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Weekend Deals, Dell, Alienware & HP Promos

Rico Mossesgeld — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:30:23 +0000

The promos intensify as the holidays near. For this weekend, you can check out the following discounts available from Dell, Alienware, and HP:

Promo	Ends	Coupon Code
Free 2 business day shipping on all Alienware laptop and desktop purchases with coupon code D9MF6D4X1C9BVH	12/18/09 11:59 PM CST or after 200 redemptions	D9MF6D4X1C9BVH
Save $149 on this Alienware Aurora desktop. Only $1499 after discount	12/12/09 5:55 AM CT	None required
Save over 45% on this Studio 15 laptop. Only $549 after instant discount! Hurry only 1000 units available at this price.	After 1000 redemptions	None required
This Inspiron 15 laptop only $399 after $100 instant discount and coupon code 40M?6?W03KFH93. Plus get free next business day shipping.	12/18/2009 11:55 PM CST or after 1830 redemptions	40M?6?W03KFH93
This Inspiron 15 laptop only $479 after $220 instant discount and coupon code 1R$ZL9Q7CFG69V. Plus get free next business day shipping.	12/18/2009 11:55 PM CST or after 1200 redemptions	1R$ZL9Q7CFG69V
Nov 19-Dec 4: Only $415 for the Inspiron 11z laptop + free next business day shipping! Use coupon code $9532Z?LL5DB9$.	1/2/2010 11:55 PM CST or after 400 redemptions	$9532Z?LL5DB9$
Save up to $605 instantly on the HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition Series Customizable Notebook PC!	12/6-12/12	None required
Save up to $515 instantly on the HP Pavilion dv8t Quad Edition Series Customizable Notebook PC!
Save up to $545 instantly on the HP Pavilion Elite e9250t Series Customizable Desktop PC!
Save up to $515 instantly on the HP Pavilion Elite e9280t Series Customizable Desktop PC!

Please note the validity periods, as some promos last until certain dates, while others end after a certain number of redemptions. If you’ve got your own holiday promos you’d like to share—and have something to do with gadgets—hit the comments below.

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How to Make $80k/Year Fixing PCs

Rico Mossesgeld — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:28:42 +0000

According to The PC Guild, it’s possible to make $80,000 a year (or a bit over $6,600 a month) fixing PCs in your area—even if you charge for only 4 hours a day:

I bill for about 4 hours a day on average, and I charge $70 an hour. I mainly fix computer problems related to corrupt hard drives, RAM installation, CD/DVD ROM repair, internet connectivity issues, printer problems, audio problems, and the like.

I charge $20 just to take a look at your computer. If you decided that you want me to fix it, (after I tell you how long it will probably take) I apply that $20 to your “balance.” Most jobs take about an hour and I bill in 20 minute increments, rounding up. If I have to come to you, there is an additional $30 charge. After hours, holidays, and emergencies have an additional charge of $20 an hour.

In other words, if you want to make a living fixing PCs, you’ll need to take advantage of your potential customers’ limited time, and get paid good money to focus on their problems so they can worry about other things. Here are a few things to expect if you decide to become the neighborhood computer repair technician:

Expect to be riddled with calls and requests for fixing computers for the rest of your natural life.
You will get all types of customers… rich little old ladies who pay well… to [those] who will try… to squeeze the most out of you for the least possible amount of money.
You will get customers who blame you for the remotest computer problem they get even months after you repaired their machines.
90% of the problems you fix will be one of these: “My computer is too slow. Please clean it up”, “Help! I got viruses invading my PC!”, “I got blue screens or other funny error message. Fix it or please reinstall Windows.”

So much more useful information available from The PC Guild.

(image from Frank Braski’s Flickr)

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Dell and Alienware Holiday Promos

Rico Mossesgeld — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:00:52 +0000

The online retailer is at again, with a bunch of discounts lined-up for the holidays. All the following promos are for US buyers only, and run until this December 14, CDT (unless otherwise specified):

Dell Laptops

Select laptops starting at $449. Save up to 40% on Dell’s most popular laptops.

