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Guidance; Shopping for a Work Computer

Started by Lain, June 30, 2021, 06:48:05 AM

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Lain

Not a computer problem, per se, but it's a question about computers...

Anyone who knows me with spending a large amount of money knows that I will kick the subject to death just to be sure I am buying what will work for me, long run. That's where I am now,  but I feel I just don't have the experience with what I am looking for to make a sound decision, and no one I know that does is willing/able to help.

My father lent me his desktop for school, to help me with money and having to buy just another thing for school. This thing is a peppy computer, 8gb of ram and 1T hard drive space. Only, it has been crying for mercy since I started my job and added a second screen for efficiency.

I am forced to take mini breaks when both screens turn white and the computer must think long and hard about it's life. They have always faded back in, I just let it go and it's back by the time I am with a fresh coffee. I don't do anything too draining (I thought) for my job, just administrative/clerical work of inputting data and meetings and such. I don't even store anything more than music on the computer (I have always kept everything personal backed up elsewhere).

I started shopping for a new computer, trying to do some research and decide what I want. I initially thought "Hell, a 16gb ram and 1T of space should be pretty basic to find" ... I am so wrong, you would think I was searching for the Holy Grail of computers. I don't have a great budget right now, not for a work computer, but I do have a Best Buy charge card that will help with that. That's the biggest kicker, I need to go to Best Buy, that place where the staff used to be knowledgeable and now I go inn with more know-how then they have. I used to build computers, but that was 15 years ago and I just don't have time to research the ins and outs of what I would need again.

So I suppose my question is; what should I be looking for? I only want to do this once really. I am actually looking at "iBUYPOWER - Arc Gaming Desktop - Intel i3-10105F - 8GB Memory - NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 1GB - 480GB SSD" for a starter and just add memory and be able to switch things out as time goes as it is well within my budget as it's on sale right now and has slots for memory so I could upgrade it quickly. Sadly, it does not have a disc reader, I know I can get an external reader so I am not too concerned.

I just need something that can efficiently run and run with two screens. I really did not think I was asking for anything special. Although, for those who know me; no, I am not looking at the gaming computer for the pretty lights, I have a rgb keyboard for that  ;)

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!
My Heritage Is Rebellion.

Vekseid

My personal experience with iBuypower is pretty horrible. They are a Chinese company and repairs get them shipped across the ocean, so I was without my laptop for half a year.

Make sure you are dealing with a local company. Like Microcenter if you have one nearby, though I use Xotic PC for Laptops.

The thing about either is asking them to swap in a 1TB SSD for you (or 2TB), or adding RAM, should not be a big deal.

Amaris

My ibuypower PC went to California when I sent it for warranty repairs. (I'm pretty sure it didn't get sent across the ocean as I had it back pretty quickly.)

So I wonder if that's something that's changed. I've had a different experience than Veks, but can't really give a full opinion as I've only had experiences with this *one* PC.

I've found it's hard to do a lot of what I want to do even when I had an Intel i5? The i7 has been much better, but I don't know a lot more than that, sorry!


Lain

#3
Hi guys! I appreciate the input!

I am normally a bit standoffish with 'Brand X' products, but I feel like I have little choice in this with my current options and it seems there might be a time limit with the way the one I am currently using is acting. That and my Lenovos have been getting worse consistently with each laptop that I buy and hp has SO much bloat in them.

Have you done any building/rebuilding with your ibuypowers? Is there a way to essentially rebuild them with other brands as time goes and funds allow? I am not shy at all about tearing it apart and rebuilding it as I get parts.

I have been given the microcenter site from one of the best buy workers, I jus don't have one anywhere nearby. I will try Xotic and I have been shopping on new egg as well. I think I may have found a couple memory cards on there already I can use to bulk up this ibuypower I am looking at.

Edit:

Knowing what I need, is there another desktop that you would recommend? Or what specs should I be looking for? I don't need a gaming computer but knowing that Windows 11 will be out this year has me thinking that I should have a larger Ram to update, I haven't looked into system requirements for that. Though, I wish I could use Linyx or another instead of Microsoft.
My Heritage Is Rebellion.

Vekseid

You haven't mentioned your budget.

