Retail Desktop brands that user can upgrade hardware?

Hello old friends (and greetings to new). I hope this finds everyone well? :)
It's been ages since I stopped by, but it's good to see so many of the old familiar faces are still here!

It's been 4 yrs since some very kind souls here walked me through a build around my existing mobo (upgraded everything else). Mobo (Chaintech 7NIF2) is going on 7 yrs old give or take, not sure how much life is left in it.

I think it's time to start planning for a new machine.
I really wish I could do my own build again, this one has been the best by far, but I'm so busy taking care of an ill and aging parent that spare time really isn't there.

So (*gulp*) I'm looking at retail. And dragging my feet. Not slamming them, it's just that I like to know if a repair or upgrade is necessary, I can do it myself, won't have to ship it off or take it in. Being at the mercy of a manufacturer whose parts are proprietary is not a position I'm comfortable with. I have zero experience with retail desktops as the only retail machine I've owned is my Gateway notebook. All my desktops have been custom build machines.


So here are my questions:
1) Are there any brands out there that do not have proprietary parts so that the user can do hardware upgrades of their choosing? (I know it would void a warranty but I'm thinking of when warranty runs out.)
2) If so, of those brands, which do you like or recommend?
3) Oh, and someone told me newegg (or maybe tigerdirect) has a 'you buy it we build it for you' deal, but I've not found it yet. Anyone have info/experience with that scenario?
4) I was considering a Mac, but was told Office (which I use) is a pain on a Mac?

I'm open to any and all input!
TIA,

Kat
_____________
XP Pro SP2
AMD Athlon XP 2500+
1.84 GHz, 1 G RAM
Chaintech 7NIF2 Mainboard/ nVidia-nForce
BIOS: Phoenix Technologies, LTD 6.00 PG 09/05/2003
ALL-IN-WONDER RADEON 7500 Video Card
Voyetra Turtle Beach Santa Cruz Sound Card

For process of elimination,
You can rule out Dell.
Dell typically uses proprietory chassis.

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Originally Posted by KatMac

Hello old friends (and greetings to new). I hope this finds everyone well? :)
It's been ages since I stopped by, but it's good to see so many of the old familiar faces are still here!

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Welcome back KatMac! :)

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Originally Posted by KatMac

3) Oh, and someone told me newegg (or maybe tigerdirect) has a 'you buy it we build it for you' deal, but I've not found it yet. Anyone have info/experience with that scenario?

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Systemax has a 'Build To Order' (BTO) type feature available:

• CompUSA.com > Systemax BTO
  http://www.compusa.com/sectors/systemax/index.asp
  
  
• TigerDirect.com > Systemax BTO
  http://www.tigerdirect.com/sectors/systemax/index.asp
  
  
• GlobalComputer.com > Systemax BTO
  http://www.globalcomputer.com/sector...emax/index.asp
  
  
• CircuitCity.com > Systemax BTO
  http://www.circuitcity.com/sectors/systemax/index.asp

Note that all of the above are part of the Systemax Inc. Group:

http://www.systemax.com/group.html
http://www.systemax.com/techproducts.html

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1) Are there any brands out there that do not have proprietary parts so that the user can do hardware upgrades of their choosing? (I know it would void a warranty but I'm thinking of when warranty runs out.)

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What are some things that you'd want to upgrade AND why not order what you want at the time of the original purchase?

Hello Spyware doc and Steve, nice to see you again!
Thanks for those links, SD, I'll be checking them out.
There is a CompUSA store about 40 minutes from me, perhaps they have something on the floor I can check out as well.

Steve, I'm thinking of my own past experience as examples. One I'm thinking of is upgrading RAM if it becomes necessary down the line. I have always planned so that I have more than I'll need for years to come, to stay as ahead of the game as I can (if that's possible with technology :D ) . I have had perfectly good WD HDs bite the dust only a little beyond warranty, so had to replace. Or a couple years ago my PSU was about to go, so Train and others lent me a hand, I got a higher watt and a Zalman fan for better cooling while I was at it. Basically if something goes wrong, I want to be able to repair it myself, and if something needs upgraded, same thing. I don't anticipate that happening a lot, but then I don't know since my experience with retail is very limited. I only hear the frustrations of other owners who are heavy users, agonizing over the wait to get their PC 'out of the shop'.

