Where can I buy a new computer in the UK?

[jackyboy633]

Hi all,

My Linux box (Intel P4 Fujitsu Siemens Scenic) has just stopped working, and I don't really want to spend any more money on it as it is nearly 9 years old and fiddling around with a computer this old can be a bit of a minefield. I was thinking about treating myself to something with better specifications. (Core 2 Duo maybe) Is there any online shops where I could get a computer that is either used or refurbished (I can't afford new :-( ) My budget is around £150, but I can allow some money for upgrades. I would like a tower or minitower PC, not one of those horrible small form factor PCs which have no room for expansion. I'm fine with any brand of computer, as long as it is a business line (Optiplex, Compaq etc.) as they often have better support for Linux.

Any suggestions will be appreciated :)

Regards, Jackyboy633

PS: Mods, feel free to move this thread, I wasn't sure where it was supposed to go.

[whatthefunk]

Google?

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&newwindow=1&safe=off&q=uk+used+computers&oq=uk+used+computers&aq=f&aqi=g1g-v4g-j2g-b1&aql=&gs_nf=1&gs_l=serp.3..0j0i15l4j0i18l2j0i8.4242.7529.0.7675. 17.17.0.4.4.0.150.1084.12j1.13.0.nx-NlooGyaU

[Gremlinzzz]

PC World today
PC World, Kensington High Street, London, 2010.
The outside of the Southampton Central PC World store in December 2006, carrying the originally proposed "New" logo (The actual new logo is at the top of this page)

As of 2006, there are 163 PC World stores in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Sales in 2004/2005 (including PC World Business) were £1,695 million.

The stores offer ranges of consumer-oriented PCs, laptops and peripherals, including DSG stores' own-brand Advent and PC Line. Stores also have a "KnowHow desk", which offers advice and services. Some stores also have a "Component Centre" area, which contains more basic PC components such as motherboards, hard drives and cases.

In September 2006, PC World UK assumed management control of its French subsidiary. PC World in the UK was also due to undergo a style change at the beginning of 2008, including a new logo, staff uniforms and store layouts as part of its image re-branding programme. The changes have been trialled at the Brentford, Colchester, Portsmouth and the brand new Bournemouth, Southampton, Isle of Wight, Enfield, Burnley and relocated North Shields branches. However current advertisements suggest that the proposed logo had been dropped and replaced with another new logo.[2]

In late 2006, PC World launched "The Connected Home", selling PC based home entertainment systems and installation services.

During Easter 2007, PC World launched a magazine advertising many of its services and products. It is called "Magazine" and published by futureplus. The magazine is free to collect from any PC World store, and comes out every quarter.

On 13 December 2007 it was announced that PC World will be selling Dell PCs in their stores. This one of many moves Dell are making to sell their desktops and laptops to a wider market. This also includes Dell selling their XPS systems in many HMV stores across the UK.

PC World was nominated for Best Retailer in the What Laptop Mobile Computing Awards 2008.[3]

PC World opened their first 2-in-1 megastore with Currys at Wandsworth Bridge, Fulham, on 29 October 2009 followed by Merry Hill Shopping Centre (West Midlands), Aintree (Merseyside) Teesside Park (Stockton-On-Tees) and Bridge of Dee (Aberdeen) in June and July 2010. The newest megastore opened in Poole on 8 July 2010 and boasts a range of products and services, including a Bose shop, Phones4U shop and live demonstrations on the newest products. It is the largest store in the south of the United Kingdom.
sounds promising :popcorn:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC_World_%28retailer%29

[SemiExpert]

Hi all,

My Linux box (Intel P4 Fujitsu Siemens Scenic) has just stopped working, and I don't really want to spend any more money on it as it is nearly 9 years old and fiddling around with a computer this old can be a bit of a minefield. I was thinking about treating myself to something with better specifications. (Core 2 Duo maybe) Is there any online shops where I could get a computer that is either used or refurbished (I can't afford new :-( ) My budget is around £150, but I can allow some money for upgrades. I would like a tower or minitower PC, not one of those horrible small form factor PCs which have no room for expansion. I'm fine with any brand of computer, as long as it is a business line (Optiplex, Compaq etc.) as they often have better support for Linux.

