• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Different PC sites

Status
Not open for further replies.

nutter

Member
Joined
13 Nov 2005
Messages
769
Location
Albrighton, Nr. Wolves, Shrops
As some of you may be aware, I'm looking for a new PC for the summer. I have a "budget" of 3.5k but realistiacally it will be around £1000

I was just wondereing if anybody knows where they do cheap, good computers with fully customisable options (selecting each component) so I can cut out the bits I don't need, to try and save a few pennies, other than the following websites

www.meshcomputers.com
www.vantagecomputers.co.uk
www.pcspecialist.co.uk

A base unit will just do, but if it's a base unit, it will need to be compatiable with CRT (the old big ones) monitors and a fairly old (but good) set of speakers. The higher spec the better

When I type in my ideal spec (includes NaVidia 256mb 7650GT(something along those lines) i can get it down to around £1,200 which i will just about be able to cope with

any other websites will be very welcome as I want to have a look at as much of the market as possible, rather than just the big guns
 
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Carlz

Member
Joined
25 Nov 2006
Messages
5
If you want value for money, Acer or Dell are good ways to go. I recommend Dell if you really want to customize your computer.
 

nutter

Member
Joined
13 Nov 2005
Messages
769
Location
Albrighton, Nr. Wolves, Shrops
One with a 'build it yourself' section will be ideal. I'm just trying to find if there's anywhere cheaper than those 3 websites. I'm looking for a desktop by the way, hate laptops/notebooks, whatever you wanna call 'em
 

David

Established Member
Joined
9 Jul 2005
Messages
5,103
Location
Scunthorpe
Visit the local computer shops, and talk with the staff there. In most cases, they will be able to help you, and more than likely, suggest improvements. Plus there is a slight chance of getting a small discount (for instance, rounded down a few quid), compared to the like of Dell.
 

Respite

Member
Joined
30 Oct 2006
Messages
766
Location
Staffordshire
Just build your own,its a piece of ****. Especially as You are a training S&T fella!

Got all my bits from Daw computers in telford & slapped it all together myself.

Built my system a few years ago now: (time for an upgrade soon)

AMD 3.2 GHZ
1GB Ram
120GB Hard drive
Nvidia 6600 GTX 256mb
Windows XP
& it cost me about £400 two years ago.
 

nutter

Member
Joined
13 Nov 2005
Messages
769
Location
Albrighton, Nr. Wolves, Shrops
Cheers with the tips, especially with them being local whan I go home.

I've checked out dell, you need a premier membership to customise by the looks of it, still prefer mesh, pcspecialist and vantage
 

paul1609

Established Member
Joined
28 Jan 2006
Messages
7,187
Location
Wittersham Kent
Novatech are one of the best known companies in the Portsmouth area nutter. Their web sites here http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/
I bought my laptop from them 4 years ago and Ive bought various components from them for my sisters computer with no problems.

Their warehouse/ showroom is about 10 minutes walk from Portchester Station.

Have you moved to Sultan yet by the way?
 

nutter

Member
Joined
13 Nov 2005
Messages
769
Location
Albrighton, Nr. Wolves, Shrops
Had a look, not to sure, prices are good though, but you can't change enough

It's only the 2nd years which stay at Sultan in 2 week blocks every term IIRC.

Tried the omlettes in the canteen today, there're pretty good

I'm just wondering. If i get all the components that mesh have to upgrade myself, including an OS, would I have a functioning PC or are there other bits they don't mention. I have been thinking of building my own, it's just there seems to be so many components.

.I'm going for an intel processor BTW (looking at 2.4ghz duo core 1066mhz),
.with NvIdia 256 (or 512mb) 7950 GT graphics card,
.with Creative X gamers sound card,
.with a 200mb (or 150 @10,000rpm).
.I need ethernet connections (or wireless),
.monitor and speakers would be if i had cash spare (I have a CRT which is old but it works).
.Good looking case with at least 550W PSU (led's would be sooooo cool)
.Motherboard with plenty of upgrade space
.Floppy drive (I have some old files)
.DVD player RE-writer
.Operating System (Windows XP), any idea on price
.Office (I'll be using the new tesco ones for £20)

