Buying a new desktop. First option I'm leaning towards is a used or refurb Mac mini:

http://www.ebay.com/ctg/Apple-Mac-Mini-Desktop-MC270LL-A-June-2010-/84985325?_refkw=mac+mini&_pcatid=530&_pcategid=58058&LH_ItemCondition=1000&_from=R40&_dmpt=Apple_Desktops

My windows options are narrowed down to these 2:

ACER
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883103422

ASUS
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+Essentio+Desktop+-+4GB+Memory+-+750GB+Hard+Drive/4602619.p?id=1218496191577&skuId=4602619

I don't do anything requiring a very powerful computer. Mostly internet, and a couple older games such as Battlefield 2, and an old civilization game. Aside from that, just some work stuff. Leaning towards the mac mini because I have an iphone 4s, and an ipad both for work.

2/26/2012 11:43:03 AM

I don't know much about computers, but I think the ASUS is probably the best specs, although I'm unsure about AMD processors. Under the impression the Intel i5 and i7 are the way to go now.

I know I'll catch hell for the mac mini, and for the money the specs aren't as good as the ASUS, but it would be nice to have Lion and have the icloud integration with my 4s and ipad.

2/26/2012 11:49:06 AM

Quote :

"I'm unsure about AMD processors"

AMD processors are fine...they're great value procs and the AVERAGE consumer would be just fine with a cheaper AMD

i have one myself and i suspect that i use my CPU more than the average consumer

[Edited on February 26, 2012 at 12:23 PM. Reason : .]

2/26/2012 12:20:45 PM

i believe there is an icloud control panel for windows too

2/26/2012 12:35:48 PM

^There is indeed.

2/26/2012 12:36:32 PM

Mac Mini

2/26/2012 12:57:46 PM

Spend 400$ and build something faster then any of those.

2/26/2012 1:14:00 PM

This is what happened to my Vaio desktop. If it makes sense financially to have it repaired, I'd much prefer to do that rather than buy a new one, but this doesn't look good to me.




[Edited on February 26, 2012 at 1:39 PM. Reason : a]

[Edited on February 26, 2012 at 1:39 PM. Reason : a]

[Edited on February 26, 2012 at 1:40 PM. Reason : a]

2/26/2012 1:38:23 PM

Forget the Mac Mini. I owned one for years (one with the same specs as the one you posted), and it was underpowered and sluggish from the moment I turned it on. No upgrades, no expansion, and still has a price premium.

The Acer you posted is by far the best deal and most performance.

AMD's are fine processors, but you'll want to get an X4 AMD processor, not the budget X2. I do like the look of the Asus much better than the glossy black Acer though.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+CM1740-US-2AA+Desktop+Computer+-+AMD+Fusion+A6-3600+2.10+GHz/4705175.p?id=1218509222363&skuId=4705175

Is a much better long-term desktop. Quad Core fusion processor with MUCH better video, and double the hard drive space. For $80 bucks more

2/26/2012 4:56:43 PM

^^ Have you done any troubleshooting?

2/26/2012 5:09:43 PM

Haven't done any trouble shooting. Not sure what to do. Any suggestions?

2/26/2012 5:27:48 PM

Based only on your picture, I'd start with the video card. See if you can find someone with a spare card you can put in.

2/26/2012 6:18:40 PM

I also agree with other people in this thread, avoid the mac mini's at all cost... worthless junk when they came out, even worthless now. I mean my pentium 3 600mhz doesn't lag as much as those pieces of shit... I too would suggest going the "build it your own" route, although it does severely limit your parts choices, but it doesn't meant we can't pick good quality parts without sacrificing performance.

For a $400 system that includes an OS leaves you only $300 to use on the system, so that limits your choices even more. If you can get the OS cheaper, then that would help your budget out better. Maybe even try to see if you can reuse the key from your sony desktop. But lets assume no.

Here's an Intel setup:
Part list permalink: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/58ul
Part price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/58ul/by_merchant

CPU: Intel Pentium G630 2.7GHz Dual-Core Processor ($71.30 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H61M-S2H Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Patriot G Series Sector 5 Edition 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($14.99 @ Microcenter)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($75.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Thermaltake VL80001W2Z ATX Mid Tower Case ($27.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: XFX 450W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer ($18.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $399.23
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated 2012-02-26 18:59 EST-0500)

Not the fastest thing on the planet, but it's still quite capable. You could probably save some money if you can reuse the optical drive and hard drive in your current desktop to throw some more money at the cpu--I'd recommend the extra $40 towards the i3 2120; that nets you a very powerful chip for $115 that will beat and meet AMD's x4 965 BE.

