Guide to buying a new computer

[TurDz]

I needed help on building a new computer. I've been so out of the loop with all the new technology that's been going on in the last few years, I would appreciate just a quick and dirty guide to choosing the components that I need.

If anything, I would appreciate some references to simple guides to choosing different components.

Things I'm interested in:

- Motherboard
- Type of DD2 RAM (667 vs 800 etc etc)
- PCI-E video card
- video card
- sound card

I will primarily be using the computer for CAD programs (high RAM requirements of 1+GB for a single application alone), sometimes video games, and a lot of multitasking (music, video, etc). I want to buy components that are not top of the line, but right below it.

I plan to get AMD's Athlon 64 to extend the use of the computer for many years, even though I've always been an Intel lover...

I will definately buy all of my components from newegg.com, and like reading all of the review and basing a lot of my choices on those.

Thanks for any help.

[alexchanman]

start off with a good processor, i suggest the amd fx series or the dual core, they give you crazy performance for a decent price. as for the motherboard, just get the newest features like 939 pin, pci-e slot, and many many usb and expansion slots. video cards are always improving so i cant really suggest something for you. go to www.creative.com and figure out which card is perfect for you. and for the ram, get the heat dissapating ones, they work pretty well.

i hope this helps.

[imotion s14]

I needed help on building a new computer. I've been so out of the loop with all the new technology that's been going on in the last few years, I would appreciate just a quick and dirty guide to choosing the components that I need.

If anything, I would appreciate some references to simple guides to choosing different components.

Things I'm interested in:

- Motherboard
- Type of DD2 RAM (667 vs 800 etc etc)
- PCI-E video card
- video card
- sound card

I will primarily be using the computer for CAD programs (high RAM requirements of 1+GB for a single application alone), sometimes video games, and a lot of multitasking (music, video, etc). I want to buy components that are not top of the line, but right below it.

I plan to get AMD's Athlon 64 to extend the use of the computer for many years, even though I've always been an Intel lover...

I will definately buy all of my components from newegg.com, and like reading all of the review and basing a lot of my choices on those.

Thanks for any help.

What's your budget?

[Arsenal of Glory]

try to buy a mobo with PCI-E slots as AGP video cards will be phased out...

[imotion s14]

Oh and you won't see DDR-2 on an AMD Platform until fall of 2006 with the Socket M2 processors.

[cali240sxdrifter]

right now the AMD 64 +3700 San Diego is just above 200 bucks, which just a month ago the +3500 was above 200 bucks. A small overclock to the +3700 could make it run really nice with stock fans and little change in heat...

Get a SLI ready motherboard just incase, MSI or Gigabyte that are just below 100 bucks.

For me, I don't like spending 300+ for a video card that will go old in a few months, so for me a 6800GS or for the price, 2 6800GS will be faster than the single 7800

Sound card? No, just use the on board unless your doing music type recording..

[TurDz]

Hi guys, thanks for the help. But after just one day of full research on new egg, google whenever I didn't understand the term, I think I'm starting to understand where the technology is at.

I do not need DDR2 right now, and do not intent to wait. I am bound to Athlon now for its 64-bit capabilities (which I feel will be very important in 2 years).

I'm actually GLAD that Athlon 64 are limited to normal DDR. Now I'm forced to buy really cheap, high quality, low cas latency RAM in a larger amount (2 GB). I think I'll benefit more at this time with that and the Athlon 64.

I think I'm done building my basic system. I will just transfer my decently new DVD-RW into this new computer and I'm good to go. I spent around $800 total...

- Antec LifeStyle SONATA II case w/ 450w power ($80 A/R)
- ABIT KN8 SLI Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Mobo ($100)
- XFX Geforce 6800 XTreme 256MB GDDR3 PCI-E x16 only $100 A/R!!
- AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Venice 1GHz HT only $154!!
- (2) CORSAIR XMS 1GB (512mb x 4 DDR) (Cas Latency: 2)
- (2) SAMSUNG SpinPoint P Series 250GB SATA 3.0Gb/s HDD ($85 each)


This is about total unshipped at $800 after rebates. I used to love the top technology, but I see no point in paying a premium anymore. I'm fine getting one step down as long as it performs to my expectations. I think this is a reasonable system, with all the stuff I could ever want right now.

I had another question for you tech-gurus though.

What's better for RAM sizing? 2 x 1GB or 4 x 512GB? Are there any advantages of getting one size over the other? I think with 2 GB total, I don't think I'll ever need to upgrade before getting a newer computer.

[S14DB]

newegg is a sales site. Not a research site. Try:
http://www.tomshardware.com/ and
http://www.anandtech.com/ to start out for research.

