My old Dell 4700 has a memory bus error. It is not likely on warranty any more. My question is what are the most reliable HW vendors these days? How can I objectively research that? Dell, HP etc etc What are the issues/considerations I should use as a check list
ok i just had a beautiful custom pc build by a place in california the guy there is fisrt rate and he beats anything out there in OEM like DELL HP etc. here is his webpage for request he will help you build whatever you want and not push you into anything you do not want. he does not try to give use any thing that is not durable and also looks to give you the biggest bang for the buck. http://computersplushome.com/saleitems.aspx also he will tell you what vendors of particular hardware pieces that go into a pc are worth it he repairs and builds pcs for years so he knows what is good and what fails..
Answer; Any of them, but they all install their own software etc. most of which you will never use, so buy which has the specs you want, then format the drive and install a retail copy of whichever OS you want to use eg Win7 Home Premium/ Professional/ ultimate etc...
Hi Escalader, I just replaced my Dell 4600 with a Dell 8300XPS. 64xWIN7 Home Premium. I really like it. I explored all the possibilities on the Dell web site that had the options I wanted until I came up with the right combo.
As for included unwanted software, I think Dell goes really light on that. The only thing they forced down my throat was 15 months of McAfee AV, which I promptly uninstalled as soon as I finished setting up the computer. Other than that I only removed 3 other apps, although not garbage weren't desired. Compare that with HP's included stuff.
I prefer DIY computer building because you control the end product and don't have any unwanted software or limitations (like not supplying a Windows disk). With enough scrounging the web you can probably build a non`current tech product for between $300-$500 complete, no OS, or search Craigs list for a working system someone is giving away. Geeksdotcom is a place to keep your eye on for sure, just noticed a 2tb drive for $76.
I do also but not likely an option here. Be hesitant to buy from Craigslist or eBay or something similar as you have no idea of what kind of rootkit/keyloggers are going to be on it. If I were not building my own I would likely go Dell or Asus. I wouldn't recommend an HP to anyone I actually liked. They are just not reliable. Everyone in the last year that had asked me what to buy is replacing a broken HP.
what's your budget? Don't go for a OEM. BUILD one yourself. If you can't put it together take the parts to a pc shop and stand there while they put it together for you. You will end up with a better balanced pc and will save a couple of hundred dollars with better warranties for all the components. Don't tie yourself to 1 manufacturer who load up their pcs with bloatware if your not going for their high priced models. Some cut off features on the mobos even. Gimme your budget and I can see what I can put together for you. Also what's your monitors native resolution and what are your uses for the pc
This ^ Go for a custom built PC ANY DAY over a DELL,HP,etc. You'll get a better performing / better value for your $$ period.
I'll have you guys know that I have had an HP oem XP media center edition/AMD 3800+ pc as one of myu machines since 2006 and haven't had many real problems. Only needed to replace the Hard drive once because of my own stupidity during format.
Thanks guys. In terms of building my own PC it is (for me anyway) a matter of where I want to spend my time and skills. I would want a guy here in Canada near where I live who I know and trust to be my contractor. More later.
I've been running a Dell 4600, XP Home, all original parts, since 2004 and it runs better now than it did new.
