This seriously well-equipped desktop costs just $325 (plus shipping).
(Credit: TigerDirect)It's remarkable how much bang for the buck you can get from a PC these days.
For example, if you're looking to replace an aging desktop with something far more powerful, Tech For Less has a refurbished HP Pavilion a6700y quad-core desktop for $325.04. Shipping will run you about $25.
The system offers some mighty impressive specs for the price, starting with an AMD Phenom 9150e quad-core processor. Multitask all you want; it won't break a sweat.
It also comes with 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, a DVD burner, and built-in 802.11b/g (a rare perk in a desktop).
The system runs Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit. I'm sure most users would prefer Windows 7 at this point, but you can always upgrade later--and there's really nothing wrong with Vista as long as it's running on a powerful machine like this one.
The only mediocre spec here is the integrated GeForce 6150SE graphics--fine for everyday computing, but insufficient for high-end gaming and video. At least you can drop in a discrete graphics card later if you feel the need.
Like most refurbished PCs, this one has a 90-day warranty. But, hey, for $325, you can afford to roll the dice a little. And for what it's worth, you can buy a one-year extended warranty for $30.
Not long ago I paid nearly double this price for a system with fairly similar specs. Suffice it to say, this is a helluva deal (check out the stellar user reviews at TigerDirect, where it runs $379.99), one that's hard to pass up if you're in the market for a well-appointed desktop.
Backup deal: It's rare to find deals on Microsoft's new Zune HD, but J&R has a solid one: the 16GB Zune HD for $177 shipped. That's after applying coupon code paypal20 and using PayPal as your payment method.
On Sale Now: $379.99
View the latest prices for HP Pavilion a6700y
On Sale Now: $191.99 - $219.99
View the latest prices for Zune HD (16GB - black)
HP's ultra-compact Pavilion is stuffed with home theater-friendly features.
(Credit: HP)If you're in the market for a PC to serve as the hub of your home theater, look no further than the refurbished HP Pavilion Slimline S3750F. It's compact, loaded, and on sale at Buy.com for $479.99 shipped.
As many of you pointed out in last weekend's post about the Nero LiquidTV TiVo PC, Windows Media Center offers some pretty killer DVR features.
I agree 100 percent, which is why there's a PC much like this HP sitting in my family room, connected to my TV.
The S3750F features a quad-core AMD processor, 4GB of RAM, a 640GB hard drive, and a Blu-ray drive/LightScribe DVD burner.
It also comes with an AverMedia ATSC/NTSC TV tuner, which can pull in analog cable or over-the-air digital signals. My advice: add a couple extra tuners so you can record multiple shows from multiple sources simultaneously. (Thursday night is just a bear this year, isn't it?)
HP supplies a remote for couch-friendly operation and 802.11n Wi-Fi for wireless-friendly operation.
My one and only complaint with this system (apart from the 90-day warranty, which I consider minor) is that it comes with Vista Home Premium, not Windows 7. And because it's a refurb, it's not eligible for a free upgrade.
Still, I'm running Vista on my media-center PC, and it's been absolutely fine and dandy. In other words, an upgrade isn't essential, IMHO.
Shop around a bit and you'll see this system selling for at least $800 elsewhere, and as high as $1,000 at many stores (including Amazon). A desktop this loaded for $479 is a real deal.
Paragon's robust partition-management software is available free, but only for today.
(Credit: Paragon Software Group)Normally $39.95, Paragon Software's Partition Manager 10.0 Personal can be yours absolutely free. Today only. From software-freebie site Giveaway of the Day.
If you haven't visited the site before, here's how it works: You've got until midnight tonight (ET) to download and install the software. Other than that, there are absolutely no strings attached.
Well, OK, one "string" is that if you ever need to reinstall the software, you're outta luck. Its setup/registration process is tied to the date. But, hey, keep in mind you're getting a $40 app free of charge. You gonna gripe about that tiny gotcha?
True to its name, Partition Manager provides tools for partitioning your hard drive(s). That means you could have, say, Windows XP running on one partition and Windows 7 on another (a great solution for folks who want to migrate to the new OS gradually rather than all at once).
The software also features drive-optimization and -defragmentation tools, a boot fixer, a basic backup wizard, and a recovery-CD option.
I haven't found many reviews of Partition Manager 10.0 Personal, but over at Amazon it averages 4.5 stars out of 5, and 81% of users on the GotD site gave it a thumbs-up--a pretty high percentage compared with most freebies.
The program runs on Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and 7. There's a special 64-bit version available (download), which you should definitely choose if you're running a 64-bit OS.
Obviously this isn't a utility everybody needs, but if you have even the slightest interest in partitioning your hard drive, it's a no-brainer: grab it.
