help with purchasing a dell desktop..??

Question

i know how to use computers but when it comes to buying one i ont know what to look for. i know i want a cd/dvd burner, i want to use it for games, internet, music, photos, homework, i want to be able to plug my sd memory card into in i was to have usb ports infront, and i want plenty of memory. i also want word pro, and all that stuff, windows xp...and im not sure about the rest.
i would like to find out what to look for and also how much it would cost. i tried to have dell build a pc for me online but i had no idea what most of it was and what i chose came out to be 2300 something which is too much for me. any tips, or help? or could you "build" a pc for me online wih what i will need for what i will use it for and send me the price and page? any help is greatly appreciated!

well i would like to get a good computer so i know i cant spend like a couple hundred. as cheep as i can get as long as its is good and has want i wants sounds good to me. i would prefer it to not go too far over $1000, but i dont know if that is possible

and yes i need a monitor. doesnt matter what kind and it doesnt have to be giant.

i appreciate all of the answers

the type of games i would play would be like sims 2, possibly a few online, and like solitare and spider solitaire.

i need a keyboard, mouse, and monitor

i need it to last as long as possible

Answer 1

I'm configuring one for you... I'll try to get it with great features for less than 1200.00.

Do you need a monitor? or do you have one that works? That would definitely save you money.

I'll figure out how to give you the configuration...

more to come....


----------------------------Okay----------------------
I put something together that I think would work for you, for $1195.60. Right now they have a special offer of shipping and handling for free, so you will only need to pay for the taxes for your area. The system also has a 17 inch flat panel monitor which is really awesome, but you could save $81.00 if don't take the monitor and you use a monitor you may already have at home.

2 things I'd like to mention are:

1) I think you should think about adding Microsoft Office basic. It would cost you an additional $56.00 bucks. However, the current system is configured with Microsoft Works Suite, which includes Microsoft Word.

2) The price of the system went up because the warranty and support options I added for you were top notch, as I believe you should have to truly enjoy your computer system for at least 4 years without any worries. The system is configured to have a 4 year warranty, plus something called Accidental Damage Service and Dell On Call. With that service/warranty configuration you will be able to get repairs on your system, or even a full system replacement if you were to damage it accidentally.

The most important thing you have to remember: MOST IMPORTANT! Is to always make backups (make copies) of your most important information and invaluable photos. The system is configured with a DVD burner, so you will be able to keep copies of all your important data in case your hard drive or whole system crash. If you have a safe that is fire resistant, even better. Put all your backed up DVDs inside the safe in case of a complete disaster (God forbid).

Here's the link to the system.

I created a fake user and password. sign in with the following info:

****************
****************

Once you log on, look for a link to your "Wishlist"... that's where the system is configured. Then you can click on the "Details" link of the system to look at all the options I selected for you.

Good luck with your awesome purchase and enjoy your system!

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If you have any questions about any of the options I selected, don't hesitate to email me :)

Ciao

Answer 2

Questions:

What kind of games do you want to play?

Are we talking solitare here or something requiring 3d graphics such as Half-life 2 or World of Warcraft?

Do you have a monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc?

Do you want just word or do you want Microsoft Office Professional (which is very, very, very expensive).

How long do you need this computer to last you?

Some tips:

Buy 1024 MB (1 Gigabyte) of memory. Unfortunately companies like Dell sorta jack up the price for a gig and try and sell you as little as possible so you have to upgrade through them.

If all you need is an SD-card reader, there are USB ones for sale at tiger direct or newegg (eg http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1567039&CatId=942)

Most of the main brands (HP, Dell, Gateway) come with them installed as a big feature, but seeing as they are like ten bucks for a USB one, it isn't as impressive as it seems.

If I was buying you a computer today, (this would be able to run Wow for instance)

I'd pick an AMD X2 3800 ($200 CND)
Socket AM2 Motherboard w/ PCI Express, onboard lan ($150 CND)
Memory 1 GB ($100 CDN)Windows XP Home ($130 CND)
Nvidia Geforce 7300 PCI Express ($100 CND)
Pioneer DL DVD burner ($60 cnd)
300 GB Hard Disk ($120 about)

That gives you a box for about $730 CDN plus applicable taxes. Add another $200 CND for a LCD monitor and $30 for an entry level mouse/keyboard. Of course, you'd have to pay for someone to assemble it.

Answer 3

I'd be happy to help but how much are you willing to spend? I'd say the most important stuff you'd need is memory and a decent graphics card. Windows XP Media Center Edition is a great way to organize your enterainment. You can add a memory card reader to one of the front ports of the computer as well. I'd say be willing to spend at least $1000 for a decent one.

Answer 4

I'd be happy to help but how much are you willing to spend? I'd say the most important stuff you'd need is memory and a decent graphics card. Windows XP Media Center Edition is a great way to organize your enterainment. You can add a memory card reader to one of the front ports of the computer as well. I'd say be willing to spend at least $1000 for a decent one.

Answer 5

i have a laptop that im trying to sell. for 900 dollars. it has everyting u ever going to need.

it has a dual core processor 1.6mhz. super fast. two processors
its has exel,microsofword.powerpoint. ect.
it has 60gb hardrive. pretty big to store anything you want.
its has card reader. to read any memory card.
it has 3 usb ports
its has 1gb of memory ram.
it has a dvd and cd burner.
the screen its a 15.4 inch big wide screen. pretty big.
i had this pc for 3 months but i hardley use it.
i like my destop better.
i bought it from dell. it has 9 months of warranty from dell left.
if u r interested e-mail be at [e-mail]
i can put this lapton on ebay if that will make you more confortable in buying it. my feedback its 134 %100.
if u r not interested. this spec r the one you should look in a laptop. but this pcs go for 1300 up to 1500 dollars.
the pc looks new since i dont use it.

Answer 6

The low cost systems offered by dell and others are often under powered and upgrading them to basic expectations for a good computer is going to be expensive. The best thing you can do, it to subscribe to dells email notifications for specials. Wait until they are running a 30 or 40 percent off special on the entire system, build your dream machine, and purchase it before the special expires.

Answer 7

http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&oc=DE510SAP&s=dhs

This one seems to fit your description. It also depends on what games you want to play. If you want to play the newest games with the best graphics, you'll probably want a lot of upgrades to the memory and video card, but all these should be fine. When you customize, make sure you get AT LEAST these upgrades.

1GB Ram - Upgrading your memory (RAM) is the easiest way to improve computer performance.

256 Video Card

Answer 8

If youre just looking for a basic system (which is what it seems) then just go with the basic system they offer. The only thing you need to keep in mind with those is that the warantee is usually more. My sister just bought/built a laptop from Dell and it cost her just under $1400.

Answer 9

if i were you i wouldnt get a dell.dells are getting bad
get like a hp
they have one at sams with everything youre lookin for and it hard drive holds
300 gigabytes
and i dont know if it has a sd card reader but you can buy a 5 in 1 at bestbuy
for $20.00 it reads sd,mmc,ms and much more

Answer 10

I would recommend you to visit the site "http://www.dell.com/content/products/results.aspx/desktops?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&~ck=anav&a=10085~0~53911&navla=10085~0~53911" or " www.dell.com" and go for computer models like E510 or an XPS type and customise it as per requirements. Becuase the above models and especially the XPS types is designed for Multimedia, gaming, video editiing stuff like that and with Dual-Core processor inside, i guess it will give you the performance you expect.