What's up everyone? Well, I am in the neighborhood of buying a new computer but I need some ideas. I am looking for a computer that has a lot of space, can run alot of editing programs: images, flash, web design, video editing and such. But I am not sure were to start.
If you could just point me to maybe a couple companies.. I like Dell and sony. Seem pretty good.
I like
Dell as well.... have bought ~15 pc's/servers from them in the last 4 years (we're hosted on a Dell as well). The video editing is what might hang you up on a desktop pc, maybe, depends on how much you plan to do and how deep in it you plan to get. A nice 8100 from Dell can do most general video work, some people need an avid tho
If there's a Frys Electronics near you, I highly recommend the Build Your Own route.
They're currenlty running a special again, AMD Athlon 1.0G BYO system for $230.
It's a case with the motherboard already installed, along with a NIC and a modem. The board has onboard sound and video. It comes with the CPU chip which just needs to be plugged in, and have its fan mounted on top (takes all of two minutes).
Buy some memory, and cd-rom drive, and a hard drive, and pop those in and connect the cables. It's very simple.
Figure
$230 for the main components (case, board, modem, nic)
$120 for a 30G 7200 RPM drive
$30 for a 40x CD-ROM
$50 for a 256M stick of RAM $430 for a nice system. Can't beat that. If you've never assembled one before, it might take you a couple of hours but its nothing difficult, especially since the motherboard is already installed.
My main computer took me about 2 hours since I had never done it before. My Unix box (which is basically what's listed above) took me less than an hour.
--mark
Yea, a BYO system is best. Choose everything.
www.alienware.com has an AMD package. Check it out.
Directron.com has all kinds of components, most OEM/whitebox, for really cheap. They're where I'm going to be purchasing my new computer parts from. (If you happy to live in the Houston area, you won't even have to pay shipping, since that's where their b&m store is. Lucky me! :D)
---Skorpion
MasterMind,
Went and looked at the site you showed me. Looks like a nice site I made a pretty nice system.
Skorpion,
Will look at yours next.
THANKS GUYS!
go with Alienware if your gonna order a custom built one. they benchmark games on it for you before they ship it, and make custom manuals for your specific setup.
Hey Skorp, where in Houston? I need to make a trip over there anyways, and can whack a few birdss with one stone
Ok. Thanks for your help guys.
If I were to get two harddrives whatelse would you recommend on the computer?
The absolute best place to get PC parts is
www.newegg.com. This is where I will be getting all of my parts from for my new PC.
Allen, Directron is located at 10641 Harwin Drive, suite 502. It's right off of highway 8 (or the Beltway, if that's what you wanna call it), in a shipping/industrial complex. Be careful, though - when I was there, they didn't have much in the way of advertising themselves. So look carefully at the suite numbers, because IIRC that's the only way you'll know which one is theirs.
You may wanna read
this faq before you go, though. Their hours aren't very convenient for people with jobs . Luckily I work about five minutes away from them, so I have usually been able to make it in time. But if you're not very close, it may end up being more trouble than it's worth, unless you've got some weekdays off.
Hope this helps.
---Skorpion
ive always like building my computers so i can tell u a company, i here gateway and dell are good =D
Well, I am gonna use Alienware to build my new computer. Thanks MM.
Just ordered my parts for my new computer today.
-EPoX EP-8K7A
-AMD Athlon-C Thunderbird 1.4GHz
-Crucial PC2100 512MB (2x256MB) DDR (received this today from UPS)
-Leadtek GeForce 2 Ultra 64MB
-IBM Desktstar 60GXP 40GB
-Mitsumi Floppy
-Cooler Master EP5-6I11 HSF
-Arctic Silver II
[ July 17, 2001 04:28 PM: Message edited by: GoTorankusuKu ]
Sounds like a good computer!
[ July 16, 2001 11:39 PM: Message edited by: Tech-Ni-Kal ]
nononono... I HATE premade systems. Gateway and Dell are premade systems. Build your own. Most systems come with Intel not AMD which is why you should build your own.
Tech -- np, alienware's cool cases rule. You can choose anything..
Just a little side-note here: Ordering one from Alienware is NOT building your own. It's customizing one and having them build it for you. And you can accomplish the same goal (with slightly lesser quality components) from Dell or HP or Gateway or any other major computer manufacturer.
Building your own, like what I'll be doing, is obtaining all the parts from somewhere like Directron or Newegg, and actually putting it together youself...
Just wanted to clear that up, before we get a bunch of n00bs thinking they're all 1337 from ordering an Alienware box. (Though that alone makes you at least partially 1337...)
---Skorpion
I knew that. Because it was all on the same page and it also said that it was pre built. When I visited newegg.com and directron.com I noticed you would build your own because of the way it was setup. But, Alienware is pretty kick@$$.
Besides, with the money you spend on the AW computers, I can build myself 2 premium quality desktops
Heck yeah seriously!!