Again, there should be a computer store local to you that is building machines with warranties. I don't know where you live, Microcenter is just a relatively common example. But going to a local builder can save you a lot of effort in the long run.

Lain

#5
So sorry. If I purchase a comouter from best buy I would be be comfortable with anything under $800 if I went out of pocket I could still pay $800 but would rather less.

I am in rural PA, there aren't any computer shops around, there is a repair shop that I would never trust to repair a computer much less build one. My brother and I built one together about 20 years ago, but he is unwilling to help now for some reason. He wont respond to calls or texts. This is common for him when he simply rather not be bothered.

I do still have the monstro case from that build but I know 450 power supply would need upgraded and the fans and maybe disk drives would be all that's salvageable... It would be a complete do over. I just wouldn't know where to start... or if it would be cost effective? I know I could build a pretty powerful machine, but for work? Maybe movies on the weekends because I did invest in two Samsung curved screens because they were on sale for a good price and I would need to replace the ones I have when I give it back to my dad.

Edit:

This is a link to the ibuypower at best buy I am looking at

Best Buy ibuypower

Edit x 2:

Found another but much cheaper... why?

Best Buy ibuypower take two
My Heritage Is Rebellion.

Vekseid

Your first one has a SSD, the second an HDD. Personally I wouldn't buy a platter drive (HDD) ever again. Installing a new SSD to get yourself to a terabyte or five is a comparatively trivial matter.

I don't think it would be very cost effective for you to use your old case. At the very least, it'd be a lot of work.

Caitlin

#7
I'm afraid my post won't be much help since I'm located in Europe, but I'd imagine that 800 dollars would get you what you need.

One of the things to look out for currently is the videocard, they rocketed in price due to the global chip shortage and this won't be going down anytime soon. Even second-hand videocards are expensive these days. If you're only doing basic work (running Microsoft Office programs/ surfing the net) and not gaming, then you'd get away with a cheap videocard. As long as it has two ports for your monitors then you should be fine.

Depending on how much time you have available, you could also consider buying second-hand parts and build the PC yourself, considering how you already have experience with this. 

Another thing to keep in mind; Intel processors are great, but also very expensive. An AMD processor that has just as much computing power as intel may run you a lot cheaper. When I bought a new PC half a year ago there was about 200 euros price difference between similar processors so I went for AMD myself. Going for AMD will save you money. You can also opt to go with regular fans instead of water cooling, it makes more noise but it's also cheaper and most likely your processor won't be tasked too much anyway if you're not going to use it for gaming. (If it gets hot during the summers where you put your computer then you could still consider going for water cooling though, it keeps the processor cooler).

Personally, I prefer an SSD, but a HDD also works fine. My new computer has both, a 1 TB SSD for running programs and a 4 TB HDD for storing data. You could always go for a smaller SSD (I'd recommend taking at least 256 GB) and a bigger HDD if you're looking an optimum between storage/ money/ speed.

It sounds like you have the other basics already figured out. Although 8 gb of ram would do, it's probably better to go for 16 gb. However, if you're pressed for money then I'd take 8 gb instead, memory isn't as expensive as it used to be though and it's relatively cheap these days to upgrade from 8 gb to 16 gb.

I really think you should be able to get a new PC for 800 dollars if you don't go crazy and stick to older parts that are out for more than a year. It won't be the fastest PC, but you don't need that anyway for basic tasks.

One final tip, I would recommend getting a 550 - 650 Watt power supply. It sounds like your current computer has trouble with its power supply and changing that may very well end up fixing your monitor issues. That could be a much cheaper solution and you'd be done for like 60 - 80 dollars in that case. (You might want to check if it's a 450 Watt supply, I'm guessing it is based on what you described, but I'm not an expert either.) Good companies show how much Wattage each part takes, the videocard tends to use the most, but if you add up what each part takes then you can also calculate how much you should at least settle for.

I'm not sure how useful all this information is, but I hope it gave you some things to consider.

