Two years ago, I bought a computer for myself. It is an HP a1730n. I payed 1500$ for it thinking that it was a good computer. At the time I didn't really know much about computers though. Now I know much more about them and the hardware specifications of my computer and I believe I've been ripped off. Below are my specs:
CPU: AMD Athlon 64X2 5000+ 2.606ghz
GPU:Nvidia Geforce 6150LE (This GPU has trouble running Sauer at decent resolutions with bloom on)
RAM:2GB DDR2
OS: Window Vista Home Premium
My monitor is 22". That cost me about 300$. My processor is now valued at 64$. Recently, I have seen computers selling for 699$ on the internet that include Quad-Core processors, twice as much RAM, and graphics cards that actually don't suck like mine. From what I can tell, the motherboard is nothing spectacular either. So I payed 1500$ for a mediocre computer. Unless anyone here can point out something that I overlooked. I'd just like to know if there is any hope that I wasn't COMPLETELY swindled.
1st of all: It's useless to compare the prices and technology which you have bought two years ago with the current ones. Its an old unspoken rule that the complete product palette in the stores has changed in less then 18 months.
2nd: If your are buying a computer of one of the big companies (HP, Dell, Sony aso) you have always to pay for the name also. Nonames are mostly cheaper w/o any other technology in it.
3rd: Some parts of a computer are traded with daily prices - especially CPU and RAM. Nevertheless the prices for RAM and also Harddisks are on a low level relative to the prices several years ago. On the other hand grafix cards are becoming more and more expensive imo. The prices of flat screens are dropping - also as a result that no own is searching for CRTs anymore). But in the most cases you are buying then the TFT technology of yesterday cause the newest one is only available in highdefinition-TFTs.
Tip:
Put in another RAM-Gig and read some tests about better matching grafics cards.
Btw. Not every Quadcore is faster then a Dualcore: 1st: the rest of the hardware has to match also (think about a car with a big engine and poor gear and tires). 2nd: The plus of performance is often task-critical.
Moore's law still applies, so it's only logical that prices drop rapidly and you'll always get more perfomance for the same value.
The best rule for computer hardware is: don't buy it unless you need it, it'll be cheaper later on.
(07-11-2008 02:00 PM)Apollo Wrote: [ -> ]1st of all: It's useless to compare the prices and technology which you have bought two years ago with the current ones. Its an old unspoken rule that the complete product palette in the stores has changed in less then 18 months.
I realize that but my computer has, frankly, exceptionally poor performance. Low framerates(Relative to AC) are not acceptable for any decent computer bought in recent years(~0-3?) in my opinion(FPS aren't that bad running AC but I can see every frame individually)
(07-11-2008 02:00 PM)Apollo Wrote: [ -> ]2nd: If your are buying a computer of one of the big companies (HP, Dell, Sony aso) you have always to pay for the name also. Nonames are mostly cheaper w/o any other technology in it.
You are correct, I didn't take that in to account.
(07-11-2008 02:00 PM)Apollo Wrote: [ -> ]Btw. Not every Quadcore is faster then a Dualcore: 1st: the rest of the hardware has to match also (think about a car with a big engine and poor gear and tires). 2nd: The plus of performance is often task-critical.
I know that Quadcores aren't always faster than Dualcores. The computers I mentioned before at 699$ were typically hardcore gaming computers with some very good Quadcore processors. I just think that if someone can get a computer with a CPU as good as the ones offered for 699$, I ought to have been able to get a little more than I did for 1500$. Maybe, maybe not. It's not really a big deal though, I can't really take the computer back and say I want my money back, even if I had gotten ripped off. Perhaps I should have just built my own computer. Next time I will do that.
^^^ That's what I was going to suggest.
RRROOOOOBBBBBBBBEEEEEEDDDDD
leasing computers isnt all that bad btw
OMFG! DEPRECIATION RIPPED ME OFF GUYZ!!11ONEONE!1one.!
(07-11-2008 11:10 PM)Mael Wrote: [ -> ]I know that Quadcores aren't always faster than Dualcores. The computers I mentioned before at 699$ were typically hardcore gaming computers with some very good Quadcore processors.
A hardcore gaming computer with quadcores at 699 $ (549,65 €) - i'm pretty sure that there is a rub in it.
(some ideas: cpu variations with less cache/bus size; minimum ram size and/or standard ram modules, grafix onboard with shared memory aso)
Perhaps you are right Apollo. I will have to look into it. It seems building my own computer is definitely the way to go next time.