[Pc_Support] Compaq Presario 1900 series -- WAS: Dell E521 dual-core Athlon x2 for $399 ...

[Bryan J. Smith]

On 9/15/06, Bryan J. Smith <thebs413 at gmail.com> wrote:
> First off, I had a brain-fart.  These are BTX-based form-factors, not ATX.

If you want a major, Tier-1 OEM with a MicroATX form-factor, I want to
point out the Compqa Presario 1900 series is such.  They are
_very_cheap_ -- start at $249 on Compaq's site, and I've even seen a
not-to-shabby Compaq Presario SR1910 (IIRC?) many times for $245 after
rebate, and once even $179! after rebate, from CompUSA (and it was a
fairly loaded $399 model).  No Athlon x2 model (you have to go HP for
that), but they can be had for _cheap_ -- especially when a killer
deal hits.

My father have a couple of the SR1900 models ($249/each after rebate,
and included DLink routers and even a Canon MP150 photo printer).
They are stock MicroATX, with a full-sized 300W ATX power supply --
and the rest of the 1900 series line seems to be as well.  All Sempron
or Celeron D (which is actually single-core last time I tested one)
models.  So they are a great model to start with if you want to
upgrade, including not having to pay the full price for the Windows XP
Home license (which can cost you $100 when you self-assemble, but only
costs the Tier-1 OEM $25).

Compaq-HP's tech support for home users is also a crapload better than
Dell's.  You really have to be a 400+ employee company to get good
Dell support.