23 replies to this topic

[TheFiresInTheSky]

intel®
Pentium® D CPU 2.80GHz
2.79 GHz 1.00 GB of RAM
physical address extension

XP Media Edition 2002
75 GB HD
DVD burner/reader
CD burner/reader
no monitor
dual core processor

need opinions fast.

EDIT:
Sigmatel high definition audio
ATI video card (lowest one)

[oli]

thats basically my specs apart from the dual core and mine is about 4 years old. which cost £800 or about $1100. you need to know about the sound card and video card aswell. if u ever want to put vista on this you have to have a 256 mb video card.

edit do u have a link to where we can see it?

[TheFiresInTheSky]

no link, im buying it from a friend.
ill check on the video and sound card tonight.

[Eldmannen]

Is it for a HTPC ?
If so besure that the graphics card have TV-out.

I probably wouldnt go with an Pentium D...

[TheFiresInTheSky]

probably not since i dont know what it is.
it has a S-video if thats what you mean.
is it good for the price?
i need to know by sunday night.

[lokoike]

neighberaaron, on Jul 15 2006, 08:42 PM, said:

probably not since i dont know what it is.
it has a S-video if thats what you mean.
is it good for the price?
i need to know by sunday night.

Why would he cripple a fairly well-balanced rig like that with a measily 75 GB HD? If you aren't worried about saving much audio and video on that computer, 75 GB should be alright, but still...

Is he building it new, or is it used? If it is used, I would ask him to throw in another 200 GB HD for free, since he isn't including a monitor, speakers, or any input devices.

Also, try to get detailed specs about that video card; that could make or break the deal.

[TheFiresInTheSky]

i cant figure out how to get the total specs of the card.
whats the run shortcut for that?
its a refurbished PC. he got it 6 mo. ago.
brand new, hadn't even been out of the box.
world of warcraft is gonna be played on it but not much other than that.

[lokoike]

neighberaaron, on Jul 16 2006, 06:24 PM, said:

its a refurbished PC. he got it 6 mo. ago.
brand new, hadn't even been out of the box.

Oooo...

Refurb isn't always my first choice. If it had been brand new parts, that would be one thing, but I'm always hesitant about refurbished hardware. I guess it's more of a personal preference than anything, but if I was you, I would make sure it still has some form of warranty.

Quote

i cant figure out how to get the total specs of the card.
whats the run shortcut for that?

Well, at least to get a basic idea of what it has, click Start, then go to All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Information. Once System Information loads, expand the Components box on the left-hand side of the window, and then click Display. Post the "Name" and "Adapter RAM" listed.

[TheFiresInTheSky]

Radeon X300 SE 128 MB
thats all i can find out.

[Sniper]

Circuit City has a HP for $719, new in the box, that's nice. Needs a graphics card.
For Lokoike, it's got a Athlon 64bit 4200 dual-core processor.

HP A1540N

[Andavari]

neighberaaron, on Jul 15 2006, 02:55 PM, said:

DVD burner/reader
CD burner/reader

I would actually just go with just one burner/reader and it would be a do-it-all DVD burner/reader. Why? Because the new high density DVD format's (plural) are going to be released "supposedly at the end of this year," and you may want one of those in a year or two.

neighberaaron, on Jul 15 2006, 02:55 PM, said:

no monitor

Do you already have a good enough monitor? That's one way to save a good chunk of money if you do.

[lokoike]

Sniper, on Jul 16 2006, 09:58 PM, said:

Circuit City has a HP for $719, new in the box, that's nice. Needs a graphics card.
For Lokoike, it's got a Athlon 64bit 4200 dual-core processor.

HP A1540N

Wow, for the price, that definitely isn't bad! The proc alone is worth $350.

Plus, that HP has a free PCI-E 16x slot, so you can put in a brand new video card.

I would certainly keep the HP in mind, if you have the money.

[Eldmannen]

If it is not a HTPC (Home-Theater PC), then why use XP Media Center Edition?

[lokoike]

Eldmannen, on Jul 17 2006, 10:19 AM, said:

If it is not a HTPC (Home-Theater PC), then why use XP Media Center Edition?

Well, any computer with a DVD reader and audio outputs could be used as an HTPC. It isn't like you need anything special. You could also put in a TV tuner or cable card if you wanted, but still, even a no-frills PC could do the job.

That said, I do agree it is silly to include Media Center Edition as the default OS, since most people will probably only use their computer as... a computer. But you don't have to use the Media Center faceplate, and underneath of it is good ol' WinXP, so it isn't like you're losing anything with MCE.

[TheFiresInTheSky]

lol, alright, to the point now.
it has a 2 yr warranty.
just the standard warranty.
need to know the answer now, should i get it?

[lokoike]

neighberaaron, on Jul 17 2006, 09:24 PM, said:

lol, alright, to the point now.
it has a 2 yr warranty.
just the standard warranty.
need to know the answer now, should i get it?

If you don't plan on doing any intense gaming and you don't need to store large files, such as videos, then that rig will be good for you. But if you are still doing video editing (which I assume you are) and if you want to play newer video games at resonable settings, you may want to consider springing for something with a better video card and more hard drive space.

You could build yourself a pretty nice rig for around $800-900, but if you are on a budget, this computer really isn't a bad machine. At least it has a two year warranty, a quick processor, and HD audio.

Should you get it? If $600 is all you can spend, sure. But, if you have a little more than that to work with, I would shop around for something more geared towards what you do.

[TheFiresInTheSky]

im gonna build one, im gettin this PC tomarrow and im gonna use it for a yr or 2. then ill be finished building the other one and ill start using that one.

[rridgely]

If you would just upgrade your current pc to a gig of ram and buy a decent vid card then you could play World of Warcraft. I would save the money and do that rather then buy this pc and have to wait 1-2 years and build one you really want.

[PS3]

neighberaaron, on Jul 16 2006, 05:55 AM, said:

hows this sound for $600?
intel®
Pentium® D CPU 2.80GHz
2.79 GHz 1.00 GB of RAM
physical address extension

XP Media Edition 2002
75 GB HD
DVD burner/reader
CD burner/reader
no monitor
dual core processor

need opinions fast.

EDIT:
Sigmatel high definition audio
ATI video card (lowest one)

im guessing its US$600 and its a desktop right? if it is then i know that sounds expensive. thats a little over AU$800. and with that amount i could at least get a 128MB graphics card, decend 17" LCD Monitor, 120GB HD.

because its your mate, you should try to bargain with him. ive seen near the same offer in the stores for about AU$500.

[lokoike]

neighberaaron, on Jul 16 2006, 08:57 PM, said:

Radeon X300 SE 128 MB
thats all i can find out.

PS3, from the looks of it, this new computer already a PCI-Express video card (although by no means top of the line). It would work just fine for mild 3D gaming, just don't expect to run newer games like Oblivion at high settings.

But I agree, the hard drive seems out of place. If this is only a temporary rig, you might as well get it. It should give you enough performance for the time being.