Need help picking out a new tower computer

You can get a Windows 10 64-bit computer from Staples, Best Buy and so on for a centerline price of about $750.

What about an iPad Tablet if all she does is as you state above. That may be much more convenient for her. The tablet would be my recommendation.

Hi John,

She would consider that pricey. I would hope to spend half that amount, perhaps a refurbished model?

what's your budget? I personally like i and recommend the Dell optiplex 9020. They are business grade computers, you can get them still running Windows 7 if that's what your mother had on her othe rpc.

You would have to look on eBay or some such place for refurbished (working) computers. Yes, you could save money that way for sure.

I think she would shriek if it went much over $300. I know that's asking for a near miracle, but there's no harm in trying. What is OPtiplex and why do you like it?

You can get refurbs for that kind of money if you shop carefully.

Now my guess why the existing computer is slow is that is has a slow CPU and may even be 32-bit.

Check if the existing machine can run Windows 7 64-bit as 4 GB is adequate for that.

This one is in your price range and the seller has decent reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/HP-Elite-8300-Desktop-Refurbished/dp/B01AVCYLLA/ref=pd_sim_sbs_147_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=41YUAWi6QeL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=1FNX0S4FZ9DT451TNEP8


The specs look great too.

Yeah, get a refurbish pc the. Do you have a Microcenter store close by? they have very good deals on refurbished computers. check the site at www.microcenter.com then select relinquished and  narrow it down by computers.

What do you think of this one: http://www.microcenter.com/product/455638/Inspiron_Micro_Desktop_Computer

It has SSD, but only 32 GIGs. She needs speed more than storage, could use more RAM, but the software is cloud-based. I can get a widescreen monitor bundled for under $300.

Hi Tailor....it has WIndows 7, though.

Thanks, John. That rules that one out.

In your position, definitely look at refurbished computers. Cost will go down but specs can be decent.

You could use the current hard disk as a slave to a smaller SSD for the OS...

The upgrade for Windows 10 is still free.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/what-happens-free-windows-10-upgrades-after-july-29-2016/

Grab an SSD and if running a 64 bit OS double the ram to 8GB < $150 CDN

why not install an 160Gb SSD, or 240 GB one, and image the current drive to it?
here's a good free software for imaging :  http://www.paragon-software.com/home/br-free/download.html
that will make the sytem snappy
if you want  - you may add Ram too

I am considering the upgrade options and will get back to you as soon as I can! Question: please explain more about "imaging" a drive. Is it the same as cloning a drive? I haven't opened up a PC in some time. How do you then make the SSD drive the bootable one? Lastly, can it be installed on my system: HP p6200z http://support.hp.com/us-en/product/HP-Pavilion-p6200-Desktop-PC-series/3999459/model/4065761   Thanks!

If your systems are OEM you cannot make a copy of the old system put it on the new system.

You can use Ghost or Acronis to make an image of an existing computer and put that back to the same computer (no new computer involved).

Imaging/Cloning are synonyms. A SATA drive just plugs in like any other SATA drive (Most SSD's on the market use the SATA interface)

You go into the bios and select the hard drive boot priority to select which drive boots the system.

sheana  -what type of AMD CPU is that? or the model of the pc?

Hi, my brother came home from work and gave his 2 cents......  Mom insisted on new, so John and I settled for an HP Pavillion 550z desktop for $349.00. It has 8 Gb Ram, 1 TB HD and Windows 10. She seems happy and excited about the choice.

Honestly, everyone who posted deserves credit, and I am always amazed at the brilliance of the Experts. I am not a stupid person, I did really well academically. Unfortunately, I majored in music, which to potential employers almost takes away points, even though mastering an instrument is one of the hardest things a person can do. But, there it is.

I took a 7-month course in computer repair and networking way back in 1996, but it turned out to be a joke as the teacher who taught the repair section quit just after I completed electronics. We only put together a computer once, and never did any troubleshooting.

I never worked in the field as I soon after became ill with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which is very disabling.....I don't have a "gas tank", as my doctor says.

How did you "guys" get to be such geeks? What did you study, do, experience? I'm always curious about how people accomplish what they do, especially when the area of expertise is a mystery to me.

I will review your posts and select the most helpful solution(s). Thanks!

We are all different in here. I work for myself and have done for a decade and a half. As such, I have seen many kinds of problems and situations that I have had to solve. Many more than when I worked for a company. So I provide the benefits of my problem solving here.

@sheana11 - Thank you and I was very pleased to help.