Computer Help

[Prane]

I'm looking in the next few months to buy a desktop. I have an HP Dv6000 laptop right now and I am not a big fan of it anymore. I hate Vista and the comp is running slow and has all sorts of weird problems. I am looking for something with:

 

-Speed(that includes starting up)

 

-Smooth OS

 

-Lots of programs such as word, excel,etc. I am a college student and I need programs I can use. My laptop's word is all jacked up and I can't even make a powerpoint.

 

-At least 4 gigs of RAM

 

-It would be nice to have a little bit of gaming capabilities for that new Online Star Wars game but its not necessary

 

-Price up to around $1200. Preferably cheaper but I want something to last for quite a few years and be able to upgrade it with relative ease.

 

-I don't know if I should go Windows 7 or switch to Mac OS because all I hear is amazing things about MAC.

 

Thanks for the help techies!!!

[Chili327]

Any new desktop will have Windows 7 installed.

Talk to YO Bird, he can build you one, or steer you in the right direction, more locally.

 

PC all the way.!!

You aren't going to get a good new Mac for $1200.

 

 

> ASUS - $1199 <

[KnowUrDamRoll]

Hear me out! It sounds crazy I know and can be expensive. I never dreamed of buying a MAC but when I did i was the best investment I ever made. Hell I went and bought another.

 

It took a few days to learn the shortcut buttons, but the commercials are true. My computer never crashes and I run some serious programs on it. Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack Pro, Photoshop CS4 internet or safari as MAC calls it. All at the same time and it is never slow and never crashes.

 

But that isn't the best thing. It is virtually impossible to get a virus on it!!!

 

It has all the MICROSOFT stuff you would want. Word, Excel, Office etc. If not it is easy has hell to get FOR FREE!

 

It is fast cause they are made that way because of the software it has.

 

So if I could recommend anyone any computer it would be a MAC desktop, but even a MACBOOK PRO which is what I have 2 of is well worth the money.

 

They are like Honda's our Acura's they hold their value to. Cause everyone that knows MAC, know they don't crash and are virus free.

 

I would be willing to bet my MACBOOK Pro is worth more now than if you went to any store and bought a PC or Laptop and traded it in the same day.

 

Not all, but most!

 

That's just my opinion on it anyway.

[Playerdown]

I'm gonna hijack your thread!

 

I want to run my laptop thru my tv, i have a dvi cord for picture and an rca white and red from the headphone jack for sound. I can't get the sound to come thru the tv

 

I have multiple av jacks on the tv and tried them all but still no sound.

 

Any suggestions?

[[-VR-] Tool_Minion]

Playerdown ]

I'm gonna hijack your thread!

 

I want to run my laptop thru my tv, i have a dvi cord for picture and an rca white and red from the headphone jack for sound. I can't get the sound to come thru the tv

 

I have multiple av jacks on the tv and tried them all but still no sound.

 

Any suggestions?

 

what kind of TV? Some newer TV's allow you to pick what input for audio separate from the video source....it might be under your audio options on your TV remote.

[Playerdown]

It's a Samsung, looked in audio options on tv, couldn't find anything for input.

[Prane]

Fuck all you guys. Nobody wants to help me. Is it because Player shows more skin? :'( I thought we had something good going Tool but I guess not.

[[-VR-] Tool_Minion]

Fuck all you guys. Nobody wants to help me. Is it because Player shows more skin? :'( I thought we had something good going Tool but I guess not.

 

I don't KNOW anything about computers! I got a Vostro 220 from Dell and absolutely LOVE it!

 

 

Now, back to a question I can help with:

 

PD, you should have audio jacks in the same vicinity as the dvi...your problem MAY be that the audio driver on the laptop may not support your AV style jack....although if it's the one I'm thinking of, it has the 3.5MM jack on one end, then a red and white on the other....

 

Your other option is what I did last time I wanted to watch netflix on my laptop, but put it to my screen:

Get your computer speakers from your desktop and run the audio thru them! It may be whisky tango, but it WILL work.

[Playerdown]

Fuck all you guys. Nobody wants to help me. Is it because Player shows more skin? :'( I thought we had something good going Tool but I guess not.

 

LOL, if i showed skin, you would need some shades to stop the glare.

 

My wife has an Acer 6920 laptop, not sure about games, but she loves it. She paid less than $500 for it.

