Friend's family wanting to upgrade - OEM or DIY?

A friend of mine's parents are looking at getting a new desktop computer to replace the one they got back in 2000. They want something that is going to last them awhile since they don't really think about upgrading their computers very often. (14 years on the same machine being proof of that)

They don't do anything all that demanding aside from maybe watching Netflix. (not sure how demanding video streaming is hardware wise) But they will mostly use it for word processing and web browsing.

Budget is around 1100 or so. I know that's a lot for a workstation type machine but again, they want something that's going to stand the test of time for awhile.

In terms of OEMs like Dell and such, what would I be looking at? Or at this point would I be better off going custom?

Get a Dell. Low end quad, 8GB RAM, get cheapest HDD, add your own SSD, get best monitor. Use remaining money for speakers, mic, etc.

SamuraiInBlack said:

In terms of OEMs like Dell and such, what would I be looking at? Or at this point would I be better off going custom?

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Who would you rather have doing tech support on your friend's parent's computer for the next 15 years: you, or Dell?

evilsofa said:

Who would you rather have doing tech support on your friend's parent's computer for the next 15 years: you, or Dell?

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In this scenario, there's a chance it would be me either way. In the past, a lot of my family, and our friends got shafted or told to pound sand by what Dell and other OEM's ideas of what tech support is supposed to be like. The end result is I am the go-to person for everything, down to what kind of mouse/keyboard to buy. So in the end it's more like a question of how often I want to play tech support, and for what. Even if they did end up calling the OEM for help, if my friend cannot fix it, I would be stuck with helping them in the end, or at the very least walking my friend through how to do it himself. He is knowledgeable with computers but his specialty is in graphic design, not in fixing them.

The reason I am posing the question is I'm trying to get ideas on what would honestly be the best approach overall. I'm aiming towards optimal longevity primarily and I know over time they will probably want minor upgrades to eke out a little more life. That's why I was considering an OEM solution. It's the simplest approach and in the event I do have to do any kind of work on it, it'd only be to replace stuff that would end up being upgraded/replaced anyway, until it's finally time to replace the system entirely. I was actually thinking along the lines of 450's suggestion, but I wanted to double check here and get people's opinion on how to approach this.

I'd actually consider going the other way, cheaper and more disposable. The reason is a higher end machine now, especially from the performance aspect, is not really going to improve the end user experience significantly for the usages you describe. Whereas you get more flexibility and simplicity (in some ways).

The only caveat would be data migration complications, although I don't really see it in this case.

seeing as they are on a 14 year old machine trying to do modern computing, at this point anything is going to be a significant improvement to end user experience. that being said, by going the other way, do you mean getting a lower end system and just replacing when it's time? or did you mean go with a custom DIY build?

what complications would there be to consider as far as data migration?

cheap ass fm2/fm2+ rig will keep a family going strong, could put together a few machines for $1100

SamuraiInBlack said:

seeing as they are on a 14 year old machine trying to do modern computing, at this point anything is going to be a significant improvement to end user experience. that being said, by going the other way, do you mean getting a lower end system and just replacing when it's time? or did you mean go with a custom DIY build?

what complications would there be to consider as far as data migration?

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I meant something lower end and replacing it more often as time goes on if needed.

In terms of data migration I meant if you have to replace the system some people might find migrating data over (to the new system) to be an issue. But for the case you listed it should be rather simple.

Another thing regarding end user experience is considerations aside from performance. The idea of a PC for the average person is changing away from the desktop. You'll probably see this more and more as time goes on.

For example If I didn't need the performance (basically just streamed video, word processing, etc.) and didn't enjoy the the PC as a hobby I personally wouldn't get a desktop at all. I'd prefer maybe a dockable tablet solution instead.

XPS 8700, good price, reliable, sleek and decent hardware. Add a ssd (I would even let them pay the 30% premium of buying a Dell one) and buy a nice 24" Dell ultrasharp.

Other solution I really really like is the XPS 18, 2 people in my family use them (I set them up after they bought them) and I love those. Perfect for in the house and on trips. It's a portable desktop more than a laptop and is pretty powerfull with the ssd and i7 processor. The wireless keyboard and mouse that don't take up a usb-port is also great for when you want a desktop experience. My only problem with it is that the touchscreen is not a glass one like on my xps12/15 (glass feels much more premium).

If you get a dell be sure to get a business class, and a business next day warranty. If you watch for coupons you can get a really good system w/3yr warranty for around 500-700 depending on specs.