TheTech

Ok im gonna stop yall here right now. I build my computer. Looking at the iBuy stuff in best buy, my mom got one... but if you are going for a prebuild, you get what you pay for. 800 aint gonna kick it. Its gonna be a cheap pos. I really would avoid HP desktops, because they are utter crap.
Your old computer, the graphics card caused the issue with the monitors. Just because its a HHD(spinning disks) doesnt mean its shit. You just want to make sure it spins at 7200 rpms. And its cheaper than a SSD that after a certain number of rewrites, the SSD fails. See, thats another thing no one tells you till you come across someone pissed about it failing because of that. So unless its a real good deal, i'd avoid something that wears away after a certain time. Means you are going to be replacing it.
So starting out with RAM, if you are looking for just a work computer you can get away with 8gb of ram. If you are going to use it for other things, 16 -32 gb of RAM. Hard drive... 1tb will work but again if you are going to use it for other things, you want more. Basically for prebuilts, you dont care about the CPU or graphics card. And upgrading a prebuilt, well you really can't on like HPs and Lenovos. My mom has a IBuypower its got room in the case and all and its not failed her. She's had it a while.
Hell i would still say build your own but if your brother's being an ass, well i learned 20 years ago how to build a computer. Oh CyberPowerPC is the best buy brand I believe. I would look at the PC towers section of Best Buy. And this is a thread of opinions mostly. In my opinion, you want what will work for you and not fail. Mostly think about what all you will be using it for.



Lain

Wow! That is a lot of good information.

I am privy to many of their tricks and making something seem like a good deal. I did finally get a hold of my brother and he let me on some more secrets that these places use. After a 2 hour lesson in computer training then, I feel a bt more comfortable with what I need... and what is probably draining on my ram while I am working, so for now I am going to try to shut some of my draining stuff off during work hours.

I think I am good with n 8gb but would look for a 12 and I will keep an eye on a prebuild that I can add things to. Some things are still confusing, such as having a spare SSD in the computer just to put my apps on, for example, my windows and office apps. I do have experience but I will say that this is not like riding a bike for me and I have forgotten a lot over the years.

I do know that I don't need a super great video card, sure I watch movies once in a while on my desktop, but normally I just plug the laptop into the tv and let'er rip.

I do think my old case would be better suited for the dumpster, I will pull what I can and be done with storing it, I tend to hang onto thinks to much because of the memories attached... but I know I will still have the memories when it's gone.

For work, I am going to look for something prebuilt I think, I have had very good luck with Lenovo and Toshiba, I am looking at HP to back up and somehow restore w/o the bloat. I mostly  say this because this weekend there will be some good sales, clearing out stock before back to school season. Maybe I can get a $700 computer for $500. I am not going to overbuy because I can, I rather get a $500 tower that will be something I use rather than $800 with components that will be wasted on what I use my computer for. I do not PC game, I am a console gamer, and when I say console I mean the baby switch and ps 4, and the ps 3 and ps 4 are primarily used for blue rays and gaming when I feel like I need to destress but need a challenge.

I will have to look into HD and SSD, I have had HD's crap the bed quickly, everything is going to eventually die, and HD is not bad in a desktop that is rarely moved, and probably okay since I don't mind waiting for apps to start up, because once they are started I dont close them until I am done. One thing to consider... I never shut off my desktop, except to update and restart it and if I need to reset it because it had some sort of 'event' (whether it is cerebrovascular or cardiovascular, I don't know). So an SSD may be better because moving parts will break down quicker, or am I mistaken?

I am having a hell off a time finding a prebuild with 3.0 usb (normally its 4 2.0 and 4 3.0) I hate that, they will boot a 2.0, right? Its like trying to sell you a DVD player for a great price but a BluRay player is a better deal for a couple bucks more than the 'on sale' dvd player.

Is there something I need to look for as far as running 2 monitors? Or just something with 2 ports, the monitors I picked up have HDMI and VGA.

I really appreciate all of the help and information! I am learning a lot and it is really helping me figure out what I need <3
My Heritage Is Rebellion.

Caitlin

Like TheTech said, you'll definitely want a HDD with 7200 RPM (rounds per minute). I went cheap on my previous pc and the drive only had 5400 RPM, it took 2 - 3 seconds each time when I wanted to switch from one drive to another. I grew used to it, but it was still annoying having to wait.

I should have also explained more why I went with both SSD and HDD, but TheTech explained that already too. SSD are great for writing information to and reading information from in combination with high speed. They're not great for data storage since such drives are overwritten a lot and they'll corrupt the memory in the SSD. The HDD is slower (and cheaper), but doesn't have that disadvantage as much. That's why the optimal combination is a small SSD for quickly booting up with Windows and your important programs and a larger HDD for storing data/ non-important programs.