Any suggestions will be appreciated :)

Regards, Jackyboy633

PS: Mods, feel free to move this thread, I wasn't sure where it was supposed to go.

Buying an ancient used or refurbished PC is a good way of throwing your money away. I'd advise you to wait for clearance sales. Core 2 Duo? That's LGA 775 and it's now 3 generations old.

[coldraven]

I got a good deal from these guys but since then they have increased the postage for the remote area where I live so check the prices first
Sign up for their newsletter, they have new deals quite often
BTW the machine I got was a new Compaq 6715b dual core laptop, it works great with Ubuntu but the ATI X1250 video card is no use for gaming. Compiz cube works fine though.

http://www.bigpockets.co.uk/index.php

[urukrama]

I bought my Thinkpad X41 secondhand on ebay (as well as other Thinkpad's before that), and have not regretted it.

[SemiExpert]

I got a good deal from these guys but since then they have increased the postage for the remote area where I live so check the prices first
Sign up for their newsletter, they have new deals quite often
BTW the machine I got was a new Compaq 6715b dual core laptop, it works great with Ubuntu but the ATI X1250 video card is no use for gaming. Compiz cube works fine though.

http://www.bigpockets.co.uk/index.php

The Compaq 6715b was released back in 2007. A lot has changed in 5 years.

[jackyboy633]

I'm not too fussed about having the latest hardware. I have a 1.5 year old Samsung laptop with Linux+Windows for things like games and other things that require performance. The reason I want a used computer is for experimentation, so that if something goes wrong, it is not too much of a loss.

I've got stuff from BigPockets before, and they've been very good. They just seem a bit expensive compared to other places.

Maybe AMD would be better?

[keithpeter]

Any suggestions will be appreciated :)

Do you live near a largeish town? Just as an example from near me...

In Birmingham UK there are a couple of shops near the University that do cheap boxes for students, better than the spec you are mentioning. There is a gamers shop in King's Heath that does smaller form factor boxes. Walsall has a computer shop as well, and Wolverhampton has a couple. So at least 5 within 45 minutes by public transport.

Advantage: you can take a live CD in and boot them up...

Ebay is the obvious alternative, I'm typing this on an old HP workstation quad core xeon with big case, 4Gb and a new graphics card that can run a couple of 1080p screens. It was a bit more than your budget, not hugely more. It will do me for the next few years. There was a minor fault with the HD cable, but I just got another one from Maplin as I didn't want to lug the beast down to the post office to send it back! It has survived a couple of months of 12.04 testing.

[Paqman]

Is there any online shops where I could get a computer that is either used or refurbished (I can't afford new :-( ) My budget is around £150

All "buy it now" Core 2 Duo machines on Ebay for under £150 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/Desktop-PCs-Monitors-/171957/i.html?LH_Price=0..150%40c&rt=nc&LH_BIN=1&_nkw=core%202%20duo&_catref=1&_dmpt=UK_Computing_DesktopPCs&_fln=1&_mPrRngCbx=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m283)

[jackyboy633]

I live an hour's drive from Nottingham, but I don't have a car and with the obvious issues of carrying a PC around, I would rather buy online.

I'm trying to avoid eBay as much as possible, as you're not sure who you're buying from, and as it is an auction site it is hard to get computers at the prices you want.

[jackyboy633]

Is this model any good?

http://www.cambridgecomputershop.co.uk/desktop_computers/core2duo/dc7700p_minitower_vPro

[mips]

Will do but you can do better I reckon.

[Gremlinzzz]

1.86Ghz Core 2 Duo Processor with vPro technology

1Gb DDR2 memory

80GB sata hard disk

XP Professional installed and licensed

shop around think you could do better:popcorn: maybe something with DDR3.
The primary benefit of DDR3 SDRAM over its immediate predecessor, DDR2 SDRAM, is its ability to transfer data at twice the rate (eight times the speed of its internal memory arrays), enabling higher bandwidth or peak data rates:popcorn:

[SemiExpert]

I live an hour's drive from Nottingham, but I don't have a car and with the obvious issues of carrying a PC around, I would rather buy online.

