Need a Desktop for a Business and Kids

Gorgeousmorgeous on 09/10/2016 - 13:30

My pc has packed it in. I want to buy a new desktop to run our small business and for kids to do homework and basic mucking around.

Obviously more bang for buck the better. I want it all monitor, hard drive, mouse n keyboard..although not too choosy about the peripherals, and if a good deal found on the hard drive bit I came source monitors etc separately.

I am not tech savvy enough to build my own pc, but have no objections to purchasing generic stuff if the seller is reputable enough. My last pc lasted 10 years with upgrades and was built buy a guy I knew in Sydney.

What I want-
Windows and office
Decent speed
Either all in one or separate components fine
Wi-fi capability
Up to about $1500 all up …but as I said more bang for $$ where possible.
Don't really know what else I should be looking for really.

I'd like it to last a few years which is why I'm happy to pay a bit more.

Thanks for reading my post, obviously I'm not a techy, so I appreciate low tech speak advice if possible!

Find Me A Bargain

Comments

  • kywst on 09/10/2016 - 14:35

    Spend to your budget and factor in cost of monitor here. Putting it together is simple; check YouTube.

    • niner on 09/10/2016 - 16:28
      +3

      Putting it together is not simple. I don't recommend getting a custom built computer for small business purpose. If one part stuffs up, RMA is a headache.
      Better to buy a brand name desktop PC and you can get 4 years warranty from places like HP for only $79 extra.

  • niner on 09/10/2016 - 16:22
    +3

    Try the dell outlet tomorrow first. They sell refurbished and As New computers for cheap. They open at 10 am tomorrow and operate on weekdays. Just talk to a dell sales consultant using the online chat to place an order.

    http://www.dell.com/learn/au/en/audhs1/campaigns/dell-outlet…

    I suggest you buy a monitor from a place like the dell outlet, ebay or somewhere like MSY.

    Then go here: http://www.dell.com/au/p/desktops#!dlpgid=xps-desktops

    This looks good. Might need more storage, though. It won't be able to play demanding games, so kids won't be able to install them.
    http://h20386.www2.hp.com/AustraliaStore/Merch/Product.aspx?…

    I suggest you work out how much storage you need then work around that. I am guessing 256 GB might not cut it if that many people are using your computer.

    • Gorgeousmorgeous on 09/10/2016 - 21:13
      -1

      I am not sure about Dell, as every dell ive ever tried has turned into a POS very quickly. The MIL has had a few…

      • scrimshaw on 09/10/2016 - 22:47
        +2

        There's a big difference bettween a Dell Inspiron and Dell Optiplex.

        Inspirons — basic value-boxes for domestic users. They use inferior components, gone thru less rigorous testing and Dell offers only basic support.

        Optiplex — for small, medium and large businesses, and probably those who just need a reliable machine. Rigorous testing and very good driver support, spare parts, even for few years after it's been released.
        Next Business Day support is also available.

        My organisation uses Dells and they are extremely reliable. Coupled with 3 year warranty they are best in class. Too expensive though, so that's why the outlet is the best place to get refurbed or As-new units from, for a pretty significant discount.

        Of course Lenovo M-series is OK too, we deploy them for staff computers starting this year, but they don't have an outlet in AU so end consumers are forced to pay the normal retail price.
        http://www3.lenovo.com/au/en/desktops-and-all-in-ones/comput…

  • Findo on 09/10/2016 - 17:15

    Can you reuse your peripherals and spend the money on software and computery stuff instead?

    • Gorgeousmorgeous on 09/10/2016 - 21:11

      I have a mouse… everything else also died lol

      • Slippery Fish on 09/10/2016 - 22:06

        You should ask who ever you buy pc from if a pc store if they got old ones they could give you. Lots out back usualy.

        Edit:keyboard.

  • StewBalls on 09/10/2016 - 20:41

    FWIW, $1500 will get you three perfectly serviceable (not powerhouses, but very acceptable) laptops. Just keep your eye out on here, the perpetual ebay xx% off sales might help out too…

    • Gorgeousmorgeous on 09/10/2016 - 21:09
      +1

      Thanks StewBalls but I find working on lap top for business purposes really uncomfortable, even though I can c the benefit of them. Personal preference only really

      • StewBalls on 09/10/2016 - 21:14

        Nah, it's a fair comment. Whilst I do a lot of work on laptops myself, I absolutely prefer a good sized desktop monitor.

