New Computer.

Swanseajack

Swanseajack

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I asked a while ago regarding updating my computer or buying new, the general consensus way buy new. Old thread > https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/update-existing-or-buy-new-desktop.578221/

The spec of my current computer is below., The main problem is Adobe CC, the pictures take an age to load and the same again to save. The computer is mostly used for surfing which I find fine with Virgin 50mb broadband, we dont do much office work on the computer.

I have bought the Dell u2412m as mentioned in previous thread and I pressume I can use it with the MacMini, would I also be able to use my current Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse with the Mac or would I have to buy new Mac ones?

As you can see I'm a right noob when looking at computer specs, so any advice greatly appreciated. But looking at the specs they are going to be a huge improvement over what I have got for CC ???

I have looked at the HP ones as my current one is , and been a good performer. Obviously the other ones on the website and if anybody has the time to look and recommend other brands it would be most welocme, but I would like to stay under £600.

Other brands > http://www.very.co.uk/electricals/desktop-computers/e/b/4877.end?sort=bestsellers,0

It suits me at present to buy from Very and have seen the following computers. I have also thought about a Mac Mini??



Spec of current puter from Piriform Speccy

Operating System Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit SP1

CPU AMD Athlon II X2 220 27 °C Regor 45nm Technology

RAM 3.00GB Dual-Channel DDR3 @ 536MHz (7-7-7-20)

Motherboard FOXCONN 2AAF (CPU 1) 31 °C

Graphics L225W (1680x1050@60Hz)

ATI Radeon 3000 Graphics (HP)

Storage 465GB SAMSUNG HD502HJ SATA Disk Device (SATA) 32 °C

Optical Drives hp CDDVDW TS-H653R SATA CdRom Device

Audio Realtek High Definition Audio



New computers for consideration


Mac mini >http://www.very.co.uk/apple-mac-min...office-365-home-premium-silver/1458061506.prd


Key features:

  • Fourth-generation dual-core Intel® Core™ i5 processor 2.6 GHz
  • Up to 30% faster graphics performance when compared to the previous generation
  • Two Thunderbolt 2 ports for connecting up to 12 Thunderbolt devices or two Apple Thunderbolt Displays
  • Four USB 3 ports and one HDMI port
  • Built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® 4.0
  • Works with almost any display, keyboard, and mouse
  • Powerful apps for creativity and productivity
  • OS X Yosemite, the world’s most advanced operating system

> http://www.very.co.uk/asus-m11ad-uk...-black/1458915864.prd?crossSellType=RR_Pzone6

Spec

Features:

  • Intel® Core™ i5 4440S Processor 2.8GHz
  • 8Gb RAM
  • 2Tb (2000Gb) hard drive storage
  • AMD Radeon R7 240 2Gb Dedicated Graphics
  • Windows 8.1
  • SuperMulti DVD RW optical drive
  • Wireless keyboard & mouse included
  • 2x USB 3.0, 6x USB 2.0, HDMI, 6-in-1 card reader
  • Monitor not included
  • Asus M11AD-UK002S desktop PC base unit
The next one >

http://www.very.co.uk/hp-pavilion-5...soft-office-365-personal-black/1460981146.prd

Features:

  • AMD A10-6700 quad core processor 3.7Ghz
  • 16Gb RAM
  • 2Tb (2000Gb) hard drive storage
  • AMD Radeon R7 240 2Gb dedicated graphics
  • DTS Audio; High Definition Audio 5.1
  • Windows 8.1 64
  • Keyboard and mouse included
  • Monitor available separately
  • 4x USB 3.0; 4x USB 2.0; 1x HDMI; 7-in-1 memory card reader
  • HP 500-516na desktop PC base unit

Next ones, would you pick anything over what I have listed above? http://www.very.co.uk/electricals/h...01004,22250,4294957934.end?sort=bestsellers,0

 
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Whatever you decide, the best bang for buck in relation to noticing an instant increase in speed is by installing an SSD hard drive!
 
Raincloud said:
Whatever you decide, the best bang for buck in relation to noticing an instant increase in speed is by installing an SSD hard drive!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply

Is this easy to do or best taking the computer to a shop? Like I said, I'm a noob when it comes to computers, I also have hand problems so dexterity is not a strong point......... Any pointers to what SSD would be best with last spec computer I have listed above, as I assume that would be the best with the 16gb RAM? Also, can you do this with the Mac Mini I have listed above?

I have bought an external drive which I am transferring my photos to after editing, to stop cramming the machine up any further.
 
The current Mac Minis have soldered on RAM, you should buy them with the max RAM as there is no going back. Usually Apple overcharges for RAM, not sure if that is true in this case. Usually it is very difficult to change hard drives in Mac Mini, not sure about current one but I'm sure you would find by googling. I have 2 Mac Minis and would probably not buy the current model.
 
BTW if you decide to buy Apple, you should look at their web site and store. Prices are the same as your link and you would have to buy from them to get the 16gb upgrade for which they want an eye watering extra £160, same price for upgrade to SSD.
IF you buy Apple it is worth considering John Lewis who give 2 year guarantee on all Apple stuff, which is the law anyway but it is easier if the store acknowledge it upfront.
 
BTW #2 the seller you reference says the goods are "non-returnable under our Approval guarantee once connected" which is probably unlawful but I would not buy from them on those terms since if you plug it in and it does not work they say they will not take it back!

