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Advice: The Twice and Future Computer Thread

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Posts

  • imperial6imperial6 Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Penpal wrote: »
    Okay, so I need help removing some malware from my girlfriends laptop. It's a gateway, and it came preloaded with some bloated programs for whatever reason, AOL 9.0 being one of them. All of the other stuff is manageable, but it doesn't seem that AOL9 has any sort of uninstall, at all. Nothing in the program lists other than AIM, and going into the install file directly just asks you to install it, again. Not cool. Any help? I'm willing to go into the registry to get this done.

    This might help..

    http://www.insanejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=antiaol

    imperial6 on
  • LitejediLitejedi New York CityRegistered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Yeah, after thinking about it, I realized there were a lot of problems with it, and since money is an issue, I'd rather go through tigerdirect with a barebones kit or something, and save the money. Paying someone $400 dollars to do something I can do myself is pretty silly.

    Litejedi on
    3DS FC: 1907-9450-1017
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  • pirate bobpirate bob Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    pirate bob wrote: »
    Hi computer thread <3

    My ultra powerful P4/radeon 9550se/768ram BEAST of a machine has suddenly died, and I need something before uni starts again, it's a good time to buy a whole new one, yay!

    So far I've chosen out:
    • Core2Duo E8400
    • 8800GT 512mb
    • Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R

    So since I'm a bit out of touch, can someone tell me if that processor is good with that board (bios upgrade to support 45nm maybe)? What sort of RAM should I put in? I hear low latency ddr2 is better than ddr3? Do I want to use Asus P5E motherboard instead? Is there a smaller form-factor motherboard that's good with the newer Core2Duos? Should I get an extra case fan for this sort of setup or is everything good with stock cooling only? What sort of power supply do I want to put in? Reviews say the e8400 stock heatsink is a bit flimsy (but the processor runs cool anyway), should I be getting an aftermarket one?

    Really any advice at all is appreciated :)

    edit: My copy of Vista 32 has a little pamphlet saying I can send away for 64bit media - is this free or do I have to pay something?

    I just built almost the exact same machine, except with the GA-P35-DS3L board. I just got something cheap for the ram: GSkil ddr2 800 and it seems to work pretty good. The reviews on faster ram were a bit meh for the extra price.

    As for cooling, I got a CoolerMaster, but didn't fully understand how awful the mounting pins are for it. So I'd highly, highly recommend spending the extra cash and getting a fan with a mounting bracket on the back of the motherboard, if you go with aftermarket cooling that is. I didn't try to the stock fan, but it looked a bit small. The heatsink is big though, it's literally millimeters away from the northbridge heatsink.

    The processor works flawlessly on the motherboard for me, posts fine, windows installed fine. I'm debating if I really want to upgrade the bios, or wait a bit for the F8 version of the bios to get out of beta. I've been busy the past few nights with other stuff, so I haven't had the chance to fully test the machine, but again, everything so far has been great (except the damn heatsink pins, which I finally did get them all set properly, after much stress)

    As for power supplies, I errored on the side of big (but not obscene), and went with PC Power and Cooling 610. It's got a bundle of cords the size of your head, but is perfectly silent. The case I got has a 120mm fan in the back, and an 80mm fan in the front, and the 80mm is louder than all the other fans combined, it's a pretty quiet system. So far as heat, again I haven't put a full load on the machine, but the proc runs at 31C and bios registers the case at 35-37C (of course my house is a bit cold too).

    Thanks pirate and nexus, just two more questions then:
    One, my native resolution (and the resolution I currently do and will continue gaming in) is 1680x1050 - should I be looking at a card with more than 512mb of memory for this?
    And secondly, I have an EZCool 500W power supply, I don't know anything about it or the brand, should it be enough? Would a 500W from a good brand be sufficient or should I step it up to something near what you suggested pirate? There'll also be a wireless LAN card going in, 2xextra USB port, and probably case fans.

