How often do you buy a Desktop Computer? (laptops, RAM, hd) - Computers -PCs, laptops, hardware, software - City-Data Forum

Jesse69 · 01-05-2011, 05:53 AM

My first desktop was a 486DX Strobe computer bought in 3rd year college maybe 1991. Then I built my first custom desktop with a Cyrix processor maybe 1995 or 96. Then two AMD Xp 2400 & Xp 2100 desktops in 2001. Substituted a laptop for a desktop when I bought my decked out Dell E1705 laptop in Feb 2006. Went back to the desktop computer as my main pc when I bought an i7 920 system Nov 2008. Since then I upgraded my computer by doing dual monitor, having 12 gb off ddr3, and upgrading to 460 sli from a 260 core 216 OC v.c..

Now I get tempted to buy another desktop maybe an i7 980 BX system or a new Sandy Bridge system but this will cost me over $2400 with 12 gb ddr3, 2tb hd, and a Geforce 570.

I wanna go USB 3.0 and Sata 6 gb/s but the selection of Sata 6 gb/s hd keeps me back. So maybe I'll wait. But if I was employed like at my last $68k/yr job I'd buy a new computer in the next 4 months... So Sandy Bridge mbs would iron out their bugs.

How about you? How often had you had to buy a desktop?

My current desktop: i7 920, 12gb ddr3 10666, 5.5 TB of hard drives, Geforce 460 sli, XFX 750 80+ Silver power supply, Antec 900 case, Asus P6T Deluxe motherboard. Two 24" Gateway Monitors.
I use a $1300 QNAP TS 509 Pro with 5 1tb hard drive in RAID 5 as backup.

I'm a power user and I need a gamer's desktop for video games and CAD applications. What type of user are you?

alphamale · 01-05-2011, 05:55 AM

My current Gateway is 7 years old and still like new.

It was a 1 gig, expandable to 4 gigs. Now has 3 gigs.

Replaced the old monitor with a 27" flat screen.

progmac · 01-05-2011, 06:05 AM

my imac is from 2007 and i am still very happy with it. i'll probably replace it in '12 or '13

mensaguy · 01-05-2011, 06:42 AM

I'm replacing mine now. The old ones date back to 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005, with some updates along the way. I bought a netbook last summer, got a new mini-PC for Mrs. at Christmas, built a new desktop, and repaired/upgraded a couple of laptops. Next task is to build a new storage server for the house. I just replace things when I think I need to. We don't need a lot of computer power, but 2002 technology left us wanting a little more, and I figured something was going to break down soon.

Zymer · 01-05-2011, 07:23 AM

I haven't bought (or built) a new machine for myself in a long time. I have a rather large supply of perfectly good older machines that I have acquired gratis from people who feel that they always have to have the latest and greatest and don't care how much they have to spend to get it.

MaseMan · 01-05-2011, 07:28 AM

I've averaged a new desktop computer every five years or so.

Sayantsi · 01-05-2011, 08:43 AM

I usually upgrade when the balances right among new technologies, new OS and applications, features of the new hardware, and when I can still sell my old computer for good money.

progmac · 01-05-2011, 09:27 AM

actually rather than set a specific year, i think i'll buy a new desktop when solid-state hard drives are standard. that will be the next big leap.

Weatherfan2 · 01-05-2011, 09:31 AM

I'm going to custom build my next PC I think (oh no, last time I tried ended in disaster and it's NOT cheaper despite what people say) but I like the flexibility of what components I can put in it to my custom specification.

My history of computers:

In around 1991 we acquired a (second hand) Apple Macintosh SE computer with some 4MB of 8MHz processor until around 1998, then had a Pentium II Windows 98 machine which lasted until an arrest in which it was taken by the police.

In 2002 we bought our first "modern" Windows XP computer; and only had that piece of crap for 8 months as it crashed all the time, and went through three hard drives, two motherboards etc.. in the process, so we got a full refund for the piece of sheet.

Then I had a computer to replace that, in September 2002, with quadruple the memory and faster graphics, a Mesh Matrix with an Athlon XP at 1.8GHz and running Windows XP also. In September 2003 I decided to build my own custom built PC with a Pentium 4 processor of 3.0GHz and ATi Radeon 9800 PRO graphics with a gig of RAM. The motherboard failed within a month and was replaced, then the processor followed suit another month later and was replaced. It ran OK with the odd RAM upgrade until summer 2006 when it beacme very unstable and kept having to be repaired and then blew up. OK so it didn't blow up but it was so unreliable it needed replacing.

My current PC I bought in July 2006 so it is about four and a half years old. Slow and full of junk like any computer would be at that age. It has been upgraded once though; a faster graphics card and double the RAM.

I have no idea when I'll finally buy a new one but it will certainly have a solid state hard drive, and extreme fast graphics, plus 20GB of memory or more and at least a quad core processor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sayantsi

I usually upgrade when the balances right among new technologies, new OS and applications, features of the new hardware, and when I can still sell my old computer for good money.

And that will be, never. It will continue to get less valuable by a good $10 every day.

MikeJaquish · 01-05-2011, 09:34 AM

Wife has a machine I built in 2002 or 2003.
AMD Athlon 1600+ or something....
XP and Office XP 2002
She is fine with it but I may replace it this year with something new.

I have no replacement timeline on my desktops, W7, I7, and all, but IF I get impressed, I may get a tablet to replace my perfectly good 5 YO Dell Core 2 Duo 17" laptop.