 

Here's the skinny.http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4517

[Chili327]

He has laptop, he is looking for a desktop.

 

But if he was looking for a laptop, i would recommend the ASUS, that i just got ($500) way more than the Acer for $500. (but i do think there is an Acer out there for $300)

[Prane]

I'm looking away from Asus now. My Dad has informed me that Asus is a Chinese made product largely produced with poor parts. I have read many reviews referring to a high failure rate. Right now I'm thinking of going towards a gaming computer just for the fact that they have so much power that would hopefully last me awhile. I found a cool site called www.cyberpowerpc.com where you can build your own computer. I might go this route. Just gotta find someone to help me figure out everything to put in it lol.

[Chili327]

Dude, ASUS makes parts for A LOT of desktop computers.! (i think we already went thru this on here not long ago. lol)

ASUS makes a lot of parts, but mostly known for motherboards

Buy an HP, it has an ASUS motherboard, etc.

 

It's actually a Taiwan company, but where do you think you're going to get a Computer from.. Detroit.!?

 

Here..

ASUSTeK Computer Incorporated (ASUS) is a Taiwan-based multinational corporation, which produces motherboards, graphics cards, sound cards, optical disc drives, PDAs, computer monitors, laptops, servers, networking products, mobile phones, computer cases, computer components, and computer cooling systems. Commonly called by its brand name ASUS, the company is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (LSE: ASKD) and the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE: 2357). As of 26 November 2009 (2009 -11-26)[update], 29.2% of PCs sold in the previous 12 months worldwide came with an ASUS motherboard.[3] The company's 2009 revenues reached US$21.2 billion.[2]

 

ASUS appears in BusinessWeek’s "InfoTech 100" and "Asia’s Top 10 IT Companies" rankings. Wall Street Journal Asia ranks it number one in quality and service, and it leads the IT Hardware category of the 2008 Taiwan Top 10 Global Brands survey with a total brand value of US$1.324 billion.[4]

 

ASUS also produces components for other manufacturers, such as:

 

Apple Inc. (iPod, iPod Shuffle, MacBook)

Alienware

Falcon Northwest

Hewlett-Packard

Palm, Inc.

I wouldn't go by what your dad says about computers if he thinks ASUS is a bad choice.. otherwise tell him to pay for the Mac. ;D

[[*N*]Sal0713]

I'm looking away from Asus now. My Dad has informed me that Asus is a Chinese made product largely produced with poor parts. I have read many reviews referring to a high failure rate. Right now I'm thinking of going towards a gaming computer just for the fact that they have so much power that would hopefully last me awhile. I found a cool site called www.cyberpowerpc.com where you can build your own computer. I might go this route. Just gotta find someone to help me figure out everything to put in it lol.

 

Dude it all depends on what you're looking to do with it, if you want it for reading email and all that stuff cyberpower is not the way to go since most of their pc are for gaming.I built my friend a Desktop I put like 4GB of ram a Quad core a nice Asus mother board a Real Gaming graphic card (260GTX) a 500gb hd and a nice case for about 900, but i built it mostly for gaming in mind. This is all without OS and Programs to write with. Most of the time you can find the OEM for those programs cheap, for my writing for school I don't use Word I use a Program that is free called OpenOffice teacher recommended the program and it works well. And windows 7 is the way to go.

 

Also ASUS is one of the best companies out there that make computer parts, they also make great graphic cards. Asus is my number one Choice for Motherboards when I have the money.

[(U$)Shadowboxin7]

ACRONYM OVERLOAD!!!

[-toq-]

building a computer has a lot to do with what you want it to do.

 

if cost is a factor, then you need to limit where you direct your money. prioritize.

 

if cost is not an option,

 

get a quad core. i like my intel, i never have had an AMD and the reviews just didn't sound like i would get the same bang for buck.

 

if you want, get a good video card.

 

get at least 4 Gb ram.

 

get a fast hard drive. compare access speeds.

 

if you are building it yourself, get a good motherboard with lots of room to expand drives, ram, etc. get a good tower with enough room too.

 

there's probably more, but that's the basics as i see it.

 

-toq-

 

just built a budget quad core, older intel that i could overclock, got a ASUS mobo with built in graphics and an HDMI out. got enough ram, recycled HDs, got a cheap tower. now my desktop goes to my 40" LCD so i can't watch TV and use the computer, but even with just the built in graphics, everything looks good enough for me. i was out the door for around 500. but i run Linux. 64 bit ubuntu.

