OT: Worst PC Decision

Fyron · #1 June 3rd, 2004, 08:46 PM

I don't know... I have found the savings to be there in full force. Recently we purchased a PC for my sister. It cost around 500 dollars (plus moniter, which was about 80). A similar build of computer from, for example, Dell, was priced at around 900. And that was only with some of the parts of equivalent quality. Other stuff was worse in the Dell. This was obviously not a top of the line PC, but we could have gotten such for maybe 1/2 to 1/3 the price that Dell charged.

Quote:

And if you aren't trashing your old pc, and who does that when there are always family, friends, and home networks in need of backup computers, using the OS on the new pc isn't legit.

Only if you Subscribe to that unenforceable EULA gobleygook. It is not a legally binding contract in any way. I purchased the software, I can put it on as many of my computers as I want. Nothing "illegit" about it. Software is purchased by a user. Not by an individual computer.

[ June 03, 2004, 19:47: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]

Renegade 13 · #2 June 4th, 2004, 12:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
It is a good idea to defragment your hard drive once every 2 weeks or so. If you do it often, it doesn't take very long to do it each time. You do not need to disable the virtual memory swap file each time of course.

Ok, I may seem totally computer illiterate (I'm not

), but how do you disable the virtual memory swap file??

[ June 03, 2004, 23:14: Message edited by: Renegade 13 ]

Instar · #3 June 4th, 2004, 12:59 AM

the thing with building your own PC is that each part has its own warranty, instead of the whole unit
Also, in my experiences, you can save a bit of money. Recently my motherboard died, after two years of faithful service (and it comes with a 3 year warranty by default)
I'm never going to buy OEM machines, unless for someone else or something really specialized that I couldn't make myself

Fyron · #4 June 4th, 2004, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Renegade 13:

quote:
Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
It is a good idea to defragment your hard drive once every 2 weeks or so. If you do it often, it doesn't take very long to do it each time. You do not need to disable the virtual memory swap file each time of course.

Ok, I may seem totally computer illiterate (I'm not ), but how do you disable the virtual memory swap file??

Cirvol answered this in a post below.

*link to post*

Atrocities · #5 June 4th, 2004, 08:27 AM

What is your guys call on the 64 bit processors, go with or wait?

Cirvol · #6 June 5th, 2004, 01:41 AM

Well, there is QUITE a difference between the standard athlon 64 vs the FX model... (price reflects this as well - and as a result, the standard athlon 64 is a better buy for optimizing price/performance)

But, FX is sweet.

The nvidia nforce3-250 chipset seems like the sweetest one so far, again, do a bit of research at tomshardware.com. If you do any type of scientific research, (SETI@home, folding@home (my favorite)) then the athlon FX's are really really nice.

One caveat, they are about to switch to a new pin (and socket) layout, called the 939 - it might make sense to wait for these mobo's and cpu's before you purchase, (and for that matter, if you're upgrading your vga card, wait for PCI express - which will replace the AGP slot)

cheers,
Cirvol

Jack Simth · #7 June 4th, 2004, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:

quote:
And if you aren't trashing your old pc, and who does that when there are always family, friends, and home networks in need of backup computers, using the OS on the new pc isn't legit.

Only if you Subscribe to that unenforceable EULA gobleygook. It is not a legally binding contract in any way. I purchased the software, I can put it on as many of my computers as I want. Nothing "illegit" about it. Software is purchased by a user. Not by an individual computer.

Actually, there are still copyright issues, even if EULA's are held unenforceable (as far as I know, they have never been challenged in court - until they have been, one cannot say for certain if the courts will hold EULA's as binding contracts or not) - if you purchase a book from the bookstore, you can read it at your house, you can let your neighbors read it at their house (or your house), but you can't read it at your house while you let your neighbors read it at their houses, as a book couldn't physically be in two places at once. As I recall (although I don't remember the source, so this may be false) the ruling on such readily copiable things as software, was that anything you would be capable of and permitted to do with a book, you are permitted to do with software - which means (assuming EULA's are held unenforceable in court, that is) you can install a single purchased OS on two machines, provided they aren't ever used simultaneously, as one physical book couldn't be in two places at once. Thus, you can't purchase one copy of Windows XP, install it on your custom machine (1), give your custom machine (1) away to your sister without doing anything to it, build another (2) and install your copy of Windows XP on it - the first machine is no longer under your control, so you can't be sure they won't be used simultaneously.