Cheap PC

[ReZourceman]

I need a cheap PC. Desktop only, preferably with Operating System, needs to be capable of video editing, but it will not be used for gaming.

 

It needs to be under £300 and realistically closer to the £200 mark.

 

I have been looking at HotUkDeals, but honestly, I don't know what I am looking for. When it comes to PCs I don't know what I need for my needs.

 

Is the price point realistic?

[Shorty]

Do you want to do HD video editing? The price might be a bit of a stretch if you do. Also, when you say "Desktop only" do you mean tower only? As in, you don't need a monitor, speakers, keyboard etc. The best price you can get is always building it yourself, assuming you don't want to do that I don't think you're going to get "closer to the £200 mark" with an OS.

 

These are just things I've found browsing quickly, to give an idea of what your money could get you. I'm not saying buy these, they might not be the best thing around right now.

 

For £300 you could get: This Sandybridge tower (£230) and Windows 7 (£70). However it has onboard graphics so you're not going to be rendering video very fast. Add in a budget card like this 1GB Radeon 6770 (£50) though, and you're dancing.

[ReZourceman]

Cool thanks for your help. Building PCs is scary. I have a £700 PC from last year that is broken/stuck in a windows startup repair loop....do you know what would be SAFE to salvage from that?

[Rummy]

Cool thanks for your help. Building PCs is scary. I have a £700 PC from last year that is broken/stuck in a windows startup repair loop....do you know what would be SAFE to salvage from that?

 

Probably best to try and get the OS re-installed/redo the whole jazz. I don't think that's an unrepairable error at all, and a lot of resource to waste, it just sounds like a retarded windows error. Do you know more about the problem/how it happened? Give us a little description, might be able to save the thing.

[Shorty]

Cool thanks for your help. Building PCs is scary. I have a £700 PC from last year that is broken/stuck in a windows startup repair loop....do you know what would be SAFE to salvage from that?

Wha. If nothing else you could just format that Hard Drive. Problems with your OS do not mean time for a new PC.

[MoogleViper]

At worst you'd have to buy a new hard drive.

 

What are the specs of your current/broken PC?

[ReZourceman]

I don't know, but its fairly okay. Or it was.

 

Okay, cool so that sounds cheaper lol.

 

I have a very cherished pornography collection on there that I would hate to lose. If I purchased an external harddrive reader, would I be able to salvage the precious load and then format it?

 

How does one format a harddrive?

 

I am not sure if I have Windows 7, but if I do, do I simply install it afterwards?

 

I had taken it to my friend who runs a PC repair shop, once, he fixed it (all data remained) but the same problem happened a week later. Took it back again, fixed again, but again a few days later it was fucked again.

[MoogleViper]

Probably best to ease up on the dodgy porn downloads next time.

[ReZourceman]

I download from only the highest quality of locations.

[Sheikah]

Best bet like Shorty says is to build yourself. I'm new to building PCs but I've read around on the best value-for-money components and feel like I at least have a clue how to go about putting it together (plan to put together a decent PC soon to replace my 4-5 year old one).

 

So ridiculous now that I think about the PCs I/family have bought in the past. I know they require a little knowledge to assemble, but companies really do add a couple of hundred on to the end price and the components they use are often generic or worse than the ones you can buy yourself.

 

If I were you, since you don't want to build your PC go partway between - buy a barebones PC. These contain the case, processor, motherboard, power supply and RAM and are cheaper than buying a full PC with usually better specs for the price. Then you just need to slot in a reasonably inexpensive graphics card and install an OS (if you have these on your old PC you could transfer these over). I'd recommend you get a barebones PC that has an i5 processor which is superior to the i3 and should be great for your editing needs.

 

Something like this would be pretty good for you:

http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/barebones/bb-23204d.html

 

Should last you a while longer than if you went with a worse processor at least.

[EEVILMURRAY]

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-265-OK

 

£313.97 THIS WEEK ONLY.

[ReZourceman]

Okay, I looked further into it online.

 

I tried startup repair from the Windows 7 disk, but that didn't work.

 

So I installed Windows again. My PC is currently working. Only problem is, it didn't accept my activation/product key (I guess because I have already used it?)

 

Is this stable? I am backing up my files onto SD card just in case.

 

If this fucks up, how do I format, and will I need to purchase a new Windows? When is Windows 8 out?

[Shorty]

Windows 8 is shit.

 

If you genuinely own that Win 7 key you can reuse it on the same machine, you might need to ring an automated helpline or something.

 

Format the same way you reinstalled Windows, but choose to format the drive from custom setup options while doing it.

[Jimbob]

Windows 8 is shit.

 

If you genuinely own that Win 7 key you can reuse it on the same machine, you might need to ring an automated helpline or something.

 

Format the same way you reinstalled Windows, but choose to format the drive from custom setup options while doing it.

 

Agreed, it works for one use codes as well. I'm using a one use code for Office that was used on the downstairs computer, the automated helpline service is that niave.

 

From what i've heard and seen of 8, it's best suited for tablets and not for desktops.

[Yvonne]

mmm win 8 sounds a bit like vista - it's the one you miss out while you wait for them to regain their senses.

 

also ReZ win 7 tends to do that (activation crap), especially if you change hardware. Just ring the number and follow instructions, if you bought it it'll work fine, like shorty says.