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You can find PCs for as low as $299 and $399. These PCs use updated versions of old microprocessors, eg Pentium 4, or Centrino. Or they use laptop microprocessors–in a desktop. They’ll work just fine, but they’ll be noticeably slower.
For a while…
Such PC’s i predict will usable for 2 years (it’s 2013 now, so til 2015). By 4 years (ie in 2017), i predict they will become unusably slow, taking 2-4 minutes to boot, with surfing the web requiring a significant wait (30-60 seconds) per page.
OTOH, for about $500-$600 (or, $100-$200 more) you can get a 2G or even 3G Intel Core-i3, i5, or i7 processor or equivalent AMD processor. These CPUs should last 4-6 years (so until 2017-2019) and i would not expect to reach that grind-to-a-halt state until 6-8 years (2021).
So that’s like 2x the life for 25% more cost.
8/25/2014: i can find 4G i5’s for only as cheap as $750 at best. Thus that’s now $250-$350 more.
Example of processor variations from Intel
- Intel Core i5-4430 – lower number, lower cost, lower perf
- Intel Core i5-4570 – lower number, lower cost, lower perf
- Intel Core i5-4670 – standard, neutral
- Intel Core i5-4670S – ‘S’ means low power
- Intel Core i5-4670K – ‘K’ stands for “unlocked” meaning hobbyists can “overclock” it
I don’t think the average user needs 2 of 5.25inch bays. All these low end PCs come with DVD-writers. Eventually, you are probably going to want a blu-ray reader, and/or writer. But this will be a $50-$100 upgrade plus installation 2-4 years from now. If you want to watch blu-ray movies now, you’ll have to make that upgrade immediately after purchasing.
USB 3.0 will be big soon. (update 2014: “soon” is now.) Almost all USB is 2.0 right now. USB 3.0 is available now and good to get now. There’s a faster version of 3.0 coming out very soon in 2013, but even today’s USB 3.0 is 10x USB 2.0.
The 11 Places I shop:
- TigerDirect
- newegg
- Best Buy
- Staples
- CDW
- hp.com
- Walmart
- Costco
- OfficMax
- OfficeDepot
- JR.com
- overstock.com
- Beach Audio
- b&h photo video
Here are the choices available from different vendors in this price range for this performance. Note date of price check for each PC listed.
Table Notes:
| hilit | |
|---|---|
| choice number | |
| as_of | |
| price | |
| shipping | |
| product | |
| vendor | |
| OS (home/pro 32/64bit) | |
| processor | |
| chipset | |
| Motherboard | |
| memory | |
| memory pre nstalled | |
| max memory | |
| mem type, speed | |
| mem slots total | |
| disk | |
| disk size | |
| disk rpm | |
| disk SATA speed (II 3Gb/s, III 6Gb/s | |
| disk SSD | |
| disk 3.25 bays total | |
| disk 2.5 bays total | |
| optical drive / 5.25 bays | |
| optical drive (blu-ray rd/wr? / dvd-wr?) | |
| 5.25 bays total | |
| usb 3.0 | |
| usb 3.0 – front | |
| usb 3.0 – rear | |
| usb 3.0 – top | |
| usb 2.0 | |
| usb 2.0 – front | |
| usb 2.0 – rear | |
| usb 2.0 – top | |
| ports slots net power | |
| hdmi | |
| dvi | |
| pci slots | |
| sata ports | |
| Ethernet RJ45 100Mbps or Gigabit 1000Mbps | |
| power supply | |
| Warranty | |
| Small Form Factor (SFF)? |
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Notes
Processor
The difference between 3rd Generation and 2nd Generation intel processors is not that great:
EG,
| Feature | 2nd Generation | 3rd Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Graphics | HD 2000 | HD 2500 |
| Graphics | – | HD 4000 |
| Mem Speed | 1333MHz | 1600MHz 20% faster |
Office Depot & Office Max & Staples
Office Depot had nothing <$600 with intel processor.
Office Max had a p7-1410 and p7-1510 both have H61 chipset.
Staples lowest price intel was envy h8-1430 $799
10/24/2013: newegg didnt have any non-small-form-factor (SFF) hp pc’s. They had very few, but did have 400 or so refurbished hp pc’s.
10/25/2013: OfficeMax only 2 refurbished PCs with windows 7 according to their search
10/28/2013: completed search for win7 32bit on TigerDirect, newegg, best buy (with marketplace), walmart, staples:
- Genuine Windows 7 Professional (17) (DONE)
- Genuine Windows 7 Professional Upgradable to Genuine Windows 8 Pro (15) (DONE)
- Genuine Windows 7 Professional Upgradable to Genuine Windows 8 Pro (English) (1) (DONE – was an AiO)
- Windows 7 Professional (121) (abort-have to click on every one to see os version, too inefficient)
office max, office depot, beachaudio (could not search) or is it beach camera? jr.com, next bhphotovideo.com?
Example Decision : 2014-05-27:
| e1z75ut | HP ProDesk 600 G1 | Core-i5–4570 | Q85 | w8 alt |
| f4j95ut | HP ProDesk 600 G1 | Core-i5–4570 | Q85 | w8.1 alt |
| f4j92ut | HP ProDesk 600 G1 | Core-i5–4670 | Q85 | w8.1 alt |
| f4k88ut | HP ProDesk 600 G1 | Core-i3 | Q85 | w8.1 alt |
| e1z94ut | HP EliteDesk 800 G1 | Core-i5 | Q87 | w8? alt |
| e1z89ut | HP EliteDesk 800 G1 | Core-i7 | Q87 | w8? alt |
Example Decision : 2013-12-10:
| core i5 | |
|---|---|
| C6Z98UT TigerDirect | $714.55 = $699.99 + Ground (2 to 6 days) [$14.56] |
| C6Z98UT TigerDirect | $730.94 = $699.99 + Second Day (2 days) [$30.95] |
| C6Z98UT best Buy | $722.30 = $722.30 + free shipping 6-9 days |
| C6Z98UT CDW | $753.00 = $729.99 + UPS Ground 2-3 business days $23.01 |
| HP D8C53UT Desktop PC, Core i7-3570 (really i5) Stpales | $692.07 = $728.49 – $36.42 free shipping |
| HP® D8C57UT 6300 i5-3470 Staples | out of stock |
| HP® D8C57UT 6300 i5-3470 newegg | discontinued out of stock |
| HP® D8C57UT 6300 i5-3470 jr | out of stock |
| HP® D8C57UT 6300 i5-3470 overstock.com | $???.?? = $739.18 + ???? $??.?? BUT OUT OF STOCK |
| HP® D8C57UT 6300 i5-3470 office depot | $???.?? = $658.90 + ???? $??.?? BUT OUT OF STOCK |
| HP® D8C57UT 6300 i5-3470 beach audio | out of stock |
| HP® D8C57UT 6300 i5-3470 CDW | $700.00 = $676.99 + UPS Ground 2-3 business days about $23 |
| core i3 | |
| D8C62UT Staples | $639.99 = $639.99 + free shipping 3 days |
| D8C62UT Office Depot | $645.95 = $645.95 + free 3-5 days |
| D8C62UT CDW | $671.24 = $649.99 + UPS Ground 2-3 business days $21. |
| D8C62UT | $ = $ + |
| D8C62UT | $ = $ + |
| D8C62UT | $ = $ + |
| D8C62UT | $ = $ + |
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