anti wants a new computer - details inside (2 Viewers)

[anti]

Well remember I already have a relatively new computer (< 1yr old) which has everything I need (dual layer dvd burner, 200+ gigs of space (i'm not a heavy downloader), 9600xt, 1gig of ram.. it runs everything) but I kind of do need another computer particularly when my entire family decides to use my computers because they're always on :\

So while it should be an improvement I don't want it to be too much more powerful or expensive than that one. If I got a 6600gt I'd swap the graphics cards over since this would be more of a uni work / parents surfing the net / other games computer..

 

[AsyLum]

*nudges teh anti*

Mind getting me one while you're at it Im slightly broke after the guitar stuff

 

[Zeppelin]

Here's what you want. I just recently got this myself.

AMD 3500+ Venice Core
ASUS A8N-E MB
Cosair Dual-Channel Value Pack RAM (2x 512)
Seagate/Maxtor 250 GB HDD
19" LCD Monitor
nVidia GeForce 6600 GT (cheapish but excellent card)

 

[SashatheMan]

Well, he doesnt need the ram and hdd.

what u mean he doesnt need the RAM. i say minimum anyone should get is 1 gig of ram. afterall new windows will require u to have more then 512 mbs of ram just to work properly, and how far is that away?

 

[insert-username]

what u mean he doesnt need the RAM. i say minimum anyone should get is 1 gig of ram. afterall new windows will require u to have more then 512 mbs of ram just to work properly, and how far is that away?

About a year. This time last year we were drooling over the Pentium Extreme Edition and the Athlon FX. The top enthusiast graphics cards were the X800 and the 6800 - both now a generation out of date. Lots change in a year in the computer world.


I_F

 

[SashatheMan]

what u mean he doesnt need the RAM. i say minimum anyone should get is 1 gig of ram. afterall new windows will require u to have more then 512 mbs of ram just to work properly, and how far is that away?

About a year. This time last year we were drooling over the Pentium Extreme Edition and the Athlon FX. The top enthusiast graphics cards were the X800 and the 6800 - both now a generation out of date. Lots change in a year in the computer world.


I_F

so u agreeing with me?

 

[insert-username]

No, I'm saying that now is not the time to be upgrading for Windows Vista. Your computer will be a generation out of date by the time it actually comes out.


I_F

 

[insert-username]

Vista is Q2 2006

I beg to differ.

"The final release has been pushed back until September or October 2006." Late Q3 at best, more likely Q4. They're really taking their time with this one - it'll be five years since XP when it finally gets here.


I_F

 

[MedNez]

Does it matter? Back to the discussion about what ANTI wants, not what you guys want =)

 

[insert-username]

What difference does it make? Its a while off anyway. And more than 1gigabyte is NOT needed for glass enabled. Even winFS can run on one gig.

My point was that it was a while off too, I guess I misread who you were quoting. Sorry about that.

Anyways anti, I hope you've been abke to find some meaning and advice here.


I_F

 

[hipPo3]

not sure if u still want to get a comp ..

http://www.cworld.com.au/

this is where i got mine .. u can buy personal parts to suite ur need .. and they'll build it for u for only $60 (includes installation of all the parts .. if u want a warranty u need more $$$)

 

[Templar]

Do not go to CWorld unless you absolutely know what components you want to buy. The guys there don't know anything about computers.

 

[HamuTarou]

u can try msy in auburn..pretty cheap there

 

[hipPo3]

Do not go to CWorld unless you absolutely know what components you want to buy. The guys there don't know anything about computers.

the guys at cworld know nothin about computers ??

i highly doubt that .. CGC(computer graphics collage) buys computers from them

 

[RUB!X]

i'll second msy ... stay away from fluidtek and cworld ... the ppl at cworld are of no help what so ever ... just because "CGC" buy computers from cworld ... doesnt mean that cworld ppl know alot about computers ... well the ones ive talked to anyways, they really dont know what they're on about ...

as for msy ... very very cheap and good service ... and yes good knowledge ... get in early though ... the cue gets very long

 

[anti]

Ok, to reiterate: getting the parts isn't a problem (friend can get them for me); building it isn't a problem (I should do it myself, but I'm lazy). It's more about what I actually WANT so that I'm not left thinking 'you know? i should have gotten x instead of y'.

