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Pastimes : Dream Machine ( Build your own PC ) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Roger Thrash who wrote (1694)	7/13/1998 11:34:00 PM
From: Zeuspaul	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 14778

>> What's the best deal I can get for about $800-1000. << Welcome to SI If you are looking for a package deal with tech support try Gateway, Micron or DELL. I could not find a machine under $1000 at DELL. Micron site is slow today and would not load for me. Gateway might be of interest. gateway.com G5-233 Best Buy Processor: Intel 233MHz Pentium Processor w/ MMX Technology Memory: 64MB SDRAM added: US$96 Monitor: Not Included subtracted: US$160 Graphics Accelerator: 2MB, 3D 64-Bit PCI Graphics Hard Drive: 2.5GB Ultra ATA hard drive Floppy Drive: 3.5inch 1.44MB diskette drive CD-ROM: 13X min./32X max. CD-ROM drive Multimedia Package: Sound Blaster AudioPCI 64V & GCS100 Speaker by Altec Lansing Fax/Modem: US Robotics 56K Voice Winmodem* Case: G-Series Desktop Keyboard: Multi-function Keyboard Mouse: MicrosoftTM IntelliPoint Mouse; Gateway mouse pad Additional Software: Quicken Basic 98 and McAfee Anti-Virus Software Application Software: Microsoft Home Essentials 98 Operating System: Microsoft Windows 98 Service Program: Gateway GoldTM Service and Support (1yr. Onsite) Base Price: US $999 Configured Price: US $935 Quantity: 1 Total Price: US $935 ___________________________________________________________________ And Sams has an "upgradeable celeron 300mhz with a 6.0 hd & 64mb for $1299 which includes monitor which he doesnt need. Watch out for the term "upgradeable". Just about any machine can be billed as upgradeable. If it has one memory slot or one expansion slot someone will call it upgradeable. It is hard to comment on this machine without more details. What motherboard does it have? How many expansion slots? How many memory slots and how many are filled with RAM? Is it a mini tower? How many exposed 5 1/4 drive bays? Also see a 300mm Cyrix at Surplus direct for $799 but I think its refurbished. Are refurbs ok ? Refurbished is ok. You will probably not get any tech support with this machine. This one does not interest me. Gateway, Micron and DELL also have refurbished systems....with tech support. He was kinda hoping for an upgradeable system with a larger HD & at least 64mg ram. Larger harddrive than what? :) What do you want to upgrade to? You will not find many upgradable systems in the sub $1000 range if you want a package deal. This price range is better suited to a disposable machine. Actually disposable can be a good decision in some cases. Even the more expensive machines are disposable. Check out the Power Spec machines with cyrix chips. Tech support may not be as good as Gateway, Micron and DELL. mei-microcenter.com $599 233 MHz Cyrix MediaGX MMXT Enhanced processor 32MB SDRAM; expandable to 128MB 4.3GB Hard Drive; 12X CD ROM Drive 33.6 modem Microsoft Windows 98 OS and preloaded software #509497 Monitor sold separately Zeuspaul

To: Roger Thrash who wrote (1694)	7/14/1998 1:06:00 AM
From: peter michaelson	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 14778

Here's the one I built last week: Super Micro MidTower ATX Case SC730A $ 79 local shop Asus P2B BX Motherboard $174 local Intel PII 266 CPU boxed w/ heat sink & fan $240 local 64MG BX SDRAM (micron technologies) $ 74 local IBM Deskstar 8.4 GB $299 Comp USA rebate on above -$99 Teac Floppy $ 24 local Diamond G460 Video Card $129 Computer City rebate on above -$30 Diamond Sonic Impact 70 PCI Sound $ 37 local Yamaha YSTM15 powered speakers $ 64 local 24x CD Rom (CyberDrive) $ 50 (rebate with Windows 98 purchase) -$50 Windows 98 upgrade $ 90 Keyboard (with touchpad) from previous machine back-up hard drive from previous machine tape back-up from previous machine Diamond 56i modem from previous machine CPU cost $1081 plus AOC 17" .26dpi monitor $289 Total cost $1370 Notes: My prior AMD K-6 200 machine and 15" monitor handed down to the kids. So far, my oldest (5 years) has spent about two hours a day on it, learning his alphabet. Using old keyboard and mouse had around the house. The IBM hard drive included software which successfully copied my entire old hard drive onto the new, including all software and operating system settings. Windows 98 upgrade was problem-free - my first problem free Windows installation! Finally, my appreciation to the knowledgable posters here who helped me with product choices and especially to Zeuspaul for his efforts in organizing the thread and making it a very useful reference source. Best to all, Peter

To: Roger Thrash who wrote (1694)	7/14/1998 7:28:00 AM
From: AHM	Respond to of 14778

If your pal had banking/on-line trading/other access codes and/or banking/credit card/other account codes on his stolen computer hard drive I hope he contacted all vendors and had them changed. Even if he had access code protection, anybody who is knowledgeable can learn what these codes are by examining the right files on the drive. As to your question about refurbs - they are perfectly fine. Generally refurbs are more reliable than new because they have been individually benched tested. I personally prefer pentium because I have highly complex software written for Pentium and I don't want to take a chance on any interface problems. But this may be holdover prejudice from AMD's and Cyrix' early days when their processors had problems. I understand that newer ones are fully compatible. CompUSA is terrible to deal with. They also are not the cheapest around. Mail order is perfectly fine and in your pal's situation maybe the best. Do you homework on line with Dell, Gateway, Compaq, IBM, and Quantex, among others. Be careful: you are best off with extra expansion slots, Creative Labs sound cards (not compatibles) and a high quality monitor. The monitor is the riskiest item to buy by mail unless it is a brand name you can look at in a computer store. When you do, look for sharp edges around text, absence of flicker, and sharpness at the corners. Have the sales people set up a text page with a white background at 1024 resolution and also 800 resolution to see what I mean as you look at different monitors on display. The monitor is the basic interface between you and the computer - and if you make a mistake you will regret it as long as you have it. In the New York area deep discounters that advertise 17" monitors with their $800 Compaqs, IBMs etc sell the worst imaginable products with no brilliance, poor contrast, and off focus text.