Gaming Computer brands

[scrtmstr]

My dad and I are looking for a new computer (again) and we've found 2 identical specced pc's.

the Packard Bell iMedia i5701 and the acer aspire x3950.

They both cost the same, they both are identical in specs, the only difference is the size and the brand.

Now I've heard some pretty bad stuff about Packard Bell, and the one we used to own blew up and would randomly shut down. The stuff I heard was, that PB uses refurbished motherboards, which causes very fast failure and expensive repairs. Also that the keyboard and mouse plugs differ a bit from normal pc's, so they can only be used on PB's.

And on top of that, I've heard the most fantastic things about acer.

So which should we go for? And have you got any horror story's about either brand?

 

[Raiser]

I have no personal experience with either manufacturer, but I rarely hear anything bad about Acer.
I've heard from multiple friends that the quality of their laptops is very high too.

Things blowing up is never good.
Haven't even heard of "Packard Bell" for at least 5 years. Soon as I read it, I wuz like "OH YEAH.... them..."

My opinion- go for Acer.

 

[Berthenk]

Go for neither of those. The best brand you can choose is the brand you build yourself. Seriously though, at which price range are you looking?

Edit: just took a quick look. For that price you can get something much better.

 

[Demonbart]

My dad and I are looking for a new computer (again) and we've found 2 identical specced pc's.

the Packard Bell iMedia i5701 and the acer aspire x3950.

They both cost the same, they both are identical in specs, the only difference is the size and the brand.

Now I've heard some pretty bad stuff about Packard Bell, and the one we used to own blew up and would randomly shut down. The stuff I heard was, that PB uses refurbished motherboards, which causes very fast failure and expensive repairs. Also that the keyboard and mouse plugs differ a bit from normal pc's, so they can only be used on PB's.

And on top of that, I've heard the most fantastic things about acer.

So which should we go for? And have you got any horror story's about either brand?

I have an Acer and my father has a PB.
My father's pc seemed good when he bought it, but after some time it started slowing down, and no matter what we did it wouldn't run at a normal speed anymore.
My Acer is quite good, the only problem I ever had with it is that the motherboard went kaput, but the guy who fixed it said it was just bad luck, so it wasn't really acer's fault. (This guy's an independent person, not linked to acer in any way

)
So I'd say go with the acer

 

[Joe88]

packard bell left the USA and CAN markets 10 years ago

 

[Raiser]

Go for neither of those. The best brand you can choose is the brand you build yourself. Seriously though, at which price range are you looking?

Edit: just took a quick look. For that price you can get something much better.
He's asking for help on a decision between the two, not something else.
You've state the obvious.

QUOTE(Joe88 @ Nov 15 2010, 11:07 AM) packard bell left the USA and CAN markets 10 years ago

No wonder.

 

[Rydian]

Brand doesn't matter as much as people want you to think it does.

People generally blame brand for three things.
[*]How well the computer runs.

Dell and HP and Apple and other companies don't "build" machines, they "assemble" them. They take core parts (like the processor / ram / graphics card / harddrive) from other companies that make them, put it all together (with their own cases and accessories) and sell the completed package to you. If you ever take a computer apart, you'll notice that the company names on the parts vary widely. There's a few companies that make ram, a few that make processors, a few that make harddrives, and so on and so forth.

So, for example, there's nothing that makes an HP processor better than a Dell processor... because there's no such thing. Dell and HP can both be using the same processors in their machines. So you can buy a Dell that kicks an HP's ass, and then turn around and buy an HP better than that Dell.

A big part of how well a computer runs is the software installed on it (specifically the drivers and programs like that). Most computer issues are software, have nothing to do with the brand itself, and can be permanently fixed with a little bit of effort.
General Computer Speedup/Maintenance.
That guide will show you how to properly fix most common computer issues, including slowdown, for free.

So if you want a faster computer, you should make sure to pick one with the right parts, and maintain it properly.
[*]How well the computer is physically built.

You get what you pay for. If you buy a company's lowest-end model and find that the case is made out of cheap plastic, it's because you paid for cheap plastic. If you buy a higher-end model and get a sturdy metal case, that's because some of the extra price went towards a metal case. You'll pay more for a computer that's built with better parts and more care, because it costs more for the better parts, and it costs more to have workers spend more time on it. Every computer manufacturer makes multiple lines of computers, and generally the "it fell apart" complaints are from people that bought the cheapest one.

So if you want a more sturdy computer, don't buy the cheapest models.
[*]Tech support.

As said above, you get what you pay for. The standard tech support is the foreign people because they are cheap. If you buy the better warranty/support package, then you're paying for the better support people. You have a better chance of getting somebody that knows what they're talking about and who can speak english (or your native language), because they cost more to hire.

So if you want better tech support, you should get the upgraded warranty/support.

 

[exangel]

Packard Bell left the US/Can market over 10 years ago because of the major controversy of admitting or being proven in court to sell refurbished computers marketed as new computers. Even a computer with only one refurbished part shouldn't be marketed as new (especially if it is the motherboard.. of course..), so their brand name was trashed and retailers refused to continue stocking their products.

