Complete AMD 64 systems for $250

[imported_OrSin]

HP a1100e

If this sucks please let me know. I was searching for a barebones 64 kit. I know I could buy all the parts myself and build it, but I was lazy. This is less then all the kits out there and comes with CPU, memory, harddrive and CD.

The CPU is crappy Sempron, but its a 939 chip set so you can put in any chip you want.
The Sempron that it comes with is an improvement over my 2500 so i just leave it in for bit and spend the extra money on a video card.

Its ATI express motherbaord so if you not using it for gaming the video is ok (nice for HTPC).

The hard drive is only 40 GB but that all i need for my primary. I got 3 200BG now I can put in.

The 512 memory suck but it has 4 slots so if you need you can go to 1 GB very cheap.
Comes with XP home (sucks but free too)

This the perfect computer for my mother (no she don't game) and I might me myself one too and upgrade almost everything.

This seems like a great deal. If this suck tell me why?

 

[kyzen]

link doesnt work for me.

 

[gorcorps]

Try this

Not great cuz it requires a $100 MIR when purchased w/ a monitor. If you needed a monitor as well than cool but you'll still need to pay more for the monitor anyways.

Graphics: Integrated ATI Radeon Xpress HyperMemory (not good)

 

[middlehead]

Originally posted by: OrSin
The CPU is crappy Sempron, but its a 939 chip set so you can put in any chip you want.

BZZZT. No such thing as a socket939 Sempron.

But it's still a decent machine for the price as long as you up the RAM.

 

[imported_OrSin]

939 Sempron
That's the key to the deal. Only OEM's have 939 pin Semprons. It took along time to research it but they exist. OEM's was sick of needing a different motherboard just for thier low end systems, so they forced AMD to release it. AMD don't even talk about it on thier site. But check deeper and you will see all HP AMD systems use the same motherboard. I talked to several people and it is Sempron and the motherboard is a 939 pin count .

As for the $100 rebate, just don't get a monitor. The system is still $250.

Also ATI express video is better then any other on board video. NV 6100/6150 motherboards are still too buggy for me. Not saying on board video is great but this video is more then decent for the price of the system. And it have a PCI-express slot so can always upgrade.

 

[kyzen]

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/docu...roduct=1130795&cc=us&docname=c00496280

It's definitely a 939 motherboard.

However I've owned 2 HP's and 1 Compaq over the past few years, and can comfortably tell you that their motherboards are also custom-made, have craptacular driver support, and are generally a bitch to upgrade stuff on.

 

[esquared]

Originally posted by: middlehead

Originally posted by: OrSin
The CPU is crappy Sempron, but its a 939 chip set so you can put in any chip you want.

BZZZT. No such thing as a socket939 Sempron.

But it's still a decent machine for the price as long as you up the RAM.

Yeah there is. It was brought up a couple months ago on another thread.
X-bit article
HP has been putting some in their notebooks. I am still looking for the link.
Here an AMD forum link that talks about it. AMD forum

 

[imported_OrSin]

He is right and wrong.
The motherbaord is made by Asus so the quality is good, but Asus will not provide Bios support. You have to depend on HP for that. And they are generally very slow with bios updates. But the board already support at least AMD X2 4200+ chips, maybe even higher. So you are already on pretty solid ground with upgrades.

 

[Quino]

You can flash them with thew ASUS Retail counterpart. I did it for several A129N which came with MS-7093 mobos and flashed with the latest MSI bios

 

[kyzen]

I'm quite right about the motherboards sucking; HP has contracted Asus for several years, but that doesn't mean it's any good. I interned at HP for a summer, and my dad still works there - trust me when I say they scrape the bottom of the barrel for motherboards.

And HP driver support has always been sketchy - just look at their printer drivers that spawn dozens of processes needlessly and clog up servers.

Still, for $250, it's not a bad deal - just be prepared for headaches when you go to upgrade stuff.

 

[imported_OrSin]

Your problem about HP softwares support is right but considering the board already support all the X2 out now an upgrade should be fine.

One comment about printer software. Anyone else notice they all come qith some type of spyware now. Thye say it for support but the damn process poll you system and then send information to the internet every 10 minutes. HP and Dell (with is just lexmark) both do this crap.

