Needing a new desktop PC, suggestions?

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  • CHCRandy

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    I seen a post here a little while back about computers but can't find it. I need a new desktop computer...I don't play games but I do use several programs at same time and would like to have 2 monitors. What do I need as far as processor, ram and such? I go to Dell and man they have so many different types of computers...I don't even know differences between them. Gaming computers, business computers, home computers. Then when you go to monitors they have 20 different kinds of each size monitors, what is the difference in monitors other than size?

    Another thing...I go to Amazon and see entire systems like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...42e-e8f213ef368b&pf_rd_r=2MR49DX4ZPM8T62SHBCW for $400-500 and Dell wants that for a tower alone. What am I missing? Thanks guys!
     

    Jludo

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    Dell is probably overpriced for what it is.
    Smaller solid state drive storage but if you have a lot of photos or videos you want to save you can get an external hard drive.
    For monitors the big thing you'll notice if you're not a gamer is just resolution. HD or 1080 is standard and cheapest and probably fine. 2k or 1440 is roughly twice the resolution, picture quality is a lot better but more expensive. 4k monitor even more so.

    This is a small pc, has space to add a larger ssd if you need more storage space but the guts of it are on an nvme m2 drive which is as fast as you can get.

    https://www.amazon.com/U55-Processor-Business-Computer-Graphics/dp/B07NYZN2B8/ref=sxbs_sxwds-deals?keywords=desktop%2Bcomputer&pd_rd_i=B07NYZN2B8&pd_rd_r=f959f2e1-f93b-437c-8928-8ecf9c7f162c&pd_rd_w=igRN0&pd_rd_wg=p7BZd&pf_rd_p=7958e92f-adc8-4d7f-bef4-1e7fb156ae05&pf_rd_r=EX6N3652X34VMA0NJDQB&qid=1572816666&smid=A80B8NYMCW42T&sprefix=desktop&th=1&psc=1
    https://www.amazon.com/Acer-SB220Q-Ultra-Thin-Frame-Monitor/dp/B07CVL2D2S/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?almBrandId=QW1hem9uIEZyZXNo&fpw=alm&keywords=monitor&qid=1572818263&sprefix=moni&sr=8-3
     
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    marvin02

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    Research and find what you want, then wait for the Black Friday sales and get whatever is closest to your ideal machine.

    Get the most memory and latest generation processor you can afford. An SSD will really increase the speed.

    Do you have a budget/limit for the amount you want to spend?
     

    CHCRandy

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    Dell is probably overpriced for what it is.
    Smaller solid state drive storage but if you have a lot of photos or videos you want to save you can get an external hard drive.
    For monitors the big thing you'll notice if you're not a gamer is just resolution. HD or 1080 is standard and cheapest and probably fine. 2k or 1440 is roughly twice the resolution, picture quality is a lot better but more expensive. 4k monitor even more so.

    This is a small pc, has space to add a larger ssd if you need more storage space but the guts of it are on an nvme m2 drive which is as fast as you can get.

    https://www.amazon.com/U55-Processo...smid=A80B8NYMCW42T&sprefix=desktop&th=1&psc=1
    https://www.amazon.com/Acer-SB220Q-...ds=monitor&qid=1572818263&sprefix=moni&sr=8-3

    Is that square thing a computer, just no disc drive? Wonder how big that thing is, like 1 foot square 5-6" thick? I didn't see dimensions. I do keep a lot of photos on our computer but that one you listed I see can run dual monitors. Just to be clear though, is that a complete pc, just add keyboard and monitor and good to go? Thing seems kind of cheap in price...but I am use to Dell ripping me off.
     

    CHCRandy

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    Research and find what you want, then wait for the Black Friday sales and get whatever is closest to your ideal machine.

    Get the most memory and latest generation processor you can afford. An SSD will really increase the speed.

    Do you have a budget/limit for the amount you want to spend?

    Would like to stay around 500-600...but no more than $1000. My ideal set-up would be a computer and 2 monitors...but I am learning only certain computers can run dual monitors.
     

    marvin02

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    CHCRandy, you should be able to do that. Just match up the video outputs of the desktop with the inputs on the monitor. Black Friday sales will be your friend. I use HDMI for one monitor and the DVI out for my second monitor. You also might look at the wide aspect monitors. I have two desktops and one has dual monitors and the other a wide monitor and both work well for having multiple windows open.
     

    churchmouse

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    Go look around in Tiger direct. Friend steered me there. Refurbished units. I just picked one up Happy so far. No idea if it will run 2 monitors. But with the stats it has I sure it can.
     

    DCR

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    Aren't you the guy that trades the markets? You have special needs and that costs $$.
    I have a machine dedicated to doing just that, no email, no apps, no sound, nothing extraneous, just access to my accounts. Cable modem, UPS. My other computer is for all the other stuff, but with DSL. Redundancy. In case cable goes out and I need to sell something NOW. It only needs to happen once to pay for itself. The second monitor I use is on the other computer and sits there with real time charts running.
     

    GLOCKMAN23C

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    I bought an HP off of Amazon and it is lightening fast. I play games occasionally and it runs MS Flight Simulator X without any issues. I prefer AMD processors over Intel. They seem to be more stable.
     