One issue I'm just recently seeing is RAM problems. Not sure it it's a glitch with mine or just that all the Windows updates, AV updates, etc. require so much more each time that the 1 gig I have is inferior by today's software standards. (I've fallen waaay behind in this technology game.)

I will admit, despite severe time restrictions, the pull to build my own again never stops tugging at me. Based on last time it would be an agonizing better part of a week, but the payoff was well worth it! ;)

Nice to meet you Shinma, yes I ruled out Dell because of their proprietary parts. My niece has a pretty sweet Sony Vaio that she's still using. Cost a very pretty penny, but it got her through her last 18 mos of high school, all through college and a couple years beyond. Only in recent past has she had to have it serviced for hardware related issues a couple times at the store because of parts but I wouldn't be surprised if she gets ten years total out of that machine she's had it so long.

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Originally Posted by Shinma

For process of elimination,
You can rule out Dell.
Dell typically uses proprietory chassis.

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Course he means that if you need to replace the mobo, you'll need to get the same one from Dell. Other then that, they get their parts from the same place everyone else does. ATI/nVidia, Western Digital etc.

If there is a Micro Center store near you check out their in-house PowerSpec brand. No proprietary parts, oversize cases, power supplies and fans (ie, designed to be expanded). If you upgrade at time of purchase they install the parts for free. Very competitive prices.

Mine has been 100% reliable for 5 years. Only complaint, the fans are noisy and they suck so much air I have to clean the dust out weekly. No cooling problems though.

Below is a link to another company that builds custom PC's. They use top quality non-proprietary parts.

http://www.sys.com/

If you have money and/or a credit card, then do NOT....I repeat...do NOT go to Microcenter! Stay away from there! It is an evil place where computer geeks, nerds, enthusiasts and everyday nice people go to... and when they come out, their credit cards are maxed out and their wallets are empty! Believe me...I know from first-hand experience! It is an enchanted place where computer hardware that you do not need cries out and beckons you to take them home with you! You think you are strong....you think you are not susceptible...and you even might be able to go through the store and resist the tantalizing wares...but alas! As you leave, you are forced to go through the... *gasp!*...dreaded Aisle of Impulse....a gauntlet of gadgets and gizmos near the cashiers to delight the eye and feed upon your technolust! Beware! Beware!

Otherwise, it's a great store to get parts or have a system built. Just give them a budget, pick out the parts and be sure to tell them you want 120mm fans....no 80mm fans which are noisy.

:D !

The Dallas Micro Center is within walking distance of my home. I have my retirement checks direct deposited to the store :)

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Originally Posted by jerryctx

The Dallas Micro Center is within walking distance of my home. I have my retirement checks direct deposited to the store :)

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Whoa...:eek: The Microcenter here is about a 40 minute drive. If I lived within walking distance, I would ask them to set up a cot in the store and just survive off the beef jerky and the Jolt Cola by the cash registers...

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Originally Posted by jerryctx

The Dallas Micro Center is within walking distance of my home. I have my retirement checks direct deposited to the store :)

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Same for me...Except now I think I'll just walk to Jerry's house:eek:

KatMac,

As you have read here, there are many places you can go for a custom built machine. Micro Center and Best Buy may be for you as I am sure that they have a warranty on their product and if you are close enough you can just bring it in. Don;t forget to go into the local mom and pop shop near you as you will also be able to get what you want.

As to using Dell, I have updated and added components many times to their machines. The trick is to make sure that you have all of the drivers for the hardware that you are keeping which you can get from their website. The problem is being able to identify what brand they used (I had that problem with a friends sound card but did get it to work).

As to your comment about Mac and Word, I have not noticed any problems with the two. You can always use OpenOffice instead which is free and will save in the MS formats. The thing with the Macs though is that their hardware is specific for Apple so you have not as many choices out there (an example is a web camera as there are more models to choose from for a pc rather than a Mac). On the plus side though, most people I find like the reliability of the Mac over a Windows machine. Of course it does take some getting used to if you have used Windows all of these years.

