A new PC desktop for my home.

[lopburi3]

16 minutes ago, OneeyedJohn said:

If that is true what you say, I would be surprised as I am sure they would like to sell 2000 baht of stuff to a farang. Whether I needed it or not or whether they even care is another matter.

 

My wife was with me and I know the boss of the technical staff so maybe they do care and were trying to help.

 

 

And maybe they had a hope to sell you 20,000 baht or more worth of new computer with a much higher profit.

I am running a Lenovo AIO B310 from 9 years ago for about the same use as you outline and it works great - the change to SSD made everything faster and still just using the original everything else (have replaced keyboard/mouse).  The SSD cut boot time from 4 minutes to less than 1.  I just can't justify getting rid of it now.  

Edited July 24, 2020 by lopburi3

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, OneeyedJohn said:

My only reservation ( maybe not justified ) about AIO is that they probably pack inferior products to keep size to a minimum.

The problem with AIO is when you want to change something because you want i.e. more memory or something is broken. Some brands make that really difficult and/or expensive with AIO.

The NUC uses standard parts, replacement done in minutes.

[innosiem]

13 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

The problem with AIO is when you want to change something because you want i.e. more memory or something is broken. Some brands make that really difficult and/or expensive with AIO.

The NUC uses standard parts, replacement done in minutes.

quite simple to see if parts can be changed or not to upgrade which the OP probably will not need to do
i just upgraded RAM and HDD to SSD on wifes HP AIO (done in minutes)
ideally OP should buy AIO with SSD (23k)
but its not essential for what the OP wants to do 
personally i would only recommend a mini-PC to someone that needs to take the PC to multiple locations

 

 

Edited July 24, 2020 by innosiem

[OneeyedJohn]

2 minutes ago, innosiem said:

ideally OP should buy AIO with SSD (23k)
 

So where do I buy that ?

 

I have a brand new VISA card just delivered by DHL from my UK HSBC bank, it needs testing.

[david555]

32 minutes ago, OneeyedJohn said:

So where do I buy that ?

 

I have a brand new VISA card just delivered by DHL from my UK HSBC bank, it needs testing.

For a NUC , check this nice specifications website from Chuwi O.S.Win 10 included…..219,99 USD.

 

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4001010367052.html?spm=2114.12010615.0.0.5c5f3bf9LHbthn&gps-id=pcStoreJustForYou&scm=1007.23125.137358.0&scm_id=1007.23125.137358.0&scm-url=1007.23125.137358.0&pvid=a4da79c4-8ef0-41e8-a1a3-3cfe81d8134d

 

 

( I bought 3 months ago a Chuwi UbookPro 8gb M3 processor 505 usd,hybrid Tablet /notebook type, works fine , brand reliable )

Edited July 24, 2020 by david555

[pineapple01]

1 hour ago, stouricks said:

When I got my NUC, I plugged the HDMI into my telly, the mains adapter into the mains, the Network cable into the Network port, a USB from printer to NUC, and I have not touched any wires since. If you've already got a big telly, then there's your monitor, and use the NUC as your media centre, play all your movies, music, through it.   I could do with tidying the cables up a bit.

Our Dogs Bed looks tidier than that mess !????

[BigStar]

3 hours ago, OneeyedJohn said:

You might say why do I need to spend 40K just to read my email.

That's a good question.

 

3 hours ago, OneeyedJohn said:

I currently have an ASUS amd sempron 140 that has to be at least 6 - 10 years old, and when I went to our local store to upgrade to Win10 and have a new SSD installed, they said it would be a waste of time, no quicker than my current windows 7 Ultimate.

It's not clear why you, in particular, want to upgrade to Win 10. 'Course after you did, you might need to make it look like Win 7. ;) (Just had to throw out some fresh meat, sorry). Evidently the issue is "quicker." Whether Win 10 would be quicker on your current hardware is open to doubt, true. Perhaps your Win 7 would be quicker if it were cleaned out and tuned up. The question then arises, how much quickness will you need to satisfy yourself, not other posters here, and what'll be the cost of that?

 

An SSD would lead to faster boot times for the OS and applications but may not make a lot of difference thereafter in using the applications, unless they are disk-intensive. So then what would make a huge difference is of course a faster CPU, which you'll of course get in a new computer.

 

Our experts are not letting you outta here without an SSD and a "fresh" install of Win 10. No upgrades for you. You can then use your current HDD as backup.

 

OK, so get those. So far, so good. Now to create an uproar: spend an additional 500 baht to upgrade your old Sempron to AMD CPU Phenom X4 from Aliexpress. (Need to get the specs on your mainboard, but likely good.)

