[cabo7384]

My old Compaq have "died" but I'm OK because I have it since more than 5 years. So I want to buy a new PC but don't know which brand to choose. I've read PC World's Reliability Surveys but they say that the best are Mac, and I don't want a Mac.

I want a PC that will last me a lot of years, but I don't want to spend $2000 for one. My PC should be a little or no more than $800. I generally use my PC to surf the web, watch videos, hear music, convert music and videos, burn CD and use office software.

So, could someone please tell me which is the most reliable desktop brand that's not a Mac.

[Stoner]

I've had really good luck with the Acer I bought 15 months ago.
It came with XPmce installed, not Vista.
I don't know if it's 'the best', but I consider it one of the best in your price range. I paid under $500 and am completely satisfied with it. (knock on wood )

[RedHelix]

If 'durability' is your primary concern, my knee-jerk response suggestion is to learn how to build your own. When you build a PC in parts, you can take advantage of the individual warranties (ranging from 3 years to lifetime) on each component, and you'll become familiar enough with your hardware to upgrade over time without having to invest in a whole new machine. If you chose to pursue this venue, I'd say your best bet is to check mainboard/cpu combo deals on TigerDirect so you don't have to do the research on compatible cpus and motherboards.

That all said, Compaq is actually still a decent brand hardware-wise. Their machines come pre-loaded with a lot of craplets and you have to burn your own recovery media, but if you want to just buy a desktop computer from a B&M store, I think they're your best bet.

Just AVOID eMachines, Gateway and Sony. They use crappy Bestec power supplies that'll roll out the red carpet for a power spike to your mainboard if your house is ever hit with a power surge.

[cabo7384]

Is it possible to build a good system with no more than $1,000? Right now I can afford a few more than $800 to build a good PC but I don't know if ts possible to build a good one because I always try to build a good one and end up with a shopping cart of nearly $2,000 on newegg.com.

[Stoner]

Yes.
I built one similar to this last May: Link

Worked out very well.

[RedHelix]

Sure, you can even build a decent gaming machine for less than a grand. If you skip SLI on the motherboard, go for a midrange Athlon64 x2 and just get normal Corsair XMS you can build a pretty powerful machine on a budget. If you're not into gaming you can even circumvent the cost of a video card and just get a motherboard with integrated graphics.

[cabo7384]

Thank you very much with giving me that link. I'm going to plan on buying those parts and hopefully, build a good PC.

[SweaterVest014]

If you don't want to build a PC, I would definitely go with another Compaq. We had one for 7 years without any problems. When we wanted to upgrade to XP, and get a better graphics card, etc., we got another Compaq. We've had this one for 3 years, and are still smiling. I honestly think that Compaq makes the best computers, and no matter what anybody says they will still be #1 on my list.