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Can you recommend a reasonably priced desktop

9 replies

onadietcokebreak · 22/08/2010 22:30

Want a proper desk top.

About to start uni...laptops kill my hands even when I set it up with a seperate keyboard etc.

Refuse to buy HP or Compaq or anything with an Nvidia graphics card after a 20mth old laptop went wrong because of a known component fault.

Seems like Im really limited for options...help please!

I am also considering buy a 20" TV for £120 with computer cable adaptors which I could use as a monitor as PC will be in bedroom and current old TV will be removed to make way for it!

Also my BT hub is downstairs and connected to my vision box...Im assuming I need a wifi USB stick for PC.

Can anyone recommend something to help me through this maze!

OP posts:
NetworkGuy · 23/08/2010 01:45

Yes, you will need a USB wi-fi stick (though another option might be one on a USB cable - sometimes having a little wi-fi stick right next to a PC can mean it is screened from the router and you probably don't want to find you need to turn PC through 90 degrees just to get wi-fi to work reliably.

I'd probably spend a bit more for a bigger screen and go for a higher response time - eg 2 mSec, but if you've a 20" screen in mind, then 120 sounds fine (which model, being nosy?)

As for which desktop... Crumbs, you've already cut a big chunk of possibles out of the picture, haven't you. I'll have to pass on which models might be worth looking at for tonight.

PS My 'reasonable' might be your 'cheap and nasty' :)

Best put some upper and lower limits on budget to help us...

NetworkGuy · 23/08/2010 01:47

"higher response time" -> faster of course...

onadietcokebreak · 23/08/2010 02:19

TBH Networkguy Im so skint Looking at getting myself set up for less than £500 Shock as long as its likely to do me for word processing, excel and powerpoint through my 3 year uni course aswell as mumsnetting thats the main thing.

Every shop I went in today tried to sell me a laptop or an all in one.

I just know with my hands I will be crippled on a laptop and I dont trust the new all in ones- not easily repairable.

Will do a search for the TV..and post a link- dont even know if its suitable but seemed the cheaper than buying a monitor and TV card.

OP posts:
onadietcokebreak · 23/08/2010 02:21

TV link- its actually 19" .

OP posts:
onadietcokebreak · 23/08/2010 02:24

Thank you for trying to help me Network guy - just dont trust HP and Nvidia since my laptop died.

OP posts:
NetworkGuy · 23/08/2010 10:55

Ah - understood on budget.

The TV looks like it would need an HDMI connection from the PC. While some laptops do have HDMI, not that many desktops do, at present.

As for laptops, understood about your concerns, but I would simply plug in (and do!) a full size USB keyboard so apart from one or two functions where the laptop 'function + key' combination might be needed, I don't touch the laptop itself. Hate silly thumb-joystick thing on some models, and not happy with touch-pad, so use a USB optical mouse. Can probably get either item for under a tenner on Ebay.

If you are unlikely to be doing much more than a bit of browsing, using Excel and WP, do you already have access to MS Office for students (as that's going to add 75 ?? quid) ?

Do you have a preference for Windows XP or Windows 7 ? Do you have a copy of (say) Windows XP - just that bigpockets.co.uk has some desktop machines from ~220 pounds where you'd have option to install XP yourself.

Would have suggested something like a Medion or Acer Aspire 'nettop' box. Some have 2 GB RAM, 160 GB hD, wi-fi as standard, and priced below 250 quid. You'd want to add an external CD or DVD, unless you have other machines where you could share an existing drive (for installing software, for example).

I'd have suggested a 25" Hannspree Full HD LCD monitor (195 quid at Ebuyer) which accepts SCART, HDMI and VGA, or an LG which accepts HDMI, VGA, DVI. Alternatively there's an LG display with LED backlighting

www.ebuyer.com/product/177050 Hannspree - 2 mSec response

www.ebuyer.com/product/165285 LG LCD

www.bigpockets.co.uk/ LG LED - model E2250V-PN (VGA, DVI, HDMI) 36 month RTB warranty

With last one you'd need to buy a separate Freeview box.

Hmmmm, sorry for dumping a pile of apparently unwanted odds and ends, but just looking at other options for getting together some value-for-money bits to fit budget...

PS If you don't have XP to hand, I've heard it can be 'downloaded' (wink) if needed. There's a Wiki article about minimum hardware for Windows 7, if you prefer.

NetworkGuy · 23/08/2010 11:01

Locally, recently, in Asda Living, they had a Lenovo (IBM) laptop with 4 GB RAM, 160 GB HD, at a price of 299 (not shown on shelf, guy brought it from stock room to check price when I asked about something on shelf with no price). While I know you're anti-laptop at present, easy to add keyboard, and then only real prob is whether they use nVidia chipset.

onadietcokebreak · 27/08/2010 15:52

Thanks Network guy- Im still so confused!

Now have a desk for bedroom so going to try and set laptop (that hasnt quite died yet) up with a stand and keyboard/mouse and see how I get on....maybe wait til January sales?

OP posts:
NetworkGuy · 27/08/2010 16:39

Will give you a chance to see how well a full size keyboard will work with the laptop, as that seemed to be a high concern against bothering with a laptop (while I see it as less of a problem, rarely if ever using laptop keyboards in the past 20 years, while having used lots of laptops in that time!)

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