I don't shut my PC's off often either, but generally it's better for your computer to do so. Not only do they last longer, they also collect less dust from sucking cool air in. On my attic dust is a big issue. I'm wiping it clean off dust every week now. If you live in a near dust-free environment than it's not so bad, but giving your computer time to cool everything off and clear its memory will help long term with keeping it running at peak efficiency. Unless you install Linux, then you have better control over which processes are on and you can reboot the processes easier, but I'm guessing you rather use Windows. One thing I will say; if you have an SSD then shutting your PC down every evening doesn't give you the boot up issues you currently probably experience. Instead of waiting for a minute or longer, your PC will boot up a lot faster. I used to wait about 1.5 - 2 minutes with my old PC, now it's booted up in about 15 seconds.

USB 2.0 isn't terrible. 3.0 is better for sure, but 2.0 will work just fine too.

Your videocard will need to have the same ports as your monitors do, but that's the only real thing to worry about. I'd also compare some videocards online and see which ones perform better/ ask lesser resources etc., but that's mostly important for gaming anyway.


Lain

That 7200 is definitely helpful, I am seeing lower numbers on the ones I am looking at and I know to just click off of those without going further!

I wonder, how hard is it to fit a HDD into a prebuild computer, I am making sure there are ports, but are they a universal fit? Or do you need tracks for them like disk drives? I would definitely want to get a HDD because for work I do a lot of downloading and deleting files. I am too nervous about someone getting those files since they are medical and that would be a nightmare with HIPAA.  The ones I am currently looking at are all 12gb of ram and between 565 gb - 1 tb of SSD, or 1T of HDD

I will admit that my house is anything but dust free, I have 6 cats and 2 dogs that are constantly dropping hair all over, and I am not permitted to work alone or make the office off limits during work hours. Though, I chased remote jobs for a reason, to stay home with the fur babies. I have realized my dream of being a stay at home pet mom, but still make a decent living doing so. One would think my house would be cleaner...

I will admit that nothing would give me greater satisfaction right now than to replace all of my Windows os. Had I the funds (and time to relearn another system) I would be getting a MAC instead. I have looked into Linux before and  am 100% fine with using it, as long as I could use Excel and such, I never looked to see if I could as it's been nearly a year since I looked into Linux. Or even Mac for the capabilities of those computers with competitor programs. I do hope to one day get a Mac laptop at least. I just know more about repairing and replacing parts in Windows. I do have boot up problems, but nothing too bad, mostly up to 10 minute boot times. My laptops are slow to boot too for some reason.

Right, I dont really do much with USB ports, just the normal plug and play stuff, sometimes I transfer data to flash drives or external hard drives.

Thanks for the pointers on the video card too! I will be sure to look into those in my research.
My Heritage Is Rebellion.

Lain

#12
So after applying the advice given and doing some digging I landed on the Acer TC-895-UR12 tower and two of the HP M24F monitors. My keyboard is so beautiful that it makes me cry an do a little dance when it lights up to greet me in the morning. The Macro keys are a bit strange but I do a lot of Ctrl + V/C/P/Z and a few excel key strokes that make it worth it. This is more appreciated when I have one of my cats draped over my arm snoozing while I work. My mouse is a Corsair because it looked pretty cool and seems pretty sturdy too. I haven't plugged this in longer to make sure it worked and felt nice, which it checks both of those boxes

I haven't had any buyers remorse as of yet, and I eagerly await the arrival of my new co-worker. I work from home, so its easier to call my computer a co-worker as it seems more alive than I am on most mornings. Either way, I think this will be a solid piece of machinery that will make my job easier for a good many years to come. A bit higher than what I wanted to pay as a whole, but I am not 100% worried about going over a little and getting what I need. I just hope I didn't make  mistake, I was waiting for sales, but with this chip shortage I thought it best to get a new computer before there was a major shortage and I would be S.O.L. when the Gateway dies and I would be forced to buy whatever they had, no mater the utter waste of money it would be.

What do you guys think? Yay or Ney on my choices?

