Now good computer peoples

This seems like a good place for this:

I recently bought an Acer Aspire X3990 desktop with an Intel core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, 1TB HDD, running Windows7 - which so far has been excellent, no complaints at all.

I wanted to buy something similar for my parents but the model I bought for myself has jumped up in price by over £100 to £500. So I might buy a lesser one with roughly the same specs, just with a smaller processor, which is within my price range. But I can't find reviews of the processors to know which one is the best for the money. Can anybody offer any advice on which of the following processors should function to a reasonable standard [my folks don't use the computer too often] or suggest a good link that features processor reviews?...

AMD E2-1800 [2GB RAM, 500GB HDD, PC is £261]
Intel Celeron G460 [2GB RAM, 500GB HDD, PC is £281]
Intel Celeron G630 [4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, PC is £334]

Thanks in advance for any help, or not.

firstly, avoid celerons like the plauge, vile things.

Have you thought of a laptop desktop replacement?

bought one of these recently from ebay for £250, it was over 1100 when new just a few years back. They should coem up on ebay and in good nick. It's even got a blu ray player which is also a blu ray burner.

Worth a look if you don't mind second hand.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Sony...459.0.html

Hey dude,

It depends on what they are going to be using it for.

Writting books, photo editing, writting software, playing games, emailing, doing internet banking and just suring the web?

It depends on how tech savy they are also.

If like my parents they aren't very tech savy and use it for surfing the web, odd email, keeping a picture gallery. -> i recomend getting them a cheap tablet (mini/nexus 7/nexus10) and cleaning up the apps (so only the ones they will be using) and showing them how to use it. If they sometimes want the feel of a keyoard u could buy one with an attachment. In my experience pads fail a lot less often than laptops and are more durable/versitile.

I can't comment much on laptops, i don't know what the good ones are at the moment.


Happy New Year + thanks for all the uploads this year.[/i]

this looks a good machine

http://www.ebuyer.com/398944-zoostorm-laptop-7873-9040

ooops just seen its no OS but go to the microsoft store and get a copy of windows8 for 49 quid or could always install Ubutnu or a linux for nowt

when it comes to laptops u can get round slower processors by increasing the amount of RAM and if they have decent graphics chipsets in them all the better

(02-01-2013 09:09 )HannahsPet Wrote:  this looks a good machine


when it comes to laptops u can get round slower processors by increasing the amount of RAM

Depends if it's a 32 bit or a 64 bit machine. 32 bit machines can only use just under 4 gig, so if you have 8 gigs installed it will still only use no more than 4 max. 64 bit can use over that.

I doubt there are not that many new laptops on the market today that dont use 64 bit

Just a quick update - managed to get the less powerful version of mine [Acer Aspire X3995] with an Intel Pentium G630 2.7GHz Processor, 4GB RAM, 1TB HDD, Windows 7 for £300 and so far it's performing really well. In fact, the different supplier stuck a few extra programs, which I don't have, so I'm planning to murder my parents so I can keep both PC's.

While I'm here, anybody got any good recommendations for KVM [keyboard, VGA monitor, mouse] cabling or switchboxes to alternate between 2 PC's? [a genuine enquiry, not part of the "murder" joke.] I'm seeing a lot of chatter about picture degradation, as it relates to the monitor, and I'm wondering if anyone has tried either system as yet?

Thanks for the previous suggestions, much appreciated.

(15-02-2013 17:51 )Forum Style Wrote:  ...
While I'm here, anybody got any good recommendations for KVM [keyboard, VGA monitor, mouse] cabling or switchboxes to alternate between 2 PC's? [a genuine enquiry, not part of the "murder" joke.] I'm seeing a lot of chatter about picture degradation, as it relates to the monitor, and I'm wondering if anyone has tried either system as yet?
...

I'm using a (very) old kvm switch box from a company called Rose (model name Vista), who I believe still make them. It's a 4 port kvm, powered by the keyboard/mouse cables, no external supply. It's so old, it uses the old style PS/2 sockets rather than USB. I've had it many years, and still using it to switch between 2 pc's, and very occasionally a laptop/netbook, and it has worked almost flawlessly. It gave a slight issue a while back which required turning all the pc's off to kill the power to reset it every now and then, but I haven't seen that happen in ages, which makes me wonder if it was a rogue driver on a pc causing the issue rather than the kvm itself.
Can't say I've noticed any picture issues to speak of, but I don't really do anything graphics intensive like playing games, watching vids is the most I do, and that is fine, and the cables I'm using aren't exactly top quality.

If I ever get round to replacing it, I'd certainly look for something from the same company as it has been a top notch piece of kit. They do seem rather expensive these days though, I certainly didn't pay the sort of prices they are asking these days for them.