Need a new PC

SeniorBen

SeniorBen

Senior Member
My PC is over 10 years old and it's a bit slow for graphics intensive applications, so I'm thinking about buying a new one.

My current computer is a Lenovo H320 Type 4041 with an i5-650 CPU. I looked into upgrading to an i7 CPU, but since the graphics card of my current configuration is integrated into the motherboard, an upgraded CPU won't work, and new graphics card will require an upgraded power supply. So I'd be upgrading the graphics card, power supply and CPU. I've already installed an SSD and more memory.

So rather than do any more upgrades, I'm thinking it's time for a new PC. From what I've read, the graphics program I'm using relies on the CPU more than the graphics card.

So what's a good computer for under $600 that would suit my needs?
 

I'm not a hardware expert. I've worked on CAD capable machines all my life.

$600.00 doesn't sound like enough money to get a graphics capable machine.

The graphics cards to run CAD are $1500 or more.

Maybe what you're calling a graphics heavy software isn't as intensive as a professional graphics software.
 
SeniorBen said:
My PC is over 10 years old and it's a bit slow for graphics intensive applications, so I'm thinking about buying a new one.

My current computer is a Lenovo H320 Type 4041 with an i5-650 CPU. I looked into upgrading to an i7 CPU, but since the graphics card of my current configuration is integrated into the motherboard, an upgraded CPU won't work, and new graphics card will require an upgraded power supply. So I'd be upgrading the graphics card, power supply and CPU. I've already installed an SSD and more memory.

So rather than do any more upgrades, I'm thinking it's time for a new PC. From what I've read, the graphics program I'm using relies on the CPU more than the graphics card.

So what's a good computer for under $600 that would suit my needs?
Click to expand...
What is the name of this graphics intensive program? And is it a program that you use often?
I'd think that after more than 10 years of service, the computer has lived a long life. Won't be
long until many newer program versions won't be compatible. If this is all you do, try Linux for
free or get two chromebooks for that price.
 

Mmmm, okay...

Amazon sells "renewed" (used) computers for cheapskates like me. :ROFLMAO:

This one would be fast enough for what I'm doing, and it runs Windows 11. I could always upgrade the graphics card in the future if need be.

DELL Optiplex 7060 SFF Desktop Computer PC | Intel 8th Gen i7-8700 (6 Core) | 16GB DDR4 Ram 256GB NVMe M.2 SSD | Built-in WiFi & Bluetooth | Windows 11 Pro | Wireless Keyboard & Mouse(Renewed)​
$544.98​

This one might be faster since it has a better graphics card, but it's not compatible with Windows 11, so it's obsolete out of the box.

Dell Gaming PC Desktop Computer - Intel Quad I5 up to 3.6GHz, GeForce GTX 1660 Ti 6G, 32GB DDR4 Memory, 128G SSD + 3TB, RGB Keyboard & Mouse, WiFi & Bluetooth 5.0, Win 10 Pro​
$479.99​

I'll need to think about it.
 
Bonjour à tous
We do most everyday email, photos, notes on an iPad, less and less need for the PC.

On our PCS (7 of them!) We use all the Adobe Creative Suite CS6, ACAD, and other graphic intense. Modern on-board graphics like Intel 630 with HDMI, DISPLAYPORT, have no problem even at 3860x1900 res.

Our main pc is a 3 yrs old Lenovo ThinkPad Carbon X1 laptop, used for travel.Also, at office, with 27..38" external monitor. See Lenovo website for refurb sales, etc..

Nowadays, DIY PC builds are passé, except perhaps for gamers seeking fastest possible frame rate, virtual reality, 3D immersive etc. it's much cheaper and easier to just buy a used PC.

For desktop, we now use only HP SFF Small Form Factor elitedesk 800 g3, G5. Were $230..400, refurb, ebay, almost new. highly recommended.All the other brands Dell, Asus, etc, have cheapened the construction, mobo, SSD, PSU so the reliability and useablety is worse. Most ready-made PC are loaded with bundle ware, adaware, and junk.

In the SFF HP, just add new SSD Samsung 1 TB EVO 860, update OS, load programs and data.
Most Elitedesk including W10. OEM liscencing W10 or 11 is only $30..50. I do not reccomend W11 yet, easy to upgrade later.

