Unwashed Village
General Discussion => Unwashed Village => Topic started by: Doombot on March 05, 2008, 07:14:11 PM
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I think we call all agree that Macintosh is the superior brand. I could go on and on about it's many virtues but I'd just be preaching to the choir.
My question and situation is this.
My computer is very fallout looking right now. It's got an open side and a fan blowing on it to keep it cool.
It died 4 times in a row this morning. =/
So I really NEED a computer. (Right now I'm using the boyfriends Macbook).
So I have this nice feeling of having a MacHome with Mac Computers and it makes me as happy. However... I'm not that familiar with the tiny bits of knowledge that I need to comfortably make the transition. I also need power (uhhhh uhhh uhhhh) to run things like Photoshop.
So here's what I'm thinking.
Get a PC for now because I know it and it's cheaper. I don't want to pay TOO much right now. Use the PC for photoshop work and my writing work.
Then one year from now, make my portable a MacBook.
So if I choose to get a PC, what should I get?
Thinking about spending no more that 1600 or so. I want the ability to have dual monitors. I plan on playing that Orange Box game so that should give you an idea of the capabilities I need. I have a LARGE collection of mp3s, videos and such so I'll need space. 1TB would be nice. 750 Gigs I could live with.
So what PC do you suggest for me.
What Mac do you suggest for under 2000?
ALSO.... I don't seem to do that much Photoshop so I wonder if I should just go with a lower powered Mac but I worry that I'll regret it in the future.
Unsure. Thoughts?
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1600? Like in $?? That's a veritable fortune for a new PC. Well, in the BC book of Building PC's, it is...
Here's a place I shop at when building/repairing/upgrading PCs ; note that they do NOT have mail order so you're actually kinda screwed on getting parts from them. But it provides good benchmarks on what the various components (or entire systems) should cost.
But their web page seems kinda screwed up right now :( sorry, usually it is 'better'): www.enuinc.com
Anyway... I can make a fine PC for $1600, you betcha! And an even better one with $1600 Cdn.
((edit))
ENU page is up/better now.
For example, 1TB drive $265 or $296 depending on brand.
Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 3.0GHz 4M 1333M 775 $296
You might do a bit better by shopping around but you certainly should not pay much more.
Anyway, ENU is my toy store.
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ALSO.... I don't seem to do that much Photoshop so I wonder if I should just go with a lower powered Mac but I worry that I'll regret it in the future.
Unsure. Thoughts?
I read the whole post, I promise, I'm just quoting what I'm responding to specifically. : )
I haven't done research in awhile, but I think you can get a decently cheap PC that meets all of your specifications and needs. Do you plan on buying a retail box or would you like to get something custom? There are places that will assemble and test whatever combination you'd like (tigerdirect.com, newegg.com, etc) and some of them come with a decent warranty- the tradeoff being that your local geek squad or what have you will probably not be willing to dig around in a custom machine to fix problems, at least not without charging you a lot, so if you want to have it fixed you'll have to mail it back and wait for them to fix it and send it back.
I personally had a lot of luck with my local Fry's Electronics. The guy hooked me up with a warranty that would cover the replacement of the motherboard/cpu no matter what I had done to it. He recommended I steadily overclock it bit by bit until it fried and then take it to get replaced and know exactly how far I can overclock without danger... which is wayyyy more hardcore than I wanted to be. But when it wouldn't start one week I took it in and they fixed it for free, no questions asked, since I'd bought it there.
As far as the photoshop thing, I'm currently on an ancient PC. I can't really make out the ancient people who crafted it by reading the hieroglyphics on the side, but I know that it's a pentium 4 2.8 ghz (current retail value about 60-70 bucks), and it runs photoshop without a single glitch. Even when I'm doing massive vector drawings. Illustrator, on the other hand, tends to choke it like a red-headed stepchild who stepped over the line one too many times with his boy band music at three in the morning.
As far as the mac goes... I'll pretend I didn't see the first half of this post and keep on driving. Although I earnestly wish my work computer was a mac, considering all I do on it is use adobe cs3 and chat here and on pidgin.
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Well I can't tell you a good brand for a PC but I can tell you about what you'll want so you know what to look for.
I'd go with at least an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E6850 (that's the 3.0 ghz one)
at least 2 gigs of ram
at least an 8600gt Nvidia card
for the core parts of your system
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(http://web.media.mit.edu/~guy/blog/images/shamemac.gif)
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The Orange box doesn't require that much since it's based on Half-Life 2 (or is Half-Life 2). So you should be able to find a PC within that price range easily.
I can't suggest you a Mac, as I don't know much about them.
For photoshop, I'd suggest plenty of RAM (2 GB or more) - just remember that unless you run on 64-bit Vista or XP, you won't be able to use more than 3.3GB.
I suggest buying two 500 GB discs instead of a single 1 TB. That way you can work with your images on one disc and run Vista/photoshop from the other.
Basically, any Core 2 Duo will do, but I recommend at least the E6600.
I don't know anyone US vendors and therefore can't put together a whole PC for you, but if you have a preference on where to buy it, I'd be glad to give you a more specific suggestion.
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Well, since nobody answered my computer question, I'll do it for you.
The 2 laptops I am looking at is pretty decent right now, and you can use those specs to run mostly what you want(or you can throw another stick in there). I just can't decide on whether $800 is worth the Dual Graphics card.
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1600? Like in $?? That's a veritable fortune for a new PC. Well, in the BC book of Building PC's, it is...
Here's a place I shop at when building/repairing/upgrading PCs ; note that they do NOT have mail order so you're actually kinda screwed on getting parts from them.
OH... pity you aren't here to help me with my equipment!
It's dying faster and faster. When it's not crashing the screen flickers every 30 seconds. Blah. =(
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I haven't done research in awhile, but I think you can get a decently cheap PC that meets all of your specifications and needs. Do you plan on buying a retail box or would you like to get something custom? There are places that will assemble and test whatever combination you'd like (tigerdirect.com, newegg.com, etc) and some of them come with a decent warranty- the tradeoff being that your local geek squad or what have you will probably not be willing to dig around in a custom machine to fix problems, at least not without charging you a lot, so if you want to have it fixed you'll have to mail it back and wait for them to fix it and send it back.
I'll be ok either way. I've never really needed the services of a huge company to help me with my computer. I have the ability to tinker and usually fix things myself. In this case, I'm choosing not to pour money into this computer since it's old... old.... OLD from 2004! It also has Kauai salt air and rust on the outer parts. Hence why I figure it's best to let it die... even if it is rusty. I would like the convience of having everything in a package but if new egg can put together something then I'll be just fine with that. I take it all combinations that I pick will work? Eg. I won't be able to pick a hard drive that doesn't work with a particular motherboard?
As far as the photoshop thing, I'm currently on an ancient PC. I can't really make out the ancient people who crafted it by reading the hieroglyphics on the side, but I know that it's a pentium 4 2.8 ghz (current retail value about 60-70 bucks), and it runs photoshop without a single glitch. Even when I'm doing massive vector drawings. Illustrator, on the other hand, tends to choke it like a red-headed stepchild who stepped over the line one too many times with his boy band music at three in the morning.
That's what I'm hearing. Anything new and at least 800.00 is going to run Photoshop well so I suppose that worry isn't as major as I thought. I don't really use adobe illustrator so I'm ok with that.
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Well I can't tell you a good brand for a PC but I can tell you about what you'll want so you know what to look for.
I'd go with at least an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E6850 (that's the 3.0 ghz one)
at least 2 gigs of ram
at least an 8600gt Nvidia card
for the core parts of your system
So definately go with the Intel Core 2 and not that one that starts with an 'A'? Athlon?
For the 8600 gt Nvidia card will 256 be the number to get or is there a fairly pressing need for the 512 model?
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The Orange box doesn't require that much since it's based on Half-Life 2 (or is Half-Life 2). So you should be able to find a PC within that price range easily.
I can't suggest you a Mac, as I don't know much about them.
For photoshop, I'd suggest plenty of RAM (2 GB or more) - just remember that unless you run on 64-bit Vista or XP, you won't be able to use more than 3.3GB.
I suggest buying two 500 GB discs instead of a single 1 TB. That way you can work with your images on one disc and run Vista/photoshop from the other.
Basically, any Core 2 Duo will do, but I recommend at least the E6600.
I don't know anyone US vendors and therefore can't put together a whole PC for you, but if you have a preference on where to buy it, I'd be glad to give you a more specific suggestion.
Oh yes. I heard getting two discs is better to help with searches and such. If you know your por... psd files are on your D drive then you can just search there instead of searching the whole drive. I heard Vista is horrible. I think I should just stay with xp. Does that sound reasonble?
Thanks.
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I don't think you'll have any problems with Vista if you buy recent hardware, I use Photoshop CS3 on Vista on my machines, and it works just as well as it did on XP.
