[alicia828]

Hello all! My name is Alicia and I need help with buying a computer. I don't know alot about computers so bear with me. I have about $650. I need a computer because I will be going to school online. Also, the computer will be used by me and two other people. We have alot of music files so we need alot of space. I want a computer that I don't have to upgrade soon. And it has to have a cd burner and maybe play DVD's. I found a few that I liked. But im not sure if they are worth the money. Can you help? What about these:http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?productid=5223464 http://www.walmart.c...duct.do?productid=5007496http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?productid=3356848 http://www.walmart.c...duct.do?productid=5007495

[Cosmo]

Walmart is not the place to buy a computer. Also, you can't see the specs of the computer, only the processor. You should try www.newegg.com for better deals and a full listing of the specs.

[alicia828]

What brand would you suggest? Alot of people say get a Dell and alot of people say don't waste time on emachine and hp/compaq. But I don't know whats the difference. How much memory would I need and how do I know if it has a cd and dvd burner?

[Cosmo]

Stay away from e machines, they are crap. HP is a decent computer. Dell... well, Dell varies from customer to customer. They can have a great computer for one person, but a piece of crap for another. Dell doesn't really have high end pcs that are a good deal. They're mainly budget pcs for people who don't have 1500 to spend on a computer.Acer makes great PCs, but their high end laptops tend to be expensive.Also, stay away from Sony. For some reason Sony started taking after Dell and started putting Sonyware on their computers, slowing them down and wasting space/power. Plus their computers aren't worth the high price they cost.As for memory, try to get 1 to 2 gigs of DDR or DDR2 ram.If a computer has a cd/dvd burner, it will be listed in the computer specs.

[kveits007]

If Cosmo would have taken the time to look for the spec he would have seen what they are cause I read them, if that is you budget then Wal-Mart not the best place to buy one but then its not bad for your budget, I have had 2 from them and they were ok not great, Wal-Mart uses lower end items in those systems thats why they are cheap, if you are going to put a lot of music and photos you want a big hard drive and lots of ram, your first choice is probaly your best bethttp://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5223464It has a good amount of memroy, a big hard drive, and a good processor, it has a dvd/cd burnerKeep in mind that at your budget you will be liminted, Dell's have good systems to for that price you might want to look there to, I have a Dell now and have not had a problem, it has been my experence that people that bad mouth alot of different systems have created their own problems but want to blam the pc maker. Any pc you buy now will be outdated in a year, so talk to you friends or somebody that you trust, but what ever you do get the best you can afford at the so it will be good for you in a couple of years down the road.Good luck

[alicia828]

I know alot of people say don't get your computer from Walmart because of the low end parts. I just wanted to know does the same go for Best Buy, Circuit City and places like that?

[kveits007]

If you are looking at Best Buy, you out to look on line, you can get the same thing for cheaper, Best Buy chargers more cause of their overhead, Like I said Wal-Mart not the best to buy from but with your budget it makes a difference to, take a look at these , look at the Dell Dimenson E520, thats a nice system within your budget and probaly wont have any trouble with it, the 2nd one from the left, price 650http://www.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/cto_dimene520?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhsI would buy this before I buy from Wal Mart, but it all depends on budget, most hgh end stores like Circut City , Best Buy will always chardge you more cause of their overhead, I think Dell are some of the most reliable systems out on the market today

[phillypa800]

cosmo i regret to inform you that you are mistaken. i have an emachine and it's my gaming rig. this pup is running superbly. can wait to add more peripherals. i've posted my specs in one of the forums. i forget which one. i also have a dell and well it's a low-end and use to be my gaming rig. i've maxed this pup out on peripherals. it's still running great 4 years later.anyway, i don't believe alicia828 is buying a new rig to play hardcore games...my goodness alicia828, please don't buy a pc from walmart. i understand it's for school, playing mps, burning, etc. but you can get a nice rig with high-end components and what not for nearly 600-800.00 online. people have already gave their opinions about certain brands but here are some links where u can get systems other than walmart. http://www.compusa.c.../index.htmlgood luck and let us know your outcome.

[Cosmo]

[quote name='phillypa800']cosmo i regret to inform you that you are mistaken. i have an emachine and it's my gaming rig. this pup is running superbly.> > You didn't buy it that way did you?If an emachine was a gaming rig, it had to have been upgraded, they come with subpar components. Most emachines are available with only integrated or low end graphics cards.

