I am ready to drop my old emachines desktop with just 2 gb of ram and a 120 gb hardrive for something new. I did a lot of research and narrowed down my search to two choices.

I just want the more powerful of the two:

Choice 1: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Gateway+...&skuId=9698936

Choice 2: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+Pav...&skuId=9694506

The latter choice is a bit more expensive but not by much so I don't care about that. As for what I intend to use my machine for, just regular web surfing, light gaming, web development related work, etc. But that doesn't really matter, of these two I just want to know which is the better more powerful system and which you would buy if you were in my position.

Thanks.

As for your question, choice#2 is the more powerful system. It has a 2.8 GHz cpu. Choice#1 has a 2.6 GHz cpu. Both have 8GB of memory and 1TB hard drive space. However, choice#2 is expandable to 16GB of memory.

Choice#1 comes with a media center remote, which is pretty cool. Choice#2 comes with a couple extra software titles.

As for what you want to do with it, choice#1 is your best buy. No sense in paying more if you don't need to.

Hi Friend,
I think choice#2 is best and more powerful system.

Thanks,
Winson

If those are the only choices, then #2 would be your best option. Just make sure to spend the extra cash for an extended service plan. It'll pay for itself in the event your factory warranty expires and the motherboard or something else major dies.

Originally Posted by Plexihost

Just make sure to spend the extra cash for an extended service plan

Speaking from experience: I wouldn't put too much faith in best buy's 'service' plans.

I owned a laptop and about a year after I bought it (from best buy) the hard drive died on me.

I took it in to be repaired and a couple weeks later they told me to come in and pick it up. It wasn't fixed. The paperwork said they had replaced the motherboard, even though I explained to them that the hard drive was the problem. If they had bothered to even turn it on they would have seen that it had the same problem it did when I took it in.

I take it back and another two weeks later I get called to come pick it up yet again. Still not fixed. This time they replaced the keyboard and screen. Once again had they even turned it on they would have seen it wasn't fixed.

I sent it back again. Finally they replace the hard drive and it works. I guess the third time is the charm.

Anyway, thats my rant about how best buy's service plan is great if you don't mind not having a computer for a month and a half. The good news is that virtually every component on my laptop was brand new afterward.

the #2 features is much better..

Id go for choice number two for its much faster and higher spec.

I would build a desktop pc from components, bot buying a branded one. That would be my choice.

If you have good budget I believe choice #2 would be the best option

Originally Posted by NullPointer

Speaking from experience: I wouldn't put too much faith in best buy's 'service' plans.

I owned a laptop and about a year after I bought it (from best buy) the hard drive died on me.

I took it in to be repaired and a couple weeks later they told me to come in and pick it up. It wasn't fixed. The paperwork said they had replaced the motherboard, even though I explained to them that the hard drive was the problem. If they had bothered to even turn it on they would have seen that it had the same problem it did when I took it in.

I take it back and another two weeks later I get called to come pick it up yet again. Still not fixed. This time they replaced the keyboard and screen. Once again had they even turned it on they would have seen it wasn't fixed.

I sent it back again. Finally they replace the hard drive and it works. I guess the third time is the charm.

Anyway, thats my rant about how best buy's service plan is great if you don't mind not having a computer for a month and a half. The good news is that virtually every component on my laptop was brand new afterward.

The problem is not the service plan itself, it's the unskilled technicians they hire.

They do not hire highly skilled techs because they are unwilling to pay what they are worth, therefore hire techs with little to no experience and their quality of service just plain stinks.

The second one has DDRAM3 and a way better graphics card

#2 gets my vote. Gateway are crap imho. I've never had an HP die on me to date, plus it is superior as others have said

Originally Posted by Plexihost

The problem is not the service plan itself, it's the unskilled technicians they hire.

They do not hire highly skilled techs because they are unwilling to pay what they are worth, therefore hire techs with little to no experience and their quality of service just plain stinks.

Computer repair isn't a "highly skilled" profession. In any case skill isn't much of a factor when it comes to turning on a computer to see if it works.

Originally Posted by webcreationuk

I would build a desktop pc from components, bot buying a branded one. That would be my choice.

I couldn't agree with Bob more, if you are handy with the internal part of the computer. It doesn't take long to put one together, this way you pick out the parts and decide what you want.

I would pick Choice #1.

i think you should go for the second choice, would be the best option

Choice 2, I've had best experiecne with HP computers I'm on an HP laptop and love it.

#2 is better as for my taste.