256 MB should be enough to run the Orange box, but many new game require more. Like I said before, Half-Life 2 is a pretty old game (but still great looking). I could even run it on my old Pentium M 1.8Ghz laptop with onboard graphics. Of course not on the highest settings, but still..
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256mb should be enough depending on your monitor resolution, anything at or above 1280x1024 and the frame buffer really starts having an effect on performance so you ideally want to have 512mb.
Look out for the new 9600 range of cards, they don't have a massive price premium over the 8600GTS but they are much quicker. A core 2 duo, as much memory as you can afford and can be addressed to by your os and two hard drives are what you should be looking for along with either a 9600GT or an 8800GT.
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I take it all combinations that I pick will work? Eg. I won't be able to pick a hard drive that doesn't work with a particular motherboard?
Yeah, you can have it compatibility-tested before they send it to you. I've heard (and I'm like 98% sure) that newegg does that fairly well. I've done it with Tigerdirect for my wife's computer, since I was out of town and couldn't be there to fiddle with the thing.
Newegg is pretty cool because they sell pretty much everything, including apple products (the ones that apple allows third-party retailers/wholesalers to sell anyway). I recently got my thumb drive from them for really cheap and it's worked out really well. Just pulled it out of my jeans after a wash, still works. (phew).
But yeah, a lot of these places will provide support for their setups. And you have plenty of Villagers willing to help you choose, so just let any of us know and we can rig up a system for you based on the site of your choice.
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Pretty much what the others said- and definitely get at least two HDD's. I'm currently running three- one for games, one for the operating system and core programs and one for movies, series, everything else basically.
When it comes to processors, Pentium >> Athlon these days, and the Core2Duo series is exceedingly stable (got a 2.66GHz running stable on no extra heat when overclocked to 3.2 A friend has his 2.4 overclocked to 4.2 o.O
GFX wise, get a Geforce 8800Gt if possible. These things are some amazing bang for your buck and will last you a fair few years before needing to be replaced.
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vista is only really a bitch because it comes with too many preset settings that eat up ram like its oxygen. once you get used to it and figure out your settings it isnt that bad unless the computer demands that it updates itself. then you have to go reset nearly half the settings again. updates for me seem to be only once a month, but some could just be the comp brand updates and not windows. firefox runs awesome.
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For the 8600 gt Nvidia card will 256 be the number to get or is there a fairly pressing need for the 512 model?
More ram on the card always helps but if price is an issue don't worry about it. If you can afford the 8800 series then do that as they are beefier.
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OH... pity you aren't here to help me with my equipment!
Um...
*cough*
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But yeah, a lot of these places will provide support for their setups. And you have plenty of Villagers willing to help you choose, so just let any of us know and we can rig up a system for you based on the site of your choice.
That would be awesome. If some people could put together something they think I would like then I have a good start if not outright buying that system.
So this will be a little vague but here goes. Go with the suggestions on hardware that were suggested. Intel 2, 2 gigs of ram, two 500 gig harddrives (at least), 512 mb for the Nvidia card, the ability to run two monitors. I don't need speaks since I have a fairly nice system over here. I like my monitors to be big so if there's any suggestions on those. Right now I have my old flat panel monitor (but it's melted on the top) so I just need a big monitor for the main display and the melted one for menu items (told you the computer was fallout looking). Unsure about Vista or XP. You'alls call on that. I don't need a BLUray player or a HDDVD player but something able to play DVDs would be nice.
So I think I got all the suggestons from everyone. Thanks in advance. I'll continue to look on my own as well.
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OK, if I wuz gonna build ya da BC/ENU Spezial, this is what I would go for:
CPU Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66GHz 4M 1333M 775 Retail $208
M/B Intel DP35DPM Aud/GbLan/SATA/1394 ATX $123
RAM 4GB(2x2GB) DDR2 PC6400 800MHz Matched Pair HyperX Kingston $189
HD 2x Seagate 500G 32M 7200 SATA II $276
VID eVGA GeForce 8600GTS 256M TV-Out/2DVI $169
Case+Power Supply Antec Atlas 550W Server Black ATX $143
http://www.enuinc.com/cas-antec-047.jpg
Monitor 20" Widescreen KDS K-20MDWB 20 5ms DVI Widescreen $209
http://www.enuinc.com/mon-kds-lcd-001.html
DVD Pioneer DVR212D 18x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Black SATA $ 39
OS MS Windows Vista Business 32bit OEM 1-Pack $154
for a total of $1,511.
My first pass was over $1900 so I downgraded the CPU and video card a bit (but they are still good).
The monitor is a 20" wide LCD which I own, and is fabulous.
I used a rather large power supply because I don't want no steenking puny ones!
RAM type/price can vary widely.
I went with Vista (against my own recommendations) because it can probably use the extra RAM more efficiently.
Also, these are all ENU prices (no shipping, remember?) and should just be used as benchmarks against the system you build or buy.
((edit))
Also, I assume others may have corrections, improvements, etc to the above list, which I encourage. That way when it blows up in smoke I can say "See! It wouldn't have done that if Chucara hadn't added the Mobile Coffee Cup Holder!"
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Oh... did you want a keyboard and mouse?
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Oh... did you want a keyboard and mouse?
Well... I'll want to buy one of those ergonomic keyboards since I find they're easier to type on and there's 4 years of soda spray from hilarious UV postings on the keyboard.
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(http://bp1.blogger.com/_1tk0c4Dzgbs/RdXUCYXVJsI/AAAAAAAAAl8/mG6iXuvWWzc/s1600-h/dirty+keyboard.jpg)
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http://bp1.blogger.com/_1tk0c4Dzgbs/RdXUCYXVJsI/AAAAAAAAAl8/mG6iXuvWWzc/s1600-h/dirty+keyboard.jpg
That site doesn't allow offsite linking. You're post looks blank to at least me, and probably a few others.
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Hmm, you might want to wander down to your local bookstore and pick up a copy of this month's issue of Maximum PC; The cover story is "Build Your Own No-Compromises $1500 PC - 13 Easy Steps Anyone Can Follow!", might have some good pointers to take into consideration (I haven't read it yet, just picked it up on the way home tonight).
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As far as the photoshop thing, I'm currently on an ancient PC. I can't really make out the ancient people who crafted it by reading the hieroglyphics on the side, but I know that it's a pentium 4 2.8 ghz (current retail value about 60-70 bucks), and it runs photoshop without a single glitch. Even when I'm doing massive vector drawings. Illustrator, on the other hand, tends to choke it like a red-headed stepchild who stepped over the line one too many times with his boy band music at three in the morning.
<Stone Age Celeron 300 mghz running Gimp. Har har har :laugh3:
Although this doesn't have anything to do with hardware, I recommend you look for efficient software. Even though you shouldn't have any problems running anything on the new system, you may still want to check up on some free software if you find that you're having performance issues. I have managed to last this beast 10 years strong by finding software that uses low CPU power.
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Still looking around and I've decided that I'm undecided.
Many of the computers that I'm looking at have items I just don't need or want at the expense.
eg. Blue Ray would be nice but I'd rather that 200 dollars that gets me a blu ray play go into ram or a nicer video card.
I probably could put together a computer but I just don't want to deal with the fuss. All my 'putting together' fuss is reserved for my upcoming MAME cabinet.
SO... what online custom shops do you recommend?
In the meantime, I'll go to FRYs and see what options are there.
And in the back of my mind, I wonder...
When was the last time I played a game on the PC besides Heavy Metal or Popcap games?
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When was the last time I played a game on the PC besides Heavy Metal or Popcap games?
But then when was the last time you had a PC that could run decent games? :P
Aeoncraft is who I went with for my last purchase. I can't recommend them really. I've had a couple of issues since I got it. The main problem with them is that you can expect zero tech support if something does go wrong.
You may recall that I had a bad stick of ram in the machine when I first got it. Luckily I had gone with the higher end gaming ram upgrade on my system and that meant I got to deal with Corsair's tech support. My first call was to Aeoncraft though and I remember calling early (they are West coast). Some guy answered the phone sounding like I woke him up and said, "Oh they aren't open yet." Needless to say this didn't fill me with confidence in their tech support. Corsair was great though btw, I highly recommend their ram and their tech support. As soon as we discovered it was indeed a bad stick they had me send it to them. I had my new stick within a few days.
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But then when was the last time you had a PC that could run decent games? :P
This is true. I wanted to play Lord of the Rings, Portal and that cartoon looking orange box game but I didn't have a working DVD player.
Acer is my company of apathy. I bought a computer and other equipment from them and it broke on the first night. Their customer service was horrible. =(
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This is true. I wanted to play Lord of the Rings
Great.
*prepares self for a day of helping Doomsie with her noob after which I'll never see her in game again* ;)
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I wouldn't get a Bluray player just yet. First off, are you really going to watch movies on your PC? (Scratch this remark if you plan on hooking it up to a HDTV)
Second, the movie selection is nowhere near DVD yet, but that'll change (well.. maybe). And while they don't cost as much as they did two months ago, they will continue to drop on price as Bluray become more popular.
