Home PC System
Discussion
Never had a home system before and very confused by all the systems currently on offer in mags/adverts etc.
I would like a base unit, screen, keyboard, dvd/cd rewriter and printer for Autocad, word, exel, internet access etc. Would be nice if the system looked good with flat screen. All for approx £1000.00
Any advice would be grately appreciated.
I would like a base unit, screen, keyboard, dvd/cd rewriter and printer for Autocad, word, exel, internet access etc. Would be nice if the system looked good with flat screen. All for approx £1000.00
Any advice would be grately appreciated.
DVD writers are about £220
Flat screens - 220 for a 15", 475 for a 17"
Software ain't cheap, especially autocad
Half decent printer - 150
Above prices are approximate, but I really doubt you'd get it even near to £1000 BEFORE vat.
Just my opinion though...would love to be proved wrong, cos then I might buy a new printer
LB
Have a look at www.microdirect.co.uk for a breakdown of individual prices, or check Dell's site for a pre-built example price which should be able to give a half decent ball park figure.
Flat screens - 220 for a 15", 475 for a 17"
Software ain't cheap, especially autocad
Half decent printer - 150
Above prices are approximate, but I really doubt you'd get it even near to £1000 BEFORE vat.
Just my opinion though...would love to be proved wrong, cos then I might buy a new printer
LB
Have a look at www.microdirect.co.uk for a breakdown of individual prices, or check Dell's site for a pre-built example price which should be able to give a half decent ball park figure.
And don't forget to have a look www.dabs.co.uk for a range of products with good comparable manufacturer prices.
www.pcindex.co.uk
This gives the cheapest price per component.
£1000 you are easily going to get a decent system for...
Assuming that you dont pay for software like most people.
This gives the cheapest price per component.
£1000 you are easily going to get a decent system for...
Assuming that you dont pay for software like most people.
I've played around with your specifications on the Mesh computers website. Based on their 2400+ system with 17" TFT, twin-drive DVD-RW combo, MS Works 7.0, medium spec printer and 512 Mb RAM, I came up with a price of £1044.58 including VAT and Delivery. It's as close as I can get to your budget.
You could save nearly £200 by making-do with a conventional screen and, to be honest, the TFT is probably only worthwhile if looks and space are important to you. For straight visual quality you're probably better off with a conventional screen anyway.
What really scuppers your £1,000 budget is AutoCAD. Off the top of my head (dangerous!) I'd guess that AutoCAD will probably set you back about £600 minimum, even with a bit of shopping around.
It's quite an edifying (?) experience just playing with the options, so pop along to
www.meshplc.co.uk
and see what you think. I have nothing to do with Mesh, other than as a previous customer, but their 3-year across-the-board warranty is a definite plus.
You could save nearly £200 by making-do with a conventional screen and, to be honest, the TFT is probably only worthwhile if looks and space are important to you. For straight visual quality you're probably better off with a conventional screen anyway.
What really scuppers your £1,000 budget is AutoCAD. Off the top of my head (dangerous!) I'd guess that AutoCAD will probably set you back about £600 minimum, even with a bit of shopping around.
It's quite an edifying (?) experience just playing with the options, so pop along to
www.meshplc.co.uk
and see what you think. I have nothing to do with Mesh, other than as a previous customer, but their 3-year across-the-board warranty is a definite plus.
Go to the moon ! ( Use a Shuttle - forgot to add that )
Have you guys not seen the new Shuttle /mini PCs ?
Creative Labs have a model called the SLIX .
These PCs are tiny and about as wide as the DVD rom tray and cube shape. Coupled with a flat screen they look neat and dont take up as much room.
Printers .
A decent printer can be bought for £50.
(Manufacturers subsidise the cost by future purchases of cartridges/ink refills).
If your mainly printing B & W letters , then a nice home laser can be bought for £150. The toners last a long time .
Laser cost per page is around 3p.
ink jet cost per page is over 15p (B & W)
color pages need better quality paper which is 50p to £1 per sheet. cost per color page with ink jet is can be 50p.
above examples are form memory things may have changed recently.
A decent computer system can be had for about £600 with all of the above.
Add a good digital camera (3 megapixels ),
printer and scanner and few goodies will take you to
£1000 inc VAT.