[phillypa800]

i didn't buy the emachine. it was giving to me for free. i posted why it was giving to me in one of my forums. again, forget which post. i plan to add this card http://www.tigerdire...8&sku=P450-7870 and plan to buy memory stick at 1gig each http://www.crucial.c...T12864AA667here are my mobo specs:CPU† Supports Intel Pentium 4 Cedar Mill in LGA 775 package† Supports 1066/800/533MHz FSB† Supports 2005 mainstream FMB 05A CPU VR design(For the latest information about CPU, please visit http://www.msi.com.t...inboard/mbd/prombdcpusupport.php)Chipset† ATI RC410/RC410L Chipset- Supports single channel DDR II 667/533 SDRAM- Graphics integrated† ATI SB450 Chipset- Supports dual channel native SATA controller up to 150MB/s with RAID 0 or 1- Integrated Hardware Sound Blaster/Direct Sound AC97 audio- Ultra DMA 66/100/133 master mode PCI EIDE controller- ACPI & PC2001 compliant enhanced power management- Supports USB2.0 up to 8 ports- Supports HD audio / AC97 audioMain Memory† Supports single channel 64-bit DDR II† Available bandwidth up to 5.3 GB/s (DDR II 667)† Supports a maximum memory size of 2GB(For the updated supporting memory modules, please visit http://www.msi.com.t...inboard/mbd/prombdtrplist.php.)Slots† One PCI Express x1 slot (PCI Express Bus specification v1.0a compliant)† One PCI Express x16 slot (PCI Express Bus specification v1.0a compliant)† Two 32-bit Master 3.3V/5V PCI Bus slotsOnboard IDE† An IDE controller on the ATI SB450 chipset provides IDE HDD/CD-ROM with PIO,Bus Master and Ultra DMA 133/100/66 operation modes† Can connect up to 4 IDE devicesOnboard Serial ATA† Supports 4 SATA ports with up to 150MB/s transfer rateLAN† Realtek RTL8100C / 8110S (Optional)- Integrated Fast Ethernet MAC and PHY in one chip- Supports 10/100 Mbps (8100C)- Supports 10/100/1000 Mbps (8110S)- Compliance with PCI v2.2- Supports ACPI Power ManagementIEEE 1394 (Optional)† VIA 6307 IEEE 1394 controller- Supports up to two 1394 ports (rear panel x 1, pinheader x 1).- Transfer rate is up to 400MbpsAudio† High Definition link controller integrated in SB450† Realtek ALC880 8-channel HD audio codec- Compliance with AC97 v2.3 Spec.- Meets PC2001 audio performance requirementOn-Board Peripherals† On-Board Peripherals include:- 1 floppy port supports 1 FDD with 360K, 720K, 1.2M, 1.44M and 2.88Mbytes- 1 parallel port supporting SPP/EPP/ECP mode- 1 serial port- 1 VGA port- 2 IEEE1394s (Rear 1 / Front 1) (Optional)- 8 USB2.0 ports (Rear4/Front4)- 1 SPDIF-Out connector- 1 TV-out header- 1 Line-In/Line-Out/MIC/Center Speaker Out/Rear Speaker Out/Side Surroundaudio port- 1 RJ-45 LAN Jack- 2 IDE ports support 4 IDE devices- 4 serial ATA portsBIOS† The mainboard BIOS provides Plug & Play BIOS which detects the peripheraldevices and expansion cards of the board automatically.† The mainboard provides a Desktop Management Interface (DMI) function whichrecords your mainboard specifications.† Supports boot from LAN, USB Device 1.1 & 2.0, and SATA HDDDimension† Micro-ATX Form Factor: 24.4cm X 23.0cmMounting† 6 mounting holes

[alicia828]

I decided to build a computer with Dell. Its the Dell Dimension E520. This is what I have:My Components PROCESSOR Pentium D Processor 820 with Dual Core Technology (2.80GHz, 800FSB) OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows XP Media Center 2005 EditionUPGRADE TO WINDOWS VISTA No Express Upgrade to Windows Vista Selected MEMORY 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz- 2DIMMs HARD DRIVE 250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache OPTICAL DRIVE Dual Drives: 16x DVD-ROM Drive 16x DVD/-RW MONITOR No Monitor VIDEO CARD 256MB nVidia Geforce 7300LE TurboCache SOUND Integrated Sound BlasterAudigy HD Software Edition My Accessories SPEAKERS No speakers (Speakers are required to hear audio from your system) KEYBOARD & MOUSE Dell USB Keyboard and Dell 2-button Scroll Mouse FLOPPY & MEDIA READER No Floppy Drive Included MODEM 56K PCI Data Fax Modem OPTIONAL PORTS IEEE 1394 AdapterMy Software PRODUCTIVITY No productivity suite- Includes Microsoft Works 8. DOES NOT INCLUDE MS WORD ANTI-VIRUS & SECURITY No Security Subscription PHOTOS, MUSIC & MORE! No preinstalled software BURN & VIDEO EDITING Roxio Creator Plus:Burn,Copy CD Music/Data,Backup,Label(CD-RW/DVD+RW only) My Service WARRANTY AND SERVICE 1Yr Ltd Warranty and At-Home ServiceDIAL-UP INTERNET ACCESS 6 Months of EarthLink Internet Access Included ALSO INCLUDED WITH YOUR SYSTEM Mouse Mouse included in Wireless, Laser or Bluetooth Package Adobe Software Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0 Network Interface Integrated 10/100 Ethernet Future Operating Systems Windows Vista Capable Miscellaneous Award Winning Service and Support Costs $668Is there anything that I should have gotten? Is there anything I should have left off? Is there anything worth upgrading?