Just a quick rundown of a top of the line PC that I'll be building later this summer (prices from Directron - Newegg has most of the stuff even cheaper, I think, but I don't wanna pay shipping so I get mine from Directron):
Athlon 1.4ghz = $199
Iwill KA266 DDR mobo = 132
512MB PC2100 DDR ram = 132
60GB IBM HDD = 179 (I think)
16X Toshiba DVD = ~80
Floppy = ~20
Elsa Gladiac 920 (GF3) = 399 (that's retail; Directron don't have them)
GameTheaterXP soundcard = 149 (again, retail)
Antec SX1030B Case = 98
That all equals $1388; I know I got all the main components, give or take about $100 depending on other stuff you may want to add/remove. So you're looking at somewhere in the area of $1500 for a completely top of the line PC, and you'd probably pay close to $2000 to get it from any of the regular retail computer makers (HP, Dell, etc), even more than that buying from Alienware or the other major gaming box builders.
That doesn't amount to two whole systems, but I bet if you went for a higher-end medium system (say, 1.2ghz, 256mb ram, 40gb HD, GF2 Ultra), I bet you probably build two for the price of one retail box.
---Skorpion
Well, all that for $1500 I might as well go check out those places before going out and buying stuff. Test out what the best deal I can get and such. See I knew it was a good idea to start a thread asking instead of ordering from Dell or Sony or something.
The stuff I bought yesterday had a $20 shipping which isn't all that bad for the savings you get from newegg o.O
hmmmm... the Alienware I just priced was more than the Dell I just priced and the AlienWare had lesser hardware and 2 years less warranty...
Alienware is very similar to (shudder) Abercrombie, in that you pay a whole truckload of money for an inch-long label...
(Oh dear lord, I compared Alienware to Abercrombie... (I said that word twice in the same post, too...) Someone shoot me!!!!)
---Skorpion
I've been thinking of building my own PC too.
I put together a few bits I might put in there:-
MotherBoard: Abit KT7A (Socket A - AMD Thunderbird/Duron)
Processer: AMD Athlon Thunderbird 1.2GHz (Socket A) Guaranteed to 1.4GHz+
Case: Enlight Endura EN-7237 (250W PSU)
Power Supply: Macron MPT-301 300W ATX Power Supply - AMD Approved/Pentium IV Compatible
CPU Cooler: TaiSol CGK760092 CPU Cooler - Duron/Thunderbird (Socket A)
Hard Drive: IBM 60GXP 41.2GB UDMA100
FDD: 3.5 Floppy Disk Drive - OEM
CD-ROM: Teac CD540E 40x IDE CD-ROM - OEM
Sound Card: Creative Soundblaster Live! Player 5.1 - Retail
Graphix Card: ATI Radeon 64MB DDR VIVO (AGP) - Retail
Memory: Crucial 512mb 256mb x2
I have one question, which motherboard do you tink I should get the:Abit KT7A or 'I-Will KK266-R'??
I've heard they both good! has anyone here used either of them?
Can anyone suggested any good places to buy hardware online in the UK??
Well, I noticed that Alienware is like Abercrombie. It is alot of money. So I going to use either newegg or directron to purchase my computer parts. I like alienware's cases tho.
coderjunkie: If you have or want a RAID setup, get the Iwill KK266-R. (The "-R" stands for RAID.) However, if you're not gonna use RAID, the -R version is useless. But just get the Iwill KK266 anyway, because it's a much better better mobo, especially if you want to OC your processor. It's very stable, the CMOS setup has all the overclocking options right there, and the Abit one you said has one of the capacitors in a location that is too close to the processor slot such that it gets in the way of some heatsinks.
---Skorpion
Any of you heard of ABIT's KG7-RAID? I have yet to find a vendor with this mobo.
Do any of you think you could help me build a computer? I know what I want I just don't know what to pick from newegg.com or directron.com. Here is what I want. If you could be so kinid exactly what I should buy for each thing please post it. I have about 2,000 dollars to spend.
AMD Processor [1ghz]
Memory Stick at least 256
40-60gb hard drive
Cd ROm drive
Cdrw/dvd drive
Fan
Motherboard
Win ME
56k Modem
A case
Floppy drive
Sound Card-Good
Speakers-Good
Video Card
That's all I really need. It would be so helpful! Thanks!
Hey Tech.. check out gateway as a hot spot. They are really cool. Once you get your computer they have "Gateway GoBack" and that program lets you "goback" to an earlier date on your computer, if something was deleted or went wrong.
IE: Say I was working on an awesome UBB Title. Than I saved it. Than I was working on another one and accidently saved over the old one. *Happened before*
Well just use GoBack and "goback" to the time before you saved over it.
Another helpful tool with gateway is that they give you these system restoration CD's. You can flip them into your CD-Rom drive and then re-install any damaged programs that you started out with and damaged or deleted.
Gateway is user-friendly entirely too. If you ever need any help talk to their live technical staff and they can help you a lot.