Ramesh
>> Edited by Robertuk on Wednesday 23 July 16:51
Have you guys not seen the new Shuttle /mini PCs ?
Creative Labs have a model called the SLIX .
These PCs are tiny and about as wide as the DVD rom tray and cube shape. Coupled with a flat screen they look neat and dont take up as much room.
Printers .
A decent printer can be bought for £50.
(Manufacturers subsidise the cost by future purchases of cartridges/ink refills).
If your mainly printing B & W letters , then a nice home laser can be bought for £150. The toners last a long time .
Laser cost per page is around 3p.
ink jet cost per page is over 15p (B & W)
color pages need better quality paper which is 50p to £1 per sheet. cost per color page with ink jet is can be 50p.
above examples are form memory things may have changed recently.
A decent computer system can be had for about £600 with all of the above.
Add a good digital camera (3 megapixels ),
printer and scanner and few goodies will take you to
£1000 inc VAT.
Ramesh
>> Edited by Robertuk on Wednesday 23 July 16:51
Robertuk said:
Go to the moon !
Uh, why? Been there, done that, got the T-shirt?
Robertuk said:
Have you guys not seen the new Shuttle /mini PCs ?
Yes, but for price over performance and upgrade flexibility I'd still go conventional at the moment.
Robertuk said:
Color pages need better quality paper which is 50p to £1 per sheet. cost per color page with ink jet is can be 50p.
Not necessarily. I use A4 coated paper for near-photo quality reproduction (on six-colour printer) that costs me less than 1p per sheet (from Viking Direct, as it happens). For standard quality colour output I use a smooth Mellotex 115 gsm stock that costs me way less than half a penny a sheet (also available in A3+) that gives me perfectly acceptable reproduction at a very modest cost. A4 Photo-quality gloss sheet is now about 10 pence per sheet. I source my inkjet cartridges from IJT (01458 272727) and they cost me less than £5 each and will print about 200 letters A4 mono, somewhat fewer if I'm doing full-colour photoprints. All in all, significantly less than 50 pence per sheet - although I also have a laser!
I do agree that you can get a decent computer system for about £600 - almost certainly less, in fact - but taffstalini seems to want something a bit more, certainly if he intends to run AutoCAD in any serious way.
:-)
With Autocad most important bits are:
CPU
Video Card
Display (monitor)
Maybe a second display + tablet ?
Sure the mini-pcs use special motherboards,
but apart from that and the case - all other parts can be used in a standard PC.
So you could start small and build up.
as for performance they can take
Athlon™ XP 3200+
Athlon XP 400 MHz FSB
and intel P4's .
its easy to blow a huge amount on your initial PC,
but my advise would be to get a decent system.
(save some money,)
Learn to use it and your applications , then upgrade after a year or two when you can appreciate it more.
Just my thoughts.
With Autocad most important bits are:
CPU
Video Card
Display (monitor)
Maybe a second display + tablet ?
Sure the mini-pcs use special motherboards,
but apart from that and the case - all other parts can be used in a standard PC.
So you could start small and build up.
as for performance they can take
Athlon™ XP 3200+
Athlon XP 400 MHz FSB
and intel P4's .
its easy to blow a huge amount on your initial PC,
but my advise would be to get a decent system.
(save some money,)
Learn to use it and your applications , then upgrade after a year or two when you can appreciate it more.
Just my thoughts.
www.amazoninternational.com/index.asp do bespoke cad pc's but might be a bit too much for what your after
Regarding a system for CAD, it really does depend on what you are doing, if it's 2-D CAD, any PC avove a P2 will do, to be honest, but, if you need 3-D, and rendering, you need a very decent spec PC (low spec Pcs can take all night to explode large files!!)
I built my PC for my CAD work, I use TurboCAD Pro V9, and A/CAD 2002, all day, every day,, yawn!!
I did go a little mad with the specs though, as once I got the home built PC bug, I couldn't stop!
I now have a AMD 3200+ CPU, Asus A7N8X Delux motherboard, 3x512 MB of DDR400 RAM, a 9700 Pro GPU( rendering in TurboCAD does not require the expense of the Quadro GPUs), 2x 120 GB Maxtor SATA hard drives, in RAID0 (Very fast!!) and 2x 120 GB Maxtor hard drive on the IDE channel, as slaves. I didn't stop there, oh no,,, I had to get the latest DVD RW drive, a 19" Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 930sb monitor, Audigy 2 soundcard, complete with 6.1 speakers, 500W PSU, a new case with more ventilation to put the bits in,, etc,, and I thought I was a level headed full grown adult!!!
