Need help with buying a new desktop

[DavidE]

Any suggestions on where to find the best deal on a Pre-Built PC ?
Looking around for a desktop the best deal i found is a refurbished Gateway from Walmart.

Here is a PC that caught my eye and seems like a good deal.

Refurbished Gateway at Walmart

DX4860-UB32P | Model

It is Sandy Bridge Tech, biggest downside i see is the 5400 RPM HD, but maybe that's normal for a budget PC.
Intel i3-2120 CPU, 1TB HD, 6GB RAM, ... < $350 USD
​

I'm trying to help someone with buying a new PC.
They currently have an old PC with a single core Intel Celeron CPU and Win XP SP3.
Main use is business apps (MS Office, Corel WP), email, surfing, and "simple on-line" games.
Budget is $400 USD or less for the "PC Box" only.
I help this person remotely using Teamviewer.

I don't have enough recent personal experience with Pre-builts to prefer or discourage any brand over another.
I have no experience with refurbished.

I don't see detailed enough specs on the Best Buy site to know what is really in a PC.
For an online purchase (Newegg...), there might be return shipping costs, restocking fees, and "hassle" if it is defective.
Walmart does have a good return policy at no cost as far as i know.

In this case i feel a local purchase is better than buying online.
Locality is Western NY - Buffalo area.

Thanks for any and all suggestions!
David

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Offhand, looks good at the price.

I assume they will not eventually upgrade it, but would instead just get another PC entirely, rather than replace parts? Gateways might have cuckoo case or PSU?

It's under 13 inches tall, so cramped. Presumably not an issue if won't be inside.

No intentions of using a discrete video card?

I'd confirm Walmart's return policies.

I wouldn't have expected to see 6 GB of RAM instead of 4 or 8.

Might be able to come close on an AMD deal, but I am pretty much clueless on that side of the divide.

 

[DavidE]

my responses are in bold

Offhand, looks good at the price.

I assume they will not eventually upgrade it, but would instead just get another PC entirely, rather than replace parts?
YUP - and 5-10 years would not surprise me.

Gateways might have cuckoo case or PSU?
Good point, I'll try and research the PSU fitting in the Case.
I've been through that, finding a standard PSU does not fit !

It's under 13 inches tall, so cramped. Presumably not an issue if won't be inside.
agreed

No intentions of using a discrete video card?
I don't expect a discreet GPU will be needed, but it does have an x16 slot.
I think a card could be found that fits if ever needed...

I'd confirm Walmart's return policies.
YEA - i've read what i can and passed on that "concern"...

I wouldn't have expected to see 6 GB of RAM instead of 4 or 8.
agree - that's weird.
I expect it means it will in in Single Channel mode unless ram is added or removed.
From what I've read, Single Channel is really not that big of a performance hit.

Might be able to come close on an AMD deal, but I am pretty much clueless on that side of the divide.
YUP - I'm clueless on that right now...
For this price what I've seen is an AMD APU, Intel SB Pentium, or below ...
The Intel I3 is what "seems" better to me from what i know at the moment.

Thanks for the feedback !

 

[cytherian]

At one point in time, Gateway was a contender for Dell. It has since slipped into the background, after a few years of notoriously unreliable computer models. Gateway is still there and seems to be determined not to fade away. I saw one of their latest computers at Walmart and while the design looked sleek and futuristic, the build quality wasn't very good (chintzy keyboard and interface controller). I'd do some Google searching on recent Gateway opinions and see if people are happy with them before buying one of their computers.


Computers tend to be very reliable these days, much more so than in the past. Also, now that Windows operating systems have considerably better integrity and require less technical knowledge to use, things are much better.

But desktops are suffering from the mobile market. Laptops eat their lunch. And now you've got tablets munching in as well. The newest pre-built desktops I've seen in stores tend to look very cheaply made, especially those e-Machines.

Used computers are a much better deal than new, especially for Windows/Intel machines. Check your local Craigslist and you might find a superb deal. The great thing is that when software is included, you save major $$. While you don't have a warranty, again, a solid made computer by a reputable company will generally be problem free.

If your friend must absolutely buy new, I'd recommend getting a Dell. Their desktops have generally been decent quality and pricing is fairly competitive.

 

[DeaconFrost]

I believe Acer now owns Gateway, so they have better backing than in previous years. I'm not a big fan of OEM desktops....except in the situation you are in right now. They are a better option for people who aren't really into their computer...they just need it to do what want, without much expense or hassle.

Dell has some good deals available in their Outlet store online. It's worth checking out quick before you go to purchase this one.

 

[RandallFlagg]

Business apps? Is this a home office or a business machine????
If this is anything more than a home "toy" just buy the cheapest optiplex they sell at Dell, with a 3 year warranty. Those Walmart systems are junk components, with parts from the lowest bidder, you really do get what you pay for.

As suggested, an off-corporate lease used Dell system will also be an inexpensive purchase that should last quite a while. I sell used Optiplex 755 dual cores all the time and have had great luck with them. But the new optiplex systems aren't that expensive to begin with.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Refurbished Dell with i3-2120 for 399

Dell Factory Outlet: Error


339 for i3-2100

http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnline...arch.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dfb&cs=28&puid=809c82ad

 

[DavidE]

Thanks to everyone for the help and suggestions.
I'll see what else i can find and pass this info on, see what they say and go from there.

 

[smarteyeball]

my responses are in bold


From what I've read, Single Channel is really not that big of a performance hit.[/B]

Realistically, you can - but it's hard.

You'd be able to perceive the difference on the same machine but if you started with single channel and never used dual channel, you'll adapt.