lot of photos I'll probably look at getting on in the future and keep my main PC doing exactly what it does now, acting as a media centre.
MB
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro - P4 up to 4.4GHz - S775 Dual/Quad Core Ready - The Favourite One! £14.89 £17.12
4GB Corsair (2x2GB) TwinX XMS2, DDR2 PC2-6400 (800), 240 Pins, Non-ECC Unbuffered, CAS 5-5-5-18 £35.64 £40.99
550w Corsair VX Series PSU, ATX, PS/2, 5 year Warranty - see specs £60.55 £69.63
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 G0 SLACR, Kentsfield Core, Socket 775, 2.40 GHz 1066MHz 8MB Cache, OEM £124.66 £143.36
Antec Three Hundred Black Midi Tower Case w/o PSU £43.99 £50.59
Gigabyte GA-EP31-DS3L, iP31 Express, S 775, PCI-E (x16), DDR2 1066/667/800, SATA 3Gb/s, ATX £46.47 £53.44
320 GB Samsung HD322HJ Spinpoint F1, SATA 300, 7200 rpm, 16MB Cache, 8.9 ms £33.04 £38.00
Pioneer DVR-216DBK 20x DVD±R, 12x DVD±DL, DVD+RW x8/-RW x6, SATA, Black, OEM £16.49 £18.96
768MB XFX 9600 GSO, PCI-E 2.0 (x16), 1000MHz GDDR2, GPU 580MHz, 96 Cores, 2x DL DVI-I/ HDTV £57.99 £66.69
£433.72
£11.26
£66.75
Total
£511.73
I expect i've missed something vital there, I always seem to manage that.
Dymetrie
26-01-2009, 15:43
I expect i've missed something vital there, I always seem to manage that.
The operating system?
The operating system?
He said he'd use Windows 7 if he self built.
Dymetrie
26-01-2009, 15:48
He said he'd use Windows 7 if he self built.
Good point, must be the FDD you're missing off the list then :p
Stan_Lite
26-01-2009, 15:53
I've come up with a system fairly close to Divine's. I've gone with a P35 board but stayed with Gigabyte. I still think the Q6600 CPU is excellent value for money and I have three systems at home with them in. 4GB memory is essential for Vista in my opinion and OCZ make good, solid, dependable RAM.
I've included Vist 64bit in my list (you'll need 64bit with 4GB RAM), if you don't need it, use the spare cash to upgrade to a Blu-Ray drive or something and I've gone with an ATI card with HDTV output. The stock Intel coolers are perfectly well equipped as far as cooling goes but the Arctic 7 is a bit quieter and pretty cheap.
If I was building a system to your spec with your budget, this is the system I'd build but if Divine built me his system, I'd be more than happy with it.
Edit: Bloody Picasaweb playing silly buggers - image rehosted.
http://bigstan.net/Images/E-Buyer.JPG
There are lot of components that are all equally as good as each other when it comes down to it and a lot of it is personal preference.
ie. I prefer Corsair RAM to OCZ though neither really has a huge advantage at this price range.
One thing though, the ATi cards with HDMI out can cause annoying issues with sound and i've seen a many cases on help forums with people with 'missing' sound etc. because of the HDMI sound drivers.
What this has rather unhelpfully done though is demonstrated I could upgrade my PC quite cheaply and easily now. Damn you.
Dymetrie
26-01-2009, 15:58
It might even be making me think about a Q6600 system as well!
Will my 500 watt Antec PSU have enough juice to run a system like that though (it currently runs an X2 4000+, 2GB RAM and an 8800 Pro...)?
Stan_Lite
26-01-2009, 16:01
It might even be making me think about a Q6600 system as well!
Will my 500 watt Antec PSU have enough juice to run a system like that though (it currently runs an X2 4000+, 2GB RAM and an 8800 Pro...)?
Hell yeah. I had 2 similarly specced systems at home running on 430W Antec PSUs.
Probably. You'll want to check it has all the relevant cables (I think ATX2.1 is the current spec though, it might be ATX2.2, i'm not sure off the top of my head) but i'd be surprised if it didn't.
