A new PC desktop for my home.

[OneeyedJohn]

Yes, I have decided and yes there is some useful advice.

 

I thank those people concerned very much.

[utalkin2me]

You should get a laptop. Even a chunky one. Forget desktops, the only reason they make them any more is people our age still think they are better, or cheaper. Laptops are sold in much higher quantities so the comparable specs to desktop can even be cheaper. You can move it, it takes up less space, they have good warranties, they are just as powerful. 

[innosiem]

11 minutes ago, OneeyedJohn said:

Yes, I have decided and yes there is some useful advice.

What did you decide to do ?
i think a few following this thread are just curious to see what you go for in the end

 

5 minutes ago, utalkin2me said:

You should get a laptop. Even a chunky one. Forget desktops, the only reason they make them any more is people our age still think they are better, or cheaper. Laptops are sold in much higher quantities so the comparable specs to desktop can even be cheaper. You can move it, it takes up less space, they have good warranties, they are just as powerful. 

Find me a "just as powerful" laptop with similar spec to my PC shown in this thread.

[johng]

3 minutes ago, utalkin2me said:

Forget desktops, the only reason they make them any more is people our age still think they are better, or cheaper.

They are better  as you can chop and change the hardware as you like (within reason)  they are much easier to work on/fix if something goes wrong,  lots of space for expansion and yes cheaper  as in you'll get better a better specified Desktop for the same money as you would a laptop.

[BigStar]

4 hours ago, OneeyedJohn said:

pretty much the basic net surfing, watching vids, downloading and watching movies, tv shows from torrent files, emails, spreadsheets, photo editing a little bit, google drive google photos, things like that.

Nothing that requires too much brain power or heavy application type stuff.

 

So still undecided but I do quite like the idea of swapping out my crappy sempron 140 processor for something better as mentioned above, even the FX-6300 at 1000 + baht has some appeal.  Gonna talk to my tech guy and get his opinion.

I can do things step by step until satisfaction is gained.

And your tech guy has been honest with you before. That's a very rational course of action. Let us know how it goes.

[OneeyedJohn]

So he checked the compatability as did earlier BigStar and said yes go with a better CPU, then SSD and then Win10.

As pointed out by someone I will not get the full benefit of an SSD because my mother board is Sata 2 which is 300 Mbs.

Unless I am doing some heavy video editing / copying I will hardly notice the drop-off.

 

Why is Lazada so much more expensive than AliExpress, 700 baht as opposed to 1300 baht for an FX-4300

 

Cheap as chips  anyway - forgive the pun.

 

As an aside if none of this works for me, as in I am not satisfied, then I still have the choice of buying whatever I want, secondhand or new, laptop or desktop without having wasted a bunch of money.

[utalkin2me]

18 minutes ago, innosiem said:

What did you decide to do ?
i think a few following this thread are just curious to see what you go for in the end

 

Find me a "just as powerful" laptop with similar spec to my PC shown in this thread.

Your comment is completely off topic. The thread was started stating "limited usage, email, torrents", meaning no heavy gaming or anything like that. 

 

Everyone thinks they know exactly what they want and will do, now, at this moment in time. What if there is a wiring problem in your computer room, and the Thai electrician needs all day to fix it? Laptop... you pick it up and move it to the living room. Or the million other reasons being able to move your entire computing station in seconds come in handy. Not to mention the fact that you can take it out if need be, for repairs or computing needs. 

 

News flash: only old people, gamers and office workers buy desktops. It is stupid to buy a desktop for the op's usage. He gains nothing and loses a ton of flexibility. There are super beefy laptops with nice, huge monitors the op can look into. He wont have this gigantic, waste-of-space doorstop banging into his shins.

 

Seriously, the only reason he asked for a desktop is he did not know better. But now he does. Ask some other knowledgeable folk. All that other stuff can be added... external ssd etc, and for cheaper too.Hope you do good with the info you have been lucky enough to have been given. 