    As far as video memory, 512 is plenty really. I've been playing Oblivion at 1920x1200 and it almost never drops below 60fps (but i'm not running AA or HDR). For the price, bumping up to 768mb isn't really worth it I think. On a side note, the processor runs cool, 41C under full load.

    pirate bob on
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    If I hide myself wherever I go
    Am I ever really there?
  • exisexis Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    So in a month or two I'm going to look into upgrading my PC. In between now and then I'd like to poke around on the intarwebs so I can get a rough idea of what kind of stuff I'm looking for, the differences between things around my price range, where I can get it for a reasonable price, and hopefully learn a little about why x is worth $100 more than y. Basically, I'd like this to be a learning experience. I'm in no hurry to get things together. When I originally put this computer together I basically did it entirely on the advice of friends/people who know stuff. It worked out well, but I'd like to feel like I know what I'm spending my money on a little more.

    So, yeah. Any ideas for places to poke around to educate myself? My knowledge of hardware is lacking, and I'd like it to be better. I could build a computer from it's components, but probably couldn't tell you why this video card is better/worse than that video card, etc.

    exis on
  • KarpmanKarpman Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    So, here is what I have come up with. I'm pretty much ready to hit the checkout button on Newegg. As far as I can tell everything should work together just fine. CPU socket and mobo socket is LGA775, RAM on the vid card and on the mobo is both DDR3, vid card is PCIe and so is the mobo, power supply is a good brand with 22amps on the 12volt rails, and everything has good customer reviews. I've checked the prices and I think I have done well getting what I want without paying too much. If anyone has a moment, please glance at my checkout list and give me your opinion.

    LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model LH-20A1L-05 - OEM
    Item #: N82E16827106073
    Return Policy: Standard Return Policy



    $31.99




    Sunbeam Transformer IC-TR-BA Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case

    Sunbeam Transformer IC-TR-BA Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail
    Item #: N82E16811166004
    Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

    -$10.00 Instant


    $85.99
    $75.99




    GIGABYTE GV-RX387512H Radeon HD 3870 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card

    GIGABYTE GV-RX387512H Radeon HD 3870 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
    Item #: N82E16814125086
    Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy



    $209.99




    ENERMAX FMA II EG565P-VE ATX12V 535W Power Supply

    ENERMAX FMA II EG565P-VE ATX12V 535W Power Supply - Retail
    Item #: N82E16817194010
    Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

    -$5.00 Instant


    $99.99
    $94.99




    Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound

    Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
    Item #: N82E16835100007
    Return Policy: Consumable Items Return Policy



    $5.99




    Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80557E6850

    Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80557E6850 - Retail
    Item #: N82E16819115028
    Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy

    -$5.00 Instant


    $279.99
    $274.99




    Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic DVD

    Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic DVD - Retail
    Item #: N82E16832116152
    Return Policy: Software Return Policy



    $144.99




    ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler

    ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail
    Item #: N82E16835186134
    Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

    -$10.00 Instant


    $36.99
    $26.99



    Intel BOXDX38BT LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX DDR3 Intel Motherboard
    CORSAIR 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN3X2048-1333C9

    *

    Intel BOXDX38BT LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX DDR3 Intel Motherboard - Retail
    Item #: N82E16813121090
    Return Policy: Limited Non-Refundable 30-Day Return Policy


    *

    CORSAIR 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN3X2048-1333C9 - Retail
    Item #: N82E16820145183

    Karpman on
  • bentbent Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Okay, I just put a build together and I'm getting no signs of life from the machine (aside from a brief squeak when I turn it off) no fans turn, not even the power supply fan. Would this be because of the power supply? Strikes me as odd that the fan on that isn't turning at all.

    bent on
    sig1.png
  • Homestar GunnerHomestar Gunner Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Is there any real, noticeable benefit to using 64-bit Windows? Like, one that would make it worth getting sometime soon?

