My computer died. WARNING: boring tech post.
This weekend I was watching an episode of How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) and I got up to do something, I look back, and my monitor is blank. OK. Maybe the computer is asleep. No. OK, maybe the monitor cord came loose. It happened with my wireless NIC the other day, so why not? Nope. OK, reboot... my monitor receives no signal.
So, after hours of trouble shooting, including recruiting Michael to investigate, then handing it over to Brian to do a more thorough inspection, it's the motherboard and probably the video card, too.
Crap. I really wanted to watch that episode of HIMYM. Also, now I have a decision to make. I have three options.
(1) Buy a new, CHEAP computer.
(2) Rebuild my current PC.
(3) Update my lappy and use that only.
I obviously need some kind of computer, so these are my choices. Since I'm pretty strapped for cash (with paying my student loans, and saving for a trip to Vegas in a month or two), I'm really thinking this through before I make a decision of where to slap my cash down. And there is no doubt about it, I'm going to have to shell out some money.
Here goes.
Option 1: Buy a new, CHEAP computer.
Pros:
Price = $200 to $400.
A new computer will probably have less problems than a home built one, since it's factory built.*
I would get everything I need in one package, and it would be easy to upgrade and maintain.
More up-to-date processor, ram and motherboard.
No lingering problems from before.
*Brian said a cheap computer is not necessarily more stable than a home build one, since the quality of the factory computer decreases as the price gets lower.
Cons:
I only need something that runs well enough for me to download stuff, and to watch what I download, as well as surf the net and talk on AIM. So, a new computer might be overkill.
I already have an awesomely huge HD and a new DVD burner.
Option 2: Rebuild my current PC.
Pros:
Price = $200.
I can reuse parts I already have, and thus not be wasteful.
I can edit/update whatever I want.
Cons:
It's homemade, so it's not as reliable as a factory build.*
It might have the same underlying problem that caused the motherboard to die.
It would take time and effort to build.
*Brian again said that just because it's home built doesn't mean a cheap factory model will be more reliable.
Option 3: Update my lappy and use that only.
Pros:
Price = $100.
All of my stuff would be very portable, as my lappy plus an external HD.
My laptop is in need of updating, being about 3 years old, and I could kill two birds with one stone by updating the lappy and nixing the PC and thus the need to update a PC.
Updating my laptop would only require more ram and a fresh install of windows, and buying a case to make my internal HD an external.
Cons:
My laptop is missing a key and thus looks super ghetto.
I'm really used to having 2 separate computers and I don't know if I would like not having a PC.
I think I would need something to elevate the lappy, because looking down at a laptop screen on a desk is a bitch.
I would need to buy a new keyboard and mouse, as the ones I had for my PC are NOT USB.*
*Though seriously, it's about time I got an optical mouse.
So, I need some opinions! Ideas! HELP!! I know specs would help a lot, but I don't know the exact specs on some of the stuff I talked about. Brian and Michael have spent a lot of time messing with my computer and my lappy, so they would know better than me (what a woman thing to say).
So, after hours of trouble shooting, including recruiting Michael to investigate, then handing it over to Brian to do a more thorough inspection, it's the motherboard and probably the video card, too.
Crap. I really wanted to watch that episode of HIMYM. Also, now I have a decision to make. I have three options.
(1) Buy a new, CHEAP computer.
(2) Rebuild my current PC.
(3) Update my lappy and use that only.
I obviously need some kind of computer, so these are my choices. Since I'm pretty strapped for cash (with paying my student loans, and saving for a trip to Vegas in a month or two), I'm really thinking this through before I make a decision of where to slap my cash down. And there is no doubt about it, I'm going to have to shell out some money.
Here goes.
Option 1: Buy a new, CHEAP computer.
Pros:
Price = $200 to $400.
A new computer will probably have less problems than a home built one, since it's factory built.*
I would get everything I need in one package, and it would be easy to upgrade and maintain.
More up-to-date processor, ram and motherboard.
No lingering problems from before.
*Brian said a cheap computer is not necessarily more stable than a home build one, since the quality of the factory computer decreases as the price gets lower.
Cons:
I only need something that runs well enough for me to download stuff, and to watch what I download, as well as surf the net and talk on AIM. So, a new computer might be overkill.
I already have an awesomely huge HD and a new DVD burner.
Option 2: Rebuild my current PC.
Pros:
Price = $200.
I can reuse parts I already have, and thus not be wasteful.
I can edit/update whatever I want.
Cons:
It's homemade, so it's not as reliable as a factory build.*
It might have the same underlying problem that caused the motherboard to die.
It would take time and effort to build.
*Brian again said that just because it's home built doesn't mean a cheap factory model will be more reliable.
Option 3: Update my lappy and use that only.
Pros:
Price = $100.
All of my stuff would be very portable, as my lappy plus an external HD.
My laptop is in need of updating, being about 3 years old, and I could kill two birds with one stone by updating the lappy and nixing the PC and thus the need to update a PC.
Updating my laptop would only require more ram and a fresh install of windows, and buying a case to make my internal HD an external.
Cons:
My laptop is missing a key and thus looks super ghetto.
I'm really used to having 2 separate computers and I don't know if I would like not having a PC.
I think I would need something to elevate the lappy, because looking down at a laptop screen on a desk is a bitch.
I would need to buy a new keyboard and mouse, as the ones I had for my PC are NOT USB.*
*Though seriously, it's about time I got an optical mouse.
So, I need some opinions! Ideas! HELP!! I know specs would help a lot, but I don't know the exact specs on some of the stuff I talked about. Brian and Michael have spent a lot of time messing with my computer and my lappy, so they would know better than me (what a woman thing to say).