Building a Low Cost But Capable Desktop - opinions sought!

[innerspace]

Regarding ssd reliability, intel drives have the best record with the samsung 840 pro range well respected too. I have one of each in my work pc and both great.

On my budget machine at home I put in a 60gb kingston which does my needs fine. Can understand the other poster opting for 120 minimum, but doesnt need to be that way. However I run linux not windows which can save a few gb and I know what and where can clean to reduce space... so not a typical user. 120gb is better for novices if budget affords.

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[notmyself]

Outside of gaming and serious business use, the 10k machine would be more than enough for practically everyone. So much marketing ploy within the industry to make people buy new machines which they quite simply don't need and often can't afford. I collect, or buy at rock bottom prices, old laptops when I'm in the UK which I bring back with me to Thailand. I spend a couple of hours cleaning up the HD and give them to local kids. You can buy stickers to turn it into a Thai keyboard too.

[innerspace]

And just to completely disrupt this thread...(sorry!) You could get a computer that does many jobs fine for 10% of this budget machine. 16gb harddrive, acrylic case, 5v power supply and a name like a fruit (but not round). Wont run windows but it would handle internet, movies (via external) and documents fine. Who needs a big box!

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[notmyself]

Who needs a big box!

People who see it as a hobby? If someone has the knowledge to do something then why get someone else to it? It is also more cost effective because when a component breaks you can replace it yourself or as technology changes such as CD then DVD drives you can just buy the part you need/ want rather than having to buy the whole thing.

[pbay]

Why bother building one when you can buy one for under 10,000?

http://www.invadeit.co.th/category/desktop-pcs/

[bkk_mike]

Why bother building one when you can buy one for under 10,000?

http://www.invadeit.co.th/category/desktop-pcs/

There are 5 machines on that page under 10k. 4 of them have 2GB of RAM, which most users would look to upgrade fairly quickly unless the computer is literally just for web browsing...

The last one is interesting (Q180), if only because it's so small, but it's still only got a 500GB hard drive.

If anything the spec of machines like that where an accountant has essentially decided the specs, is why people still build their own PCs - to get the exact spec they want.

[JimShortz]

Why bother building one when you can buy one for under 10,000?

http://www.invadeit.co.th/category/desktop-pcs/

The simple answer is that it is a choice... you don't have to. The real advantage is that you get to choose all of the components to meet your needs precisely, and most components bought this way have a three year warranty, as opposed to the standard one year for most pre-built machines.

However, the Lenovos that you link to are undoubtedly some of the best value (and great quality) machines around and a great idea for many people. The problem I find is that they are often not quite the mix of kit that I want - but then I have much more clearly defined requirements than most purchasers.

For Example:

Lenovo G3220, 11k Baht - http://www.invadeit.co.th/product/desktop-pcs/lenovo/essential-h530-57325028-intel-pentium-g3220-2gb-ddr3-1tb-intel-hd-dos-p018445/ = Superb value, with USB 3, HDMI, card reader, etc. BUT annoyingly only 2GB ram. I have no hesitation at all in recommending this machine (we buy lenovos for school because of the great warranties!), but you would immediately have to add in more memory; so not quite as cheap as it sounds, still great value though, and this one has 3 years on-site warranty. Now that is a wow, and I would certainly consider buying it.

Lenovo i3 for 10K sounds like great value until you realise that it only has a 500 GB HDD (very annoying since 1TB is only slightly more expensive to buy), but worse, it is a slow spin (5400), slow connection (SATA 2) drive. The i3 chip is 3rd generation - we are currently selling gen 4 at the higher end (actually, if you follow their specs link it shows a 2nd generation processor - much slower!)

All of the machines cheaper than these have processors that I would not be happy to buy, but that's a personal choice...

My real point is, that you must look at the detail, not just the headline, if you really want to compare like for like. Personally, I think the Lenovo G3220 with 3 years warranty is great. Just add a bit more for a memory upgrade and perhaps an SSD and you are good to go. I'm not sure if you can open it without invalidating the 3 year warranty though - my guess is that you can't; you'd have to go to Lenovo to get this done. That annoys me; if I buy a machine I want to be able to modify as I like, but of course others absolutely don't want to even look inside!

[notmyself]

Why bother building one when you can buy one for under 10,000?

http://www.invadeit.co.th/category/desktop-pcs/

There are 5 machines on that page under 10k. 4 of them have 2GB of RAM, which most users would look to upgrade fairly quickly unless the computer is literally just for web browsing...

The last one is interesting (Q180), if only because it's so small, but it's still only got a 500GB hard drive.

If anything the spec of machines like that where an accountant has essentially decided the specs, is why people still build their own PCs - to get the exact spec they want.

I figured as much but it's late and was unwilling to go through the specs.

One of my PCs is simply used to crunch numbers for video rendering. Overclocked Core 2 quad extreme, 16 GB RAM with a 14" CRT monitor attached via VGA. It sits in the corner day after day after day and that is all it does. The on board sound went out mid to late 2012 but it doesn't matter as I don't use it. It performs a specific task and though it is getting a bit long in the tooth, does it very well and will give most i7's a run for the money. Other than a new PSU last October 650W Cooler Master when the previous one gave up the ghost, it has cost me nothing at all in close to 4.5 years. Well, aside from powercuts (which happen on Samui) it has been running 24/7 since September 2009.

[Edit] Sound went 2011 not 2012. Also has no DVD drive or card reader.

Edited April 22, 2014 by notmyself

[JSixpack]

I'm not sure if you can open it without invalidating the 3 year warranty though - my guess is that you can't; you'd have to go to Lenovo to get this done. That annoys me; if I buy a machine I want to be able to modify as I like, but of course others absolutely don't want to even look inside!

Exactly, and good post. More broadly it brings up the proprietary issue. Maybe standard parts will fit the Lenovo. I dunno. But I wouldn't want to take the chance that it uses, say, proprietary connectors (PSU to mainboard, front panel to mainboard), non-standard mainboard standoff placement, bizarre HD cage, whatever. Typically vendors want to be sure that you have to return to them for service, and doing so adds significantly to cost. I only want off-the-shelf, well-reviewed, known good-quality stuff that anybody can easily upgrade, replace, and maintain.

Edited April 22, 2014 by JSixpack

[JSixpack]

And just to completely disrupt this thread...(sorry!) You could get a computer that does many jobs fine for 10% of this budget machine. 16gb harddrive, acrylic case, 5v power supply and a name like a fruit (but not round). Wont run windows but it would handle internet, movies (via external) and documents fine. Who needs a big box!

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I want and need a big box. But good for you if that's all YOU need. Lemme know how fast your small box handles the internet when you've got 52 browser tabs open as I do at the moment.

A Chromebook (running ChrUbuntu) may be a viable option for portability on the low end.

Edited April 22, 2014 by JSixpack