Best budget desktop under $500

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Can anyone recommend a budget desktop under $500 or close that is a best buy?

No gaming, just email, web content, and YouTube videos.

My 8 year old Dell XPS is about at the end of its rope.
 
Seriously consider a refurb machine from a place like www.arrowdirect.com

They are corporate grade machines with no garbage try and buy nonsense clogging the registry.

Corporations send this stuff to a recycler ONLY because they aren't under warranty.
 
Email and web browsing wise, I'd rather use an older computer with an SSD than something new with a pathetic HDD in it.
 
I would think about a tablet instead for the purposes you stated. Then you have portability as well. Check for refurbished units from the major brands.
 
Yes there are tons of Dell and HP business grade desktops that have been leased to a business or government for about 3 years then surplussed when they are turned in.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: PimTac
I would think about a tablet instead for the purposes you stated. Then you have portability as well. Check for refurbished units from the major brands.


Since I proposed this I’ll include a link. Apple iPads start at $329 brand new.

https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-ipad/ipad-9-7

I’m guessing similar or better deals can be found for same or less $.
 
The OP asked about Desktops and probably wants brand and model recommendations and a provided link.
 
It depends on what you are asking for. Do you want the lowest cost desktop that will do email and websurfing fast? Or a good $500 desktop recomendation?


I would go to amazon and best buy and search for all dsktops under $500. The look at the reviews.

You want at leat 4 gig memory, 8 is better.

SSD harddrive at least 250gig. 120 min. Windows will consume about 50 gig once all the updates and add ons roll in. You want plenty of breathing room.

Make sure you current monitor plugd into these units. If its DVI you may need an adapter to plug you monitor in. HDMI and Display port are standard now. Vga....sometimes.

Windows 10.

Video card is on the microprosessor nowadays so that should not be an issue.

Buy with a credit card that doubles the manufactuers warranty.


My go to brands are Dell, Compact/HP, and Asus.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Warstud
The OP asked about Desktops and probably wants brand and model recommendations and a provided link.



I understand that.

This must be a east coast thing. Desktops are pretty much obsolete out west but it’s what the individual wants that is important.
 
What are the specs on your xps? It helps to know what you are upgrading from.

Processor
Harddrive type (hdd or ssd)
Memory amount.

It might be a simple upgrade to get it going fast again.
 
A chromebook at Costco for like $279. No reason for desktops anymore unless youre building one for gaming, IMO.

Asking for $500 means low end.
 
I second off-lease business computers. Refurbished units from a reputable seller on ebay are less than half of what they cost new
 
http://arrowdirect.com/hp-compaq-elite-8...6gb-8-gb-2.html

8Gb RAM SSD; well under budget. Grade A condition; that being said i have never owned an HP d-top that I have used day in an day out, so I don't know how reliable they are.

Good thing about refurb is you can search the web on the model you are buying to see if they are problem prone


I have a i7-3770 (gen3) w/ 16Gb RAM running linux; "It isn't even close" to being machine of reduced capabilities
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: PimTac
Originally Posted By: Warstud
The OP asked about Desktops and probably wants brand and model recommendations and a provided link.



I understand that.

This must be a east coast thing. Desktops are pretty much obsolete out west but it’s what the individual wants that is important.


Maybe he's like me....prefers the comfort of using a desktop. I sit about 3 feet away from mine and use a 19" monitor.
 
I bought something comparable to this last summer, but in a larger case:

http://www.microcenter.com/product/486051/EliteDesk_800_G1_Desktop_Computer_Refurbished

I added another 16gb of RAM and copied the 500gb HD to a 512GB Samsung EVO 850 SSD I had. I moved my 3TB of spinning storage to the new machine.

It does all I need for web, e-mail and even running a virtual machine or two.

It has Win 10 Pro. I did see refurb machines out there that had Win 7 Pro, so if you don't want Win 10, there may still be options for Win 7.
 
Originally Posted By: Warstud
The OP asked about Desktops and probably wants brand and model recommendations and a provided link.


Yes. Apple tablets couldn't be farther from what I want. I have a nice Amazon tablet that I use in bed before I fall asleep. I will never buy another Apple tablet again. The last two Apple tablets I dropped were dead immediately after dropping ($1000 down the drain). I'd rather bust a $50 tablet than a $350-$500 tablet. Plus I only have use for a tablet for 15-20 minutes before I fall asleep.

I NEED a desktop replacement for my very nice, but very aged, Dell XPS. My 8 year old Dell monitor is pretty old school at this point, and I will replace it as well.

An SSD hard drive is a definite want.
 
Originally Posted By: danez_yoda
What are the specs on your xps? It helps to know what you are upgrading from.

Processor
Harddrive type (hdd or ssd)
Memory amount.

It might be a simple upgrade to get it going fast again.


Pentium 4, slow HDD, lots of memory, and a failing graphics card/driver. Its 8 years old and I'm not upgrading it.
 
I'd also agree with getting a business model. I feel that they're built a little better. I also like the small form factor size if you want a desktop type. It's no good for a gamer or someone that wants to upgrade, but for every day email and youtube use, I feel that it saves space and likely uses less power.

I would shop around for something with a newer generation i5 processor, at least 8gb of ram, an SSD (128gb or more), and Windows 7 or 10 Pro (I personally prefer 7 Pro). I'd look for a Dell, Lenovo, or HP.

For example, I like this one: http://www.microcenter.com/product/486840/ProDesk_400_G1_Desktop_Computer_Refurbished
 
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