Well, I took the plunge and ordered a new pc, Vista and all!

Looks like a cool computer. The two suggestions I'd make, add a real graphics card, and uninstall all of the HP crapware that storebought machines are usually crammed with.

A real sound card would be inexpensive, but onboard sound had improved greatly over the last couple of years. Maybe not worth it, depending on how you intend to use the computer.

Congrats on the new 'toy',
-Bob
 
Looks like a decent system to me.

If I read the specs right, no way to add any cards.

It's hard to build a system for cheaper than a ready made one these days.

If you like it then it's a good deal,
If you don't than...
 
My Vista on a Sony notebook works fine !! My computer ,and I guess all makes do it , had all kinds of crap, AOL , etc. So first day go through yours and dump all the nonsense.
 
It's hard to build a system for cheaper than a ready made one these days.
Click to expand...
Depends. You can't build one yourself cheaper than the weekly advertised Dell special, that's for sure. Heck, Tiger Direct has refurbished systems for under $300.

But for a nice machine it's a different story. I built my own for $2000, and Dell's price for a nearly identical system was $3,800. So for two hour's work and a day of troubleshooting, I saved $1800. Had it only been $300 difference I would've bought the Dell...

If I read the specs right, no way to add any cards.
Click to expand...
You're right, if the specs are correct:
"Available PCI slots, 0"
"PCI Express slots, 0"
Maybe it's a mistake in the listing? You can probably find out more from the HP website. Not everyone is interested in games anyway. For internet, office work, networking, database, etc., a fancy graphics card or 500watt THX certified surround sound are completely unnecessary.

Best Luck,
-Bob
 
I used to be like you, Bob. Have built all but 2 of my computers (going back to '98).

But this time...I'm at the point where I can't afford to take time to tinker anymore and I wanted the absolute best for CAD, etc. So, I swung a super coupon deal with Dell. Vista is awesome! :thumbup:
 
Ah....

"Expansion
Available PCI slots 0
PCI-express slots 0 "

You've got no slots!

"DVI (Digital Video Interface) 0"

You've got no DVI... and no slot to add it in!

And they call that a "Media Center TV PC?"
 
Bob W said:
Looks like a cool computer. The two suggestions I'd make, add a real graphics card,...

A real sound card would be inexpensive, but onboard sound had improved greatly over the last couple of years. Maybe not worth it, depending on how you intend to use the computer.
Click to expand...

Ah.....

Available PCI slots 0
PCI-express slots 0

Sorry, but he'd better hope he's happy with the on-board graphics and the onboard sound because there's no place for anything else.
 
Ah.....

Available PCI slots 0
PCI-express slots 0

Sorry, but he'd better hope he's happy with the on-board graphics and the onboard sound because there's no place for anything else.
Click to expand...
Aha! Here are the specs from the HP website:
PCI Two (None available)
PCI Express x16 One (One available)
PCI Express x1 One (One available)
Click to expand...
It seems Circuit City has bad info; you can add a PCIexpress graphic card. But you won't be able to run a dual-graphics system, like SLI or Crossfire.

According to this, you have two PCI slots (where a sound card would normally go), but they're both being used already. Luckily, there are some USB external sound cards on the market. Or you could remove one of the cards if it's unwanted.
There's also a slot for a second hard drive.

and I wanted the absolute best for CAD,
Click to expand...
Maybe you could answer a quick question. What's up with the CAD-specific graphic cards? Is it mostly marketing and hype? Or is there really a difference in how CAD uses different graphic technology than gaming?
I've read a little about it, but can't decide if it's a sham or for real.

-Bob
 
Thanks for the input guys!!!
I don't figure I'll be adding a graphix or a sound card to the pc. Just not into games and never have been a real high quality sound type. I'll just be using it for net surfing, dvd playing, and saving tv shows. I was hoping I could load all my dvds onto the pc and then when I wanted to watch one, just pull up the file and boom, no disc to mess with. That'd be nice!!
 
L6steel said:
I was hoping I could load all my dvds onto the pc and then when I wanted to watch one, just pull up the file and boom, no disc to mess with. That'd be nice!!
Click to expand...

If you can get around [any] copy protection, that's an excellent idea, should be quieter too. And only if you have less than about 45 DVD's :D
 
there are always been CAD specific graphics cards. (FireGL)

3D gaming is more about refresh. CAD is more about calculations. (in a brief nutshell)
 
there are always been CAD specific graphics cards. (FireGL)

3D gaming is more about refresh. CAD is more about calculations. (in a brief nutshell)
Click to expand...
Thanks. Anything more than a 'nutshell' answer would have been wasted on me. :D

Do you happen to use a CAD-specific graphic card yourself?

I don't figure I'll be adding a graphix or a sound card to the pc. Just not into games and never have been a real high quality sound type.
Click to expand...
I think that's typical of most computer buyers. The onboard stuff should be fine.

I was hoping I could load all my dvds onto the pc and then when I wanted to watch one, just pull up the file and boom, no disc to mess with. That'd be nice!!
Click to expand...
There are programs that copy software CDs to the hard drive, so you don't need to insert the CD every time you play that game. But I don't know if that's possible with DVDs or not.

Best Wishes,
-Bob
 
I don't use a CAD-only graphics card...they *start* at $1000+....:(

Would love to have one....would improve my "smart design" software for sure (ADT, Revit, VIZ)....but just too much investment. The Dell I have is a $2500 system that I then upgraded myself with other goodies...probably worth $4000 now. :(

Gets the job done, though.



A pair of these would be awesome:


ATI 100-505146 FireGL V7300 512MB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - OEM
 
A pair of these would be awesome:
Click to expand...
They better be awesome, for a thousand dollars!

For games and general computing I chose the GeForce 7900GT, factory overclocked from EVGA. Probably 'outdated' by now, but it's been a heckuva card so far.

-Bob
 
I've had my new rig for about three weeks now, ordered from NewEgg. It's one of those ABS "boxes"; no peripherals, no suite of junk software.
Comes with a 2.5 gig Athlon, an NVidia 7600GT card (pci express), and a gig of RAM. 350 gig hard drive, Windows XP professional. Plenty of expansion slots, big cooling fans, etc. 700 bucks.
Seems to work very well so far.
I had got a copy of the new "Dirt" racing game while this one was on order. Tried it on the old rig and it was an absolute slideshow.
Runs just fine on this one!
 
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