Lincoln Computer Centre - What is in a Delta Pro Computer

What is in a Delta Pro Computer?

One of the tricky things about buying a computer is that they all look pretty much the same on the outside and when comparing specifications emphasis is usually placed more on the actual numbers involved than the brand/model of each component. When we build a Delta Pro computer we select components based on factors of quality, reliability, compatibility and support. All of the components we use are based on industry standards so we can easily source replacement parts from a variety of suppliers.

[ Delta Pro Computers ] [ Toshiba Notebook Computers ]

	Processor (also known as the central processor or CPU) Our Delta Pro computer systems are configured with the AMD Athlon range of processors. When Intel released the Pentium 4 processor as an "upgrade" to the Pentium III, we were disappointed to learn that the first Pentium 4 models were in fact not as fast as the earlier Pentium III processors, and in fact Intel were widely criticised for this. So we had a look at the AMD processor range and were thrilled to discover they were (and still are) much better value for money.
	Case & Power Supply Our standard case is a midi tower in the ATX style which also describes the power supply. The case is designed to be located on the floor leaving the CD-ROM drive(s) at an ideal height for access when seated at the desk. The power supply is rated at 300 watts and there is space for 4 x 5¼" drives and 3 x 3½" drives. We can supply a desktop equivalent if preferred.
	Motherboard (also known as the main board) We recommend the Gigabyte range of motherboards and the current general purpose motherboard we use is the Gigabyte GA-7VM400AM board which has integrated video, audio and network adaptors, as well as 4 x USB 2.0 ports. This board also has an AGP slot which can be used if a higher level video graphics card is required. The Gigabyte GA-K8NS Pro motherboard in the performance range offers a higher system speed plus Serial ATA ports.
	RAM Memory All Delta Pro computers are configured with DDR-400 SDRAM which is much faster than PC-133 SDRAM which is often supplied in lower cost computers.
	Hard Disk Drive We supply the Western Digital, Maxtor & Seagate brands of hard disk drives in our computers. Hard disk drives in lower cost computers are often of a much lower specification with a 12-month warranty.
	Floppy Disk Drive OK, so it's not such a big deal these days J however we supply the Sony brand of floppy drive for obvious reasons
	CD & DVD Drive and/or CD Burner Equally, we supply and recommend the Sony/LG range of CD-ROM drives, DVD-ROM drives, CD Burners and DVD burners for their inherent reliability and performance
	Screen LCD flat screens are now standard across the range of Delta Pro computers although we can still supply the bulkier CRT screens if required
	Video Graphics Card The standard video graphics card in a Delta Pro computer is on-board; for gaming or any graphics-based software applications we recommend higher specification video cards.
	Keyboard We include the Microsoft Multimedia Keyboard as standard with our Delta Pro Computers; it has a quality feel for touch typists and a host of additional features including volume controls and special function keys
	Mouse The Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical is also supplied standard and has the marvelous advantage of no mouse ball. It can be used on virtually any surface without a mouse pad, however we also include a good quality mouse mat with each computer as well.
	Sound Card The soundcard is integrated into the motherboard on most computers these days, however if you were inclined (as music buffs are) to upgrade your sound capability, we recommend products from the SoundBlaster range.
	Speakers The ViewMaster range of LCD flat screens has built in speakers which are not known for the high fidelity or bass range! For great sound you will need t consider a sub-woofer based set of speakers, and as with a stereo system the more you spend on speakers the better the sound.
	Modem We asked Telstra for a list of approved modems and found the Dynalink 56k V.90 modem on the list. We have had great success with this modem because it is a "hardware modem" which seems to cope better with some telephone line conditions than the typical "soft modem" found in lower cost computers.
	Network Card The 10/100 network is integrated on the motherboard and is very reliable. You can optionally choose an Intel 10/100 network card for mission critical systems like fileservers where the software vendor may insist on the Intel Server Pro 100 adaptor.
	Ports (as in USB, Parallel, Serial & PS/2 connectors) The Gigabyte GA-7VM400AM motherboard has 2 x PS/2 connectors for mouse & keyboard, a parallel port for a printer, a serial port for a modem or other communication device, a 10/100 network port, a 15-pin video port and 6 x USB 2.0 Hi Speed ports; two of which are on the front panel. The Gigabyte GA-K8NS Pro board has all this plus FireWire.
	Operating System We supply and recommend Microsoft Windows XP Home for standalone computers and Windows XP Professional in a business environment, particularly where a number of computers are networked together. When we setup your computer we apply all of the operating system updates as recommended by Microsoft.
	Anti-Virus Software We supply and recommend McAfee ASaP Anti-Virus software with every computer we sell as it has a marvelous feature which will update your virus protection each time you connect to the internet for a period of 12 months at which time you will have the option to renew for a further 12 months. When we setup your computer we apply all of the latest updates as recommended by McAfee.
	2-year LCC RTB Hardware Warranty This should be listed at the top because the warranty we provide is one of the main benefits of purchasing a computer from Lincoln Computer Centre. Our standard warranty is two years covering parts and labour required in the event of a hardware fault or failure. Software is of course not covered by warranty and we offer a range of software support services to help you get the best out of your computer system.

A word from Greg ...

One of the main benefits of a consistent component level is that of warranty replacement. We offer a 2-year hardware warranty on our range of Delta Pro computers, and whilst we have the support of manufacturers in terms of parts replacement, we wear the cost of the warranty labour. So we make sure that we have replacement components in stock at all times and if we were to chop and change components on a frequent basis, replacement parts would become a nightmare for us, and therefore make it difficult to provide the warranty support our customers currently enjoy.