 

Add B700 (SSD) + B200 (Ebay Win 10) and B500 installation you're looking at B1900. Sounds good, no? Should be all you need. :)

 

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, innosiem said:

quite simple to see if parts can be changed or not to upgrade which the OP probably will not need to do
i just upgraded RAM and HDD to SSD on wifes HP AIO (done in minutes)
ideally OP should buy AIO with SSD (23k)
but its not essential for what the OP wants to do 
personally i would only recommend a mini-PC to someone that needs to take the PC to multiple locations

Some AIO are easy to upgrade (i.e. more RAM or other SDD), with others it's more difficult. This is why in general I don't like AIO. But there might be good models.

The NUC is just like any PC. The RAM and SDD or HDD are standard parts, standard HDMI output, etc. I was surprised how good they are. 90% of the "big" PC cases is air.

[OneeyedJohn]

so how do I get the specs on my mainboard.

There are over 2,200 Phenom cpu's on Ebay.

[andy72]

2 hours ago, OneeyedJohn said:

so how do I get the specs on my mainboard.

There are over 2,200 Phenom cpu's on Ebay.

hit the link install the software its safe

 

https://www.cpuid.com/downloads/cpu-z/cpu-z_1.92-en.exe

but unless you now what your doing changing the cpu 
maybe updating your mb bios if required
getting ram

slapping in an ssd 
install win 10
how proficient are you
i imagine if you went to a shop to ask them then maybe  not

your running a single core cpu 
dont think win 10 and single cores are a match never tried though.
so dload the software 
put up the images maybe someone here will volunteer their services
advice it will come rolling in
some contradictory some not
are you going to open the box or spend the money?

 

 

[andy72]

2 hours ago, pineapple01 said:

When I got my NUC, I plugged the HDMI into my telly, the mains adapter into the mains, the Network cable into the Network port, a USB from printer to NUC, and I have not touched any wires since. If you've already got a big telly, then there's your monitor, and use the NUC as your media centre, play all your movies, music, through it.   I could do with tidying the cables up a bit.

 

Its not the cables How can you live with that green colour?

[billd766]

6 hours ago, OneeyedJohn said:

So where do I buy that ?

 

I have a brand new VISA card just delivered by DHL from my UK HSBC bank, it needs testing.

You could send it to me and I will do the testing for you at a special rate for you only.????

[BigStar]

19 hours ago, OneeyedJohn said:

so how do I get the specs on my mainboard.

https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/hwmonitor.html

 

Great source of HW info.

 

19 hours ago, OneeyedJohn said:

There are over 2,200 Phenom cpu's on Ebay.

Yup. Cf. Aliexpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=SB_20200724203047&SearchText=amd+phenom+x4

 

[Eindhoven]

On 7/24/2020 at 7:08 AM, OneeyedJohn said:

Thanks everyone, wonderful suggestions and ideas.

 

I have never heard of NUC, seems like I need to get out more.

 

I like small ( NUC ) and I like the AIO suggestion as I am fed up with plugging in wires everywhere plus the printer wires.

 

I have a HP2448w screen and a samsung 17 inch screen so monitors and mice are not a problem.

 

My only reservation ( maybe not justified ) about AIO is that they probably pack inferior products to keep size to a minimum.

 

Definitely quality is a factor to me, not necessarily the very best, but Honda rather than a Nissan.

 

Forget about an AIO. Just don't. Most are fitted with HDD anyway. Another reason why to avoid.

NUC are overly expenive. Don't waste your money. A second user tower costing around 4,000 baht will be more than adequate to your needs. 

[OneeyedJohn]

I don't understand - what is a second user tower?

[lopburi3]

4 minutes ago, OneeyedJohn said:

I don't understand - what is a second user tower?

Perhaps he means second hand?  Believe such are available on Lazada and Shopee or from shops

[Eindhoven]

23 hours ago, OneeyedJohn said:

If that is true what you say, I would be surprised as I am sure they would like to sell 2000 baht of stuff to a farang. Whether I needed it or not or whether they even care is another matter.

 

My wife was with me and I know the boss of the technical staff so maybe they do care and were trying to help.

 

 

 

 

They gave good advice. The CPU in your current PC is dire. But it's not down to the age, even though it's eleven years old.

My PC is also eleven years old, but the CPU is much more capable. Certainly would be enough for your simple usage. So the good news for you is that it is cheap and easy to upgrade to a much better CPU/PC for a small amount of money.

 

 

 

Single core CPU is what really holds yours back. If a dual core then an SSD might have helped. But nothing can help your current config. CPU upgrade not possible or more accurately, won't make any difference as they are all poor. So forget about identifying Motherboard and all that.

My CPU, shown above, is actually even older than yours. But it is far more capable.

 

 

 

[Eindhoven]

Just now, OneeyedJohn said:

I don't understand - what is a second user tower?

 

Ex corporate business PC. Designed for quick and easy servicing. 

 

https://www.thailandallit.com/product/24/dell-optiplex-3020-gen-4-2 is overpriced in my opinion, but gives an idea.

 

 

 

[OneeyedJohn]

Dire - I like that, sums up my situation perfectly.

 

Anyway you say 

4 minutes ago, Eindhoven said:

it is cheap and easy to upgrade to a much better CPU/PC for a small amount of money.