A Q6600 with average graphics will probably only draw about 250-300W in reality. The larger sizes are to provide both a safety net in terms of power and also to allow the PSU to run more in it's most efficient regions, which are generally approx. half the rated RMS output.
When you start overclocking the CPU and stringing up beasty graphics cards then you want to start looking at 650W or so in a PSU.
Dymetrie
26-01-2009, 16:07
It may well be time to initiate a strokey beard meeting with myself! :D
Stan_Lite
26-01-2009, 16:21
Probably. You'll want to check it has all the relevant cables (I think ATX2.1 is the current spec though, it might be ATX2.2, i'm not sure off the top of my head) but i'd be surprised if it didn't.
A Q6600 with average graphics will probably only draw about 250-300W in reality. The larger sizes are to provide both a safety net in terms of power and also to allow the PSU to run more in it's most efficient regions, which are generally approx. half the rated RMS output.
When you start overclocking the CPU and stringing up beasty graphics cards then you want to start looking at 650W or so in a PSU.
Pretty much what he said. The two systems I mentioned above were clocked to 3.5GHz but only had low grade gfx (they were purely for F@H) to balance things out.
My gaming rig runs a Q6600 at 3.6GHz and an 8800GTX OC2 with a 650W PSU.
Stepping out of the geek fest.
Self built, vs pre-built. It's down to how much money you have to spare and how much less hassle it's really worth.
Pre Built:
+ Works out-of-the-box.
+ All repairs are handled by the one company.
- Usually noticeably more expensive than self built.
Self Built:
+ Significantly cheaper
+ More control over specs, guaranteed quality components as opposed to generic.
- When things go wrong you need to identify exactly what and arrange repair / replacement under manufacturers warranty if it's not covered by the store's one.
- Needs a little bit of skill to put together. (actually I'd call that only half a negative at best, it's really not difficult and parts come with manuals that help you out anyway)
Stan_Lite
26-01-2009, 19:12
Pre-built does have the advantage that it should just "work out of the box" and the entire system is covered by the builder's warranty.
Personally, I derive a great deal of satisfaction from researching which components will be best for my needs, sourcing them at a good price and then hammering them all together and overclocking the living daylights out of it :D I understand that not everybody shares my enjoyment.
It all really depends what you want out of the experience. You need to decide whether a machine built to someone else's specifications with a warranty that covers the entire system and it's construction is good enough for what you need or whether you would like to have the pleasure of owning a purpose built machine that you built yourself but has several different warranties, any of which may be invalid if you've cocked up somewhere along the line. I prefer the latter but I can understand perfectly well why the majority of people prefer the former.
Thanks guys, it gives me an idea of what i should be getting and what to get now :)
I did just see and play with a iMac 24" in PC World and I really like the build quality of it, if a little dumb founded as to where are all the ports..........The screen is just amazing, but its twice as much as my PC budget, although i can see where the money is going, it is hard to swallow, unless i can wing a HR discount lol
Psymonkee
26-01-2009, 21:15
DIY - it's fun :>
Self Built:
+ Significantly cheaper
Oh I cannot disagree more. It works out far more expensive to spec and build a machine than just go and buy a ready made one off the shelf. You have the disadvantage that you're buying one of everything at full retail price whereas the manufacturers can buy the same kit at a much lower price because they're buying thousands of them.
I've never, ever been able to spec a PC and not find a prebuilt one of the same or slightly lower specifications much cheaper than the home-build price. Having said that, the only computer I've ever bought built was the Mac and that was a bargain price.
That's strange Feek as I built my last few pc's and Sam's too and I've always found it cheaper to buy parts than to buy a ready made system.
Maybe I'm just fussy about the specs and parts and won't settle for different than what I want :)
Maybe it's just because I've always chosen absolute top range parts?
Mine aren't that cheap :p
My last PC build cost me over a grand for the bits (box only already had monitor) and was still cheaper than any pre-builds.
