Tips and suggestions on buying a tower

I'm buying a 24-in LED Samsung monitor for $200 and I'm looking to buy a quality tower for it. I'd like to get it for under $300, but I'd be willing to pay more if the deal is good. Also, I'm not completely against buying it used or refurbished and online or in-store (which ever is cheaper).

I don't have a lot of experience when it comes to this, but basically here's what I'm looking for: It doesn't have to have a lot of GBs of space--I won't be storing much on it--but it is important that it works fast. Mostly I want to use it as a work-computer. Any suggestions? What tells you how fast a tower will work?

Good idea. a tower is, for many users, be better investment than other  types of PC systems. Like a laptop.
You say tower, I think you mean a full desktop computer ready to go. In other words, a full-size desktop system. Do you already have a monitor?

Unless you are a avid gamer, a low cost tower system will do what you need. A consideration is if you comes with full software installed. Some models now have MS Office  as a complete package, not a trial.

There are now several big companies in the desktop system market. Some vendors have a reputation for having lower prices. Be careful. Check the specs and return policies.

Asus has a good reputation. Sony? no comment. HP is current the big seller. Apple is very big. But Apple tends to be pricy, yet a very good choice.

Dell Inspiron 570 Desktop    is an entry level desktop with very good reviews overall. About $300, but no monitor.

CyberPower Gamer Xtreme 3000 About $1200 . Yeah, its a mean gamer.

Just about everything else is now either a laptop or a All-In-One. Sorry, I can't recommend the All-in-one.

HP also makes a entry level system. I just didn't find it in a Google search.

If you live inside the USA or its territories, check bout WallMart Locally; I saw a full tower system with a 20 inch monitor and Office install for about $500. It was a major brand, just don't remember which.


In some areas if is better to by from a store withing a reasonable distance from your home. You get to see the actual system before you buy it. And return is much easier. Some retailers will let you return or exchange withing 10 days with not penalty.

Here is an interesting ite:

1.  Apple (3). . . . . . . . . . 108.9 Million . . . . .17%
2.  Nokia (1) . . . . . . . . . . 100.3 Million . . . . .16%
3.  HP (2) . . . . . . . . . . .  67.5 Million  . . . . . 10%
4.  RIM (6) . . . . . . . . . . . 47.0 Million . . . . .  7%
5.  Acer (4) . . . . . . . . . . . 43.8 Million . . . . . 7%
6.  Dell (5) . . . . . . . . . . . 42.7 Million . . . . .  7%
7.  Lenovo ( . . . . . . . . . 36.2 Million . . . . . 6%
8 . Samsung (-) . . . . . . . . 26.0 Million . . . . . 4%
9.  HTC (-) . . . . . . . . . . . 25.0 Million . . . . . 4%
10. Toshiba (7) . . . . . . . . 22.1 Million . . . . . 3%
http://www.brightsideofnews.com/news/2011/2/24/top-10-worlds-biggest-computer-makers-revealed-surprised.aspx

The abve is about market share and recent changes. But just because a company is doing a great business does not always mean they have the best product. Dell has dropped a bit. Still, my personal preference is Dell. But I might change my mind.

[Web moderator]

What I use: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021
Although I do like most Antec cases: Linky

EDIT: sorry, I misread your post. I thought it was just a case you wanted. Either way, I'd suggest looking into building your own PC.

The best computer is one you build yourself if you know how to research the parts and what works well together.  However, if your price range is at $300 or so, my suggestion would be looking into a refurbished computer from a couple years ago.  Probably check eBay and Amazon.com would be my first thoughts.  Look for at least 3GB of RAM and comes with Windows 7.  Should have a multiple-core processor also.  Most other things you can upgrade as time goes on.

However, if you can scrape together a couple hundred more dollars, you can really invest in a decent retail tower from Bestbuy or some other PC store in your area.  Check out some models and read some reviews.  Lenovo is a good brand.  This way you can also opt for the additional warranty and if something does go wrong they will have free support.  If something goes wrong on a used/refurbished computer beyond the 30-day warranty then you're paying out of pocket for fixes which can get expensive.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DELL-3ghz-8gb-Windows-7-Ultimate-64bit-USB-3-0-2000gb-2TB-RAID-QUAD-CORE-/320841715365?pt=Desktop_PCs&hash=item4ab3a80ea5

I think under $500, maybe even under $600, would an A+ deal for this new Dell. Hard Drive: 2,000 GB; RAM: 8GB; Processor Speed: 3.00 GHz--has everything. I still think HP is best .

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Another deal I like:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Pavilion-P6601F-Desktop-PC-2-9GHz-4-750GB-Black-/270905977459?pt=Desktop_PCs&hash=item3f13412a73

Used HP for just under $310 with shipping. Hard Drive: 750; RAM: 4; Processor Speed: 2.9.

I'm looking to buy a quality tower for it. I'd like to get it for under $300, ...

Here are several Compaq model priced at $299.99 from hhgregg: http://www.hhgregg.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchDisplay?storeId=10154&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&pageSize=12&beginIndex=0&sType=SimpleSearch&resultCatEntryType=2&showResultsPage=true&pageView=&errorViewName=&searchTerm=compaq

If I recall correctly, my mother has the Compaq Model:CQ5810.  I went with her to the store and helped her make the decision.  She's happy but, granted, she just wants a computer for email, web browsing, light word processing, and viewing some digital photos.  But, these Compaq models are clearly an option in your price range.  I know the CQ5810 can be upgraded by adding RAM and installing a PCI Express video card.