weapon69

Hi

I'm looking for a new laptop/desktop but don't really know where to start! Lots of deals around at the moment but I don't which brands to maybe avoid.

Need it for video/photo editing (this has run my very old laptop into the ground) and word processing mostly. I don't play games.

Thanks

Graz

For the most part the brands to avoid are generally the ones you've never heard of. Dell stuff is not bad value if you want something fairly standard.

Video and photo editing can be quite processor intensive so it may be worth spending the extra to get something more powerful. A full HD screen (or better) is probably also a good move.

I bought an Asus N56 series laptop with a full HD screen a while back and it's been pretty good so far. Seemed a good compromise of cost vs. performance at the time: http://www.asus.com/uk/Notebooks_Ultrabooks/N56VZ/

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

What he said, plus a budget would help narrow down the spec/make.

And factor into the cost a "windows 8.1 for dummies" book.


Seriously, I still can't get my head round it. I desparately need to replace four works computers and replace a stolen laptop, but can't abide myself to purchase any with such a horrible non-intuitive operating system....I'm trying to wait for win10 to come out.

Its going to be a long wait

dpb

Just bought a dell latitude e6220 , 153 quid

It was either this or linx 8/10 including keyboard, which I could have had circa 120 quid if i chopped in acer iconia tab I got couple months back.

If the dell is really ropey i may just return it.


Haven't decided on new desktop, but iv had mini mac and a benq monitor in mind for some time

brendy76

iTrader: (6)

I see ebuyer have lenovo quad core pcs for 150 at the moment.

piehole1983

iTrader: (7)

From personal experience I would stay clear of HP laptops. The suffer serious issues with the GPU solder coming away from the motherboard. This isn't isolated to one model or production year either. Seems to be across quite a few models.

brendy76

iTrader: (6)

Really?
Ive bought maybe 50 or so HP probooks this past 2 years and havent had one fault requiring warranty work. They have been the most reliable laptop brand I have come across. Dell being the absolute pits opposite.

piehole1983

iTrader: (7)

Yeah, honestly! Maybe they've sorted it out in the recent past. Bear in mind I stopped buying them probably 4 years ago because of the issue. Give it a Google and see for yourself. Some of the Sony Vaio suffers the same. I actually re-balled a couple of them, works for a while but eventually they start messing about. I guess the HP's you've been buying aren't old enough yet for the fault to occur. Seems to be heat cycling mixed with the ****ty lead free solder used now.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Not just HP, infact many laptops with the same Nvidia 8600GS chipset suffered this failure. Its a hot running chip, so as soon as a laptop's cooling system becomes bunged up with bum fluff they fail.

piehole1983

iTrader: (7)

I'm not a fan of laptops at all.

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Dell Dell Dell

Thread closed.

weapon69

Thanks for replies. I automatically avoid Dell due to 3 faulty laptops in the past. My budget is low!

I currently have an Acer and it has been very reliable but unfortunately very old tech that can't keep up anymore.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I have an ASUS, it's very good, well-made and even running 8.1 is fun to use.

Intel i5, 750GB, 6GB, cost me £299.

weapon69

Where did you buy that from?

I keep looking at iMacs but out of budget!

piehole1983

iTrader: (7)

I have a Samsung job, can remember the model but it's similar spec to the one mentioned above except it's an i3 CPU. Very good system and handles itself very well. I got it from PC world about 2 years ago for £350.

jura11

iTrader: (7)

Hi there

Personally I would go down the custom desktop,agree can cost you bit more,but will worth it

As you do lots of video and photo editing,PC is best choice,in Video rendering,extra mhz from overclocking only help you lower the times

Laptops are slow and always will be slower,due this I can't recommend them for video editing/rendering,yes for photo editing should be OK,with right amount RAM

I wouldn't be recommending brands of pre-assembled PC,because is not worth it,build yours own and its easy to do so

Hope this helps

Thanks,Jura

piehole1983

iTrader: (7)

+1 for self build. I've just built 2 last week for xmas presents for my son and his friend.

dpb

Well, my dell just turned up.