Find me a online store that ships to the US, and I'll put together what I'd buy today.
For comparison, my desktop is currently:
CPU: Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4GHz @ ~3.3 GHz
MB: ASUS P5KC
VGA: 8800GTS 768MB
RAM: 2x1024MB Cellshock PC6400
HD: 2x 500 GB Western Digital (can't remember the model, but I recommend WD above all other brands for quality/cost ratio)
Monitor: Samsung Synmaster 226BW
Keyboard: Logitech DiNovo Edge
Mouse: MX Revolution
OS: Windows Vista Business, Windows XP Pro (both free from school)
DVD: Sony
I've never been happier with a computer, it runs smooth and overclocks so easily it hurts. While I could assemble a computer with the same specs for half the price, I really recommend quality hardware over cheap or noname brands.
The above is bought to be a good overclocker, so you could find cheaper RAM, MB and VGA. The keyboard and mouse is a taste thing, but I really recommend ergonomic (broken) keyboards - they make a HUGE difference if you type a lot. I don't know if you use a digitizer(and accompanying mouse), but otherwise the MX revolution is a very nice mouse, although quite expensive.
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I wouldn't get a Bluray player just yet. First off, are you really going to watch movies on your PC? (Scratch this remark if you plan on hooking it up to a HDTV)
Second, the movie selection is nowhere near DVD yet, but that'll change (well.. maybe). And while they don't cost as much as they did two months ago, they will continue to drop on price as Bluray become more popular.
Sorry. I should have explained better. Say that's a computer that I want and it's $1400.00 and $200.00 of that is due to the addition of a BluRay player. Well... I don't like that. I'd rather omit the $200.00 and have it go toward a better graphic card or more memory. So the gist is... I see computers that I like but they have features I don't need or at least I don't want if it makes them more expensive.
=)
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Find me a online store that ships to the US, and I'll put together what I'd buy today.
If anyone can find one for Chucara, I would appreciate it. Anyone that I find will be though Google and I don't know the best bang for the buck websites. eg. Alienware is good but $2500 to spend I have not.
So this is where I am. I thought about building a computer but I'm a bit overwealmed. I'm not sure if a processor will work with a motherboard which will work with a harddrive which will work with this ram.
I may just put the 'surrounding' parts piecemeal and buy the computer last. I take it BlueCross's monitor is good?
I think a $1200.00 computer is what I'm looking for but I'll entertain up to $1500.00. Thanks everyone.
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Short compatability guide:
Motherboard: Should be socket 775 for Core 2 Duo, it should also have a SATA port for each hard drive you want (I dare you to find a socket 775 motherboard without at least two SATA ports). It should also have a PCI-E port for graphics (most if not all C2D cards have these)
Harddrive: Should be SATA (SATA 1 or 2 doesn't really matter)
VGA: Should be PCI-Express, and should preferably have two DVI outputs, allthough one DVI and one VGA will do too.
Oh, and we forgot sound card. Most onboard cards are quite good these days, so unless sound is a focus for you, you'll do fine with that. (You can always upgrade if you change your mind)
I'd get Vista, but that is all a matter of taste.
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Short compatability guide:
Motherboard: Should be socket 775 for Core 2 Duo, it should also have a SATA port for each hard drive you want (I dare you to find a socket 775 motherboard without at least two SATA ports). It should also have a PCI-E port for graphics (most if not all C2D cards have these)
Harddrive: Should be SATA (SATA 1 or 2 doesn't really matter)
VGA: Should be PCI-Express, and should preferably have two DVI outputs, allthough one DVI and one VGA will do too.
Oh, and we forgot sound card. Most onboard cards are quite good these days, so unless sound is a focus for you, you'll do fine with that. (You can always upgrade if you change your mind)
I'd get Vista, but that is all a matter of taste.
I would think any reasonable sound card will be just fine for me. I DO want two hardrives. I usually keep my Photoshops, Video and Music on the secondary drive. I saw two versions of the Nvidia 8800 card. One was about 250 and the other 350. I suppose the 250 dollar will be just fine for me?
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I would think any reasonable sound card will be just fine for me. I DO want two hardrives. I usually keep my Photoshops, Video and Music on the secondary drive. I saw two versions of the Nvidia 8800 card. One was about 250 and the other 350. I suppose the 250 dollar will be just fine for me?
It's always best to look the exact card you saw up online just in case. Sometimes these companies pull some shenanigans and short you clock speed on the memory or GPU. Just make sure it has gotten good customer reviews at places like Newegg.com and such.
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Hmm, you might want to wander down to your local bookstore and pick up a copy of this month's issue of Maximum PC; The cover story is "Build Your Own No-Compromises $1500 PC - 13 Easy Steps Anyone Can Follow!", might have some good pointers to take into consideration (I haven't read it yet, just picked it up on the way home tonight).
I picked it up! =)
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There are 9 distinct models in the 8800 family and two fundamental architectures, the first architecture comprises the old 320/640mb GTS cards with 96 stream processors and the 768mb 128 stream processor GTX/ultra cards, the difference between these two was core and memory speeds these were G90 range, there was also a highly limited 112 stream processor GTS card. The second architecture is the G92 range this comprises four distinct models; the GT with either 256mb or 512mb and 112 stream processors, the GTS with 128 stream processors and the GS with 96 stream processors, 384mb and a crippled 192bit memory interface. (all the other cards have a 256 bit memory interface)
The 8800 ultra is the top flight card but the G92 8800gts is just a few ticks behind the GTX, the 512mb GT is the best price/performance card on the market just now and the GS is being given a hard run from the lower specified 9600GT.
Buy a GT and make sure you spend the little extra on the 512mb version and totally avoid the GS, good card but it occupies an odd position in the lineup now.
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There are 9 distinct models in the 8800 family and two fundamental architectures, the first architecture comprises the old 320/640mb GTS cards with 96 stream processors and the 768mb 128 stream processor GTX/ultra cards, the difference between these two was core and memory speeds these were G90 range, there was also a highly limited 112 stream processor GTS card. The second architecture is the G92 range this comprises four distinct models; the GT with either 256mb or 512mb and 112 stream processors, the GTS with 128 stream processors and the GS with 96 stream processors, 384mb and a crippled 192bit memory interface. (all the other cards have a 256 bit memory interface)
The 8800 ultra is the top flight card but the G92 8800gts is just a few ticks behind the GTX, the 512mb GT is the best price/performance card on the market just now and the GS is being given a hard run from the lower specified 9600GT.
Buy a GT and make sure you spend the little extra on the 512mb version and totally avoid the GS, good card but it occupies an odd position in the lineup now.
Thanks for the info! =)
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And another update.
I'll still consider the assemble the computer at home option. I think the thing that was making me wonder was making sure that everything works together. I'd do your suggest Bluecross but I think I'll take my computer down to $1200.00 with shipping. So if I'm able to get everything delivered to Vegas then I'm sure I can put it together.
Of course having everything already assembled is the other option I'll consider.
ALso... I want another monitor that's at least 20". It will be the main monitor and my old 17 will be for menus and such.
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And another update.
I'll still consider the assemble the computer at home option. I think the thing that was making me wonder was making sure that everything works together. I'd do your suggest Bluecross but I think I'll take my computer down to $1200.00 with shipping. So if I'm able to get everything delivered to Vegas then I'm sure I can put it together.
Of course having everything already assembled is the other option I'll consider.
ALso... I want another monitor that's at least 20". It will be the main monitor and my old 17 will be for menus and such.
I'm not sure you can do what you want to do (another monitor, shipping, semi-original specs) for under $1200. :(
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And another update.
I'll still consider the assemble the computer at home option. I think the thing that was making me wonder was making sure that everything works together. I'd do your suggest Bluecross but I think I'll take my computer down to $1200.00 with shipping. So if I'm able to get everything delivered to Vegas then I'm sure I can put it together.
Of course having everything already assembled is the other option I'll consider.
ALso... I want another monitor that's at least 20". It will be the main monitor and my old 17 will be for menus and such.
I'm not sure you can do what you want to do (another monitor, shipping, semi-original specs) for under $1200. :(
Then perhaps we should move back to the original specs. Since Ram is SO cheap these days... how about a configuration with 3 to 4 gigs. I need a reminder? .75 gigs gets 'wasted' on drivers and such because only 3.25 is noticable?
I may just go ahead and get the computer piece by piece so $1500.00 isn't that bad if I spread it out over time. SO if I want a 20 inch monitor what should I get?
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Ok. So I think I'll go ahead and buy the monitor and the keyboard for right now. I looked at Bluecross's monitor and it looks awesome. I might just get that one. I also might need a few more inches so what about a 22" monitor. Are they too big? A friend had one I think and view webpages just seemed a little 'off'. I'm not sure if it was a 22 or not.
I looked at Chucara's keyboard and while nice (actually very nice), I don't need something from the 22nd century. I alway want a ergonomic board. Suggestions?