 

@the guy trying to use the DVI and audio out from PC to TV, are you using the regular headphone plug or the audio out on the laptop? does the TV only have the one audio in which is RCA? shouldn't the TV manual show where to connect sound for the DVI input? is the laptop sending the signal out to the TV to begin with? that should just be a sound setting. does video work on TV? sounds like it does.

[Playerdown]

-toq- ]

building a computer has a lot to do with what you want it to do.

 

if cost is a factor, then you need to limit where you direct your money. prioritize.

 

if cost is not an option,

 

get a quad core. i like my intel, i never have had an AMD and the reviews just didn't sound like i would get the same bang for buck.

 

if you want, get a good video card.

 

get at least 4 Gb ram.

 

get a fast hard drive. compare access speeds.

 

if you are building it yourself, get a good motherboard with lots of room to expand drives, ram, etc. get a good tower with enough room too.

 

there's probably more, but that's the basics as i see it.

 

-toq-

 

just built a budget quad core, older intel that i could overclock, got a ASUS mobo with built in graphics and an HDMI out. got enough ram, recycled HDs, got a cheap tower. now my desktop goes to my 40" LCD so i can't watch TV and use the computer, but even with just the built in graphics, everything looks good enough for me. i was out the door for around 500. but i run Linux. 64 bit ubuntu.

 

@the guy trying to use the DVI and audio out from PC to TV, are you using the regular headphone plug or the audio out on the laptop? does the TV only have the one audio in which is RCA? shouldn't the TV manual show where to connect sound for the DVI input? is the laptop sending the signal out to the TV to begin with? that should just be a sound setting. does video work on TV? sounds like it does.

 

Video works fine, i tried 2 different output plugs from the laptop, the headphone jack and another one that i can't really make out the symbol? My tv has 4 rca inputs i think. One on the side of the tv and 3 more sets on the back. One is labeled dvi input. I can't find any settings on the laptop to choose sound outputs or on the tv for inputs?

[AuDaCiOu5]

Here Prane check this out and its less then $700.00 bucks. Iv built by own pc as well and I only spent $400.00, but its been a few years and I have upgraded the HD to a 1TB and also upgraded my GFX card witch is a great thing about desktops and it does what I need it to do. As far as programs like Office 2007 you will have to buy or find some other places to get it. Also Im running Windows 7 and I half to say it's like having XP on steroids I love it. So I hope this helps and like I said this it specs for a gaming machine, but will do all the things you listed.

 

The Lay Down:

 

A. Rosewill R220

 

An all-aluminum, toolless masterpiece of design the Rosewill R220 is not. It is an eminently serviceable budget mid-tower that will hold all the hardware you’ll ever need in your cheap PC. You should definitely beware of sharp edges when working in this humble enclosure, but you needn’t worry about your rig overheating, thanks to the case’s many fan mounts. And you won’t find a better looking case for $20.

 

B. Stock AMD CPU Cooler

 

While there are definitely better coolers out there, when you’re operating on a tight budget you can’t beat the low, low price of $0. The stock cooler that comes with the boxed retail version of a CPU is more than sufficient—at least until you’re ready to start overclocking. Stock coolers even come with a pre-applied thin layer of thermal paste, so you need not spend an extra penny.

 

C. Sapphire Radeon HD 5770

 

Oh, times are good when you can get technology so current it still has that new PC smell on it. In this case, it’s the scent of our ATI Radeon HD 5770 and its DirectX 11 capability. Even without DirectX 11, this card is a capable performer in DX9 and DX10 games, too.

 

D. Cooler Master RS-460

 

The one place you shouldn’t scrimp is the power supply. Sure, there are cheaper generic supplies, but do you really want to trust your precious PC to a power supply that’s leftover Cold War surplus? The RS-460 provides ample power for our budget PC, and includes all the necessary connectors, including a 6-pin PCI Express power connector.

 

E. Seagate 500GB Barracuda 7200.12

 

OK, OK, we know 500GB is a little thin, especially in the days of $75 terabyte drives. But a bigger hard drive is a relatively simple upgrade down the road, and the single-platter Barracuda 7200.12 performs well, despite its low price and modest capacity. It’s not as speedy as some of the 2TB drives out there, but for $55, can you really complain that much?

