Recommendations for a new computer

[jm1827 284]

HI everyone,

 

 

 

Time to replace our home computer and I was just looking to see if anyone has any recommendations or conversely anything I should stay away from. 

 

 

The computer will be primarily used for basic web browsing and homework for the kids (age 10 through 15).

 

 

 

I will also do some light mathematical modeling, programming  (C++, Python, VBA among others) and some electrical simulations most likely using a VHDL based program for digital design. 

 

 

 

Oh- and I will also be doing quite a bit of video work, basically uploading football video and analyzing it for a youth football team I coach. 

 

 

Any recommendations from the computer gurus would be appreciated.  And of course not looking to spend too much $$$.

 

 

Thanks

 

 

 

[Howard 538]

Figure out the specs you want, then go to Microcenter in Paterson (just off of route 80) and buy there.  First you only pay half the normal sales tax as it is one of those enterprise zones.  Further, they have an expert bar in the back where techs will help you pick out components.  You then put it all together yourself, much easier than you would think and you end up with a better computer than your could buy from the big outfits with no spyware or other crapware on it.  They also can assemble it for you for a fee, forget how much.

[jm1827 284]

Figure out the specs you want, then go to Microcenter in Paterson (just off of route 80) and buy there.  First you only pay half the normal sales tax as it is one of those enterprise zones.  Further, they have an expert bar in the back where techs will help you pick out components.  You then put it all together yourself, much easier than you would think and you end up with a better computer than your could buy from the big outfits with no spyware or other crapware on it.  They also can assemble it for you for a fee, forget how much.

Thanks Howard.  And I have actually built a few computers myself, but not in a few years.

[tuktuk 16]

I agree>> I built all of my workstations. So much easier not cheaper than buying off the shelf anymore but makes more sense to me personally....

[Scorpio64 5,147]

Just as with the AR-15, I feel it's better to build than to buy.  And just like with your firearms, it's better to go with a LCS, that is unless you don't mind spending hours on the phone in often fruitless attempts at customer support from reps with barely intelligible English speaking skills.

[Scorpio64 5,147]

I agree>> I built all of my workstations. So much easier not cheaper than buying off the shelf anymore but makes more sense to me personally....

I disagree.  The OTS computers are built to the cheapest possible specs with every shortcut in quality taken.  You get what you pay for, sort of.  Building your own high performance workstation with quality parts is cheaper than buying a comparable quality Dell.

[Dan 177]

For your purposes, I would go with an Intel based system, specifically an i5 Haswell model. Something like the i5-4690 would do well for you. It is a quad core non-hyperthreading design which should be more then adequate for your compute and video needs. i7 Haswell is a step up with hyperthreading, but I doubt you will need or use more then the 4 the i5 uses. If you were going to go heavy into video editing production and transcoding, the i7 may be a better choice and worth the extra $$ depending if the software suite can take advantage of multi-threading. If you will be just uploading and watching videos, with some simple editing and transcoding, it is money you can save.

 

You will want no less then 8GB of memory with 16GB being more preferable if costs allow.

 

I would go with a 256GB SSD main system drive that contains your OS, applications, and temp working space along separate 4TB 7200rpm disk drive for your bulk and video storage.

 

If you are not playing hardcore games, you can use the built-in graphics processor that comes with the CPU.

 

Just my 2 cents, but ultimately it is up to you and what you find with your research. Have fun!

 

edited cpu model

[10X 3,296]

Not the cheapest option, but to meet the video and homework requirements (assuming the school uses Apple products, which is so often the case), I'd recommend a Mac.

 

You'll spend a lot less time supporting it (unless you are already very proficient with windows)

[PD2K 115]

I would second a Mac.

[raz-0 1,259]

I'm going to refrain from particular recommendations other than to say I am less than pleased with most of the off the shelf setups for desktops these days. They are focused more on corporate deployment, and tend to be built with power savings in mind and this is mostly done by having very slim margins on the PSU vs peak component draw. Couple that with pretty cheap PSU builds, and you have the reason for most of the refurbs available ont he market. 

 

I will however say that for complex use and a variety of uses, a 256GB SSD is NOT the way to go. I've got one at work and I'm being constrained by it just with installing VMs and some development software. I've run into other issues with smaller boot drives at home with software that does stuff on/in default user directories without asking you your preference nor offering the option to change it. 

 

SSDs are nice, but my opinion at the moment is that if it isn't for a specific purpose where a small boot drive is a good fit (like and HTPC setup for example), if you can't afford a 500 GB drive or bigger, you can't afford SSD right now. 

[Qel Hoth 33]

 

I will however say that for complex use and a variety of uses, a 256GB SSD is NOT the way to go. I've got one at work and I'm being constrained by it just with installing VMs and some development software. I've run into other issues with smaller boot drives at home with software that does stuff on/in default user directories without asking you your preference nor offering the option to change it. 

