Windows 10: Should I upgrade what I have or buy a whole new PC?

I am getting increasingly desperate.

Yes, Lenovo, Dell and HP all seem to broadly get good reviews.

But is there any advantage AT ALL for a getting a "Small Form Factor" or "All-in-One" when space isn't an issue? Presumably it just means that adding things like graphics cards later on becomes a problem, no? No, I don't give a damn what it looks like. Presumably that means I need a "tower" (or mini-tower?) design, yes?

I mean, my current PC has lasted me 7 years and I'm hoping the next one will do likewise, with probably one round of upgrading some components as technology improves.

Maybe Dell are worth reconsidering after all. [Historically I always found all their myriads of models confusing and I also hated being herded in as business or home user from the start. But if they are still in business after all this time they must be doing something right, even if their domestic customer support certainly used to be diabolical....]

OK, simply put, I just want something that has reasonably good reviews and which can power a nice big monitor - ideally 4K (maybe 2 of them at once??) . Must have SSD. And be moderately future proof (i.e. "up-gradable")

It just seems SO hard to find any comparative reviews for business desktops that contain a reasonable number of desktop computers at once.

Or should I abandon the reviews and just focus purely on the brand and spec?

EDIT:
I seem to be tripping up over the graphics cards. I have an old 24" Samsung SyncMaster 244T (1920x1200) and would like something a bit larger (e.g. at least 27") and somewhat higher resolution (at least WQHD, possibly 4K). What should I be looking for in terms of spec in that case?
- How many GB?
- DDR3 or
- 64bit or 128bit?
- What is the best way of connecting to a monitor?

Also are ChillBlast desktops any good?

 

I think TigerDirectB2B may be more in line of showing products you are interested in. I like the All-in-One but the downside is they are too much like a Notebook, can't easily change/upgrade parts in it. I prefer a standard Tower for a similar reason, the SFF or Micro/MiniSFF cases can't have anything added to the such as a second HDD or second ODD when needed, not much room. The mSFF uses an ODD similar to those in Notebooks while the SFF usually has the standard size ODD.

 

To get clear TigerDirectB2B is a retailer, not a brand of PC, yes? So are you suggesting that I just give them a call to buy something off-the-shelf from them?

Re cases I want something functional. i.e. Big with lots of connectors! Able to handle a HDD or SSD.

 

If you don't want to roll your own rig in the UK, you can't do much better than a PC specialist build, you can customise them to whatever you want, build quality and after service is excellent. They even customise laptops.

 

As regards monitor connectors: when I bought my current 4k monitor (Samsung U28E590D) I went with DisplayPort, which was what was needed at that time to get a 60Hz frame rate at 3840X2160. It's now practical to get that with an HDMI 2.0 interface. You may want a different monitor than that, though, if you need critical color performance: it's TN.

My most recent employer used Dell. That may not say much about longevity, though, because the machines were on 3 year leases. The main problem I see with Dells is their relatively weak power supplies, which limit expandability (mainly graphics cards).

For my home desktop PCs, I assemble my own, regardless of how much extra it may cost. I'm a snob.

 

I'd go with a 'standard' or maybe full-size Tower and the full ATX board that has more of everything on it.

 

I have to agree with the posts early in this thread. Upgrading is a waste. Your old motherboard won't handle the new, faster RAM. And it might not take a newer processor. And it will likely have USB 2 ports, not the faster/newer USB 3. So you generally replace motherboard, CPU and RAM as a set. So now you're close to $300.

Anyway, if you're not technically inclined, DIY is out of the question. Just buy a new box.

For the graphics card ... if you're playing high-end games or if you're doing engineering graphics, you need a high-end graphics card. For anything else the motherboard / integrated graphics is all you need. If you're an office user with no special high-performance requirements, you can find a box for well under $1000 USD.

I've avoided Dells for years. I've had good luck with HP desktops.

If you decide to go with a laptop, avoid the home/small office stuff. Those are pure junk. Instead, go for a business laptop. You'll pay a lot more, but it will last.

There are small-name computer companies that come recommended. But I've always bought name-brand.

 

I must admit I'd try that number 2 (backup and clean install) first.

I don't see there's much to lose by trying it, except the time taken to do the clean install and reinstalling enough software to see if the speed is liveable with. If not then just restore the backup and shop for a new computer.

I'm currently typing this on a very nearly 10-year old laptop which has given good service and running Windows 10 32 bit. Admittedly I just use it for basic tasks, but it does the job.

 

Read your PM- doubt I can add much... if you're keen to put together a specific build, then yes, PC Specialist in the UK is a good place to go- very good support and warranty period. (See my laptop specs). On the other hand, you're not after a top-end gaming machine (nor is my laptop!!).

That sounds a reasonable strategy - as an interim with your current hardware. Look to achieve a good idle state- CPU use very low, disk and internet near enough 0. Leave page file settings at default and make sure you've enough free disk and RAM. Then check you're happy with the speed of response.

You can run some simple checks on your hardware - for example, Crystal Diskmark - free- check your disk transfer rates.

Not sure why a powerful machine is needed for that- once indexed, it's indexed. (I did run X1 for a while when there was a free version years ago).

Having relatively old hardware does bring into question driver compatibility - that's a risk. Running a new OS on old hardware for which it isn't specified creates the risk of low level incompatibility. The OS may run, but, for example, you run the risk of overheating in Safe Mode -an unexpected issue.

SSD: performance does differ in SSDs - I picked the faster one available. If yours is functional and fast enough- fine. Does your BIOS support AHCI? I'd guess not- AHCI gives faster performance for SSDs.
AHCI vs IDE - Difference and Comparison | Diffen

@DavidY: 10 yr laptop? Remarkable.. very environmentally friendly! My experience is of 2 laptops failing catastrophically- this is my 4th in about 18 years, new last year.

 

Can you recommend a PC specialist builder in the UK, ideally near Oxford/Reading/London?

Like for like, how much more expensive are they likely to be compared to a brand? (e.g. HP, Dell, Lenovo etc)

EDIT: Thanks I shall investigate "PC Specialist".

 

I can't fain any PM on this forum. Or did you email me??

 

Re graphics card, I definitely don't want to play games, and then engineering requirements will only be moderate. Nonetheless I just want a reasonably large screen with reasonably accurate colours - ideally 4K - ideally with the ability to run 2 of them side by side. What sort of minimum graphics card spec would that demand?

 

- sorry, from one of the respondents... you'll see I was mentioned in a post above.

 

It was my fault: I was the one who flagged Dalchina, knowing him to be a Guru in the UK division of TenForums. Thanks for jumping in, BTW -- great input and advice, as always.
Best wishes,
--Ed--

 

From about £400 upwards to silly prices depending on what you want. You can get ready built PC Specialist PC's from PC World, Maplins and BT Shop (Used to be Dabs) and Ebuyer
It's one Company located in Wakefield PCSPECIALIST - Top Spec Custom PCs & Laptops Built to
Order