Enjoy and Bon chance!

Jon

Just the ramblings of an old retired EE

Jon
 
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Jean-Paul said:
Bonjour à tous
We do most everyday email, photos, notes on an iPad, less and less need for the PC.

On our PCS (7 of them!) We use all the Adobe Creative Suite CS6, ACAD, and other graphic intense. Modern on-board graphics like Intel 630 with HDMI, DISPLAYPORT, have no problem even at 3860x1900 res.

Our main pc is a 3 yrs old Lenovo ThinkPad Carbon X1 laptop, used for travel.Also, at office, with 27..38" external monitor. See Lenovo website for refurb sales, etc..

Nowadays, DIY PC builds are passé, except perhaps for gamers seeking fastest possible frame rate, virtual reality, 3D immersive etc. it's much cheaper and easier to just buy a used PC.

For desktop, we now use only HP SFF Small Form Factor elitedesk 800 g3, G5. Were $230..400, refurb, ebay, almost new. highly recommended.All the other brands Dell, Asus, etc, have cheapened the construction, mobo, SSD, PSU so the reliability and useablety is worse. Most ready-made PC are loaded with bundle ware, adaware, and junk.

In the SFF HP, just add new SSD Samsung 1 TB EVO 860, update OS, load programs and data.
Most Elitedesk including W10. OEM liscencing W10 or 11 is only $30..50. I do not reccomend W11 yet, easy to upgrade later.

Enjoy and Bon chance!

Jon

Just the ramblings of an old retired EE

Jon
Click to expand...
Your HPs won't run Windows 11 without some workarounds, but they are cheap. I see Amazon has some with a Intel i7-7700, SSD, and 32GB DDR4 for $300.

Hmmm...
 
Okay, I just pulled the trigger on this PC:

Dell Optiplex 7050 SFF Desktop PC Intel i7-7700 4-Cores 3.60GHz 32GB DDR4 1TB SSD WiFi BT HDMI Duel Monitor Support
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08X1KKVCZ/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00

That shows $324.46 but I paid an extra $25 for Amazon Prime, which means I'll get it on this Wednesday instead of in two weeks, and if there's anything wrong with it, there's no hassle returning it. It's worth $25 for piece of mind. :)

Even though it's not going to be able to run Windows 11, it should be fine for what I'm going to use it for, as long as MS supports Windows 10.
 
I change desktop computers every 3 years. I pull the hard drive and donate the old computer. My laptop is treated differently. I keep upgrading it because I have a lot of really important data on it and would be lost if I lost any of that data doing a transfer. Some of it is considered PIP.
 
Silver Spoon said:
I change desktop computers every 3 years. I pull the hard drive and donate the old computer. My laptop is treated differently. I keep upgrading it because I have a lot of really important data on it and would be lost if I lost any of that data doing a transfer. Some of it is considered PIP.
Click to expand...
You buy a new desktop computer every three years?
 
SeniorBen said:
Okay, I just pulled the trigger on this PC:

Dell Optiplex 7050 SFF Desktop PC Intel i7-7700 4-Cores 3.60GHz 32GB DDR4 1TB SSD WiFi BT HDMI Duel Monitor Support
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08X1KKVCZ/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00

That shows $324.46 but I paid an extra $25 for Amazon Prime, which means I'll get it on this Wednesday instead of in two weeks, and if there's anything wrong with it, there's no hassle returning it. It's worth $25 for piece of mind. :)

Even though it's not going to be able to run Windows 11, it should be fine for what I'm going to use it for, as long as MS supports Windows 10.
Click to expand...
I've had good luck with the Amazon Renew deals. Don't worry about the win 10 support or running 11. Win 10 will be supported to Oct 2025 and you can keep running it after that without any problem. Although they will stop the OS updates, defender still updates. Also, there are many YouTube's that show you how to make 11 run on anything!
 
1955 said:
I've had good luck with the Amazon Renew deals. Don't worry about the win 10 support or running 11. Win 10 will be supported to Oct 2025 and you can keep running it after that without any problem. Although they will stop the OS updates, defender still updates. Also, there are many YouTube's that show you how to make 11 run on anything!
Click to expand...
I read that Windows 11 needs to be installed from a disk for older computers (older than 8th gen CPUs), whereas for newer PCs, the installation files are downloaded during installation. But other than that, it runs just fine. The main difference between 11 and 10 is some hardware functionality for security.
 
