Decent PC spec for aging parent? All in one?
Discussion
I need to sort out a new computer for my mum as her old one has become glacially slow and way past it's best.
What is a decent spec for an everyday machine these days? It will be used for general web browsing, a tiny bit of word/excel, some light (and very old) games and the occasional zoom/skype/MS teams call. I'd imagine the video conferencing is probably the most demanding bit of that?
I'm looking at all-in-one machines to keep everything tidy so minimal cabling and no external webcams/speakers etc to deal with. I appreciate these are inflexible for upgrades etc but if the spec is ok it should be good for a few years.
Does this Lenovo look a decent buy?
https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/desktop-pc...
Any other suggestions or things to be aware of?
What is a decent spec for an everyday machine these days? It will be used for general web browsing, a tiny bit of word/excel, some light (and very old) games and the occasional zoom/skype/MS teams call. I'd imagine the video conferencing is probably the most demanding bit of that?
I'm looking at all-in-one machines to keep everything tidy so minimal cabling and no external webcams/speakers etc to deal with. I appreciate these are inflexible for upgrades etc but if the spec is ok it should be good for a few years.
Does this Lenovo look a decent buy?
https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/desktop-pc...
Any other suggestions or things to be aware of?
Unfortunately ipads and the like are out of the question as there are some old bits of software/games that won't be able to be used, and that's before I get to the lack of keyboard and mouse etc! It needs to be a windows machine.
I quite liked the look of that 27" as the bigger screen should be a bit easier on the eyes than a 24" in HD. I know you can do scaling etc but I'd prefer to leave as much as MS and the hardware people intended as is possible.
I've no idea what a minimum decent spec is for the machine though as the only things I've bought in years are high spec laptops for engineering work. For this, I thought the i5 sounded suitably mid-range although from what I've read the latest AMD's are good too? Is 8gb sufficient RAM these days?
I quite liked the look of that 27" as the bigger screen should be a bit easier on the eyes than a 24" in HD. I know you can do scaling etc but I'd prefer to leave as much as MS and the hardware people intended as is possible.
I've no idea what a minimum decent spec is for the machine though as the only things I've bought in years are high spec laptops for engineering work. For this, I thought the i5 sounded suitably mid-range although from what I've read the latest AMD's are good too? Is 8gb sufficient RAM these days?
HRL said:
Where are you based? I’ve got an old but perfectly working AIO, Dell with an SSD and an i7 you can have for free if you’re anywhere near Romford, Essex.
Would just need a keyboard/mouse to go with it.
That's a very generous offer, however I'm in north Oxfordshire so quite far away (and tier 4!). Much appreciated though!Would just need a keyboard/mouse to go with it.
grumbledoak said:
i5/8GB/512GB SSD will do that workload easily.
That's good to know, thanks. My research is at least in the right ballpark!theaxe said:
I just got my dad an M1 Mac Mini, it's about 500x faster than his old one and should prevent me getting technical calls for a while. It's well worth the cost for the reduced hassle.
A Mac wouldn't be reduced hassle for me as I know nothing about them. I'm expecting plenty enough pain switching to another windows machine as it is since it won't be an exact replica of what she has now!Gassing Station | Computers, Gadgets & Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff