$400, computer for parents:P Recommendations?

C

Charles

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 1, 2004
Messages
486
So my parents gave me a $400 budget to get them a new computer, leeway of around $50 either way.

I used to be "in the know" about all things computer hardware/cost efficacy related, but I've been out of the loop for a while.

I know the "video card" forum might not be the most relevant place to put this, but I know you guys are the best and probably have tips on any particular deals.

Essentially something pre-made. I don't have time to go home and build it for them:p Dell? HP? Ideas?

Thanks!
 
What will they use it for? I'd tell them to save up a bit more, rather than going budget on every single part
 
or with a 17 inch monitor included

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=04&kc=6W300&l=en&oc=bddwcae&s=bsd

do they need a monitor? mouse? keyboard? speakers?

also.. i just ordered 2 dell E521 computers for work with 19 inch monitors for about $570 each.. they came in today.. not bad at all for the $$

dual core, 1gb memory, 160gb hdd..
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=04&kc=6W300&l=en&oc=bdcw5bz&s=bsd

both of those comptuers have a pci-e slot, so you can put in a video card at a later date.. the bad thing, maybe, is no IDE.. only sata.. i just realized though, that i had no problems reformatting them and installing windows... i got some 9200 dells.. which was real good deal .. c2d conroe's, 1gb memory for $550, but no monitors.. you can't get those for that cheap anymore though.. and with those i had to make an sata driver disk and put floppies on the computers to load the drivers..
 
no need for speakers. They could use a new keyboard/mouse. The ones they have are nastily grungy and are slightly under 10 years old (not kidding).

no need for a monitor either. I pimped them out with a 24 inch dell a short while ago. With their vision issues, that was probably the best technological investment I've made for them:p they love it:)

LMK what you guys think of this:


AMD Athlon™ 64 3200+
Genuine Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, English
Express Upgrade to Windows Vista Home Premium from XP Media Center Edition
512MB Single Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz - 1DIMM
80GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
16X DVD-ROM Drive
Dell USB Keyboard and Dell Optical USB Mouse
13 in 1 Media Card Reader

NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE Integrated Graphics GPU
Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
56K PCI Data Fax Modem
Integrated 10/100 Ethernet

$419 sans tax/shipping.

I plan on upgrading them to Vista when it comes out with their coupon
thingy, but I honestly don't think this computer will be able to take it.

If not, I'll be upgrading myself to Vista when it comes out with their
coupon thingy:p

Anyway, fair deal on that? Any coupons?:p
 
you can get a gb of ram and a dual core, i am sure of it.. if you subract the monitor..

click on that 2nd link that i gave you..

go to monitor, and select "No Monitor [subtract $180]"

now you will have an x2 3800+.. a gb of ram.. and 169gb hdd.. (not that they will fill it) for $389..

oh, the optical mouse will add $10, the media card reader will add a few $$

the current special with those comptuers i linked is free shipping.. which saves a good $40 or so..

is media center necessary?

i am thinking that you should get them a dual core, its $50 more.. and a gb of ram.. and both can be had within your $400 budget..
 
scottatwittenberg said:
you can get a gb of ram and a dual core, i am sure of it.. if you subract the monitor..

click on that 2nd link that i gave you..

go to monitor, and select "No Monitor [subtract $180]"

now you will have an x2 3800+.. a gb of ram.. and 169gb hdd.. (not that they will fill it) for $389..

oh, the optical mouse will add $10, the media card reader will add a few $$

the current special with those comptuers i linked is free shipping.. which saves a good $40 or so..

is media center necessary?

i am thinking that you should get them a dual core, its $50 more.. and a gb of ram.. and both can be had within your $400 budget..
Click to expand...

You guys are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! Man, am I glad I posted here first. Here's the setup I currently have configured total price $449, lmk if there's anything else I should change:

AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 Dual-Core 3800+
Genuine Windows® XP Home Edition
1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz- 2DIMMs
160GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
13 in 1 Media Card Reader
Dell USB Keyboard
Dell Optical USB Mouse
16X DVD-ROM Drive
NVIDIA GeForce 6150 LE Integrated Graphics GPU
Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio

$449

Man, computers are cheap these days.
 
osalcido said:
Is that with the 17 inch LCD?

I shoulda got a dell :(
Click to expand...

Naw, that's without the 17 inch lcd:p But it's also the slim form factor model. Had I gone with standard minitower it would have gone down to $419:p
 
Darkatom said:
Just be careful with the xps 700, trust me.
Click to expand...

Hehe yeah. You know, technically I could just drop a $600 8800 GTX in that $449 rig and it'd almost instantly become a monster gaming machine. 1 gb ram won't hold up for Vista gaming, but with an 8800 GTX and at ~1600x1200 resolutions, I'd bet it'd do pretty well for current games.
 
if i were you, i'd see if they need a bigger hard drive. My parents went through a 160 in 2 months... helluvalot of pics, eh?! :p
 
benplaut said:
if i were you, i'd see if they need a bigger hard drive. My parents went through a 160 in 2 months... helluvalot of pics, eh?! :p
Click to expand...

When I was 18, before I left for college, I hooked my house up with a centralized file server. It started out with 100 gb of storage, and now it has a little over 2 terabytes.

Needless to say, my dad never has to rent old movies anymore:p
 
benplaut said:
if i were you, i'd see if they need a bigger hard drive. My parents went through a 160 in 2 months... helluvalot of pics, eh?! :p
Click to expand...

I'd just add a USB hard drive later if they need it.
 
Mark_Warner said:
I'd just add a USB hard drive later if they need it.
Click to expand...

Jeez, my mom has a 20gb hard drive and it's not even a quarter full!

My sister has just started to realize that music takes up space and is running out of room on her 60gb primary and the 80gb USB one I got her (an 80gb HDD in a USB contraption). Luckily I'll just get her another one with a huge hard drive in it. Isn't USB wonderful?
 
Pooky said:
Jeez, my mom has a 20gb hard drive and it's not even a quarter full!

My sister has just started to realize that music takes up space and is running out of room on her 60gb primary and the 80gb USB one I got her (an 80gb HDD in a USB contraption). Luckily I'll just get her another one with a huge hard drive in it. Isn't USB wonderful?
Click to expand...
Heh my mom has a 60GB (the original 20GB was an IBM Deathstar and it blew up) and she uses less for her stuff than the OS takes up...so I just kinda back stuff up onto there and she doesn't notice.

ROFL at the sister, I know music/movies/apps/games/ISOs take up space...unfortunately some of my friends do not. 250GB x2 RAID0 FTW!
 
For $359 my dad and I bought my mom a Compaq (Athlon64 3400+ integrated audio/video, 512mb DRR400), not bad. We spent another $170 for an Acer 17" LCD display. Of course, this was on Black Friday.
 
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