SeniorBen said:
I read that Windows 11 needs to be installed from a disk for older computers (older than 8th gen CPUs), whereas for newer PCs, the installation files are downloaded during installation. But other than that, it runs just fine. The main difference between 11 and 10 is some hardware functionality for security.
Click to expand...
Yep, but there are workarounds for 11 to get around the security hardware thing called TPM 2.0.
 
1955 said:
Yep, but there are workarounds for 11 to get around the security hardware thing called TPM 2.0.
Click to expand...
Amazon is selling those TPM chips for around $30, but the motherboard needs to be compatible. For compatible motherboards, the chip just plugs in. There will no doubt be a big demand for them if MS phases out support for Windows 10, but that probably won't be for at least another five years. I'll deal with it when the time comes.
 
SeniorBen said:
Amazon is selling those TPM chips for around $30, but the motherboard needs to be compatible. For compatible motherboards, the chip just plugs in. There will no doubt be a big demand for them if MS phases out support for Windows 10, but that probably won't be for at least another five years. I'll deal with it when the time comes.
Click to expand...
There are ways to install win 11 without the TPM hardware.

How To Install Windows 11 Without TPM​

 
If you are somewhat flexible and can install an OS, there are places that are basically data destruction companies. When a corporation decides to upgrade all employee's laptops, which happens maybe every 3-5 years in many cases, the companies contract to take the old one and completely wipe the drives (HD or SSD), no OS no format, nothing.

A part of the deal is to turn around and sell these, with no real guarantees, for 100-200; they bring up the BIOS diagnostics, run them, and if it passes, offer it for sale. You can then get Ubuntu (Linux) for free and install it.

I did this around last spring and am happy with my 200 purchase, am using it as I write this.

It is for people who are willing to do an OS install (quite simple) and who are not married to the Windows OS. Most of my working carrier was on some forum of UNIX or Linux workstation, so I like Linux quite a lot. Ubuntu is pretty close to a Mac-like experience.

If you are interested, I will look up the place I got it from. I decided on Dell (it's a known quantity) business class model and first studied this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_Latitude#Technical_specifications

Then I decided what I wanted and looked at the data destruction company websites.
 
SeniorBen said:
Okay, I just pulled the trigger on this PC:

Dell Optiplex 7050 SFF Desktop PC Intel i7-7700 4-Cores 3.60GHz 32GB DDR4 1TB SSD WiFi BT HDMI Duel Monitor Support
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08X1KKVCZ/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00

That shows $324.46 but I paid an extra $25 for Amazon Prime, which means I'll get it on this Wednesday instead of in two weeks, and if there's anything wrong with it, there's no hassle returning it. It's worth $25 for piece of mind. :)

Even though it's not going to be able to run Windows 11, it should be fine for what I'm going to use it for, as long as MS supports Windows 10.
Click to expand...
I think that's a really good deal!
 
Sawfish said:
If you are somewhat flexible and can install an OS, there are places that are basically data destruction companies. When a corporation decides to upgrade all employee's laptops, which happens maybe every 3-5 years in many cases, the companies contract to take the old one and completely wipe the drives (HD or SSD), no OS no format, nothing.

A part of the deal is to turn around and sell these, with no real guarantees, for 100-200; they bring up the BIOS diagnostics, run them, and if it passes, offer it for sale. You can then get Ubuntu (Linux) for free and install it.

I did this around last spring and am happy with my 200 purchase, am using it as I write this.

It is for people who are willing to do an OS install (quite simple) and who are not married to the Windows OS. Most of my working carrier was on some forum of UNIX or Linux workstation, so I like Linux quite a lot. Ubuntu is pretty close to a Mac-like experience.

If you are interested, I will look up the place I got it from. I decided on Dell (it's a known quantity) business class model and first studied this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_Latitude#Technical_specifications

Then I decided what I wanted and looked at the data destruction company websites.
Click to expand...
I'm running Linux on my old MacBook Pro laptop, but I need Windows for my PC because I sometimes stream football games on it on the xfinity website, which won't run on Linux. I guess it might with some spoofing, but I'm not going to waste time with that.