Get a stylish, smartly equipped quad-core tower for under $300.
(Credit: Woot)I try not to go to the Woot well very often--it's a competing deal-of-the-day site, after all--but this is too good to pass up: a refurbished Gateway quad-core desktop system for $289.99. Shipping runs a mere $5.
Because it's Woot, the offer expires at the end of the day, and stands a good chance of selling out before then.
That's because this is a really nicely loaded tower. It packs a 1.8GHz AMD Phenom X4 9100e 64-bit processor, 4GB of RAM, a 640GB hard drive, and a SuperMulti drive with LabelFlash technology (LightScribe's red-headed cousin).
On the video side, you get an OK-but-not-great-for-games integrated ATI Radeon HD 3200 that borrows up to 256MB of system memory. On the plus side, it sports an HDMI port, meaning this system can easily pull media-center duty.
The system comes with Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit). Alas, because it's a refurb, it doesn't qualify for a free upgrade to Windows 7.
It does, however, have the refurb-standard 90-day warranty. I don't consider that a major compromise, but some buyers might.
This is, I think, the lowest price I've ever seen on a quad-core desktop, and it's a nicely equipped one at that. If you've been looking for a cheap replacement for that aging XP box, look no further.
(By the way, if this does sell out, check back later. I'll find something else cool for your weekend!)
For the first time ever, you can score a Blu-ray drive for under $50.
(Credit: Sony)Two sweet deals from Sony in one week? Mercury must be in line with Neptune. First we got the refurbished PlayStation 3 for $237, and now you can pick up a Sony BDU-X10S Blu-ray drive for $49.99 shipped (plus tax in most states).
Just to clarify, this is an internal PC drive, not a standalone Blu-ray player. So it's really a deal only if you have a PC hooked up to a big monitor or an HDTV. (Sorry, slim pickings on deals today.)
Just make sure you're using a DVI or HDMI connection to avoid copy-protection issues.
The BDU-X10S is a SATA drive with an 8x DVD read speed and 2x Blu-ray read speed. It comes with PowerDVD 8, which is necessary if you want to actually watch Blu-ray movies on your PC.
Drives like these were selling for well over $100 just last year, so 50 bucks is a deal indeed.
Because it's a refurb, the warranty expires after 90 days--no big deal, IMHO, but I thought you'd want to know.
Also, make sure your video card is HDCP-compliant and supports 1,920x1,080 resolution so you enjoy full 1080p goodness on your big TV.
This is the lowest price yet on a 1TB external hard drive.
(Credit: Buy.com)First up, some important business: I'm on vacation this week! But I couldn't leave you hanging without one more sweet deal, so here's my farewell post. See you next Monday! (Unless I just can't stay away... you never know.)
Holy ridiculously cheap storage, Batman! Buy.com has a Fantom G-Force 1-terabyte external hard drive for $69.99 shipped.
The catch? Yep, you guessed it: There's a $20 mail-in rebate [PDF]. I know that's a deal-breaker for some, but even in the unlikely event you get the short end of the rebate stick, $89.99's a pretty awesome price, too.
As for the drive itself, it features USB 2.0 and eSATA interfaces, Mac and Windows compatibility, and a one-year warranty. Fantom bundles no backup software to speak of, but there are plenty of great freeware backup utilities out there.
CNET hasn't reviewed the drive, but it averages 4.5 stars out of 5--from a whopping 342 users--on Buy.com's product page.
If you don't mind waiting a month or two on those 20 rebate dollars (the offer expires Aug. 23), this is the best deal yet on a 1TB external hard drive.
Quad-core? Check. Blu-ray? Check. Free Windows 7 upgrade? Check!
(Credit: HP)Update: Sorry, folks, looks like the discount code has expired.
If you're in the market for a new desktop that's equally well-suited to games and movies, HP has a ridiculously good deal going. It's the HP Pavilion Elite e9110t, which you can get for $649.99 shipped after a few configuration tweaks and a coupon code.
The tiger in the tank, Intel's 2.33GHz Core 2 Quad Q8200 processor, roars along with 6GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, and a 512MB GeForce G210 video card. Those are some kick-ass specs.
Other highlights: a Blu-ray drive with LightScribe-DVD capabilities, an 802.11n Wi-Fi adapter, and a 15-month subscription to Norton Internet Security 2009 (aka the good version).
Perhaps best of all, the system comes with Windows Vista Home Premium but is eligible for a free Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade come October 22.
By the way, this is a new Pavilion, not a refurb, so you get HP's full one-year warranty. Here's how to put it all together, courtesy of DealNews:
- Ctrl-click this link to open the product page in a new tab.
- Click the Customize & Buy button next to the $649.99 option.
