Computer recommendations?

[Dantius]

Okay, so I'm the sort of person who likes to have two computers in the house, and keep each one for about five years before getting a new one, to stay ahead of the curve and be able to run all the latest games, programs, etc. However, since the last computer I bought was utter crap and by no means was able to perform what I needed it to, I figured it's about time for an update, and I wanted to ask around to get a few opinions before I bought something and found it unsuited for anything other than web browsing, Minesweeper, and Word. So I'm looking for a computer with:

• Windows
• Over 1 TB storage space
• Serious 3D and graphics capabilities (needs to be able to run Autodesk products, 3D rendering, games, etc. Dual monitor support a must)
• Good processing power and RAM (I like to run tons of programs in parallel, and some require some serious processing power)
• Less than $1000 net cost. Preferably, that doesn't mean like $950, but more like $800-$850.
• HP products are preferred. I like HP.
• I'd have nothing against buying a part or two separately and switching it out, I don't want to build the whole thing from component parts for the sake of saving a few hundred bucks.

Thoughts?

[A less presumptuous name.]

Originally Posted By: Dantius

So I'm looking for a computer with:

• Windows

Thoughts?

Nope, sorry. Looks like you're beyond help.

[Dantius]

Originally Posted By: Master1

Originally Posted By: Dantius

So I'm looking for a computer with:

• Windows

Thoughts?

Nope, sorry. Looks like you're beyond help.

Ahem.



The free market has spoken, and concurs with my assessment.

[Enraged Slith]

Avoid Windows 7 like the plague.

[The Mystic]

• Windows

  Go with 64-bit Win7; which edition, I'll leave up to you. However, if you use a lot of programs requiring WinXP, I'd go with either Win7 Pro or Ultimate, just in case you need to run them in Windows XP mode.

• Over 1 TB storage space

  This can be done easily enough. Also, if your computer's hard drive is still in good working order, you can install it in the new one, for extra space.

• Serious 3D and graphics capabilities (needs to be able to run Autodesk products, 3D rendering, games, etc. Dual monitor support a must)

  I'll let others answer this one; I have no experience with video cards and GPUs, except for built-in ones.

• Good processing power and RAM (I like to run tons of programs in parallel, and some require some serious processing power)

  I suggest you get a 4- or 6-core processor, and a bare minimum of 4GB RAM (though you may need more).

• Less than $1000 net cost. Preferably, that doesn't mean like $950, but more like $800-$850.

  ...HP products are preferred. I like HP.

  Check out sites for your local computer stores, or even HP's website. There's a good chance you'll find something suitable in your price range.

• I'd have nothing against buying a part or two separately and switching it out, I don't want to build the whole thing from component parts for the sake of saving a few hundred bucks.

  Having bought several computers and built one, I find there's something of a trade-off. Pre-built computers are usually cheaper, but there's usually not much (if any, in some cases) capacity for upgrading. A DIY build tends to cost a little more money (not to mention time assembling it), but you can make it to suit your needs and still have plenty of room for expansion.

Originally Posted By: Enraged Slith

Avoid Windows Vista like the plague.

FYT.

[A less presumptuous name.]

Originally Posted By: Dantius

Code:

fancy graphic

The free market has spoken, and concurs with my assessment.

Since when has common sense and intellect been something decided upon by the majority?

[ex post slarto]

Well, there is the word "common" in "common sense."

[A less presumptuous name.]

There is also the saying that "common sense ain't so common."

[Tyranicus]

I'd recommend the HP Pavilion HPE h8z series

$800 gets you a 2.9GHz 6-core CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 1.5TB hard drive (upgrade to a 2TB drive for $50 more), and a Radeon 6450 GPU, which is certainly no slouch (for $40 more you can upgrade to a 6570, and for $70 more, you can upgrade to a 6670, which is a real beast of a card)

[Lilith]

Originally Posted By: Dantius

[*]I'd have nothing against buying a part or two separately and switching it out, I don't want to build the whole thing from component parts for the sake of saving a few hundred bucks.

There are sites out there offering a service where you pick out the parts and they custom-build it for you for a small additional fee. This may be your best option, since any pre-built PC that meets your performance demands is likely to be overpriced.

[Mod.]