New Lower Price on Dell Netbooks! Now starting at only $279 + free standard shipping.

Save $404 on the Studio XPS 16 laptop! Only $1099 after discount

Dell Desktops

Inspiron 537s desktop starting at $499 after savings and includes a 20″ monitor.

Complete desktop package featuring the Studio XPS 8000 desktop and 20″ monitor for only $999 after $329 instant off.

Special 24-Hour Promo

For 24 hours only, Dell will hold a special “Performance PC” sale. This runs from 6:00 am today (December 3) until 6:00 am tomorrow. Highlights include:

Over 20% off a Studio XPS 8000
Save $320 on an Alienware Aurora Desktop
Get over $200 off the Studio 17″ Core i7
$275 in instant savings on the Alienware M15x laptop

Click on the link below once the sale starts to avail:

24 Hour Performance PC Sale!

Any other desktop and laptop holiday promos out there? Feel free to share below.

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Smoking Bad for Macs too, Voids AppleCare

Rico Mossesgeld — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:00:02 +0000

Looks like Apple Computers is giving smokers another reason to kick the killer habit. According to The Consumerist, two customers found their AppleCare warranties voided, due to contamination from cigarette smoke! The fact that smoking is bad is common sense, but electronics failing because of secondhand smoke? Preposterous!

Well, maybe not. Apple may have good reason refusing warranty repairs to the computers of smokers, as proven by one of the customers who have his warranty money rendered useless: “[Steve] Jobs’ office did not help Derek, but he resolved some of the problems himself by disassembling his Macbook and cleaning it out with a can of compressed air.” Maybe it’s not the smoke, but the inevitable ash that flies around in a smoker’s environment.

Still, the least Apple could’ve done was state clearly within the AppleCare agreement that smoking may void the warranty. Apple’s protection program isn’t exactly cheap, and the company should at least make it even more clear what kind of activities will affect the warranty. Especially as it rolls out its own Black Friday promos.Source

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Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals from Dell

Rico Mossesgeld — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:00:13 +0000

Dell’s marketing is busy cranking out deals for the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday, perhaps inspired by the maker’s strong laptop reliability showing. So expect a constant stream of discounts and promos, starting today until November 30, 2009. American shoppers, take note of the following below, and their corresponding end dates! Discounts available during this period of the year are notoriously short-lived.

Promo	Starts	Ends	Highlights
Electronics Sales Event – Save up to $690 on select TVs and Electronics	Ongoing	11/26/09 11:59 PM CST	Sony BRAVIA 55″ KDL55V5100 120Hz 1080p LCD HDTV $1769.10 after $529.90 instant off Nokia N86 Unlocked Smartphone $369.99 after $130 off
Ultimate Value of the Season. Black Friday at Dell Home + Free 3-5 day shipping on all items on landing page	11/27/09 12:00 AM CST	11/27/09 11:59 PM CST	The new Inspiron Zino HD desktop for only $199 Mini netbook for only $249 42″ Sharp TV for only $599 (limited quantities available)
Entertainment Sale – The great offers continue at Dell Home!	11/28/09 12:01 AM CST	11/29/09 11:59 PM CST	Mini 10v netbook with TV tuner only $499 Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle only $269.99 after $30 off
Great Cyber Monday Deals at Dell + Free 3-5 day shipping on all items on landing page	11/30/09 12:00 AM CST	11/30/09 11:59 PM CST	Inspiron 15 laptop for only $449 TomTom One 130 GPS only $79.99 Corel Photo & Video Bundle Software $69.99
Black Friday Alienware Special: Get $200 off when you purchase $200 or more in upgrades.	11/27/09 12:00 AM CST	11/30/09 11:59 PM CST	Upgrades are FREE if worth $200

CST stands for Central Standard Time. If you’re not familiar with this time zone, more information is available here (you can use the time zone converter here as well). As mentioned above, the promos only apply in the US. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are American institutions anyway.