I'm trying to avoid eBay as much as possible, as you're not sure who you're buying from, and as it is an auction site it is hard to get computers at the prices you want.

You might be better off with a notebook if you're lacking transport. Moreover, eBay is a great platform for buying simple goods from individuals and small businesses, most of whom are very reputable due to the feedback system, but I wouldn't buy something as complex as a PC from an individual. I have enough problems buying new PCs with stellar multiyear warranties from massive multinational corporations. I have my own well used computers, and I shudder to think of issues inherent in buying used rubbish.

[jackyboy633]

I'd rather buy a PC, as they have more room for expansion.

As for the comment about eBay, I take it back, as I read up on it and now I believe that the upsides outweigh the downsides.

Wasn't DDR3 meant for the Nehalem processors? If yes, PCs with DDR3 may be out of my price range. I'll keep looking, since I don't want to rush in and get a rubbish computer out of it.

[Paqman]

I'm trying to avoid eBay as much as possible, as you're not sure who you're buying from, and as it is an auction site it is hard to get computers at the prices you want.

That's why I linked to "Buy it Now" items. Those items are fixed price, not auctions. Most of those machines are being sold by small businesses who use Ebay as their online shop. Pick a seller with thousands of positive feedback, these aren't just ordinary folks, they're professionals. You can get a brand new machine with a warranty for a good price, straight to your door.

I've bought a lot of computer stuff from Ebay, including whole machines. I've never had any trouble, I highly recommend it.

[mips]

As for the comment about eBay, I take it back, as I read up on it and now I believe that the upsides outweigh the downsides.


Check this out http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=Core+2+Quad&_sacat=171957&LH_BIN=1&LH_Price=0..150%40c&_dmpt=UK_Computing_DesktopPCs&_odkw=Core+2+Quad+6600&_osacat=171957&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

Some decent quad core systems in there at low prices.

[jackyboy633]

Maybe this?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HP-DC7800-Mini-Tower-PC-Computer-Intel-Core-2-Quad-2-4GHZ-Q6600-2GB-Ram-250GB-/260997423684?pt=UK_Computing_DesktopPCs&hash=item3cc4a8a244

[Gremlinzzz]

How about craigslist:popcorn:

http://london.craigslist.co.uk/

[Bandit]

Buying an ancient used or refurbished PC is a good way of throwing your money away. I'd advise you to wait for clearance sales. Core 2 Duo? That's LGA 775 and it's now 3 generations old.

Does kinda feel like the pace of hardware has picked up or I have slowed down.. :frown:

[jackyboy633]

Unfortunately, there's no Craigslist in the area I live in :-(

[KiwiNZ]

I don't know what retailers do in the UK but in NewZealand you can go into any of the major computer sellers buy a PC of choice and they will Courier to your home, often without extra charges.

[jackyboy633]

Unfortunately, we do not have this service with any of the computer shops in my local area. None of them sell used computers, and since I can't afford a new computer, I'll have to stick with online.

[KiwiNZ]

I have found buying used is a false economy.

[houseworkshy]

With a low budget the best bet for new would be ex-display, daily offers and bankrupt stock sales ( government autions ). If you opt for used then go for reconditioned only if labour and parts carry a guarentee, twelve months would be ok. Avoid buyer beware second hand as you won't have the time to check every bit in the box.
If you are prepared to risk the lack of a guarentee another source would be to contact businesses who are getting rid of, probably four year old, machines - they will have been written down against tax so the businesses may be selling them very cheap or even about to throw them away, the machines will have had a lot of office application hammer but will probably have been good ones when new and have lived in a smoke free enviroment. When looking at an older machine the biggest deal is probably to see if it can carry more ram, know in advance what sort of ram you can buy and at what price. Also check for what graphic cards can be put in as business machines ( unless used for grapics etc ) probably won't have had one added, many cards also carrry quite a bit of ram with them. Worth checking for bios updates and hardware compatability/support before commiting.

[jackyboy633]

Maybe buying components and building my own computer would make more sense. I can install things like CD drives and PCI cards, but would building a computer be much harder? At least I can tailor the spec to what I want and what I can afford.