Was a few years ago mind. (I really need to update my PC soon :()
Maybe it's just because I've always chosen absolute top range parts?
Possibly because one thing you have to remember is that in machines like Dell and MESH etc. they'll use cheap 'just about enough' PSUs, they'll use cheaper motherboard with less features that are 'just about enough' to work, the screens will be cheap models that are 'just about enough'... etc. etc.
There is also a crossover point. Sub £500 often prebuilds are cheaper due to this buying power big companies have but above that it increasingly swings in favour of self build.
Yes, I think that's what I was trying to say - Didn't mean to say insinuate that you were buying crap, Mic :)
So is it as simple as put it all together, put CD in drive and install windows?
The scariest part is putting the thermal paste on the Heat Sink, is it too much, is it enough?
Thermal paste is easy enough to apply. You want a very thin even layer. I put it on using a business card to spread it over the die.
Too much is as bad as not enough.
When installing CPU's I usually put some thermal paste on the contact patch of the headsink, rub it in well (whilst wearing a glove or with my hand in a plastic bag) and then scrape off as much as I can using a business card. Idea being that the small amount of compound left behind will fill any small holes in the contact patch and give better heat transfer.
Artic Cooler Freezer 7 or the supplied Intel Heatsink if you get a Retail CPU instead of OEM will both have thermal paste preapplied if that worries you.
The most annoying part of a S775 build is the pushpins for the heatsinks as its very easy for them to seem like they're in properly but not actually quite be in.
The rest of it is standard fare, plug the relevent cables where they need to go, if it fits, it probably goes there etc.
If you can do lego, you can do a PC ;)
Once it's built and works then just whack in a Windows CD (might need to change boot order in BIOS) and then format the hard drive and possibly partition it if you want and then install Windows and you're on your way.
Yes, I think that's what I was trying to say - Didn't mean to say insinuate that you were buying crap, Mic :)
No problems Feek :D
Artic Cooler Freezer 7 or the supplied Intel Heatsink if you get a Retail CPU instead of OEM will both have thermal paste preapplied if that worries you.
The most annoying part of a S775 build is the pushpins for the heatsinks as its very easy for them to seem like they're in properly but not actually quite be in.
The rest of it is standard fare, plug the relevent cables where they need to go, if it fits, it probably goes there etc.
If you can do lego, you can do a PC ;)
Once it's built and works then just whack in a Windows CD (might need to change boot order in BIOS) and then format the hard drive and possibly partition it if you want and then install Windows and you're on your way.
Have to agree with all of this. I built a PC for someone at work that was just spending £300 and it was the first S775 CPU I've installed. Took me ages to get the heat sink seated properly.
Thermal paste as Divine said is already applied to most heat sinks nowadays and definitely if you buy a retail version of the CPU.
If you're just after a typical mass-market spec, then pre-build is cheaper every time. If you want to do something a bit more 'special' then that's where self-build starts to take over.
Freezer 7 is dead easy to install. If I can manage it, anyone with a decent amount of intelligence and care should be able to do it. As divine suggested, as long as you take care to line up the heatsink correctly first time and push the pins all the way home, it's a doddle.
I agree with all the above specs - Q6600, Gigabyte motherboard and 4GB OCZ or Corsair RAM. I run mine, overclocked, with a 430W Antec PSU. Works fine.
As for the sound issue, unless ATI's drivers are knackered, then Vista (and presumably Windows 7) should cope fine. Vista is much better than XP at managing multiple sound outputs (I've run my laptop briefly with USB speakers, USB headset, and internal sound card all working).
That said, I'm half tempted to buy a prebuilt system this time around. Shipping costs for components to Hawaii can be daft, depends on how places ship things.
NokkonWud
27-01-2009, 03:26
On the topic of Mac's being brilliant for images etc... I find it completely the opposite. I find apple applications to be over elaborate and long-winded... a lot like iTunes.
I would take the way Vista sorts images out over OSX, but each to their own.
I also really didn't like the lack of a RMB on the Mac mouse.
