A Question

[j_man]

Hey everyone,

I have been looking for a new pc and found a few that are in my liking. I will probably upgrade the ram and graphics cards, but I want to know if they are good base models. Out of the list, can you guys tell me which comp you think is the best buy? Thanks.

One
two
Three

also, should I aim for 32 or 64 bit processors and why?

[silent h3ro]

Don't go for EMachines I heard its bad quality.

[j_man]

yeah, so far the cierco is looking good. any info on that one? (three)

[clocker]

Originally posted by HardcoreGamer@4 August 2004 - 17:18
Don't go for EMachines I heard its bad quality.

Not true.

My personal experience with 3 different models has all been positive ( so far ).

[Storm]

Originally posted by j_man@5 August 2004 - 00:11
Hey everyone,

I have been looking for a new pc and found a few that are in my liking. I will probably upgrade the ram and graphics cards, but I want to know if they are good base models. Out of the list, can you guys tell me which comp you think is the best buy? Thanks.

One
two
Three

also, should I aim for 32 or 64 bit processors and why?

what will you be using it for???

opions:

1:
-no video card
-do you need a 56k modem??? if not, your paying extra
-do you need a floppy drive??? if not, see above
-RAM is overclocked!!! pc 333 RAM is running on 400MHz
-no monitor

general thought: i hope those are not US dollars they want you to pay.......

2:
-8-in one media reader, do you need it?
-floppy drive, do you need it?
-56k modem, do you need it?
-really cheap graphic card (though at least it has one)

general thought: still to expensive, but at least the RAM isnt overclocked (not that doing that is a bad thing, but it shouldnt be done by the store

3:
-floppy drive?
-no video card
-im no expert, but ive never heard of an "S3G Unichrome II" graphix card....

general thought: does seem a lil better, but i still woudnt get it......


for all 3 goes: no monitor, do you really need that software your getting (you are paying for it)

if i were you id build my own comp (or let it be built by your local computer store, saves you alotta cash)

btw, you gotta love how they mention the "on die cache" as a plus

[lynx]

The spec for the HP machine is all wrong. The XP3200+ runs at 2.2GHz, and should have PC3200 memory for best performance. On that basis alone I would give that one a miss.

Similarly the eMachines pc only has a 333MHz FSB, sounds like it is using a slightly outdated mobo, and outdated DVDR drive {only 2.4x speed) so give that one a miss too.

The Cicero claims to have a 1600MHz system bus. If so, that's the latest chipset. Everything else looks about right too, so of the three that's the one I'd go for. Crappy graphics card, but that tends to be true of most prebuilt systems.

Have you considered building your own? You would probably end up spending about the same amount as the Cicero system, but at least you would get a better graphics card.

As for 32 bit/64 bit, the Windows 64 bit OS is due out any time soon, which will give you a lot more performance. Of course, once it is available the 64 bit market should really take off which should bring chip prices down, but if you want a new pc now you have to take what's on offer.

[SingaBoiy]

Dont get any of those. They all suck. Give me a G and Ill make you a 64-bit system with all the fixins.

[kaiweiler]

Originally posted by SingaBoiy@4 August 2004 - 22:43
Dont get any of those. They all suck. Give me a G and Ill make you a 64-bit system with all the fixins.

I'm sure he could easily do that himself. With a little research anyone can. It's not a difficult thing...
But I agree, you get the best performance out of a custom built machine providing you do it right, however it takes far more time, research, and work. If that stuff is worth the few dollars you save, then build your own by all means. I know I did.

[clocker]

Building your own is certainly a viable alternative.

Too bad the Great Delete ate BigDawgs 800 page thread about that very thing.
It was a veritable encyclopedia , jam packed with valuable information and a smattering of geek humor.

If he hadn't suffered that tragic accident trying to judge the CPU voltage with his tongue, I'm sure he'd tell you all about it.

[SingaBoiy]

My sis got ripped off when she got an eMachine a few weeks ago. Heres the specs:

AMD Athlon 3000+
512 PC2700
4x Dual Layer dvd burner
160 gig hdd 7200 rpm

The only thing I liked about it was the 17" TFT. After it is all payed off, they will have payed over a grand