Dell Studio Hybrid - best deal on a small desktop?

[OhioGuy]

I'm looking for a small, stylish desktop PC that won't take up much room.

I've been looking at the Dell Studio Hybrid:

http://bensbargains.net/deal/76909/

It runs in the ~$450 range, and it isn't very upgradeable

I was wondering, can anyone suggest something similar that might be a
bit more upgradeable? Perhaps some sort of standard mini PC? It also
seems like this thing is rather overpriced for what you get.

Thanks!

[Dave]

"OhioGuy" <no...@none.net> wrote in message
news:gnbuvm$239s$1...@news.ett.com.ua...

Here ya go. Build whatever you want. It costs about a hundred bucks, but
that's not much more than you'd pay for a decent case anyway. -Dave

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163123

[OhioGuy]

> Upgradable in what sense? What do you plan to use this new PC for and
> how long do you expect to keep it before you replace it with something
> faster?

I'd like to know that in say, 3 to 4 years, I can easily find a new
power supply for about $25 or less, and pop in a new motherboard/cpu
combo for $100 or less to upgrade the whole thing.

[Dave Garland]

OhioGuy wrote:
> I'd like to know that in say, 3 to 4 years, I can easily find a new
> power supply for about $25 or less, and pop in a new motherboard/cpu
> combo for $100 or less to upgrade the whole thing.

Then stick to something that uses a generic ATX case and motherboard.
The PS will be available 4 years from now, and motherboards with the
same form factor will be available. To "upgrade", however, may mean
you need a new CPU and new memory, because the old won't be
compatible. And that new combo *may* require a different PS (ATX has
gone from 20-pin power to 24-pin power to 24+4 pin power over time,
there might be more changes to come).

Sometimes it's cheaper to replace the whole thing than it is to
upgrade (MB + CPU + RAM + maybe PS).

Dave

[Rod Speed]

You may need to change the memory as well.

And sometimes you need to change other stuff like hard drives, just
because few motherboards support more than two IDE drives anymore.

[Brian Elfert]

OhioGuy <no...@none.net> writes:

> I'd like to know that in say, 3 to 4 years, I can easily find a new
>power supply for about $25 or less, and pop in a new motherboard/cpu
>combo for $100 or less to upgrade the whole thing.

The Dell Studio Hybrid is not for you if you want to do this type of
upgrade. The Studio Hybrid is basically a laptop in a desktop case. It
uses a laptop model of the Core2 Duo processor along with other laptop parts.

Most poeple will never upgrade their motherboard or CPU. By the time a
computer needs a newer CPU there are other advancements so as larger HDs,
better optical drives, and newer operating systems that make a new
computer more practical.

for the average user, a new computer today will last much longer than in
previous years. CPU speeds are now fast enough that it will take a long
time for most folks to outgrow them. Of course, serious gamers and heavy
users like folks doing vidoe editing will want to upgrade on a regular
basis

[Dave Garland]

Brian Elfert wrote:

> for the average user, a new computer today will last much longer than in
> previous years. CPU speeds are now fast enough that it will take a long
> time for most folks to outgrow them.

The determining factor often is new software, which in addition to
being even more bloated than the old software also may require an
"up"grade of Windows. Apps that want to be running all the time.
Sludge left over from old software downloads even after the software
is removed.

I'm happy with W2K. But there is software that won't run on it. I
expect the same thing will be happening to XP users, and (how time
flies) Vista users.

But you're right, upgrading (if it involves more than sticking another
stick of RAM in, until you hit the 4G limit) often isn't economically
viable.

Dave