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General discussion

Buying a PC: Name-Brand vs. Generic

Jun 6, 2005 10:33PM PDT

Help! Am considering the following computer on Ebay, but it?s a composite:

AMD Athlon 64 3000+ --- 120GB hard drive (ATA)-- 1024mb RAM (DDR 400)-- CDRW, LG brand -- motherboard: ASROCK K8 Upgrade 1689.

Comes with Windows XP Pro., sound card, graphics card, 2-YEAR guarantee, with tech support.
Price: 400 euros.

Should I go name-brand, even if it means only being able to afford a much weaker, slower system? Or are these compsite systems usually a safe bet?
THANKS all.
Geona

Discussion is locked

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Name-Brand vs. Generic
Jun 7, 2005 2:11AM PDT

I don't have an issue with name brand hardware and frankly if you keep your eyes open you can get some very nice packages cheap.

I'm not too keen about the recovery media that comes with these packages.

That may not be an issue for you.

I want to be darn sure my pants don't fall down so I'm a belt+suspenders type.

A resident guru explains about this here.
http://reviews.cnet.com/5208-6122-0.html?forumID=44&threadID=60567&messageID=718315

I don't much care who supplies the hardware as long as they supply all the media to put the machine back together again from ground zero.

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Thanks to All
Jun 9, 2005 7:09AM PDT

Wow. I?m new to Cnet and you all have really been a big help. Don?t know the protocol for thanking people, but thanks a million to each and every one of you. Someone asked about the graphics card: ATI Radeon 9250 256MB TV -- which means nothing to me. Sound card: Realtek ALC850 7.1 Channel AC97 audio codec -- huh? After reading all your messages, I think I?m gonna go ahead with it. Only concern is from reading here at CNET it seems the processor I?m getting is for gaming, which I don?t do. But I understand the 64 bits is a big plus because of future software.
Geona

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Good Question
Jun 7, 2005 12:50PM PDT

There is one problems I have found in one common amongst the big names/brands. "Customization". While an end-user might be able to order a PC even on a web-site and customize it, unfortunately this is not always the case with people living outside US/Canada or even UK. As an example, that customization will allow you to just increase or decrease the hard-drive size like from 80 to 120GB but not the brand. If the company is offering Seagate and you want a Western Digital, well, you are pretty much stuck with almost no options. OEMs have to maintain a certain degree of quality control : price : performance ratio. Even in OEMs, if you choose to go for a hi-end machine, its gonna cost you dearly in some cases. To some, the thought or feeling of a branded machine with an OEM logo gracing every component may be of greater importance but to many, a PC built from the scratch with each and every component even the fan/hitsink will be more satisfying. Read CNet reviews on each component and list the items you choose. I would still recommend that all components be bought and assembled at one store. That way, it will be easy to obtain warranties. This is more interesting and satisfying.

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Buying a PC: Name-Brand vs. Generic
Jun 8, 2005 6:43AM PDT

Can't help with price part since I think in US dollars.
A question.
What kind of graphic card? With this system you want one a good one with at least 128mb of ram.
You could go with 512mb of memory and get a better video card if you need to keep the cost down.
And I agree with other post, about the fact that you are far better of with the full OEM XP install CD than some recovery parition or other vendor recovery stuff.
But over all it looks like a good system.
Keep in mind I don't like name brand CPs. John

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Generic...
Jun 8, 2005 10:44AM PDT

I'd say buy a generic PC. Brand name machines tends to have more problems later on. Not always, but usually. Most people think that brand name PCs are of a higher quality than generic ones, when in fact, it's the exact opposite.

Brand name machines are assembled by what some would call "meatware." O_o These are workers who have no idea what goes on inside a computer. Most generic machines, on the other hand, are built by experts, and will perform better, given that they don't cut corners...

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generic is the wrong word
Jun 8, 2005 2:31PM PDT

If you want generic, go with the brand name PC. They use generic parts. Custom built, if you buy from the right people use name brand parts. Custom built is also easier to upgrade in the future and a lot cheaper. Check what the upgrade prices of a brand name dealer VS. parts you can buy yourself and, NO REBATES to deal with. I know, I do this for a living. skip

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RE:
Jun 8, 2005 2:41PM PDT

What about rebate for parts? THere are always deals on parts for mail-in-rebate.

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Generic is generic
Jun 8, 2005 4:23PM PDT

You're wrong about that. Big companies like Dell and IBM never use generic parts. Dell's Bios display a huge logo and nothing else. It's such a pain...

