That's right, I finally picked up a new computer! So far it has been great! The first day of summer 2011 will definitely be memorable in lieu of this occassion. Here is how it went down...
I had found an HP (PC Only) for a pretty good price. It had a 3.1 GHz processor, 6 GB RAM, and a 1.5 TB HD. I figured I would pick it up, source a cheap (<$100 20" monitor) and call it good. That is not what happened...
I did find the computer, I even had it in the cart...
However, fate intervened and led me to a better option, albeit in a round-about-way. What essentially happened is there was no stock of budget monitors, I mean NOTHING. The cheapest monitor was just under $200 ($189ish if I remember right) and was 23 inches. The next up was 25 inches. Problem there is two-fold: I didn't want to spend that much and my desk is actually fixed...you can only fit so much screen between the framework, lol.
The monitor debacle led to looking at other options...there was a close-out "last model" sale on 2, but I am always leary of taking the demos. A sweet slimline was on display, but none were in stock. The top-of-the-line was on the corner just begging to be looked at, but for around $900 I was able to resist.
What fell into place was the HP p7-1037cb
And yes, that is a bundle.
The desktop features an AMD Athlon II 645 QuadCore Processor with a clock speed of 3.1 GHz! This is a huge improvement for me and the main reason for needing an upgrade.
Accenting the processor is a nest of 8GB DDR3 of system memory and a 1 TB HD.
I can't stress enough that I will store everything on external HDs. A lesson learned from my last pc was that you need space. You can't just keep saving songs, pictures, and videos and hope to have anywhere near the same performance from your computer. I will probably make weekly sweeps of the HD. This will not only make backup copies, but it will keep the desktop's HD clear and performing as best it can.
Oh and the monitor...how about a full 23" of 1080p HD LED viewing delight? Yeah, that sounds nice!
It really is in my case. I am coming from a 17" flat screen monitor. Note that I did not mention a flat panel monitor....That's right I had an old shool, late 90s unit putting 40 lbs of downforce on my desk! I kid you not the desk let off a sigh of relief when I pulled the old monitor off. And the best part? literally gained about 18" of floor space just due to the fact I can finally scoot my desk back towards the wall...amazing isn't it?!
I've only been running the desktop for a few hours now, but man is it nice. The other big perk for me is how quiet this thing is. My old eMachine, which I will be keeping btw, had a nice fan, but it was LOUD (see replaced after an early crash). Without the LED indicator up front I wouldn't know this computer was even on...definite upgrade!
I know I could have gotten a cooler case, maybe some better features, but the fact of the matter is for the money this was one heck of a deal. I am on the computer a lot, but aside from editing pics and videos, building and tweaking a few websites, and making use off spreadsheets and word processors I am not the most demanding guy.
I am very happy with the purchase and hope that I can get as much of a lifespan from this HP as I was able to with the old eMachine.
I am still exploring the features, preloaded software, and adjusting from XP and Vista to Windows 7. It'll take some time, but I certainly can't complain. I might have pics and an unboxing video up soon...
