Calling all (serious) geeks! – Office needs new computers/monitors.?
Need to find office computers to run complex tax programs, work with PDFs and TIFFs, dual monitors (1 landscape, 1 portrait), and all of this on an existing network. No, we’re not looking for much, huh? We’re using a document management system (for tax), hence the working with scanners & PDFs. We need machines we will be able to depend on (won’t freeze due to graphics etc.) and will be able to rip through the tax programs with relative (as possible) ease. Right now we have some wankers with 512 MB, 1 and some 2GBs RAM, but most are Pentium 3s-4s. I’d rather we get beefier than we need than to come up short!! Also, I know we’ll need good graphics cards (soundcards not so important to us), but also the monitors (dual, 1 portrait and 1 landscape) are going to be important. We’re not yet ready to go Windows 7, as most of our software is not ready yet (software companies don’t have updates out yet). Don’t know if viable to upgrade existing computers—I’m guessing we may as well go new. What do you guys think? Ideas/thoughts appreciated! Many thanks.
Filed under: Tapit Software
trying to upgrade older computers (3-4 years old) can be rather difficult. getting new computers is a must. you should go to your local computer store/depot and talk to them about what you will be doing on these computers and they could help you build/find the perfect computer that you need.
I would go AMD 3.0 or higher, a good motherboard that can run a AM2 or AM3 CPU, a decent power supply 750W with (4) 12V+ rails or better, 4-16GB RAM really depends what you are willing to pay. An ATI Radeon or nVidia VGA either or at least a 1Gb on board RAM on that card.
A good DVD-RW/DVD-R player and a CD ROM drive and a Zip drive as well. All in a mid tower case.
I could build them for $1300-$2400 but that includes OS and labor.
The bad thing is the graphics card to run a 2 monitor setup efficiently is expensive at least $120-$200 each.
Converting an old PC is bad it makes for hard work since few mother boards are worth upgrading and would have to be replaced and few boards that size will perform well considering the tasks and speed you are looking for.
The CPU fans to cool a PC of this size and nature is also expensive upwards of $100-$150 and the rest of the parts even if I could get them from a distributor are going to cost for shipping as well.