Don’t forget, other “Black Friday” promos by Dell are still ongoing!

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The Most Powerful Gaming PC—Within Reason

Rico Mossesgeld — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 12:30:23 +0000

Even With Unlimited Funds, Reason Applies

Any discerning computer parts shopper knows its not really about buying the most expensive parts, but getting the parts that maximize your money.

This applies even when you’re working with an unlimited budget. Even if you’ve budgeted several thousand dollars for your dream gaming PC, it still makes sense not to spend on what you really don’t need, right?

Take for instance the sub-$2000 gaming PC shared by Tom’s Hardware forum member tecmo34. While it spends top dollar on what’s now the most powerful consumer-level graphics card on the planet (the ATI Radeon HD 5970), it’s still content to spend “just” $290 for the Intel Core i7 920, not spending a thousand on the higher-end i7 975.

That’s because in terms fo performance, you get more by spending on the 2.66GHz i7 920, then simply overclocking it to clock speeds close to the i7 975’s 3.33GHz. Ultimately, extreme gaming performance depends more on your video card, not on your processor, no matter what Intel’s marketing tells you. At the same time, why would you bother spending top dollar on a Blu-Ray burner, when a $30 DVD rewriter is all you need for now?

Extreme Enthusiast Gaming Build

Without further ado, here’s tecmo34’s Extreme Enthusiast Gaming Build:

		$2096
Component	Item	Cost
CPU	Intel Core i7-920 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor	$289
Motherboard	ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 ATX Intel Motherboard	$289
RAM	OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage Desktop Memory	$164
Heatsink Fan Assembly	XIGMATEK Intel Core i7 compatible Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler	$45
Solid State Disk	Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2M080G2XXX 2.5″ 80GB SATA II	$290
Hard Disk	SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5″ SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive	$85
GPU	SAPPHIRE 100280OCSR Radeon HD 5970	$625
PSU	Antec CP-850 850W Continuous Power “compatible with Core i7″ Power Supply	$120
Optical Drive	Sony Optiarc DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Black SATA Model AD-7240S-0B	$32
Case	Antec Twelve Hundred Black Computer Case With Side Panel Window	$150
Thermal Paste	Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound	$7

There you have it, “only” $2096 for the most powerful PC gaming hardware money can buy. You can spend a whole lot more on parts that are technically more powerful, but the law of diminishing returns plays more of a role beyond this level. The build above obviously doesn’t include a display, other peripherals, and even the OS, so let’s cover that below.

Display

With such a powerful gaming build at your disposal, it’s an utter waste to settle for small displays that have a resolution less than 1920 x 1080. Heck, the 5970 is powerful to drive six different displays. I am not kidding.

Anyways, if your budget was nearly drained by the build above, there’s nothing wrong with settling for “just” the Hanns·G HG-281DPB, a $300 27.5″ display with a resolution of—you guessed it—1920 x 1080. To maximize the video card however, you need to get at least two.

However, if you really want to go all the way, while still maximizing your money, then why not get an LED TV? Paying $2800 for a computer monitor sounds a bit extreme, but there’s no easier way to equip your setup with a large display.

Peripherals

If you do opt for the LED TV display above, you’d better get a wireless mouse keyboard combo like the Logitech Pro 2800 Cordless Desktop ($65), so that you can keep yourself an appreciable distance away from the TV. For a more conventional mouse-keyboard setup however, the Logitech Black Internet 350 USB Keyboard and Microsoft D66-00066 Black Wired Optical Mouse cost $12 each.

Operating System

Without a doubt, you should get Windows 7. Unless you need advanced network management and file encryption functionality, there’s no reason to opt for the pricey Ultimate Edition. With 6GB of RAM in the build above, you’ll need Windows 7 Professional edition, 64-bit ($140).

Suggestions

Got anything to add here? Feel free to leave ‘em below.

