Windows 8 Computer Suggestions With A BIG Budget

[kirkie]

The time has come to replace my current laptop. I have a budget of £1500, but can stretch further if I needed too. I aren't bothered if it is a laptop or desktop, but if a desktop it has too be quite compact.

I like the idea of an Apple, but we really are the Apple family as we have several products....

It would be an every day computer not gaming and is for heavy use as is always on. If we get a desktop or an iMac then we would be happy to buy a desk. We currently have a laptop so we would need to buy a monitor.

So please feel free to give me any ideas and point me in the right direction...

Cheers

 

[Jimbo22]

Do you want to build or just buy a pre-built retail PC? From your post, it sounds like you want a retail kit? If that's the case....the opinions will vary.

 

[kirkie]

Do you want to build or just buy a pre-built retail PC? From your post, it sounds like you want a retail kit? If that's the case....the opinions will vary.

Pre built as I wouldn't have a clue about building one.

 

[Jimbo22]

Researching for your needs is where I would start with....eg CPU make/speed, GPU make and speed, HDD/SSD, optical drive. Find out those specs and then start searching for a brand that has those specs.

I would really consider building one, same research applies to a custom built PC as a retail PC...it's a great learning experience and it's not that hard. The hardest part is finding out what hardware is compatible with each other and you can use the QVL (qualified vendors list) for that. Check out youtube for some videos on the subject. A great place for how to's.

 

[badrobot]

Keywords for you: Intel i7, 16GB (or 32GB) RAM, 250GB SSD and WINDOWS 7 OS.

 

[Jimbo22]

Keywords for you: Intel i7, 16GB (or 32GB) RAM, 250GB SSD and WINDOWS 7 OS.

LMAO!!!!

 

[satrow]

What other uses do you see the computer being used for?

No gaming and always on is making me think E3 XEON, rather than i7; what else, Photoshop? Movie editing, anything hobby or work -specific?

 

[kirkie]

What other uses do you see the computer being used for?

No gaming and always on is making me think E3 XEON, rather than i7; what else, Photoshop? Movie editing, anything hobby or work -specific?

It is mainly used for email and surfing the web.

 

[kirkie]

Researching for your needs is where I would start with....eg CPU make/speed, GPU make and speed, HDD/SSD, optical drive. Find out those specs and then start searching for a brand that has those specs.

I would really consider building one, same research applies to a custom built PC as a retail PC...it's a great learning experience and it's not that hard. The hardest part is finding out what hardware is compatible with each other and you can use the QVL (qualified vendors list) for that. Check out youtube for some videos on the subject. A great place for how to's.

Thanks, but I am very lazy and would rather buy straight of the shelf.... haha

 

[Mike]

Check out the ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. Q550LF. I am using this as a replacement for the Dell Inspiron XPS 15Z, which met its untimely, and irreparable demise, some days ago. Key factors are that for the price range it does have touch capability, runs at 15.5" 1080P, and is easy to manage. You will find the bottleneck to be the hard drive (they have to make money somewhere). This is running for around $999 USD retail right now, which would put you well under budget. If you wanted to swap out the drive, you'd be well within budget to do so.

http://newnotebookspecifications.co...essive-15-6-inch-multimedia-laptop-specs.html

I would say battery life is great for this one: You can choose for ultra fast boot-up, giving you 9 days of standby time, or go for extended standby time (without hibernation) of around 56 days. This is made possible with the Asus Power4Gear Hybrid software.

 

[kirkie]

Check out the ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. Q550LF. I am using this as a replacement for the Dell Inspiron XPS 15Z, which met its untimely, and irreparable demise, some days ago. Key factors are that for the price range it does have touch capability, runs at 15.5" 1080P, and is easy to manage. You will find the bottleneck to be the hard drive (they have to make money somewhere). This is running for around $999 USD retail right now, which would put you well under budget. If you wanted to swap out the drive, you'd be well within budget to do so.

http://newnotebookspecifications.co...essive-15-6-inch-multimedia-laptop-specs.html

Doesn't appear to be available in the UK after doing a quick Google search.