[johng]

11 minutes ago, OneeyedJohn said:

Why is Lazada so much more expensive than AliExpress, 700 baht as opposed to 1300 baht for an FX-4300

Maybe because the the "stuff" on Lazada has already been imported into Thailand so any taxes would have already been paid, it should arrive quickly and you can also pay cash on delivery.

[lopburi3]

10 minutes ago, OneeyedJohn said:

So he checked the compatability as did earlier BigStar and said yes go with a better CPU, then SSD and then Win10.

As pointed out by someone I will not get the full benefit of an SSD because my mother board is Sata 2 which is 300 Mbs.

Unless I am doing some heavy video editing / copying I will hardly notice the drop-off.

 

Why is Lazada so much more expensive than AliExpress, 700 baht as opposed to 1300 baht for an FX-4300

 

Cheap as chips  anyway - forgive the pun.

Lazada and AliExpress are the same owner and have often found the Lazada products higher priced (but delivery even if from China is often much faster).

Shopee has that AMD fx-4300 locally at 790 baht from what seems to be a reliable seller (25 months on platform with 100% response rate).

https://shopee.co.th/Cpu-FX-4300-3.8-Ghz-มือสอง-รับประกัน-15-วัน-i.75004460.6242691402

[lopburi3]

Just now, johng said:

Maybe because the the "stuff" on Lazada has already been imported into Thailand so any taxes would have already been paid, it should arrive quickly and you can also pay cash on delivery.

Actually much of Lazada has not been imported and is listed as overseas source - but delivery can be faster as merchants on AliExpress shipments can take months at times.

[johng]

I always tick the "Local" tickbox    so stuff should only be shipped from within Thailand..though I do have suspicion that some vendors  just repackage stuff they get sent from Hong Kong..not too bothered as long as it arrives  quite quickly and Cash on Delivery is available. 

[BigStar]

28 minutes ago, OneeyedJohn said:

As pointed out by someone I will not get the full benefit of an SSD because my mother board is Sata 2 which is 300 Mbs.

Unless I am doing some heavy video editing / copying I will hardly notice the drop-off.

True re: full benefit. But still significant:

 

https://howtomechatronics.com/miscellaneous/is-ssd-worth-it-on-sata2-ssd-vs-hdd-real-world-comparisons/

 

Keep in mind anyway. With your level of use, an SSD should last you through your next computer. Someday you'll likely upgrade that box w/ a new mainboard at least. Advantage of a generic desktop such as you have is that it's not so expensive just to keep replacing parts.

 

34 minutes ago, OneeyedJohn said:

Why is Lazada so much more expensive than AliExpress, 700 baht as opposed to 1300 baht for an FX-4300

So annoying. I deal with that often. Sometimes I bite the bullet, other times I choose to wait a month--or longer, esp these days. Now most vendors on Aliexpress do offer different shipping options and you may be able choose faster shipping for modest cost. But it may get to Thailand fairly quickly then sit for a month or so, you never know.

[OneeyedJohn]

Store No.1850037SHENZHEN, China

This store has been open sinceJun 25,2015

Business License

Detailed seller ratings(Out of 5)

Item as Described4.8 Above Average

Communication4.7 Above Average

Shipping Speed4.6 Above Average

 

Please do not second guess my decisions.

 

Hey BigStar, my bank sent me a new Visa card from UK on April 18th by normal post, it never arrived until two weeks ago, it was crumpled, folded and had wet stains across the envelope it had obviously sat in a bag or summat similar for months before it was put in my postbox.

By then of course it had been cancelled, and the bank sent me a replacement by DHL courier, that took two weeks to arrive.

[BigStar]

25 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Lazada and AliExpress are the same owner and have often found the Lazada products higher priced (but delivery even if from China is often much faster).

