Need advice for new desktop computer

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: punisher
It is a sliding scale. On low end stuff, just the basic system/integrated graphics/4gig RAM, it is impossible to compete with OEMs. Just the cost of the OS kills the deal. (No Linux talk here please).


Heck, even as a Linux user, I cannot disagree with you. If I wanted a new but low end Linux system, I'd be best off finding something decently priced from wherever had the best special at the time (which will have Windows on it) and wiping the OS myself.

Of course, as you say, if I wanted something incredibly fancy, that's the time to explore building a system.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

CNet has a link, today only, Asus AMD A4 processor powered NEW laptop for $249.99.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-57530171-58/get-a-15.6-inch-asus-laptop-for-$249.99-shipped/ http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-57530171-58/get-a-15.6-inch-asus-laptop-for-$249.99-shipped/

 

[Triple_Se7en]

Originally Posted By: ToyotaNSaturn
CNet has a link, today only, Asus AMD A4 processor powered NEW laptop for $249.99.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-57530171-58/get-a-15.6-inch-asus-laptop-for-$249.99-shipped/ http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-57530171-58/get-a-15.6-inch-asus-laptop-for-$249.99-shipped/


Only three cons I could find......

Only two USB plugs.
No Bluetooth
No HDMI

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

A client of mine has that same CPU in some of their el cheapo HP laptops, surprisingly, it provided snappy performance for business apps. An SSD drive is key to bringing it to the next level, that's a harder sell for biz.

 

[BearZDefect]

ToyotaNSaturn, you make a good point, the bottleneck is usually disk access. If a friend asks me for opinion, I tell them that for most purposes a modern Core i3 provides abundant CPU power, it isn't the CPU holding up the show.

 

[antiqueshell]

If you are also interested in long life, ability to repair and cost effectiveness do NOT buy a laptop.

Desktops are still give you the most value for the money.

A typical run of the mill lap top will not last longer than about 3 years or so with daily use.

 

[yonyon]

I have to agree with antiqueshell that laptops in general are likely to fail at an earlier age than a desktop. One thing that can help a lot is to frequently open it up and blow any dust out. There's not a lot of room for cooling air to flow in there and as operating temperatures rise things can cook. If you blow out your desktop twice a year, blow out your laptop every month.

 

[GGorman04]

YonYon,
What do you open up in a typical laptop to clean?

 

[yonyon]

Open the case, just like with a desktop. This can be tricky with a laptop as there may be some delicate plastic clips and ribbon cables to watch out for. Once you get it opened up the first time and know where everything is it isn't nearly so scary.

 

[BearZDefect]

Except for some bad designs, laptops I have seen in daily use by me, coworkers, friends, and acquaintances, do last five years, by which time they are far enough behind the performance curve that most owners are ready to retire the machine.

Since the warranty on mine ran out, I have vacuum cleaned that area between the cooling fan and the heat sink to remove accumulated lint+dust that blocks air flow. This is quite easy on my laptop, but on some it is not. Also some laptops have cooling designs that are less troubled by some build-up.

The laptop owners I think of the the first paragraph probably never opened theirs for cleaning. The result is some of them have the cooling fan running much faster and longer than would be necessary if it were clean. And on this note, the one laptop cooling fan failure I have seen was on a $1,000+ Sony, so price isn't always an indicator of top quality components. (This Sony is still in use, after the manufacturer replaced the fan twice during the 1 year warranty, it is now nearly four years old - apparently the first replacement was the same poor quality fan as the original.)

While I agree that desktops have much better cooling potential, the actual component quality you get is still a toss up. Desktops are easier to service due to having more space.

If you want to put a high end CPU or GPU to hard work, and don't need to move the computer much, a desktop is definitely better than a laptop.

Back to the PC lifetime, occasionally I encounter servers in service at 12+ years of age. This suggests they were a decent design built with good components, but they are pathetically slow by today's standards and not worth upgrading.