SO I'm STILL looking for a computer but I'm getting the monitor and keyboard and mouse for right now.
OH! The mouse... I seem to have trouble with wireless mice. They've never been fully responsive to me. eg. They'll hang or not move quickly or just something there seems to be a lag time. I don't put them next to wireless equipment so I don't know why. I've always gone back to wired mice. Suggestions for mice?
Thanks!
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You might find the extra two inches a bit spendy for what you get. You don't need two more inches, do you?
Mice: I ALWAYS get optical USB mice; no need for a mouse pad (unless you have some goofy shiny surface). Either Logitech or MicroSoft, whatever is cheaper at the time. Some guy in our office bought a couple of Belkin optical (USB) mice and they seem fine as well.
I think the biggest deal is to make sure you can return stuff within 30 days, no questions asked. *nods*
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You might find the extra two inches a bit spendy for what you get. You don't need two more inches, do you?
Mice: I ALWAYS get optical USB mice; no need for a mouse pad (unless you have some goofy shiny surface). Either Logitech or MicroSoft, whatever is cheaper at the time. Some guy in our office bought a couple of Belkin optical (USB) mice and they seem fine as well.
I think the biggest deal is to make sure you can return stuff within 30 days, no questions asked. *nods*
Yes. Always get an optical.
I think 20" might be good then. I'll need to get two monitors so two 20" should be fine.
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Trackballs ftw!
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Ugh! I hatses trackballs!
Our secretary/admin insists on them and I can't stand to work on her PC.
It is sort of interesting. I really can't put my finger (or thumb) on why people like or dislike trackballs. I don't like them because I don't feel like I get the control and sensitivity I need; but clearly others think they do.
Ugh! (again)
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Yeah... unless I'm playing Marble Madness...
Wait... EVEN when I was playing Marble Madness... trackballs irritated me.
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I like trackballs if you're being ultimately lazy. You can lean back in your chair and put it on the armrest. A friend of mine had a "gaming chair" that he installed a fps-style interface on the left arm and the trackball on the right, he'd just lay back and destroy people in counter-strike.
Whatever floats your boat.
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Just fyi, I was as dead set against trackballs as you guys are. A friend of mine had one and I couldn't stand it but he talked about how he owned with it in FPS games. So when my mouse died I gave a trackball a shot and I've been hooked ever since. That was several years ago and as long as they make trackballs I'll never go back to a normal mouse again.
Funny story -
My step-dad who has worked with computers for almost his entire adult life had to take a seat at my computer a while back. He grabbed the trackball and tried to move it around the desk like it was a normal mouse. I still pick on him about that one. ;D
Another funny story -
Whenever someone playing a FPS on the same server as me asks what everyone uses for a controller I say I use a steering wheel. ;)
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Well... I guess I'll listen to Bluecross and get that monitor he posted...
I should be ok by listening to Bluecross right?
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Trackballs ftw!
I agree :)
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I have a 22" monitor that I can recommend.. I have never owned a 20", so I can't really recommend anything there. If you want to know, I have a Samsung SynMaster 226BW, which is an extremely nice monitor, both in regards to look and specs.
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Oh! I think I'll get Chucara's Monitor! I like the look of it!
I think I'll go with Bluecross's suggestion since his equipment looks speedy. Other computers aren't really doing it for me.
Now I have a question. IF I change the configuration of the computer too much will Vista give me issues?
Here's the situation. I have two drives on a dead computer. I need to hook up the drives and transfer the data to the new drives.
So If I install Vista with the new drives, take the second drive out, put in the old drive, transfer the data, take Old drive 1 out and put in Old Drive 2, transfer the data and then put in New Drive One... will Vista consider it another computer and ask me to re-register Vista?
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So If I install Vista with the new drives, take the second drive out, put in the old drive, transfer the data, take Old drive 1 out and put in Old Drive 2, transfer the data and then put in New Drive One... will Vista consider it another computer and ask me to re-register Vista?
Err... I'm assuming you mean Drive Two there. If you're replacing drive one, you've removed vista from the equation :P
And no, I don't see Vista giving you that kind of problem. Vista is a little more freeform with drives, as far as my experience takes it.
As long as you don't mess with the drive that Vista is installed on, things should go well (albiet a little slowly)
Also, make sure that the pins on the old drives aren't set to master. That makey compooter go wah :(
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So If I install Vista with the new drives, take the second drive out, put in the old drive, transfer the data, take Old drive 1 out and put in Old Drive 2, transfer the data and then put in New Drive One... will Vista consider it another computer and ask me to re-register Vista?
Err... I'm assuming you mean Drive Two there. If you're replacing drive one, you've removed vista from the equation :P
And no, I don't see Vista giving you that kind of problem. Vista is a little more freeform with drives, as far as my experience takes it.
As long as you don't mess with the drive that Vista is installed on, things should go well (albiet a little slowly)
Also, make sure that the pins on the old drives aren't set to master. That makey compooter go wah :(
Oh I should be more clear.
My new computer will have two new drive.
Let's call New Drive one Lilo and New Drive 2 Stitch
The Old two drives will be Twiddle Dee for drive 1 that's old and twiddle Dum for the old drive 2.
SO Lilo has Vista and Stitch is my new 2nd drive. I take Stitch out and put in Twiddle Dee. The data from Twiddle Dee goes into Lilo (which has Vista) or a External Drive. Then I take out Twiddle Dee and replace Twiddle Dee with Twiddle Dum. The data from Twiddle Dum also goes into Lilo. Once I'm done with Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum (My two old drives), I'm left with LIlo and Stitch my new drives. I then seperate teh data as necessary and defrag the drive. Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum then go into the closet and I'm left with Lilo and Stitch.
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There are some traps here.
The new drives will (or should be) SATA drives; the old one were undoubtedly IDE.
Some (most?) of the new motherboards have only one IDE slot which can support two devices. One of these will be your CD/DVD/whatever. If you have two IDE drives you want to connect, you cain't do it. If you wanted two CD/DVD stuffs, then you have a worse problemo.
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There are some traps here.
The new drives will (or should be) SATA drives; the old one were undoubtedly IDE.
Some (most?) of the new motherboards have only one IDE slot which can support two devices. One of these will be your CD/DVD/whatever. If you have two IDE drives you want to connect, you cain't do it. If you wanted two CD/DVD stuffs, then you have a worse problemo.
So what's the best way to get the data off those drives? I also have a similar issue with the boyfriend's old old OLD computer thats about 10 years old. There's no USB or firewire on there so how can we transfer the data to another computer either my new computer, my external USB or his Mac?
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1. Most old computers will have Serial Ports and you can transfer the data that way. You will have to buy or make a cable and then download some software that allows to transfer data. Slooooooooow.....
2. USB memory sticks. They make pretty big ones now. But you would need to add a USB board to the old PCs and some older PCs have an Operating System that may not like USB very well. Efficient, but could be spendy, and rather inconvenient.
3. Slave drives. If you have an IDE port on the new PC, add one of the hard drives as a slave to the new PC. Then copy files from the old drive to the new drive. Repeat for each old hard drive you have. When done, stick in your DVD or whatever else you have that uses an IDE interface. Fairly simple but you have to have confidence in adding/removing hard drives to your new PC. Plus jumper settings on the drive could be critical. Easy, fast but slightly dangerous when you mucking about with exposed m/b's, etc.
4. Nework. Add a network card to your old PC and then connect a network 'crossover' cable from one PC to the other. Sometimes with different operating systems on either side of the cable you may have trouble convincing them they can really talk to each other. Easy, fast but could be messy to set up.
5. Type in all the old data manually into the new PC.
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Just copy the data from the old drives one at a time, shutting down the computer before you remove an IDE drives, or boot partitions SATA drives.
It's the fastest option, even including the time it takes to switch drives. Most motherboards have atleast a single IDE slot still.
Did you find a store where you wanted to buy, and I'll give it a check before you buy?
Oh, and let me know if you want me to take a few pictures of the monitor so you can see it..
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Just copy the data from the old drives one at a time, shutting down the computer before you remove an IDE drives, or boot partitions SATA drives.
It's the fastest option, even including the time it takes to switch drives. Most motherboards have atleast a single IDE slot still.
Did you find a store where you wanted to buy, and I'll give it a check before you buy?
Oh, and let me know if you want me to take a few pictures of the monitor so you can see it..
I figured New Egg would be the place to check but PLEASE suggest other places for me. =) This is all kinda new.
I saw a picture of the monitor but go ahead and send me some. =) Just in case...
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Oh! I think I'll get Chucara's Monitor! I like the look of it!
You might want to be careful with ordering that one online; I did a little googling of that model monitor and found an article about how its been shipping with several different series of the model, with different qualities of LCD display panels (some made by Samsung, some farmed out to AU Optronics, which ended up being inferior to the Samsung panels), one of the main problems with the inferior panels being a blue color dominance. Since you do a lot of photo editing work, that's probably something you'd want to avoid.
