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Freddy Rumsen
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Postby Freddy Rumsen » Fri Nov 22, 2019 4:45 pm

I recently bought a refurbished computer off Amazon and this thing is awesome. I'm never buying a new computer again.
Mind telling me what you bought and from whom? Feel free to PM me. Thanks!
HP Elite 7900 Desktop PC Package, Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 8GB RAM, 500GB Hard Drive, DVD-RW, Wi-Fi, Windows 10, 19in LCD Monitor (Renewed)

tjand72
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Postby tjand72 » Fri Nov 22, 2019 8:46 pm

You looking for one, Tony? I could give you some options.
I'm looking for a fairly basic desktop. Send some suggestions my way if you don't mind.

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Postby NTP66 » Sat Nov 23, 2019 8:20 am

What are you looking to do with it, and what kind of budget?

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Postby Freddy Rumsen » Sat Nov 23, 2019 9:26 am

I really just needed a word processor and a computer for very minor audio work.

This thing is perfect for that.

AuthorTony
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Postby AuthorTony » Sat Nov 23, 2019 10:13 am

HP Elite 7900 Desktop PC Package, Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 8GB RAM, 500GB Hard Drive, DVD-RW, Wi-Fi, Windows 10, 19in LCD Monitor (Renewed)
Thank you!

And NTP66, I'd so a good bit of photo editing on large files (Photoshop) and a bit of video editing (Premiere). My current system isn't bad but it came with a 100 gb SSD hard drive for the main drive and I'm constantly running out of space and have to shift files around. I know the cheaper option would be to replace that drive with a larger HD but it's a Lenovo and I don't think it's really suited for tinkering around inside and, to be honest, I don't know what to do if I could.

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Postby NTP66 » Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:07 pm

I'd have the same question for you then about budget. That Core 2 Duo is going to be a pig when working in anything Adobe.

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Postby tifosi77 » Sat Nov 23, 2019 12:48 pm

I've never worked with an SSD, but if they are installed the same way as a regular old HDD swapping in a new one would be just about the easiest thing in the world. You can get into a 1TB SSD for a little over $100, and from there it's seriously just like two plugs, format the new drive, install Windows, designate it as your new C: drive and install your software.

I think.

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Postby tjand72 » Sat Nov 23, 2019 2:57 pm

What are you looking to do with it, and what kind of budget?
Honestly, it would mainly be used as a server for my music and videos, and some web browsing as well. I know that I could get something really cheap that would suit those tasks, but I'd rather get something a little beefier so that I don't have to upgrade any time soon. I wouldn't be gaming or anything, but it would be nice to have the option. I also leave my computer on almost constantly, so longevity/dependability is a concern.

My max would probably be $500 or so.

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Postby AuthorTony » Sat Nov 23, 2019 4:11 pm

I'd have the same question for you then about budget. That Core 2 Duo is going to be a pig when working in anything Adobe.
I have a quad core now so I wouldn't want to downgrade. What are your thoughts on changing the hard drive. Is it as easy as tif implies or is he setting me up for miserable failure?

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Postby tifosi77 » Sat Nov 23, 2019 4:55 pm

The physical part - opening the case, removing the original SDD and sliding the new one into the cage, connecting the two cables, and closing the case back up - will take no more than five minutes, and that includes the time you spend watching a how-to video on YouTube. The thing that will take the most time is backing up data and reinstalling software and such, but that's largely passive time.

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Postby Willie Kool » Sat Nov 23, 2019 6:55 pm

Why not just get an external hard drive?

Also, most desktops will take a second internal hard drive.

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Postby Willie Kool » Sat Nov 23, 2019 7:15 pm

What are you looking to do with it, and what kind of budget?
Honestly, it would mainly be used as a server for my music and videos, and some web browsing as well. I know that I could get something really cheap that would suit those tasks, but I'd rather get something a little beefier so that I don't have to upgrade any time soon. I wouldn't be gaming or anything, but it would be nice to have the option. I also leave my computer on almost constantly, so longevity/dependability is a concern.

My max would probably be $500 or so.
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-pavilio ... Id=6221035

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Postby AuthorTony » Sat Nov 23, 2019 7:28 pm

Why not just get an external hard drive?
I have 6. :lol: The problem is C drive with my OS and programs is 100GB and is 85% full solely from the OS and various programs. That becomes a problem when my temp folder fills up when editing and I start "losing" 5-10GB until I close the programs. I know I could install my software to a different drive (at least, I assume I could) but I'd prefer just to ditch the crappy 100gig drive.

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Postby NTP66 » Sat Nov 23, 2019 7:59 pm

Are you running Windows 10? If so, the easiest path would be to simply buy an SSD and clone/expand your old drive. If you’re running Windows 7, you should buy the SSD and start fresh.

I’m running a Samsung 860 EVO 1TB drive in my machine and have zero complaints. Brutally fast, and I have no lag in Photoshop and Lightroom. Their cloning software makes the process painless and fast.



If you want to save a few bucks, Crucial’s similar unit performs almost identically for less money. I just don’t know what their cloning software is like.



