[Flexin]

Originally Posted by pauldun170

Bang for buck is definitely outstanding nowadays and you don't have to spend a lot to get a really nice performing PC or laptop. If you build it your self you could put something really nice together especially since you can get Windows 8 for cheap.

You looking at OEM or homebuilt?
Desktop or Laptop?

If you are looking at laptops, it may be worth waiting until next summer since intel is going to be releasing a major architecture update that should really be a huge jump in battery\media\processor performance.

4gb is fine but 8gb is the way to go. 8GB ram is so cheap nowadays I can only recommend 4gb if budget is tight.
i5 are probably the best choice for most folks who want a strong CPU. i7's are best if you have specific things that need the extra threads.
For most people, the i7 is not worth the extra money.

What exactly are you doing now with your computer? How many peripherals will you have hooked up?

How old is the current laptop and desktop?

Both computers are about 7 year old or so. Bought the desktop just before starting the detail shop and the laptop was around the time I started the used car business.

I want to replace the desktop first. The kids use the laptop. I use the desktop more. I'm kinds looking at OEM. Not sure yet.

What do I do with it? Forums and Porn...why? Is there anything else on the web? I spend most of my time on forums and working on my site. Because of my site and kids I find I'm looking for pictures a lot on my external. That can be a pain a times but I find things get bogged down when I try to reorganize the external. I also want to play around with making shot videos. I wouldn't call myself a power user but I like to have the power there if needed.

Another thing that has be looking at a i7 over an i5 is the length of time I seem to keep a computer. The extra power is nice 5+ years down the road.

As far as ram goes I won't be going lower then 8 gb but I'm wondering if I should go higher.

James