Although the article is from May of 2007 (and possibly only affecting users in France/Europe as I think the website is based there) and Samsung may have straightened things out by now, still you'll want to be careful. Here's the article so you can check it out http://www.behardware.com/articles/667-1/samsung-226bw-a-and-s-series-the-verdict.html
Anyway, just wanted to give you a head's up so you might avoid any potential headaches. :)
btw, just looked at Newegg, the user reviews for the monitor confirm some people having problems with the color dominance/color problems with it, though it does seem the majority of the reviews are positive, still a potential for big problems http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16824001096
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Oh! I think I'll get Chucara's Monitor! I like the look of it!
You might want to be careful with ordering that one online; I did a little googling of that model monitor and found an article about how its been shipping with several different series of the model, with different qualities of LCD display panels (some made by Samsung, some farmed out to AU Optronics, which ended up being inferior to the Samsung panels), one of the main problems with the inferior panels being a blue color dominance. Since you do a lot of photo editing work, that's probably something you'd want to avoid.
Although the article is from May of 2007 (and possibly only affecting users in France/Europe as I think the website is based there) and Samsung may have straightened things out by now, still you'll want to be careful. Here's the article so you can check it out http://www.behardware.com/articles/667-1/samsung-226bw-a-and-s-series-the-verdict.html
Anyway, just wanted to give you a head's up so you might avoid any potential headaches. :)
btw, just looked at Newegg, the user reviews for the monitor confirm some people having problems with the color dominance/color problems with it, though it does seem the majority of the reviews are positive, still a potential for big problems http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16824001096
Ah. Good to know. Thanks. =)
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Ok. So I'm going to start to buy my stuff. I think I'll get half with one check and the other half with the other. So what things should I go ahead and get first? I take it the case and power unit, monitor, keyboard are non volatile with price?
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Ok. So I'm going to start to buy my stuff. I think I'll get half with one check and the other half with the other. So what things should I go ahead and get first? I take it the case and power unit, monitor, keyboard are non volatile with price?
about that non-volatile bit...
(http://www.pjrc.com/about/rambling/antec_BlownPSU.jpg)
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Case+Power Supply Antec Atlas 550W Server Black ATX $143
If I want another model (that looks pretty) is the 550w what I need to look for? I assume Case+Power includes a fan?
Or I assume I can get whatever model I want (with consideration to fitting all the components inside the case) and get a 550 power source? I assume this mother board requires a 550 and that's why your suggesting it?
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Case+Power Supply Antec Atlas 550W Server Black ATX $143
If I want another model (that looks pretty) is the 550w what I need to look for? I assume Case+Power includes a fan?
Or I assume I can get whatever model I want (with consideration to fitting all the components inside the case) and get a 550 power source? I assume this mother board requires a 550 and that's why your suggesting it?
Don't know if it's come up yet as I haven't been reading all the posts but a 550W power supply might be a bit low if you are going with the 8000 series (8600, 8800) Nvidia cards. You might want to double check what kind of power the card you are ordering requires.
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Case+Power Supply Antec Atlas 550W Server Black ATX $143
If I want another model (that looks pretty) is the 550w what I need to look for? I assume Case+Power includes a fan?
Or I assume I can get whatever model I want (with consideration to fitting all the components inside the case) and get a 550 power source? I assume this mother board requires a 550 and that's why your suggesting it?
Don't know if it's come up yet as I haven't been reading all the posts but a 550W power supply might be a bit low if you are going with the 8000 series (8600, 8800) Nvidia cards. You might want to double check what kind of power the card you are ordering requires.
OH yeah.... (burst through the wall) I want one of those cards. Thanks for the heads up.
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Remember that 550W is the maximum peak output that a 550W PSU will supply, at worst the machine you're looking at would draw a peak of around 580W but that's assuming around 200W for the 8800, 180W or so for the processor and motherboard and 25W each for the drives. I'm pretty sure the new 8800 cards come in at about a 150W draw or less and I doubt that every component will peak at the same time so 550W should be fine.
Go for higher wattage if you can afford it but don't be dazzled by ratings because mose cheap power supplies don't provide reliable power at just about any draw. If you buy an Antec 550W you should be more than fine because Antec make some of the best power supplies you can buy.
I wouldn't recommend it but I've known people who've ran high quality supplies well over the peak draw while I've ran modest machines on cheap 600W supplies and mine blew while their ones kept running happily.
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Well... thanks for the advice from everyone. I think I will be putting together a computer. I think it'll be a interesting challenge. I will of course post my future purchases on the board to avoid mistakes.
eg.
Bluecross: OH NO! You can't use that drive with that motherboard! The combination could start a chain reaction that would unravel the very fabric of the space time continuum, and destroy the entire universe! Granted, that's a worse case scenario. The destruction might in fact be very localized, limited to our own galaxy.
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Well... I went ahead and got the monitor. The blueness concerned me and someone at newegg suggested another monitor. There's a issue with the backlight with some people while others don't really seem to notice.
It doesn't adjust in height but my old ones never did so that's not a issue to me. Here's what I got.
SAMSUNG 2253BW Black 22" 2ms(GTG) DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor with HDCP Support 300 cd/m2 DC 8000:1 - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001268&Tpk=SAMSUNG%2b2253BW%2bBlack%2b22%2522)
I'm not sure if I can use the other one with the Macbook but one of the reviewers said he could so that's good. I didn't see any issues about off colors so I went with the other2253BW.
Hopefully I made a good decision. This one just 'felt' right so it's kinda hard to go against intuition.
Next... I wonder if I should get the RAM right now since it's so cheap. Also based on what I think Brugdor said, I think I'll go with the Nvidia GeForce 8800.
So with this in mind, I want to run Vista. At least I think I do. I'm using XP and I plan on having this new computer for 3 - 4 years. I don't know if a 9 year old operating system might be good. Might as well make the move and uninstall what options I don't need. So is Bluecross's suggestion of a motherboard and processor compatible with one of the cards here and which card should I get? Should I go with the 64 version of vista? Will I be missing out on anything major? If I'm going to be Photoshopping and Film editing is it wise to go with the 64 bit version? Is it worth spending another $100 for the 64 bit version and will my suggested motherboard and CPU run the 64 bit version?
Text Search Terms: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 512 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Description=NVIDIA+GeForce+8800+512&x=0&y=0)
Here why WiseCross suggested as a reminder: ps. I think I'll be spending more than my original estimate of $1500.00
CPU Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66GHz 4M 1333M 775 Retail $208
M/B Intel DP35DPM Aud/GbLan/SATA/1394 ATX $123
RAM 4GB(2x2GB) DDR2 PC6400 800MHz Matched Pair HyperX Kingston $189
HD 2x Seagate 500G 32M 7200 SATA II $276
VID eVGA GeForce 8600GTS 256M TV-Out/2DVI $169
Case+Power Supply Antec Atlas 550W Server Black ATX $143
http://www.enuinc.com/cas-antec-047.jpg
Monitor 20" Widescreen KDS K-20MDWB 20 5ms DVI Widescreen $209
http://www.enuinc.com/mon-kds-lcd-001.html
DVD Pioneer DVR212D 18x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Black SATA $ 39
OS MS Windows Vista Business 32bit OEM 1-Pack $154
Thanks a bunch everyone.
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Well... my monitor came in and it's awe....some. =)
I had to get a miniDVI to DVI adapter so it would attach to the Macbook but it works. =)
No dead pixels. New egg is awesome or eggcellent.
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Well... my monitor came in and it's awe....some. =)
I had to get a miniDVI to DVI adapter so it would attach to the Macbook but it works. =)
No dead pixels. New egg is awesome or eggcellent.
The true test will be running games on it. If it looks good doing that, it will look good doing anything.
And yes, I have yet to be disappointed in a product I ordered from Newegg. I read the reviews on everything there beforehand and choose appropriately.
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Well... my monitor came in and it's awe....some. =)
I had to get a miniDVI to DVI adapter so it would attach to the Macbook but it works. =)
No dead pixels. New egg is awesome or eggcellent.
The true test will be running games on it. If it looks good doing that, it will look good doing anything.
And yes, I have yet to be disappointed in a product I ordered from Newegg. I read the reviews on everything there beforehand and choose appropriately.
I hope there are no major distortion issues with it. I remember reading about a game that wouldn't play well on 22 monitors. Freedom Force maybe?
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I hope there are no major distortion issues with it. I remember reading about a game that wouldn't play well on 22 monitors. Freedom Force maybe?
Wow. There's a game I haven't thought of in years and years heh.
Umm...I think most issues that come up in games these days are their support of multiple displays. Some just have issues with it but most don't. So really you only need to be worried about if games look good on the one you ordered. Some don't refresh as quickly as others which can cause blurring and such in some games.
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i realize this is late, but you should get a mac. ::)
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i realize this is late, but you should get a mac. ::)
They are awesome aren't they? I'm typing this on my boyfriend's MacBook.