[mips]

I can install things like CD drives and PCI cards, but would building a computer be much harder?

No, not much harder.

[KiwiNZ]

Maybe buying components and building my own computer would make more sense. I can install things like CD drives and PCI cards, but would building a computer be much harder? At least I can tailor the spec to what I want and what I can afford.

The only tricky bit is deciding compatible components and the only really tricky assembly is the CPU and placement of the heatsink/cooling. However you should be able to buy these with the CPU already attached.

The rest of it is a piece of cake.

[Gremlinzzz]

Maybe buying components and building my own computer would make more sense.
sounds like the right way to go.:popcorn:

[CharlesA]

The only tricky bit is deciding compatible components and the only really tricky assembly is the CPU and placement of the heatsink/cooling. However you should be able to buy these with the CPU already attached.

The rest of it is a piece of cake.

Yep.

I've not run into any compatibility issues with memory/mobo/cpu in a while but that might be cuz I go off the manufacture's site for recommended RAM and CPUs.

As for the CPU coming with the heat sink preattached - I haven't seen that before. Most coolers are fairly easy to attach and if you do get an aftermarket cooler - youtube is your friend if you run into issues like not knowing how to put it on.

[KiwiNZ]

Yep.

I've not run into any compatibility issues with memory/mobo/cpu in a while but that might be cuz I go off the manufacture's site for recommended RAM and CPUs.

As for the CPU coming with the heat sink preattached - I haven't seen that before. Most coolers are fairly easy to attach and if you do get an aftermarket cooler - youtube is your friend if you run into issues like not knowing how to put it on.

Here in NZ you can get MB's with the CPU attached. What I mean by compatibility is say buying a high end i7 CPU and putting in low end Ram and or a 5400 HDD ( extreme example I admit) etc

I say the CPU is the trickiest I have seen many CPU's trashed because the installer has not correctly lined the CPU up before applying pressure to seat. I have have also seen appalling attempts at thermal pasting etc. Don't get me started on sloppy best practices in general like no grommets for screws and neatly placed and secured wiring.

[Gremlinzzz]

This might be in your budget
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883108659
:popcorn:

[Bandit]

Maybe buying components and building my own computer would make more sense. I can install things like CD drives and PCI cards, but would building a computer be much harder? At least I can tailor the spec to what I want and what I can afford.

If you can screw in a light bulb, you can build a PC.. Seriously its that simple these days. There are a few things to be careful about, mostly just static discharge. But thats about it. Everything pops together, very few screws and no need to solder or use chip pullers these days. Everything has pretty much been made idiot proof.. :D

[CharlesA]

Here in NZ you can get MB's with the CPU attached. What I mean by compatibility is say buying a high end i7 CPU and putting in low end Ram and or a 5400 HDD ( extreme example I admit) etc

Oh cool. I remember Fry's (a computer store) here putting the CPU into a new mobo for a fee to prevent damage to both.

I hear you about putting an i7 with slow RAM or a "green" HDD. It works but you are going to bottleneck the CPU.




I say the CPU is the trickiest I have seen many CPU's trashed because the installer has not correctly lined the CPU up before applying pressure to seat. I have have also seen appalling attempts at thermal pasting etc. Don't get me started on sloppy best practices in general like no grommets for screws and neatly placed and secured wiring.

I agree with you there. When I put my AMD box together I was scared I was going to bend some pins on the CPU when I was putting it in.

I usually use that Arctic Silver thermal paste but I've probably have a couple CPUs where I didn't do a good job putting it on. Dot method vs strip method and all that.

[Bandit]

Oh cool. I remember Fry's (a computer store) here putting the CPU into a new mobo for a fee to prevent damage to both.

I hear you about putting an i7 with slow RAM or a "green" HDD. It works but you are going to bottleneck the CPU.




I agree with you there. When I put my AMD box together I was scared I was going to bend some pins on the CPU when I was putting it in.

I usually use that Arctic Silver thermal paste but I've probably have a couple CPUs where I didn't do a good job putting it on. Dot method vs strip method and all that.