AMD > Intel

My old AMD PC with AMD Phenom Quad Core also has an extremely cheap integrated card. My brand new PC with intel i5 2.8 GHz has a much higher performance rating and has one of the best integrated cards there is. My new PC gets 30-40 FPS on shooters where my other PC can get 100+, it even can't run minecraft over 4 FPS, well 10 after the update. My old dusty AMD far surpases my New Intel on everything so far. Maybe it could me my drivers, idk, but old and new games alike are much slower on the "faster" intel.

Also, I prefer ATI to Nvidia.

 

I recommend 4-8 gigs of ram, DDR3, and an AMD Quad core. Specifics on what you are using it for helps on what hardware you'll need.

[Dantius]

The option I'm considering most seriously is getting an HP h8t (awesome name, BTW. I'm naming mine the h8t machine), upgrading the processor to in i7 2600 quad-core, an extra stick of RAM to get up to 9 or 12 gigs, and then using the store credit I have at Best Buy to pick up a new nvidia 4?? GTX depending on what the voltage draw of the card and the PSU it comes with. It comes out to about $1,100, which is just about the maximum I'd be willing to spend at any rate.

[Student of Trinity]

Originally Posted By: Dantius

Ahem.



The free market has spoken ....

... and apparently it would rather have a Buick than a Porsche.

[Micawber]

Ooh, data What's the population? Assuming the units are individual vehicles, I'm slightly surprised by how small those numbers are. Or perhaps they were just sales for a particular quarter.

 

Back on topic, SoT's point is of course valid (market share doesn't equate to quality/desirability). However, in context, after Dantius said that he wanted to buy a computer with Windows (and makes it plain he has another computer, and presumably, software he would like to continue to use) the first reply was rather a poor response. It's not unreasonable for Dantius to define clearly what he's looking for (perhaps hoping to avoid replies from timewasters?)

[Student of Trinity]

Heck, if Dantius had clearly stated that he wanted to buy a new slide rule, and somebody had told him to get a Mac, he'd have been entitled to get snarky about slide rules.

 

It's just that I realized that the market share comment seems to have a few unstated premises. I guess the way it makes the most sense is just as evidence that Dantius's computer desiderata are widely shared, and therefore not to be lightly condemned.

 

Slide rules have a perfectly secure operating system. Spam is low, too. Not many games are available, but that's just because game companies are unsellable trowels.

 

[ex post slarto]

Once again, Student of Trinity fulfills his own elegance function.

[Dantius]

Click to reveal.. (RANT)

Originally Posted By: Micawber

However, in context, after Dantius said that he wanted to buy a computer with Windows (and makes it plain he has another computer, and presumably, software he would like to continue to use) the first reply was rather a poor response. It's not unreasonable for Dantius to define clearly what he's looking for (perhaps hoping to avoid replies from timewasters?)

That's pretty much exactly why I did so. It's almost inevitable when I go to a tech support threads and say something along the lines of "Hi, I have this problem with my Windows Vista/Win7 and would like to fix it WITHOUT BUYING ANOTHER COMPUTER OR OS [emphasis in original]", some people inevitably reply "Durr, you should buy a Mac irrespective of the fact that you already have ten thousand dollars worth of software for your Windows machine than you must be able to run, simply because I, an uneducated person on the Internet who is a Mac fanboi, desire you to!" despite the fact that I expressly included a disclaimer in my original post to deter these kinds of people! Okay, done ranting.

At any rate, I've settled on getting HP to build me a custom HPE h8t with a Intel i7 2600 CPU, 6 gigs RAM, 1 TB hard drive, and an NVIDIA GeForce GT 440 3 gig graphics card, which is actually the cheapest DX11 card I could find. It checks out price-wise, and I'll probably place the order sometime tomorrow.

[The Mystic]

Nice.

 

Good luck with your new computer!

[Tyranicus]

Originally Posted By: Dantius

At any rate, I've settled on getting HP to build me a custom HPE h8t with a Intel i7 2600 CPU, 6 gigs RAM, 1 TB hard drive, and an NVIDIA GeForce GT 440 3 gig graphics card, which is actually the cheapest DX11 card I could find. It checks out price-wise, and I'll probably place the order sometime tomorrow.

Honestly, if you really want powerful performance out of your card, I think you'll be disappointed with the 430. The GTX 460 is admittedly twice the price, but it is very nearly twice the card.

[Alorael at Large]

I have no personal experience and no data, but my aggregate second-hand anecdotes suggest that HP delivers shoddy computers. That's mostly with their non-custom and fairly low-end hardware, though.