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wow! i expected the next response to be a zinging insult to apple. i am impressed and excited that another villager has seen the light! now you can join the club with inso and i. :guitarist:
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In my defense, I have no problems with Apple as a company. I think being a hater is worse than being a fanboy.
But I can't justify the cost of designer electronics. If I made more money, I'd probably get a mac at home for certain things. I'd love if they'd replace my work computer with a mac, all I use is Adobe CS3 all day long so it'd be perfect for a mac.
All that being said, I can't resist making fun of fanboys of any kind. My best friend in high school was a Chevy guy, so I HAD to say something about how great Fords were around him (even though I haven't owned or operated one in over 8 years). One of my best friends in college was an Xbox fanboy, so I told him how terrible of a console it was (even though I love it).
It's like a compulsion.
In any case, good luck with the compytron. Newegg ships a fine product.
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wow! i expected the next response to be a zinging insult to apple. i am impressed and excited that another villager has seen the light! now you can join the club with inso and i. :guitarist:
Apples are awesome but I think we're going to be a PC and Apple household. Which should be good because we'll have the powerful PC for games and the Macbook for when we go on the road. I may get a Macbook of my own in the future but that's way down the line.
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It's like a compulsion.
In any case, good luck with the compytron. Newegg ships a fine product
Thanks. I'm looking at the computer cases right now. I take it more cases that don't come with a power supply are pretty uniform? Especially if they're from the same company like Anzac? There's a few cases that look prettier than the one BC posted and I want those but I'll be going with the rest of BC's choices.
Also. The motherboard that's suggested. That will work with the 8800 GeForce that I want? Either the 350 or the 250 (I think I'll get the 250) version.
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In my defense, I have no problems with Apple as a company. I think being a hater is worse than being a fanboy.
But I can't justify the cost of designer electronics. If I made more money, I'd probably get a mac at home for certain things. I'd love if they'd replace my work computer with a mac, all I use is Adobe CS3 all day long so it'd be perfect for a mac.
All that being said, I can't resist making fun of fanboys of any kind. My best friend in high school was a Chevy guy, so I HAD to say something about how great Fords were around him (even though I haven't owned or operated one in over 8 years). One of my best friends in college was an Xbox fanboy, so I told him how terrible of a console it was (even though I love it).
It's like a compulsion.
In any case, good luck with the compytron. Newegg ships a fine product.
Newegg, of course, has a false reputation for high quality products and excellent support. A little research that they are near the bottom of the gene pool and pretty much have failing marks in all categories.
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Mmmmm.... I'm having trouble finding the components listed by the wise BlueCross at New Egg. Specifically the motherboard and CPU. At least I'm not confident that they're the same ones.
I'll be buying everything later in the week.
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Newegg, of course, has a false reputation for high quality products and excellent support. A little research that they are near the bottom of the gene pool and pretty much have failing marks in all categories.
YOU SON OF A MOTHERLESS WHORE! I'LL TAKE YOUR ... oh.
I see what you did there.
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Newegg, of course, has a false reputation for high quality products and excellent support. A little research that they are near the bottom of the gene pool and pretty much have failing marks in all categories.
*headscratch*
All I can say is that I've been 100% happy with everything I've ordered from them. This includes a digital camera, a MP3 player, a LCD monitor, and various other computer parts.
*shrug*
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(http://www.motherboards.org/forums/images/smiles/mb_smack.gif)
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(http://www.motherboards.org/forums/images/smiles/mb_smack.gif)
lol
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(http://www.motherboards.org/forums/images/smiles/mb_smack.gif)
I see your hammer and raise you one Dwarven Waraxe. :P
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It wasn't the hammer that I was concerned about your seeing.
*minus 2 points to BC for awkward grammar*
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It wasn't the hammer that I was concerned about your seeing.
*minus 2 points to BC for awkward grammar*
I didn't see it in context before I responded and I stubbornly refused to fix it once I noticed. So there. :D
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It wasn't the hammer that I was concerned about your seeing.
*minus 2 points to BC for awkward grammar*
I didn't see it in context before I responded and I stubbornly refused to fix it once I noticed. So there. :D
Exactly the type of behavior I'd expect from a tallish dwarf.
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Mmmmm Ok.
I'm not sure if I want to go though the hassle of installing the motherboard, making sure the power supply works, etc.
Is there a site where I can get MOST of it done and add some of the things myself.
eg. Since I can probably get the ram, harddrive and graphic card cheaper, I'd rather just buy it myself. I'm not looking foward to having a big pile of electronics in front of me.
If I decide to just buy it outright, what sites do you suggest? I tend to not like Dell and Gateway.
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I really can't help you on that because I don't live there. You need to find someone around there that you trust who is also a bit computer geeky (hardware, not software, geeky). He/she will probably know what stores/shops around you are reputable and which ones to avoid.
Small ones will probably have better sales/service but be a bit more expensive. If someone is a LOT more expensive, avoid them. Plus, you can usually get problems fixed quicker/easier in a small shop.
Plus bat your eyelashes and wear suggestive clothing.
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Plus bat your eyelashes and wear suggestive clothing.
Do you really think men in Vegas can be broken in this way?
...
but just in case, pics or it didn't happen! ;)
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I really can't help you on that because I don't live there. You need to find someone around there that you trust who is also a bit computer geeky (hardware, not software, geeky). He/she will probably know what stores/shops around you are reputable and which ones to avoid.
Small ones will probably have better sales/service but be a bit more expensive. If someone is a LOT more expensive, avoid them. Plus, you can usually get problems fixed quicker/easier in a small shop.
Plus bat your eyelashes and wear suggestive clothing.
*Takes two eyelashes, puts a dab of glue on my Louisville Slugger*
*Puts on my suggestive clothing with a picture of Charles Manson*
*Asks for a great deal on a computer*
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I really can't help you on that because I don't live there. You need to find someone around there that you trust who is also a bit computer geeky (hardware, not software, geeky). He/she will probably know what stores/shops around you are reputable and which ones to avoid.
Small ones will probably have better sales/service but be a bit more expensive. If someone is a LOT more expensive, avoid them. Plus, you can usually get problems fixed quicker/easier in a small shop.
Oh, I was thinking about a online service like Alienware (even though they aren't cheap). I would rather not trust other people in Vegas. =)
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*Takes two eyelashes, puts a dab of glue on my Louisville Slugger*
*Puts on my suggestive clothing with a picture of Charles Manson*
*Asks for a great deal on a computer*
It could work...
(http://pearsonified.com/images/entries/web-hosting-nerd.jpg)
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*Takes two eyelashes, puts a dab of glue on my Louisville Slugger*
*Puts on my suggestive clothing with a picture of Charles Manson*
*Asks for a great deal on a computer*
It could work...
(http://pearsonified.com/images/entries/web-hosting-nerd.jpg)
That's a great picture BC! =)
Ok. I think I have the CPU and the motherboard. I looked at the GeForce's that Brug and TK suggested but I'm not sure which one is a good fit for the combo. Here's what I have so far.
Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - CPUs / Processors (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16819115037)
Newegg.com - EVGA 132-CK-NF78-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16813188024)
I take it that Motherboard will have a connection to allow me to hook up my old drive temporarily to allow for the data transfer?
Also... What drives work with this. I saw so many options. Would anyone mind looking at NewEgg and giving me a link?
Also... is that a good setup so far?
Thanks in advance.
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Here's a post I made at another forum. I thought I should just post it here. Are the parts fine? Am I'm being wasteful with anything?
---------------
Hello my fellow My Little Pony fans, thanks for the advice on the computer build. Here's some more information to help you tell me if this works.
1. Budget: How much money are you willing to spend on the new build?
$1500.00 is the max. Ideally I like to get under it due to shipping for the various parts. If there's anything that I'm paying for that's only giving me a minor boost in speed then we can drop it for something cheaper. I don't *HAVE* to spend $1500.00 ;)
2. Brands: Are there any brands of components you want or don't want?
I *believe* I should go with and Intel Core 2 Duo processor.
3. Multitasking: Will you be multitasking with this computer and if so, how much?
I'll have music running in the background, Firefox with 15 extensions on one screen and Adobe Photoshop on the other.
4. Gaming: Will you be gaming and if so, how much and how new are the games?
Yes, I will be gaming and the games will be out this year. Some of the games will be MMORPG type games.
5. Calculations: Will you be doing any intense calculations or media encoding?
I'll be using Photoshop CS2 quite a bit and Adobe Premiere to make simple videos. The video's won't have much in special effects mainly just simple editing and adding music.
6. Overclocking: Do you plan on overclocking and if so, how much?
To be technical... just a tad. I'd like to have the option and if I did it wouldn't be very much. I'm more concerned about stability than getting 10 extra frames in a game.
7. Storage: How much storage will you need and what will you be storing?
I'll be storing many PSD (Photoshop) files and a LARGE number of mp3s, My Little Pony video files and such. I would like two hard drives. One for the applications and the other for files. I usually put my media on the 2nd drive. I'm thinking about two 500 gig drives.
