Which would you buy?

[fairyrune]

OPTION 1:
Win 7 Premium 64 b
Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual-Core processor E6500 [2.93GHz, 2MB L2, 800MHz FSB]
3GB DDR2-800MHz SDRAM [2 DIMMs]
320GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive
512MB ATI Radeon HD 4350 [DVI, HDMI, VGA adapter]
LightScribe 16X max. DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
Integrated 10/100 Ethernet, No wireless LAN
6-in-1 memory card reader, 2 USB, headphone port
Integrated 5.1 channel sound with front audio ports
HP multimedia keyboard and HP optical mouse
SAVE $50! Microsoft(R) Office Home and Student Edition 2007
No additional security software
CLEARANCE! Adobe(R) PhotoShop(R) Elements 7
CLEARANCE! Quicken Deluxe 2009 (Save $29)

$723.99

OPTION 2:
Win 7 Premium 64 b
AMD Athlon(TM) II 250 dual-core processor [3.0GHz, 2MB L2, up to 4000MT/s bus]
2GB DDR2-800MHz SDRAM [1 DIMM]
320GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive
512MB ATI Radeon HD 4350 [DVI, HDMI, VGA adapter]
LightScribe 16X max. DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
Integrated 10/100 Ethernet, No wireless LAN
6-in-1 memory card reader, 2 USB, headphone port
Integrated 5.1 channel sound with front audio ports
HP multimedia keyboard and HP optical mouse
SAVE $50! Microsoft(R) Office Home and Student Edition 2007
No additional security software
Adobe(R) PhotoShop(R) Elements 8
CLEARANCE! Quicken Deluxe 2009 (Save $29)

$697.99

OPTION 3:
Win 7 Premium 64 b
Intel(R) Pentium(R) Dual-Core processor E5400 [2.7GHz, 2MB L2, 800MHz FSB]
3GB DDR2-800MHz SDRAM [2 DIMMs]
320GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive
512MB ATI Radeon HD 4350 [DVI, HDMI, VGA adapter]
LightScribe 16X max. DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
Integrated 10/100 Ethernet, No wireless LAN
15-in-1 memory card reader, 2 USB, audio
Integrated 5.1 channel sound with front audio ports
HP multimedia keyboard and HP optical mouse
SAVE $50! Microsoft(R) Office Home and Student Edition 2007
No additional security software
Adobe(R) PhotoShop(R) Elements 8
CLEARANCE! Quicken Deluxe 2009 (Save $29)

$696.99

OPTION 4:
Win 7 Premium 64 b
AMD Athlon™ II X2 250 (3.0GHz, 2MB)
2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz- 2 DIMMs
320GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
ATI Radeon HD 4350 512MB
16X DVD+/-RW Drive
Integrated 10/100 Ethernet
Dell 19 in 1 Media Card Reader
Integrated 5.1 Channel Audio
No Keyboard
Microsoft® Office Home and Student 2007
McAfee SecurityCenter, 30-Day Trial
Adobe® Photoshop® Elements
Quicken Home and Business 2010

$712.00

OPTION 5:
Win 7 Premium 64 b
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor E8400 (6MB L2, 3GHz, 1333FSB)
2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz- 2 DIMMs
320GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
ATI Radeon HD 4350 512MB
16X DVD+/-RW Drive
Integrated 10/100 Ethernet
Dell 19 in 1 Media Card Reader
Integrated 5.1 Channel Audio
No Keyboard
Microsoft® Office Home and Student 2007
McAfee SecurityCenter, 30-Day Trial
Adobe® Photoshop® Elements


$727.00

OPTION 6:
Win 7 Premium 64 b
Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q8300 (4MB L2, 2.5GHz, 1333FSB)
2GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz- 2DIMMs
500GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™
ATI Radeon HD 4350 512MB
16X DVD+/-RW Drive
Integrated 10/1000 Ethernet
Integrated 16-in-1 Media Card Reader
Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
Dell Consumer Multimedia Keyboard and Laser Mouse
Microsoft® Office Home and Student 2007
McAfee SecurityCenter, 30-Day Trial
Adobe® Photoshop® Elements
Quicken Home and Business 2010

$802.00


Please tell me which YOU would buy, and why.

(Note: I intend on upgrading to 4GB of RAM after purchase, since it's easy to do and I can get memory sticks super-cheap on sale somewhere.)