Source

Post from: The Gadget Blog

Black Friday Deals from Dell

Rico Mossesgeld — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:30:32 +0000

They say Black Friday was so named because Philadelphia city officials usually braced themselves for “massive traffic jams and over-crowded sidewalks” as people take advantage of the day off to shop until they drop for the holidays. In any case, those problems are non-existent when you shop online, and Dell has a lot of Black Friday deals for shoppers looking for a computer for themselves or loved ones.

	Offer	End Date	Coupon Code
	Complete desktop package featuring the Studio XPS 8000 desktop and 20″ monitor for only $999 after $329 instant off.	11/23/09 5:55 AM CST	None Required
	Studio XPS 13 laptop only $999 after $369 instant savings!	11/23/09 5:55 AM CST
	Check out the new TOUCH Studio 17 laptop at Dell! Don’t miss our other great deals on touch screens!	“Ongoing”
Check out Dell’s most popular PCs with the all the options you want starting at less than $500 + free next business day shipping!		“Ongoing”
	This Inspiron 15 laptop only $399 after $100 instant discount and coupon code 40M?6?W03KFH93. Plus get free next business day shipping.	12/4/09 11:55 PM CST or after 500 redemptions (whichever comes first)	40M?6?W03KFH93
	This Inspiron 15 laptop only $479 after $220 instant discount and coupon code 1R$ZL9Q7CFG69V. Plus get free next business day shipping.		1R$ZL9Q7CFG69V
	Nov 19-Dec 4: Only $419 for the Inspiron 11z laptop + free next business day shipping! Use coupon code $9532Z?LL5DB9$.		$9532Z?LL5DB9$
Save up to 39% on Dell’s most popular laptops. Includes free standard shipping.		11/26/09 11:59 PM CDT	None Required
New Lower Price on Dell Netbooks! Now starting at only $279 + free standard shipping.		11/26/09 11:59 PM CDT	None Required

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Weekend Deals From Dell: 20% Off on Desktops, Laptops

Rico Mossesgeld — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:30:11 +0000

Here’s yet another promo from Dell’s marketing peeps: 20% off the Inspiron 546 and Studio XPS 8000 desktops, and the Inspiron 15 and Studio XPS 16 laptops. Should be interesting for your holiday-influenced buying mind. You can access the promo here, then enter the coupon 5TK?LC9VJ5F$33 when checking out.

While the Inspiron desktop comes with its own 18.5″ display, the same isn’t true for the XPS 8000. However, the latter is definitely equipped for performance computing, with its Core i5 750 CPU, 750GB hard drive, and dedicated Nvidia GT220 with 1GB of video memory.

Bundled displays are of course standard on any laptop, but the difference in terms of performance also applies between the Inspiron 15 and Studio XPS 16; the latter features a 512MB video card and a spacious 500GB hard drive.

In any case, feel free to browse around before making any final purchase. Whatever configuration you decide on (if any), just use the coupon code 5TK?LC9VJ5F$33 to apply the 20% discount. This promo lasts until December 11, 2009, so you have lots of time to weigh your options.

Save 20% on all laptops and desktops on landing page, including the Studio XPS 16 with coupon code 5TK?LC9VJ5F$33

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The Cheapest Gaming PCs You’ll Ever Find

Rico Mossesgeld — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:55:46 +0000

Enterprising Tom’s Hardware member tecmo34 has taken the time to write a “Recommended Build” guide, outlining the parts you should get for a “budget” gaming PC. Whether you prefer an Intel or AMD CPU, tecmo’s got you covered. Here are two gaming PC builds he’s recommended, with input from TH’s more veteran members. Both are designed to “play games at mid. to max. settings at a monitor resolution of 1440×900 or less”:

