Time for a new work PC

[jaymanek]

Guys,

Its really time I update my PC. I bought this one back in 2006 from dell and have had no issues. But im getting worried that soon it will just die!

It started running slow a while back so i increased the RAM which worked wonders but still it does odd things which require me to restart...

My pc is essential to my business so i think its time to upgrade.

Ive always gone to dell to buy are there any real other contenders?

I just want a powerful PC with at least 1.5 TB hard drive and decent RAM. Also I want two monitors and DVD RW drive etc.
The one ive specced on Dell has an Intel Xeon quad core processor and the total package comes to around 2K with the VAT.
Strikes me as steep as ive never paid more than £600ish for a desktop!

It seems its the processor that is bumping the price right up... is it worth it? Anyone got suggestions for other decent suppliers... Ive always found dell easy and hassle free.

 

[John]

The first thing I would always say is ensure you have a backup of your important data. You never know when a computer might have problems (even new ones do) so you should never be relying on just one copy (on the computer).

In my experience, PCs don't just die (you can of course be unlucky but this is very unusual).

They usually have a reason why they start having problems e.g. overheating due to build up of dust and/or poor air circulation around it. You can easily open the PC up and vacuum it out to help prolong its life.

You can also rebuild a PC by re-installing the Operating System (Dell PCs are great as they normally have the re-installation media - so it is pretty straight forward). This will return the computer to the best performance it is capable of - which should now be better since you have added memory.

However, and assuming you are running Windows and if so I would guess XP, I would certainly recommend moving to something running Windows 7. This is by far a lot quicker and much improved over XP.

I recently bought a Samsung notebook for my other half, having always been an avid Dell fan. However, you can't specify anything - just choose the model which suits.

I tend to prefer to build a PC from a number of options - as you might want more hard disk space but a slower CPU - something that doesn't always exist when choosing pre-spec'd.

If you are happy with Dell, I wouldn't have said you needed to consider anything else, but last time I looked at competitors, a lot have pre-spec'd computers etc. and don't offer the ability to customise much. Prices don't seem to be hugely different.

Unless you are using the computer for processor-intensive applications (video editing / massive Excel spreadsheets and number crunching / intensive graphics / image RIPping / playing games or it acting as a server), you don't really need Xeon processors.

I would probably consider Intel Core i7 or i5 CPUs.

The important bits are memory - I would opt for a minimum of 4GB these days, regardless, and in your case, more hard disk space.

If you intend to run a lot of applications at the same time, more memory is advisable. Windows will use the memory available in anycase.

I spec'd up a Dell XPS Studio PC for my mum and this is a great machine and is very quiet. Annoyingly, my Dell XPS 420 from 11/2007 has a whirring sound sometimes, but I've worked out this is the 10,000RPM hard disks causing it (resonance). Given this irritation (10,000RPM disks are faster than the regular 7,200RPM disks), I might consider building my own computer next time from scratch. Normally, you would get 7,200RPM disks so this wouldn't be an issue - and it isn't in the Studio PC I mention above which runs 7,200RPM disks.

Dell XPS 8300 with Core i7, 6GB RAM, 1.5TB and discrete video (separate graphics card) is £800.00 - just for illustration.

Of course if you order the rescue media, should your hard disk die you can re-install without too much bother.

 

[Stratman]

Purely a guess, but I suspect the slowness is caused by all the rubbish that's installed itself over the years. Adding more RAM has given it more room to run alongside your main applications so there's less paging to the HDD.

If you want to spec your own PC I can recommend PCSpecialist. You choose a base model that suits and tweak it from there. I've bought two PCs and a laptop from them and would do so again.

 

[John]

Purely a guess, but I suspect the slowness is caused by all the rubbish that's installed itself over the years. Adding more RAM has given it more room to run alongside your main applications so there's less paging to the HDD.

Yes, that's certainly two issues.

Too much in main memory i.e. not enough main memory means things which aren't in use at that time are 'swapped out' to the pagefile (which is stored on the much-slower hard disk) and when these need to be re-used, other things not in use are put in the pagefile and what is required is taken out. Windows XP really needs a minimum of 512MB of memory to run reasonable 'well'.

Windows (and all versions have done it over the years) get bloated, as does the registry (the 'backbone' of Windows if you like). Lots of things near the clock (bloatware or crapware as I call it) slows the computer down as these are just some of things being started when you turn on the computer. Once running, these mean more memory is used up (see above).

Other things (by no means an exhaustive list) which have an impact on performance:

- Malware can slow the machine down dramatically - this is why it is so important to run antivirus AND antimalware tools (unless your antivirus has an antimalware module).

- Fragmentation of the hard disk occurs - although with modern Windows, this has less of an impact, but is basically where blocks of data are no longer contigiously (stored side by side) stored and the disk has to go looking for all the blocks of data that makes up the total data that is required for any given operation.

- Possible faults within the hardware e.g. hard disk which have not been detected.

 

[Dryce]

Its really time I update my PC. I bought this one back in 2006 from dell and have had no issues. But im getting worried that soon it will just die!

