How To Identify Computer Speed

ASUS

As already mentioned the best bang for the buck is to use a SSD for your OS drive and for my last two laptops I have made sure each has a DVD/CD drive and a reasonably sized HDD (500GB min). I then buy a HDD/CD drive tray and replace the OEM DVD/CD drive with that along with a 256 SDD. I then clone the factory drive onto the SDD and use that as my primary OS. The original HDD becomes my backup OS drive along with my primary data drive along with the storage for my onboard Acronis periodic backups. The only additional program on the original OS drive directory is a copy of Acronis that I can use w/o reverting to a DVD/CD Acronis boot disk for any system recovery I might want. Of course that original OEM HDD also has the recovery partitions on it. This last laptop I also had the factory remove all the third party "junk" that often comes on drive like the 30 day trials of McAfee or Norton, games, etc. so I truly have a "clean OS" to start over with. I had to pay like $30 to Toshiba for this "clean OS" install version, but IMO it was well worth the small cost since it got rid of all the skeleton directories and files along with orphaned registery keys that are left if you simply use the windows program remove function.

With that setup I always have a clean OS on the original HDD albiet w/o all the updates that I can use and as I put the new programs on the SSD I keep the install files used in a special directory called "SSD Pgm install files" so I can take the original HDD clone it to a fresh HD and then update it to what was the last OS drive configuration that was on the SSD.

Larry

RJsfishin wrote:
Ok, I confess, I sometimes pick it up onehanded by one side of the screen when its already open,....and that does happen to be the same side that both corners are broke. So,.....we can get to the moon, but we can't build a computer that isn't so fragile ?? My HP was tough as nails, but junk in every other way. My Toshiba was really good for 8 yrs, except both hinges were broke in 3 yrs. For the next 5 years the screen was permanently held open w/ 2 aluminum flatbars screwed into the screen and the base. No one believed it.....even when they saw it :) Whateverworks, right ??

joebedford wrote:

RJsfishin wrote:
This Dell is 3 yrs old, and has 2 broken corners on the screen, which I epoxied and it just broke again. One hinge is broken as well. It has never been dropped or given any other reason to do that. And I didn't have it 2 years when many of the letters on the keys are worn off, and unidentifyable.

As others have pointed out, Dell isn't the company it once was but you must be doing something "special" to your PC to have those problems.

They do build tough computers. They start at about $3500 for small specs and go up rapidly. Try a DELL XFR, if you want to pay for it.

RJsfishin wrote:
My Toshiba was really good for 8 yrs, except both hinges were broke in 3 yrs. For the next 5 years the screen was permanently held open w/ 2 aluminum flatbars screwed into the screen and the base.

It won't help you now, but there actually was a class action suit against Toshiba which ended up awarding a couple of hundred dollars to owners of Toshiba Satellites with broken hinges.

Sounds like YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE A LAPTOP.

Ok, I confess, I sometimes pick it up onehanded by one side of the screen when its already open,....and that does happen to be the same side that both corners are broke. So,.....we can get to the moon, but we can't build a computer that isn't so fragile ?? My HP was tough as nails, but junk in every other way. My Toshiba was really good for 8 yrs, except both hinges were broke in 3 yrs. For the next 5 years the screen was permanently held open w/ 2 aluminum flatbars screwed into the screen and the base. No one believed it.....even when they saw it :) Whateverworks, right ??

joebedford wrote:

RJsfishin wrote:
This Dell is 3 yrs old, and has 2 broken corners on the screen, which I epoxied and it just broke again. One hinge is broken as well. It has never been dropped or given any other reason to do that. And I didn't have it 2 years when many of the letters on the keys are worn off, and unidentifyable.

As others have pointed out, Dell isn't the company it once was but you must be doing something "special" to your PC to have those problems.

my G540 core i5 lenovo 17.3" screen, 6gig ram, 750gig HD
broke both front hinges at just 27 months old
it had never been off my desk top, except the few times i cleaned and re-arranged the desk

planned obsolescent

RJsfishin wrote:
This Dell is 3 yrs old, and has 2 broken corners on the screen, which I epoxied and it just broke again. One hinge is broken as well. It has never been dropped or given any other reason to do that. And I didn't have it 2 years when many of the letters on the keys are worn off, and unidentifyable.

As others have pointed out, Dell isn't the company it once was but you must be doing something "special" to your PC to have those problems.

Thanks for all the info. I think I know what to look for now.
I found these specs on this one that I need to replace soon.

Win 7 HP
446 gig HD
6 gig ram
Intel (R) Core (TM)
i3-2350M
CPU @ 2,30 GHZ

This Dell is 3 yrs old, and has 2 broken corners on the screen, which I epoxied and it just broke again.
One hinge is broken as well. It has never been dropped or given any other reason to do that.
And I didn't have it 2 years when many of the letters on the keys are worn off, and unidentifyable.

The iMAC that I'm using was actually turned in to our IT dept as not working, destined for gov surplus as new parts were too expensive. We do have an Apple contract tech on staff, and was considering harvesting various parts from non working iMACs to get one back in service. But wasn't necessary, as I was able to get this one working again. I'm a believer in repurposing. It has my favorite LCD screen by far, and core i7 processor.

I was offered the option to order a new MacPro, affectionately referred to as the trash can, but declined as you're limited to what hardware can be configured. Not easily upgraded if at all. Which is where Windows has an advantage when going the custom build route. When and if I get to time to build a high end workstation.