Oh! Fry's Electronics.. Geek Heaven..
Used to spend hours in that store. Only place I have ever seen that had cases and mobos out of their boxes on display..
Not always the cheapest, but they dang sure had what you needed.

I think the first 3 or 4 systems I put together for myself I must have sweat like crazy. Of course back when I was 15 $500 or so bucks was a lot of money and sure didnt want to screw it up. My K6-350 was the my first system I truly built on my own.
On a note about setting CPU's. Even more so with these new LGA 2011 sockets that have 2011 pins (ick!). LOL Watch the install video on youtube.. You dont want to bump the socket and bend those jokers. But no matter what Socket you use, after you place your CPU down and secure it in place. Then without bothering the heat-paste try to align and put your heat-sink/fan or other cooling device on properly. Then when you happy, remove it and then add your thermal paste. If it has factory paste, remove that mess with a razor blade gently and use Arctic Silver Thermal paste in its place. Only use a Pea size amount. It will squish out more then you think.

[CharlesA]

Oh! Fry's Electronics.. Geek Heaven..
Used to spend hours in that store. Only place I have ever seen that had cases and mobos out of their boxes on display..
Not always the cheapest, but they dang sure had what you needed.

Yeah. I think they are the only place around here that has mobos out of the boxes so you can look at them. I don't even think places like Best Buy even sell mobos.

They might not have everything you want - they don't sell Lian Li cases, for example, but they do have a boatload of stuff.

I try to avoid going there cuz I end up spending money on something. :lolflag:

For the thermal grease - I've always used rubbing alcohol to clean off the cpu and heatsink. Might not be the best (99% alcohol is best, from what I remember), but it gets the job done.

[mips]

I say the CPU is the trickiest I have seen many CPU's trashed because the installer has not correctly lined the CPU up before applying pressure to seat. I have have also seen appalling attempts at thermal pasting etc. Don't get me started on sloppy best practices in general like no grommets for screws and neatly placed and secured wiring.

The CPUs are ok to install if people would just take notice of the orientation markings. Installing coolers on Intel boards though I find a pita especially once the mb is mounted in the case, my big hands don't help either. I now install the cpu & cooler with the mb outside the case but it should still be easier than that, amd based boards I find much easier. Just one of those things you have to develop a bit of a knack for.

Beyond that building a pc is a walk in the park.

[Bandit]

The CPUs are ok to install if people would just take notice of the orientation markings. Installing coolers on Intel boards though I find a pita especially once the mb is mounted in the case, ..........

I have even got to where I do the ram also to make sure it seats correctly. Ran into a board or two where the clots were overkill in terms of being over tight.

[Grenage]

Building computers was never difficult, and is now hilariously easy. The only reason to buy a built PC is warranty, or if you could earn more than you'd save by working. ;)

[km3952]

www.novatech.com

I've bought from them.

In your price range you could buy a brand new 'bare bones' machine; comes with case, power supply, processor, ram fitted & tested.

£140 will get you a dual core Pentium 2.8GHz with 4GB ram; just add your hard drive & optical drive if wanted.

I bought a 2001u, & it is running Lubuntu 12.04 beta2, with a usb wifi stick (also purchased from Novatech).

[mips]

I have even got to where I do the ram also to make sure it seats correctly.

Same here, forgot to mention it.

[Bandit]

Building computers was never difficult, and is now hilariously easy. The only reason to buy a built PC is warranty, or if you could earn more than you'd save by working. ;)

Most of the hardware I buy has a 5 year warranty, some still has 3. Try getting HP to replace a HDD 4 years from now.. LOL
Not to mention you get to choose the parts for your box, with a store bought PC you have the cheapest product they could get in quanities to build those systems. And many cases their cheapest board is far far under par the worse board you could find on the web. That and nothing that can make you madder then wanting to upgrade your vide, etc.. to find that the /AGP/PCI/PCIX slot was never even soldered to the mobo and even only has one Mem slot to save cost.. **cough** **hp** ** cough**

[Grenage]