Good Luck.

Doc

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Same for me...Except now I think I'll just walk to Jerry's house

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Come on by Steve. I live in some cardboard boxes near the dumpster. Spending everything on computers leaves nothing for rent. :(

Hey guys,
Just wanted to come back & reply so you wouldn't think I was blowing you off. Had to go out of town late Sept, my mom was hospitalized so had to return. Arranged home care, got her sprung and settled at her house. Stepped off her front porch to go home, landed with an embarrassing splat on the driveway & broke my foot. (I'm a klutz :rolleyes: )

Anyway, it's so good to see even more familiar faces! Greetings jerry, Bistro and Doc! This place was 'home' for so long, didn't realize how much I miss it! (And Bistro, I wanted you to know I was feeling a bit burned out awhile back, needed a good laugh, searched high and low for your "travels" online but couldn't find them. I used to read that saga and belly laugh my way through it. ;) Are they still kicking around somewhere? )

Thanks for the info on Dell & Macs, Doc. I've been a Windows user from day one, but do enjoy tooling around with the Macs on display at Best Buy, so I'll not rule them out altogether.

And after some of the latter comments, now I'm very intrigued by Micro Center. See there's one about 40 minutes from me. Off to check their web site. Sheesh, I'm so behind with technology I don't even know what I need at this point.

P.S. I wanna see Bistro tanked up on Jolt. If he trashes your cardboard abode in the process jerry, I have a nice appliance box with some decent square footage I'd be willing to donate as a replacement. :p

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Originally Posted by KatMac

P.S. I wanna see Bistro tanked up on Jolt

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This is him sleeping it off after last time :eek: :eek:

http://www.4x4globalchallenge.com/wp-content/lion.jpg

:D:D OMG, Nick, that's a classic! :D:D

Option #1: If you're still wanting a new computer I think I'd still find the time to build it myself. If you set aside half an hour a day, you could have one built in less than a week! Putting the motherboard in the case, IMO is the hardest part of building a computer. Here is a link to an earlier post where SuperSparks posted some nice Step by Step Photos that could help if you decide to build your own again: http://discussions.virtualdr.com/sho...d.php?t=241532

Installing the software is usually what takes the longest (Windows, Service Packs & Updates, MS Office, Service Packs & Updates, then all other software & their updates).
Always take your time whether installing a computer component or installing your computers software.

Option #2: Buy from a Reputable Mom & Pop computer shop. In the city I live in we have 2 where I would do business if I didn't build my own. Like anywhere else, tell them what you need the computer for (word processing, games, spreadsheets, internet, e-mail, etc...) and then give them your budget. Get a written estimate and then post it here for others to critique. The people here can tell you which parts (sound card, video card, etc...) are junk or why to avoid this part. Just to let you know, the computer shop will try to keep to your budget. If you're wanting a top of the line Video Card for Gaming don't go into the shop with a budget of $400-$500 for the whole build as a decent Video card will cost at least $250-$500. Remember NEVER skimp on the Power Supply, buy a good brand name (Antec, Enermax, PC Power & Cooling, Zalman, OCZ, Cosair, Thermaltake, etc...). Decent PSU's could cost $100-$250. Remember, in a computer shop if the part costs $150 you can most likely buy the part a Newegg for a $100 or less. All computer shops have to mark up the prices to make a profit!

There used to be half a dozen mom and pop stores nearby. None are still in business. I wouldn't buy anything that might need warranty support from such an operation.

There are 2 Microcenters that I go to used to be 3 but they closed the little one. At times i think I kept the little one open. One time I went in there looking for something and walked out with 5 clearance computers.

Well, the Mom & Pop stores I'm talking about need to have been in busienss for 10+ years. The One shop around here has been here for about 20 years and the other has been here since the mid 1970's. The other shops around here have only been in business 1-2 years. I might buy parts there but I wouldn't have purchased a complete system from the 1-2 year store because of the warranty (will they still be open tomorrow).

p