Thanks so much this has been so helpful. I will be in here more often as it is easier then trying to get info out three sons in AusAs you may be aware I have not built my own machine as yet (this is a dream for me)Two sons says go for it other one says "Get Real" Husband see $$$$ signs
Next Question I have a Philips 190P 19" LCD monitor will it work on new computer?? As I have eye problems, this has been brilliant for me to have larger fonts on and no glare back.
Well, you should be off with a 19" LCD :) You can either run it via VGA or DVI or HDMI (depends on which of these it gots, some got all 3's, also depends on your gfx card which might not have hdmi from standard, but can be done by using a DVI to HDMI converter)
Also, about building your own PC, it will save some moneyWe already have a few helping tutorials here, and i am counting on finishing the series (how to build a pc) within 5 months (gotta get all the parts lol)
That is a pretty old monitor and you may have problems finding a Windows7 driver. I suggest you run the Windows7 Upgrade Advisor on the machine where the monitor is attached and see what it says specifically about the monitor.
I have a bad eyesight too and use a 22" monitor and will probably get a 24" soon. I suggest you have a look at the bigger options. You may be even more comfortable with that. Around here they run around US$200.
PS: as you have seen, we all loved the system you are looking at. Question is whether that is not an overkill for what you plan to do with it. I also suggest you look at a small SSD (solid state disk) only for the OS. That would give you a considerable performance boost. You use it only for the OS and the data goes on the HDD (by the way, 1TB is quite big too). A 30GB SSD like this one is completely sufficient and you would be amazed about the push it gives to the system (e.g. 15 sec. boot time).
I'm a huge fan of the i5/i7 series from Intel. Might be within your budget. If not, why not take a look at the AMD PII X4 955 or the 965! By building it myself it saved me cash so I could afford a decent rig. I'm totally happy with my set up so far. I'll never buy store shelf computers again.
Add a SSD for the OS! That will make the rig super fast.
As for the budget not sure how far I can push husband.
PB 3590 Intel I7 860 2.80G P55 USB 3.0 Motherboard , 4GB DDR3 1600MHz , 1TB 7200RPM HDD , ATI 5770 1G VGA , 550W Extreme PSU , CM690 II Ad
Tell him that in order to save $$$ money later, it's better to spend a little more now.
Going with the first option, while it's an okay machine, will more than likely end up costing him more in the long run because it's limitations will show up sooner, rather than later - (mainly for the kids games)
The second machine should be decent for quite a while + plus it has a few upgrade path options for down the track. ie more RAM, faster Video Card, new HDD
No real reason why it won't. You can always adjust the display DPI to medium to make things easier to see.
A larger screen would be beneficial, but it is not imperative for a 'must have now' purchase.
Also, an SSD would give a noticeable improvement - it also is not am imperative 'must have' item. The price per GB still isn't worth it (especially with AUS/ NZ prices)
That is definitely the wrong way to look at a SSD. This user comment about an OCZ 30GB Vertex from this site sums it up:The price per GB still isn't worth it
This drive WILL make a real difference to system responsiveness, no matter what you use the system for. Whether you've got a gaming system, a workstation, or just a basic home/office box that does nothing but e-mail and light web surfing, hard drives are the single biggest bottleneck in the system. Period. Every time a program goes to get data off the hdd, your system sits there, shuffling its feet, humming Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up", waiting on it.
I am sure the lady can make her own decisions and does not need us to plan her budget. We are only trying to give her technical input - whether for now or later. As you may have seen, I was asking her earlier whether she needs that much hardware for her applications. But for daily applications, I'd rather have an SSD with an average CPU than an I7.I'm not disputing the advantages, just the absolute initial necessity of it
PS: I happen to have 3 SSDs for 3 different systems.
Of that, I have no doubt - however I was merely paying attention what was already alluded to previously regarding budgetary constraints.
Which is what we are doing. The only difference in our opinions here is in regards to now vs later.We are only trying to give her technical input - whether for now or later.
If budget allows, then go now - otherwise it could fall into the 'later upgrade' category.
It's not a point worth debating. The OP now has valid pro/con information and the final decision is hers.
And I have none - and as of yet, still not hummed a Rick Astley tune...PS: I happen to have 3 SSDs for 3 different systems.
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