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old desktop

473 views 16 replies 9 participants last post by  Couriant 
#1 ·
hi I live in Ireland , , question what is the best old desktop to buy for the home ,,ie what brand thanks
 
#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
Most if not all branded computers are built on the cheap using low-quality proprietary components built specifically to the manufacturer's requirements. The best computer is one built out of decent components at home or by a white-box builder such as myself, based upon the owner's personal needs and requirements. Such a computer will last a lot longer and give better service throughout its lifetime.

If you're looking for an old 2nd Hand box then take a look on eBay. You are advised by myself to avoid HP, as HP machines tend not to last too long in my experience. - This statement is my opinion, and may or may not be a matter of fact.

Dell may or may not be a reasonable investment.

Buying an old desktop can be fraught with issues though. - You can never be assured of its longevity, nor do you have any kind of warranty in many cases. Often an old 2nd hand box ends up costing more than a new one at the end of the day.
 
#4 ·
And what do you want the computer to do
1. basic internet, emails etc.
2. Gaming - serious gaming or just low demand basic games
3. Video streaming etc

The nature of what you want to do very much dictates what the computer needs to be
 
#5 ·
Shazzalive has clearly been burned by cheap HP computer......
Buying a computer is in many ways allot like buying a car. Manufacturers often offer a broad array of products to suit the needs of a broad array of buyers. Low end HP's (and Lenovo's and ASUS...) are like a ford KA. Basic transportation that might get you there, but will probably not got the distance like a Mondeo (My impression from ford.ie) might.
In the case of HP, the Pavilion line is considered low end. The Elitedesk and G4 series are better.

I like building my own PC's as there can be some money to be saved, and they are more serviceable. Big name manufacturers are notorious in how they use proprietary power supplies, (and other parts) so that if you need to replace your PSU, you have to deal with the official support channel (slow)

So usually we ask about how you plan to use the PC.
Are you wanting to just exchange email and watch cat videos?
Are you writing a doctoral thesis?
Do you want to play video games? If so , then which ones? Candy Crush or CSgo?
Desktop or Laptop?

Do you have a local PC store that you can patronize that may have new and used system's in stock that you can pick up?

One economical option that I like is to look at the refurbished market. A refurbisher will take a PC that has worked in an office for 3 - 5 years, test it, replace the hard drive with an SSD , put on a fresh copy of windows 10 and sell it for 1/2 the cost of something new. These machines are generally business class PC's that are built to a higher standard than the cheap stuff you get off the shelf at a local office supply store.
 
#6 ·
#17 ·
Shazzalive has clearly been burned by cheap HP computer......
I have too.. even when it is was under warranty.

I would recommend dell, but you may be better getting a new one from dell, especially now the holidays will be coming around (black friday and christmas) and they are normally cheaper.
 
#8 ·
Like above, what you intend to use it for is important.

For me, just a connection to the internet for general surfing, info gathering, making purchases at secure sites, I like refurbished Lenovo computers.
An I5 with 6+ gb of memory works well.
I don't know price structures in Ireland, but in the US, a refurbished Lenovo M82 can go for as little as $100 to $130. ( Newegg )
Mine came with Win 7 Pro and upgraded ( free ) to Win 10 Pro.
 
#13 ·
For the information of all posting here there is a notification that appears when new posts arrive while you're composing one and you are given the option to view them which should be done before finalizing your post to avoid redundancy. Just be sure you see the "draft saved" ghost notification so you don't lose any of your content.
 
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