Hi - I know there are some very knowledeable people on here, so I hope that I can ask for advice? I'm pretty clueless when it comes to computers, though I use them every day.
My Dell Dimension 2005 model, with 1GB of RAM, has come to the effective end of its life. Here's my requirements for a new one:
-decent sounding - I will use it for 24/48 audio editing, and a little surfing, youtube watching, etc, on mid range headphones (Grado SR80/ATH-M20)
-low power usage - it will be on 100% of the time, as it will torrent / upload a lot of shows
-quiet, as it lives in the bedroom
-long lasting - I'd like it to last for 8-10 years if poss.
-small as possible, though I've ruled out a laptop.
-CD/DVD burner - I do still occasionally get asked for CD's by bands that I tape. This can be external.
-8GB RAM
-250GB SSD memory
Budget is £600 (around $750)
I'ts been suggested that a mini pc would fit the above criteria, though I believe this is based on laptop technology. Or should I go for another tower pc?
Here's a typical mini-pc spec of what I can afford:
Asus Vivo VC62B DualBay Intel Core i3-4030U Barebone PC
Asus VC62B-B006M, Intel Core i3-4030U, 2 x SO-DIMM (Up to 16GB RAM)
SATA 6Gb/s 3.5" or 2.5"/2 x 2.5 via Vivo DualBay, Intel HD Graphics 4400, No OS
4-in-1 card reader, 802.11 B/G/N/AC, Bluetooth BT4.0, VESA Mount, 1YR Collect & Return Warranty
Once I've added in a cheap monitor, wireless mouse and keyboard, OS and memory, I'm up to my budget.
Cheers,
Humbug