PreBuilt with SSD boot drive?

[twelve25]

I'm trying to help my parents pick out a computer, and I really think they'd enjoy an SSD for their main drive. But none of the typical desktop builds seem to offer an SSD as an option. I am hesitant to point them toward a "Gamer" build at Cyberpower, but that's the only one I can find.

I was thinking an i5 with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD would be ideal (mainly finance, photography and office apps)

I don't want to build it for them because I don't live close enough to help out with support, so I was hoping to find something they could order.

 

[manofchalk]

Dont suppose you could throw an SSD on top of the order and tell them how to do it over the phone?
Far as I know SSD's haven't made in appearance in pre-built systems yet, at least not outside gaming or professional rigs.

Also, would you be intending for them to use a HDD as well as the SSD? Just I can see issues trying to explain that to tech-illiterate parents and expecting them to maintain it.

 

[twelve25]

They aren't completely tech-illiterate, but you do have a point.

I wonder if we could find something that has an H77 or Z77 board and I could just enable SRT on it later. Most of these prebuilts are pretty vague on what chipset and features they include, though.

 

[jay2tall]

I did some quick looking and I see Dell XPS Special Edition comes with an SSD cache drive using SRT, but not as an actual boot drive. They are also pretty expensive.

Honestly, their best bet might be to find a GOOD local computer shop that does custom builds or order a desktop of their liking online and find a good shop to install an SSD as their primary and keep the existing HDD for storage. That might be the best route to go.

However, if you parents are anything like mine this is what they will say, "oh it's not worth the trouble just to make my computer a little bit faster. We'll just pick a nice one up at Costco. Do you have any recommendations?"

 

[manofchalk]

An SSD cache would serve as an easy upgrade that wouldnt require any maintenenace. As long as they dont go tmpering with settings it would be fine.
I think there are also hardware solutions that are like SSD caching if you cant find any Z series mobo's in prebuilts. For some reason Silverstone comes to mind.

 

[jay2tall]

SanDisk has their ReadyCache upgrades that are not specific to a motherboard chipset. It runs via software within Windows and I've heard they are cheap and easy upgrades, especially for OEM desktops. However, it still involves cracking open the PC. You could always point your parents in the direction of a good OEM desktop and then the next time you visit install this for them. It's a $50 upgrade.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820171667
http://www.sandisk.com/products/ssd/sata/readycache/

 

[twelve25]

Great ideas, thanks!

 

[twelve25]

Ironically we ended up deciding on this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227438

Probably way overkill, but he was looking at $1500 computers elsewhere that didn't have an SSD.

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

Lol. So you get a gamer PC? You realize your parents will probably never use that to potential. My dad could care less about games lol. Keep in mind I'm 32 and don't live at home, thought I'd clarify lol.

 

[twelve25]

I know it's overkill, this was talking them down a little from what he was looking at, actually. He didn't seem that interested in $600 lenovos

 

[ohiou_grad_06]

Lol. At that you could build it. But then again, you would be tech support also.