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Still trying to decide on a new computer tower and I am just so confused. Was looking at this HP in store but under reviews someone said the video card is not that great and only basic. Yes or no or what should I look for if I want something decent in a video card? I know I definately want the built in TV tuner. If I get one with AV jacks can I just hook my sony 8mm handy cam up to get the video in or will I need something else?
Should I be looking at specs on Dell or Gateway to get a decent tower with all this. I am just so confused and determined I want something way better than I ever had. I have always been into photography so eventually will be getting a full size digital with lenses so want to do a lot in the way of that like slide shows and video stuff. Mary
I explained to you several days ago how to get it for about $740, why did you hesitate? In the meantime, both Circuit City & BestBuy jacked up the price. Now you're gonna have to pay at least $50 more!
Here's the exact same PC at Circuity City. It's now $800...a few days ago it was $750. With the price match, you can now get it at BestBuy for about $793.
"under reviews someone said the video card is not that great and only basic"
It comes with an nVidia 8500GT w/512MB memory. It's not great for gaming but it's an actual card so it's MUCH better than the integrated graphics offered in most OEM systems. That being said, the 8500GT is at the very low end of nVidia's DX10 lineup, but you need to ask yourself if you truly need something better. If you do, you can always upgrade it yourself. Otherwise, keep shopping around but I highly doubt you're gonna find another PC with a quad-core CPU, 5GB RAM, a huge 750GB HDD AND high performance graphics for under $1000.
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The tower that the salesman said I could add the TV tuner didn't have audio video jacks on it.
If I want to use my old 8mm camcorder to get video in what do I need? Are the audiio video jacks going to matter or do I not need them to do this or exactly what else are they good for? If I am not going to game but watch and record TV then does it matter about the video card or would you still want a good one? Mary
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Also the one I am looking at now has the intel core on it and think I want to go that way. When we had the computer with windows 98 we had AMD and we always had trouble then when we got the other one with what ever intel on it worked much better it seemed and no problems. Mary
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Compare the specs. Intel's Core 2 lineup performs better than anything AMD has to offer, but it's also much more expensive. Does the Intel system you're looking at come with a quad-core CPU, 5GB RAM & a 750GB HDD? Does it has an actual video card or integrated graphics?
Remember, a salesperson's job is to sell merchandise, most of them don't have a clue about computer hardware...don't automatically think that he/she's a PC expert, because more than likely, he/she's not.
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That is exactly why I came here to ask questions. The one guy I know that has worked at circuit city quite a while in the computer department was no there and he was most helpful when buying my sons laptop last summer so will have to see if he still works there.
Best buy I was not impressed with as I had to hunt someone down to help me in computers and they didn't know anything so I walked out and I really feel more comfortaable buying from circuit city in store.
We used to have comp USA about 25min. away that was really nice and helpful sales people but they closed up.
I am looking on circuit city now at some HP's with the intel duo core as I really think that's how I want to go. Found about 5 models under $1,000 and only one has the built in TV tuner and I am not sure if any have audio video jacks but I assume the one with the TV tuner would.
