Dayman Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Hey! I'm looking to buy a new desktop computer and I'd like an opinion on whether the differences between the following two systems are worth a $200 difference?? Also, does the difference between Windows 8 / 8.1 matter? My reason for buying the desktop is to watch a movie or two, do school stuff (MS word and internet sites/stuff) and an occasional game (not too much of a gamer though). Is the difference between these two worth it? 1) $650 -Intel Core i5 4440 -8GB RAM -1TB HDD, 7200 RPM -Windows 8.1 -2GB AMD HD8570 2) $450 -Intel Core i5 4440 -6GB RAM -1TB HDD, 5400 RPM -Windows 8 -Integrated Intel HD Again, no high-level graphics games, just school websites/documents/applications and a couple casual games, even a couple movies maybe (movies don't need to be HD). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motzaburger Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 mac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derp... Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 For the $200 you'll probably get another year out of that gear. I would check your mobo and see how upgradeable it is. If you get a decent mother board, you can always buy new parts as time goes by, and your needs change. I would go with windows 8.1 as well, I've heard 8 had some trouble, never had it though. Dedicated graphics is nice if you want any kind of decent frame rate when your playing a game. Also the faster Hard drive will save you time. time starting the comp, installing things, opening things etc, it adds up. If you can get a cheap SSD to run your OS, you can have a little speed machine for browsing, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neversummer Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 So in short, 2GB RAM, a faster HD, and better graphics card for $200. Personally, I don't think it's worth it. What you might want to try on the $450 unit is to add a 120GB SSD drive for your boot drive and programs, ~$75 upgrade. That should really speed things up, more than the 2GB RAM and the faster TB drive. http://www.ncix.com/detail/kingston-ssdnow-v300-120gb-2-5in-8c-78078-1078.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go Faulk Yourself Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 You should get an SSD drive instead of a 7200RPM. Or get both, but hey, that's just me. Ram is cheap by the way, so if you can get more, then do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goalie13 Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 My computer came with Windows 8 and then it prompted me to upgrade to 8.1 (free) so don't let that influence your decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrible.dee Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Your computer needs are minimal, so any system should be fine, I would go cheap, because you CAN! Computers are junk, they depreciate the minute you buy them and their manufacturers try to make them obsolete as soon as possible, So I say spend as little as possible while still getting what you need. Unfortunately because of what I do for a living, I have to have top of the line sh#t. So I end up spending thousands on computers, But you don't have to! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trek Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 7200 rpm drive vs. 5400 rpm drive you will probably notice it. Windows 8.1 upgrade is free from 8.0. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asian player Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Sorry for not really answering the question but you should consider building one yourself or getting one customized. AMD offers a better bang for your buck at the lower levels for CPU and an SSD will make life easier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbbyNucksFan Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 if you buy a 5400rpm driver in this day and age, there is something wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dayman Posted May 14, 2014 Author Share Posted May 14, 2014 Your computer needs are minimal, so any system should be fine, I would go cheap, because you CAN! Computers are junk, they depreciate the minute you buy them and their manufacturers try to make them obsolete as soon as possible, So I say spend as little as possible while still getting what you need. Unfortunately because of what I do for a living, I have to have top of the line sh#t. So I end up spending thousands on computers, But you don't have to! Linda Reid??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baka Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Gaming and video editing are the only 2 things that require higher specs. So for you it shall tend on what games you wish to play as the main difference between those 2 is the video card (both still suck). Windows 8.1 is more like Windows 7 than Windows 8 is. Basically each update slowly turns it back into Windows 7. My advice take the cheaper one though neither can handle any significant games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrible.dee Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Linda Reid??? Dude....two words... Wood Panelling! I simply cannot do my job without it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefCon1 Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Hey! I'm looking to buy a new desktop computer and I'd like an opinion on whether the differences between the following two systems are worth a $200 difference?? Also, does the difference between Windows 8 / 8.1 matter? My reason for buying the desktop is to watch a movie or two, do school stuff (MS word and internet sites/stuff) and an occasional game (not too much of a gamer though). Is the difference between these two worth it? 1) $650 -Intel Core i5 4440 -8GB RAM -1TB HDD, 7200 RPM -Windows 8.1 -2GB AMD HD8570 2) $450 -Intel Core i5 4440 -6GB RAM -1TB HDD, 5400 RPM -Windows 8 -Integrated Intel HD Again, no high-level graphics games, just school websites/documents/applications and a couple casual games, even a couple movies maybe (movies don't need to be HD). Just buy a Mac Mini for $599. It has bluetooth, Wifi and is portable enough to carry anywhere. It also has intel Core i5 and more reliable than most desktop computers. I have had the Mac Mini for a couple of years with no problems at all. During that time my parents and brother have replaced their desktop computers multiple times and that even included time in the repair shop due to faulty power supply, faulty mother board etc. Best of all, I don't even have any anti-virus on my computer to slow it down. Although you are free to choose, I just prefer Mac OS over windows and I have been a Windows user for many years until I switched a couple of years ago. PS. From my experience Acer desktop computers are just POS and garbage in terms of their quality. Dell might be better if you choose the desktop PC route. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefCon1 Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 mac Once you get mac, you ain't going back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefCon1 Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 For the $200 you'll probably get another year out of that gear. I would check your mobo and see how upgradeable it is. If you get a decent mother board, you can always buy new parts as time goes by, and your needs change. I would go with windows 8.1 as well, I've heard 8 had some trouble, never had it though. Dedicated graphics is nice if you want any kind of decent frame rate when your playing a game. Also the faster Hard drive will save you time. time starting the comp, installing things, opening things etc, it adds up. If you can get a cheap SSD to run your OS, you can have a little speed machine for browsing, etc. If it is just for browsing and Microsoft office, he doesn't need to spend extra. The guy probably won't be using Photoshop or other process intensive applications. For basic use, even a cheapo budget PC might be sufficient. Although for longevity, I would choose the Mac mini over all those options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go Faulk Yourself Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 Even though I've never used a Mac, I can see where DefCon is coming from. For something more school/document/work related, a Mac would probably be the better choice if you're not gaming like a madman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xbox Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 If you don't care about PC gaming get a Mac. For the odd game, it can run it. I have amnesia on mine. I have to use a PC at work and I prefer the Mac I use at home personally. Although I heard Windows 8 sucks so if you go the PC route I'd stick with Windows 7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dayman Posted May 14, 2014 Author Share Posted May 14, 2014 Sorry for not really answering the question but you should consider building one yourself or getting one customized. AMD offers a better bang for your buck at the lower levels for CPU and an SSD will make life easier My only gripe with building is that I have no experience in doing it and I'm just not really interested in putting in the effort to get each individual component Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefCon1 Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 If you don't care about PC gaming get a Mac. For the odd game, it can run it. I have amnesia on mine. I have to use a PC at work and I prefer the Mac I use at home personally. Although I heard Windows 8 sucks so if you go the PC route I'd stick with Windows 7. Yep, many people don't like Windows 8, including me. I do have a 3 year old laptop that still has windows 7. Although I haven't opened my Windows laptop in 6-7 months, since I've been really using my Mac Mini at home. I also got the iPad Mini with Retina display recently so I doubt I will ever open my Windows laptop unless I was trying to open some Windows application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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