Recommendation for budget PC?

PlantPlant Posts: 11,820
Forum Member
✭✭
I went away on a course and turned my PC off. Got back home yesterday and it appears to be dead. Won't boot back up. It's about 6/7 years old so I think I need a new one.

Does anyone have any recommendations? £300 is the budget I'd like to stick to.

I just have it attached to the television and use it for web browsing, downloading, watching iPlayer and films etc. Don't play games on it.

I've always used Dell in the past and had no problems but not sure if they are still OK. I just want something I can just plug in and use - so don't want anything where I have to install operating systems.

Thanks in advance :)

Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 36,630
    Forum Member
    While your existing machine is old, would it still fit the bill if you could get it working?.

    The most common reason for a dead computer is usually the power supply, which is surprisingly easy to replace.

    Your budget is actually on the low side for a completely new system, but would something like the MSI Wind Box DC 110 fit your needs?.
    http://imperialprice.com/msi-wind-box-dc110-wc8472g32x7p--wh-w7h-00b062-sku1&currency=GBP&language=en

    It only has an Intel Celeron dual core processor running at a lowly 1.1Ghz though. It'll do for very basic stuff, such as web browsing and music but it comes with Windows 7 (Windows 8 with some sellers, usually at a slightly higher price)..

    Even though you say your existing dead system is 6/7 years old, you might well find it is actually has a faster processor than the Wind Box. A new power supply, and if necessary a basic modern graphics card might well be cheaper and give your existing system a new lease of life.
  • call100call100 Posts: 7,264
    Forum Member
    PC world have some cheap ones if you need to get one from the high street...
    More choice if you look around on line.
    Asus at PC world
    For what you need Amazon have some sub £200 desktops...
  • Lidtop2013Lidtop2013 Posts: 4,327
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Im with captain, 6-7 years old is not really what id call ''old'',it should still be fine after fixing whatever is broken.
    It will certainly be cheaper than buying a new one
  • scruffpotscruffpot Posts: 4,570
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/compuclear/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

    Ex business, anything here? I have used these people before and their service has been great. If there is nothing you can see here you can always give them a call and ask what they have in their ware house and ask them to make you something within budget...I did this got a nice HP machine which was still under a business warranty till july 2014, got it transferred to my name and jobs a goodun..
  • marlmanmarlman Posts: 661
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Pay a bit extra and get something like this

    http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/desktop-pc-monitors/desktop-pcs/desktop-pcs/lenovo-h520s-desktop-pc-21469731-pdt.html#longDesc

    HDMI connection to your TV with wifi and small enough to put anywhere!
  • GeordiePaulGeordiePaul Posts: 1,323
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Ive just bought an Acer Chromebook from tesco for £180, its a bit different to a WIndows machine, but I'm pleasantly surprised how good it is, and the best bit, totally zero maintenance. I know its a leap of faith for many, but I'm happy with it so far.
  • swingalegswingaleg Posts: 102,979
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭✭
    Ive just bought an Acer Chromebook from tesco for £180, its a bit different to a WIndows machine, but I'm pleasantly surprised how good it is, and the best bit, totally zero maintenance. I know its a leap of faith for many, but I'm happy with it so far.

    I'd be tempted to get one of those just for having a spare machine

    stupid question.............does it plug in to a wall socket ?.........the specs mention a two pin plug and I'm not sure what that is.............all the plugs I know have got 3 pins !
  • GeordiePaulGeordiePaul Posts: 1,323
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Yeah mine came from tesco. Normal 3 prong plug.
  • FaustFaust Posts: 8,985
    Forum Member
    call100 wrote: »
    PC world have some cheap ones if you need to get one from the high street...
    More choice if you look around on line.
    Asus at PC world
    For what you need Amazon have some sub £200 desktops...

    Why would you point someone to the store of last resort? I only send people there who I actively dislike.
  • FaustFaust Posts: 8,985
    Forum Member
    Ive just bought an Acer Chromebook from tesco for £180, its a bit different to a WIndows machine, but I'm pleasantly surprised how good it is, and the best bit, totally zero maintenance. I know its a leap of faith for many, but I'm happy with it so far.

    How does it fair without a permanent internet connection?
  • alan1302alan1302 Posts: 6,336
    Forum Member
    Faust wrote: »
    Why would you point someone to the store of last resort? I only send people there who I actively dislike.