How can you tell how much RAM a motherboard can support? I mean other than # of sticks on the board...

Also, I know I want an AMD, but what would you suggest? I don't know the first thing about AMD, since I've never owned one. People *tell* me they're better for gaming and performance, and people *tell* me they're cheaper are they reliable?

 

[insert-username]

How can you tell how much RAM a motherboard can support? I mean other than # of sticks on the board...

New motherboards support a minimum of 2GB, most support 4GB, as I recall. If you're buying one that's a less than 2 years old, it'll handle 2GB of RAM at least.


Also, I know I want an AMD, but what would you suggest? I don't know the first thing about AMD, since I've never owned one. People *tell* me they're better for gaming and performance, and people *tell* me they're cheaper are they reliable?

I would suggest an Athlon 64 3000+. They're around $230 or so, support 64-bit instructions, and are excellent performers for their price. I've never heard of any significant reliability problems with AMD processors, and dollar for dollar they are generally faster than Intel processors (which, while fast, tend to be slower at the same price points as AMD since they're more expensive). Intel's current generation architecture, the Pentium 4, isn't as efficient as the current Athlon architecture, which accounts for the performance difference. In video encoding, the P4 general wins out, but for most other tasks, AMD's quicker.


I_F

 

[AsyLum]

AMD - general tasks
Pentium - CPU intensive tasks

AMD tend to run at higher temperatures as well.

The even better news for current owners of Opteron systems is that the dual-core Opterons will be pin-compatible with existing Socket 940 systems, capable of acting as drop-in replacements for current single-core models. The only requirement is that the motherboard must be able to support newer 90nm chips like the Opteron 252. If the board can do that, it should be able to handle the dual-core chips after a BIOS update, AMD claims. (Check with your motherboard maker to be sure.)

In order to pull off this impressive feat of backward compatibility, AMD had to make its dual-core parts fit into the same basic power and heat envelopes as its single-core processors. To do so, the company tweaked its fabrication process, using lower-leakage transistors that switch somewhat slower but waste less power, among other things. As a result, the Opteron 275 tops out at 2.2GHz, but it consumes no more power than the Opteron 252 at 2.6GHz.

Is also another plus

One of the nifty things about the dual-core AMD's coming out, is that they will support the old

 

[anti]

Running hotter, does that mean I'll need better cooling ? Cause atm both my computers are side by side and they tend to get quite warm in summer in my room.

4gig is more than enough lol. I think I'll be happy with 1gig. =)

Is there anything you guys can tell me about power usage though? I haven't had the heart-attack inducing fright of having my computers shut down on me before, but a friend had the problem of his computer restarting because his power supply wasn't enough for his graphics card (or something like that). Assuming my case doesn't come with a PSU what should I be looking for / looking to avoid?

wah i ask so many questions.

 

[insert-username]

AMD tend to run at higher temperatures as well.

This depends on the processor - I'm pretty sure the 64 3000+ runs cooler than the evivalent Intel version.


Running hotter, does that mean I'll need better cooling ? Cause atm both my computers are side by side and they tend to get quite warm in summer in my room.

Your cooling should be fine as you're not actually running any top of the line power-consuming components - it's a nice, mid range PC.


Is there anything you guys can tell me about power usage though? I haven't had the heart-attack inducing fright of having my computers shut down on me before, but a friend had the problem of his computer restarting because his power supply wasn't enough for his graphics card (or something like that). Assuming my case doesn't come with a PSU what should I be looking for / looking to avoid?

Again, you're not using any really top of the line components (which ergo usually produce the most heat), so if you make sure you nab a 300W power supply, you'll be perfectly fine.


I_F