- Click the Memory option and choose the free 6GB upgrade.
- Click the Primary CD/DVD Drive option and choose the Blu-ray player.
- Click the Networking option and choose the Wireless-N LAN card and external modem.
- Click Review & Buy, then apply coupon code DTM4558.
Presto! That should get you out the door for $649.99. In an ideal world, this system would also have a TV tuner (which you can add for $80), but it's still one of the best desktop deals I've ever seen.
HP's various discounts on this system end Aug. 15, so you've got a little time if you want to shop around. I'll be mighty surprised if you can find a better configuration for the money.
Preorder two copies of the Windows 7 upgrade, then sell one later to recoup all your costs.
(Credit: Microsoft)By now you've undoubtedly heard the news: Until July 11 (or while supplies last), you can preorder the Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade for $49.99.
After the deal expires, that same upgrade will cost you $119.99. Needless to say, if you're interested in Windows 7, now's the time to buy.
My advice: buy two. Then, after Windows 7 ships (on October 22), turn around and sell your spare copy for $100. Obviously that's $20 less than the list price, meaning you should have no trouble moving it on eBay, Craigslist, or wherever.
At the same time, you recoup 100 percent of your investment and get Windows 7 to boot (literally).
Risky? A gamble? Perhaps, but to this day upgrade copies of Vista are selling on eBay for $100 and more. And that's two years later. The only real downside is that you're out $100 for about four months. Worth it? Let me know in the comments.
In the meantime, keep in mind that if you're a Windows XP user, there's no automated way to upgrade your system to Windows 7--not without wiping your hard drive. (Vista users, however, can upgrade directly.)
That means you'll need to back up your drivers, data, and the like, install Windows 7, restore your stuff, reinstall your applications, etc. It's a hassle, but in the end you'll have an outta-the-box-fast PC with a spiffy new OS.
And a free one at that.
This smokin' quad-core desktop is new, not refurbished, and a steal at $599.
(Credit: HP)Remember the HP Pavilion M9350F from back in January? That post elicited a ton of discussion (nearly 150 comments), in part because it was a uniquely awesome deal, and in part because of a little controversy. More on that in a bit.
The original deal was $619.99, plus $30 shipping, for a refurbished model. BuyDig has the HP Pavilion M9350F, new, for $599 shipped. If you're in the market for a desktop, get out your wallet: It doesn't get better than this.
I say that as the owner of this exact system. Although I did suffer a couple months of frustration owing to a hardware glitch (the machine would slow to a crawl for hours at a time), I eventually tracked down a hard-drive firmware update that solved the problem. The M9350F has been a gem ever since.
As I said the first time around, the specs on this thing are unreal: a quad-core AMD processor, 6GB of RAM, a 750GB hard drive, a 512MB GeForce 9800GT graphics card, a TV tuner, and 802.11n wireless connectivity.
It lacks a Blu-ray drive, but I don't need one. I'm happy with the LightScribe DVD burner. If you do decide to leverage its media-center capabilities, you'll appreciate the HDMI output (via DVI adapter) and Windows Media Center remote.
In short, this system is loaded, and it's $50 less than it was five months ago. Plus, you get a full one-year warranty instead of just 90 days. (Speaking of which, I dealt with HP technical support a couple times, and they were surprisingly efficient. I even got follow-up calls to make sure my problem was resolved.)
Indeed, despite my rocky start with the M9350F, I have no qualms about recommending it--especially at this price. Just make damn sure you install that firmware update.
A 1080p LCD for $139? Grab this before Dell fixes the price mistake!
(Credit: Dell)Much as I hate to post back-to-back deals from the same vendor, I couldn't let this go by: Dell has a 22-inch LCD monitor for $139 shipped (plus sales tax in some states). That's already a stellar bargain, but this monitor has something I've never seen at this price point: 1080p resolution.
See, a 22-inch LCD in the $140-150 range is nothing new (heck, I found one for $129 a few weeks back), but I've never seen one with a resolution higher than 1,680x1,050.
The Dell S2209W tops out at 1,920x1,080 (that's 1080p in HD-speak), making it a perfect match for PCs with Blu-ray drives. And to that end, it includes an HDCP-compliant DVI port (as well as standard-issue VGA). Sorry, though: no HDMI.
In most other respects it's a pretty vanilla monitor, albeit one with sleek, rounded corners. Compared with most budget LCDs, this one's a looker. Plus, it comes with a three-year warranty. (What, you thought this was another refurb? Nope, it's new!)
If you're in the market for a new monitor, the S2209W's a slam dunk. (Check the user reviews if you don't believe me.) I don't know how long the sale (or stock) will last, so act fast if you want in.
