The best value in an off-the-shelf low end PC?

October 27, 2005 12:01 PM

It looks like we're going to need a new PC for the family business. Here's the catch: It absolutely has to be a major brand bought off the shelf from a major chain type retailer. It cannot be something we order online or over the phone, nor something that I or anyone else builds for us.

My mother owns and runs the family business. These are her rules, not mine and I know from past experience that she will not, under any circumstances, change her mind. Lord knows I've tried.

In any case, it appears that our old HP is dying or dead. In addition, the monitor has been looking progressively worse for some time. So we're looking for a new PC and a CRT monitor to go with it. We're going to run XP and use the machine for word processing, spreadsheets, web browsing, email, faxes (we have a printer dedicated to this function), viewing digital pictures, and so forth. There won't be any photoshop type stuff, video watching, or serious game playing, so I don't think we'll need a real video card. A CD burner is necessary. Forty (or even twenty) gigs of hard drive space will be plenty. We have a very serviceable pair of Polk speakers.

Out of the low end major brand machines (i.e. HP, Compaq, etc.) available from major chain retailers, which one offers the most value for the money? Also, I'd love to find one that doesn't rely heavily on proprietary parts and that actually has some room inside the case to work when making repairs and upgrades. (I'm not holding out a lot of hope on these latter two points).

Suggestions?

posted by Clay201 to Computers & Internet (16 answers total)

Compaq used to encourage people to do their own simple upgrades (adding memory, etc.), and our old one has a little extra room inside the case: multiple PCI slots, 1 extra front panel 3.5 bay for another optical drive or what have you, and I think at least one more inside for an additional HDD. It's not a ten bay monster from Lian Li or anything, but that might fit the bill.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 12:07 PM on October 27, 2005

That should be a 5.25 bay on the front panel (though you could mount a 3.5 drive in there with the right equipment).
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 12:12 PM on October 27, 2005

I took a cheap Gateway and have made a pretty decent PC out of it using non-proprietary parts. The only thing left in that PC that came in the cow box was the processor and the case and even the case has been altered a bit.
posted by Pollomacho at 12:13 PM on October 27, 2005

At the low end of the market there's not a big difference in the components. You'll probably get an off brand motherboard that has all the components integrated and two PCI slots. It sounds like you've already resigned yourself to this. Computers really are becoming disposable appliances.

The best value for the money will probably be the one that has the best rebate options.

I would suggest that you look into an LCD monitor though. They're fairly cheap. Less eye strain. They're much easier to see. My mom had to use the accessibility features to make the fonts big enough to see with her old CRT. She's able to use her LCD with the default settings.
posted by srburns at 12:16 PM on October 27, 2005

I had an eMachines desktop that I used just for the basic tasks you describe and never had any trouble with it (you can get them at Best Buy). I have however had problems with pretty much every HP/ Compaq that's crossed my path at work.

[100 bucks says someone recommends a Mac ;-)]
posted by forallmankind at 12:21 PM on October 27, 2005

I think compaq owns e-machines; However, I'd suggest getting and out of the box HP; as srburns suggests, there will be few differences, and typically all the parts will be crap proprietary stuff as to keep costs down. A cursory glance at the hp site indicates some of their machines come "name brand" components. They will all have problems, but hp seems pretty reliable.
posted by AllesKlar at 12:34 PM on October 27, 2005

Get a Mac!

No, seriously.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 12:47 PM on October 27, 2005

Just to clear up who is who in the PC world:

HP and Compaq are now one company. They still sell dual lines that are pretty much one and the same.

Gateway purchased E-Machines. They now make more money selling their e-machines than anything else. They are actually very decent little machines for low-end use. None of that proprietary crap anymore which e-machines was well-known for.

Dell is Dell, Sony is Sony, etc.
posted by Independent Scholarship at 12:50 PM on October 27, 2005

If the Dell name puts her at ease (they certainly are a big name-brand), they do now have kiosks in malls and whatnot. Does that meet her criteria?
posted by misterbrandt at 1:17 PM on October 27, 2005

What's the rationale for a walk-in purchase? Immediate gratification? Illusion of better support? The constraints are as arbitrary as,"We'll only buy from a store whose employees wear blue shirts." If you're going that route, just walk into CompUSA and pair up a HP Compaq dx2000 with a new 17" CRT. Unless you're unlucky enough to get a box with a bum drive or component, you'll be fine.

Now for my unsolicited diversion: I was just specing out new machines for a non-profit. I looked at Lenovo (formerly IBM's Personal Computing division), HP/Compaq, Gateway, and a regional barebones supplier. The best deal I found was the Dell Dimension 3000 ENHANCED. Dell.com is currently running a promotion that includes a 17" Flat Panel for $700.

If you propose Dell.com to your mom, preface the advice with some pithy comment like,"Mom, since you fear change..." Sure fire icebreaker; works great on peace officers as well.
posted by Loser at 1:36 PM on October 27, 2005

I used to let me clients buy whatever they wanted without giving them my opinion. Now, if they're buying for home or for a smallish business, I steer them toward Mac. If they're buying for a medium-sized business or absolutely refuse to consider a Macintosh, I steer them toward Dell. From my experience over the past five years, everything else is crap and not worth the supposed savings. Low-end major brands are still low-end, and buying one is a case of being penny-wise but pound foolish. You save a few bucks now, but you pay for it in the long run.
posted by jdroth at 1:43 PM on October 27, 2005

I have built and serviced PC's for 11 years. Don't build any anymore, $$$. The ones I worked on that were absolute junk, in the order of worse to first, HP, Compaq, E-Machine (older style), Dell.
I just helped a friend buy a Sony at Best Buy. Floor model, 3.2 ghz P4, INTEL MB, and only $800 (floor model). Found a LG LCD, 19" for $400. He had not upgraded for years and was impressed, as was I. I had seen one Sony before and it was totally closed, not this puppy!
An LCD is a MUST, IMHO.
posted by raildr at 2:49 PM on October 27, 2005

What's dying on the HP? Could it be easier to just replace the part?
posted by devilsbrigade at 6:55 PM on October 27, 2005

I am typing this on a 5 year old Sony Vaio, that has all of a 4G HD and about 128 RAM. It runs Windows 98SE. It's old. I've overloaded it on software, run all kinds of things that aren't supposed to run on 98 using plug ins and add ons and what not, I've stored it in an unheated unit in northern climes for the winter, twice, left it in a hot car for a week, I've dropped it, kicked it, spilt stuff on it, lugged it all over the world several times and it has never once given me a lick of trouble. I'd buy another Vaio in a heartbeat.
posted by fshgrl at 7:13 PM on October 27, 2005

Costco has some good deals on computers - but their selection is random. Furthermore, because you want a low-end machine, which have small profit margins anyway, you might find that the price won't vary much between any of the major chain stores.

Do yourself a favor, though, and stay the hell away from Circuit City.
posted by hobbes103 at 8:08 PM on October 27, 2005

1.) As many people have stated, they're all about the same.
2.) This should go without saying, but any big-box store will try and sucker you into buying a new computer, brand new overpriced LCD, and a crappy Lexmark printer because they have a "special deal" on the set. For the love of God, do not let her do this. Keep your monitor, printer, and peripherals.
posted by dagnyscott at 7:10 AM on October 28, 2005