It started running slow a while back so i increased the RAM which worked wonders but still it does odd things which require me to restart...

My pc is essential to my business so i think its time to upgrade.

Ive always gone to dell to buy are there any real other contenders?

What are you running in the way of software?

It seems its the processor that is bumping the price right up... is it worth it? Anyone got suggestions for other decent suppliers... Ive always found dell easy and hassle free.

Xeon is a server chip so is at server prices.

The best bang per buck at the moment in terms of performance for a desktop is probably the new generation Core i5.

 

[artyman]

I bought a new machine about a year ago from PC Components, Desktop PCs, Laptops, LCD TVs & Computer Hardware works fine. The important thing if it's essential to your business is a good backup strategy that is followed, Large USB drives are really cheap now.

 

[jaymanek]

Thanks,

I reconfigured the desktop and the same package (different tower) using a different intel quad core chip knocks around £800 off the price!

 

[rascalmaster]

get a macbook pro!

 

[Superspec]

Guys,

Its really time I update my PC. I bought this one back in 2006 from dell and have had no issues. But im getting worried that soon it will just die!

It started running slow a while back so i increased the RAM which worked wonders but still it does odd things which require me to restart...

My pc is essential to my business so i think its time to upgrade.

Ive always gone to dell to buy are there any real other contenders?

I just want a powerful PC with at least 1.5 TB hard drive and decent RAM. Also I want two monitors and DVD RW drive etc.
The one ive specced on Dell has an Intel Xeon quad core processor and the total package comes to around 2K with the VAT.
Strikes me as steep as ive never paid more than £600ish for a desktop!

It seems its the processor that is bumping the price right up... is it worth it? Anyone got suggestions for other decent suppliers... Ive always found dell easy and hassle free.

One question no one has asked and probably the most important in terms of working out what you need - What will you use it for?

If it's office type stuff no point buying a high spec machine for example.

Xeon processor is generally for servers not desktops. £2k is a LOT of money for desktop these days.

 

[219]

Off-site backup of your vital data is also well worthwhile .

Suppose there was a fire in your office and all your equipment was destroyed ; or all stolen in a break-in ?

Many companies allow you to back up to online storage to guard against just such eventualities .

Another way might be just to have a couple of portable hard drives for direct backup , keep one at home and one attached to the computer in the office , swap them over once a week - that way your backup at home will never be more than a week out of date .

 

[bolide]

Another way might be just to have a couple of portable hard drives for direct backup , keep one at home and one attached to the computer in the office , swap them over once a week - that way your backup at home will never be more than a week out of date .

Virtually all my clients now do this. Tape backup is expensive and unreliable in the long run whereas HD backup is cheap & easy

The other thing I always recommend is a UPS. We had four short power cuts last night and my iMac, external hard drives, cable modem & router all sailed on without problems because they are fed from a UPS

Nick Froome

 

[A210AMG]

Hello

What warranty is with the Dell? have you ever had to use them. Is it on site?

I buy Pc's in the Hundreds and the price to me is one thing, after sales is VERY important.

As a guide our standard build PC is £540 spec is

Intel i3 Processor
2GB Ram DDR3
500 GB H/D (a 2tb one probably £50 more storage is cheap)
DVI and VGA (you can run two screens off the standard unit, I do for work)
19" iiyama monitor
Microsoft keyboard and mouse
Y splitter power
5 Years NEXT day warranty ON SITE


Now I've used Dell and after sales on PC's is pretty poor, Servers even worse....

We use most manufactures but if you want me to pass on the details of who I use, or send me your spec and I will get you a price.

If your PC is important then 5 year warranty ON SITE is pretty much worth the price over 5 years anyway .


4GB is good but if your using 32 bit Windows 7 it will only 'see' 3GB, the cost ugrade now with memory from 2gb to 4gb is probably £20.

The intel i2 or i5 will be MORE than ample to run standard office type applications, no additional graphics card wold be required either with the above set up.

Back up also important you could do the 'trendy' thing and start looking in the cloud for back up solutions. Or a simple Nas (network attached unit) that can have two drives in and copies your data on both drives as and when you want or timed backups. You can also get a 500gb or 1tb usb drive (portable) for around £40 to back up stuff and take home.


Paying £2k is simply not required for an office PC.


Send me what you want I will get you a price.

 

[John]

4GB is good but if your using 32 bit Windows 7 it will only 'see' 3GB, the cost ugrade now with memory from 2gb to 4gb is probably £20.

I don't think this will be an issue if the OP buys a Dell as last time I ordered a Dell workstation, I couldn't find a workstation with 32bit Windows 7 even if I had wanted it.

I usually negotiate in the 4 or 5 year NBD hardware warranty but with the hundreds of Dells I've bought over the last 8 years, it's very rarely required.

 

[jaymanek]

Thanks guys,

Yes it is for work and mostly its web based applications I use along with the usual excell, word etc. But I will also be doing a bit of DVD burning now as I have a HD camcorder.