 

F. Gigabyte GA-MA74GM-S2

 

MicroATX is normally anathema to folks who consider themselves power users, but when you’re trying to build a budget badass, it’s one compromise you should consider making. After all, besides the GPU, what other add-in boards do you use anymore?

 

G. Patriot 4GB DDR2/800

 

If technology were a theme park, RAM would be the old-fashioned wooden roller coaster. First, it was so damned cheap that consumers would cry tears of joy whenever picking up 2GB sticks.

 

H. AMD Athlon II X4 620

 

Intel may have introduced the first quad-core for the PC, but AMD’s the one who brought it down to a price the average Joe could afford. For $99, the Athlon II X4 620 offers the best bang for the buck available today.

 

I. Samsung SH-S223C

 

While there are higher-rated 24x DVD-RW drives out there, in the real world, where there’s no 24x media, Samsung’s SH-S223C is still a top dog. With great burning and reading performance, and the best DVD ripping speeds we’ve tested yet, this is the DVD-RW drive to beat. You say you wanted Blu-ray in your uber-cheap machine? It just ain’t worth the money, honey.

 

J. Windows 7 Home Premium OEM

 

Since the release in October, Windows 7 has received nearly universal acclaim, and for good reason. This is the best version of Windows Microsoft has ever shipped. With kick-ass security and the speed and reliability of Windows XP, there’s no reason to buy another operating system—especially when you can buy the OEM edition of the OS for just $105.

 

 

This should get you going in the right direction and for the ones that say AMD is shit its more preference then anything. Iv all ways goon ASUS and AMD but that's just me and they never seem to do me wrong. Also with the extra funds you save you can buy your other programs needed for school.

[AuDaCiOu5]

I'm gonna hijack your thread! Wink

 

I want to run my laptop thru my tv, i have a dvi cord for picture and an rca white and red from the headphone jack for sound. I can't get the sound to come thru the tv Tongue

 

I have multiple av jacks on the tv and tried them all but still no sound.

 

Any suggestions?

 

 

Try a s-video cable for video and also sound if you have a head phone jack on the TV and a headphone jack on the notebook hook "http://images.smarter.com/300x300x15/3/83/388683.jpg"those up with and you should be good. You may have to play with your audio settings in your T.V. menu.

[-toq-]

@playerdown

 

sounds like you are doing it right.. don't use the headphone plug, use the other one, is it light green color? connect that to the dvi rca inputs for sound. that should do it... i really don't know otherwise... good luck.

[[SHO]_.-MAVERICK-.]

Playerdown ]

It's a Samsung, looked in audio options on tv, couldn't find anything for input.

 

Do you know the exact model? I can offer more help if I know what jacks and options that the TV has.

[[SHO]_.-MAVERICK-.]

Prane, I am surprised you are not a fan of the dv6000. I have the same model, but got it right before Windows converted to Vista so I still have XP. I have had it for over three years and have never run into any serious issues. I often run video editing software, photoshop and go live all at the same time and its still pretty fluid. Do you think completely wiping the hard drive and starting with a clean slate may help?

[Prane]

I guess that might help. I don't have much to save except I keep a record of every paper I've ever written for college on there. How do I save those papers? Also I'd like to not lose my Itunes music. It took forever to upload al of my cds.

[[SHO]_.-MAVERICK-.]

I guess that might help. I don't have much to save except I keep a record of every paper I've ever written for college on there. How do I save those papers? Also I'd like to not lose my Itunes music. It took forever to upload al of my cds.

 

Invest in an external hard drive ($50-$100) or even a large size USB Flash Drive. Unless you have a huge iTunes library you should be able to fit all your music and written documents on a 4 GB and definitely on an 8 GB flash drive. How many songs are in your library?

 

eBay has 8 GB flash drives anywhere from $5 to $20.

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1311&_nkw=8gb+usb+flash+drive&_sacat=See-All-Categories

You could also get more memory if you need it to save that stuff.

 

Once you have all that saved on separate memory wipe all the programs and other documents except the necessary OS stuff. My computer was being funky about a year back and I did this and it did wonders for my speed.

[Prane]

Thanks Mav. I believe an 8gig would do the job. I will look in to that. Now get off your computer and get on COD with us!!!!

[Chili327]

Buy an external HD (get a few hundred gigs or more), I can send you a lot of GOOD music.!! ;D