Good deal?

[Halsafar]

2.8ghz, Intel P4, 512 RAM, 80GB HD, CASE+POWER, USB Ports, Mother board of course.
All for $499.00 CANADIAN -- Its a hewlette packard package.

Good deal?

OR...I can buy seperatly
A 3.2ghz Intel P4, 512 RAM, 80GBHD, Case+Power, un built, nothing else but whats listed. No package, each part seperatly. For $499.

Now I'm a programmer and a software guy, I do not know hardware very well nor em I a good consumer.
I do believe the only difference between the two is the speed, and the hewlette package comes built and ready to go so I'm sure it comes with some things that the listed parts won't include...but I am not sure.

Well, the purchase is happening soon,any advice welcome.

[dglienna]

HP uses brand name parts. These may be high quality or low quality. You know the Processor is up to specs, but not the rest of the hardware. I'd go with the pre-built myself, unless you get part numbers in advance.

[Ideas Man]

If this was bought out of the box and second hand, it's not too bad. The benifit is that your HP one will have a couple of years warranty too.

[Valleysboy1978]

Stick with the pre-built as it's likely to have been tested before hand too.
Seems expensive though

[Halsafar]

Yes I decided to go wth the pre-built, seems to be more confidence in the pre-built.
I am also not comfortable with building it myself, since any screw up and I'll void the warrantly and be out money.

Also, $499 is pretty darn expensive, but it is the cheapest around unfortunatly.

[BodwadUK]

Thats cheap you should buy here in the UK

[BodwadUK]

I have just realised what you have said isnt it hewlette packard that have a failing computer department due to customer support issues. I may be wrong but you should just check to find out

[Ideas Man]

I have just realised what you have said isnt it hewlette packard that have a failing computer department due to customer support issues. I may be wrong but you should just check to find out

With the world's second most sales, second only to Dell because the don't have retail chains? I don't think so, although customer support is poor, other than that, they are really good.

[BodwadUK]

Who joined with compaq that was HP wasnt it. I heard they hadnt done very well in the home computer market

[Valleysboy1978]

Thats cheap you should buy here in the UK

I suppose once currency conversion comes into it the price isn't bad.
It isn't too different from us though. A good PC costs about £250 here in the UK

[Ideas Man]

Who joined with compaq that was HP wasnt it. I heard they hadnt done very well in the home computer market

Yes that was HP, but their sales are still strong, they didn't tail Dell by much.

[BodwadUK]

I stand corrected then

[Valleysboy1978]

Apparently they are selling PCs cheap in preperation for the 64-bit era. This is only rumour at the moment based on what "Operation Longhorn" is to be!?!

[<ABX]

There are several things that you have to be really careful with:

Motherboard Mounting (watch for grounding and proper support)
Installing CPU (w/ properly appiled thermal paste)

but once thats done its basicly plug it in where it fits

The PCI and ram slots are usually quite tight on a new motherboard.

Make sure your powersupply can dish out that the P4 takes.

Read a few guides and make sure your confident about what ur doing.

[BodwadUK]

Building your own pc is easy even I managed to do it and I am thick

[Ideas Man]

If you read the manual (you know, the booklet that comes with the device ) you should be right building them, they are very easy to read and most components only go in one place in one direction anyway.