Comments

[odogonefishin.livejournal.com]

Tough choice. Look to see if you can upgrade the RAM during ordering, as it will be cheaper. I looked on newegg.com and the cheapest I found 4GB (2x2GB) for the 800MHz was $77.99

Here's what I'd do:

-Set your budget (guessing $800 max, probably prefer to keep it closer to $700)
-Set your minimum requirements (the ATI Radeon, 4GB RAM, the software included, guessing that the HD is the base model in each case)
-Go with the best processor you can get within that budget

3/4 of the stuff you listed is either identical or reasonably close to the point of being negligible (quicken 09 vs 10, etc) - so take that stuff out of the equation for comparing...


Here's what I came up with:
HP p6270z
* • Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
* • AMD Athlon(TM) X4 620 quad-core processor [2.6GHz, 2MB L2, up to 4000MT/s bus]
* • 4GB DDR3-1066MHz SDRAM [2 DIMMs]
* • FREE UPGRADE! 500GB 7200 rpm SATA 3Gb/s hard drive from 320GB
* • 512MB ATI Radeon HD 4350 [DVI, HDMI, VGA adapter]
* • LightScribe 16X max. DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
* • Integrated 10/100/1000 (Gigabit) Ethernet, No wireless LAN
* • 15-in-1 memory card reader, 2 USB, audio
* • No TV Tuner
* • Integrated 7.1 channel sound with front audio ports
* • No speakers
* • HP multimedia keyboard and HP optical mouse
* • SAVE $50! Microsoft(R) Office Home and Student Edition 2007
* • No additional security software
* • CLEARANCE! Adobe(R) PhotoShop(R) Elements 7
* • CLEARANCE! Quicken Deluxe 2009 (Save $29)

$753.99

[fairyrune]

See, my plan about the RAM (I wrote ram, thought I was talking about a sheep, and had to go back and make it caps) is to upgrade from 2-4 after I get the thing. This is because I know that Microcenter has sales pretty often, and I can get the extra memory for about half what it would cost to get it with the computer.

I was tempted to build my own machine from scratch, but I found that to be a bit overwhelming.

Apparently I'm going to a computer show in Westchester on th 17th, so we'll see what I find there!

[manwe-iluvendil.livejournal.com]

Oh, sweetie, I love you, but I am so not the guy to ask about this. When I bought my laptop, I had your stud muffin on the phone the whole time. You ask me, your most valuable resource in this process sleeps right next to you.

[fairyrune]

You're exempted. ;)

And opinion from Rich is great, but opinions from other people who also know what they're talking about is helpful as well.

Also, it's difficult to get Rich to sit still and help me sometimes.

[majicou83.livejournal.com]

It really depends on what you want to use them for.

To me all of them seem a bit overpriced considering the amount of ram and video card. Also, most prebuilts (HP/Dell) skimp on the power supply... some of their high end systems only have 350W. O.o

http://forums.penny-arcade.com/showthread.php?t=105060 Can give you an idea of components.

[fairyrune]

Mostly photography and internetting. Also, keeping track of my finances. Hence the Quicken.

I was tempted to build my own, but I found that to be a bit overwhelming. I could see myself getting carried away with that really easily, too, and before I knew it I'd have put WAY too much money into the damn thing. I figured telling HP/Dell what I wanted them to put into a machine for me was the next best thing.

This thread is relevant to my interests! Thank you!

[woodchuck665.livejournal.com]

None of the above. You've got enough techie friends that could build you a custom one out of parts.

[fairyrune]

I considered that, but the advantages of buying a customized machine from someplace like Dell or HP outweighed the advantages of a completely custom built machine for me.

Also, I find the thought of having to pick each part individually from an almost unlimited number of options to be a bit overwhelming. Decisions would never get made, and I'd never get my new machine!

[woodchuck665.livejournal.com]

Well, the way you'd probably do it is to give the techie one an idea of specs you need and a budget and let them pick out the parts.

[fairyrune]

Yeah, but then I don't get things like a warranty.

We're going to a computer show later this month. I'll see what I see there. It's not an urgent thing.

[woodchuck665.livejournal.com]

Fair enough, you get parts warranties, but not for the complete box.

And I'd avoid getting one at a computer show, most things there are sold "as is."

[fairyrune]

Eh. I'm not specifically intending to buy anything there, just looking to see what I see.