I wouldn't consider either one at those prices in fact I probably wouldn't take them for free. It's old technology a 480 gtx video card and an I7 cpu they got to be kidding and the Bios isn't even supported anymore. I will be honest, I have taken to the recycle center, computers better equipped then those and I bet you have no idea how much use either one has had and if they rebuilt them what did they change/add. Go to Best Buy or on Amazon and get something with new technology that will last you several years. IMHO you are being ripped off!!

Woe now go buy a board with the cpu on it that is 4 - 8 core of 4.5 ghz or better, amateur or not you do not want to be sitting waiting on a 3.2 machine; life is too short.
Any old case with a 750 or better power supply will do, you can get that and some memory for 300 bucks. Don't waste time or money with old crap. If you get the right stuff in a couple of years when
new stuff comes out you will be able to trade it in at the same shop you bought it in and get the new stuff for half price usually! Get this, compare a twenty/forty Ghz cpu with a composite 12 of a 3.2 four core chip machine.

I wouldn't consider either one at those prices in fact I probably wouldn't take them for free. It's old technology a 480 gtx video card and an I7 cpu they got to be kidding and the Bios isn't even supported anymore. I will be honest, I have taken to the recycle center, computers better equipped then those and I bet you have no idea how much use either one has had and if they rebuilt them what did they change/add. Go to Best Buy or on Amazon and get something with new technology that will last you several years. IMHO you are being ripped off!!

Hi

Since taking up Digital Photography and joining UHH, I have followed and read most of the threads on new computers. I have followed (and been impressed by) those of you whom have configured and built your own machines. That is beyond me, but it prompted me to have a discussion with a local computer repair shop that reconfigures and builds machines in addition to repairs. Figured it was worth the discussion. They came back with two machines that they build on spec at two different price points, and still being new to this, I thought I would get some thoughts and feedback

Usage. (As this drives my needs)
-Novice Amateur post processing. Am not, and will never, be a professional and don’t need that level of capability
-Most of what I do is sports photog at HS/college level, which means lots of culling from a D7200 and PP to work on exposure, cropping, etc. Much of what I shoot is indoors in dark gyms, which unfortunately results in higher ISO and more noise than I would like which I need to learn to process out.
-I probably process 200 shots from an event, about 80 events per year. Currently 10% keeper rate, but that will hopefully improve as I gain experience.
-This will also become my main “every day” computer for personal (not work) usage.
-will have two monitors, including a 27” benq or similar
-Not interesting in a laptop. Seems like it would either compromise performance, or, if not, then pricey. I have a small travel laptop that I will keep for when I need that option. Will not need to so major PP while traveling, so that will be an OK option.

Options presented. (These happen to be on the shelf, though can be changed/modified and other machines could be built to spec)

Option 1. Rebuilt Dell XPS desktop gaming system. Specs
-Intel core i7 3.2 GHz processor with 16 Gb RAM, expandable to 24
-Nvidia GeForce GTX 480 graphics card, support 3 monitors (2 dvi and 1 micro HDMI)
-240Gb SSD for op sys and programs
-1 2TB HDD for data (though a second one can be added)
-Win 10 64bit
-Price: $950

Option 2. Rebuilt Lenovo thinkstation workstation. Specs
-Intel Xeon 3.2GHz processor with 32 Gb RAM, expandable to 64. Very fast RAM
-Nvidia Quadro 4000 Graphics card, supports 3 monitors (1 dvi and 2 display ports)
-2 240Gb SSD set up in Raid mirror configuration for windows/programs
-2 2TB HDD for data, also in Raid mirror configuration
-price: $1100

Both have multiple USB, wifi, etc. 1 year warranty and local support to get fully configured an up and running.

I think the first is probably all I really need, but I would want to add a 2nd HDD for backup. After I do that, the cost is probably close to the second. Builder says option 2 is a lot more computer for the money and will run very fast for what I need.