    Because you can get better deals there sometimes than anywhere else?
  • GeordiePaulGeordiePaul Posts: 1,323
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Faust wrote: »
    How does it fair without a permanent internet connection?

    There are quite a few offline apps now, including gmail, drive (their equivalent of office) and a number of others I forget without having a look myself.

    The Acer model I have also has 320gb HD storage so you can bung some media on it and play it, or documents or photos.

    If you have a desktop available you can remote to it for full fat windows. It works with USB mass storage too, it seems to have no issue with my camera SD card via usb, my nexus 4 or my USB HD.

    Don't get me wrong its not a full laptop, but for the price its a better experience than full fat windows which crawls on a low spec machine.

    I was going to spend up to 500 quid on a windows machine but when I looked, nothing much floated my boat till about the 700 quid mark, even at 500 the screens were sub par as were the touch pads and 15" laptops look even worse with their low red screens and are physically too big for me. I asked myself how often did I use any computer without internet and in all honesty, I didn't.

    For £180 (I got 20 off) I got a pleasant to use, nippy little laptop with a years warranty, and 100gb cloud storage for 2 years.

    What it isn't is a gaming or multimedia power house but I have my tablet for that.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2,078
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Most of the available £300-£400 laptops nowadays are Windows 8 with hopelessly underpowered AMD E series and Intel Pentium B series.

    If I wasn't a conspiracy theorist keen to prove manufacturers are actively trying to kill the budget notebook space, I sure would become one.

    Android tablet/phone - Chromebook - iPad - Ultrabook - Macbook Air.

    There's no room for the trad desktop or value notebook any more. And MS still seemingly can't shift Surface RT despite hacking the price.
  • GeordiePaulGeordiePaul Posts: 1,323
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    shhftw wrote: »
    Most of the available £300-£400 laptops nowadays are Windows 8 with hopelessly underpowered AMD E series and Intel Pentium B series.

    If I wasn't a conspiracy theorist keen to prove manufacturers are actively trying to kill the budget notebook space, I sure would become one.

    Android tablet/phone - Chromebook - iPad - Ultrabook - Macbook Air.

    There's no room for the trad desktop or value notebook any more. And MS still seemingly can't shift Surface RT despite hacking the price.

    I agree, cheap laptops are pretty pathetic now, which is why I ended up with a Chromebook. I'm pretty sure even a Windows laptop costing double would, despite slightly better hardware on paper, be a lot less responsive and poorer to use. Ultrabooks are ridiculously expensive for what they offer too, IMO.

    The way to go for me now is Chromebook for basic computing duties, tablet for casual, gaming and media consumption and a desktop for proper work (along with remote desktop to the CB or tablet if like me, you don't have room anywhere for a desk).
  • FaustFaust Posts: 8,985
    Forum Member
    alan1302 wrote: »
    Because you can get better deals there sometimes than anywhere else?

    But just pray it never gets a fault and you need to return it. :eek:
  • FaustFaust Posts: 8,985
    Forum Member
    I was going to spend up to 500 quid on a windows machine but when I looked, nothing much floated my boat till about the 700 quid mark, even at 500 the screens were sub par as were the touch pads and 15" laptops look even worse with their low red screens and are physically too big for me. I asked myself how often did I use any computer without internet and in all honesty, I didn't.

    Which is why I invested in an iMac. I run W8 on parallels plus have the full Mac experience on great hardware with a great screen. More expensive but worth every penny.
  • alan1302alan1302 Posts: 6,336
    Forum Member
    Faust wrote: »
    But just pray it never gets a fault and you need to return it. :eek:

    Had to return stuff before to PC World and never had a problem with them.
  • FaustFaust Posts: 8,985
    Forum Member
    alan1302 wrote: »
    Had to return stuff before to PC World and never had a problem with them.

    Just read the computer mags, newspaper help columns, forums everywhere etc etc and you will see you are one of the lucky ones. They have a dreadful reputation for returns. Their latest wheeze I notice being they have now reduced the time for returning goods to the store for a refund from the universally recognised 30 days (consumer law has never actually defined an actual time for returns though a notional 30 days is the norm) to 21 days.

    I also notice in their T&C they state you can have a refund under DSR's so long as you return the item within 7 days and it must be in the original undamaged packaging - poppycock. The DSR's don't state a time for returning goods other than it must be within a reasonable time, nor do you have to return goods in the original packaging. The wheezes just go on and on. :rolleyes:
Sign In or Register to comment.