        Another good option is ex-lease machines off ebay, there's a lot of good sellers out there flogging stuff at a fraction of what it initially cost, and still very usable! :)

  • bradsmrbetty on 10/10/2016 - 09:54

    You have so many options, Laptop, All in One, NUC, separate tower and monitor.
    Do your kids do any PC gaming, or just console?

    A desktop with a separate tower and monitor is still best bang for buck.
    You could do something like this,
    http://www.centrecom.com.au/centre-com-budget-mate-pro-gen-6…

    Install windows yourself or a friend that can install it for you, as you said your not tech savy.(really easy to do)
    Buy a keyboard and mouse combo - 60-70 bucks - wired or wireless depending on preference.
    Get a decent monitor, all you really need is something that reduces eye strain.

    You can get a Laptop with a monitor and keyboard/mouse and use two screens - just buy hdmi cable.

    NUC is small and powerful and the i7 models are well within budget.

    • Gorgeousmorgeous on 10/10/2016 - 22:09

      This looks good at centrecom. My kids are only 8 n 5 so no gaming lol, although I have been known to play WoW and Asherons Call and some other stuff before kids were around….

      what do u think of specs on this desktop?

      • scrimshaw on 11/10/2016 - 10:50
        -1

        It's not very well balanced. Also the parts are not mentioned, I believe they will use whatever is the cheapest and most profitable for them.

        Best to specify what parts you want and have them put it together for you.

        Example
        Core i5 6500
        MSI B150M motherboard
        8gb Ddr4 memory
        Samsung 850 240gb solid state drive
        2tb Western Digital Blue
        Deepcool Tesseract SW case (Thermaltake Suppressor F51 if you want some sound dampening for a quiet pc)

        500 watt Antec Vp500v2 power supply
        Radeon RX 460 graphics card

        Viewsonic VX2457-MHD Freesync 75hz monitor

        • bradsmrbetty on 11/10/2016 - 19:08

          Fair enough agreed that they use whatever is cheapest. But really for a home office machine you're not going to need much more.
          A B150 is going to give you 4 dimms slots for RAM rather than two, which is irrelevant for business use. The ability to have a 5.1 surround sound system which is likely irrelevant - what does a better motherboard give you for a home office? The OP hasn't specified that they have need a thunderbolt port, or dual graphics card in an SLI so why spend more than needed for running basic software?

          Sure you can spend more on a bigger internal hard drive, but external can do the same thing.

          The last PC lasted for nearly ten years, 16 GB is future proofing.

          Why do you need 500 Watt power supply, most HP and Dell desktops have a 250 -350 Watt power supply and how many business desktop computer for offices do see with a dedicated graphics card?

          I don't disagree with you on principle but the example is indicating that OP needs more, mostly irrelevant stuff.

        • scrimshaw on 11/10/2016 - 19:16

          @bradsmrbetty:

          If you're going down the route of a custom built PC, you may as well specify the parts yourself rather than having it chosen for you. Also, Antec 500 ($59 AUD) is about as budget as you can make a power supply, I wouldn't recommend a generic one as they may not be reliable and not the most power efficient.

          Fair point on the motherboard I suppose, as it's not really important what OP wants to pick. The GPU isn't need either, really only for kids gaming purpose (optional)

          For business use, I can't stress enough the importance of picking a desktop made specifically for business use, with Next Business Day warranty. You don't want to be having to cart your desktop back to MSY or UMART when your PC breaks done. Getting business support means having the advantage of having a tech come over and perform on-site repairs.

        • bradsmrbetty on 12/10/2016 - 09:00

          @scrimshaw:
          I agree with you going with either Dell or HP with the standard 3 years worth of NBD warranty is best. If it was myself I would do this.
          It is just you and others had already put that as an option, i was just giving this as another potential bang for buck option, 10 years of potential service life, is a long time, needs change, kids grow, so likely either option is going to fail outside the warranty period - but I agree it is more about how it is handled if a major component fails.
          Best of luck to the OP.

  • Findo on 10/10/2016 - 10:35

    What if you got a Thinkpad or Latitude laptop with a dock, along with a monitor, mouse and keyboard? You'll have a docked laptop for use at home and a laptop if you need to move around.

    I have a T430 set up with a dock, and all I do is push the laptop into the cradle when I need a desktop setup.

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