Computer help needed

[Ozmanks]

I'm going to be buying a computer soon and I have a few questions about what I need/don't need.

Which is better: 2 GB or 3 GB of RAM?

Is there a huge difference between 320 GB and 500 GB for your hard drive?

Should I get the generic speakers or would it be cheaper to go and buy it from somewhere else?

Should I upgrade for a better processer?

Thanks.

 

[24788]

First of all what are you using the computer for? What brand of computers are you interested in?

2gb of ram is decent, 3gb would be better.

I'm getting 6gb for gaming. 6gb is kind of overkill right now though.

Stay away from ddr3 it took roughly 2.5 years for games to catch up to ddr2.

Generic speakers are up to you. You don't need name brand.

Processer - what will you need it for?

 

[Ace Bandage]

RAM determines how fast your computer is going to execute commands like running programs and accessing files. More is always better. Honestly, unless you're downloading huge amounts of content, you're not going to need 500 GB of hard drive space. You would never fill it up unless you kept the computer for ten years, and by then, it's time for a new one anyway. 320 should do just fine. I've never bought speakers for my computer, so I have no idea. I suppose if you're a gamer You Might want better speakers. Otherwise, the generic ones should work fine.

Most of these options are just personal preference. If you want to get the best of the best, then yes, upgrade everything you can. But a lot of people end up overpaying for optional components that they're never going to need (i.e. if you're not a gamer, you don't a high end grahics card). I helped my Dad get a decent laptop for under $300. It's all about figuring out what you need, and then finding a computer that suits that.

 

[Ozmanks]

First of all what are you using the computer for? What brand of computers are you interested in?

2gb of ram is decent, 3gb would be better.

I'm getting 6gb for gaming. 6gb is kind of overkill right now though.

Stay away from ddr3 it took roughly 2.5 years for games to catch up to ddr2.

Generic speakers are up to you. You don't need name brand.

Processer - what will you need it for?

It's mainly for college use and porn. Dell is the one I'm mainly interested in right now, because Consumer Reports has given them a lot more favorable reviews than HP.

 

[Ozmanks]

RAM determines how fast your computer is going to execute commands like running programs and accessing files. More is always better. Honestly, unless you're downloading huge amounts of content, you're not going to need 500 GB of hard drive space. You would never fill it up unless you kept the computer for ten years, and by then, it's time for a new one anyway. 320 should do just fine. I've never bought speakers for my computer, so I have no idea. I suppose if you're a gamer You Might want better speakers. Otherwise, the generic ones should work fine.

Most of these options are just personal preference. If you want to get the best of the best, then yes, upgrade everything you can. But a lot of people end up overpaying for optional components that they're never going to need (i.e. if you're not a gamer, you don't a high end grahics card). I helped my Dad get a decent laptop for under $300. It's all about figuring out what you need, and then finding a computer that suits that.

Thanks.

 

[Hypergalaxy]

Like already mentioned 3G of ram is going to be better then 2 and as far as hard drives go it depends on how much you save on your computer. I would stay away from dell if I were you they have horrible customer service and their machines break down a lot. I have had a few HPs and had no problem with them at all. How much do you want to spend and do you want a laptop or desktop?

 

[24788]

It's mainly for college use and porn. Dell is the one I'm mainly interested in right now, because Consumer Reports has given them a lot more favorable reviews than HP.

3gb would be fine and a dual processors would be fine also... Your best bet for college use. Easier to find cheaper deals for these.

Dell is overpriced in my opinion and I wouldn't be caught gaming on another dell. That's personal preference though.

I'm going quad and 6gb though only for gaming.

What's your budget? My laptop is going to be around $2,500 (cheap build too).

 

[Ace Bandage]

Agreed, stay away from Dell, period. I've had two, and I will not buy another one. Their customer service is horrendous. I don't care what any report says, once they have your money, they're not interested in helping you anymore.

 

[wingman00]

Which is better: 2 GB or 3 GB of RAM?

2 is gettin old. 3 or more.

Is there a huge difference between 320 GB and 500 GB for your hard drive?

yes. 180 GB
500 GB hard drives are cheap nowadays. if there is a huge difference in price, you are being ripped off.

 

[Friday on my mind]

I have an older Dell and I have sworn I will never buy a tower that way again for lots of reasons.Build it yourself,that way you get what you want (no more no less) and know what you have and can maintain it a lot easier.I just needed a new cpu fan for example and dells of course is weird one that you can't just buy anywhere.I found a slightly used one local luckily.

On the 2 gig vs 3 gig ,more is better.

But the hard drive it really don't matter which you get.320 gig is pretty good but 500 is great too if price is not much more.Even better would be a 2nd external hard drive for a backup.I just got a 500 gig Seagate one for $89.I needed it my old dells 40 gig HD was almost full.