So how do I do that?

[Eindhoven]

2 minutes ago, OneeyedJohn said:

Dire - I like that, sums up my situation perfectly.

 

Anyway you say 

So how do I do that?

 

Buy an inexpensive PC with an SSD(or fit one yourself. It's very easy). They will all exceed your expectation because you current processing unit is so poor, that almost anything else will fly in comparision.

I would expect the PC in my link to be perhaps 4k, not 5k. That leaves space in the budget for an SSD. With an SSD, you would be checking your email within 30 secs of pressing the power button.

[OneeyedJohn]

I know you are trying to help, but I am gonna fall down a deep hole if I go this route. I just don't have the knowledge to put all these things together. Windows, CPU's, Mobo's, GPU's and storage.

Edited July 25, 2020 by OneeyedJohn

[lopburi3]

23 minutes ago, OneeyedJohn said:

I know you are trying to help, but I am gonna fall down a deep hole if I go this route. I just don't have the knowledge to put all these things together. Windows, CPU's, Mobo's, GPU's and storage.

Believe he is just saying buy any current generation cheap PC and if does not have ssd change that for everything you need - shop if buying from them could upgrade to ssd for very little more and you would not have to do anything.  The point is you do not need to spend your card limit to get a good computer for your needs - should be less than 10k without blinking and less if you look around - he is saying 4-5k without monitor as I read and am sure that can be done but should be easy for a bit more.

[Eindhoven]

18 minutes ago, OneeyedJohn said:

I know you are trying to help, but I am gonna fall down a deep hole if I go this route. I just don't have the knowledge to put all these things together. Windows, CPU's, Mobo's, GPU's and storage.

 

Nope. You won't be putting anything together. The most you may need to do is to connect the solid state drive. Literally a matter of plugging in the cables, taking a minute.

Not suggesting messing around with anything more complicated than that.

Truth is, you cannot avoid it unless you spend your way out of it. All of the PCs to which TallGuyJohninBKK linked you, have the obselete and slow mechanical HDD. To bring them up to speed, you would need to fit an SSD or pay more for one with an SSD pre-fitted. Perhaps 16,000 baht.

 

A total waste of money when you have such simple needs. 3k for a desktop and 1 k for an SSD will be more than adequate for your needs. The thing will fly along in comparison to what you are used.

 

No one needs the latest and greatest CPU. So paying more for the latest and greatest is usually folly.

 

[Eindhoven]

Examples:

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/dell-optiplex-9020-mt-cpu-i3-4130-ram-4-gb-hdd-500-gb-vga-1-gb-i942400165-s1948914795.html

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/dell-optiplex-9020-usb-wifi-i297864553-s510306578.html

 

Though I would be looking for even better value.

[OneeyedJohn]

I have to say you make a lot of sense, given my very basic requirements.

 

OK , is Optiflex 9020 better than optiflex 3020.  Just trying to narrow my search options.

[Eindhoven]

Yes. With DELL, the higher the number, the more advanced the range. Not that it's a big issue for their Desktops. Usually it's their laptops were you see the real differences.

No need to pull the trigger immediately, as best to find one that fits your bill. For instance, some will have a DVD writer and some not.

WiFi not a big issue, as you can purchase a wireless adaptor inexpensively.

 

Can give exact instructions as to how to fit the SSD and install Windows 10 to your liking once settled on the PC. Y

ou can take it to the shop to let them do it for you, but the way they will install Windows won't be optimal for you. Better to do it yourself. With an SSD, the installation of Windows 10 will be done in twenty minutes or less. The PC will be blindingly fast as compared to what you are used.

[OneeyedJohn]

When you say "won't be optimal for you" I guess you mean most apps like itunes and similar won't be in English , McAfee and similar antivirus rubbish, and there will be a ton of bundleware I just will not want.

 

In the old days you always got all that stupid Nero nonsense.

 

What is the best way to buy a genuine Windows 10 OS?

[stouricks]

22 hours ago, andy72 said:

Its not the cables How can you live with that green colour?

Green is a very calming colour, it is only that one wall in my big room. Old photo, pre NUC!      Some people like RED, I prefer Sky Blue!

Edited July 25, 2020 by stouricks

[stouricks]

4 minutes ago, OneeyedJohn said:

When you say "won't be optimal for you" I guess you mean most apps like itunes and similar won't be in English , McAfee and similar antivirus rubbish, and there will be a ton of bundleware I just will not want.

 

In the old days you always got all that stupid Nero nonsense.

 

What is the best way to buy a genuine Windows 10 OS?

Download Media Creation Tool from Microsoft onto a USB stick, install it without an Activation Key. Get a key off Ebay, £3. Done.

[OneeyedJohn]

I found two that looked good, had DDR4, on your link, but they were both out of stock.

 

I think this will be case in many items, until the virus scare is over, and imports and manufacturing start again.

 

Especially chinese products.