• expired

Medion PC $499 with AMD A8 Quad Core, 4GB DDR3, 1TB HDD, Win7 HP from Aldi

580

I built a PC with this chip recently and chip alone was $150 - so add 1TB disk $100 mobo $100 RAM $50 Windows $50 case DVD etc - basically you could not build a decent spec for that. I'd say if you are shopping for a replacement desktop, jump on this. Note: no monitor included.

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  • does this have HDMI? seems like a good buy if it has.

  • +4

    Extensive connection options:

    Front connections:
    • 1 Multi card reader for SD, SDHC, SDXC,
    MMC, MS & MSPro memory cards6
    • 1 x USB 3.02
    • 1 x USB 2.0
    • 1 x Microphone
    • 1 x Headphone
    • 1 x eSATA

    Rear connections:
    • 2 x PS/2
    • 2 x USB 3.02
    • 4 x USB 2.0
    • 1 x LAN (RJ-45)
    • 1 x Front Line Out
    • 1 x Subwoofer/Center Out
    • 1 x Back Surround Out
    • 1 x Side Surround Out
    • 1 x SPDIF opt. Out
    • 1 x Line In
    • 1 x VGA
    • 1 x HDMI

  • $143 A8-3870 (better CPU than this)
    ~$110 Assuming midrange mobo (may not even be that)
    $18 4GB DDR3
    $75 Thermaltake V3
    $20 DVD Drive
    ~$100 1TB Drive
    $20 Wireless N card

    Total:
    $486

    So probably not a half bad price, although thats assuming it isn't a cheap mobo/hdd/case.

    • +14

      wheres your copy of windows?

      or is that free?

      • +9

        and the 60 days "I don't like this" money back guarantee…

      • +1

        I'm an engineering student, I don't pay for windows, but fair point, definitely something I missed, so add on a $99 OEM copy (assuming you aren't a student and/or can't be bothered with some extra effort online).

      • Its in the specs for the Pc.

        Quote
        Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium – 64 Bit, Microsoft® Office 20106preinstalled, and much more

        • I think he's referring to izzeho's build ^.-

        • -1

          OMG Microsoft Office 20106!
          It knows what you are thinking…

    • 1TB HDD at least $120 right now.
      Left out PSU, which you can get for as little as $30.
      Reasonable to assume there is a discrete sound card with all of those channel.

      Of course this is going to be made with the cheapest low quality parts available, but this is a decent price comparable to someone building it themselves, without having to posses the knowledge or actually do so.

      Not really a 'deal' just 'fair'

    • Is this referring to the CPU alone: Smart performance AMD Quad-Core Accelerated Processor A8-3820 with AMD Radeon™ HD 6550D Discrete-Class Graphics?

    • +1

      Why this reply is flawed:
      - Doesn't include PSU
      - Doesn't include Windows
      - Doesn't include media reader
      - Doesn't include 2 years of warranty on all parts
      - Doesn't include keyboard or mouse
      - Doesn't include the labour of putting all parts together
      - Doesn't include 60 day return
      - Doesn't include the risk of stuffing up your computer when assembling it
      - Doesn't include USB 3.0 at the front of the case

      Now, I know some parts of his or her setup are better, but hell, at least put a proper list instead of trashing some numbers and parts without thinking anything through.

      • -Thermaltake V3 comes with PSU (probably a better one than this does.
        -Your right I missed that one
        -Personally I've never needed one, my cards mount inside their devices (or I plug them into printer), add to that I can get a media reader off DX for $3.99
        -No, but it comes on with a 2 year warranty for most components, and a 3-5 year warranty on the rest.
        -Assuming a bog basic kb/ms its $10.
        -Perhaps, but at the very least its a 6 pack for a good techhead mate.
        -Correct, but when I purchase things I'm confident I'll actually want them.
        -Thats a near impossibility with today's computers, either it works or it doesn't (and you try again).
        -Yes, it does. Alot of mobo's come with usb3 front ports.

          • You assume everyone desires what you desire, the world doesn't revolve around you mate
          • Your media reader is external, more clutter for everyone!
          • Yeah, you have to pester your techhead mate every time it breaks down in those two years, great fun. It'll get you some social pluses…
          • Bog KB yes, Mouse is quite decent. Perhaps $12
          • You're confident because you did a bunch of research, which I didn't have to do because the Aldi comp is a decent setup.
          • You never heard of static electricity? Or sweat? Or buying a lower wattage PSU than needed?
          • You're case doesn't have a usb 3 outlet at the front, if the ports cannot be substituted have fun making a hole at the front of the case.
          • The queue at MSY is fun isn't it?