    Homestar Gunner on
  • imperial6imperial6 Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    exis: start here and here and here to get up to speed on the latest and greatest graphics cards. People sometimes give these charts a hard time but they are a pretty good overview for relative cpu performance, though I wouldn't put much stock in the gpu section. Also they haven't updated with the wolfdales yet. Those sites both have forums that can have some useful stickies, and anandtech has some good stuff to start on as well. Oh, and we can't forget the psu thread.

    karpman: It'll work, though depending on your needs I would home premium oem instead of home basic. Also, if you want to save some cash, the p35 chipset is just as good as the x38 for most people. Also also, the e8400 is just as good if not better than the e6850, and it's cheaper, if you can find it. Mwave has it for $220, or did yesterday.

    Homestar: Probably not to most people...the biggest deal is going past 3gb of ram. Probably will be a must next upgrade cycle, but no need to rush on it.

    imperial6 on
  • TehChowdTehChowd Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Hey guys,
    Nevermind, I was victorious :)

    TehChowd on
  • RizziRizzi Sydney, Australia.Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Is there any real, noticeable benefit to using 64-bit Windows? Like, one that would make it worth getting sometime soon?

    If you have more then 3.5 gig of ram, then yes. 32 bit only uses 3.5 gig I believe.

    Rizzi on
  • HorusHorus Los AngelesRegistered User regular
    edited February 2008
    My issue is about outages at my house. Basically my house has bad electrical problems and my small UPS is not working (never actually was able to handle my setup). The electricity will give out for a second, enough to cause my computer to turn off, the rate this happens is 1-3 times a month. Waiting for Insurance company to fix the electrical problems.

    This is my set up:
    19in Samsung LCD
    My Book 500gb external HD
    Mac pro (4 HDs)
    Creative speakers

    How can I find a UPS that can handle my system?

    Horus on
    “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”
    ― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!
  • raigeraige Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Hey guys,

    Search feature isn't working for me for some reason at the moment, so forgive me if you've seen this question before. I built a beautiful system about 5 months ago and I really, really love it, but it got all infected with viruses beyond craziness. Anyways, I've backed up my files and I just want to reformat my HDD, but I can't really figure out how to do it. Microsoft just keeps telling me stuff I already know and essentially repeating "You don't need to reformat! Vista is perfect! Everything is perfect! Don't buy Apple!"

    Anyways, if anybody knows how to reformat my hard drive in Vista, that would be really awesome. Thanks cats. Peace.

    raige on
  • bbmartinibbmartini Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Horus wrote: »
    My issue is about outages at my house. Basically my house has bad electrical problems and my small UPS is not working (never actually was able to handle my setup). The electricity will give out for a second, enough to cause my computer to turn off, the rate this happens is 1-3 times a month. Waiting for Insurance company to fix the electrical problems.

    This is my set up:
    19in Samsung LCD
    My Book 500gb external HD
    Mac pro (4 HDs)
    Creative speakers

    How can I find a UPS that can handle my system?

    give this a spin
    http://www.apcc.com/tools/ups_selector/index.cfm

    bbmartini on
    camo_sig2.png
  • Romero ZombieRomero Zombie Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Not so much a hardware question - but more of a software question. I bought my kid a Dell computer on Christmas for school, and come to find out it did not come with Microsoft Office. I looked online and thought I was going to die when I saw how much it costs out of the box. Are there any generic programs available that won't kill my wallet?

    EDIT:
    NM - forgot about good ol Word Perfect

    Romero Zombie on
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  • ZombiemamboZombiemambo Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Stupid question here. I don't know anything about DVD drives, is it possible to get one that can burn and read discs? I want to play games on my PC, but I would like the option to back things up on disc.

    Zombiemambo on
    JKKaAGp.png
  • victor_c26victor_c26 Chicago, ILRegistered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Yeah. All DVD-Burners can both read and write discs.

    There's advice that usually circulates around advice threads that consists of "Don't use your burner to read discs", but this is in regards to wear and tear of the motor on your DVD-burner just by using it as a DVD-ROM drive.

    But this advice only really applies if you have a DVD-ROM drive in your system. Drives wear down through use anyway, so you shouldn't worry about this. DVD-burners are so cheap now-a-days that you can replace them on the cheap.