 

 

I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. A 256GB SSD backed up by mechanical storage is more than enough for a typical home computer. Yes, some programs will write to the boot directory without your permission and give no options to change it (and if I ever find a developer that writes a program like this I will punch him in the face for being a lazy idiot), the amount of data in question is usually very small. It will vary depending on exact use, but the stuff that needs to be on the SSD will usually come in at <100GB for most people, so a 256GB drive is more than enough. If you're gaming or have other special uses with large programs that read data often you will need more. 

 

The absolute smallest I would use as a boot drive would be 128GB, my current work computer is a 120GB SDD and 500GB mechanical, and I need to be careful about what goes on the SSD. 

 

 

Also, unless you have personally used Windows 8.1 and disliked it, ignore the people saying it sucks. Find some way to use it, use it for a few weeks at least, and form your own opinion. Yes, it is very different than XP/Vista/7, but it also has quite a few new features that work very well. I currently use both 7 and 8.1, and I prefer 8.1. The things that it made easier far outweigh the few tasks that it made more difficult for me. 

[Howard 538]

I am with you on the SSD, I have used them for about five years.  Started out with a 120GB unit as they were way too expensive to go bigger than that 5 years ago.  Now have a 256 GB unit.  I have four 2TB hard drives in the box, and three 3TB drives hanging off of it - two USB3 and an ESATA.

 

As for Win8, not a big fan, but there is a cheap program called Start for windows, which will make it look and feel just like Win7.

 

I would also highly suggest a graphic cards that will let you run two monitors.  I don't know how anyone lives with only one display anymore.

[Qel Hoth 33]

Yes, there are programs to make 8 look exactly like 7, but I honestly haven't seen the need for it. Boot to Desktop and Win + S to find anything that isn't on my desktop. Also the Win + X menu is handy and there is an option to swap the command prompt for powershell. 

 

Most motherboards will now support 2 monitors on the integrated video, not for gaming obviously, but fine for office/internet.

[SW9racer 262]

As soon as you said "kids for homework" and video editing, I would go Mac. I have both Win 8.1 and Macs, the Macs are much more trouble free and worry free. As the kids to homework, they will web surf for info. Many sites are tricky and before you know it something was taken over on the Win machine. Not so with the Macs. So unless you have some specialized software or are a heavy gamer, go with the Mac.

[Howard 538]

No way on the Mac, why would you pay more for less computer.  You can lock down windows to make it safe, and there is more and more malware for macs everyday.

[SW9racer 262]

Now way on the Mac, why would you pay more for less computer. You can lock down windows to make it safe, and there is more and more malware for macs everyday.

I disagree. My dedicated Kid MacBook has not been disconbobilated in over 2 years. Just last weekend I had to spend a few hours cleaning up the locked-down Win machine as he clicked on an "interesting" picture.

 

And the Mac comes with office/photo/video application software that are supported by a large fanboy community. Yes, you can buy better software for Win, the key word being "buy".

 

Like I said, I have and use both, but for different needs.

[Michael2013 56]

I agree with Howard about the MicroCenter. I didn't buy any PC from them yet, but they helped me with fixing a few times, didn't take a penny.

As for my current PC, I got it from http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/ - you build your own computer, a wide variety of choices of every part you can think of. After five years, I'm very satisfied. The monitor for this PC I did buy in MicroCenter.

[Malice4you 627]

I build all my own desktop PCs, and I almost always order my parts from newegg.com - I will never buy a pre-made desktop system.  I can control exactly what components I put in, and the quality of those components.  I don't know that I could build a system cheaper than what is out there off the shelf, but I know my systems are much more stable and reliable.  I usually also just upgrade components as needed to keep it somewhat up to date...

[Dan 177]

The Linux route is also always an option. Its come a long way at being easy to use and there are tons of open source free software options out there. Its as easy as searching a linux "app store" and clicking install for most stuff. There are lots of benefits including it is free and runs on the same hardware that a Windows box does. You also don't have to buy into stylish yet overpriced hardware as you would with Apple.

 

I installed Linux Mint on my wife's and mother inlaw's PC's a few months ago. They love it, and I'm happy that for the most part they are nearly immune to most malware floating around out there.

 

 

Linux enjoys the same benefits of OSX when it comes to the malware scene... its just not profitable for the malware writers to target those platforms.... yet.

[voyager9 3,434]

Agree with Linux.

Not sure about video editing or reviewing apps for Linux but I wouldn't be surprised if something is it there for that..

 

freeMat could be used instead of Matlab.

 

Most Linux distros come with compilers/interpreters or they're available from the repository.. Not sure about VBA.

 

Worse case you could also run a windows virtual machine on top of Linux with VirtualBox for Microsoft-specific apps.

[Melgamatic 66]

I would have agreed with the Mac suggestion, except for his VBA requirement.  That doesn't fly well unless you run VMWare, etc.

[Malsua 1,422]

Haswell i5 cpu

8gb ram

Ssd as your boot device

 

If you are gaming, buy a $130-$170 video carS. R9-270x will play 99% of the games out there.

