All in One Computers?

[MH Hawker]

Re: All in One Computers?

Is that an actual AIO unit? Also if you don't mind, could you give an idea of cost on that?

Yes small power supplys cause a huge amount of problems. I built it about 6 mounths ago. I do several on line 3 D games. Do a bit of custom picture and graphic work. Look at auto cad drawings for some work related stuff. I host and stream full movies at times and many other things. Got around 1800.00 in just the tower. Like I said its on the extream end of things. You wont find any thing like it in a store any where. But at the time it was state of the art and I am sure the prices are lower now. I had the monitors. Even when I start auto cad it only pulls 15 % CPU usage. Most of the time its at 3 to 8 %. Streaming movies pulls 10 %.

 

[TruckDrivingFool]

Re: All in One Computers?

I'd say in the scheme of things that's not bad at all MH.

After everyone's responses I'm also realizing that I don't do much with a computer. I think my worst draw is starting Google Chrome.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: All in One Computers?

When you can buy a brand new computer with a dual or quad core processor down at best buy for like $3-400, upgrades to an existing machine get stoopid quick. Also, I picked up a real nice early dual core Dell Optiplex from Craigslist for around $100 or 150 a while ago and it runs Windows 7 really nice. Couldn't do much work to my old P4 for that.

 

[TruckDrivingFool]

Re: All in One Computers?

Alright your making me feel like the guy at mechanic paying to have his muffler bearing greased mixed with the guy that just got free boat.

Care to do a layman's dual or quad core processor vs pentium 4 w/ hyperthreading comparison? Other than thinking bigger reported speed number means faster, again I'm in over my head on this.

FWIW This is the Gateway I have keeping in mind the extra ram, upgraded PS, and the vid card. This is the cheap eMachine I had very original thoughts on before I got shinynewitis and started surfing.

Just like the free boat guys up a couple levels I'll ask is it worth it to keep dragging it along or time to cut my losses and start over? Also would my upgraded ram from this be compatible to a new machine so that I could atleast cut some losses in future upgrades?

 

[ezmobee]

Re: All in One Computers?

All I can say is my kinda dual core Pentium D machine seems way faster than my P4 was. Windows 7 on the new one, XP on the old one.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: All in One Computers?

I hope this helps TruckDrivingFool. To be honest its a boat anchor its a 3.0 gig single core processer, yes you can keep using it for awhile if you can stand sitting there and waiting on it and add stuff to keep it limping along. A external drive is allways good to back up things and can be used later. A few years ago processor development hit a wall of around 3.4 gig max speed. To get around it they started making two processors in the same chip hence the first duel core, a quad core is 4 processors in one chip and the latest is a 6 core in my case its 6,, 2,8 gig processors on one main chip. Hyper threading is a sort of sales gimmick it was to make it faster on a single core processor and it worked with in its limits. It really all depends on what you do with it , A single core P 4 will chug long just fine for e mails and for most forums and low graphics uses but it will be very slow in a lot of applications, today's web browsing is filled with high graphics from the pop adds and so on. A single core P 4,,- 3.4 is over 10 years old and is very slow by today's standards a duel core is twice as fast a quad core is 4 times faster and a 6 is 6 times as fast. The maim processor controls how fast it can sort what's being thrown at the computer. Ram determines who much it can do at one time or how many application it can run at the same time the more ram you have the more things it can do at the same time. Most machines have on board graphics chips that share the system ram so adding a graphics card frees up system ram, and the card its self has its own ram and will help with graphics applications. I will explain it like this when new parts are developed thier are first sold to the gamer and advanced user market then after a year or two when sales have dropped thier sold to Del, HP, Gateway and so on by the truck load at discounted prices. What shows up on the shelves as the new latest greatest is several years behind. Their the left over parts that are to old to be sold in any other way. I haven't looked this year but the quad core processors were new 3 years ago and may be getting common on the shelves in high prices machines. Ok and do you need the fastest out there not really it completely depends on what your using it for most are useing a duel core or a quad and those will do just fine. Thats why it is very hard to get a AIO off the shelf their years behind.

 

[cribber]

Re: All in One Computers?

I couldn't agree with this more. My main CPU is about 5 years old, is moderately fast, with adequate memory, but not a huge amount. I do a lot of photo editing, so "screen territory" is important to me. I expanded my system by adding two video cards with lots of memory. I have a 24" monitor in the middle, a pair of 20" monitors on either side (for tools, etc.) and a 19" square monitor on a side table for shortcuts.

I am perfectly content with a less than state of the art CPU, but I can't imagine working with less monitor capability. You get very spoiled when you can open a bunch of windows, without any of them overlapping. More than anything, it makes a computer desktop more like a real desktop, where you have files and documents spread out.

So, as I sit here fooling around, I am writing this in one window, have a PDF document open in another, a couple of folders open and am watching a TV show on one of the 20" monitors. With all of that, I still have space left. Give me monitor space or give me computer death!!!!

That is the most rediculously extreme setup I've seen in a long time... you rock the PC my friend!!!

 

[TruckDrivingFool]

Re: All in One Computers?

Thanks so much MH, that makes it very clear. So even that eMach should run (roughly and in theory) twice as fast. Might even back up E's seat of the pants description.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: All in One Computers?

Yes that's right the duel core emachine is twice as fast as the one you are using. Thier is more to speed than just the processor but a newer machine will have higher speed parts as well. I wont confuse you with techno babble. It should will run very nicely for several years for you and with windows 7 it should handle the newer things fine and seams to be a good stable OS. Personally I still like XP better than any thing else it just wouldn't run on my new one. I keep most of my records and pictures and music and movies on a external drive so that when its time for a new computer I don't have to spend endless hours hunting things I want to keep and you all way forget something important. And any time.

 

[southkogs]

Re: All in One Computers?

TDF - they've almost got ya' buying a new machine! So, I'm going to chime in one more time: Something like this might be a good buy if you wanna' stay cheap. I liked XP, but both Windows Vista and 7 have been disappointing. The quality of many PC's in the under $1,000 range has been kinda' iffy in the last several years too. You might well be buying two or three boxes in 5 years - which can be a pain.

The old "once you go Mac, you never go back" saw is around for a reason: typically they're just more stable. Those iMacs are gems of machines even if you don't get the new solid state stuff. We use ours at home for nearly everything from watching movies to internet stuff. AND the "time machine" feature in Snow Leopard is a fantastic backup.

I'm not a complete Mac snob (close though), but I really suggest looking at them closely.

Regardless of what you purchase, keep that external hard drive in the plan. It'll save your bacon someday.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: All in One Computers?

I won't touch a Mac..to many problems with the ones I have owned over the years, My wife owns a graphics design business and does a heck of a lot of ad layout as well as magazines and she hates them as well.

 

[TruckDrivingFool]

Re: All in One Computers?

Ya a new machine is looking good but is pretty low on the project list. Just have wait and see what's left of my tax refund after all the other projects are taken care of.