Most of the hardware I buy has a 5 year warranty, some still has 3. Try getting HP to replace a HDD 4 years from now.. LOL
Not to mention you get to choose the parts for your box, with a store bought PC you have the cheapest product they could get in quanities to build those systems. And many cases their cheapest board is far far under par the worse board you could find on the web. That and nothing that can make you madder then wanting to upgrade your vide, etc.. to find that the /AGP/PCI/PCIX slot was never even soldered to the mobo and even only has one Mem slot to save cost.. **cough** **hp** ** cough**

No arguing that! The reason I didn't mention such, is that if you're savvy enough to know what parts you want in a machine, you're probably already building your own. ^^

P.S, regarding Novatech. I live not far from their Portsmouth store, and their customer service is quite good. Admittedly I only use them for stuff I need now, as they aren't usually the cheapest.

[chugtairizwan]

Oh dude! I have the simple solution of your problem just open this link and you ll be out of your trouble

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/:guitar:

[CharlesA]

The CPUs are ok to install if people would just take notice of the orientation markings. Installing coolers on Intel boards though I find a pita especially once the mb is mounted in the case, my big hands don't help either. I now install the cpu & cooler with the mb outside the case but it should still be easier than that, amd based boards I find much easier. Just one of those things you have to develop a bit of a knack for.


Oh yeah, I hate stock coolers with those stupid plastic tabs that are supposed to secure the fan to the mobo. I always seem to not get them attached right.

I install CPU and RAM outside the case and fire it up with an old PCI video card to make sure it boots before putting it in the case. Works wonders for saving time and energy should the damn thing not boot.

[jackyboy633]

Here are my two proposed specifications for my new Linux box:

Intel Box
CPU: Intel Core i3-2120 Dual Core with integrated graphics
Motherboard: ASUS P8H61-M LE/USB3
RAM: 4GB DDR3 1333MHz
Graphics: Integrated
HDD: 1TB 7200RPM SATAIII
Optical Drive: 24x Dual Layer DVD writer
PSU: 350W Dual Rail Antec PSU + 8cm rear fan + 12cm front fan
Cooler: Stock cooler
Soundcard: Integrated
Networking: Integrated ethernet
USB: 6 USB ports

AMD Box
CPU: AMD A4-3400 APU + ATI Radeon HD 6000 series integrated graphics
Motherboard: ASUS F1A55-M LE
RAM: 4GB DDR3 1333MHz
Graphics: Integrated ATI Radeon HD 6000 series
HDD: 1TB 7200RPM SATAIII
Optical Drive: 24x Dual Layer DVD writer
PSU: 350W Dual Rail Antec PSU + 8cm rear fan + 12cm front fan
Cooler: Stock cooler
Soundcard: Integrated
Networking: Integrated ethernet
USB: 6 USB ports

Which spec would be better in your eyes, bearing in mind that the AMD one would be cheaper and easier to upgrade, while Intel would deliver better performance?

[SemiExpert]

Most of the hardware I buy has a 5 year warranty, some still has 3. Try getting HP to replace a HDD 4 years from now.. LOL
Not to mention you get to choose the parts for your box, with a store bought PC you have the cheapest product they could get in quanities to build those systems. And many cases their cheapest board is far far under par the worse board you could find on the web. That and nothing that can make you madder then wanting to upgrade your vide, etc.. to find that the /AGP/PCI/PCIX slot was never even soldered to the mobo and even only has one Mem slot to save cost.. **cough** **hp** ** cough**

You can simply give up the idea of buying a desktop from a Windows PC OEM with the idea that you'll simply upgrade the hardware later. Adding a video card? Sorry, the manufacturer chose a weird proprietary power supply that probably doesn't put out anywhere near the rated power? Replace a defective motherboard? Sorry, the manufacturer chose to make the I/O Shield part of the case? The only choice is buying another proprietary defective motherboard from the OEM? Enjoy your next motherboard failure! BIOS upgrades? Sorry the manufacturer can't be bothered? If the desktop PC is dying, it's not just because of the shift to notebooks and tablets, but because the Windows PC OEMs have abused their desktop customers to a remarkable degree.