This is what I have specced on dell:



Dell Precision Fixed Workstation T1600 BASE


SYSTEM COMPONENTS

Dell Precision Fixed Workstation T1600 BASE Qty 1
Unit Price £1,468.00
Get £ 85 off selected Precision model
Expires 29 July 2011
- £85.00

Base Standard Mini-Tower (Vertical orientation)
Microsoft Operating System English Genuine Windows® 7 Ultimate (64Bit OS)
Memory 8GB (2x4GB) 1333MHz DDR3 Non-ECC
Keyboard UK/Irish (QWERTY) Dell KB212-B QuietKey USB Keyboard Black
Monitor Dell Professional P2311H 23" 58 cm Wide HAS LED monitor VGA,DVI,USB, (1920x1080) Blk UK/I
Video Card Integrated Graphics included in Processor Selection
Hard Drive 1TB 3.5inch Serial ATA III (7.200 Rpm) Hard Drive
Mouse Dell Optical (Not Wireless), Scroll USB (3 buttons scroll) Black Mouse
USB 3.0 Add in Card USB 3.0 PCIe Card, Full Height
Optical Devices 16x DVD+/-RW Drive and 16x DVD+/-RW Drive
Sound Cards Integrated Sound Card
Speakers No Speaker Option
Shipping Documents English Docs with UK/Irish Power Cord
Gedis Bundle Reference W05T1604
2nd Hard Drive 500GB 3.5inch Serial ATA III (7.200 Rpm) Hard Drive
HDD Configuration C1 3.5 inch SATA or SSD Hard Drives, NON-RAID for 2 Hard Drive
Standard Warranty 1Yr Basic Warranty - Next Business Day - Minimum Warranty
Enhanced Service Packs 1Yr Basic Warranty - NBD Included- No Upgrade Selected
Recovery Options Roxio Creator 10.3 Media
Recovery Options Power DVD Media
Systems Management No Out-of-Band Systems Management
Anti Theft Device & Asset Tagging No Asset Label Required
Order Information Precision Order - United Kingdom
Additional Monitor Dell Professional P2311H 23" 58 cm Wide HAS LED monitor VGA,DVI,USB, (1920x1080) Blk UK/I
Processor One Intel® Core™ I3-2120 (Dual Core, 3.3GHz, 3MB, 1GT)
Windows Live Windows Live
Dell System Media Kit Precision T1600 Diagnostics and Drivers
Image Restore Operating System Recovery Dell Backup and Recovery Manager for Windows 7
Roxio DVD Optical Software Roxio Creator DVD Software
Power DVD Optical Software PowerDVD Software for Vista Home Premium and Ultimate, WIN7 Home Premium, Pro or Ultimate
Microsoft Application Software Microsoft® Office Starter 2010
Protect your new PC Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security Services, 15-months
Multi-Monitor Solutions Multi-Monitor HubellMMH11 (DP to 3xDVI USB powered)
Operating System Recovery Options MUI Windows® 7 Ultimate (64Bit OS) Resource DVD
Delivery Charge: £17.50
Delivery Charge Discount: -£17.50
Total: £1,383.00
Excl. VAT, Incl Delivery


Obviously the two 23" monitors are bumping up the price... (I want my old monitor as a third display for some CCTV we have)

 

[219]

At that sort of money , you're into the realms of a 27" iMac , which will run all your work stuff and be great for any photo/video work you might want to do .

It may or may not be what you are looking for , but worthwhile comparing .

iMac - Apple Store (UK)

 

[2003-c180kcoupe]

i would go for a mac if your doing video work . my girlfriend has a pc but shes always uses my macbook as it is so much easier to use and more reliable .

 

[Satch]

Processor strikes me as the weak point there, not that wonderful and there is no graphics card: "Video Card Integrated Graphics included in Processor Selection"

Depends on what you are running but with twin 23" monitors might struggle>

Something like this would kick sand in its face and laugh:

Scan 3XS Systems

Tweak the spec and you pay £940-ish for a core system based around an i5 2500K Sandy Bridge CPU overclocked to 4.5Ghz, a second 1.5TB drive, an ATI 5850 graphics card, 64 bit Windows 7 and represents about the best bang for buck at the moment.

 

[John]

At that sort of money , you're into the realms of a 27" iMac , which will run all your work stuff and be great for any photo/video work you might want to do .

It may or may not be what you are looking for , but worthwhile comparing .

iMac - Apple Store (UK)

Funnily enough, I built a Dell to the same level as the 27" iMacs we are soon to be buying and I think the Mac worked out £70 more like for like.

So down to whether you would prefer an Apple or Dell/Microsoft product really.

I chose Apple as these are replacements for G5s so the chaps are used to them.

 

[jaymanek]

Thanks guys but im not into learning Mac... tried a mates and I couldnt even find right click.

 

[crockers]

Thanks guys but im not into learning Mac... tried a mates and I couldnt even find right click.

hmmmm - it's on the right side of the mouse. Bit of a giveaway in the name..