I really wanted to thank you again for all of your help! I really needed some guidance and I found it here!  O:)

Edit:

Well... they canceled my tower order... twice now. I ws able to order again, so I did. It is showing as in stock still. I have a feeling this TC-895-UR12 will not be coming to my home... how disappointing. I am tempted to get the TC-895-UR11 but its an i5 and slower than the 12

If not an acer the only other one I was looking like is a bit... lacking when compared to the acer for the same price. i3880-7545BLK-PUS...

Thoughts?
My Heritage Is Rebellion.

Caitlin

The ' Acer TC-895-UR12' looks like a solid choice. I think it'll serve you well yeah. Unfortunately, I'm a bit low on time at the moment to check the others out, but I hope you'll be able to get it.

You could contact the company that sells them and see if another location can ship one over to you maybe?

In the Netherlands it's all pretty close, depending on how far away the store is you could consider driving over to get it yourself, but I have the feeling that distances are a much bigger issue for you. (Here we can cross the entire country from east to west in 2.5 hours and from south west to north east in about 3.5 hours.)

Lain

#14
I am officially about to throw in the towel with the UR12, I have ordered it now... 5 times and it's been canceled every time, whether I ship it to the store or home. The website still shows it as in stock and I have been "promised" twice and "assured" once that it will be shipped "this time" I don't know if I should call the Best Buy customer service or Acer's... or do I just look for another machine? How do I even know if they have it at all when this one still shows as in stock and shipping pending? I am so over this search. However, I do know that I need a new machine but I don't want to just buy what they have it is not going to work for me.

It has been explained to me that they fulfill the orders that come in and when the carrier leaves with the order anything not packed is canceled so they aren't 'late' in shipping. I feel like this is getting to be a passive aggressive game on someone's part. As one of the agents (I did chats because I rather things in writing) explained is that Acer has them in stock because they aknowlege and accept the orders. They wouldn't if they are out of them. So is Acer a company/brand that I even want to support?

Ha, that's pretty cool Caitlin! I just drove from one side of my state to not quite the other in 4.5 hours... I sadly believe that it would take a lot more time to go to the warehouse to pick it up. I would if I had the option though!

Edit:

This was the one I was going to buy but it went out of stock... HP Pavilion It seems like... almost the same computer...

Edit 2:

I think I am going this route?

Dell Inspiron

and this to put in

HDD 6T

Because HP bloat is akin to purgatory.
My Heritage Is Rebellion.

Lain

Good News! Perseverance paid off! The Acer came in on the ... 6th reorder! I just have to go pick it up from the store, not bad at all, just an hour in the opposite direction from another in store pick up I need to make. O:)
My Heritage Is Rebellion.

Caitlin

I was on vacation last week, hence my lack of replies (and I'm in general not as active on E as I used to be).

I'm glad to hear that you finally got the machine you wanted though!

Also a fun side note; three years ago I bought the HP pavillion laptop edition and I'm really loving that machine. I use it for my bachelor in software engineering and it's been my work horse for the past several years. It'd have made for a good alternative if plan A didn't work out for you. ;D

Lain

Hi Caitlin, I hope you had a fun vacation! I am the same with E, sadly, I am not as active these days... though I do poke around almost daily when I have a minute! Those precious few minutes have been hard to grasp recently!

I just picked the new computer up last night, but it is still in the box behind me now, I was so brain dead last night (1.5 pots of coffee between 8 and 3 then a crash at 6) that I haven't touched it. I am pleased to say that this seems to have at least the ports that where in the specs!

Thank you! I will keep that in mind! I have an old laptop that I would like to update some time in the near future, I will keep that pavilion in mind! I think it will wait a few months but it's good to have a head start on my research  :D

My Heritage Is Rebellion.

Caitlin

I'm glad to hear that you're happy with your purchase. I hope that it'll serve you well for a long time to come!

If you want to get the most out of an old laptop, then install Linux Ubuntu on it. ;)

I did so with an old laptop that originates from 2001. The little thing is 20 years old, but still happily buzzing along whenever I need a back up laptop and just want to surf the net. The good part is that Ubuntu is free and works similarly to Windows, although it does have a bit of a learning curve. It's a very cheap way to repurpose an old laptop though. I mean, why spend several 100 dollars on a new laptop when you already have an old one?