That said, I haven't used a working Packard Bell PC in over 10 years, so I can't profess any experience that would apply to your question. I do have mostly positive experience with Acer throughout the past 14 years.

I've also had a negative experience with one Acer desktop in the past few years, being that they refused to replace a faulty component that should have been under warranty, but because it was after the first year, they could charge for parts, or some crap like that (and they wanted $185 for special HSF aka the CPU cooler, because the system was a special form factor and the part had to be backordered... so they claimed).

Since a couple people from your country in this thread have spoken up, maybe you should consider a custom build since it's possible you'd find the help you need to get it done.

I also think Rydian made some very excellent points, the brand alone will not tell you whether or not a product sucks, it takes a bit more research to determine that, especially if the products are otherwise made of the same computational components.

 

[Originality]

I have a PB media laptop nearing 5 years old and it's simply been brilliant right up to this day (except the battery dying after 2 years). It was a "limited edition" coconut flavour - very sparkly white with brown decans on the sides. Aside from that, I've not seen any PB laptops for quite some time.

My dad's new laptop is an Acer Aspire 5740. It's just good for his needs. It has a Core i5 and little else, so it gets good processing power for his chess and a fair battery life, and can still watch movies or play games at minimal levels.

I've got good experiences with both. Of course, I'm aware of the bad reputation with several other laptops under both manufacters' ranges. It's really just a matter of picking out the right laptop for the person, and then making sure that others don't have problems with it.

Btw, for the "brands don't matter" point... whilst I accept it as true, has there ever been a mid/high end Compaq with a good screen?

 

[myuusmeow]

Packard Bell is now a subsidiary of Acer.

I don't know how much this costs in your country, but Googling the Acer model you posted gives me a computer with an i3 and integrated Intel graphics (aka shit) for $540. For $540 you could do a lot better than that. The Packard Bell model seems to be an i3 with integrated Nvidia graphics (aka semi-shit)

Really though, both of these computers don't seem to be a good deal. Are you open to building your own PC?

 

[exangel]

Btw, for the "brands don't matter" point... whilst I accept it as true, has there ever been a mid/high end Compaq with a good screen?

hehehe, yeah... I'm definitely anti-Compaq, at least as mobile systems go. I'm anti-manufactured altogether when it comes to desktops, but some people prefer form factors that usually only come in manufactured configurations such as all-in-ones. (my father will only buy computers with a very small desk footprint but not all-in-ones. he has an eMachines at the moment because it was a very cheap refurb that is good enough, though I've built Mini-ITX kits for him in the past, he didnt have the time for ordering parts the last couple of times)

I didn't know if/that he's after a laptop though, so I hadn't thought of that.

edit: Jeez, google is totally in bed with the 'temp. I googled the packard bell model and this thread was the third result..

 

[Rydian]

I'm anti-Acer because ALL of their lines are bad, and pro-Lenovo because they don't HAVE a bad line... however my point is to make people think about the computer itself, and not just the label on the fucking case.

If you let people think about nothing more than the label on the case, they'll be lazy and only think about the label on the case. That's bad.

 

[Originality]

That sounds exactly like Nike. People go for Nike clothes because they're Nike, not because they're good clothes. Sometimes the same applies to laptops, although there's a bit of a trend between manufacturers... like how HP fill their computers/laptops with more bloatware than any other manufacturer I've seen so far, and how they like to include a remote control with their laptops. Toshiba on the other hand tend to just make laptops that are laptops, not adding much in the way of extras.

 

[FireGrey]

I reckon Acer is one of the top PC brands, but i'm struggling finding a good computer so

 

[Sao Mortel]

+1 anti-acer ; they are cheap for a reason...

I only recommended Dell for years now. But now I recommended Apple if you can afford it. And you can check Sony also they are reliable in my book.

 

[sweenish]

That sounds exactly like Nike. People go for Nike clothes because they're Nike, not because they're good clothes. Sometimes the same applies to laptops, although there's a bit of a trend between manufacturers... like how HP fill their computers/laptops with more bloatware than any other manufacturer I've seen so far, and how they like to include a remote control with their laptops. Toshiba on the other hand tend to just make laptops that are laptops, not adding much in the way of extras.

toshiba also has the worst trackpads of any company. and their enclosures are gaudy. i don't care how solid the guts are, i'm not buying an atrocity.

hp's bloatware is annoying, but spend an hour uninstalling it and getting your own replacements in, and you can then back it up to the recovery partition and never worry about it again. i would gladly lose an hour for an equally spec'd computer that looks attractive to me.

laptops are also the only thing i buy branded when it comes to computers. i'm never buying a pre-built desktop again.

 

[Deleted User]

{{}}

 

[Berthenk]

I can say don't go for PB. I have one in my room and it is so slow, I took it apart and cleaned it, i did ever thing to try to speed it up, but nothing. I have nearly always heard good things about Acer.

Ever tried to read reviews of the hardware inside it?

 

[Deleted User]

{{}}

 

[Originality]

I still say PB aren't all bad. My PB media laptop has served me well since I got it. Even upgrading the CPU wasn't too difficult (even though PB themselves apparantly weren't allowed to explain how exactly I should do it because their technical manual is classified).