Here are the specs on the one I was looking at with the built in TV tuner and audio video jacks but it's sold out online now and was $869 only $80 0ff. Mary
Intel® Core™2 Quad processor Q6600 with 4 processing cores, 1066MHz frontside bus, 8MB L2 cache and 2.4GHz processor speed per core
4GB PC2-6400 DDR2 SDRAM for multitasking power, expandable to 8GB
Multiformat DVD±RW/CD-RW drive with double-layer support records up to 8.5GB of data or 4 hours of video using compatible DVD+R DL media; supports DVD-RAM; also supports LightScribe direct-disc labels using compatible LightScribe media
The Intel® Core™2 Quad processor delivers 4 complete execution cores in 1 processor for better multitasking and multithreaded performance; Intel® Smart Memory Access optimizes data bandwidth to accelerate and improve instruction throughput
Intel® Advanced Digital Media Boost accelerates the execution of Streaming SIMD Extension (SSE) instructions to significantly improve the Media Boost performance on a broad range of applications, including video, audio, image and photo processing
750GB Serial ATA hard drive capacity (7200 rpm); HP Media Drive expansion bay to easily add an additional, removable Pocket Media or Personal Media drives (media drive not included)
NVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT graphics and 512MB dedicated video memory, with up to 1791MB total available graphics memory as allocated by Windows Vista; TV-out, DVI and HDMI connections; high-definition audio (8-speaker support)
High-definition TV tuner (NTSC and ATSC) with PVR (personal video recorder) and FM tuner; S-video and composite video outputs; HP Media Center remote with IR receiver
Front-panel 15-in-1 media reader supports CompactFlash Type I/II, Secure Digital, mini Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, Reduced-Size MultiMediaCard (RS-MMC), MultiMediaCard Plus and MultiMediaCard Mobile
Also supports Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo, SmartMedia, xD-Picture Card and Microdrive
2 IEEE 1394 interfaces and 6 high-speed USB 2.0 ports, both front and rear accessible, for fast digital data transfer and easy peripheral connectivity
Built-in high-speed wireless LAN (802.11b/g); built-in 10/100/1000Base-T Ethernet LAN with RJ-45 connector; 56 Kbps modem
HP multimedia keyboard and HP optical mouse
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition operating system with Service Pack 1 (SP1) preinstalled; software package included with HP Photosmart Essential, muvee autoProducer, CyberLink DVD Suite Deluxe and more
Learn more about Windows Vista
Intel, Pentium, Celeron, Centrino, Core, Viiv, Intel Inside and the Intel Inside logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.
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Ok how does this gateway look, has the intel and TV tuner but is that a separate video card and a decent one? Mary
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The Gateway is crap compared to the other two. It has a very low end dual core Pentium CPU (it's not a Core 2 Duo), less RAM, smaller HDD & crappy integrated graphics.
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That gateway says dual DVD drive. What about this gateway ? Worse yet on the video card? It says multiformat for the DVD drive, is that better. I am thinking multi means I can use + or - DVD's so they will play in all DVD players if I make slide shows?
Stay away from gateway all together do you think and stick with HP? Sorry to be a pain but it's so confusing to me and I want something decent this time and I know at the store they are just going to sell me what ever and not be helpful. Mary
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If you belong to Sam's Club or Costco have a look there. I'm a member but don't pay much attention to OEM stuff.
However, others here have mentioned that you may get extra warranty time from those stores.
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I belong to BJ's and they only have 2 deals that are packages with monitors and I bet they are low end and I didn't see any audio video jacks on them. Couple of gigs of ram I think and maybe 300 hard drive, can't remember the video specs but the prices were very reasonable and they were HP I think. If I can get over that way will post what packages they have.
I can get this dell in store right now and forget about the TV tuner and audio video jacks, what do you think? Won't be able to get back on until tomorrow night so will check back then. Mary
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Just realized that delll says double layer DVD drive an not mulit so fill me in about that. Mary
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Now you want a monitor included too? There was no monitor included in any of the other systems you mentioned.
You're getting bogged down in all the specs. Most of the burners these days are DL anyway. Dual layer DVD discs can hold almost twice as much data as single layer DVD's...8.5GB vs 4.7GB. DL DVD discs are much more expensive than SL DVD discs though. A 25-pk of DL sells for about $25. A 100-pk of SL also sells for about $25.
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I have never bought a dual layer disk or for that matter any rewritable optical media. Just isn't cost effective.
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[quote]I can get this dell in store right now and forget about the TV tuner and audio video jacks, what do you think? Won't be able to get back on until tomorrow night so will check back then. Mary [/quote]
Recently there are many good coupons for dell desktops:
Dell home: $200 off $999 + on Inspiron desktop with code 345VD2X800N42J
and Hp have many good sales also, as far as I know:
with code DT3412
HP Home: $400 off $999 on HP Pavilion Desktop PCs
Maybe that can be useful to you.
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Mary,
You're gonna have to come up with your own list of specs, then see if you can find a PC that meets it or at least comes close. You can always upgrade or add devices later. Installing a video card or more RAM or a TV tuner card is relatively simple but you'll probably wanna check if doing so voids the warranty. You *may* have to have it done by Circuit City (or BestBuy) to keep the warranty intact.
