Hi guys,
I have an unusual set of requirements for a new (inexpensive) desktop computer and am having trouble finding one that fits the bill at a good price. With the nearly infinite wisdom of this group, I figure that you guys might be able to point me in the right direction. Even some good forums or web sites with useful info would be fine.
My perfect system would be a competent Vista Home Premium or Ultimate desktop at ~$600 or less with:
* Dual core processor and reasonable FSB speed
* 2 gig RAM, plus two empty sockets to add 2 gig later
* Adequate video driver which won't drag down the system
* 500 gig HD (SATA?) - or a throwaway drive I replace myself
*
TWO additional FOUR (now that I see it's possible as I start to look at Jon's suggestions!) open hard drive slots and available power/data cables. (I want to add
2x1TB 4x1TB more internal drives later)
* DVD drive bay and cables - I already have a DVD drive from another system
* A video card slot (to upgrade if needed in the future)
* Ethernet, 802.11g and 6-12 USB ports
* A decent power supply that I can leave on without worry about fire hazard or the fan failing
* In addition, if there was a bundle price break to add a (black) 17" widescreen LCD with speakers, I could also save on the monitor cost.
Obviously the price and the three hard drive requirement is the tricky part. I would be happy to put together a barebones kit, but don't want the hassle of choosing one and picking all the right parts and pieces and connectors to go with it, or the headache of fighting with things that don't work together.
So I've been looking for deals at Best Buy, TigerDirect, NewEgg, MicroCenter, various office supply stores, etc. But for the cheaper systems, it's really hard to get the right combination or sometimes even to understand whether there is a drive bay that I can use to add a hard drive without cable or power supply problems.
This is what I currently plan to buy unless something better pops up...
Quote:
$550 Compaq Presario SR5450F Computer
W1707 17-in. Widescreen LCD Monitor
and a cheap printer (which I would throw away)
Intel Pentium dual core E2180 processor,
2GB DDR2 memory,
500GB hard drive,
Dual layer DVD +-RW Light Scribe Drive.
GeForce 7100 graphics.
Vista Home Premium SP1
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But while it's a great deal, it won't get me the THREE internal hard drives, and there seems to be some issues with adding another hard drive according to this comment...
Quote:
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The machine will take one more large internal device under the DVD writier. It will also take two additional internal drives. Another note. If you buy another SATA drive, you must buy a "Molex power connector-to-SATA power connector to provide it power. I don't know why, but the machine only comes with 2 spare IDE type power connectors (so you need the Molex [IDE type power connector-to-SATA connector) and one smaller power connector. No big deal, but you cannot install another SATA device without the SATA power connector.
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Thanks MUCH if you have any suggestions.
P.S. If a system has two optical drive bays, I know you can't put a HD on the same controller cable as the optical drive without a huge performance hit, but can you put three drives together on other same controller and use the empty optical bay only for physically holding the HD?