 

—Alorael, who is really saying that he wants to add your data point to his analysis so he can give better advice next time he wants a data point.

[Dantius]

Originally Posted By: Tyranicus

Originally Posted By: Dantius

At any rate, I've settled on getting HP to build me a custom HPE h8t with a Intel i7 2600 CPU, 6 gigs RAM, 1 TB hard drive, and an NVIDIA GeForce GT 440 3 gig graphics card, which is actually the cheapest DX11 card I could find. It checks out price-wise, and I'll probably place the order sometime tomorrow.

Honestly, if you really want powerful performance out of your card, I think you'll be disappointed with the 430. The GTX 460 is admittedly twice the price, but it is very nearly twice the card.

I'm sure, but there are several issues with getting a GTX 460. For starters, the PSU isn't strong enough to support more wattage than, at best, a GTS 450. Secondly, buying a new PSU is expensive and installing a hassle. Thirdly, installing any graphics card that does not come as an option in the HP build-a-computer applet will void my warranty/care package, and ability to get a refund if I find the computer lacking. Fourthly, purchasing a 460 would probably put me over budget, since I decided to bundle a pair of new monitors as well, which granted shot me right out of my current bracket, which loops back into number 3 about the returns, since I'd like to have a chance to get my money back if things go sour.

While I'm normally quite gung-ho about voiding warranties and upgrading stuff by hand, there's a big difference between tearing up a $200 netbook to optimize performance the hard way and screwing with what is now shaping up to be $1.5-2K worth of equipment for the sake of a little graphics boost.

[Dintiradan]

@Dantius: Really, just get used to it. People will always want to include their own views on how software should be used whenever you seek non-professional tech support. I remember reading up on some Emacs forums (trying to figure out how to insert a literal TAB character, I believe). The dialogues between the newbs and the experienced users went something like this:

 

Newb: Hey, I'm writing a C/C++/whatever program in Emacs and I want to make a tab character whenever I hit the Tab key.

Experienced User: Emacs will automagically indent your code, it usually does what's best for you, so don't try to fight it.

Newb: Yeah, but I'm trying to follow the style guide for my work/school/whatever, and I need tabs instead of spaces.

Experienced User: Well, the Right Way of doing things is to write a new mode for Emacs that follows your style guide, and then let Emacs autoformat for you as normal. Hope you know Lisp...

Newb: ... Seriously, shouldn't there be a simple fix for this?

Experienced User: By the way, your boss/professor/whatever is a heretic for not following the GNU style conventions.

 

I'm really not exaggerating here. It's a one-line fix to make Emacs behave the way you want, but people will always want to tell you the proper way to use a computer, rather than answer the question you asked.

 

(For the record, I have no problem with people giving advice when they feel you're doing the wrong thing. Just answer the questions at the same time.)

[Tyranicus]

Originally Posted By: Dantius

Thirdly, installing any graphics card that does not come as an option in the HP build-a-computer applet will void my warranty/care package, and ability to get a refund if I find the computer lacking.

That right there is why I would never buy an HP computer. That is absolutely ridiculous.

[ex post slarto]

To be fair, Dintiradan, emacs/vi is way, way touchier of a subject than mac/pc will ever be.

[Erebus the Black]

What has that got to do with anything?

Are you trying to start a vi/emacs argument?

Because we all know that real programmers use butterflies

[ex post slarto]

The point is that posting a question about emacs is really asking for it.

[Marlenny]

What about the bit where HP computers completely blow?

 

The only good thing I got out of owning an HP laptop for a year was that it made me hate PCs so much that I bought my Macbook.

[Dantius]

Originally Posted By: Marlenny

What about the bit where HP computers completely blow?

I've bought HP computers since I got out of college, I use them at work, and I've been exposed to them for just about a daily basis for the past, oh, decade and a half, and I've honestly never had any problems with any of their computers until the most recent one I've purchased, which was incidentally also the only time I just walked into Best Buy, said "I'd like a computer", and walked out after an hour without doing comparison shopping or spec analysis. That was totally my fault and I don't blame HP for my stupidity in not buying what I needed.

