Feb
15The Plunge… Windows Vista and a New PC
Tagged Under : HP, Microsoft, PC, Windows Vista
It’s amazing how much cheaper computers are these days. I had been working out what I was going to do for a few weeks now, today the decision was made and I decided to upgrade my aging 2.4Ghz P4 to a new machine running Windows Vista.
There are several reasons behind this decision. First I wanted a Vista machine, I am constantly talking about it, I am part of a team to promote it at work, yet I still did not use it at home.
Second, it was time to step up to Dual Core. My machine was getting a little long in the tooth for power.
Lastly, I wanted to check out some of the newer PC games. I had all but decided to order a custom machine from Cyberpowerpc.com when I decided to take a trip to Costco today and see what they had to offer.
I have been out of the “hating consumer machines” mode for awhile now. Sure you have to remove a ridiculous amount of crap software to get it clean (one thing I love about Apple btw, no garbage software on their computers…this isn’t a slam on Microsoft, it’s a slam on HP, they are probably the worst!) So I removed all the crap and started getting stuff set up.
The computer is pretty decent, the basic specs are:
- Intel Core 2 Duo 2.66Ghz Processor
- 4GB Ram
- 400Gb Hard Disk
- nVidia GeForce 8600 GT with 512MB Dedicated VRam
- Windows Vista Home Premium SP 1
- 24″ 1920×1200 LCD Monitor
Not a bad system.
I am still installing software (waiting on Lord of The Rings Online to finish updating, sheesh. Look at the image, that’s right 11,104 updates!)
Then I will finish up with the Macromedia Suite, Office and Photoshop. After that I can start putting this machine through the paces. So far it’s quite snappy and I am really pleased with the features, appearance, etc.
I will get an update out by the weekend with some benchmarks and real world performance tests.
Last word, Damn….24″ Monitors are freakin’ huge.
I’ve always been wondering why you seem to base some of your articles on Vista, my suspicion was finally confirmed since you stated somewhere that you work with Microsoft. I wonder if you would have done the same if you were not to be a part of the team.
I went to costco.com because I wanted a newer desktop computer, but did not need a new monitor. Just the Computer.
I was very happy to see the following ( so I ordered IT!!!!!):
CyberpowerPC
Intel E8400
3.0GHz 3GB DDR2 320GB HDD DVDRW
512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8500GT
420-Watt Power Supply
$849.99
Item # 288921
Shipping & Handling included *
Processor & Memory:
* Intel® 45nm Core™ 2 Duo E8400
* Clock Speed: 3.0Ghz
* 6MB L2 Cache
* 1333 Front-Side Bus
* 3GB (3 x 1 GB) DDR2-800 memory; max capacity 8GB
Motherboard:
* Asus P5N-E SLI NVIDIA 650i SLI Chipset MotherBoard
Drives:
* 320GB (7,200 RPM) SATA 3Gb/s Hard Drive w/ 16MB Cache
* 20x max DVD±RW drive with Double Layer Support
* 16x max DVD-ROM drive
Graphics:
* 512MB NVIDIA® GeForce® 8500GT graphics card
* 1x DVI, 1x VGA, 1x S-Video (HDTV Compatible)
Communications:
* 1 x Gigabit Ethernet LAN
Audio:
* Realtek ALC883 6-channel CODEC
Audio Sensing and Enumeration Technology Multi-Streaming
Keyboard & Mouse:
* Logitech P/S 2 Keyboard
* Logitech Optical P/S 2 Mouse
Expandability:
* 5 x 5.25″ drive bays (external)
* 2 x 3.5″ drive bays (external)
* 3 x 3.5” drive bays (internal)
* 2 x PCI-Express x16
* 1 x PCI-Express x1
* 2 x PCI 2.2
Ports:
* 8 x USB 2.0 ports (4 x top, 4 x rear)
* 1 x RJ-45 (LAN)
* 2 x Audio Jacks (top)
* 2 x IEEE1394 Firewire (1 x top, 1 x rear)
* 2 x PS/2 (keyboard and mouse)
* 1 x optical out
* 1 x coaxial S/PDIF Out
* 8-channel audio I/O ports
* 1 x Parallel Port
* 1 x e-SATA
Operating System and Software:
* Microsoft Windows Vista™ Home Premium (32-bit)
Additional Information:
* 420-watt power supply
* Black Apevia X-Jupiter Jr. Case
* Dimensions: 17″ H x 20″ D x 8″ W
Warranty and Support:
* One year CyberPower limited warranty
* Lifetime 24/7 technical support
For Technical Support Contact Cyberpower :
*
Email : techteam@cyberpowerpc.com
*
Technical Support Toll Free : 888-937-5582
Shipping & Terms
Standard shipping via UPS Ground is included in the quoted price. The estimated delivery time will be approximately 7 - 10 business days from the time of order.
Express shipping is via UPS. The estimated delivery time will be approximately 3-5 business days from the time of order.
An additional Shipping and Handling fee will apply to express shipments. This fee will be quoted at checkout.
Please choose your shipping method at checkout.
*Delivery is available to Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. An additional Shipping and Handling fee will apply to shipments going to Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico. This fee will be quoted at checkout.
Costco.com offers merchandise which complements our warehouse product selection. Therefore, most items available on our web site are unique to costco.com.
Costco.com products can be returned to any of our more than 500 Costco warehouses worldwide.
*Actual memory capacity may vary under Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems.
THE RETURN POLICY FOR TELEVISIONS, PROJECTORS, COMPUTERS, CAMERAS, CAMCORDERS, IPODS / MP3S, AND CELLULAR PHONES IS 90 DAYS FROM DATE OF PURCHASE.
Manufacturer’s warranty service is available on all electronics products. See manufacturer’s warranty for specific coverage terms.
For COMPUTERS, TELEVISIONS and PROJECTORS, Costco extends the MANUFACTURER’S WARRANTY to two years from date of purchase. Please call Costco Concierge™ Technical Support @ 1-866-861-0450 for warranty assistance.
PLEASE RETAIN YOUR RECEIPT FOR PROOF OF WARRANTY ENTITLEMENT.