Psymonkee
27-01-2009, 03:44
But you can use command + click :D!
/runs
On the topic of Mac's being brilliant for images etc... I find it completely the opposite. I find apple applications to be over elaborate and long-winded... a lot like iTunes.
I would take the way Vista sorts images out over OSX, but each to their own.
I also really didn't like the lack of a RMB on the Mac mouse.
I think the 'better for images' was always more related to the PowerPC days and the fact Photoshop was coded primarily for the mac and then adapted to the PC, so it ran far better on Mac than it did on PC. Same went for various popular video editing apps.
Since Apple went Intel, it's no longer the case really, in fact, for the money, a PC would probably be quicker considering the improved hardware you could probably buy.
Stan_Lite
27-01-2009, 06:33
I agree with the rest of the guys. A PC is relatively simple to build. Pretty much everything will only fit where it's supposed to go. If you follow the advice in the motherboard instruction manual, you won't go far wrong.
One piece of advice would be to fit as many things to the motherboard as you can before screwing it into the case (especially the 4 pin power connector, which tends to be in an inaccessible spot next to the CPU, and the front panel connectors) as things get a bit fiddly once it's in place. I always fit the CPU/heatsink, RAM, 4 pin power connector, front panel connectors and any fan connectors before screwing it in.
If you decide to build your own, there are plenty of us here who have built many PCs in the past who would be more than happy to give advice if you need it :)
I've toyed with the idea of buying pre-built systems in the past but I always end up building my own for the reasons divine stated above - most pre-built machines will have a cheap, barely powerful enough PSU, cheap motherboard (quite often with a proprietry BIOS which doesn't allow overclocking) and usually cheap RAM. With a self-build, I know the quality of the components going into it and I can tweak it however I want, rather than be limited to what the system builder allows me.
If you do build your own I'd also consider just sticking a free copy of Windows 7 Beta 1 on for now. It will last until August 1st and you can evaluate your options then. Save a few squids and I've found it problem free and faster than Vista this last few weeks.
Stan_Lite
27-01-2009, 10:12
If you do build your own I'd also consider just sticking a free copy of Windows 7 Beta 1 on for now. It will last until August 1st and you can evaluate your options then. Save a few squids and I've found it problem free and faster than Vista this last few weeks.
I agree with this. I'm using it on my netbook atm and it's better than Vista imo. Not much point paying for Vista now when there will be a better version along in a few months.
Dymetrie
27-01-2009, 10:19
Hmmm...
Do we have a confirmed (or even less vague than 'soon'(TM)) release date for Windows 7 yet?
I'll be installing the beta on my spare shuttle system at some point to play with (y'know, when I actually have some time, once I've sorted out the PC Feek gave me to look at...), but current reports from everyone is that it's better than Vista :)
If it's going to be out in third/fourth quarter this year then I may well wait until then to upgrade and go with a shiny new OS as well :D
It will go gold towards the end of the summer Dym, if they hit their targets, but most wont 'see' it until the end of the year. It will go Gold, the OEM's will have it for a period of time to go through their testing/certification etc, then once they have product to market it'll be boxed and released to retail on it's own.
Somewhere between it going Gold and the OEM's releasing it, it'll hit MSDN and Technet, so dodgy copied wont be far behind that. Late third/early fourth I reckon.
If it isn't out by the time the beta expires, I'm sure another beta (or an RC) will be along to fill in the gap, and since you'll have to reinstall the OS anyway it's not much of a problem.
The beta had its expiry changed anyway didnt it?
Expires later than August now as far as I know.
Na, the beta was extended - ie, you can download it for longer than they originally planned, but it's time bombed the same.
Dymetrie
28-04-2009, 18:51
So with my current system slowly dying then I think it's time to look at an upgrade...
Thoughts/comments on this set up:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 "Energy Efficient SLACR 95W Edition" 2.40GHz (1066FSB) - Retail (£172.49 inc VAT)
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3L Intel P45 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard (98.89 inc VAT)
OCZ Gold Edition 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 PC2-8500C5 Dual Channel (OCZ2G10664GK) (£39.99 inc VAT)
This will all run with an 8800 GTX and a 500GB Seagate...