Start with the CPU. You said you prefer Intel...are you willing to settle for a Celeron or Pentium dual-core? Or do you want a Core 2 Duo? Or do you feel you need/want a quad-core? No matter which you choose, there will be several different model numbers, each running at a different core speed & different FSB speed. Generally, the FSB speeds will be 800MHz, 1066MHz or 1333MHz. The higher the better.
RAM - if you get a PC running the 32-bit version of XP or Vista, there's not much point getting more than 4GB RAM. Many will say no more than 3GB because of the limitations of the 32-bit OS. 2GB is probably acceptable, it depends on the primary use of the PC. You can always add more later.
Video - integrated graphics are a way of keeping the cost down but having an actual card is better. But as long as you get a PC that has a PCIe x16 slot, you can always add a card later. There are decent cards available for about $50 (after rebate) IF you buy them online. The Radeon HD2600XT or GeForce 8600GT are two good examples...both are better than the 8500GT.
HDD - depends on how much storage capacity you really need. 250GB, 500GB, 750GB? You can always buy an external HDD for data storage & backups.
TV tuner - if the PC has one, great. If not, you can always add one, either internal or external.
The bottomline is you should spend a little time familiarizing yourself with hardware specs so that you can make an informed decision. I suggest you avoid SFF (small form factor) PCs or "Slim" style as they are very limited when it comes to upgradeability.
Have you checked the Dell Outlet?
http://www.dell.com/content/default...
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Ok, I have decided on this HP and will get it tonight or tomorrow. I decided to forget about the TV tuner and AV jacks and hope this is decent in specs.
http://www.officemax.com/omax/catal...
Old monitor is big and bulky and making a squeeling noise when you turn it on so that whole computer is shot so I figure why not get a nice new flat screen. Going with this HP if they have it at best buy as I have $150 in gift cards from there to use so hope this also is decent. Mary
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PC specs aren't the greatest (low end Pentium CPU @ 800MHz FSB) & overpriced monitor. You really should consider shopping online. Here's a few deals I found at newegg:
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Just in case you ask:
"What are Recertified products?
Products described as “Recertified” are products which have been retested to ensure compliance with original manufacturer specifications in function and for purposes related to warranty.Recertified products typically:
• Have never been used, where the outside factory seal has been broken. This can be due to a cancelled order for example.
• Are items returned to the original manufacturers that were used in field tests, sales displays or demonstrations.
•Products that have been returned for warranty service, which have been brought to manufacturer specifications.
• Are products that have been returned for reasons other then defect. These items are sent to the manufacturer for inspection and testing. The passing products are then repackaged as recertified.
• Are items where the box was damaged in shipment and is then returned to the manufacturer."
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Ok then higher the FSB speed the better and look for vista 64 bit. Confused on the processor I guess. Intel is good? and is it core 2? Mary
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So is the core 2 qad processor better than the dual core? Where can I go to research
monitor specs? Will I be able to get a decent tower for between $800-$1000? Mary
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I found this
on amazon and it's 64 bit and front side bus is 1066 MHz and the processor is 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q6600 but the video card is powered by the integrated NVidia GeForce 8500 GT graphics/video card so it's not separate but would it be OK with the othe specs?I found a user review of it that says power supply is lacking and they didn't know if it could be changed out. When I look at specs I don't see power supply in the list so would that be important to find out about and what do I want to look for?
I don't game but sometimes watch some online videos. Also on the old computer it took like 5min. for word to open and if you had more than one window open computer was slow so would like to do better about that. Mary
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The specifications you listed are quite nice, looks a nice choice if that power supply is powerful enough.
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Well I ended up going with the a6500f . I couldn't find that model in store and this one was $469 in the store. It's very fast and so quite compared to my other one so I think it will do fine.
Since I decided to forget about the TV tuner I figured I didn't need a 24 inch $500 monitor so went with a Hannspree 19 inch. Colors look good and it's a monitor and works so I am just glad to have my own set up again. Mary
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