Windows makes everything easy. Linux can be time consuming sometimes when it comes to installing software and I'm just not that into it. I worked on various UNIX platforms during my career, also. It's more stable and secure than Windows. And I was running Linux back in the mid-'90s on my home computer. I think I even ran Minix before running the early versions of Linux. Remember that one?
 
SeniorBen said:
I'm running Linux on my old MacBook Pro laptop, but I need Windows for my PC because I sometimes stream football games on it on the xfinity website, which won't run on Linux. I guess it might with some spoofing, but I'm not going to waste time with that.

Windows makes everything easy. Linux can be time consuming sometimes when it comes to installing software and I'm just not that into it. I worked on various UNIX platforms during my career, also. It's more stable and secure than Windows. And I was running Linux back in the mid-'90s on my home computer. I think I even ran Minix before running the early versions of Linux. Remember that one?
Click to expand...
Nope.

At work we went from Solaris to Linux 8086 type workstations, then laptops.

Ubuntu is pretty easy for installs (apt get-install).I also have a CentOS desktop workstation. This is harder.
 
beware of the Dell bundleware, ad are.

Use a utility to remove all their junk default so called programs that are actually selling stuff.

Get all the W10/11 Spyware, to stop phoning home.

Avoid the MS or Google accounts or clouds.

j
 
Jean-Paul said:
beware of the Dell bundleware, ad are.

Use a utility to remove all their junk default so called programs that are actually selling stuff.

Get all the W10/11 Spyware, to stop phoning home.

Avoid the MS or Google accounts or clouds.

j
Click to expand...
I don't think there's going to be much bloatware since it's a "refurbished" (used) computer from a third party vendor — not a new one from Dell. I'm hoping they did a fresh OS install and left it at that. Guess I'll find out.

I do use Google accounts and have an Android phone. And I don't trust them, but I don't switch because I don't trust any software except for maybe some open source applications, so there's really no better option unless you want to spend a lot of time researching alternatives and trying to get it all set up to work together. Google makes it so easy. I stay away from Microsoft products other than their OS.

Most of Google's unethical activity is just tracking you for advertising purposes because that's how they make their money. They're not trying to steal your identity and get into your bank account or something like that. That's what scares me... somebody getting my bank account information by installing a keylogger or something like that. And that's where your far better off on a Linux machine.

As far as cloud storage, yeah, that can be a security risk. But it makes life easier when you move from one device to another, or get a new device.
 
SeniorBen said:
Linux can be time consuming sometimes when it comes to installing software and I'm just not that into it.
Click to expand...
Being a tinkerer I've probably tested & experimented with hundreds of Linux distros. Being retired has given me more free time to tinker. I guess it's all in your personal perspective of what's time consuming. If a distro does not like my hardware,,,etc I simply move on. I've settled ;) on one I like at this time, takes about 30 minutes to download/create a bootable USB and install, another hour or so to setup, add my usable apps to my satisfaction and I'm off.

My wife spends more time & money doing a puzzle.
 
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ManjaroKDE said:
Being a tinkerer I've probably tested & experimented with hundreds of Linux distros. Being retired has given me more free time to tinker. I guess it's all in your personal perspective of what's time consuming. If a distro does not like my hardware,,,etc I simply move on. I've settled ;) on one I like at this time, takes about 30 minutes to download/create a bootable USB and install, another hour or so to setup, add my usable apps to my satisfaction and I'm off.

My wife spends more time & money doing a puzzle.
Click to expand...
What version of Linux do you like?

I've only had experience of two somewhat "different" flavors: Red Hat/Fedora/CentOs, and Ubuntu. I like Ubuntu a bit more for ease of use.

I come from command line days on VAX/VMS. When the GUIs came out, Windows never felt "right" to me, and tyhe UNIX virtual windows managers did.

Macs is UNIX for dummies and irresponsible children.

Still not sure how I feel about the concept of the desktop.
 
What version of Linux do you like?
Click to expand...
Almost any version of Manjaro. German engineering, rolling release, favorite version - KDE Plasma. German mindset is focused on organization and security.
 

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