 

[24788]

FYI - This laptop that I'm on is 4 years old... It does everything I need it to do fine. I keep it very clean and I have no anti virus. It runs like a charm still. It doesn't work so well with new games that's the only reason I'm getting a new comp.

* Intel Pentium M Dothan 730 (1.6GHz, 533MHz FSB)
* 512MB (256MBx2) DDR2 ram at 533MHz
* Nvidia Go 6800 256MB
* 40GB hard drive 5400RPM -> Upgraded to 60GB 7200 7K60
* WXGA+ (1440x900) Ultrasharp 17" widescreen LCD (non-glossy, non TrueLife)
* Intel 2200 802.11 b/g wireless card
* DVD-ROM/CD-RWx24
* Windows XP Home
* 6-cell 53 watt/hour battery
* 2 X 90W ac power supply

If you want to build it. It's very easy to build a desktop and semi - easy to build a laptop. Laptops require more patience and you need to know what your buying so it will fit.

I have an older Dell and I have sworn I will never buy a tower that way again for lots of reasons.Build it yourself,that way you get what you want (no more no less) and know what you have and can maintain it a lot easier.I just needed a new cpu fan for example and dells of course is weird one that you can't just buy anywhere.I found a slightly used one local luckily.

On the 2 gig vs 3 gig ,more is better.

But the hard drive it really don't matter which you get.320 gig is pretty good but 500 is great too if price is not much more.Even better would be a 2nd external hard drive for a backup.I just got a 500 gig Seagate one for $89.I needed it my old dells 40 gig HD was almost full.

Don't buy fans if you go this way... Fans are loud and annoying.

I'd say if you want a clean computer get the 320 GB and buy an external hard drive instead.

 

[Ozmanks]

3gb would be fine and a dual processors would be fine also... Your best bet for college use. Easier to find cheaper deals for these.

Dell is overpriced in my opinion and I wouldn't be caught gaming on another dell. That's personal preference though.

I'm going quad and 6gb though only for gaming.

What's your budget? My laptop is going to be around $2,500 (cheap build too).

Budget is around $500 roughly, so I'm trying to get the best bang for my buck.

 

[Ozmanks]

Like already mentioned 3G of ram is going to be better then 2 and as far as hard drives go it depends on how much you save on your computer. I would stay away from dell if I were you they have horrible customer service and their machines break down a lot. I have had a few HPs and had no problem with them at all. How much do you want to spend and do you want a laptop or desktop?

I agree with the Dell customer service comment. I called them to ask how long it would take to build and ship one and I don't think I got a correct answer from any of the three people I talked to. Add to the fact that they were talking with an Indian accent and I could just barely understand what they were saying and I'm not going to be to happy if I have to talk to them again.

 

[Ace Bandage]

I believe that right now Wal-Mart is having a sale on laptops. That's where I ended up buying my father's. They had some good computers there that were available for less than $500. I was a little skeptical at first (because it's Wal-Mart), but they actually had some great deals. The only downside was that the computers only had trial versions of Microsoft Office (there are ways around that though). Other than that, they had great specs - 3 GB of RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, and wireless capabilities - good enough for his purposes.

Wal-Mart is trying to take some of Best Buy's lion share of the market, thus the deals right now.

 

[Hypergalaxy]

I agree with the Dell customer service comment. I called them to ask how long it would take to build and ship one and I don't think I got a correct answer from any of the three people I talked to. Add to the fact that they were talking with an Indian accent and I could just barely understand what they were saying and I'm not going to be to happy if I have to talk to them again.

You didnt say if you wanted a laptop or desktop but here


Desktop
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9172496&type=product&id=1218043607105

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9370977&type=product&id=1218093382490




Laptop
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9166635&type=product&id=1218041148373

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9377104&type=product&id=1218094855118

 

[shayd]

I'm going to be buying a computer soon and I have a few questions about what I need/don't need.

Which is better: 2 GB or 3 GB of RAM?

Is there a huge difference between 320 GB and 500 GB for your hard drive?

Should I get the generic speakers or would it be cheaper to go and buy it from somewhere else?

Should I upgrade for a better processer?

Thanks.

3 Gigs will give you a nice boost in performance, but honestly, I'd make sure you have a decent processor first. I can't tell you the number of times I've had to fix "slow" computers that were actually "slow" because the owner bought a processor that could barely push 1.5 GHz. But typically yes, 3 GB will provide better performance. The Hard drive really is going to depend on what you're looking for. Plan on saving a lot of porn? I'd go for a larger HD. If you're planning on working with HD video at all, I'd probably go bigger than 500, but that's just me.

The speakers will probably be cheaper elsewhere, like Frys or perhaps even Best Buy. NewEgg is what I'd recommend though.

More is always better.

Unless you've got a 64-bit OS, that's not really true, but I see what you're saying.