I'm not looking to blow thousands of dollars on an Alienware or a custom built machine that will vastly exceed my requirements. I'm really just looking for a computer with specs in the bottom end of the top quintile, that I can buy for around $1K, keep for a few years, upgrade for another couple hundred, and then replace after 5 or 6 years for a newer, better model. HP fits my criteria to a T in this respect. The computers may not suit your needs, and that's fine, you probably have different requirements, but it really is exactly what I need, and frankly I see no reason to mess with a formula that's worked for me for so long due to one bad experience.

[Rowen]

After our first family mac we got a HP. That was 9 years ago. They have bought HP's since then and each one has lasted a good 5 years plus as long as we upgrade the ram when its needed. I have no complaints about HP.

 

Glad that you found a computer that fits what you are looking for. Sometimes that can be very hard to do.

[Dantius]

I've placed the order and the computer should arrive sometime in the second week of July! I'll let you guys know how everything turns out, and whether it was worth it or not. Frankly, I'm feeling pretty confident, but we'll see how things wind up in the end.

[The Mystic]

Originally Posted By: Rowen

After our first family mac we got a HP. That was 9 years ago. They have bought HP's since then and each one has lasted a good 5 years plus as long as we upgrade the ram when its needed. I have no complaints about HP.

Lucky you. Everyone I know tells me to avoid HP computers at all costs, and most magazines I read tend to rate them somewhere around mediocre at best. I can't say whether any of this is true or not, though; the only HP computer I ever owned was actually a Compaq (my preferred brand at that time), and I bought it shortly after HP bought Compaq.

For what it's worth, HP does have pretty good printers for my needs.

[RCCCL]

HP Printers are some of the best around for most people, and I know that the main public hospital here in Indy prefers them. On the computer side, I've found HP lacking.

 

For the record, my current computer is a Sony Vaio laptop.

[nikki.]

Just to throw it in there, but I've had this HP notebook for several years now, and it's serving me just fine. I'd definitely buy HP again.

[Dantius]

Well, the computer itself arrived, and I'm now typing this as my first post on a brand-new computer! Yay!

 

I'm working on transferring my files as we speak, so after about, oh, eight hours or so, this computer should be indistinguishable from my old one, just with better stats. I'm also installing some programs to see how it runs tings, and preliminary results are looking real good. Further results as events warrant.

 

Thanks for all the help, guys!

[Randomizer]

"I once was on hold with Hewlett-Packard's customer service for two and a half hours to complain about how bad Hewlett-Packard's customer service was."

 

-- Dr. Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory

[nikki.]

Originally Posted By: Randomizer

The Big Bang Theorey [sic]

A show that unfunny is by far the best source of information such as this. I mean, the writers are putting lines like that in for a reason, and it certainly can't be because they find them humorous...

[Randomizer]

That show is funny because parts of it are true, Besides revenge is great when instead of griping to a few coworkers you can do it to millions of complete strangers.

[ex post slarto]

He was not on hold for 2 1/2 hours. It's obviously an exaggeration.

[Geneforgeisformeyukkyu]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834215037

 

Mid ranged graphics card, quad core, 4gb ddr3 ram, and only 500 gb HD though, but best bang for your buck in that range. The only setback, to me, is the 5400 rpm HD, and the fact that it is so popular as to run out of stock a few days after they restocked it. I have no doubt that acer will do so again though because the laptop is selling quickly. Last time I saw, the laptop was sold for $629.

 

Hey, you could always buy another hard-drive and switch them out, or just use an external hard-drive

 

Edit: Oh dang it, this is what I get when I do not read the last page, and only read the first.

[Xazo-Tak]

Contrary to you, I think you should build the computer from scratch. Just to help you, the case I'd reccomend is "Raidmax ninja" if you have parts that are likely to make a lot of heat, or want your PC to never go above "cold metal" temperature.

[A less presumptuous name.]

Originally Posted By: Dantius

Well, the computer itself arrived...

Originally Posted By: Xazo-Tak

Contrary to you, I think you should build the computer from scratch. Just to help you, the case I'd reccomend is "Raidmax ninja" if you have parts that are likely to make a lot of heat, or want your PC to never go above "cold metal" temperature.

While your advice seems valid, it's a wee bit late.

[Student of Trinity]

Dantius explicitly said he didn't want to build his own box. If you want to tell him he really should, because it's great and easy or something, that's what you have to explain, to be helpful. Just telling him what case to use, when he's said he doesn't want to buy a case, isn't helpful advice.