(Also, my HP pavillion laptop cost me 1200 euros 3 years ago, although I think that they'll have dropped in price now. It's a gaming laptop and as such it's more expensive than a regular laptop.)

Lain

I am in love with my acer right now. It really helps not having to wait for out billing program to export to excel for the normal 10 minutes... I mean it sucks I don't get that coffee break but the kidneys certainly appreciate the break!

Oh! That is such a good idea! I actually have a HP Vista laying around and a couple throw away's from where I did my internship as well. I can get a few oldies up and running if they have the get up and go to handle Linux? I would rather repurpose these old'uns than send more waste to the landfill, or spend even more money on a computer.

I do have a new question for you... My battery back up has been clicking ever since I plugged in the new comp and I am not sure if I am overloading it or... if I have a ground fault in my house and it fried it. All this one gives me is ES 750. I am not sure what I need or where to start to look for a new battery back up. I am supposing I need to add up what amps everything needs and go from there? I did move my printer to the wall outlet, but I can move more things around so it's just the monitors and tower.

Thank you so much for all of your help!
My Heritage Is Rebellion.

Caitlin

QuoteOh! That is such a good idea! I actually have a HP Vista laying around and a couple throw away's from where I did my internship as well. I can get a few oldies up and running if they have the get up and go to handle Linux? I would rather repurpose these old'uns than send more waste to the landfill, or spend even more money on a computer.
Linux is free and it runs like a charm on a laptop from 2001, I'm sure that yours will be newer than that. ;)

QuoteI do have a new question for you... My battery back up has been clicking ever since I plugged in the new comp and I am not sure if I am overloading it or... if I have a ground fault in my house and it fried it. All this one gives me is ES 750. I am not sure what I need or where to start to look for a new battery back up. I am supposing I need to add up what amps everything needs and go from there? I did move my printer to the wall outlet, but I can move more things around so it's just the monitors and tower.
I'm not really sure what the problem with that all is. Maybe you're drawing too much power from a single power group in your house?

About 15 years ago I hosted a lan party with friends in my first appartment, this was in the days when we still had those big CRT monitors instead of flat screens. We ended up drawing so much power that sometimes the minotors didn't get enough power to display the screen well.

Do you still have the manual or can you find the manual of your battery back up? Maybe it describes what the clicking sound is about. The power here is stable enough not to need such things, I only ever had one at one of my employers that is like ten years ago. Even then, it just did its thing silently on the background and we only had to interact with it once during a power failure.

Lain

Great! I will look into those to reboot those old laptops! Thanks!


Sadly, the power here is pretty steady, especially where I live now, but this year we have had some doozy storms that even knocked out my power. This battery back up is pretty old, over 10 years, I brought it with me from my parents house 11 years ago. The power there would go out and we would be living in the dark for a while. I think 10 days was the longest we went without power.

I don't have a clue where the manual is though, I wonder if this one is just so old that it's starting to go out. I did figure out I need about 400 watts, the actual number was 368, but I rounded up for safety sake. I would think 750 would be more than enough? I did find a 950 for a good price with a 8 hour battery life. I feel having double than what I need would be okay as I could plug in at least my coffee cup warmer in  :P

I still have not ruled out a ground fault. I am saving money to get someone in to rewire my house now that I have a good job. I can say that thinking about the wiring my house is... terrifying. My rats had more order to their nests...
My Heritage Is Rebellion.

Vekseid

The batteries weaken over time. So it's possible you're straining it at this point. You can get the battery replaced, or put it to some other duty (like running your modem and router) while getting a new one for your main computer.

When I get UPSes it's 900 VA or bust, personally. No reason to go for less than what your outlet can support.

Lain

That makes sense. Other batteries weaken over time so why should this one be different. I was eyeing up a 950 online a bit ago, but I really am not sure if I trust the brand... It was a CyberPower whereas my current one is an APC. Those are the only two brands I have run across on that site.  I feel I should go with APC again but everyone has cheapened product so I don't know if loyalty to the brand is necessary...
My Heritage Is Rebellion.

Vekseid

I currently have a pair of Cyberpower 900's sitting by my feet. My previous was an APC.

Something like 90% of the cost is the battery, outside of the insane business continuance networked models. Either should be fine.