Paired with it is a decent name brand motherboard, but you can also shop around since this is a "budget" box. You could look at Biostar, Foxconn and ECS shitty boards which would do you find since they are oem builders and more than likely what you get in a shitty $400 computer anyhow. If you want to go that route, then I'd look at the ECS H61H2-M2(1.0) H61 motherboard; its been seen on sale for $26 AR recently and it has some decent features for being that cheap. The Gigabyte board has similar features, plus DVI along side its HDMI.

Ram is on sale at microcenter so you really can't complain about getting 8GB ddr3 sticks for 15 bucks. Even though its 1333 speed, its also cas9 timing and from a decent brand. That's the highest speed you'll find on the H61 chipset and I bet you most other oem boards will fit in 1066 shit modules. For a low budget build, can't be picky really.

I used the cheap thermaltake case that's actually surprising pretty decent build for the price. Paired it with a cheap XFX 450w psu that is pretty much an overkill for your low powered system, but its the lowest price, quality psu that is 80+ bronze certified; for $30AR, its hard to beat. Antec earthwatts and Corsair builder series in the 400-500w range have been seen for an even cheaper price around the $22-26 price point in the last few weeks, but right now they aren't on sale anymore. Just keep an eye on them.

The 2nd biggest cost is going to be your hard drive since the industry hasn't recovered from the floods yet, but its getting cheaper by the week. I just threw in the cheapest 7200rpm 500gb I could find and that should be enough for most users. You could get a slow 5400 or even a green 5900 drive to save some cost, but honestly I'd stick a speedy 7200 drive as your boot disk for faster system response. If you plan to recycle your sony for this build, then you can save the cost of the hard drive and build a sweeter rig.

And again, the biggest downside with building such a system is the cost of the OS; those oem builders get it way cheaper per key than you can for cheap builds so you tend to be at a disadvantage. If you are still a student, you can get the win7 pro upgrade from MS for 65 bucks.


AMD rig:
With AMD, you have a few options. You could go with an APU on the FM1 socket to have something similar to intel's G and i3 series cpu's, but they pair their x4 chip with a much more powerful gpu core (still fairly shitty, but more like 2-3x the speed of the HD 3000). You can also go with an AM3/AM3+ build on the older x4 chip or the newer fx 4100 bulldozer, but you'll have to spend the extra money for a discrete gpu (or a mobo that has one), which shouldn't really be too hard to fill. I'm going to go with the AM3 route with an AM3+ so you still have some future abilities to upgrade.

Part list permalink: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/58xn
Part price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/58xn/by_merchant

CPU: AMD Phenom II X3 720 Black 2.8GHz Triple-Core Processor ($86.97 @ CompUSA)
Motherboard: MSI 760GM-P23 (FX) Micro ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($51.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Patriot G Series Sector 5 Edition 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($14.99 @ Microcenter)
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($75.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Thermaltake VL80001W2Z ATX Mid Tower Case ($27.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: XFX 450W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($29.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer ($18.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $406.90
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated 2012-02-26 19:25 EST-0500)

The only thing different with this build is the AMD cpu and motherboard, everything else is the same. The down side is that you are paying almost $15 more for a triple core processor that actually performs less than the G620. Personally, I would look at the x4 960T for $115; the same price as the i3 2120. Or even the FX 4100 for $100-110. Either one would jump your performance by a good bit.

2/26/2012 7:30:14 PM

Wow, thanks for all that info. I'd love to build my own, as I know that's generally the best bang for your buck, and you have the advantage of tailoring it to your specific needs. Trouble is, I have no idea how to do it.

I'd like to try another video card in my Sony first. I really want to keep on using the Vaio if at all possible, but just have no idea where to start, and I know taking it to a computer repair place can be a $75 diagnostic fee only to find out it's not worth saving. Been there done that.

Anyways, how would i go about replacing the video card? Where in the computer would I find that? How difficult is it?

Oh yeah, and I pretty much have to save the hard drive and get a copy of it one way or another. I've got a 1TB external HD, but being lazy hadn't backed it up in over a month, and in that month I created new files which I really need now. What's my best route to recovery on that?