 

[Mike]

OK, this is unfortunate. The key considerations should be what you are planning to use it for, as well as future adaptability. If you are looking for something that will run a basic word processor, is extremely portable, and just needed for Internet browsing on-the-go, look for something without a dedicated video graphics card. Most laptops are like this. Even in this circumstance, I'd try to make sure it uses a SSD, to prevent untimely data loss.

If you are more concerned about future compatibility, having gaming and or enhanced graphics editing capabilities, and an abundance of computing power and memory, you'll want to look at higher end laptops. The HP Envy higher-end is known to have some of these attributes, but attempts to maintain a small form factor.

In any new laptop purchase you make, try to make sure the monitor at least uses 1080P (1920x1080) screen resolution. The reason for this is that you want to be able to view multimedia, and the laptop, in high definition, and a time may come when you find yourself needing to plug the system in a television or projector with HDMI. You would not want to lose out on what desktop and tablet users are already getting with a cheap-o screen.

For the budget you are quoting, you should be able to get a decent high-end laptop right now, without breaking the bank, or going over that budget. Because I'm not in the UK, and availability is obviously different here, I can only give you my experiences here. Right now, Dell is going through some serious changes, and I'm not sure I would recommend their systems with the current financial problems they are having. You might want to look at alternatives from companies like Samsung, Asus, Lenovo, and even HP.

 

[kirkie]

OK, this is unfortunate. The key considerations should be what you are planning to use it for, as well as future adaptability. If you are looking for something that will run a basic word processor, is extremely portable, and just needed for Internet browsing on-the-go, look for something without a dedicated video graphics card. Most laptops are like this. Even in this circumstance, I'd try to make sure it uses a SSD, to prevent untimely data loss.

If you are more concerned about future compatibility, having gaming and or enhanced graphics editing capabilities, and an abundance of computing power and memory, you'll want to look at higher end laptops. The HP Envy higher-end is known to have some of these attributes, but attempts to maintain a small form factor.

In any new laptop purchase you make, try to make sure the monitor at least uses 1080P (1920x1080) screen resolution. The reason for this is that you want to be able to view multimedia, and the laptop, in high definition, and a time may come when you find yourself needing to plug the system in a television or projector with HDMI. You would not want to lose out on what desktop and tablet users are already getting with a cheap-o screen.

For the budget you are quoting, you should be able to get a decent high-end laptop right now, without breaking the bank, or going over that budget. Because I'm not in the UK, and availability is obviously different here, I can only give you my experiences here. Right now, Dell is going through some serious changes, and I'm not sure I would recommend their systems with the current financial problems they are having. You might want to look at alternatives from companies like Samsung, Asus, Lenovo, and even HP.

Brilliant I really appreciate all of that. I have just made a note of the SSD and that it must be 1080p. Is there anything else in your opinion that is a must?

 

[MikeHawthorne]

Hi

If you want a computer capable of doing anything you want it to do, then my recommendation would be buy a Falcon Northwest.

I love their computers, it's what I buy myself.

My computer cost in the neighborhood of 1.500 pounds.
A little more for things I need for special usage that you don't.

You can actually get one for less than the price range your are asking for.

There is absolutely nothing that I can't run at max settings on my computer.
I can run stereo 3D at 70 fps, for each eye, that's 140 fps and have no slowdown even in games like Skyrim when set to max settings. That's at full HD 1080i on my 27" monitor.

Every computer they build gets days of testing before shipment and nothing but the highest quality components are used.

They have been in business since 1991, and if you need support you will talk to someone in their plant, not India!

Since I got my first FNW computer, 4 of my friends have bought them and none have had any problems.
And they all say that they won't buy anything else again.

Check out their web page, and spec a Talon, liquid cooling i7 processors, overclocking if you want it.

Make sure you spec a Talon, not a Mach 5, the prices for the Mach 5 are higher and the cases are really big.

http://www.falcon-nw.com/desktops/talon

Mike