If I needed a new computer, what would you get?

[Rondar]

My computer got hit by lightning and I got it to work by changing power supplies but... before that it has been slowly bogging down and is several years old too.  I'm kinda thinking its on its last leg and I need to start looking around.

I live in a small town and there is no one to build or fix a computer locally.  So, if I were to order a computer from a computer place, is there a particular brand or model number I should consider?  My 18" lcd monitor is fine for now so dont really need a new one.  My kids have bought dell and seem happy but I didnt know about them personally.  I only really surf the net, use turbotax, and play AH with it, so no photography or really large programs.

And should I get vista or stick with xp if I have a choice?  

Thanks very much if anybody can help me out.

[Spatula]

If you had the choice between XP and vista? XP all the way. Vista is too new, too hungry for today's average PC. All that grunt wasted just to run the OS. Some people here are running Vista without issue, but i would at least wait for another year or so yet. While MS are supporting XP, stick with it if you can.

Personally i'd buy a generic PC - eg all made up of standardised parts, not a pre-built HP or other brand-named PC (dell are an exception i think). This way there is no proprietary junk or bits to limit future upgrade options.
Also, personally i'd wait for DDR3 to arrive cheaply and go for a DDR3 Mainboard, and most likely an Intel Core 2 Duo as they are much faster than equivilant AMDs at the moment - however this may well change in the future.
Buy a PC with a mainboard which gives you a good upgrade path too.
 
When the time comes, go visit your local PC shop and get one built for you - or build it yourself

Things change rapidly, so do your planning as close to the purchase time as possible, and make sure you have solid upgrade options.

[0thehero]

Check out GamePC.  They have a wide array of reasonably priced, pre-configured and custom system options to fit every budget, and their support is pretty good, too, if you need it.  They also have all industry-standard builds, so you can expand or upgrade your system later if you so choose, with relative ease.

As to Vista vs. WinXP, there's a lot of Vista r t3h d3ph1L!! nonsense floating around, but if you're accustomed to WinXP and just want to go with what you know, there's no harm in doing so given the level of support on the XP platform.

And get a UPS so you don't lose your system to lightning again.

[OOZ662]

There's not much chance of a UPS saving a computer from lightning. It works with a fuse that, when overheated, breaks the current. Now at best, that fuse is two inches long. Maybe. By the time it heats up enough to snap, the lightning's already traveled at least a mile, if not more, to come eat your computer. Why is two inches of jump over conductive material going to stop it?

[Skuzzy]

The same hardware running Vista will run the game about 20 to 30% slower than XP will.  Anyone claiming XP is slower or the same had a poor installation of XP.

XP is far more stable and with far fewer compatibility problems as well.  Get it while you can.  XP Pro will be supported through the year 2014.  By then Vista might be in better shape than it is now.

I use Vista everyday and everyday I wish I had XP instead.

[0thehero]

There's not much chance of a UPS saving a computer from lightning.

APC, Poweredge, Liefhart and a slew of other companies making billions from UPS units would beg to differ.  

A UPS is far, far more than a fuse--forgetting about the battery backup component, it's primarily a voltage regulation device that compensates for sags and spikes with zero-clamping response time for serious surges and the like.  It's why you can get APC, for example, to cover the cost of any gear lost while being protected by their equipment (sometimes up to $25K, even for home users), and it's the difference between a simple $7 power strip and a $125 home/office UPS unit.

UPSes work.  And they're cheap insurance.

[OOZ662]

If there's a surge, yes.

If your house is hit by lightning, no. That's the other reason they have that guarantee; for the people who take direct strikes.

[Skuzzy]

Why don't you look at APC's WEB site under the UPS section of products.  No where in there normal UPS product line do they claim to protect anything from a direct lightning strike.

They claim to handle power surges, which could be caused by lightning strikes, but that is far from a direct hit of lightning.

[Fulmar]

Originally posted by Skuzzy
Why don't you look at APC's WEB site under the UPS section of products.  No where in there normal UPS product line do they claim to protect anything from a direct lightning strike.

They claim to handle power surges, which could be caused by lightning strikes, but that is far from a direct hit of lightning.

40,000 Amps is going to cook just about everything.

[airspro]

I custom ordered mine here

Works fine and got WinXP Pro instead of Vista for OS . They are out of Ohio .

[eagl]

http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTMzNywsLGhlbnRodXNpYXN0

Here's a review of a system from a builder.  Check some of the other hardocp reviews here:

http://www.hardocp.com/reviews.html?cat=NDcsR2FtaW5nIFN5c3RlbXMsaGVudGh1c2lhc3QsLCw=

They review the company just as much as they review the actual computer, so don't pay as much attention to the benchmarks and actual hardware as you do the tech support and value/quality ratings.

Maingear and Puget Computers seem to be pretty good.  There are other custom build companies that are reviewed that do good, and some that are absolutely horrible.  Read a handful of these reviews to get an idea of some things you should look for when buying a computer, even if you just go with a dell or build one yourself.

And yea, do whatever necessary to avoid windows vista.  Most people I know do not consider it usable for any purpose at all.