          This is a simple case, I've met so many tech heads that think everyone has a tech head friend who is willing to waste their time putting a computer together and buying them off with a six pack. It doesn't surprise me that they don't understand the reasons why HN and DSE still exist.

  • +2

    "Windows $50" Where did you get your copy of Windows from?

    • +1

      Better question is where he got his RAM from for $100…. It is quite easy to get windows for around that (or less) through several online (legit) programs.

      • -1

        Windows $50 - sorry took a flying guess at that :)

        • +3

          Windows is $50 if you're a student or teacher

          it's free if you know what you're doing…

        • MSDN version, ask your uni.

          Some uni actually provide it free…

        • 3 License Pack wasn't much more that that per machine.

        • I got four copies of Windows 7 Professional free from my university via MSDNAA. They originally had 32-bit and 64-bit listed separately (so two different licenses), and then last year the system got upgraded to some new one and I could get two licenses again :)

          Go to http://www.onthehub.com/ and see if your university is listed.

          Nowadays I only use Windows to play games and in a virtual machine, though. Linux is much better for my needs.

      • Better question is where he got his RAM from for $100…

        Easy, he bought 4G x 3 ddr3 2000 then (oops) only 1 slot.

  • +2

    Gotten one of these before. Be careful with the power button, the piece of plastic acting as a spring snapped and we had to take out the power button. We have to use a pencil to turn it on now.

  • Can this run BF3? or Crysis?

    • +1

      http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-Radeon-HD-6550M.41143.0.htm…

      Crysis -
      low: 98.1 fps
      med.: 60.6 fps
      high: 31.1 fps
      Compare ultra: 8.2 fps

      I assume the 6550D is the same for desktops…
      Crysis no problem until you are on Ultra Options.
      No info on BF3 though.

      • If it's the same speed as a 6550M then it should run BF3 just don't be expecting it to run completely smooth, probably hover around the 30s on low settings.

        • I wouldn't be too optimistic about any graphics performance given that it has no dedicated GPU memory, using system RAM is never really successful IME.

  • +2

    is it possible to open the case or does this void the warranty?

  • +3

    The best part about electronic gear from Aldi is that this coming winter you won't need a heater.

    • Please explain? Do they run hot?

    • +4

      Because Aldi totally manufacture their own AMD A8's that run hotter… :S

      • +6

        Do I need to buy Aldi's fan to cool down this PC?

    • Or a defibrillator if you have a heart attack!

      • I imagine it would be quite a shock to find a 9 kg computer on your chest. :)

  • +1

    Looks good, but hard to tell not knowing the exact model and manufacturer of motherboard. Assume it would at least have a pci express video card slot if you ever needed to update from the onboard video card and it would be a 4gb ram kit (2 x 4gb) with 2 spare slots for extra ram. Unless they used a low end board that only supported 2 ram slots.

    • You may be right. In the German review I posted a link to below, in the 3rd photo it seems to have only 2 RAM slots and one PCI express slot. I guess people who buy this won't expect to upgrade it.

      • I can't vouch for the accuracy of google translate, but this bit in that German review is a little troubling:

        As a graphics processor uses the Medion Akoya E4055D in the main processor chip integrated AMD HD 6550D, which uses part of the four-gigabyte memory as video memory.

        • +1

          Yeah, I believe this is one of those combo CPU/graphics chips that uses main memory for graphics, hence the low specs for graphics performance.

          Edit: 0ptus_Fail commented similarly.

    • In my experience (working in a computer shop very near an Aldi store), the motherboards have usually been MSI. It will be an OEM model with slight differences to MSI's retail models.

      I believe a lot of their laptops are also MSI manufactured also.

  • +2

    Nice find, this would be a perfect Media Center PC.

    • I don't think its a perfect Media Center PC, but it is an OK one. A perfect one would use much less power.

      • CPU has a TDP of 65w, so the power consumption isn't that bad, and is in fact better than some of the older Phenom series.

  • Anyone know what the dimensions are for it?

    • Found the answer:

      Dimensions (L x W x H) /Weight
      approx. 18 x 39 x 39 cm/ca. 9 kg

  • How noisy/quiet does this computer run?

    • +1

      friend bought one similar last yr from aldi. very quiet.. runs very good and it was an AMD too.. so this i assume it should be quiet too..

  • Says office is pre-installed, that would be pretty amazing if it were actually any full copy (and not just starter edition or a trial)

    • It's not a full version. From the footnotes:
      6 Reduced-functionality versions of Word® and Excel® have been preinstalled on this computer and are available for immediate use. To be able to use all of the functions of the preinstalled Office 2010 applications on this, you will need to purchase an Office 2010 Product Key Card or an Office 2010 software package

    • Ah, beaten to it. And by 6 minutes!
      But yeah, I would call this a great deal. For someone who does not want to build their own machines. And you can't fault the 2 year warranty. If you buy all the bits separately and build it yourself, it's up to you to figure out which one of them is broken if you want to make any warranty claims.