 

[imported_OrSin]

they want $99 shipping on a $250 computer.
The higher end computer come with free shipping.
and the Compaq computer usually cost 65 in shipping, but even those are free now.

I just can't win.

 

[kki000]

Man, this was promising.

99ship +33 tax for me killed it.
431 less 50 rebate.
Sorry but i can def build a better box for 400 on newegg.

 

[imported_OrSin]

I have been trying to find an outlet store that sells them but noone has them.
If you don't mind the Compaq case, they have a very similar one for $315 and free shipping. It seems almost no stores care the HP AMD computers. And HP don't even list them in thie catalogs.

 

[nomadh]

Don't know this specific PC but generally speaking it may not be a bad deal for your mother or anyone who will just use it and never upgrade it much. You and other upgrade/performance hounds will probably drive yourselves crazy chasing bios/driver updates on these prefab noname components. Then of course that extra $99 shipping is the gotcha that makes this easy.

 

[funboy6942]

Hey I got a MSI board with the built in graphic (r200 I believe) and its is not bad and is way better the the MX400 my nvidia board has. Not to mention is 9.0c direct x compliant. Got a 3000 pt score with future mark 2001 AND unlike nvidia I can make it and my X850XT work at the same time and power 4 monitors all with a different screen if I need to. Great if you want to play flight sim with multi monitor enabled. It doesnt increase my score at all but it is like hooking two pci-e cards up together. My board has vga and DVI outputs so I am not sure if this one would so you can do it. But if it has only one that is still 3 monitors at the same time. Monitors mond you no hooking up a tv using the tv output options.

I am very happy with my ATI mobo and will continue to use these over nvidia's from now on. Dont ask me how well it oc's I dont know how to oc a a64 cpu yet and its not all that high on my list but the board is VERY stable.

Review of the intergrated graphics.

 

[imported_OrSin]

The machine is very upgradable. Thye use the same mother board in thier top of the line PC too. So pretty much any think you can add to thier top of line you can add to this.
But yes the shipping is pissing me off. I think I might wait a bit and see if thye have a differnt deal at the end of the year. I might be able to get cheap shipping or something else to sweetten it a little more so i can swallow the shipping cost.

 

[blckgrffn]

pci express slot?

 

[RaNDoMMAI]

yep, but only 250 watt psu

~RaNDoM

 

[funboy6942]

Originally posted by: RaNDoMMAI
yep, but only 250 watt psu

~RaNDoM

I had that in my SFF and I ran 2 dvd drives, 2 hdd's, a 120mm led fan, soundblaster sound, and a X800XT with no problems at all and ran within specs.

 

[Injury]

Originally posted by: kki000
Man, this was promising.

99ship +33 tax for me killed it.
431 less 50 rebate.
Sorry but i can def build a better box for 400 on newegg.

Coupled with the fact that you'd have to dump a couple hundred more into it if you want to satisfy your geekiness. If you are going to buy as many upgrades for it as the OP suggests, you might as well build your own for the same price or better.

 

[unclebud]

"Still, for $250, it's not a bad deal - just be prepared for headaches when you go to upgrade stuff."

what stuff? have added hard drives and dvd burners to even their old machines before
videocards are a different story as far as old machines, but this is a different hp machine five years later?

"I think I might wait a bit and see if thye have a different deal at the end of the year. I might be able to get cheap shipping or something else to sweetten it a little more so i can swallow the shipping cost."

was thinking this last week when i searched their site looking for info on the walmart hp desktop
really like that the drives are covered up with the eject buttons on the side
icing on the cake imo

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: middlehead

Originally posted by: OrSin
The CPU is crappy Sempron, but its a 939 chip set so you can put in any chip you want.

BZZZT. No such thing as a socket939 Sempron.

But it's still a decent machine for the price as long as you up the RAM.

BZZT you're wrong slick

 

[Lasthitlarry]

Change title to 939 Sempron if its not too much trouble

 

[Byte]

They may be Asus, but HP/Compaq Asus should be called Asucks. Even ASSROCK probably has better quality control. Asus quality seems to be taking a dive too, they also stop making OEM Intel boards.