Hopefully this helped ya out, Tech-Ni-Kal
1. Gateway uses cheap, low-quality components. Like, cheaper, lower-quality than most regular PC manufacturers.
2. It's a darn good thing Gateway's tech support is actually surprisingly really good, because the aforementioned cheap, low-quality components have a tendency to go haywire at alarming rates.
3. Have you ever tried to add new hardware to a Gateway? Not a pretty sight...
4. Last time I heard, I think Gateway was having financial troubles... Good support only lasts as long as the company is in existance.
Kenji Koopa, you may have gotten a decent experience with your particular system. But I know several people whose families/parents purchased Gateways due to their supposed ease of use and purchasing (none of my friends' own computers are Gateway, thankfully), and I've experienced and been told vicariously about lots of horror stories with that company...
---Skorpion
Woohoo, I finished building my new computer yesterday and it is blazing fast! One slight problem I ran into is that I can't restart automatically. It checks all the drives and just somewhat hangs, then I have to press the reset button to make it boot up again (ahh!)...
Hmm, I dunno about gateway. My grandma has one and ahh is that hell... Oh well, any other suggestons would be great.
I'd go with a custom,with LOTS of memory and in the range of 1 GHZ would be great.
I was doing some overclocking on my GeForce2 Ultra and it runs stable at 305/510 (core/memory). I could run at 310/510 but it crashes like 10 minutes later -_-, also my CPU is gets real hot on full load (~55C-60C). Maybe time for a bigger HSF...
I want a cutom built. I was just wondering if you could help me with what brand for each accessory. <--Couldn't think of any better words...
Here ya go...
Motherboard – I'd go for the ASUS A7M266. The Gigabyte GA-7DXR might be worth a look – it has more features – but might be hard to find in stock.
You'll need PC2100 ram for that motherboard. Kingston, Crucial (Micron), and Corsair are the only brands to trust. You do not need registered ECC memory. Get the unbuffered. For a hundred bucks, you can get two 256M sticks.
A SCSI interface is a luxury most people do not need. If you use software that is disk intensive (recording digital audio, ripping movies, web server) you should consider a SCSI system. Otherwise save a pile of cash and go IDE.
For CDRW, go for the Plextor 16x10x40, and get a Pioneer DVD drive.
The IBM Deskstar GXP60 drives are excellent. 60G for about $150.
The OEM Athlon 1.4G SocketA is cheap! Add a Thermaltake Mini Copper ORB to keep it cool.
Video card – Top of the line is probably the Asus V8200 Geforce3 Deluxe. If you do not need the fastest video card available for gaming, save $$$ and get an Asus V7700 Pure 32MB Geforce2.
I've built six PC's using the InWin Q500 full tower case. It is plain and inexpensive, but very good quality and BIG! Only gripe is you must remove the top cover to remove the sides. Not a big deal unless you like to swap hardware often. Do some searching on deja.com to read about a particular MB/case combo before you select the case.
Get some case fans if they are not included with the case. The Q500 has a number of locations for 80mm fans. Two should be enough. Sunon makes decent fans, so does Panasonic (Panaflow).
Teac Floppy of course.
I haven't bought a modem in a long time. Just make sure it is not a winmodem – those take CPU horsepower and do not work with Linux.
A good speaker system will last for years, so might as well splurge on the best if you can afford it. The Klipsch Promedia 4.1 system looks awfully interesting. It is THX certified, which means it is very loud and astonishingly clean. An incredible bargain at $300.
The SB Live 5.1 is cheap and has decent sound quality. It is noisy, though. There are many better sound cards, like the TB Santa Cruz, Hercules XP, and some very expensive cards designed for pro audio use. I have two soundcards in my PC. One is a SBLive 5.1 for general use, and the other is a Yamaha SW1000XG for listening to MP3s and making music with Cubase.
But I suggest starting with the SB card, then look for something better if you are bothered by the sound quality.
Total price should be $1500 to $1800. Considerably more if you do SCSI.
Thanks!! That helps alot!!
Wrong...the Asus V8200 performed much slower than the CardExpert Gainward GeForce3 PowerPak according to Anandtech.com
LOL! You are correct GoTorankusuKu. That's why I wrote 'probably'.
That Gainward card is sure pretty, red solder mask, red heat sinks. Nice touch. Dunno if I would buy a computer card that had three exclamation points in the name. Might make it difficult to talk about it with my computer literate friends. Should I raise my voice to say "Powerpack !!!"? Or is it preferable to say "Powerpack exclamation point exclamation point exclamation point"? That might get tedious. If I post about that card in a newsgroup, readers will see those three exclamation points and think I am really excited about the card. Hmmm.
Sure, the “Powerpack !!!” might be a percent or two faster. Over time, that will offset the amount of time it takes to say “Gainward CardExpert GeForce3 PowerPak !!!”. Saying “Asus V8200 Deluxe” is so much less time consuming.
IMHO, those charts at Anandtech don't tell the whole story.