Just make sure you buy a SATA 3 6gbps cable for the drive (any high-rated one on Amazon will do). For the actual cloning, disconnect all drives except for your current OS drive and the new SSD. You’ll choose which drive is master in the Samsung app, which should be easy to figure out.

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Postby NTP66 » Sat Nov 23, 2019 8:00 pm

What are you looking to do with it, and what kind of budget?
Honestly, it would mainly be used as a server for my music and videos, and some web browsing as well. I know that I could get something really cheap that would suit those tasks, but I'd rather get something a little beefier so that I don't have to upgrade any time soon. I wouldn't be gaming or anything, but it would be nice to have the option. I also leave my computer on almost constantly, so longevity/dependability is a concern.

My max would probably be $500 or so.
Gotcha. Let me look at some options.

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Postby NTP66 » Sat Nov 23, 2019 8:56 pm

What are you looking to do with it, and what kind of budget?
Honestly, it would mainly be used as a server for my music and videos, and some web browsing as well. I know that I could get something really cheap that would suit those tasks, but I'd rather get something a little beefier so that I don't have to upgrade any time soon. I wouldn't be gaming or anything, but it would be nice to have the option. I also leave my computer on almost constantly, so longevity/dependability is a concern.

My max would probably be $500 or so.
So, there's not much middle ground here. You could go with something like this:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-refur ... Id=6345921

...which will perform better than the box that WK posted (that Ryzen 3 can't keep up). It's also got twice the storage, and honestly, you could spend another $45 on a Crucial 256GB SSD on Amazon and use the 2TB drive for your media. This would require you installing Windows 10 from scratch, which isn't a big deal, but something to be aware of. They also have a 1TB model:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/acer-refur ... Id=6376559

If you really want to leave yourself the option of being able to play some games, you've got this:



Decent budget CPU with a graphics card that should allow you to play most modern games. It's at the upper end of your budget, though, so there's no room for an SSD for the OS. And at this point, I would argue that nobody should run a spinning drive as their OS drive ever again. Same deal as the other, a $45 SSD would be a great investment here.

Everything listed above uses more recent CPUs, and while everything is outdated within months, the architecture is new enough that I wouldn't worry. I also wouldn't worry about them being on full-time.

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Postby tjand72 » Sat Nov 23, 2019 9:27 pm

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Pavilion-59 ... 2847551774

Any quick comments on this? I might snatch it up in the next hour or so. I figure I'd just buy an SSD. Any chance Black Friday has some good deals on computers and I'm just jumping the gun?

Also, I can get a copy of Windows for free, so I'm not too concerned with the included OS on any build.

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Postby NTP66 » Sun Nov 24, 2019 5:49 am

https://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Pavilion-59 ... 2847551774

Any quick comments on this? I might snatch it up in the next hour or so. I figure I'd just buy an SSD. Any chance Black Friday has some good deals on computers and I'm just jumping the gun?

Also, I can get a copy of Windows for free, so I'm not too concerned with the included OS on any build.
Sorry, didn’t see this until this morning. That’s a pretty decent option, too, and I’d run that over the ones I suggested from Best Buy. Similar specs, but more memory.

I don’t know if anyone will have any deals, but you could check out the Black Friday ad websites to take a peek. There are two of those HP’s left, so at the very least I’d place a watch on them. One might last through Friday.

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Postby NTP66 » Sun Nov 24, 2019 7:47 am

This is also a good option if you don’t want to mess with adding hardware after the fact:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3188981309

Or something like this. You can snag a video card on Amazon for under $100 to meet the gaming condition if you want:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre ... 3864756845

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Postby NTP66 » Sun Nov 24, 2019 12:49 pm

@AuthorTony: One more thing. If you do wind up looking for a solution where you have to format your drive and install Win10 from scratch, check to see if your motherboard has an M.2 slot. If it does, and the drive is supported, I would actually recommend Crucial’s 1TB M.2 drive instead of the SATA.

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Postby nocera » Tue Nov 26, 2019 3:55 pm

Disney+ recently added a few quality of life improvements including a "restart from beginning" button and a "continue watching" section. Two things that should've been there at launch, but still a welcome addition.

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Postby blackjack68 » Tue Nov 26, 2019 4:57 pm

Disney+ recently added a few quality of life improvements including a "restart from beginning" button and a "continue watching" section. Two things that should've been there at launch, but still a welcome addition.
That's good to hear because the lack of "continue watching" was something we noticed and disliked the first day and I told my wife "they'll add that soon when enough people complain."

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Postby tifosi77 » Tue Nov 26, 2019 8:48 pm

Through the first week we had no issues on D+. But starting this weekend we've had a recurring issue where video playback hangs up and freezes on a single frame, but the audio continues on. Sometimes it self-corrects, sometimes it clears after hitting the jump back button, but sometimes it won't clear unless you completely exit the app and start a different app so D+ actually closes.

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Postby Freddy Rumsen » Tue Nov 26, 2019 9:27 pm

That's what it was doing on my phone that I referenced earlier. My solution was to download the episode.

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Postby tifosi77 » Tue Nov 26, 2019 9:49 pm

Hmm, don't know if that's an option on console, but I'll check. Thanks, grumpy Star Wars buddy!

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