Medion MD8820
 

Medion MD8820 Multimedia PC Base System

- Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
- 250Gb Hard Disk
- 1Gb RAM
- Intel Pentium D 915 Dual Core Processor 2.8GHz
- NVidia GeForce 7300 SE Graphics

Price: £399.99 in Aldi

Full details here.

Any thoughts on this? Good price? :)

Re: Medion MD8820
 

It's an old dual core, with a poor graphics card, but I suppose you'd struggle to build a similar spec competitively. No screen though.

Re: Medion MD8820
 

I don't think it's bad for £400. Depends what you want it for? Mine is similar spec and does me just fine running xp/vista..

Re: Medion MD8820
 

For 400, no, but just saying it's not the latest processor. The C2D is infinitely better than the Pentium D.

It is a bit weird though, that the Pentium D is dual core, in fact that's what the D means, but the Celeron D isn't. I suppose it's another deathknell for the celeries really. :D

Re: Medion MD8820
 

Have the previous model. Don't forget they come with a 3 year warranty too guys.

Re: Medion MD8820
 

I didn't end up getting that PC in the end. There's a newer model now which I think looks pretty good for the price? What's your thoughts please? :)

Medion MD8830 Multimedia PC Base System

- Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
- 500Gb Hard Disk
- 2Gb RAM
- Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E4500 2.2 GHz, 2MB L2 Cache, 800 MHz FSB
- Nvidia GeForce 8600GS

Full details here

They're selling it this thursday. :)

Re: Medion MD8820
 

Looks reasonable, though the 8600 isn't that good (plus it's nvidia).

Re: Medion MD8820
 

its better than the other one lol ime the tv cards are pretty poop

Re: Medion MD8820
 

I've got the Medion8828, which has a '3 in 1' TV card (terrestrial, DVB-T & DVB-S), which may not be the same as this latest offering - but ..

My impression of the terrestrial TV performance agrees with zingle, the RF out from a VM Samsung 2100C used to be fine on my previous ATI card, but now often pixillates badly with the new one. The DVB-T picture is a lot better, but I don't get all the channels with a portable aerial.

The poor RF performance is compounded by the silly situation that Media Center (sic) insists that it must detect an IR remote before it will allow choosing an STB as an input, rather than an aerial, hence preventing the use of the SVideo input on the PC - i.e the installation aborts if an IR remote is not detected.

Apart from that & the fairly noisy hard disk, I've been happy with it..

Re: Medion MD8820
 

Thanks guys. Much appreciated. TV isn't a problem as I've got a WinTV card which I could use instead if the medion one isn't very good. :)

How noisy is the hard drive? I've always thought these machines were pretty quiet... my uncle has an older model and I couldn't even tell it was on! :D

Re: Medion MD8820
 

http://hotukdeals.com/item/140956/de...top-base-quad/

http://hotukdeals.com/item/140954/de...op-base-2-2gh/
http://hotukdeals.com/item/143333/de...top-base-amd-/

Spose it depends if you want the Media stuff, but nothing to stop you putting a TV card in a standard pc.

Re: Medion MD8820
 

The first deal looks really good with quad core processor. I suppose it will be more "future proof".
I will take a look at Dell, thanks. :)

Re: Medion MD8820
 

I bought mine from a deal on hotukdeals some months back.

Mine was a e6420 (2.13ghz 1033fsb)
2gb ram
500gb hdd (2x 250gb)
vista basic
x1300 pro 256mb

put another 2gb ram in (ddr2 is cheap atm) and swaped the x1300 with the 7800GT i had in the other pc.

paid around 380 for it at the time.

Was going to build one after my other pc kept playing up (we still got it but I think the motherboard or ram has a problem.) but It was cheaper to buy the dell and I was feeling lazy

Re: Medion MD8820
 

you say future proof but it will have a "smell" motherboard which I do not like however its cheap

Re: Medion MD8820
 

HMmm... I think the Medion would be better suited as it's a more "all rounder" and I do like to play the odd game sometimes. I don't think there are many programs that use four cores either?

Re: Medion MD8820
 

The medion probably will have a rubbish motherboard to

Re: Medion MD8820
 

the Dell would be good with a better gfx as would the medion but then you lose what you save. TBH they are buildable for the price and if you did want to improve them I would be tempted to build from scratch however if your happy with the spec you get its ok as is

Re: Medion MD8820
 

yeah but its not likely to be a custom board that would take br replacable by any number of other boards whereas the dell would need a new case if you swap the mobo

Re: Medion MD8820
 

Comes with a 3 year warranty though. :)

Building isn't really an option at the moment, even though I would like to build a machine from scratch one day. :)

Basically just looking for a base unit and £400 sounds about right.