Also, it is always cheaper to buy parts and build your own PC, as compared to buying one of these corporate PCs. Always. I'm speaking from experience here, and I'm confident that most people would agree. You hear about these $500 machines from Dell, but it's really a scam. There is just nothing inside the half-size case, it's empty. The intergreted graphics chipset couldn't even handle flash objects in a browser window. Some don't even have floppy drives and ethernet cards. These "PCs" are useless.

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Absolutely!!!!
Jun 9, 2005 3:20AM PDT

Big companies afterall purchase from the same companies like Seagate, WD, Maxtor, Kingston etc But the fact remains that by integrating a computer of one's own choice, there is more freedom of choice and when you know which parts to choose, which components will give the best performance and specially, what you want, one gets a dream machine. Many times we fall for offers from big names such as "Desktops Starting at $599", but using a little "PC related technical common sense", its very easy to know that that machine is just not enough or not for me.
Building one's own PC is just creating a masterpiece sculpture. Its not that brand names are not good enough. But when it comes to comparison between branded and custom-built, the latter is no doubt preferred provided, it's built without compromise.

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Generic doesn't mean no name brand.
Jun 9, 2005 3:54PM PDT

You can get a generic Maxtor or WD or seagate. It just means The company has a contract and there own assembly line from a company. Same as generic tylenol. Same ingrediance just plain wrapper or bottle.

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why rebate
Jun 9, 2005 4:06PM PDT

when you can buy for the price if you were to get the rebate? If you know enough places to look you can buy online at bottom prices and, don't have to deal with rebates. My opinion, rebates are poor business. They do it just hoping you will forget about it. I buy computer parts everyday. Why buy a geforce fx 5200 128mb for $60 with a rebate when you can get one for $42. ( just an example). Can you buy one for less than $42?

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$0
Jun 9, 2005 5:15PM PDT

I've seen rebates that adds up so that the net price is $0. Some even gives you money for "buying" their product. Rare, but they exist... o_O

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Rebates good for those that use them ...
Jun 10, 2005 10:30AM PDT

My wife is a rebate junkie and usually gets $60 worth of stuff absolutely free in some months. Also, if you use a coupon for a product, like a $1 off coupon, you get that deducted off the bill at the time of purchase , and in the mail-in rebate they don't always deduct the coupon from the rebate, so you actually make a profit of a $1.

I use rebates on almost everything I buy for my computers. For instance, I have CD-RW's, DVD+-RW's, RAM, Internal and External Hard Drive's, mouse(s), CD Racks, and keyboards less than half price and in some cases two thirds off retail by using rebates.
In my large collection of games, rarely have I paid retail, but catch the new ones on sale the 1st week out or just wait for the sales to come. I have each years copy of Norton's Systems Works from 1999 and not paid anything but postage for the rebates by just watching the weekly newspaper flyers from Best Buy, Circuit City, and others. Course' I didn't have patience this past year thinking a 'free after rebate' wouldn't come for the 2005 Nortons System Works, and went ahead and paid $9 after rebates. Since then they have come around with the yearly 'free' after rebates from those stores.

I also know how to buy online with Newegg/Geeks/Crucial/TigerDirect/PCConnection & others, giving my credit card number over nonwireless telephone and not the internet. Rebate is the way to go, keeping a copy of everything mailed in, and never a problem if you follow directions to the letter. Have mailed a copy of a copy when they clain non-receipt and still received the rebate. Wife keeps track and usually gives them 2 months to return the $$'s before asking about it. On really large rebates, get a return receipt from post office procedures.

Yes, businesses that use rebates, make money because a good many people either forget or don't bother, and besides, using your money for a couple months or so, draws interest for them.

They never make much money off of us as our checking account draws no interest to amount to a hill of beans, we charge almost everything to the credit card, and pay off the credit card each month(no interest). Our savings money goes into CD's and I shop for the best interest rate with no loyalty to a particular Bank or Credit Union.

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I respect your opinion
Jun 10, 2005 12:13PM PDT

Please send me a example of 50 to75% off retail the next time you see one with a rebate. I would like to compare to what I can find online. Thanks. skippr_d@yahoo.com

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I sometimes post them....
Jun 10, 2005 4:46PM PDT

Purchased a Internal Western Digital 80GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache at Office Max about 6 months ago for $19.95 after rebates.

Recently purchased a External Western Digital 80GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache at Circuit City $69.95 after rebates. The next week it was $59.95 after rebates.