Thats the list of components i've been able to fix together (keyboard and mouse will be sorted at the time), anymore please let me know if i've missed any. I haven't started pricing up, but pre-built from mesh i'm looking at 1.3k, as with the others
 

47205

Member
Joined
1 Jul 2005
Messages
285
Well nutter,

I've built this, not a Creatie sound card, but it's damn high quality, and the case has slidy drive bays & Firewire :D

sprogpc1qj5.png


I'm basing mine around this and the DS4 means you can overclock to 3.25GHz!
 

nutter

Member
Joined
13 Nov 2005
Messages
769
Location
Albrighton, Nr. Wolves, Shrops
I ain't that good looking (sshhhh, i'm being nice for a change)

Can't see it too good, The case is quite important to me too, Because it will be used with games like 'the regiment' so it needs good cooling, but it needs to look really cool too, with LED's too so it looks suber cool (i like the PCspecialist black Neon extreme case)

I like red BTW (or tango orange, go great in the NR office ;))

Cheers
 

47205

Member
Joined
1 Jul 2005
Messages
285
I ain't that good looking (sshhhh, i'm being nice for a change)

Can't see it too good, The case is quite important to me too, Because it will be used with games like 'the regiment' so it needs good cooling, but it needs to look really cool too, with LED's too so it looks suber cool (i like the PCspecialist black Neon extreme case)

Cheers

There's the Antec Nine-Hundred series case:
http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/specpage.html?ANT-NINE

I can build it for you if you want to...:D
 

47205

Member
Joined
1 Jul 2005
Messages
285
Let me do a calculation or two...

*Thinks*

Ah, it's £703.61 for the basic kit from Novatech, fans are easily interchangeable, depends really on what you want, you can obtain coloured fans from all over, the current ones on the Case are blue...
 

47205

Member
Joined
1 Jul 2005
Messages
285
In there components section, do they have ALL the components needed to make a functioning PC except Operating systems (how much does XP normally cost btw).

Well XP MCE 2005 goes for about £75 at Aria, with a free* upgrade to Vista Premium...

*You have to pay a 'nominal' shipping charge...
 

nutter

Member
Joined
13 Nov 2005
Messages
769
Location
Albrighton, Nr. Wolves, Shrops
Is vista going to be around about the same price. I won't be getting this PC until next summer, I just want to prepare my bank account for it (i think the £1,000 bonus will be very useful)
 

47205

Member
Joined
1 Jul 2005
Messages
285
Is vista going to be around about the same price. I won't be getting this PC until next summer, I just want to prepare my bank account for it (i think the £1,000 bonus will be very useful)

Vista, the same price?! Oh no no no no no no no!

It's expected to retail for about £180 :o

Anyways, I'm off to bed, I'll continue this tomorrow evening...
 
T

Tom

Guest
Do. Not. Get. Vista.

It. Is. A. Load. Of. ****.

It uses too many resources for no reason.

It's XP under the bonnet just with a fancy interface - which you can recreate with Windows Blinds anyway!
 

47205

Member
Joined
1 Jul 2005
Messages
285
Well, not really Tom, Vista does have some nice features that XP doesn't have, such as support for SATA drives from day one. :D

I for one will be adopting Vista, my friend uses a slightly up-market version of my soon-to-be new PC, and he says it's a very good OS, just so long as you have the right computer, besides, many Vista themes have been removed by request from Microsoft IIRC...

Nutter, I've added you to MSN...
 

nutter

Member
Joined
13 Nov 2005
Messages
769
Location
Albrighton, Nr. Wolves, Shrops
Cheers, but there's too much red. I'd like the red to be abit like mood lighting, like most blue LED's, Don't worry about the case, I'm going for one of that portsmouth website
 

47205

Member
Joined
1 Jul 2005
Messages
285
Cheers, but there's too much red. I'd like the red to be abit like mood lighting, like most blue LED's, Don't worry about the case, I'm going for one of that portsmouth website

Which one, the Jeantech or the Antec?
 

Nick W

Established Member
Joined
5 Nov 2005
Messages
1,436
Location
Cambridge
Well, not really Tom, Vista does have some nice features that XP doesn't have, such as support for SATA drives from day one.

XP can't do SATA? You've gotta be kidding.

My mac is almost two years old and came with SATA...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top