Re: Medion MD8820
 

I understood this Dell deviating from ATX spec, in general, was a thing of the past... I thought all their boards were fully ATX since about 2003.

Re: Medion MD8820
 

Some dimensions are BTX
I think the newer vostros are standard ATX not sure about the others.

The psu wiring has returned to standard ATX spec afaik.

Re: Medion MD8820
 

afaik this is the mobo manual for the 8828

Re: Medion MD8820
 

now I do not mind msi mobos I know others do not like them but ive had a few good boards. However the G33 chipset is a little sucky sucky compared to the P35 or the X38 (which i fancy but others do not)

---------- Post added at 00:11 ---------- Previous post was at 00:08 ----------

I would have to see one to believe it lol I must admit I do not see many smells if any post 2003 as most of them are covered by rip off extended warranty lol every smell ive seen has had a none standard mobos and would not fit into standard atx cases but as I say I do not see many newish ones. Dragon you have a new one post a few internal pics?

---------- Post added at 00:23 ---------- Previous post was at 00:11 ----------

http://cgi.ebay.com/DELL-XPS-420-PC-Case-375W-PSU_W0QQitemZ120217350915QQihZ002QQcategoryZ51060Q Q_trksidZp1723.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem

that does not look standard atx stand offs to me. I think you may get the board out of there to fit in a different case but you would be using a few plastic stand off .The group of 4 standoffs look to me like they will short on a atx mobo. I know I could be wrong not actually being able to see it but it does not look right to me

Re: Medion MD8820
 

Just looked at that PDF and had to have a little laugh.
The board supports 6xSATA which is good, NO Ide but does have 1 Fdd. Why do they still do this? I havnt used a floppy disc in a PC for 6 or 7 years possibly longer and I dont even know anyone who still uses them. Legacy connections are not really needed, serial + parralel ports as well as Fdd should go, IMO.

Re: Medion MD8820
 

Shall I go for the Medion then?

Re: Medion MD8820
 

When i was at Staples many many years ago we sold medions and they were rarely returned and performed very well for the price. the warrenty was always their strong point, 3 years is brilliant.

Re: Medion MD8820
 

Median is crap basically.. :D

---------- Post added at 10:52 ---------- Previous post was at 10:52 ----------

Woolworths have the exact same one, in black and pink ;)

Re: Medion MD8820
 

Bios flash :confused: about the only reason I could see for having an FDD drive thesedays and even then could probably done from a bootcd.

Re: Medion MD8820
 

Just to let you know, I got the PC and I'm impressed. A lot better than my old one. :D

This is the windows rating:

Processor: 5.1
Memory: 4.7
Graphics: 4.9
Gaming graphics: 5.3
Primary hard disk: 5.6


TV card seems to work fine. Media center is a lot better than the WinTV program I used to use. The remote is much better as well.

Thanks for all your opinions guys. :) :tu:

Re: Medion MD8820
 

Yea, bootcd or USB stick if there is a problem with a flash. I usually flash using the manufacturers windows flash utility in safe mode.


Father-in-law's got a medion dual core PC and he's more than happy with its speed and the TV card. He liked it so much he went and brought a Medion laptop too :D

Re: Medion MD8820
 

Out of interest did they have many? i know when they started doing the odd PC, each shop would get 2 or 3, and ppl would start queueing early to get one, wondered if that was still the guess? I ntocied a few motnhs ago when they did one with HD DVD and Blu Ray the mail shot mentione dit 3 weeks running, so i thought maybe they have loads now.

Re: Medion MD8820
 

I'm not sure how many they had because they keep them in their stock room now. You have to ask specially for them. They started selling them yesterday morning, and I got mine yesterday afternoon. :)

Re: Medion MD8820
 

Does anybody know if this fits onto the top of the PC hard drive bay (Like the HDDrive2Go external drives)?

Re: Medion MD8820
 

I like the fact thats an esata drive if you have that use it as for if it fits in your case god knows lol

Re: Medion MD8820
 

Yeah, it's missing a firewire port but I don't mind as long as I can connect it with e-sata on top of my PC case. I just need to find a picture of the back of that hard drive...

Re: Medion MD8820
 

Went Aldi today, they had one left in stock so I got it. :D
Slots nicely on top of my case and esata is really good.

Re: Medion MD8820
 

well it will be it is just like an internal drive. Much better than USB :) the only thing better(but slower) imo is a good NAS :)