Questions for you all
-Opinions on these machines vs stated needs? Either or both overkill?
-What have I forgotten to ask about or check? What would you add (remember - non-professional)
-Are prices reasonable for the specs shown as a rebuilt machine by a 3rd party (their time and that they deserve a reasonable profit)?

Thanks in advance for your guidance

When I purchased each of my last computers with Windows 10 on them, they both recommended that I use a 16GB thumb drive and backup the system. This procedure makes the thumb drive into a bootable emergency "restore" device that will restore your system like the day you bought it. Yes, 16GB is enough for Win 10 and all the drivers and will restore your hard drive. I've done it on my last HP computer. I labeled each of the restore thumb drives and keep them in a safe place.

You guys could be correct about the xeon vrss the core i7 processor. But that really depends on the specs of the CPU's being offered by the seller mentioned in the OP's question. More questions need to be asked and answered. For the money being asked for each of the two systems I doubt that either of the systems have the latest or fastest model of CPU. I am wrong to use the word "robust". I should have used "faster" but even that might be incorrect without knowing the exact specs of the offered CPU's. So I retract that statement with apologies.

I would love to actually try both of those systems in real world applications that I use every day like Adobe Premiere, Photoshop and Lightroom. It takes my computers some time to save a large file to my SSD drive. So it would be cool if I could process a video and try saving the exact production to SSD on each of those machines to see which one comes out on top.

As far as the Raid configurations in the second computer are concerned, I am up in the air as to their usefulness to a person that has never been inside of a computer before. That is the reason I suggested external backups and the thumb drive restore backup. For the Raid drives to be useful, a person would have to know when a drive has crashed and then how to determine which one has gone bad and take the computer apart and so on. Which I think you guys and I could probably do. But the OP doesn't sound as if they'd know this stuff or would be interested in knowing this stuff. On the other hand, if the boot drive crashed, they'd still have to take it to an expert and have them install a new SSD boot drive and then use the thumb drive to restore the system. But it seems to be a little more simple than a computer with 4 drives in a Raid configuration. This may also cost more to troubleshoot and repair because of its complexity. It's six of one, half a dozen of the other, as to which is best for the OP. I will admit, the second system does sound a bit intriguing because it's got so much inside. Xeon processor, dual 2TB drives, dual SSD drives! How cool does that sound. But I have questions and would insist on knowing the specs where the OP probably wouldn't care as much. Such as it is, the best advice is probably to get the one that is more of a consumer computer than a workstation in my opinion.

Jeep daddy, I take your points, but let me clarify a bit. First, while you can certainly put the installation ISO for Win 10 on a 16GB thumb drive (I have that as well), once Windows is installed, it will take at least 60 GB of HD space if you include everything. Now if the first SSD died or Windows became corrupted, you COULD use the ISO and rebuild Windows from scratch, but what a pain and the waste of most of a perfectly good day. Instead just point to the mirrored SSD (just change the boot order if necessary, but the computer will just boot from the next drive in sequence anyway, which is the mirror), and you’re instantly back in business with everything as you left it. Easy - right? Takes about a minute.

The same is true of the mirrored HDs. RAID 1 (mirroring) is trivial to set up, you just do it in computer management>storage with a few commands, and once it’s configured, it’s automatic - nothing further required; and if one HD dies, you just point to the other drive, and the exact information is there. Just like the mirrored SSDs. The only downside is the cost of the extra drives, but in terms of redundancy and resiliency, it can’t be beat, and while some do mirror HDs on a consumer machine, very few if any buy a 2nd SSD and mirror the OS so they can instantly recover from a failure, and THAT is one of several advantages of an enterprise/server class machine vs a consumer one (where the machine must work 24x7x365). No extra cost in this case, no extra complexity, just better resilience/reliability. Most of us want to shoot photos like pros, so why not build/administer the computers that store those (invaluable) photos the way pros do it? Make sense?

Cheers.