[SemiExpert]

Here are my two proposed specifications for my new Linux box:

Intel Box
CPU: Intel Core i3-2120 Dual Core with integrated graphics
Motherboard: ASUS P8H61-M LE/USB3
RAM: 4GB DDR3 1333MHz
Graphics: Integrated
HDD: 1TB 7200RPM SATAIII
Optical Drive: 24x Dual Layer DVD writer
PSU: 350W Dual Rail Antec PSU + 8cm rear fan + 12cm front fan
Cooler: Stock cooler
Soundcard: Integrated
Networking: Integrated ethernet
USB: 6 USB ports

AMD Box
CPU: AMD A4-3400 APU + ATI Radeon HD 6000 series integrated graphics
Motherboard: ASUS F1A55-M LE
RAM: 4GB DDR3 1333MHz
Graphics: Integrated ATI Radeon HD 6000 series
HDD: 1TB 7200RPM SATAIII
Optical Drive: 24x Dual Layer DVD writer
PSU: 350W Dual Rail Antec PSU + 8cm rear fan + 12cm front fan
Cooler: Stock cooler
Soundcard: Integrated
Networking: Integrated ethernet
USB: 6 USB ports

Which spec would be better in your eyes, bearing in mind that the AMD one would be cheaper and easier to upgrade, while Intel would deliver better performance?

For Intel, I'd wait until later today for all of the details on Ivy Bridge - and after that, decide on Ivy Bridge or Sandy Bridge. But today is the day! Hooray! Just remember that some Intel chips have better integrated graphics than others. An i3-2125 has HD 3000 graphics while the i3-2120 has HD 2000 graphics, and there will be similar differences in the Ivy Bridge line. As far as AMD, I'm not that hyped on the current generation APUs for Linux. I've got my doubts about whether the massive layoffs at AMD will impact Linux support?

[jackyboy633]

You can simply give up the idea of buying a desktop from a Windows PC OEM with the idea that you'll simply upgrade the hardware later. Adding a video card? Sorry, the manufacturer chose a weird proprietary power supply that probably doesn't put out anywhere near the rated power? Replace a defective motherboard? Sorry, the manufacturer chose to make the I/O Shield part of the case? The only choice is buying another proprietary defective motherboard from the OEM? Enjoy your next motherboard failure! BIOS upgrades? Sorry the manufacturer can't be bothered? If the desktop PC is dying, it's not just because of the shift to notebooks and tablets, but because the Windows PC OEMs have abused their desktop customers to a remarkable degree.

I can totally relate to that. I was poking around a Fujitsu-Siemens SFF PC (not the one that broke down), since I was seeing whether I could put a graphics card in it. Surprise, surprise, you could only fit one of those half-height ones in, and the latest you could get was an ATI Rage 128, and that's nearly 14 years old. Even the integrated graphics would be better than that. I think the main reason the desktop is dying is because Wintel manufacturers are populating the market with these small form factor PCs with no room for expansion, and sell them with the cheapest components possible. No wonder the PC is dying, and that people have to build their own PCs to have a PC with satisfactory quality.

[Artemis3]

In my country, its very hard to find SFF pcs, and are usually overpriced. Common PCs are full or micro atx, often you see a micro atx board inside a full atx case, only because its cheaper.

Half size cards are still (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sparkle-nVIDIA-GeForce-DDR3-PCI-E/dp/B004WD2W02/ref=sr_1_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1335228762&sr=1-1) available (http://www.amazon.co.uk/NVidia-Profile-Height-Graphics-Compaq/dp/B0047SUPN8/ref=sr_1_2?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1335228762&sr=1-2).

[Bandit]

You can simply give up the idea of buying a desktop from a Windows PC OEM with the idea that you'll simply upgrade the hardware later. ...............
++ This ++

So true.. Many folks as me to recommend a PC.. I always tell them I cant.. If they want something cheap get a eMachine from wall mart. If they want something that is worth while, get off their cheap rear ends.. Sadly most go cheap and then complain a year later..

I will say I did save two friends from buying new PCs. Installed Lucid on their old WinXP machines and they love it.. 2 years now and both love their box and every time we get to talking about computers they cant stop thanking me for leading them to Linux. Everything works and it runs great all the time, just the same as it did when they first bought the computer. Linux makes a difference.. :KS