[TurDz]

newegg is a sales site. Not a research site. Try:
http://www.tomshardware.com/ and
http://www.anandtech.com/ to start out for research.

I know, but I do trust a lot of the reviews there. I tend to trust things that have hundreds of reviews and in the 5 star range.

I will take a look at your references though, thanks. I didn't know sites like that still existed...they're tough to single out on search engines.

[ZK]

Sounds like a good set up. The Sonata case is very quiet. I was never a fan of the computers that look like a crazy neon show and sounds like a jet fighter taking off when you turn it on. For ram get the 2x1GB if that's how much ran you want. Then if you decide to expand you always have more slots to add.

With computer power now, you don't need state of the art stuff to do what you need. The only reason you'd need it is for hardcore games and graphics/multimedia applications.

[TurDz]

S14DB, I wasn't able to look for the components I really wanted on those websites, but it was very good general information. I was able to double check that the RAM manufacturers' models fit my motherboard choice.

I'm actually reading the RAID vs. Raptor (Western Digital) article at the moment, seems very interesting in my situation.

ZK, yeah, I wanted a clean look too. My friend has an Antec right beside me at the moment (P180) and it is extremely awesome. I studied it and chose many of the similar components in there. Ultra quiet too...no sound at all (maybe 4x less than a normal human whisper).

[S14DB]

By research I mean to find out why one is better than another. Not who says one is better than another. Once you get the concepts it becomes easy to read the specs on NewEgg.

[reefer1114]

dont forget that windows vista is coming out soon...

[S14DB]

dont forget that windows vista is coming out soon...Soon as in 2k7?
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1692982391;fp;16;fpid;0

[cali240sxdrifter]

get a case without the PS and get yourself a better PS...

[ZK]

ZK, yeah, I wanted a clean look too. My friend has an Antec right beside me at the moment (P180) and it is extremely awesome. I studied it and chose many of the similar components in there. Ultra quiet too...no sound at all (maybe 4x less than a normal human whisper).

I tried to go the quiet PC route. even invested in a fanless power supply, quiet fans, dynamatted the interior of the case, and I only run 1 case fan. It was quieter but then I had an Antec P160 aluminum case which transmits more noise than steel ones so still not as quiet as I'd like. I got the aluminum case for better cooling but didn't figure the noise aspect until I'd had it all together.

I'm kinda getting tired of taking apart and building PCs. I think I may just opt to buy a off the shelf system for my next computer and bolt-on some parts...
Kinda sounds like what I've done with my car. haha

[mrmephistopheles]

to answer an earlier question, get 2x 1GB sticks. You'll keep the ability to expand later and it runs more efficiently.
Also don't get a packaged power supply/case combo. Get a good, well branded PSU, at least 100W over what you think you need.

I always prefer to go a little bigger than what I think I'll need, because I end up not regretting the decision like I would if I didn't get what I truly needed, even if it's what I thought was right.

[S14DB]

Also don't get a packaged power supply/case combo. Get a good, well branded PSU, at least 100W over what you think you need.

I always prefer to go a little bigger than what I think I'll need, because I end up not regretting the decision like I would if I didn't get what I truly needed, even if it's what I thought was right.
Yes you did. :p

Only PSU that comes with a case that will last more than a month is Antec's. Most of them are underpowered for anything but a terminal. Cheiftech makes Antec cases. So you can get one without the PSU.

Most "quiet" PC's are just 120mm fan cases. Nothing special. Just look for cases with 120mm fans not 80mm fan mounts. Junk the stock fans unless they are a name brand fan. Get a cut off wheel and cut out the stock grills. They make a lot of noise and inhibit flow. They do nothing but keep your fingers out and I think we can keep them out. Once you have the grill out. Hold it up to the fan while on and notice the suction and noise. Even those chrome grills make noise.

Grills cut out:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v108/S14DB/Compuder/MattedFront.jpg

[alexchanman]

i jsut bought this magazine called, the pc builder bible of the 2006. it has pletny of good information on everything and even includes updating everything on xp and such. you shuld really pick it up.

[mrmephistopheles]

Yes you did. :p

Hence why I've learned my lesson and am preaching the wisdom I've gained!

[MrSpArkle]

This is a rehash from something i posted on another forum 3 months ago. It is focused on brand reccomendations. I advise to look for your parts within the mentioned brands. When narrowing down your choices, always look at similiar benchmarks from different sites.

---snip---

-Case:
Lian-LI is still very much the cadillac of home computer cases. Antec is catching up. Antec's service is very good, and they are much cheaper... but even being the satisfied owner of an Antec p180 and p160, I very much envy Lian-LI owners.