    Like I said, that particular piece of advice is just to lessen the wear and tear of your drives, and spread it out to other devices. In short, don't worry about it, and go ahead and get a DVD-burner for you system. It will be able to do what you want.

    victor_c26 on
    It's been so long since I've posted here, I've removed my signature since most of what I had here were broken links. Shows over, you can carry on to the next post.
  • ZombiemamboZombiemambo Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Perfect, thank you.

    Zombiemambo on
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  • ZombiemamboZombiemambo Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Sorry to double post, I'm impatient and I'm just double-checking that everything I have selected works together. Don't worry about the PSU for now.

    Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131142

    Processor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115028

    Graphics card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150252

    Power supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817170021 - again, don't worry about this one. If it craps out I'll grab a new one, but I'm just under my budget.

    RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146565

    HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148262

    DVD drive/burner: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151155

    Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811166005

    If it all checks out, then I'm ready to order.

    Zombiemambo on
    JKKaAGp.png
  • spookymuffinspookymuffin ( ° ʖ ° ) Puyallup WA Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Can anyone suggest a good AGP graphics card? I'm running an X1050 and I'd like an upgrade. Nothing that costs $1,000 or anything, just something better.

    spookymuffin on
    PSN: MegaSpooky // 3DS: 3797-6276-7138
    Wii U NNID: MegaSpooky
  • bbmartinibbmartini Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Sorry to double post, I'm impatient and I'm just double-checking that everything I have selected works together. Don't worry about the PSU for now.

    Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131142

    Processor: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115028

    Graphics card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150252

    Power supply: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817170021 - again, don't worry about this one. If it craps out I'll grab a new one, but I'm just under my budget.

    RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146565

    HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148262

    DVD drive/burner: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151155

    Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811166005

    If it all checks out, then I'm ready to order.

    the case if fugly but without the PS it looks good otherwise. I would personally go with a mobo that has a P35 chipset but that guy should be fine.

    also this might be a better PS for the money:
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341012

    also i got this case for xmas and its purdy good for 80 bucks
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137
    the PS sit on the bottom so it might be a stretch for a few connections and the front audio jacks and such are on the top. just a suggestion though.

    bbmartini on
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  • imperial6imperial6 Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Can anyone suggest a good AGP graphics card? I'm running an X1050 and I'd like an upgrade. Nothing that costs $1,000 or anything, just something better.

    This, but keep in mind for $220 you can have:

    amd dual-core proc + pci-e mobo
    8600gt
    2gb ddr2 800 ram

    imperial6 on
  • spookymuffinspookymuffin ( ° ʖ ° ) Puyallup WA Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    imperial6 wrote: »
    Can anyone suggest a good AGP graphics card? I'm running an X1050 and I'd like an upgrade. Nothing that costs $1,000 or anything, just something better.

    This, but keep in mind for $220 you can have:

    amd dual-core proc + pci-e mobo
    8600gt
    2gb ddr2 800 ram

    Show me what you're talking about, I'm interested. A new rig isn't that unrealistic right now. I've had this computer for about 4 years.

    spookymuffin on
    PSN: MegaSpooky // 3DS: 3797-6276-7138
    Wii U NNID: MegaSpooky
  • imperial6imperial6 Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128043
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103206
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145590
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127286

    GA-MA69VM - $60
    amd 4200+ 2.2 - $64
    corsair 2gb ram - $34 (after $20 mir)
    msi 8600gt - $72 (after $20 mir) (free copy of The Witcher included)

    Total = $230 + shipping

    You'd still need a case, power supply, and hard drive. You'd probably be able to use your old case and hard drive, but a new power supply would be a good idea unless you bought a good one back in the day. So add another $50 or so for that.

    If you want to spend a little more, you could get the amd black edition 5000+ for $100 and a decent fan like the AC freezer 64 pro for $20. This will overclock really well if paired with a good oc'ing mobo.

    If you want to spend a little more than that, you could upgrade your vid card to a radeon 3850 for $170, or a 256mb 8800gt for $200, or a 512mb 8800gt for $230.

