upgraded 2 year old PC, did I do good?

[UALOneKPlus]

Compaq Presario 5000 series PC
Intel Celeron 700MHz CPU

Old specs:
- 64 MB RAM
- 15 GB HD
- 40X CD-ROM

New specs:
- 256 MB RAM
- 60 GB + 80 GB HD's (regular 2MB buffer + SE 8MB buffer)
- 16X DVD-ROM
- 48x12x48x Lite On CDRW

Things not done but considered:
-USB 2.0 PCI adapter
-DVD-R/W writer

Total cost before rebates: $340. After rebates: $240.

Think I got my money's worth with this new hardware?

[BillyG]

Nice! Can your motherboard handle a faster CPU? That would be the next upgrade on my list.

[UALOneKPlus]

Thanks!

I really haven't explored upgrading the CPU. I wonder what the best way is to investigate what the fastest CPU I can get for this motherboard w/o having to get a new motherboard...

[BuddhaTB]

UALOneKPlus, nice upgrades for the price paid. One question though, is your video chip integrated into the motherboard or a separate AGP card? If its integrated into the motherboard, I would advise getting a new motherboard, case, cpu, and video card if your planning on doing any more major upgrades. But I would hold off for now, if the speed and video quality ain't too bad. Just save up so you can overhaul your system eventually.

[Action Jackson]

UALOneKPlus,

I guess the video card is next right? You'll get a nice boost in gaming performance [assuming you play games] even if you're not using it's full potential.

Which SE harddrive did you get?

You're doing pretty good so far.

[BuddhaTB]

Which SE harddrive did you get?

The 80GB hard drive is the SE one. WD doesn't make anything smaller than 80GB for their SE line of hard drives.

[UALOneKPlus]

Thanks to all for the feedback. I'm going to pause at this point, because BuddhaTB is right, the video chip is integrated into the motherboard. I think I'd rather wait 4-6 months and buy a new near top-of-the-line PC to burn DVD's.

The speed is great, and the video quality is decent for the DVD. I'm saving up for a flat screen panel (might get it in a PC bundle with the next PC).

The one thing I kept thinking was "is it cheaper to do the individual upgrades, than if I had purchased a top of the line 2 years ago". And I think I saved a bundle of money by waiting til now. I still can't believe I paid $200 for a 4x4x6 USB 1.1 CDRW 2 years ago

UALOneKPlus, nice upgrades for the price paid. One question though, is your video chip integrated into the motherboard or a separate AGP card? If its integrated into the motherboard, I would advise getting a new motherboard, case, cpu, and video card if your planning on doing any more major upgrades. But I would hold off for now, if the speed and video quality ain't too bad. Just save up so you can overhaul your system eventually.

[UALOneKPlus]

I got the 80 GB SE western digital at CompUSA this week. It's only $89 after a $40 rebate!!

Which SE harddrive did you get?

The 80GB hard drive is the SE one. WD doesn't make anything smaller than 80GB for their SE line of hard drives.

[BuddhaTB]

The speed is great, and the video quality is decent for the DVD. I'm saving up for a flat screen panel (might get it in a PC bundle with the next PC).

The one thing I kept thinking was "is it cheaper to do the individual upgrades, than if I had purchased a top of the line 2 years ago". And I think I saved a bundle of money by waiting til now. I still can't believe I paid $200 for a 4x4x6 USB 1.1 CDRW 2 years ago

I feel your pain. I too bought my Sony USB 4x4x6 for $200 back in the day.

As for the computer, I would advise building a system yourself if you want to save some money. However, it would be best if you knew how to build up a system or know someone who does, because there are some steps that can be fairly difficult especially if you encounter problems during the build up. One big advantage of building your own system is that you get to choose what each part individually, so you get the best part possible, unlike some pre-made computers that give give you low end components to cut cost. In addition, you can use whatever hardware you have from your old computer and that will save cost of a new system. Only bad part is you have to buy software for your system if you don't already own full versions of them like the OS and Microsoft office and what not. The only reason why pre-built computers cost so much is the customer service that comes along with it. If you aren't comfortable building your own system, I would highly recommend dell. They have really nice computers and the best customer service and their prices have been dropping over the years. Dell also puts out discount coupons and special packages every week, so I would look into a dell if that's the way you want to go. Once you own a Compaq, you'll never want one again, because they can't be upgraded easily and are hardware picky. My previous computer was a Compaq and I hated it very much when I couldn't upgrade the video card on it.

[UALOneKPlus]

... Dell also puts out discount coupons and special packages every week, so I would look into a dell if that's the way you want to go. Once you own a Compaq, you'll never want one again, because they can't be upgraded easily and are hardware picky. My previous computer was a Compaq and I hated it very much when I couldn't upgrade the video card on it.

Thanks BuddhaTB! You are right about the Compaq. I've never owned a Dell so that's going to be a strong possibility for my next PC.