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[Thorax_the_Impaler]

Hello everyone.

In this thread I'd like some opinions on a topic that's been on my mind for a while now. One of my friends recently acquired a new PC. Now when it comes to computer building, I consider myself to be a practical builder. When someone wants me to build them a system (or upgrade it), I usually create a machine that best suits their needs. Joe-Shmo down the street doesn't need Quad Core processing for Facebook and Youtube right?

Lately I have been sharing this opinion with some of my friends (also computer enthusiasts), and the disagreement to agreement ratio seems to be about 50/50. Some claim that people who use their computer for painfully simple tasks (streaming Youtube, Twitter, etc) shouldn't have incredibly powerful systems; simply for the fact that it's a waste of money in the short run because the better majority of the power the machine has will go largely unused (think of buying a drag racer to take you to work only two miles away). On the other side of the coin, some claimed that it was better to buy powerful PC's even if you won't push them because they will "last longer" (a.k.a won't become out-dated as quickly), and that everyone deserves to buy the "best" when it come to computers. Personally, I get by with a basic single-core notebook, and a "modified" older dual-core media center PC. I've had numerous chances to build a better machine, but I never have because until recently I never needed one.

My question is this: Do you (as fellow computer enthusiasts; a term I use quite lightly), feel that every computer user deserves massive processing power, or PC's that will fit their needs specifically?

 

[PP Mguire]

Both sides of the coin are true honestly. If they can afford the better PC then I don't see why not, but if there is a budget then anybody with an i3 3220 (or AMD APU) would do well for years. A quad core PC with a nice budget card like a GTX 650 would go a really long ways in terms of a "family" living room type PC. On the other hand, granny doesn't need a GTX690 to watch Netflix on and play Farmville.

One thing I stress 100% is the need for an SSD. I feel everybody should have an SSD to really feel the speed of a modern computer.

 

[Thorax_the_Impaler]

I agree with the SSD thing.

It almost saddens me to see a PC that has so much potential being used for word processing and Youtube. Might as well buy a Ferrari to take your kids to soccer practice. lol

 

[PP Mguire]

Well if you think about it, an APU based machine could cost less than 500 but still be miles better than most pre-built at that price. An i3 and GTX650 machine with an SSD could cost maybe a little more than 500 if that (haven't priced it in a while). I don't really find it that much of a waste because you know if a PC had an SSD and wasn't all that slow then it would be used more. My fiance's 80+ year old great grandmother has a quad core 8GB Phenom 2 based machine with a GT630 lol. She uses it "Because the damn thing doesn't take 10 years to load my games".

Also to the last comment, most people who have a Ferrari keep it in the garage. Least going to soccer practice it is being used and your child (depending on age) could be like yeaaaa dads got a Ferrari.

 

[Thorax_the_Impaler]

Lol I see your point. My girlfriend was used to an old single core desktop (it was 2.93 GHz) up until about two weeks ago when an old friend of hers dumped a self-built computer into her hands. It has an i5 in it (whichever is rated at 2.5 GHz per core), 4GB of RAM, and I believe it has an SSD in it as well. For someone who was so attached to her "first" computer, I don't think she'd go back to that single core if her life depended on it.