From Where Should I Buy Desktop?

Lsavvymom29 on 25/02/2018 - 18:46
Last edited 25/02/2018 - 19:08 by 1 other user

Hi Ozbargainers, I am new to this forum and also new to Australia.

I want to buy a desktop for my home and need suggestions/help from you guys. I need the PC for general purpose and do not need a gaming PC.

Can you please suggest that from where I can buy. I checked the MSY and their systems are beyond my budget. I saw that some sellers sell Dell Optiplex/Inspiron on eBay. I am bit confused as do not understand that how come they are selling at low prices. Are these PCs genuine? Is it safe to buy from them.

Please help guys as I need it urgently.

Thank you so much in advance.

Cheers

Savvymom29

Computing

Comments

ozhunter on 25/02/2018 - 18:58

+2

Whats your budget?
- savvymom29 on 25/02/2018 - 19:09
  
  500-700 AUD
  - Presence on 25/02/2018 - 19:22
    
    +1
    
    Do you need a screen, speakers, keyboard, mouse, etc?
    - savvymom29 on 25/02/2018 - 19:31
      
      yes. almost everything
John Kimble on 25/02/2018 - 19:03

+1

Not very savvy of you :p
- savvymom29 on 25/02/2018 - 19:10
  
  yup
jzdhgkd on 25/02/2018 - 19:22

+2

Have you checked MSY thoroughly?

http://www.msy.com.au/content/31-system-packages
http://www.msy.com.au/SYSTEMS/INTELAMD-Pro1.pdf

The cheapest packages are about $600 including a monitor/mouse/keyboard and everything you need to get started.

The Dell Optiplex/whatever systems you see on ebay are usually some 3-5 year old computers that have outlived their life at some company and then get refurbished for sale again. The only thing is you'll have to buy mouse/keyboard/monitor/speakers unless the ebay listing says these are included. Because it's ebay you'll need to do the usual due diligence to avoid being scammed.

If you've never bought from ebay I suggest you ask a friend/family member who has used it before to show you how it works. Otherwise look up "how to buy from ebay" or something like that.

If you need it urgently and know absolutely nothing about computers I'd probably head into any computer store around your area (maybe check google reviews first), give them your budget and ask them to build you a complete system. That would probably give you the least trouble and you'd be covered by warranty.
- Presence on 25/02/2018 - 19:26
  
  +5
  
  For OP it's worth noting that lots of businesses and government agencies have a policy of replacing computers every X number of years so just because they're being sold cheap doesn't mean they aren't useful PCs. With the exception of the last generation of processors there haven't been dramatic improvements in performance over the last 4ish years. An i5 3470 system can be had for less than $300 but is still more than sufficient for almost anything except gaming and pro uses.
- savvymom29 on 25/02/2018 - 19:36
  
  Is it worth to buy from ebay for 300-400 aud
  - savvymom29 on 25/02/2018 - 19:36
    
    also, how is AMD processor.. I have experience working on intel.
    - jzdhgkd on 25/02/2018 - 19:50
      
      Yeah it would definitely be worth it. You'd get a much faster computer buying refurbished than new. For instance the cpu in this PC is almost twice as fast as the cheapest one that MSY offers in their packages.
      
      As I said though you would need to buy extra things such as monitor/keyboard/mouse in order to use those ebay dell PCs so you need to factor that into the budget as well.
      
      As for AMD vs Intel I don't have much experience in this end of things but from what I can see Intel seems to be better value for money just based off some quick searches e.g. http://cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare/Intel-Celeron-G3930-vs-…
    - Beanvee on 26/02/2018 - 13:12
      
      The new 2200G and 2400G Ryzen's have in-built Vega graphics which blast Intel HD out the water, with one of those you've already got a decent CPU/GPU combo.
    - dazzles on 26/02/2018 - 15:20
      
      @enceladus94: But with the current DDR4 RAM prices, he is still better off buying an old Optiplex or Inspiron.
- ozhunter on 25/02/2018 - 19:54
  
  The AMD Ryzen 3 1200 3.10GHz / 3.40GHz (4 Cores) in that 2nd link looks to be a good fit for the OP.
[Deactivated] on 25/02/2018 - 19:23

-5

Harvey Norman
- myusername on 25/02/2018 - 20:35
  
  +2
  
  that's not a very ozbargainy suggestion
  - brokeunistudent on 25/02/2018 - 22:39
    
    +2
    
    but it is a very tuzii-esque attitude
    - [Deactivated] on 25/02/2018 - 23:10
      
      thanks :)
kipps on 25/02/2018 - 19:26

Why a desktop and not a laptop?
- Presence on 25/02/2018 - 19:30
  
  +3
  
  Much cheaper and better ergonomics?
- SlartiBartFozz on 27/02/2018 - 22:29
  
  Desktop vs Laptop is a little cheaper initially; lower cost of upgrading later; infinitely more flexible with upgrades, eg. adding a second or third SSD/HDD is no problem with a desktop but no chance with a laptop (and far cheaper than adding a NAS); bear in mind less disk space negatively affects system performance, especially with HDDs; laptops have poor airflow and cooling, which makes using them for long periods less reliable/less stable and stresses the hardware over time (desktops accumulate a lot of dust internally after many months of use but easily blown away with a can of air then just like new);
  unless you use a separate monitor, keyboard and mouse the ergonomics of a laptop is utterly terrible (of course adding those items diminishes the portability benefits and adds cost).
scrimshaw on 25/02/2018 - 20:18

+2
I saw that some sellers sell Dell Optiplex/Inspiron on eBay. I am bit confused as do not understand that how come they are selling at low prices.

They are cheap because

There's a very large number of them on the market. More than what people want, so supplies outstrips demand.

They've been in use for a pretty long time. Some of these machines are from the Sandy Bridge or Nehalem era, so around 2011~2012.

The manf. warranty has long expired, so if you buy these you should, and must know how to fix it yourself if it fails. Some sellers provide a few short months warranty. Don't count on the seller to provide tech support.

From Where Should I Buy Desktop?

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