I only wanted to initially change the CPU and graphics card,,but I haven't been able to stop!!! lol
(still have to live with a 56K modem though!!)
Having said all that, for basic CAD work, any new decent PC will do the job without any effort whatsoever, it's only later when you want to shave time off rendering complex drawings that you need the extra oomph.
Also, from what I have read, Evesham Computers have a very good reputation for very decent PCs.
I built my PC for my CAD work, I use TurboCAD Pro V9, and A/CAD 2002, all day, every day,, yawn!!
I did go a little mad with the specs though, as once I got the home built PC bug, I couldn't stop!
I now have a AMD 3200+ CPU, Asus A7N8X Delux motherboard, 3x512 MB of DDR400 RAM, a 9700 Pro GPU( rendering in TurboCAD does not require the expense of the Quadro GPUs), 2x 120 GB Maxtor SATA hard drives, in RAID0 (Very fast!!) and 2x 120 GB Maxtor hard drive on the IDE channel, as slaves. I didn't stop there, oh no,,, I had to get the latest DVD RW drive, a 19" Mitsubishi Diamond Pro 930sb monitor, Audigy 2 soundcard, complete with 6.1 speakers, 500W PSU, a new case with more ventilation to put the bits in,, etc,, and I thought I was a level headed full grown adult!!!
I only wanted to initially change the CPU and graphics card,,but I haven't been able to stop!!! lol
(still have to live with a 56K modem though!!)
Having said all that, for basic CAD work, any new decent PC will do the job without any effort whatsoever, it's only later when you want to shave time off rendering complex drawings that you need the extra oomph.
Also, from what I have read, Evesham Computers have a very good reputation for very decent PCs.
build your own system it isn't that difficult
these people are really helpful
www.planetmicro.co.uk
and resonably priced
ALSO
http://online.stak.com/cgi-bin/stak/
you will need
case
motherboard
processor
memory
floppy drive
dvd /cd /cd-rw /dvd - r (what ever you want)
graphics card (AGP )
modem
sound card (generally intergrated onto motherboard)
keyboard
mouse
monitor
lan (if required)
and printer
software
this is the most costly part of the whole package
office will cost in the region of £285.00
most systems you buy tend to come with software you don't really use anyway
>> Edited by spivvy on Wednesday 23 July 19:25
these people are really helpful
www.planetmicro.co.uk
and resonably priced
ALSO
http://online.stak.com/cgi-bin/stak/
you will need
case
motherboard
processor
memory
floppy drive
dvd /cd /cd-rw /dvd - r (what ever you want)
graphics card (AGP )
modem
sound card (generally intergrated onto motherboard)
keyboard
mouse
monitor
lan (if required)
and printer
software
this is the most costly part of the whole package
office will cost in the region of £285.00
most systems you buy tend to come with software you don't really use anyway
>> Edited by spivvy on Wednesday 23 July 19:25
luca brazzi said:
DVD writers are about £220
(I'll try again)
The Pioneer 106 does 4x DVD-R and 4x DVD+R and is £130 here
www.bigpockets.co.uk/product.php?product_id=790&session=caa9dbf8210e13d131be9e2447e0e095
>> Edited by squirrelz on Thursday 24th July 09:51
Cheers guys,
I already have Autocad LT and only intend to use 2D for the moment and most suppliers seem to provide basic running programmes with windows etc.
I doubt i will have the time/patience to bult my own so i'm looking for a pre built system. My problem is i only know about the major manufacturers ie Dell, Compaq etc. and Pentium is the only processer i have ever heard of.
Bought Computer Buyer this month to get some ideas but i must be well out of touch. They review a package called a Mesh Matrix 2400+PDX for £880 inc VAT with palm top and Lexmark printer against other makes ie JAL Virgo 2500HO or Ideal APtus L90TA or Microland Addons Home PC.
All come with AMD Athlon XP Processor, 512 MB memory, 76GB Hard disk etc etc. none of which i have ever heard of. (Well obviously i have heard of memory and hard disk Doh!!)