[kveits007]

Why no monitor ?Why no Speakers ? Is it the one I recommened, if so it come with 19 inch lcd monitor , you need speakers to hear sound unless you have both of these items. But I would take monitor that comes with it you wont be dissapointed. I have that 19 inch ldcd and I love itNo floppy means you will have to use flash drives which are good to have and use cause they hold more then floopy diskYou will need anti virus unless you are getting your own.You wont be dissapointed in the system but really look at taking the monitor since it comes with it.I believe they have free shipping right now, buy you will be charged tax on it

[alicia828]

I already have a monitor and speakers. Plus without a monitor you take off $145 and since im short on money, im trying to get the most important stuff that would make my computer more useful like upgrading on memory and things like that. Yes im getting my own Anti Virus. But I don't get what you mean about Floppy disks. I thought people didn't use them anymore. And is there anything I should upgrade on that I didn't?

[kveits007]

I think you have made some real good choices in the Dell system that you have chosen, floppy disks arent really used much anymore because of flash drives, if you ever would need a floppy drive you can buy them on line for about $ 30:00 that plug in to your usb, You will really like it and enjoy it the Dell E520 for what you are planning on doing with it, I have a Dell E510 and love it wouldn't trade it for anything. I think what you have chosen and the spec's you have you will be very pleased, so order it and let me know how much you enjoy it or if you need any help with things on the system, I am very fimilar with Dell's just PM me and I will help you any way that I can, I really want to know how you like it or what you think of it and good luck. :P::lol:

[AuroraDizon]

There almost the same computerAlthough I don't see if the one from circuit city comes with a keyboard/mouse etc.best buys computer has more USB slots and a dual corecircuit city's computer has a wireless cardbut lets face it, its a desktop, that and best buy's ram is expandable to 4 gigs. Id go with the best buy one. Your going to have to have someone else compare the processor speeds for you because processors just are not my area.

[alicia828]

I didn't get my computer yet. Im still looking. Im still going with the E520. Also, im not to sure about Vista. Is there any way I can remove that and get XP? It costs $794. Is that too much? Is there anything I should upgrade or leave off? Mostly we're just going to use it for music, videos, homework, burning cd's and normal computing. My Components PROCESSOR Intel Core2 Duo Processor E6300 (1.86GHz, 1066 FSB) OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium MONITOR No MonitorMEMORY 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz- 2DIMMs HARD DRIVE 250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache OPTICAL DRIVE Dual Drives: 16x DVD-ROM Drive 16x DVD/-RW VIDEO CARD 256MB nVidia Geforce 7300LE TurboCache SOUND Integrated Sound BlasterAudigy HD Software Edition My Accessories SPEAKERS No speakers (Speakers are required to hear audio from your system) KEYBOARD & MOUSE Dell USB Keyboard and Dell 2-button Scroll Mouse FLOPPY & MEDIA READER No Floppy Drive Included MODEM 56K PCI Data Fax Modem My Software PRODUCTIVITY Microsoft Works 8. DOES NOT INCLUDE MS WORD ANTI-VIRUS & SECURITY No security subscription (McAfee 30-day trial) PHOTOS, MUSIC & MORE! No Entertainment software pre-installed edit My Service WARRANTY AND SERVICE 1Yr Ltd Warranty and At-Home ServiceDIAL-UP INTERNET ACCESS 6 Months of EarthLink Internet Access Included ALSO INCLUDED WITH YOUR SYSTEM Mouse Mouse included in Wireless, Laser or Bluetooth Package Adobe Software Adobe Acrobat Reader 7.0 Network Interface Integrated 10/100 Ethernet Miscellaneous Award Winning Service and Support Labels Windows Vista Premium

[spike]

Seriously, you should look at other vendors, Dell's "service" is unreliable, their computer parts, are in some cases, proprietary (only work in a dell), and are needlessly $$$$$,and you will likely have to pay for the shipping anyway. You are also limited in the upgrades you can do, without voiding the warranty, and have to go through them to do it, which means more money, and inconvient, and may also limits your choices, SHOP AROUND, the tech world is rapidly changing, and an upgradeable system will save you in the long run.

[alicia828]

Well, what brand would you suggest?

[spike]

Try looking at the reviews on pc worlds web site, and Tom's Hardware, also Cnet, use Google, and do some research, or find a local shop or indiviual to build one for you. I allways build my own, and build for others, in my area, so buying a preconfigured comp. is not something I would do, and therefore have little experience with retailers, but some people I know have purchased from Falcon Northwest, and alienware ( which is now owned by dell ), and while they have been good computers, they have allways come back to me for service and upgrades, and in some cases, have had to replace thier computers instead of upgradeing them, as they did not plan on doing something in the future, that the computer would not do, but things and requirements do change, so make sure you know what you want, and MIGHT, want to do in the future.

[bunk]

alicia828Someone posted microcenter.com above ^^^^^ They carry a good PC called a PowerSpec, still available with XP Pro. I have one of these as a back up machine, and it is a pretty good machine, cheap too.....PowerSpec has a web site if you'd like to look there, but I dont think the sell direct. http://www.microcenter.com/