I am soon to be in the market for a new Desktop PC, and in previous threads like this, Dopers have recommended MicroCenter’s PowerSpec line. Here are the specs for the model I am looking at:
Specifications
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)
Motherboard: Intel® DH55TC �ATX Motherboard
Motherboard Chipset: Intel® H55 Express Chipset
Processor: Intel® Core™ i3-530 Processor
Processor Speed: 2.93GHz
Level 3 Cache: 4MB Level 3 Cache
Front Side Bus: 2.5GT/s
RAM Installed / Max RAM Supported: 4GB DDR3 RAM (Expandable to 16GB)
Memory Configuration: (2) 2GB DIMM Memory Modules
Memory Slots Available: (2) Available 240-pin DIMM Slots
Hard Drive: 500GB 7,200RPM Serial ATA Hard Drive
Multimedia Drive: SuperMulti 8x Double Layer DVD±RW Drive
Display Type: Display Not Included
Video Card: Intel® HD Graphics
TV Tuner/Personal Video Recorder (PVR): No Tuner
Sound Card: Intel® High Definition Audio Chipset
Sound Output Mode: 5.1 Channel Surround Sound
Network Features: 10/100/1000 Gigabit Network
Ports and Connectors : (1) PS2 Keyboard/Mouse Port; (1) VGA 15-pin Port; (1) DVI-D Port; (1) HDMI Port; (2) Front USB 2.0 “A” Ports; (6) Rear USB 2.0 “A” Ports; (1) RJ-45 Network Port; 3 port Audio jack
Memory Card Reader: 8-in-1 Media Card Reader
Supported Flash Media: Compact Flash I, Compact Flash II, IBM Microdrive, SmartMedia, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, MultiMediaCard, Secure Digital Card
Expansion Bays: 2 (1 free) External 5.25" Bays; 2 (1 free) External 3.5" Bays; 4 (3 free) Internal 3.5" Bay
Expansion Slots: 1 (1 free) PCI-E x16 Graphic Interface Slot; 2 (2 free) PCI-E x1 Interface Slots; 1 (1 free) 32-bit Bus Mastering PCI Slot
Power Supply: 300 Watt ATX 12V Power Supply
Input Device: Windows Keyboard, 2 Button Optical Scroll Mouse
PRICE = $600
I use my PC for routine office tasks (surfing, word processing, etc.), graphic design (i.e. Photoshop), occasional video editing (vacations), and audio editing. No gaming these days.
What say knowledgeable dopers? Any glaring red flags with this configuration or price? (I know there is no monitor included).
Shadow,
I was looking to upgrade, and last weekend basically came up with about the same specs as what you have there. I build my own so I was looking at each part and this was my “value” configuration. This seems to avoid most of the pitfalls I was concerned with.
H55/i3 looks to be a good pair for general use. Graphics are built into the CPU btw, The graphics bus is not real fast but it handles HD video no problem so fast enough.
two memory cards (enables dual channel RAM – I get nuts when i see Dell selling systems with only one card)
Two extra memory slots for expansion
no USB3, but I think this is not important unless you often use an external HD
I decided to wait a couple months since I put together a system last July and the prices don’t seem to have dropped as much as I expected for the newer Intel chips; I was hoping to either spend less or get more. Alas, my current system is still adequate so it’s hard for me to justify if i think I can save a few bucks in the summer.
I’m going to (in passing) advocate you get a Mac, then move on to actually answer your question:
Get a Mac.
Anyway, my initial observation is: MicroCenter branded PC? Eek.
MicroCenter has good prices on some things for a retail establishment, but I wouldn’t trust their service and support as far as I could throw them. If you’re not the kind of person who can crack open a PC case and start unplugging things to figure out what’s gone wrong, I’d recommend a national brand with a well-established support infrastructure.
Dell’s used to be amazing, though last time I used them they were merely better than average. I understand now that when you buy a computer you can pay a little extra for “enhanced” support where you’ll get an American who won’t talk down to you when you call in, vs being redirected to a callcenter in Bangalore where you’ll have to spend 10 minutes explaining a 2 minute problem, then half an hour running through their checklist of stupid advice (“Try unplugging it and plugging it back in”).
The specs are good, but then when aren’t they. A bottom-of-the-line computer these days is generally more powerful than it needs to be (the only weak point usually being RAM, and 4GB should be enough for a while). You shouldn’t focus so much on specs now as on the experience, and if the thing breaks and you’re SOL, that’s a bad experience.
I’m not happy to hear about bad customer service. Others I’ve spoken to have had good customer service experiences there, which was one of the reasons I started looking there in the first place. I’ve had decent service experiences there myself, but that was only buying small things like cables and whatnot, so not really comparable. Looking online, I see the same thing I often see when trying to evaluate retailers: some positive reviews, some horrible negative reviews.
sigh It’s hard to know, I suppose, without just doing it and seeing what my personal experience is.
Your spec looks fine. My only concern about that machine there is that it’s a micro motherboard, which means that if you wanted to add in a video card down the line you might hit some size restraints. But that’s only maybe a problem down the line.
I have no opinion of MicroCenter. I’ve never shopped there. I buy most of my computer parts through Newegg.com, and couple from Amazon. I’ve had excellent experiences with both of them. Newegg doesn’t build computers themselves, but do retail name brand computers. They have a 30 replacement policy and you can buy extended repair service if you want.
This one caught my eye while I was browsing their sales today -
It’s a Gateway, i3 rather than i7, but 6gb RAM and a 1Tb hard drive. $560. I’m unenthused about Gateway but it’s a relatively known quantity. I’d buy from them before a smaller retailer. Did you look at Dell? They sell so many computers they can be hard to pin down but their daily sales can result in some good buys.
Performance wise, both your spec and the Gateway will do what you want.
Any other pc gurus have thoughts on it?