I'm considering being silly and getting 8GB of RAM but am not sure at the moment.
Also, the Intel P45 chipset... Is that good?
That's within my budget and should hopefully be a good upgrade from my Athlon X2 with 2GB RAM...
Doubt you'd need 8GB RAM and if you did, you'd probably know it.
All looks like a solid system to me.
leowyatt
28-04-2009, 18:59
Haha what did you get Mondo?
LeperousDust
28-04-2009, 19:12
I reckon he Ho'ed out and got a mac, the dirty boy.
leowyatt
28-04-2009, 19:34
Good lad, was going to suggest a new mac mini but then noticed the date :o
Yup - looks fine to me. Unless you're doing the sort of things Daz and myself do (multiple virtual machines on one PC), or have a huge 64-bit game to run (and a 64-bit OS to run it on), then it's hard to justify more than 4GB.
Stan_Lite
28-04-2009, 20:36
So with my current system slowly dying then I think it's time to look at an upgrade...
Thoughts/comments on this set up:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 "Energy Efficient SLACR 95W Edition" 2.40GHz (1066FSB) - Retail (£172.49 inc VAT)
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3L Intel P45 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard (98.89 inc VAT)
OCZ Gold Edition 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 PC2-8500C5 Dual Channel (OCZ2G10664GK) (£39.99 inc VAT)
This will all run with an 8800 GTX and a 500GB Seagate...
I'm considering being silly and getting 8GB of RAM but am not sure at the moment.
Also, the Intel P45 chipset... Is that good?
That's within my budget and should hopefully be a good upgrade from my Athlon X2 with 2GB RAM...
Looks perfectly good to me Dym. P45 is perfect for the Q6600 and I'm a big fan of Gigabyte. I wouldn't bother with 8GB RAM - I put 8GB in my gaming rig for a laugh and no matter what I did, I couldn't get it using any more than about 3.5 - and that was with far more tasks running than I would ever dream of running for real.
LeperousDust
28-04-2009, 20:43
I don't do that much but what i do tends to totally EAT memory for me.
For instance i leave Mediamonkey and Opera open almost permanently doing a million things each, these two applications just devour memory. Then i'll try and run iplayer and/or a video (VLC) and a few other little things here and there, can quite easily, well not easily (:p) get pretty damn close to my 4Gb...
Stan_Lite
28-04-2009, 21:09
I don't do that much but what i do tends to totally EAT memory for me.
For instance i leave Mediamonkey and Opera open almost permanently doing a million things each, these two applications just devour memory. Then i'll try and run iplayer and/or a video (VLC) and a few other little things here and there, can quite easily, well not easily (:p) get pretty damn close to my 4Gb...
That's hardly normal usage though is it? :p
At the moment, on my gaming rig (running 64 bit Vista ultimate), I am encoding some "special interest ;)" DVDs using handbrake, Folding (GPU client + SMP client), listening to Alison Moyet on Winamp and browsing using Firefox with several pages open and I'm using a little over 2GB. This is a damn sight more than I would usually be doing on it.
For the vast majority of people, 4GB is more than enough.
I know this thread is old, but I always love building my own pc from bits (even though it's been years since I've done it) but it's fun! :D
Stan_Lite
28-04-2009, 22:16
I know this thread is old, but I always love building my own pc from bits (even though it's been years since I've done it) but it's fun! :D
Me too.
There's a certain amount of satisfaction to be gained from taking a pile of bits and making it into something as useful and complex as a PC - even if it is easier to do than building a Lego car. A lot of the fun for me is in the selection of the components - i.e. deciding what the machine will be used for and then researching which components will fit together the best for the purpose.
Me three, though I'll still buy Dell (or, heaven forbid, Apple, if that's what it takes).
(or, heaven forbid, Apple, if that's what it takes).
Why 'heaven forbid?'