Shopee has that AMD fx-4300 locally at 790 baht from what seems to be a reliable seller (25 months on platform with 100% response rate).

https://shopee.co.th/Cpu-FX-4300-3.8-Ghz-มือสอง-รับประกัน-15-วัน-i.75004460.6242691402

Not a bad option if OP doesn't wish to wait for the better 6-core FX-6300 overpriced in Thailand.

[BigStar]

1 hour ago, utalkin2me said:

You should get a laptop. Even a chunky one. Forget desktops, the only reason they make them any more is people our age still think they are better, or cheaper. Laptops are sold in much higher quantities so the comparable specs to desktop can even be cheaper. You can move it, it takes up less space, they have good warranties, they are just as powerful. 

A lot wrong w/ this argument but the solution is just to have both. ???? I have a very cheap, slow laptop for traveling or sometimes as a spare. It always teaches me what a major bottleneck a CPU can be even when one is just surfing and emailing.

 

A lot of expats aren't moving around that much, even those adhering religiously to Little Miss Muffet theory.

[OneeyedJohn]

Walk before I run BigStar, or you'll be having me buy a Ryzen 2 3900X and a 2TB SSD

[FritsSikkink]

Why would you like a desktop, it is a waist of space. Notebooks are very powerful these days

[BigStar]

2 minutes ago, OneeyedJohn said:

Walk before I run BigStar, or you'll be having me buy a Ryzen 2 3900X and a 2TB SSD

???? Oh, we ain't even got started yet. I've often said that coming in here asking for a little tuneup or minor upgrade is like walking into a gym full of preening bodybuilders and asking about "toning." Soon you'll be taking steroids, working out 5 hours a day, and eating nothing but whey protein.

[transam]

3 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said:

Why would you like a desktop, it is a waist of space. Notebooks are very powerful these days

Girls and Starbucks dwellers have notebooks...????

[Jai Dee]

1 hour ago, OneeyedJohn said:

So he checked the compatability as did earlier BigStar and said yes go with a better CPU, then SSD and then Win10.

 

Can your tech guy procure the new CPU for you, and perform the installation, and the SSD, and migrate your old (new) HDD, and install Win10?

 

It might be worth a few extra baht to have an expert do it for you.

 

You could always look over his shoulder while it's happening...

[innosiem]

2 hours ago, utalkin2me said:

Your comment is completely off topic. The thread was started stating "limited usage, email, torrents", meaning no heavy gaming or anything like that. 

 

Everyone thinks they know exactly what they want and will do, now, at this moment in time. What if there is a wiring problem in your computer room, and the Thai electrician needs all day to fix it? Laptop... you pick it up and move it to the living room. Or the million other reasons being able to move your entire computing station in seconds come in handy. Not to mention the fact that you can take it out if need be, for repairs or computing needs. 

 

News flash: only old people, gamers and office workers buy desktops. It is stupid to buy a desktop for the op's usage. He gains nothing and loses a ton of flexibility. There are super beefy laptops with nice, huge monitors the op can look into. He wont have this gigantic, waste-of-space doorstop banging into his shins.

 

Seriously, the only reason he asked for a desktop is he did not know better. But now he does. Ask some other knowledgeable folk. All that other stuff can be added... external ssd etc, and for cheaper too.Hope you do good with the info you have been lucky enough to have been given. 

i was just commenting on your broad statement "they are just as powerful."
and your other comment "the only reason they make them anymore..."
which your reasoning is completely false

as you mentioned OP was after something basic, so how powerful is irrelevant as he will get what he pays for

again don't mean to go off topic and hijack thread
but stupidity should always be corrected imo

BTW i am not old, or an office worker and i don't play games
i also recommended the OP go for an AIO ???? (larger screen)
most older people don't need to be moving the PC from room to room or taking it out with them

[Jai Dee]

OK... lets give this off-topic petty bickering a rest please.

 

There have been some good, practical, and innovative suggestions for the OP to consider so far... very helpful.

 

Let's try to keep it that way.

