New tech time, PS3 vs PC vs netbook.

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Car-less

Car-less

971
United Kingdom
Sunny Devon
I've been struggling on for far too long with ancient tech, and although I cannot really afford it, I've decided to buy myself something new before the VAT increase in about 2 weeks time.

My current tech;
2.93Ghz single core pc, deceased.
1.6Ghz single core laptop, slow, 20 min battery, sod all disk space left.
PS2 fatty, no longer plays dual layer disks.

My budget; £250 - £300.

My choices;
320Gb PS3 + GT5 bundle £275.
Dual core netbook £245.
PC motherboard bundle - £195 to £270.

I am seriously tempted by the i5 bundle, but would then be limited to reusing a 128Mb graphics card and 160Gb hard disk. Alternatively, the i3 bundle has onchip graphics and would allow me to buy a new hard drive. All other main components can be carried over from my old PC - the case and optical drives are fine, the PSU was only a couple months old when the computer finally died, and I have an unused copy of Win7 Home Premium.

I am also increasingly tempted to just struggle on with the laptop and buy the PS3 bundle for my Gran Turismo fix, plus I don't want to miss out on all the online fun which will no doubt have subsided by this time next year.

Discuss the options, try and tempt me one way or another, and if possible find me a better deal, either in price, or better components.
 
If you need a computer more than you need a game console, keep in mind the limitations of your choices:

The motherboard you already pointed out. Old graphics card: will it even go on the new motherboard? AGP hardly exists any more, if that's what you had. Similar problem for drive: is it IDE? does the new motherboard support IDE or is it SATA only?

Netbook: I'll go on record now saying I HATE netbooks. Not good for anything excpet browsing and web-based email, occasional web app. Can't install anything from a disc without attaching a USB optical drive, and screen resolution is very limited. I have no use for Netbooks, nor for iPads and other pad-type devices. I don't need to walk around "connected," sitting at the desk is just fine. I have a phone that lets me walk around connected if a have to.

The only thing you can do fully and correctly on your budget is the PS3. The other choices are settling for second best or interim solutions, IMO.
 
I am currently speaking to you now on a netbook. I will gladly say it's the single fastest computer I own, going by how quickly it changes programs, shuts down, and does light programs. The only places it falls down is the fact it doesn't have a disk drive (Don't really care, I have another computer for those, and I have an external disk drive) and that when playing games or anything else ridiculously CPU intensive, the dual core, quad-thread processor doesn't have the sheer brute force that is needed.

So, as a short list, a netbook is great at doing anything you want a computer to do, but if you play games, be sure to choose games about as light or lighter than Half Life 2, and that you are absolutely certainly going to need a separate disk drive.
 
wfooshee
If you need a computer more than you need a game console, keep in mind the limitations of your choices:

The motherboard you already pointed out. Old graphics card: will it even go on the new motherboard? AGP hardly exists any more, if that's what you had. Similar problem for drive: is it IDE? does the new motherboard support IDE or is it SATA only?

Netbook: I'll go on record now saying I HATE netbooks. Not good for anything excpet browsing and web-based email, occasional web app. Can't install anything from a disc without attaching a USB optical drive, and screen resolution is very limited. I have no use for Netbooks, nor for iPads and other pad-type devices. I don't need to walk around "connected," sitting at the desk is just fine. I have a phone that lets me walk around connected if a have to.

The only thing you can do fully and correctly on your budget is the PS3. The other choices are settling for second best or interim solutions, IMO.
Click to expand...

I use a computer for more than just playing games so that makes it more important than a games console. Should the laptop die, I don't own any alternatives. However, as you rightly point out there are limitations in my price range.

I'll go on record saying that I dislike netbooks, except when travelling where I can see their benefits. You'll note I said little about this option in the original post as it is my least prefered, but I felt it had to be included as a complete netbook is within my price range, and the latest ones are considerably more powerful than this laptop. Heck, there are probably smartphones out there that are more powerful than this laptop. However, the additional cost and hassle of an external optical drive is enough for me to discount the netbook option now.

The motherboard bundles were chosen for the fact that they are prebuilt and tested. Unfortunately Novatech doesn't specify what components are used, only their specs which could be an issue - my optical drives are IDE, though everything else is a bit more modern, SATA HDD and PCIE grapics.

I was hoping that someone a bit more up to date on modern computers could match up components to design a similar spec machine for a similar price, but with known good components. That, or convince me not to bother even with the basics in this price range.

My heart says PS3, but my head says PC ;(
 
I vote for the desktop PC.

I have one of the older netbooks, not a dual core one. It's unbelievably slow and the screen resolution is worthless. I only really use it as a portable movie player for the 2 or 3 train journeys I make a year.

If you don't have much money then a PS3 is not a great idea either, games aren't free after all.
 
You need to save up bit more and buy a decent Laptop or a Desktop PC.

I agree with MonsterMuch, if you don't have enough money, don't buy a PS3.

Also a good PC will give you way more hours over a PS3.