8. Legacy Support: Will you need support for older hardware like parallel, serial, or PS/2 devices?
I'm not sure. I have an old Dell Dimension 4600 that died on me. It doesn't start despite some tinkering with it. I'd like to find a way to transfer the data to the new computer. Is it wasteful to get a motherboard just for a few days of old computer hardware connection or is it a non issue since most motherboards come with at least one connection for old drives? Also will this cause issues with Vista if my computer changes hardware too much? Or is this just wrong information?
9. Operating System: Do you want Windows XP or Vista, or Linux compatibility?
I'm thinking I want Vista 64 since I'm installing 4 gigs. I heard the 32 bit versions of Vista and XP cannot 'see' the entire 4 gigs. Later on when I get more money I would like the ability to install another 4 gigs for a total of 8 gigs if it ever becomes necessary like if I want to run Internet Explorer 9.
10. Case: Do you want help selecting a case and if so, how big do you want it?
I have this case in mind. Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021)
11. Accessories: Do you want a keyboard, mouse, or other items included?
I also do quite a bit of writing so a ergonomic keyboard would be nice. I had issues about 4 years ago with lagtime and connectivity issues with my old wireless keyboard and mouse. It was frustrating enough to make me swear them off. However if you feel there's one I should look into, I'll consider it.
12. Recycled Components: Will you be reusing any components you already have?
I will be reusing my speakers and monitors.
13. Monitor: If you want a monitor, what size do you want and should it be widescreen?
I will be using my Samsung 22" Widescreen. I have a four year old 19 inch LCD screen that I'll use for menu items and as a second computer.
14. Stores: Do you have any online stores that you prefer to purchase from?
Newegg has always been good to me and I would like to continue to buy from them. It's my understanding that the processor I want is out of stock so I'll buy it from another vendor if necessary.
15. Location: What country do you live in?
USA.
I found the following items and they look good. My concern is that they all work together. I also wonder if I'm being 'wasteful' with anything. eg. Why are you getting Item X when you have Item B motherboard? You'll lose the benefits of Item X due to issues with this motherboard.
So here's my list so far. Thanks in advance for your input.
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037)
PC Power & Cooling S75QB EPS12V 750W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, ULC, CE, CB, RoHS - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703009&Tpk=S75QB%2bEPS12V)
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021)
LITE-ON Black DVD Burner with LightScribe - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16827106072)
GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit - Retail Overclocked version at 670MHz (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16814130325)
ASUS P5N-D LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 750i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16813131232)
OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227267)
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288)
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288)
M-AUDIO Revolution 5.1 5.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface High-Definition Sound Card - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829121122&Tpk=M-AUDIO%2bRevolution%2b5.1%2b5.1%2bChannels%2b24-bit%2b192KHz)
Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116204)
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I'm reasonably sure I spent less time thinking about the purchase of my last car than you've spent thinking about this computer purchase. By the time you get yours, all the parts will surely be obsolete.
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I'm reasonably sure I spent less time thinking about the purchase of my last car than you've spent thinking about this computer purchase. By the time you get yours, all the parts will surely be obsolete.
Oh thanks for reminding me.
We're thinking about getting a new car. Here's some of our criteria.
We're thinking about going with automatic since I can't drive stick. Even though we can save some money with the manual transmission, I don't fancy the thought of constantly having to shift gears in traffic even if I took the time to learn.
We're thinking about getting a Toyota but used. Seriously who wants to buy a new new car when we can get a new used for several thousand less. Although I'm still thinking about getting a Jeep. Jeeps are awesome. Their height allows me to see over the traffic which is awesome. So Jeep or Toyota? mmmmmm =/
Although we are in Vegas and I think we'll have a easier time going 4x4ing in a Jeep than in a Toyota.
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Don't know if it will matter if you are getting a pre-built system but Tom's Hardware has been putting out a regular list of graphics cards that are the best deal performance-wise for the money.
Here's their April one http://www.tomshardware.com/2008/04/07/the_best_gaming_graphics_cards_for_the_money/
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So Jeep or Toyota? mmmmmm =/
(http://www.brotschi.net/images/sept2004/59-PaigeAndJulesInTheJeep.JPG)
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Don't know if it will matter if you are getting a pre-built system but Tom's Hardware has been putting out a regular list of graphics cards that are the best deal performance-wise for the money.
Here's their April one http://www.tomshardware.com/2008/04/07/the_best_gaming_graphics_cards_for_the_money/
Oh no... I'm building this system! =)
I'll either have a killer system or a conversation starting door stop. So with that in mind... will all those parts work together? Oh. I also needs a cooler for the CPU. Suggestions?
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Don't know if it will matter if you are getting a pre-built system but Tom's Hardware has been putting out a regular list of graphics cards that are the best deal performance-wise for the money.
Here's their April one http://www.tomshardware.com/2008/04/07/the_best_gaming_graphics_cards_for_the_money/
Oh no... I'm building this system! =)
I'll either have a killer system or a conversation starting door stop. So with that in mind... will all those parts work together? Oh. I also needs a cooler for the CPU. Suggestions?
Don't do liquid cooling. A) You don't need it unless you're over clocking your system and B) if you don't know about it you won't be able to easily maintain it.
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Don't do liquid cooling. A) You don't need it unless you're over clocking your system and B) if you don't know about it you won't be able to easily maintain it.
It also looks ugly. Like something the Borg got ahold of. =)
I purchased some of the parts. I really... really need validation on the motherboard. I just want to make sure it works with what I've purchased so far.
Here's what I want from the motherboard.
1. To work well with the chip I just bought.
2. Allow for two gig sticks per slot.
3. Allow for 4 gigs of ram.
4. Work with 64 bit OS systems.
5. Allow me to put in 4 more gig later for a total of 8 if I so choose. I probably won't do it but I'll like to be able to if I wanted.
Purchased Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037)
Purchased ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134)
Purchased Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007)
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I think that 'E8400' designation is wrong. I can't find any Intel products with that number on their site.
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I think that 'E8400' designation is wrong. I can't find any Intel products with that number on their site.
*slightlyworriedlook*
Intel® Core™2 Duo Desktop Processor E8400 (http://processorfinder.intel.com/details.aspx?sSpec=SLAPL)
I found it with google and they're talking about it at Newegg with that number.
Hopefully this isn't like buying a Sonie television or a Vii.
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I've not found anything bad said about it other than the stock heatsink being a bit weedy.
It appears to be a Wolfdale class of chip, which as best as I can tell is the newest revision of the dual core CPU's (with the Yorkfield type being the quad core) and the 8400 is the mid range model as there's an 8500 model as well.
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I've not found anything bad said about it other than the stock heatsink being a bit weedy.
It appears to be a Wolfdale class of chip, which as best as I can tell is the newest revision of the dual core CPU's (with the Yorkfield type being the quad core) and the 8400 is the mid range model as there's an 8500 model as well.
I heard the same thing. It was basically along the lines of "Well... it's okay... and if you aren't going to overclock then a guess you could do with this..." The comments didn't inspire much confidence.
So since I live in Vegas (where it get's incredibly hot) and I would like the option to overclock (even just a little bit), I thought it best to get another better cooler.
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Here's what I got so far
Purchased: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037)
Purchased: ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134)
Purchased: Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021)
Purchased: Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007)
Purchased: BELKIN F8E093 Anti-Static Wrist Strap - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16899888207)
Purchased: American Recorder CO-53108 Anti-Static Glove (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830996041)
Purchased: ASUS P5E LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131219)
Purchased: VANTEC Nexstar 3 NST-360U2-BK Aluminum 3.5" USB 2.0 External Enclosure (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817145131)
Purchased: Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 1.5Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136011)
Purchased: PC Power & Cooling S75QB EPS12V 750W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, ULC, CE, CB, RoHS - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703009)
This is out of stock but I think I'll find it somewhere else. The memory is getting good reviews.
CORSAIR DOMINATOR 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145197)
I may wait on the secondary hard drive and get it within a few weeks. I still need to purchase the four gigs of memory and the graphic card. I've been listening to the advice but I haven't made my final decision yet.
So soon and my pile of computer parts will be here. =) Freedom Force and Peggle are going to run so well!
Here's some of the thought behind some of my purchases. It's my first time building a computer and I felt it was time to 'learn'. Having computers that were purchased outright was convienent but it turns out that some of them are hard to upgrade due to designs that force/entice you to buy from the company. So I wanted something that would give me flexibility. I also felt with the free shipping and lack of sales tax the cost would be lower. Thanks for all the help so far. =)
I leaned toward components that had a high rating. Since it's my first build, the less extra challenges the better.
So I hope to get the items though the week and have it done before the end of next Sunday.
ps. I also need a version of Windows Vista. I see that some versions won't work if I change the machine like changing the motherboard. So which version of Vista should I get?
