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Thread ID: 21402	2002-06-25 05:41:00	Any one ever bought from...	Sam H (525)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
57104	2002-06-25 23:29:00	Excellent point. Could we have some more comment on the best and just as importantly, the worst, of middle to upper capability Motherboards available. No need for an essay but any features and faults would be appreciated. Cheers Bob	B.M. (505)
57105	2002-06-26 06:44:00	> Thanks for the reply guys, I'm thinking about getting > a system from them though . Mainly because their > cheap . The one I'm thinking about getting is there > current Athlon XP 1800 which features not the newest > parts but still some good stuff . > Athlon XP 1800 > 256Mb DDR Ram (not sure what brand) > 40 gig ATA HD (probably upgrade to 60 gig) > 32mb geforce 2 (defiantly upgrade to 64mb gefroce 2 > mx400) > works suit, printer > etc > > I think I should be able to handle most problems > myself except for problems to do with hardware faults > etc . > > I might wait another couple of weeks though and see > what other deals they come up with . the thing is, with them because they only buy parts and assemble systems, if something goes wrong they'll take out the part, send it to whatever supplier to fix/replace, and so you're without a system for 2 or 3 weeks . I had major problems with a motherboard I bought from there (the only thing I've had a problem with though), and I took it to them, told them exactly what was wrong, they sent it away and it came back three weeks later telling me there's nothing wrong with it - that it was probably some program not working properly (impossible as I could hardly even get past POST) . So I noted things down over the next three weeks, EVERY error and took it back . . . a week later I rang to see how things were going, and I was told that they hadn't sent it back yet because the techs didn't want to look at it again, so they'd replace it . . . 2 weeks later I got my new motherboard . There was no phonecall from them to me to tell me what was happening at any stage . the service there is completely lacking, and they do sell very cheap parts . Mike .	Mike (15)
57106	2002-06-26 07:33:00	Ok guys, Can anyone recommend a Tauranga/Mount store to buy from, or for service if I get problems later on.	Sam H (525)
57107	2002-06-26 07:56:00	> Ok guys, Can anyone recommend a Tauranga/Mount store > to buy from, or for service if I get problems later > on. LOL Tauranga Computers is the only Tga store I buy from because Millennium Technology (Cameron Road) are too expensive and the guys there know nothing; and PC Company - well, nuff said about them... Try some online stores from other areas in the country. Mike.	Mike (15)
57108	2002-06-26 08:06:00	LOL, Fair enough Mike. Oh well I might have to take a plunge next week, once I get Money things sorted. This will replace a crap PC Company Computer, and well I just hope I have better luck than I have had with them... useless Buggers (more harsh words were left out).	Sam H (525)
57109	2002-06-26 09:29:00	If Your serious about buying from these people beware, what may appear a good deal, has very many hidden problems, motherboards with very limited expandability and service when you have a problem that just does not exist. try looking at the shops around the corner, Regards Rodger	Rodger (625)
57110	2002-06-26 09:48:00	If your meaning Millennium Technology then no thanks their price is too high. If your meaning somewhere else the please let me know.	Sam H (525)
57111	2002-06-26 10:02:00	> If your meaning Millennium Technology then no thanks > their price is too high. If your meaning somewhere > else the please let me know. Sam, there are three new stores in Tga that I know of (they may not be new, but I've never seen them until recently). One's next to the Shell station on 11th ave - you have to drive through the Shell to the parking space on the far side. There's another in WestPlaza (just along from Boardwalk and Stars n Stripes) called Hot PCs. The third is a little further down Devonport Rd in the Picadilly Arcade - I think its called MegaByte or something... They're always busy in there, but I'm not sure what they're like :) Mike.	Mike (15)
57112	2002-06-26 12:32:00	Hail Tweak'e, A computer with a bad motherboard is about as good as a computer without one... PC Company make a superb example of this. Minus the hot glue, one might get the thing under 4 crashes an hour... If a company doesn't display the motherbaord in the list of specs, it's a good time to look somewhere else... Preferably, the motherboard should also be listed near the top of the spec list, as indicative of its importance. I use a Soltek motherboard in my own computer, and find it to be superb. They're a relatively new company to the industry, but have experienced designers, and can churn out some incredibly good motherboards. For example, the SL-75DRV5 is cheaper than the average SDR motherboard, but also boasts DDR PC2700, AGP Pro, 5 PCI, AC'97, Support for 3 processors and incredible stability, even when overclocked. They use a lot of capacitors, which helps to keep a really steady voltage. I recall sometime ago there was a debacle over a capacitor on a non-Soltek board which had to be removed to make way for certain AGP cards. I don't recall which board it was, but it was certainly a good one. The offending capacitor was there for the same reason as the Soltek ones, but unfortunately too high. Another interesting feature of Soltek's boards is a new innovation called ABS II, which prevents your CPU from frying by shutting down the PC when the temperature hits 85 degrees. This is becoming a necessity with AMD's new thouroughbred CPUs having half the die area... It's be interesting to have ABS II in a PC Co. machine, it'd spend half the day turned off. You can see why they use other boards. Last time I checked they were using ECS - which is about sea level in terms of motherboard quality. The tech I talked to tried to convince me that the ECS boards had outperformed a range of Asus, and Gigabyte boards they also tested... Yeah, good one. At the top end are brands like Asus, who really make the best boards. Unfortunately for both customers and retailers, they are priced in a manner that tends to see them used only in custom-built computers. Anyway, as for buying that computer, I'll try and give you the unbiased run-down... Avoide the PC Company at ALL cost. TL Systems are primo, but charge a fair whack and only make really high performance machines. Dell make VERY reliable systems, but charge about double what you'd pay anywhere else, and they don't use AMD CPUs! A few places like www.pchardware.co.nz and www.oemcomputers.co.nz will turn out some mixed bags. Some have some really good systems for sale, but they almost never have reasonable pricing. Try www.trademe.co.nz for a new or second hand PC. Because of the volume of traders, prices are VERY competitive... For value for money, the PC Company is your best choice, but if you'd like a 'computer', you'd better check out the other options... Well, there's my pearl of wisdom... :) Erin	Erin Salmon (626)
57113	2002-06-27 03:29:00	Hi. If you'd like to send me your email address I'll send you someone's name tonight when I get home - my partner lived there for ages and bought a system many years back from a private operator - the system was excellently spec'd for the time, and still runs impeccably today. She bought it herself on the recommendation of another buyer, so this guy should still be around - his prices and personal service were tops. I have to wait till I get home because I can't recall his name offhand. Email me to: f1 at zu dot co dot nz	Greg S (201)
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