Best time to buy a computer or not?

It's a question I'm asking to myself and don't know the answer. By example with laptop, it's stuck to Pentium M 2.0ghz (some compagny 2.1ghz) for months, even one year (remember looking for exactly the same computer during last december). So I think computer processor begin to by stuck at around 3.8ghz.

I know 64bits will come more popular with time, but do you think the new windows will support it? and if 3d studio max 8 will support it too? I know there are some test with lightwave 64 by example, but not sure if this technology will be support at 100% this year.


[I'm looking for the Dell inspiron 9300 (coming with a Geforce 6800 with 256 megs) but at each week, they give for 400$ of stuff, so I want this "special" to decrease the bill of the computer (when by example it's an update of the video card and the memory), but for 2 months, the special is always bad, memory stick, printer, microsoft office. So it's really strange how a special (they want to sell more computer with it) can block people to buy a computer.]


If you want to make in thie topic a "what is the specs of your computer" feel free to write it, mine is a shame

3.5 yrs old computer:
-Athlon 1700+
-1gig ram
-40 gig HD
-Geforce 64megs
-others not impressive at all specs!

Well here's the specs of my machine at the moment,

Pentium 4 3.2Ghz with hyper threading technology
2 Gig of ram on duel channel
200 gig hard drive
GeForce 4 Ti 4200 (unfortunately at the moment)
Creative Soundblaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinim Pro

Ums....dunno what else to add...if i think of something i'll update.

Cheers,

~Todd.

just bought a powerbook but not for 3d, i use a duel 64bit opteron at work, but it seems the 64bit is pretty useless till everything is rewritten for it, and even then the main advantage is the high ram cpacity i believe, so unless you gonna stick 6 gig of ram it might not be worth waiting for that.

btw have you tried specing up a machines componants, i built myself my first PC 3 years ago, it was dirt cheap and damn powerful at the time. and you avoid the crap bundled stuff that you have no use for.

When I bought my last computer, yes I asked for specific componants I wanted, if it's what you mean.

Or maybe you mean to buy componants and build it yourself with your own hand?

yes, its not at all hard now, its all just slotting stuff together. u just need enough nerve to really force that expensive graphics card in when it appears not to fit!!!

hahahaha right
If you bought the componants directly from company (asus, kingston, etc.) I'm sure you have saved a lot!

Again with the main question: "Best time to buy a computer or not?"

Until this christmas, do you think something could can be available so I should wait? (can't wait to see the Dell spacial tomorrow )

Mate, you have to face it with computers. You buy the top of the line today, somethings doubly good and doubly as cheap will be out tomorrow. It's just the way things go.

Get your computer when you need it, not a second earlier and dont waste time waiting for it later. Thats my advice.

well i can see your point, with the dual core's cpu's and sli/crossfire gpu setups it tends to get confusing, but if you can see right trough that and try to aim a little lower you can get a very nice system for somewhere like 8 or 9 hundred dollars, it's important to know what you really need! and be honest about it to yourself f.i. we all wanna play BF2 at 2048 x 1536 full details and 8 x AA, truth is, are you going to...NO so maybe you don't need a 500$ GForce 7800, maybe a 150$ radeon 9800pro will work just fine for you!

i didn't mean to go off on a rant here, but it's just something that bugs me about people buying a 1500$ dual core, sli, terabyte system just to check their mail and use messenger

untill recently i was using a 5 year old 600mhz machine, i loved that computer, it did everything id had to do and if it wasnt for my work, i'd still be using that one today

anyhoo my current specs

AMD 64 3500+ @ 2.6Ghz
1024 MB Ram
Radeon 9800 Pro
200+80 GB Storage

and the usual crap, dvd writer, tv card etc.

OH Yea, and to awnser your question, i totaly agree with Cam.
Just set a budget and tie the knot!

lol it's funny when I read "1500$ dual core" I'm assuming it's in Us.

In my country, it really sucks. The computer I want is 3000$ Can (the laptop), a dual here would cost 4000-5000$ maybe, and a simple computer 2500.

Why it sucks? Well, simply because people here win less than in USA, so it's really more easy for them to buy a computer. Anyway, I don't want to move to usa, so I will stay here and complain!

Hey man...you should look at buying your computer from a wholesaler.

Sure, the parts will be OEM probably, but you'll save a ton of money! That's what I did and I got my computer pretty cheap

Ok, it's bought.

Dell Inspiron notebook 9300
Pentium? M Processor 760 (2 GHz/2MB)
Windows XP Professional SP2
17in UltraSharp? Wide Screen
1024 MEGS DDR SDRAM
60GB 7200rpm Hard Drive
256MB NVIDA? GeForce? Go 6800
Intel? PRO/Wireless 2200 Internal Wireless
4 Yr Warranty
24X CD-RW/DVD Combo

Will get it next week. Can't wait

Sounds like a nice system indeed, be sure to tell us how it fares.

I'm on a LG 1.6Ghz pentiumM with 500mb ram. Mine goes fine except when it comes to rendering and complex calculations. The only issue I see with the pentiumM processor is that the processing power fluctuates with battery power, or heat, or environment. Which I suppose is good.

So just plug that baby into a car battery, sit outside in the middle of winter covered in ice cubes....and you'll be running the next best thing to a Cray!

Heat? So that's why my laptop creaks when I use it...

Right, I'm moving to Antarctica!!... oh wait no, my boss has said I'll soon be getting a new nVidia card for my PC at work. The latest Geforce 7800 - Yay!

HI again! I would like to be able to make a pic of me and this new baby, but I don't have my digital camera because it's broken.

First of all, I have to say it's really cool!!! I don't have a glossy screen, and I like it a lot

Everything seems to be fine, except a small thing.

-My 60 gigs 7200 is only a 5400!!!
Fisrt I said: "no problem, production problem, it'll be replaced easily". I contact my seller and we realize the quotation (and the bill) was with a 5400!!! I said: "I asked you 10 times to be sure to include the 7200" (I fell a bit stupid to repeat this continuesly). But the guy still let the 5400 on the bill.

And this is the problem. (I got the computer for almost the same price and on internet (I can't configure exactly the computer I wanted online, but I add and substrack the price of things I wanted or didn't wanted) but on internet, it's was a 7200.) I can change it easily, but I have to pay the 170$ more for it!!!

When the guy said the price of the quotation, in my head the price inclue de 7200rpm, so if he made an error with not changing to the HD I wanted, it's not my problem.


Now I'm waiting a call from him, if I can't have the 7200 for free, I'll ask to the Customer Care if they can do something. If the answer is not, I think I'll stay with my 5400 as it will be a bit slower, but it's not as important as the processor or the video card for my work.

Anyway, I made some test of copy/past a bug file to see the transfer speed

2.0gig

My laptop:
60 gig 5400: 2min-21 to 2min45

Desktop:
20 gig 7200: 3min 39 (5-6gig left on it)
40gig 7200: 4m30 (.6gig left heheh)

I'll try on another 40gig with almost 30gig left. I'll see the transfer time.


Anyway, will keep you in touch, and I don't forget the important is what you'll do with your computer, so I'll try to post more and more and more!