Remember
PS3 is only good for media such as Games, Movies, Music and Pictures. Super nice HD picture and sound. (if you have a nice Surround sound and HD TV)

A good PC is more then just a media device, you can browse web, do some work on it, etc etc, limitless possibly, oh yeah and you can also play games on it as well.

The PS3 browser, it sucks big time.

Save up bit more and buy a PC.
 
If I were you I would save up another 100-200 and get a decent laptop. Then start saving up for the PS3.
 
I have opted to build a desktop PC due to my dislike of laptops/netbooks and the PS3 being little use other than as a games console and media centre.

I have also browsed various post-Christmas sales and been decidedly underwhelmed with what I could get for the money - Core 2 duo/Athlon IIx2, 320Gb HDD, pre-installed bloatware etc.

Thanks to some Christmas money the budget is now £350, and as before there are some components I will be carrying over from previous computers:
- 580W PSU, almost new.
- Case. I have a selection of used cases available.
- Optical drives, again a selection available, all IDE.
- Windows 7 Home Premium, got a nice pre-order deal, never been opened.

What I'm looking to add:
- Asus P7H55-M motherboard. £64
- Intel i5 760 £145
- 4GB (2x2GB) Corsair XMS3 DDR3 £41
- 1TB Samsung Spinpoint HDD £41
- 1GB Sapphire HD 5450 GPU £43
- Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro v2.1 £16

The whole lot comes in at just under £350, including VAT and delivery.

So are these components of a decent quality, and are they reasonably matched? Has something utterly useless slipped in? Is there something important I have forgotten? Any pointers before I place the order?
 
You could stick with the default cpu cooler and put the extra 16 into graphics, like this card. The other stuff is good though.
 
That card you suggest is not in stock - pre order only.

Modern day graphics cards is one area where I don't know very much, so is the one I chose a real dog? Anything better available in stock - either ATI or NVIDIA - I'm not too fussed which.
 
I will buy you the computer/PS3 myself if it goes up in price*. I'm waiting well into the new year before buying any electrical equipment, prices will go down, it's inevitable.
I suggest buying petrol.

Businesses make a great portion of their profits in the so called "sales". And their "buy now before the VAT increase" signs in the windows and on banners at the top of their websites don't fool me.
Single item products will go up and down to make you think you saved money sometimes i have seen this happening a lot on retail websites. It's almost fraud if you ask me (which you didn't).
What i can surely say is there will be a computer/netbook of the same or better spec for sale in January that is cheaper than what you can buy it for now before the VAT increase..



*If I was a rich man.
 
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Either way your selection is good to order. I checked on the graphics card(the 5450) and it should be fine for you since you are just doing casual gaming.
 
Car-less
That card you suggest is not in stock - pre order only.

Modern day graphics cards is one area where I don't know very much, so is the one I chose a real dog? Anything better available in stock - either ATI or NVIDIA - I'm not too fussed which.
Click to expand...
The video card you selected will be the 1st component you replace. That is the bottleneck in your new system. Everything else looks good. Are there any good AMD deals. Those are usaully much cheaper than Intel set ups.
Like this for £111.57 AMD CPU Phenom II 955 Black Quad Core Processor
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/amd-...-edition-sok-am3-32ghz-8mb-total-cache-retail
This MB for £79.77 Gigabyte GA-880GA-UD3H AMD 880G AM3 Motherboard
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/giga...-(x16)-ddr3-1866(oc)-sata-6gb-s-sata-raid-atx
Read specs here.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128444
Has on board IDE so you can use that optical drive.
And this memory £38.07
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/4gb-...600)-non-ecc-unbuffered-cas-9-9-9-24-xmp-165v
Total £229
The Intel cost £250
Saving £21 + £16 from the aftermarket cooler gives you £90 to spend on a
video card.
Like this card for £89.83
EVGA 1GB GeForce GTS 450 GDDR5 NVIDIA Graphics Card
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/1gb-...u-822mhz-shader-1840mhz-192-cores-dl-dvi-hdmi

Thats what I would buy with your budget.
 
Update:

I procastinated for too long over graphics cards, and then the processor went out of stock :(

Before I knew it the new sandybridge processors were available, and so I designed a new system around one of them;

i5 2400 CPU - £148
Asus P8H67 PRO mobo - £86
2x2GB Corsair DDR3 RAM - £40
1TB Samsung Spinpoint HDD - £40

This lot came in at just under £320 including VAT and delivery, and arrived earlier today.



Now I just have to install it all into this case;


from which I removed this lot yesterday.
 
580W, barely 3 months old when the old pc died.

Edit: and I know it died due to other issues that it had before adding that PSU.
 
Alright. Wasn't your budget at 350 or something like that? If you have extra money then you could squeeze a graphics card out of what you have left(that is unless the VAT and shipping is going to cost too much).
 
£300 - £350, so I could just about squeeze in a cheap and nasty graphics card, but I figure it'll be better to make do with the onboard graphics for the time being whilst transferring everything over and setting the machine up. If needed, I can invest in a better graphics card later when I have a little more money.
 
Nice MB. You need a modern case with USB 3.0 on the front. How do you connect a monitor to the MB to use the intel GPU?
Ah! I see now. You bought theH67 pro.
 
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