Purchased a CD-RW IDE Internal 52Xwrite, 32x rewrite, 52x read from Office Max about 5 months ago for $9.99 after rebates.

Purchased a 8x DVD+/-RW internal burner for $14.95 after rebates several months ago from Office Depot.

Have 2 each Microsoft keyboards and optical mouse(s) still in unopened boxes..paid some time ago less than $10 for each either from Office Max, or Office Depot. Will be giving them out for X-Mass to relatives/friends.

Just recently one of the stores had the Nortons System Works 2005 (aprx $60) 'free' after rebates, and you didn't have to buy some sort of IRS Tax helper program or anything else.

I'll let you know when I see something with a good rebate bringing down the price or start posting it again.

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Rebates.
Jun 10, 2005 5:17PM PDT

I personally hate and despise mail in rebates as a form of marketing. John Robie, you are retired and have the time to follow the stuffHappy
I have worked in the automobile business since 1978 and new car buyers could get the rebate of the car instantly or have cashed mailed to them. Now, rebates are ALWAYS credited at time of purchase and the retailer gets reimbursed. Let's see the same in ALL other products. An example of how stupid it is if you put this on a personal level: " John, I have this gizmo I will sell you for $20, but you must give me $60 and I'll give you $40 back 2-3 months from now if you jump through all the hoops, send the original barcodes and original receipt (keep a copy)."
Now doesn't that sound rediculous? I would like to boycott, with enough support, ALL sellers who give mail in rebates instead of instant rebates. My pet peeve!!!

Keith.

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Rebates....
Jun 10, 2005 7:03PM PDT

Yeah, retired over 15 years, but wish I was still young enough to work again & make the big bucks out there now-a-days.Wink

Many people feel the same way you do Keith and from what I understand Best Buy is going to do away with their rebates. Hope they lower prices to cover the lost rebates, and they will probably do so for awhile, but will surely bring the prices back up without the rebates. Course' they could do like some stores..."We rarely have sales as our everyday prices are at sale prices".

Sort of like our property taxes. The politicians keep saying they don't increase the taxes. But low & behold they up the value of the property which causes more tax dollars to be raked in without ''increasing the taxes".

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Happy-Go-Lucky!
Jun 11, 2005 1:52AM PDT

Actually, all you have to do was getting lucky. I'm a college student flipping hamburgers part time, at least this spring. Now, class just ended and I quit the gig...

Anyway, if you're lucky enough you can get rebates worth the whole net price at stores that's usually expensive. I got ten 50 spindles of CD-R at Staples for $0! Well, actually, there was tax, and you get the money back about a month later. But they're still mostly free... ^_____^

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Free CD-R's
Jun 11, 2005 3:34AM PDT

Forgot about the CD-R's. Still have about 200 CD-R's and CDRW's, either free or very low cost after rebates from several stores including CompUSA. Also got some blank DVD's at a good price after rebates. It is dang hard to find any good buys or rebates on HP Printer Cart and I don't care to switch to the refill kind. HP has a gold mine there by selling their printers cheap, something like razors & blades. Have been able to get paper cheap by the case on sale from Office Max or Office Depot, and wife discovered that Walgreens drugstores sometimes has sales on quality 20 lb computer paper in 400 sheet packs, and after rebates extremely cheap. Other minor stuff have gotten free after rebates are low quality computer speakers, mouse pads, Universal Remote Controls (several)for TV, DVD, VCR, Cable, Satellite, CD Player, compressed air, and Endust wipes, among other minor items...

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(NT) (NT) I gotta agree
Jun 12, 2005 3:51AM PDT
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Thanks!
Jun 12, 2005 3:49AM PDT

I will have to take a closer look. skip

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The last rebate
Jun 11, 2005 3:59AM PDT

I used was from an outfit call maddog.

It took over 90 days for me to receive it.

Some where around day 80+ I contacted their customer service and said I'M STILL WAITING.

About 10 days later the rebate showed up but I'm sure that was just a coincidence.

Mail-in rebates are a game.
If you understand the rules>you win.
If you don't understand the rules>you lose.

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Happy-Go-Lucky!
Jun 11, 2005 5:23AM PDT

Then try to understand the rules...

WIN! ^_____^

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Its still bad business
Jun 12, 2005 3:56AM PDT

If you could choose from bottom price or rebates, I would always go for bottom price.

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Well...
Jun 12, 2005 5:53AM PDT

Bottom price just doesn't go as low as some of these rebates. Unlike rebates, they'll never actually give you money for "buying" things. Think about what it would be like if that actually happens? ^_____^