  • There's a review here, in German so you need a translator:

    http://www.computerbild.de/artikel/cb-Tests-PC-Hardware-Medi…

    I'm still trying to locate an energy consumption figure.

  • +2

    Bought one from Aldi last year, AMD with very similar specs, was $100.- more a year ago. It's a good machine, hasn't missed a beat as yet and still a year warranty remaining. Aldi stuff is generally good value. Of course there's always something better available, that's just how life is :-)

  • +5

    Here is a translation of part of the German Review and the conclusion:

    A separate graphics card is not installed. As a graphics processor uses the Medion Akoya E4055D in the main processor chip integrated AMD HD 6550D, which uses part of the four-gigabyte memory as video memory. The processor is an AMD model of the current generation of Llano (type: A8-3820) with four cores. The work typically in the 2.5-GHz clock. If computationally expensive programs require full power, the processor switches to the "turbo" mode: The frequency then increases up to 2.8 gigahertz.

    Connections tired

    The Aldi PC offers including eight USB ports, three of them even with the fast USB 3.0 technology. The data port transfers data via USB 3.0. For the connection of screens are one analog VGA and digital HDMI output. Connect to a network or Internet router takes on the Akoya via LAN connector or wirelessly via WLAN. Bluetooth is not on board.

    Conclusion: Medion Akoya E4055D

    The Medion Akoya E4055D is working smoothly and remains fairly quiet. The equipment is good: He offers as a large hard drive, USB 3.0 connectors and fast wireless . Players do not come at their expense, but for most everyday tasks, the PC is fine suitable - and with a price of 399 € is a real saving tip.

    Test score:
    well
    2.47
    +

    Very quiet
    Large hard drive (1TB)
    Three USB 3.0 ports 
    

    -

    For complex 3D games too slow 
    

    Some nice English there to decipher..

  • Generally with 'branded' prefabricated PC's the components they save $$$/'cut costs' on are:

    • the motherboard
    • the PSU(power supply)
    • the case

    This is as the average Joe Bloggs will know a lil about the CPU, how much ram it has and the size of the HDD. But thats about it.

    Anyway from what I can tell the motherboard will atleast be a mid-range offering - as it has eSata and USB3, which entry level offerings still don't have. Still has a lot of electrolytic caps on it, rather than all solids - but looks okayish.

    The PSU is by this mob: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FSP_Group - so could be ok. No idea what rating it has - should easily support the addition of a separate mid level GPU.

    The case is similar to the ones Aldi have used for a long time. Good levels of functionality but poor air filtration and I'd also expect it to be made of the cheapest, thinnest materials so will not buffer noise well at all.

    Anyway overall I'd strongly recommend it to folks who aren't able to build a PC themselves - remove all the preloaded bloatware(unwanted software) and you should have quite a good PC for a better price than HP/Dell/Local PC store.

  • This would cost you about $1500 at ds or hn. Rip of merchants when it comes to pcs.

    • HN or DS don't mass-manufacture and sell PCs. They have to pay for overheads, which is why they charge a high price. Aldi is a supermarket and the computers are just a way to get consumers into the door so that they know Aldi is a decent supermarket. Nuff said.

  • What PSU and motherboard does it come with? You probably won't be able to put a decent graphics card in it.

  • -3

    The AMD cpus are very poor, very ineffience with heat, I would only recommend something like a i5 or i7

    • for 2-3 times the price…perhaps not.

      I bought AMD because they are a BARGAIN, at the time about 80-100$ cheaper for the same specced intel CPU. Yes the AMD can use more power and get very hot under full load but I don't run it under full load (if your CPU is always running under full load, you havnt chosen the right CPU), and mine is practically passively cooled. For this price point AMD's offer better value for money (IMHO).

      That being said, I agree that for power efficient CPUs, Intel are superior (especially the S & T models), and are more powerful in the high end, but you have to pay for it.

      and FYI, the power rating of a Intel i5 2500k and an AMD FX-4100 are both 95w max

  • Unfortunately Intel has a pretty strong performance gap with AMD right now probably the biggest I can recall.
    Look here for the amd CPU in this PC vs the intel i5 which is a similar priced CPU range.
    http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+A8-3820+APU+with…

    A lot of little things can make difference in performance, if they used the faster DDR-1866 memory over DDR-1333 games perform up to %20 faster, http://www.anandtech.com/show/4476/amd-a83850-review/4
    So far there are no details, just says "4GB DDR3"

    My only hope is that the PC maker spent that 0.05cents worth enabling the AMD-vi/IOMMU ability in the bios/support which gives significantly faster virtualization performance, this AMD based pc might make a nice little low power consuming home server. Intel deliberately disable this kind of stuff on their low end range.

