Cheap PC help

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Proinsias

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I have a small man cave in the loft where I can smoke in peace with some consoles, a stereo, tea making facilities and computer.

I've got a monitor, keyboard etc and I'm running xfce, I think, a skinny Ubuntu. It's an old cheap laptop and the dvd drive is knackered. I don't use it for much. Youtube type stuff, some music, pdf's, photos and that's about it. It's still struggling.

I was thinking about buying a fairly cheap pc which I can plug the monitor into, stick some sort of linux on and wi-fi up.

Any suggestions as to where to look for that? I have no idea where to start. Ideally something that could run ubuntu at a decent speed for not very many pennies. Most stuff I've come across comes with windows, monitor and a whole host of crap I don't want - admittedly my web-fu in this field is not strong. On the other hand I don't think I'm quite ready to build my own machine.
 
ebuyer is where i get my stuff from for new builds

it really is so simple to build a pc 6 bits and you are away

amd is the cheapest but like everything else for a tenner more u can get bigger and better... an am2 6000 is a good place to start...a box will set u back around 250 max..and ebuyer have some minus os

worth a look
 
I have used these guys before and had no problems with the systems.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.arbico.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.arbico.co.uk/</a><!-- m -->

you can buy sans O/S as well
 
Practically any CPU / board combo will be fine, I use <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.overclockers.co.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.overclockers.co.uk/</a><!-- m --> most of the time, good delivery and RMA service if needed and active forum with knowledgeable staff.
 
I have built all my own machines (since upgrading my IBM 386) but now I can't buy parts and build a machine with the same spec as I got from that arbico link I sent you.I use mine for gaming mostly so it needs to be quite beefy but I can't see myself building another now.
 
Proinsias

i run a little computer repair outfit in my spare time http://www.savemycomputer.co.uk

i have tons of bits if you want to build one, i actually have an Compaq EVO D510 EPC which you can have for nothing if you want it.

Pentium 4 2.4GHz 512MB RAM 40GB HD, it has Windows XP on it at the moment

D510E-PC-1B.jpg


but the problem will be getting it to you.
i am in Surrey
 
Thanks a million for the offer sunburyboy93, that would have been just the ticket. As luck would have it I got a free G4 powermac last week, my brother in law got me it as well as getting himself a rather nifty widescreen g5 iMac for doing a few favours for an old boss.

It's not exactly cutting edge but is about as good as it gets for a g4 powermac: 1.5g ram, 2 hard drives totalling 180gb, dvd burner and 10.4 with a frightening amount of software. Works a treat for internet, music, photo and video. No wi-fi but until I work up the courage to spend a few quid on an airport card my ubuntu running laptop is happy to share its wifi connection.

Thanks again. The way things have panned out I'm scheming starting a thread about cheap hookers and coke soon.

Went round to granny in-laws, different side of the family, last week. She gave me her debit card and asked me to renew her Norton antivirus. Quite pleased that I managed to convince her to ditch it and try the free stuff. She's 85 and went for it as someone at her church mentioned Norton was a rip off too, a week in and all is well. Convincing the inlaws might be a bigger challenge. The past few weeks have also been my first interactions with Windows Vista, first impressions are 'piece of shit', it seems unbelievably poor. Getting a printer to print took almost an hour, I booted it up with linux puppy from a pen drive and printed. I then went back to vista and three reboots, which took an age, later it was printing. My freind can't use his vista laptop wireless with his old BT homehub type thing, after about an hour of google the best I could get was that sometimes it just doesn't work. Is vista really that bad? or am I just a Vista newbie? at least with ubuntu you tend to find either how to do something or that you can't do something rather quickly.
 
I hate Vista. SWMBO has it on her PC and my mum has it on hers. I can't abide it. Win95 was easier.

I run XP myself, I think it's fine. Apparently Windows 7 has a lot going for it. I'm a bit like Boab, it seems; I built a monster PC for games a few years ago and I don't want to upgrade it now cos I like the setup but man it's getting old.
 
XP was great used it for years, tried Vista thought it was S**T and the amont of Vista Desktops and Lappys i have repaired with software screw ups is unreal.

I am running Windows 7 Ultimate on my Home Built Machine, 6 GB RAM, 1GB ATI Graphics, 2 x 500 GB HDs 1 x 40gb SSD that Win & is installed on, with a nice 24inch HD Monitor.

Windows 7 is Very Very Good, basically what Vista should have been if Microsoft finished it and tested it properly , it runs Smoothly like XP and has the "Bling" look that Vista has.

Very easy to Setup, and Driver Installs are nice and quick via Microsofts Database.

If anyone wants to try Win 7 the Beta Tester is still floating around the Web, after using it for a few weeks you will want to buy it !!!

Steve
 
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