I will mostly use the PC for Autocad LT, Windows, Excel and for Internet use ie Pistonheads picture/video/music downloads etc.
Are the suppliers/manufacurers you have all referred to now the major companies for these types of system and do they represent value for money against the likes of Compaq, Dell etc?
What about PC world, Time, Dixons etc are they all a waste of time?
Speed/graphics/picture quality will all be more important than a flat screen.
>> Edited by taffstalini on Thursday 24th July 10:34
I already have Autocad LT and only intend to use 2D for the moment and most suppliers seem to provide basic running programmes with windows etc.
I doubt i will have the time/patience to bult my own so i'm looking for a pre built system. My problem is i only know about the major manufacturers ie Dell, Compaq etc. and Pentium is the only processer i have ever heard of.
Bought Computer Buyer this month to get some ideas but i must be well out of touch. They review a package called a Mesh Matrix 2400+PDX for £880 inc VAT with palm top and Lexmark printer against other makes ie JAL Virgo 2500HO or Ideal APtus L90TA or Microland Addons Home PC.
All come with AMD Athlon XP Processor, 512 MB memory, 76GB Hard disk etc etc. none of which i have ever heard of. (Well obviously i have heard of memory and hard disk Doh!!)
I will mostly use the PC for Autocad LT, Windows, Excel and for Internet use ie Pistonheads picture/video/music downloads etc.
Are the suppliers/manufacurers you have all referred to now the major companies for these types of system and do they represent value for money against the likes of Compaq, Dell etc?
What about PC world, Time, Dixons etc are they all a waste of time?
Speed/graphics/picture quality will all be more important than a flat screen.
>> Edited by taffstalini on Thursday 24th July 10:34
I just got a Dell system using one of their review specs from Computer Buyer. If you use the special E-value code you can save lots of money compared with making a custom system. I selected all the same components and the system came out well over £2000! Using the E-value code it was £1500
I'd certainly go along with the recommendation that you follow up magazine review features. Manufacturers frequently try to out-do each other on these things, and you can sometimes find real bargains with bundled upgrades and thrown-in software.
One word of warning, however. I tried to source one of these specials just days after the feature appeared on the newshelf, only to be told that they'd "sold out" of that particular model. I wasn't the only one, apparently, and there was a "name and shame" follow-up in the next issue. Stick to reputable, long established names (even, or especially, the smaller ones, like Evesham or Mesh) and you're unlikely to go too far wrong.
I'd hesitate to recommend the likes of PC World or Dixons, if only because I've always found the after-sales support rather questionable, and their prices are rarely that competitive when you look through the small print. How do you value a warranty? Some only offer six months, others three years.
One word of warning, however. I tried to source one of these specials just days after the feature appeared on the newshelf, only to be told that they'd "sold out" of that particular model. I wasn't the only one, apparently, and there was a "name and shame" follow-up in the next issue. Stick to reputable, long established names (even, or especially, the smaller ones, like Evesham or Mesh) and you're unlikely to go too far wrong.
I'd hesitate to recommend the likes of PC World or Dixons, if only because I've always found the after-sales support rather questionable, and their prices are rarely that competitive when you look through the small print. How do you value a warranty? Some only offer six months, others three years.
Just incase anyone is interested in a top spec Dell PC - the offer is still available, though they have varied the spec a few times and thrown in special extras. I got the following:
Dell 8300
P4 3GHz
1GB RAM 400MHz DDR
ATi 9800 Pro
18" Digital Flat screen (now they are offering 19")
Altec Lansing THX995 200Watt 5.1 Speakers
120GB SATA Hard drive (now 200GB)
DVD Rom
DVD/CD RW
E-Value code: 200-D52REV
Cost me £1533
>> Edited by AJLintern on Thursday 24th July 12:15
Dell 8300
P4 3GHz
1GB RAM 400MHz DDR
ATi 9800 Pro
18" Digital Flat screen (now they are offering 19")
Altec Lansing THX995 200Watt 5.1 Speakers
120GB SATA Hard drive (now 200GB)
DVD Rom
DVD/CD RW
E-Value code: 200-D52REV
Cost me £1533
>> Edited by AJLintern on Thursday 24th July 12:15
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