  • I don't know a lot about computers, but would this make a reasonable HTPC with the addition of a Digital TV tuner. Or is there a lack of gpu memory?

    • It shares its memory with the on board 4G DDR3 memory for the CPU. That is why gaming performance can vary based merely on the speed of that DDR3 memory.
      For just playing movies and browsing the web on TV it would work fine, the intergrated GPU is actually one of its best points in terms of performance for intergrated GPU.

  • Someone want to buy this, open the case and post up some pics?

    I want to see whats inside and cable management…

    • There are some pix in the German review, link above.

      • Thanks… Not bad for a mass produced box.

  • +1

    To Dane005 - i'm guessing yes to a HTPC - i use the AMD A8-3870 chip that has the same built in GPU (HD 6550D) and with that chip there is no need for a separate graphics adapter / video card - the built in graphics give crisp high def video - I am not sure how different the AMD A8-3870 would be over the AMD A8-3820 (hey with ALDI I guess you can try!!)

  • DFO-1323215LT NEW Latitude E5520 Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-2330M (2.2GHz, 3M cache) Genuine Windows(R) 7 Home Premium 32-bit (English) 4GB (2x2GB) 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM 250GB 7200rpm Hard Drive 8X DVD+/-RW Drive Intel(R) Centrino(R) Advanced-N 6205 (802.11 a/b/g/n) Half Mini Card Intel(R) HD Graphics 3000 with Express Card Slot 9-cell (87Wh) Primary Battery Internal Single Pointing Keyboard with Anti-microbial Protection (English) Dell Latitude E5520 15.6" HD (1366x768) Anti-glare LED Panel LCD Back Cover - WLAN (3x3) Ready 1 Year 6 $ 495

    I'd rather have this laptop, normally $1,450 for $495 delivered.

    Obviously there are normally desktops available there too if you want. Main catch is one year warranty.

  • Please post a link.

  • Excellent value!

    I am about to replace my dying desktop.

    Does it support dual monitors?

    Can it dual boot with OSX Lion?

    • Does it support dual monitors?

      Yes

      Can it dual boot with OSX Lion?

      Most probably no. I don't think OSX plays nice with AMD CPU's.

  • I bought few weeks ago this one http://www.harveynorman.com.au/hp-pavilion-p6731a-desktop-to…

    for around 800. I needed urgently a desktop pc for my dad and this was the best deal i got.

    Now the aldi one for 500 seems like a best bargain.

  • I couldn't find any of these in Geelong =(

  • A few things about this desktop:
    - No PCI ports
    - Only 2 spaces for HDDs (1 already occupied)
    - Only two ram slots already filled by 2gbs each
    - Only One PCIE
    - No DVI port
    - No case fans, only a fan on PSU and the other on the CPU (The computer is practically silent, the only noticeable noise comes from the HDD)
    - Keyboard is unusable, really flimsy keys
    - Mouse is of decent quality, beats the generic MS mice.

    Other than that, its all as described, but be prepared to remove A LOT of bloatware.

  • Two left at Narre Warren Aldi when I bought mine at 1pm.

  • Brought one yesterday…..my initial thoughts, bear in mind i'm not much of a gamer, and can hold my own (just) in a techy conversation. Anyway:

    • packed well, comes with 2 disks: Recovery (which has win 7 64 bit), and 'application and support disk'
      -Case looks quite good, some cool LED lighting from the top, where the front plugins are.
      -VERY quiet. the hard drive makes the loudest sound. installation was a bit tricky for me, because the cpu fan is on the right hand side , and low.
    • Start up took a while for the first time (have a few blank DVDs handy, 2 i think: win 7 recovery tools and system repair disk.
      -Installed my external hard drive, adsl 2 modem, wireless mouse, etc straight up.
      -haven't tryed a printer/game keypad/ web cam etc , so can't report
      -agree with the bloatware comment above
    • very happy with it so far
    • have read you need to be gentle with the front on button, so i am, but the build seems ok, besides that. the top hard drive port is stupid, because aldi dont sell those at the same time. oh, and the cool blue LED lighting matches the medion backlit keyboard they were selling a year ago…(i brought 2 at 25 bucks i think….they didnt advertise the backlit bit very well, so i got them on markdown).
  • +1

    If anyone wants a thorough review of what the pc has read this, it has a lot of detail.

    http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/desktop_pcs/medion/ak…

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