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Thread: Wanted: desktop computer or advice on one

  1. #1
    Join Date: Mar 2013

    Location: eastbourne

    Posts: 190
    I'm alan.

    Default Wanted: desktop computer or advice on one

    My desktop computer still works but it's now 12 years old with Vista as its OS but there will probably come the time (sooner rather than later I suspect) when it finally keels over. As some people may now be ditching one in favour of laptops or such like, I wonder if anyone now has no use for theirs. I don't really use it that much (mainly updating my Ipod, copying the odd CD, a bit of office work and listening to Spotify now and again) so it seems pointless getting an expensive one capable of all the things I don't need. I realize it's a long shot but you never know (incidentally I'm not asking for one for nothing!). Alternatively has anyone got a good recommendation for a new or refurbished one? By the way I have my own copy of Microsoft Word 2007 and I've read that it should work with later operating systems Thanks in advance. I'm located in Eastbourne.
    Regards
    Alan

  2. #2
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

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    Should be able to pick up a second hand job on ebay. Depends on your price of course but some good pcs for under 200. Last one i bought was originally about 1500 and got it for 400. Great little thing.
    One before that was 40 quid.
    Look for a lot of ram, and decent processor.
    4gb bare min, but better with a bit more.

    Also 64 bit with a pro windows licence are better than 32bit home versions
    Regards,
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  3. #3
    Yatsushiro Guest

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    This is a good source of fairly recent desktop PC's, normally ex bank or financial institutions:

    https://www.pyramid.co.uk/desktops/

    Good prices, a guarantee and good aftersales support; I've bought from them for my work and some charities.

  4. #4
    Join Date: Nov 2017

    Location: Glossop

    Posts: 54
    I'm dave.

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    It depends on what you are doing I have just updated an old PC that took 10 mins to boot with win 7 to a win 10 ( using the same keycode ) by changing the HD to a SSD one 120Gb £16 . It now boots in <1 min and loads pages quite fast ( dual core 3.4Mhz with 4GB ram )
    Any tool can be used as a hammer but a screwdriver makes the best chisel

  5. #5
    Join Date: Sep 2014

    Location: brighton uk.

    Posts: 4,737
    I'm jamie.

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    Quote Originally Posted by nutteronthebus View Post
    It depends on what you are doing I have just updated an old PC that took 10 mins to boot with win 7 to a win 10 ( using the same keycode ) by changing the HD to a SSD one 120Gb £16 . It now boots in <1 min and loads pages quite fast ( dual core 3.4Mhz with 4GB ram )
    im thinking of going ssd,do you have a link for where you got yours?
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  6. #6
    Join Date: Sep 2017

    Location: Dublin

    Posts: 506
    I'm Pavel.

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    I would get an HP Elite PC on eBay... Something like HP Elite 8300 or a similar model.

    Really well made, reliable, very inexpensive 2nd hand.

  7. #7
    Join Date: Mar 2013

    Location: eastbourne

    Posts: 190
    I'm alan.

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    Many thanks for all your suggestions so far - a bit of a minefield out there for someone as inexperienced as I am but I’m getting the general idea about the way forward. But looking at some of the refurbished ones on Amazon for example it seems that you need a bit of luck to get a good one - quite a few are put together with insufficient care and some arrive damaged.

  8. #8
    Join Date: Sep 2013

    Location: North Island New Zealand

    Posts: 1,757
    I'm Chris.

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    Quote Originally Posted by alanc View Post
    Many thanks for all your suggestions so far - a bit of a minefield out there for someone as inexperienced as I am but I’m getting the general idea about the way forward. But looking at some of the refurbished ones on Amazon for example it seems that you need a bit of luck to get a good one - quite a few are put together with insufficient care and some arrive damaged.
    Hi
    Firstly have a look at modern proper software for early computers that remains supported. As example https://www.linuxmint.com/
    Without such software you are always tied to either redundant operating systems, or forced to buy the latest hardware at enormous cost
    Worse you are tied to heavily proprietary software that dictates terms, rather than the freedom to use the computer as you wish.
    The video here explains why proprietary software should not exist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJi2rkHiNqg

    To load Linux Mint on any computer download the iso image from Linux mint's site to a USB, or purchase a DVD from
    https://distrowatch.com To change the drive the computer reads first press F2 as it is booting - this can with some
    brands be only 1 or 2 seconds. choose the USB drive or DVD if that is what you have to boot from then press F10 to save those changes

    From there you can then choose earlier excellent computers, often brand new, discarded by people who fail to understand the possibilities.

    I hope that helps

  9. #9
    Join Date: Nov 2017

    Location: Glossop

    Posts: 54
    I'm dave.

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    HI I got it from Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1 he only needed it for web surfing and e-mail so a large HD not req

    Dave
    Any tool can be used as a hammer but a screwdriver makes the best chisel

  10. #10
    Join Date: Apr 2008

    Location: Warrington

    Posts: 3,451
    I'm Neil.

    Default Wanted: desktop computer or advice on one

    There’s a lot of life left in now dirt-cheap processors such as the Intel Core i5 2500 (quad core, 3.3ghz). I bought one recently for £30. It has a soldered IHS, so no thermal compound issues as with later generations.

    If you do a search on eBay for core 2500 PC, loads pop up for under £200.

    I’d suggest at least 8GB RAM, and use of an SSD.

    Here’s an example: https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F292798732996
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