[OneeyedJohn]

18 minutes ago, innosiem said:

BTW i am not old, or an office worker and i don't play games

Very funny, I like that.

 

BTW where did all this old nonsense start.

[innosiem]

5 minutes ago, OneeyedJohn said:

Very funny, I like that.

 

BTW where did all this old nonsense start.

  

2 hours ago, utalkin2me said:

News flash: only old people, gamers and office workers buy desktops.

????

[transam]

https://www.advice.co.th/product/desktop-pc

[OneeyedJohn]

I had two tablets recently, one crapped out, the other one I dropped, but I hated the touch screen <deleted> to move the cursor, just couldn't deal with it.

So an old fashioned keyboard / mouse is what I want. Has nothing to do with age.

 

I have a large 24 inch monitor, a slightly smaller 19 inch monitor, and an even smaller 17 inch monitor, two from Samsung and one from HP, all good quality. The 24 inch I dislike because the gloss screen shows my reflection and that is not what I want to see.

I have a wireless mouse, I don't like because it is too small, and I don't want to have to plug in a USB every time I login, so I don't use it.

 

I bought a wireless printer from Canon last year , one month later it was knackered because I hadn't printed a 100 sheets per day the ink cartridges 650 baht for each, both dried up or whatever , not repairable and I certainly wasn't going to replace them. The printer cost me over 5000 Baht.

I now have an Epson with a piece of wire plugged into it and into my computer, it has worked for 3 months or more.

 

 

[utalkin2me]

4 hours ago, BigStar said:

A lot wrong w/ this argument but the solution is just to have both. ???? I have a very cheap, slow laptop for traveling or sometimes as a spare. It always teaches me what a major bottleneck a CPU can be even when one is just surfing and emailing.

 

A lot of expats aren't moving around that much, even those adhering religiously to Little Miss Muffet theory.

Sure, feel free to waste your money on both as the tech outdates per month. 

 

Buying a desktop makes about as much sense as buying a camera the size of a lead bazooka. It may very well be a nice camera, but it is so awkward, clumsy and inflexible, and there are other cameras that are just as good, just as cheap, that are the size of a wallet or even present in a phone. And, we have wised up to that, but not yet when it comes to desktops. 

 

I may have thought the same a while back, but time and time again you walk into offices of professional graphics editors and the like... in their office... and they have a laptop as their only machine. Not every time, but this is a frequent occurence. So if it is well good enough for professionals it is going to be good enough for senior citizens checking their emails and downloading porn. 

[AussieBob18]

Get a decent laptop - they are as powerful as most desktops these days and with SSD they are just as good.  Plus they can be taken and used just about anywhere. 

 

 

[lopburi3]

9 minutes ago, AussieBob18 said:

Get a decent laptop - they are as powerful as most desktops these days and with SSD they are just as good.  Plus they can be taken and used just about anywhere. 

 

 

Most people have a smartphone for that - but I will stick to my Nokia 3310 as do not have any need or desire to compute on the move.  But if you do not mind finger motions rather than a mouse - recharging batteries - screens the size of a 1948 TV set - security danger of theft and actually have a need to compute outside of home they have their place.  But there are actually a lot of people who just use computer at home and simple home or office units work well

[dddave]

On 7/24/2020 at 1:08 PM, OneeyedJohn said:

 

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

Early this year I was looking for  something with a large monitor and decent specs but not a powerhouse...Budget B20,000 max.

I did a lot of research on AIOs, looked at most of the ones sold in Thailand and came to the conclusion that ultimately, they just weren't worth it.

Most use outdated parts and cut corners on RAM and storage, usually offering outdated HDDs, sometimes combining a very small SSD.  Processors were dated and keyboards/mouse outdated wired style.  Monitors were usually 1080p at best.  Some could be upgraded but many could not.

I ended up with an Intel NUC and a BenQ monitor with a good quality wireless keyboard/mouse for just a bit more than half of what I would have spent for equivalent specs for an AIO.