UBB.Developers Forums General Discussion Chit Chat Buying Workstations

I need to line up a purchase of 5 workstations for my dad's business. What would you recommend for something in the less than $800 range? I'm replacing 5 Dells with P2 processors and 192-256mb ram.

Wants: fast as possible, stable, reliable. Don't need a lot of storage, 40gb would be plenty. Sound isn't important, neither is the fastest graphics. Will be used mostly for quickbooks, internet access, some word processing and an occasional spreadsheet (maybe one pc with excel).

Dell has a decent system for $777 ($877 minus the $100 mail-in):
http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=04&kc=6W300&l=en&oc=4d47w3&s=bsd

I don't really need the monitors tho, the old ones are good enough.

I could build them myself:

http://arstechnica.com/guides/buyer/system-09-21-2004.ars/2

Not sure about reliability and warranties tho (the guide is a couple months old too).

I was reading over at Randy's site :http://www.netwerkin.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php/ubb/get_topic/f/11/t/000616

These look ok: http://www.cyberpowersystem.com/highendsystem/a64d.asp?v=d

But maybe not what's needed for work

Any suggestions appreciated

lol the systems i reccommended to my sister for me building was $1000 (not including OS); but then again i got the best hw possible for the price while keeping it available to be upgraded easily

I would get the cheapest of everything nowadays even the smallest CPY is wayyyy to powerful for basic office usage so any will do.

now the pro and cons on making it yourself is it depends on how much you want to get involved. If you go the dell way, well the day something goes wrong they can call them and they will deal with it. On the other hand if you do everything, well you are the support center guy

Argh, that may be the determining factor

I don't mind building a personal computer, but it might be better to get something I don't have to mess with. The tax savings on me building them would be ~$65-70 a piece as well (Dell charges tax), and I would still be the first person they call no matter which system they went with

Here's the most recent review of budget pc's and it puts the emachine :barf: over the dell and the cyberpower system

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-3118_7-5554913.html

well I guess you'll have to weight the pro and cons and see if the savings are really worth it in case of hardware failure and you have to run to the shops to get part replaced under the waranty etc.

AA, get ahold of jacob here. He just built a bunch of PC for the office and I seem to recall they came in at around the $800 range. He can surely tell you what he built and where he got the parts.

last year I was amazed as PCworld was selling compaq laptops for €600 and they had 512mb or ram.

You might want to check see if there isn't some special offer on laptops as even sub $1000 ones are very good as workstations.

Thanks Nav, will make the call

Charles, I prefer notebooks, but they tend to walk a bit easier...

heh cheap, just grab a cheap case, a cheap mobo, and a cheap processor... I always try to base the system around what processor I'm going to be using

I may try one of these:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...skuId=6831155&productCategoryId=cat01172

It was the recommended system at cnet.com and looks pretty good spec-wise. If it's good we'll get more, if not I'll give it to someone who doesn't need to use it and get some better

seems very nice way too powerfull for word and internet so I am sure it will be fine

sadly, that may be a little too much power for an office station...

I may buy one of those lol...

AA if you're looking for a notebook rather than a mid or mini tower I just got a Dell sales flyer. Notebooks starting at $629.

grazi Notebooks would tend to be carried off a little too easily, I need something more difficult to put under their jacket I mid-tower is probably what I'ma going for.

I like fulls for that reason lol...

lol who does your dad work with?
you could also put some kensington cables on the laptops anf not give them the keys

It's not so much who they work with, but the customers (it's a retail truck/suv/auto customizing shop right on Interstate 10 here in Beaumont) and all kinds of people come in and out during a typical day.

Yeh, I'd like to see anyone shove a full tower case into their undercoat...

Looks like we're trying a 'buy one, try one' approach. My dad wanted a proven company supplying them, so we went with Dell again, the Dimension 4700 with a p4 3.2ghz, 2x256mb ram, 40gb sata HD and the free 17" flat panel display Will be loads faster than the current group they have... we'll get another in a few weeks once this one is in (next week) and installed/ running (hopefully shortly thereafter ).

mmmm, dell :sigh:... At least their not the Dell Laptops lol....

I've had pretty decent luck with my dell notebooks so far. Except that one with the busted hard drive

just wait till your keybaord breaks lol... or the mouse for that matter .... It's a royal pain when the mouse breaks when you send it in for keyboard repairs lol...

hmm.. I did replace the keyboard on that same notebook Got a replacement on ebay for ~$12

Well, my mouse broke when my laptop was in for repairs; when I called in they refused to repair it for free...