[Edited on February 26, 2012 at 7:59 PM. Reason : a]

2/26/2012 7:58:03 PM

it sounds like you may be better served having a friend help you out, or bribing someone on here with a 12-pack or something. otherwise, google is your friend and it probably has pictures.

it should be easy enough to recover files using an external enclosure or another computer.

2/26/2012 8:46:40 PM

turn your desktop on, with it connected to the network then login to your router from your ipad or any other device on your network with a browser. see if you see the desktop in the dhcp list or "active client" list or something to that effect. if you see it there and can ping it or preferably port scan it (probly out of your league) then you know it's just the video card, assuming you tested the monitor with another machine.

2/27/2012 2:09:31 AM

building a computer is very easy to do, lots of free tutorials online and help at most tech forums. Or bribe a tech savvy friend with a 6 pack and dinner.

What model is your sony?

2/27/2012 2:54:29 AM

I'm doubting that it's the video card because when I turn the computer on, the monitor will intermittently lose a signal, and the computer appears to hibernate or turn off, then about 30 seconds later it comes back on, and the screwed up screen comes up. Also, after I turn it on, if I hit the power button, it immediately completely shuts down, whereas to force shut down when it worked, you had to hold the power button for about 10 seconds. So it's in some kind of weird power setting, or the power supply is messed up I think.

[Edited on February 27, 2012 at 9:06 AM. Reason : a]

2/27/2012 9:04:43 AM

In looking at the active client list on the router, there are 5 machines connected, but I have no idea how to tell if one is the desktop. Just in counting the machines I have turned on in the house though, i think that one of them has to be it, so I'll probably try a new graphics card.

The desktop is a Sony Vaio VGC-RC110G. It might have a built in graphics card. As far as installing new graphics card, i have no idea what I'm doing.

This is the computer: http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-home.pl?mdl=VGCRC110G&LOC=3&session_id=addbcf575323806e2f340a5190a94ca9#/howtoTab


[Edited on February 27, 2012 at 9:13 AM. Reason : aa]

[Edited on February 27, 2012 at 9:14 AM. Reason : aaa]

2/27/2012 9:08:30 AM

Just got off the phone with sony support. They said if it's the graphics card, the whole mb has to be replaced, so I guess that means it's not just in a slot and can be swapped out. i guess it's actually built into the mb. Guess I'll just buy the Asus, but now I really need to figure out how to get this hard drive.

would it be stupid to buy a motherboard and try to do it myself?

[Edited on February 27, 2012 at 9:50 AM. Reason : a]

2/27/2012 9:48:34 AM

man, there are some really nice desktops on craigslist for about $100. I'm in Charlotte. That might not be a bad route to take.

I put an ad on craigslist to trade my set of Taylormade R9 TP irons for a desktop. They are flawless. If anybody's interested let me know.

[Edited on February 27, 2012 at 10:10 AM. Reason : a]

[Edited on February 27, 2012 at 10:11 AM. Reason : aa]

2/27/2012 9:54:14 AM

take the hard drive from your old machine, put it in a usb enclosure, plug in to your new machine.

2/27/2012 10:43:44 AM

What do you mean by a USB enclosure?

2/27/2012 10:52:04 AM

2/27/2012 12:25:44 PM

^^^^^ they're full of fucking bullshit.

You at least have 1 PCI Express 1x slot.

Buy this, put it in, hook your monitor up to it and be done with it:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500233

2/27/2012 12:46:01 PM

^You are correct, they were completely full of shit.

I went out and bought a new NVIDIA 2GB video card, and I'm back up and running better than ever. It's a pretty big step up too because I got this computer in 2005. Didn't realize how good the graphics could be. It's on a 24" LCD, so it looks really good now. Scratch everything I said about buying a new desktop. Thanks for everybody's help.

2/27/2012 5:14:09 PM

Please tell me you didn't buy the video card from Best Buy or Walmart. Their prices are pure rapeage.

2/27/2012 7:26:55 PM

Quote :

"It's on a 24" LCD, so it looks really good now."

+1 for desktop looks better after upgrading video card.

2/27/2012 7:40:07 PM

^^^You are correct, it was pure rapeage. I bought a video card for $96 which I saw on Tiger Direct for $69. Time was more important than money though so I didn't mind.

2/27/2012 8:49:18 PM