The same computers are sold by John Lewis at the sae price and 2 year guarantee.
 
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sphexx said:
BTW #2 the seller you reference says the goods are "non-returnable under our Approval guarantee once connected" which is probably unlawful but I would not buy from them on those terms since if you plug it in and it does not work they say they will not take it back!

The same computers are sold by John Lewis at the sae price and 2 year guarantee.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your replies.

A lot of companies do this now, I know Argos definitely do. I believe they do this in case theres porn or such like on the digital equipment. As this is mail order as such, they do an approval scheme where you have 14 days or 30 days to return no questions asked, a bit like Amazon as long as they haven't been used. I bought some boots from Zalando last week and they have a 30 days no quibble returns policy provided they haven't been worn.

They are basically saying the equipment isn't available for loan for 30 days otherwise people would order the latest cameras to take on shoots, holidays etc.........and return when the have finished with them within the 30 days and pay nothing. They are giving you 30 days to make sure the product is suitable if not you return in un-used condition.

If the equipment is faulty they will have to take it back or repair as your statutory rights aern't affected.

There blurb > "Non returnable under our Approval Guarantee, once installed or connected. Your statutory rights are not affected. See Returns section in our Help pages for more information".
 
Of that selection I would probably buy the Asus, raise the RAM to 16GB and add a 256GB SSD drive for the OS and all applications, plus images I was working with then & there.

You can use a windows keyboard with a Mac, but the keys are not the same, and it would be better to have an Apple keyboard. The Mac mini isn't a bad computer, but I can't think of a reason to buy Apple over a similarly spec'd PC.

If you like the Mac Mini form factor then have a look at the NUC:
http://www.quietpc.com/intel-nuc-5th-generation?gclid=CJaSoJTW78YCFQgGwwod-dcCXQ
http://www.ebuyer.com/702364-intel-nuc-kit-boxnuc5i5ryh-intel-core-i5-5250u-barebone-boxnuc5i5ryh

You'll need to add SSD hard drive and RAM.
 
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They are expensive. Have a look at www.aria.co.uk as they do pre-built PCS and i am sure if you drop them an email they will be able to quote you a PC for your requirements
 
Thanks for the further suggestions, due to me not working I can't seem to get finance on these other sites you have mentioned, hence the reason for me going with the company I have linked. I have had a heavy few months and the pot is empty and with the one I have linked I can defer payment.

@ancient_mariner any particular reason why you recomend the ASUS over the higher spec from what I can see HP?? The HP has 16gb of RAM already, why upgrade the ASUS from 8 > 16GB RAM when the HP has this already??
 
Can you not save up for a couple of months and then buy a second hand rig?

The CPU you have is asthmatic - it's on a par with the Celeron processor in my tiny £170 (approx) laptop and I seldom use Windows on that let alone LR or PS.

As a stop gap, you should be able to get a Circa 2008 Intel Core2Quad for around £100. It's nearly twice as powerful (CPU-wise) as your current machine and will support an 8GB RAM. Pop a cheap SSD in as the boot disk (from around £30-£50 second hand) and you will have a useable system. It won't be blistering by any means, but will save you the potential pitfalls of buying a PC on the never never.

If you could get that CPU, matching motherboard and some RAM on that popular auction site, you could even upgrade your existing system. I bought a Q6600 CPU for about £12. And I've acquired two more + motherboards from the grave at work. I've not tested them yet though - I suspect the ones that have come from work could be faulty, so until I've tried them to get at least one working PC I don't know whether I have anything spare.
 
afasoas said:
Can you not save up for a couple of months and then buy a second hand rig?

The CPU you have is asthmatic - it's on a par with the Celeron processor in my tiny £170 (approx) laptop and I seldom use Windows on that let alone LR or PS.

As a stop gap, you should be able to get a Circa 2008 Intel Core2Quad for around £100. It's nearly twice as powerful (CPU-wise) as your current machine and will support an 8GB RAM. Pop a cheap SSD in as the boot disk (from around £30-£50 second hand) and you will have a useable system. It won't be blistering by any means, but will save you the potential pitfalls of buying a PC on the never never.

If you could get that CPU, matching motherboard and some RAM on that popular auction site, you could even upgrade your existing system. I bought a Q6600 CPU for about £12. And I've acquired two more + motherboards from the grave at work. I've not tested them yet though - I suspect the ones that have come from work could be faulty, so until I've tried them to get at least one working PC I don't know whether I have anything spare.
Click to expand...

We need to upgrade a few things and theres not enough money in the pot. I have used my lens fund to buy season tickets, so it needs building up again plus other things need doing so buying this way would have helped. Going your route how much would I expect to pay for some one to build it for me? Due to disabilities I would struggle to carry out fine or fiddly work with my fingers.
 
To say physically upgrade your existing machine, a nominal hour.
If sticking with your original hard disk, chances are Windows will boot, but need reactivating.
If it doesn't boot, then it may need a repair or other complex intervention.

A colleague just migrated his HDD from one machine to another, and he was up and running again within an hour.
If you're paying someone £25 an hour, between £50 and £75.

Just searching on the popular auction site, complete machines are going for £50-£60, so maybe that's the alternative. You may need to re-install an operating system etc. though.
If you were nearer, I'd offer to sort you out. Swansea's a little impractical from here though.
 
Move to Linux and give your existing box a new lease of life :thumbs: don't spend anything at the moment. Well that is what I would do.
 
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