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Dont forget to purchase: Mallet.
For intimidating the computer into doing its best every time :P
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Bah... I had a nice long post with hyperlinks and pictures of my new computer parts due to 40 clicks and I clicked the close tab button and lost it all.
Oh well. This is what I got. I'm still waiting for the toolkit and the CPU to be delivered.
To take advantage of this new computer system I went ahead and ordered the Fallout collection from Amazon. I'll of course put Fallout Tactics in the proper file.
Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM
American Recorder CO-53108 Anti-Static Glove
MSI NX8800GTS 512M OC GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S203N - OEM
Rosewill RTK-015 15 Piece Standard Computer Tool Kit - Retail
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
BELKIN F8E093 Anti-Static Wrist Strap - Retail
PC Power & Cooling S75QB EPS12V 750W Power Supply - Retail
1 x Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM SATA 1.5Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
ASUS P5E LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
VANTEC Nexstar 3 NST-360U2-BK 3.5" USB 2.0 External Enclosure - Retail
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail
SAMSUNG 2253BW Black 22" 2ms(GTG) DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor with HDCP Support 300 cd/m2 DC 8000:1 - Retail
Reaper 4gb kit (2gb x 2) pc2-8500 1066mhz 5-5-5-18 240-pin ddr2 dimm w/reaper hpc heatsink
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Bah... I had a nice long post with hyperlinks and pictures of my new computer parts due to 40 clicks and I clicked the close tab button and lost it all.
You use Firefox, right? Don't you know? You can get tabs back, and usually with all the stuff you typed still existing if you do one of two things:
1) Right click in the tab area and select "Undo Close Tab"
2) Under the History menu, go to the hierarchal menu of "Recently Closed Tabs" and find the one you accidentally closed.
The first option only works if you still have more than one tab open. The second option is always available. Both should have the same results with no information lost. (Provided you didn't close the whole browser window.)
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1) Right click in the tab area and select "Undo Close Tab"
Glee!!!
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Ok. Almost all of my stuff has been delivered. I'm waiting on the CPU and the toolkit. Minor things.
Here's what I finally decided on getting. I'm still waiting on the secondary hard drive and I want to see what the sound sounds like before I get a sound card. If the sound from the motherboard is ok then I'll just stick with that.
(http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/ProductImageCompressAll200/20-227-289-02.jpg)OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227289&Tpk=OCZ2RPR10664GK)
(http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/ProductImageCompressAll200/32-116-204-02.jpg)Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116204) (The SP1 version was out of stock) I'm taking the chance that I won't be upgrading the motherboard so that's why I went with this version of Vista.
(http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/ProductImageCompressAll200/30-996-041-01.jpg)American Recorder CO-53108 Anti-Static Glove (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830996041) With a top hat and cane, I'll look stylish.
(http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/ProductImageCompressAll200/14-127-325-03.jpg)MSI NX8800GTS 512M OC GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail Free Witcher PC game w/ purchase, while supplies last (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127325)
(http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/ProductImageCompressAll200/27-151-154-02.jpg)SAMSUNG Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151154)
(http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/ProductImageCompressAll200/99-261-002-01.jpg)Rosewill RTK-015 15 Piece Standard Computer Tool Kit - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16899261002)
(http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/ProductImageCompressAll200/11-129-021-18.jpg)Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021)
(http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/ProductImageCompressAll200/99-888-207-02.JPG)BELKIN F8E093 Anti-Static Wrist Strap - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16899888207)
(http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/ProductImageCompressAll200/17-703-009-08.jpg)PC Power & Cooling S75QB EPS12V 750W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, ULC, CE, CB, RoHS - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703009)
(http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/ProductImageCompressAll200/22-136-011-03.jpg)Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 1.5Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136011)
(http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/ProductImageCompressAll200/13-131-219-12.jpg)ASUS P5E LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131219)
(http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/ProductImageCompressAll200/17-145-131-01.jpg)VANTEC Nexstar 3 NST-360U2-BK Aluminum 3.5" USB 2.0 External Enclosure - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817145131)
(http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/ProductImageCompressAll200/19-115-037-02.jpg)Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037)
(http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/ProductImageCompressAll200/35-100-007-01.JPG)Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835100007)
(http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/ProductImageCompressAll200/35-186-134-01.jpg)ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134)
(http://c1.neweggimages.com/NeweggImage/ProductImageCompressAll200/24-001-268-12.jpg)SAMSUNG 2253BW Black 22" 2ms(GTG) DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor with HDCP Support 300 cd/m2 DC 8000:1 - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001268)
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Well... I broke the plastic pins on the heatsink. I did some reviews and some people are in awe of the easy installation and others say the legs are off. I think I got one of those.
I then attached the default cooler in 20 seconds.
Sigh...
Then I though... I spent about 32 dollars for this. Not that it's going to break me but I might as well use it, especially since it'll help my computer more. So I'm getting some screws and doing what someone else did. Their legs broke and they just attached it with screws and it's been working fine.
Metal screws, non conductive washer.
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So far it's been a bit slow. It's a slow and deliberate process. The heatsink wouldn't attach and I broke the plastic legs. I removed the plastic legs off the default heatsink and I got three of the legs to click into place. It feels VERY solid so I'm leaving it like it is.
The silver paste smeared over the top of the CPU and I had to clean that up. I finally installed the heatsink and then realized the fan was blowing in the wrong direction so I had to take it out. Finally I got it installed and then realized I didn't put washers under the motherboard to reduce the chances of shorts. So I had to take the mother board out AGAIN, and then screw it back in.
So I'm at the point where I'm installing all the power supplies. I'm just a bit scared of installing power since I'm not 100% sure that this plug goes into this. So I'm viewing PC installation videos from Tiger Direct with that guy who looks like Hal Sparks.
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Yeah! I got my computer set up. It's SO fast and I still haven't modified the ram to run faster or even overclock it. I'll adjust the ram but leave the CPU alone.
I hooked up most of the items on my computer and it wouldn't start. There was a green light on the motherboard lit up but it wouldn't go into the bios. So I took a nap and I woke up thinking: "Why doesn't it start?"
Then I went: "Did you hit the power button?"
Sure enough. =) I didn't hit and and I got a long beep. I googled that and my graphic card needed something plugged in. Then my CDrom needed one more connection. Then it was just getting hte 64 bit version of my graphic card driver and it was done. Turns out my old hard drives are SATA so I'm able to hook them up and access my old data. =)
Vista's pretty nice. It's a bit annoying to keep giving permission to programs but so far I like it. Right now I'm sharing my Buckner and Garcia collection while my boyfriend plays Championship Pacman. It's very nice to hear my music library though our television. =)
Now to play Fallout.
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Grats Botsy! 8)
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Yeah! I got my computer set up. It's SO fast and I still haven't modified the ram to run faster or even overclock it. I'll adjust the ram but leave the CPU alone.
I hooked up most of the items on my computer and it wouldn't start. There was a green light on the motherboard lit up but it wouldn't go into the bios. So I took a nap and I woke up thinking: "Why doesn't it start?"
Then I went: "Did you hit the power button?"
Sure enough. =) I didn't hit and and I got a long beep. I googled that and my graphic card needed something plugged in. Then my CDrom needed one more connection. Then it was just getting hte 64 bit version of my graphic card driver and it was done. Turns out my old hard drives are SATA so I'm able to hook them up and access my old data. =)
Vista's pretty nice. It's a bit annoying to keep giving permission to programs but so far I like it. Right now I'm sharing my Buckner and Garcia collection while my boyfriend plays Championship Pacman. It's very nice to hear my music library though our television. =)
Now to play Fallout.
You can 'right-click' on the Icon and set 'Run as Administrator' (if you haven't already done this). Then you only have that annoyance once instead of every time you run a program.
Good idea on the screws instead of the heat sink. I need to do that. Is there some place that lists specs for screw length/size?
Hmm.. that didn't sound quite right. Sounded good, but not right...
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You can 'right-click' on the Icon and set 'Run as Administrator' (if you haven't already done this). Then you only have that annoyance once instead of every time you run a program.
Thanks! That also solves some crashing issues. Vista didn't like Portal after 12 puzzled. I ran both the Steam login and the actual application as Administrator and it worked. =) Not sure about the screws. I forgot that there was a plastic spacer that wouldn't work with the new screws so I wasn't able to get it into the board. However it's VERY sturdy with just three so I left it like that.
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Sweet. :)
I'm probably gonna build my own computer when I has time, as well.
But I doubt it will be as sweet as this rig sounds :P
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Sweet. :)
I'm probably gonna build my own computer when I has time, as well.
But I doubt it will be as sweet as this rig sounds :P
It's veddy nice. I'm playing Freedom Force vs The Third Reich. I'll be fighting Hitler!
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Grats with the sweet new rig, Dooms :)
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Grats with the sweet new rig, Dooms :)
Thanks! =) Even with all the vista extras like sidebar gadgets and translucent effects it's still VERY fast. =)