-Power supply:
Get an FSP(fortron) or Seasonic manufactured supply. Do not get fooled by high watt numbers from blingy vendors.

Alot of power supplies are incapable of reliably supplying even 60% of their rated capacity.

Most power supply companies do not even manfacture the power supplies they sell....

-Motherboard:
DFI currently makes the best performing, most feature rich, and stable motherboards. They come at a premium, they give premium performance. They will run with no fuss, and if you like to fuss, they will run at ridiculous speeds. Even without a chipset overclock, this board defeats all others.

I was happily on my way to purchase yet another Asus board until I researched their "LANPARTY" series boards.

-Graphics:
Find the card that performs best at the kinds of games you'll play(quake/doom/unreal engine, directx/opengl). ATI and Nvidia have been trading blows for a while, and take turns being the leader. I believe Nvidia currently has the best bang per buck ratio, and currently has the only widely supported SLI solution. Buy one good card now. Buy the second one later.

-Processor:
I usually buy amd64 because they generally perform better per dollar. However, some applications run better on intel chips, If you are not aware of any application you need that performs significantly on intel, get AMD.

-RAM:
Buy OCZ. Tried and tested.

-Hard Drive:
In practice, i swear by seagate.
By observation, I should be swearing by Western Digital
By desperation, I should be burning Hitachi/IBM's HD division(yes, even the new, non insta-gib drives)

The best performing hard drive won't do you much good if it's dead. And I've seen enough dead drives to totally ignore 5% differences in performance.

Along those lines, you should be considering some sort of data redundancy(RAID), and some form of Backup(tape/dvd). For RAID1, your motherboard's onboard shit should be good enough, RAID5, start looking at a 3ware controller. Either will save you headaches.

***RAID0 is for idiots.***

-UPS:
Get an APC UPS, the biggest you can comfortably afford.

-Operating System:
Unless you want to be messing with a unix variant, the best 64-bit OS is Windows X64. However, I reccomend installing xp 32-bit edition, unless you want headaches while support for 64-bit windows matures. You WILL have headaches, there is a chance that your favorite utility, application, game, or even hardware, will not be supported clear through 2007. Deamon tools, my Treo and an old tv-refresh rate directshow filter have failed on my computer. I knew full well I would experience problems, but I opted to not reinstall fucking windows once 64-bit got big. Your call.

-Display:
Once you have had dual displays, it is hard to come back.

CRTs are still king in quality, price, and performance. Do not buy an LCD unless you're an interior decorator first, and a techie second.

-Printer:
Cannon. They are less evil. Spring for a color laserjet if you can afford it.

-Cooling:
A good case will cool very well with amd's stock cooler. If you are feeling adventurous, go for liquid cooling on the cpu and gpus. If you're gonna get some blingy cpu cooler, check for a real world performance test first.

[citizen]

looks good, as far as ram go 2x1gb. First its less heat and power draw, second you can run 1t timings instead of 2t. Also you could check out monarchcomputers.com instead of newegg, since you're in CA you would save on tax. other than that, dont listen to any of the above posters except mr. methamphetamine because they are all tools. kthxbai

[MrSpArkle]

Just in case you haven't made a decision yet, here's a suggested setup along the lines of my earlier recommendations.

Motherboard:
The motherboard is the most important part of your computer, don't skimp.
DFI SLI-DR Expert (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813136151)

RAM:
These will work fine. Not cream of the crop, but a good bang per buck. Consider PC4000, as it is very close in price and may offer better performance.
OCZ 2GB (2 x 1GB) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820227210)

CPU:
Your selection is fine. Think of it as a decent minimum to get you on the 939 platform. You can dual-core it up later and extend the life of your machine by a year or two.

Video:
Your selection is fine. Grab a second one of those in a year when they're dirt cheap, and keep up with the fun(or a stronger card, if they work the kinks out of asymmetrical SLI)

Storage:
I simply don't trust samsung.
Seagate 250GB SATA (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148111)
They have an older model of this drive that is more tested, if you're paranoid about durability, get the ST3250823AS instead. RAID 0 is still for idiots. Don't even think about it.

edit:
Power Supply:
almost forgot...
Choose from among these.
Fortron (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Brand=1919&N=2010320058+50001919&Submit=ENE&Manufactory=1919&SubCategory=58)
SeaSonic (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Brand=1697&N=2010320058+50001697&Submit=ENE&Manufactory=1697&SubCategory=58)
PC power and Cooling (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.asp?Brand=9830&N=2010320058+50009830&Submit=ENE&Manufactory=9830&SubCategory=58)
The more power the the better, your wallet allowing. 500w is a good base, don't go lower unless you wanna buy another power supply when you add that dualcore and a 2nd video card...