$505 Intel Build

CPU: Intel Pentium E5300 2.6GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor ($70)
MOBO: GIGABYTE GA-EP43-UD3L ATX Intel Motherboard ($80)
RAM: CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory ($90)
HSF: Sunbeam CR-CCTF 120 mm Core-Contact Freezer CPU Cooler W/TX-2 ($35)
HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 500GB 3.5″ SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive ($55)
PSU: Antec earthwatts EA430 430W Continuous Power Power Supply ($55)
GPU: XFX Radeon HD 4650 HD-465X-YAF2 Video Card ($50)
DVD: Sony Optiarc DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Black SATA Model AD-7240S-0B ($30)
Case: COOLER MASTER Elite 330 RC-330-KKN1-GP Black Computer Case ($40)

$505 AMD Build

CPU: AMD Phenom II X2 545 3.0GHz Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Processor ($90)
MOBO: ASUS M2A74-AM Micro ATX AMD Motherboard ($60)
RAM: CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory ($90)
HSF: Sunbeam CR-CCTF 120 mm Core-Contact Freezer CPU Cooler W/TX-2 ($35)
HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 500GB 3.5″ SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive ($55)
PSU: Antec earthwatts EA430 430W Continuous Power Power Supply ($55)
GPU: XFX Radeon HD 4650 HD-465X-YAF2 Video Card ($50)
DVD: Sony Optiarc DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Black SATA Model AD-7240S-0B ($30)
Case: COOLER MASTER Elite 330 RC-330-KKN1-GP Black Computer Case ($40)

Both builds are meant to be overclocked, to maximize the gaming power of the components. If you’re building a new PC from scratch, you may need a display, mouse, keyboard, a headset, and of course, the OS. Here are some more suggestions from tecmo:

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders ($140)
Display: Acer X193Wb Black 19″ 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor ($120)
Keyboard: Logitech Black Internet 350 USB Keyboard ($15)
Mouse: Microsoft D66-00066 Black Wired Optical Mouse ($12)
Speakers Logitech S-220 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System ($24)

With the above extras, you’ve got a total of $816, regardless of your processor brand loyalties. Prices are from NewEgg, are current as of this writing, and don’t include shipping or taxes.

Source

Post from: The Gadget Blog

Best Graphics Cards for the Money, Nov Ed.

Rico Mossesgeld — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:00:13 +0000

As manufacturers constantly come out with new hardware, the answer to the question “what is the best graphic card for my money?” also changes. I don’t have the time to do the research and check out the specs, and that’s why I’m thankful Tom’s Hardware takes care of that for me, through the website’s Best Graphics Cards for the Money series.

Like previous editions, the November 2009 issue simply lists the best graphics card(s) for a particular price point, and explains why it is so. Without further ado, here are the cards:

Price	Card
$55	SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4650 100253HDMI
$80	HIS Radeon HD 4670 H467QS1GH
$90	XFX GeForce 9600 GSO PVT96OZDFA
$110	Galaxy GeForce 9600 GT 96GFF6VIFCXX
$115	MSI Radeon HD 4850 R4850-2D512-OC
$125	XFX Radeon HD 4870 HD-487A-YWFC
$170	SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4870 100279-1GL
$175	HIS Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) H577F1GDG
$190	EVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896-P3-1255-AR
$190	HIS Radeon HD 4890 H489FP1G
$230	2 x MSI Radeon HD 4850 R4850-2D512-OC in CrossFire configuration
$250	2 x XFX Radeon HD 4870 HD-487A-YWFC
$300	SAPPHIRE 100282SR Radeon HD 5850
$340	2 x SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4870 100279-1GL in CrossFire configuration
$350	2 x HIS Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) H577F1GDG in CrossFire configuration
$380	2 x EVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896-P3-1255-AR in SLI configuration
$380	2 x HIS Radeon HD 4890 H489FP1G in CrossFire configuration
$400	SAPPHIRE 100281SR Radeon HD 5870
$510	EVGA GeForce GTX 295 017-P3-1295-AR CO-OP Edition

For over $510, you can get the most powerful graphics card on the planet

Source

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