Can't fault it really for the price, grade 2, but you'd hardly know it.

weapon69

Hi, thanks for answering. I have been looking at desktops but unfortunately 'building' them is only easy if you know how! I have no one to help with that as no one in the family is technically minded.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Building them is pretty easy, If you can do Lego Technic and Ikea flat packs.

The problem isn't the building itself - that's the easy bit, the hard bit is buying the right parts for the job. Not just from the spec you require but also for compatability and reliability. Seems the Chinese and Korean component makers bullsh*t on as much as the yanks do

Get it wrong and you end up with something temperamental that sounds like a hairdryer when its running. Along with wasted hours pinpointing the troublesome component (or its drivers) thats giving you the grief.

So I only recommend to go DIY, if you want learn from it. If you just want a PC, you buy it built and off the shelf. Even so, I always recommend running memtest before using it.

Rob_Impreza99

iTrader: (3)

Like Ali said, building them is easy.

The hardest parts for someone new to building a pc are cable management and installing windows especially with the right drivers from the manufacturers website, installing them in the correct order etc, i wouldn't bother with the included disc as they'll be out of date. Also making a recovery partition on the drive if its a fresh drive and wiring up the motherboard headers, none of them are hard if you have done it before, it's just the first time can be a bit of a head scratcher. If your using just 2 sticks of RAM, make sure they go in the right slots, your manual will tell you which ones.

Its enjoyable, you can't do a lot wrong on the building side as most things will only connect one way, just remember to stick some TIP on the CPU otherwise it will fry, just take your time first time doing one.

jura11

iTrader: (7)

Hi there

Really you shouldn't be scared to build own PC,on first sight looks difficult,but isn't at all

Most of the components coming with nice manuals and they help you a lot when you building first PC and there are lots of good guides how to build.

Choosing right parts is good,I've never have any issue with my PC,although I've RMA two MB from gigabyte which I've replaced for Asus MB which has been flawless on my builds

Here is something which should be great for yours needs:

MB: Asus P6T or any X58(LGA1366)
CPU: Intel i7-920 "D0"(this CPU can be pick-up'd on eBay for £80)
CPU Heasink/Cooler: Thermalright Macho Rev.A or any good CPU cooler(I'm using this CPU cooler and my i7-920 is clocked at 4.2GHz still on air and temps when I'm rendering in 3DS MAX are around 70C,idle temps are around 29C)
RAM:12GB or even 16GB you are really need to have,8GB is OK,but I would suspect you will struggle with 8GB when you are doing lots of video and photo manipulations
HDD: Corsair MX100 are best for money at moment
GPU: really depends on yours budget,but good ATi HD280X or nVidia GTX750 should be enough for yours needs,depends on SW which are you using,some SW using for acceleration CUDA or OpenCL,if SW in question is using CUDA,then you will need nVidia,if SW in question using OpenCL then ATi/AMD i would choose
PSU:750W should be enough and I would have look only on Modular(semi modular),less mess with cables and easier to manage cables
Case: I can only recommend Coolermaster cases which I always using,but you can can have look on others too

Hope this help

Thanks,Jura

Littleted

Ali just install classic shell its exactly as windows 7 was, never see that awful tile interface if you don't need to...

free download http://www.classicshell.net/

dpb

windows 8 seems pointless without touchscreen ??


although it looks lot more modern regardless




( just bought 2nd hand windows laptop non touch and it feels a lot less fluid for most things ,over playbook, despite being lot more powerful)

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I can't use it, as our software support needs a standard undoctored operating system.

JDM_333

I agree with Jura, I would go down the custom PC builld, I've built two custom PCs now and as he says above it really is not difficult at all, all components come with manuals and you can one built in one hour no problems.

Cases wise I go with Coolermaster as well, quality cases.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Is it just me, or am I the only one who had found them mostly useless or written in Engrish.

I just look at the mobo diagram for the socket/pin locations, and thats about it.

dpb

spect you can download the manuals...


...oh , hang on