    Cameramonkey

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    Go look around in Tiger direct. Friend steered me there. Refurbished units. I just picked one up Happy so far. No idea if it will run 2 monitors. But with the stats it has I sure it can.


    This. And some of them are still brand new, just not the latest and greatest model.

    For example HP has a tower that is a model 991A with i5 2ghz processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB drive. They decide 6 months into the run to switch to using a i5 2.1GHZ processor. The new model is a 991B. They sell the 12 pallets of 991As they have left in the warehouse to TigerDirect at a discount who blows them out for lots less than the current model, when there really isnt that much difference in performance.

    EDIT and avoid a VGA connection. That is the old analog standard for monitors. It should always be HDMI or DVI as they are both digital. VGA connections require the computer to take the digital signal, send it to the monitor over an analog connection, then the monitor has to reconvert it back to digital to display. There is loss in that conversion. Noticeable loss.
     

    DoggyDaddy

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    This. And some of them are still brand new, just not the latest and greatest model.

    For example HP has a tower that is a model 991A with i5 2ghz processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB drive. They decide 6 months into the run to switch to using a i5 2.1GHZ processor. The new model is a 991B. They sell the 12 pallets of 991As they have left in the warehouse to TigerDirect at a discount who blows them out for lots less than the current model, when there really isnt that much difference in performance.

    EDIT and avoid a VGA connection. That is the old analog standard for monitors. It should always be HDMI or DVI as they are both digital. VGA connections require the computer to take the digital signal, send it to the monitor over an analog connection, then the monitor has to reconvert it back to digital to display. There is loss in that conversion. Noticeable loss.
    I kind of understood what you said. But...

    iu
     

    CHCRandy

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    CHCRandy

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    Aren't you the guy that trades the markets? You have special needs and that costs $$.
    I have a machine dedicated to doing just that, no email, no apps, no sound, nothing extraneous, just access to my accounts. Cable modem, UPS. My other computer is for all the other stuff, but with DSL. Redundancy. In case cable goes out and I need to sell something NOW. It only needs to happen once to pay for itself. The second monitor I use is on the other computer and sits there with real time charts running.

    Now you are talking...I just had that happen a few weeks ago. Right at closing time my cable went down, I tried trading on my phone and fat fingered the trade...cable didn't come back until later and caused me to miss my trade on an ER release. Who do I get DSL from in Danville? Thank you.
     

    jkaetz

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    I seen a post here a little while back about computers but can't find it. I need a new desktop computer...I don't play games but I do use several programs at same time and would like to have 2 monitors. What do I need as far as processor, ram and such? I go to Dell and man they have so many different types of computers...I don't even know differences between them. Gaming computers, business computers, home computers. Then when you go to monitors they have 20 different kinds of each size monitors, what is the difference in monitors other than size?

    Another thing...I go to Amazon and see entire systems like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...42e-e8f213ef368b&pf_rd_r=2MR49DX4ZPM8T62SHBCW for $400-500 and Dell wants that for a tower alone. What am I missing? Thanks guys!
    This is my area of expertise. That system is using a 2nd generation core i5 processor (i5-2400) released in 2011. Intel is just getting ready to release Gen 10. It is not a good deal. You want to look for a gen 7 or 8 processor (i5-7xxx or i5-8xxx) or higher. Here is my basic recommendation:

    Intel Core i5 or i7 from a recent generation (No older than 7th gen)
    8+ GB of ram (16 GB will do anything you ask of it but 8 will do)
    512 GB SSD (If you need more storage beyond this add some magnetic storage in the 4 - 6TB range for value)

    You've got the right idea looking at refurb and scratch/dent. I also go for the business class systems and stay away from the all-in-ones. (Optiplex for Dell, HP Elite, Lenovo IdeaCenter)

    At that level any of them should be able to do two displays even with the integrated graphics. Personally I go strait to the Dell outlet or Ebay.

    This search is where I would start. Most are Gen 9 processors If you really want to maximize your $$ you can get one of the smaller SSDs and replace it yourself. A 512 GB SSD is < $100 on Amazon. They start at ~$500 and go up to around $750 with the larger SSD.

    If you want Dell displays go for the Ultrasharp series. You can also look for display deals from the usual sources depending on how picky you are on the display resolution and color representation.


    Man that site has a ton of stuff! Overwhelming for an old timer to figure out, lol. I found this computer...
    That is the same deal as the other one you posted. It is a system from 2011. You're not finding a sub $300 computer that is worth your time. If you really want to pinch pennies, you want to hit up ebay and look for 7th or 8th gen systems (Dell optiplex 3050 and 3060) but be careful, some of the 3050's also came with 6th gen processors.
     
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    Jludo

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    Im not sure the generation of processor really matters that much, I doubt the processor will end up being your bottleneck in a new computer. That said if you're going to go by processor I believe AMD offers a better value in that department.

    Heres your processor comparison chart if CPU power is what you're after.
    https://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html
     

    Jludo

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    Those are both solid, the first is probably better, the M2 nvme pcie drive is significantly faster than even the SSD drives. Will make boot up near instantaneous.
     
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