Personally I can't be arsed to build computers any more. I'm at the stage where I want it to be someone elses problem if it goes pop.
leowyatt
29-04-2009, 09:03
Why 'heaven forbid?'
Personally I can't be arsed to build computers any more. I'm at the stage where I want it to be someone elses problem if it goes pop.
amen to that man, I must have just gotten lazy ;D
Matblack
29-04-2009, 09:16
I'm getting to a stage where I want something which 'just works' read into that what you will
MB
leowyatt
29-04-2009, 09:18
I'm getting to a stage where I want something which 'just works' read into that what you will
MB
Matt's going to buy a mac!!!
/does a little dance
Yeah I'm the same. Once upon a time it used to save you a good chunk of change but you get so much power so cheap these days pre-built it doesnt seem worth it anymore. Unless you simply enjoy it of course :)
[edit] He's going to buy a typewriter you mean! All computers have gayness within them :p
Matblack
29-04-2009, 09:24
I have three things I really want at the moment, I'll be getting ann iPhone in the summer, the others are a) an iMac and b) a new lens for the camera. Its a toss up between those two, I have a computer which works and a lens which works so its a question of which to upgrade :)
MB
leowyatt
29-04-2009, 09:26
why not get a mac mini and put the rest towards a lens? ;)
You waiting for the phone refresh?
I'm getting to a stage where I want something which 'just works'
Pen and paper it is then! All computers irrespective of brand, OS and fanboiness go tits up.
That said, my MacBook goes tits up less than all the other machines I've had.
Matblack
29-04-2009, 09:29
why not get a mac mini and put the rest towards a lens? ;)
You waiting for the phone refresh?
Yep and also for my contract to finish in June, although if it comes earlier (which I doubt) I could theoretically buy the contract out from Orange but I do want to keep my number.
MB
leowyatt
29-04-2009, 09:37
Well we'll only find out early June at the WWDC anyway
I managed to keep my number from Orange without any issues when I moved to O2.
I still like building a PC, I find it easier and less irritating than all the pre-packaged stuff which comes with lots of crap I don't want, and I often save several hundreds of quid doing it.
Though when my computers are next dead I may well go the Mac route.
Personally I can't be arsed to build computers any more. I'm at the stage where I want it to be someone elses problem if it goes pop.
Yup, that's where I've ended up. I think if I'd not gone Mac then I'd have just bought something off the shelf.
read into that what you will
Matt's going to buy a mac!!!
MB and I had this discussion recently and I'm sure it won't be long. June/July time is where I've reserved my place in the "MB's getting a Mac" sweepstake :D
leowyatt
29-04-2009, 10:35
June 8-12 ;)
Personally I can't be arsed to build computers any more. I'm at the stage where I want it to be someone elses problem if it goes pop.
What he said :)
I used to love building my own but I just can't really be bothered now and as all 3 PCs I or my parents have bought in the past few years have cost under £200 courtesy of Dell, it seems to be cheaper for me to do it that way!
I only ever use my laptop these days anyway as my shoulder still doesn't like sitting at a desk, and it's easier. So buying is a hell of a lot easier! In an ideal world, my next laptop will be a Macbook but that all depends on when that is, money etc.
Why 'heaven forbid?'
Sorry, just trolling. My bad. :o
I'm already a fully paid-up member of the Mac owners club, though it doesn't get nearly the use it could (it's mainly just an iTunes box at the moment).
I've not had much luck with AMD selfbuilds but a couple of months ago I did an i7 build and it's the first time where it has all gone smoothly, from installing components to booting it up and squeezing a decent overclock it has been the most satisfying build since my first shuttle nearly 6 years ago. I'm tempted to get a media box off the shelf as I just can't build anything quiet enough for a reasonable price, can't quite persuade myself to go mac yet either.
Personally I can't be arsed to build computers any more. I'm at the stage where I want it to be someone elses problem if it goes pop.
The more I think about how I'll have the money for a PC soon, and what might go in it, the more I'm thinking "I can't be arsed with building it myself", which is odd because I love getting my hands 'dirty' as such.
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