 

If you can build one, do that, otherwise find a bargain without ssd...buy ssd separately and clone os to ssd and make the ssd the boot drive. Most bargain boxes at stores are fine for home use once you've made the ssd the boot device.

 

If you are doing video editing with movie maker, specs don't matter. If you are using premiere pro and after effects you need 8gb+ of ram and after market graghics card.

[W2MC 1,699]

A question for the Mac-o-philes here...

 

I have never run a mac, but I am now kicking the thought around of giving one a try....but, the price of entry for a new one is VERY steep.

 

Recently I saw a few of the older iMacs popping up; for example refurbished imac 17" duo core systems running "snow leopard" in the $250-275 range.  Yes, I know its not going to be a speed demon, but for internet, email, and light typing/printing AND seeing what it looks like over in the other side of the world...would it be worth it? 

 

For example.....

 

http://stn2.headgap.com/resale/FMPro?-db=OrdersC.fp3&-format=products.htm&-new

 

Comments?

[Sota 1,191]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Elite-8200-SFF-Quad-i7-2600-3-8GHz-8GB-RAM-500GB-DPP-DVDRW-Win7-Pro-2015-6-18-/331391329453?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d287664ad

 

or...

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Compaq-Elite-8300-Intel-i7-3770-3-4Ghz-32GB-RAM-120GB-SSD-2x-NVS310-/121592518196?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c4f7a9634

 

no idea where the latter will wind up for price, but if < $500 it'd be an outstanding choice.

[Howard 538]

A question for the Mac-o-philes here...

 

I have never run a mac, but I am now kicking the thought around of giving one a try....but, the price of entry for a new one is VERY steep.

 

Recently I saw a few of the older iMacs popping up; for example refurbished imac 17" duo core systems running "snow leopard" in the $250-275 range.  Yes, I know its not going to be a speed demon, but for internet, email, and light typing/printing AND seeing what it looks like over in the other side of the world...would it be worth it? 

 

For example.....

 

http://stn2.headgap.com/resale/FMPro?-db=OrdersC.fp3&-format=products.htm&-new

 

Comments?

Exactly my point, you probably pay 25% to 50% more for the same hardware in a MAC versus a build it your own PC.  Further if you really want to run the MAC operating system you can find versions that will actually run on a PC.  Any of these machines can be made to operate both Windows and MAC operating systems.

[PD2K 115]

A question for the Mac-o-philes here...

 

I have never run a mac, but I am now kicking the thought around of giving one a try....but, the price of entry for a new one is VERY steep.

 

Recently I saw a few of the older iMacs popping up; for example refurbished imac 17" duo core systems running "snow leopard" in the $250-275 range.  Yes, I know its not going to be a speed demon, but for internet, email, and light typing/printing AND seeing what it looks like over in the other side of the world...would it be worth it? 

 

For example.....

 

http://stn2.headgap.com/resale/FMPro?-db=OrdersC.fp3&-format=products.htm&-new

 

Comments?

 

Go to the Apple store and try it out...once you go Mac you never go back

[Krdshrk 3,877]

What's your budget?

 

I used to subscribe to the Built not Bought mentality, until comparing all of the prices as well as manufacturer warranties, etc.  It would come out much cheaper to just outright buy a system.  And while yes, Dell does cater to the business side (with their Optiplex, Vostro and Precision Lines), they do make a much better product than regular consumer based systems.  I would prefer to buy a Business type PC for general use than an off the shelf PC from say Best Buy.

 

The market has shifted more heavily towards Laptops now as well - it's getting harder to find decent deals on Desktops now.

 

That being said - I would recommend at least an Intel Core i5 Haswell.  Even better would be an i7 Haswell.  I wouldn't spring for the extra money for a Broadwell core processor as Skylake processors are coming out later this year.

 

At least 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD Primary Hard Drive + 1 or 2 TB mechanical drive for File/Photo/Video storage.  Decent video card as well...

[Howard 538]

One other thing to keep in mind with the big outfits like Dell and HP, sometimes they do some very strange stuff with their components that can bite you down the road.  I had an HP box that had a strange combination that I believe a modem, TV tuner card, and something else was all on one card.  When one part went bad it was a major headache to replace with separate cards.  Many of them are not very expandable either.  If you go with a desktop I always find it best to get a very large tower case with an oversized power supply, that way you will be good for expansion over many years.

[Krdshrk 3,877]

One other thing to keep in mind with the big outfits like Dell and HP, sometimes they do some very strange stuff with their components that can bite you down the road.  I had an HP box that had a strange combination that I believe a modem, TV tuner card, and something else was all on one card.  When one part went bad it was a major headache to replace with separate cards.

 

That's not the case anymore - at least, not with Dell or HP's I've used in the past 4 years.  Especially on the Business PC line, not as sure about the consumer lines.

[jtd771 18]

For the kids I also recommend considering a Mac and then you could always run a Windows as either a dual boot or within Mac OS virtually if you have specific apps you need that only exist for Windows.