    Just know that even that budget system I put together will run any game out today ('cept crysis) on medium to high settings (dx9, no aa, 1280x1024).

    imperial6 on
  • SpaceMonkeySpaceMonkey Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Slight bump!

    I need a new mouse. I've been using a Logitech mx610 for about 1.5 years now, and I've come to love it. But the buttons have gotten wonky, and often double-click when I single-click, and don't read long clicks very well (making drag/drop maneuvers tricky).

    So! I need some recommendations on a good replacement. My main requirement is a click-style mouse wheel, if you know what I mean. One that has "notches", and not a free-rotating deally-job. I really, REALLY love the volume controls on the mouse and use them all the damn time, but in my research I haven't really found any other mice that feature them, so I'm prepared to part with them.

    Advise me, please!

    SpaceMonkey on
  • 6_Vitium_6_Concubine_66_Vitium_6_Concubine_6 __BANNED USERS regular
    edited February 2008
    Can anyone recommend a good disc defragmenter? The standard windows one won't launch on my pc for some reason and I'm too lazy to figure out why.

    6_Vitium_6_Concubine_6 on
  • bbmartinibbmartini Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    bbmartini on
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  • MariamMariam Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    And now for yet another "judge my rig before I buy it" post..

    Please help! You're my only hope..

    My choices are all sort of random based on reviews and prices and hopefully being semi-futureproof (SLI capable, except for the power supply, the mobo can handle quad core, lots of slots, etc).

    It's been a few years since I built a computer - after the last time, having weird conflicts and problems and my mobo blowing up my memory, I swore I'd never do it again. And yet, here I am. A cheapskate who likes getting exactly what I want.

    Let me know if there are any changes you'd recommend.

    Mariam on
  • imperial6imperial6 Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Mariam wrote: »
    And now for yet another "judge my rig before I buy it" post..

    Please help! You're my only hope..

    My choices are all sort of random based on reviews and prices and hopefully being semi-futureproof (SLI capable, except for the power supply, the mobo can handle quad core, lots of slots, etc).

    It's been a few years since I built a computer - after the last time, having weird conflicts and problems and my mobo blowing up my memory, I swore I'd never do it again. And yet, here I am. A cheapskate who likes getting exactly what I want.

    Let me know if there are any changes you'd recommend.

    e8400 instead of e6850...faster, more L2 cache, and cheaper (out of stock at newegg right now, but available elsewhere, mwave for one).
    You could also double your hard drive capacity with another $20 if you wanted.
    That's all I got, looks like a good build to me.

    imperial6 on
  • MalkorMalkor Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    Also it's cooler and uses less power!

    Malkor on
    14271f3c-c765-4e74-92b1-49d7612675f2.jpg
  • MariamMariam Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    imperial6 wrote: »

    e8400 instead of e6850...faster, more L2 cache, and cheaper (out of stock at newegg right now, but available elsewhere, mwave for one).
    You could also double your hard drive capacity with another $20 if you wanted.
    That's all I got, looks like a good build to me.

    Thanks!

    I was debating the hard drives - is getting two SATA and doing a Raid 1 config worth it, or is having one nice big drive (and running backup software) about the same?

    HD speed hasn't ever really been a concern of mine, whereas backups/security is.

    Mariam on
  • imperial6imperial6 Registered User regular
    edited February 2008
    I don't actually know a lot about the benefits of a raid config. Maybe someone else can help you there, but I imagine for the average user or average gamer there isn't much of a difference between raid and not.

    imperial6 on
  • ThanatosThanatos Registered User regular
    edited March 2008
    I'd heard that HDs over 500GB tend to be unstable. Is this true?

    Thanatos on
  • CylaranaCylarana Registered User regular
    edited March 2008
    RAID's pretty pointless for home use honestly. Speaking from experince, it never made a noticeable difference for me. I'm sure that in various industries it has it's uses, but from a home user standpoint...nope.

    Cylarana on
  • MalkorMalkor Registered User regular
    edited March 2008
    Thanatos wrote: »
    I'd heard that HDs over 500GB tend to be unstable. Is this true?

    No, but if you have one filled to capacity and it craps out, odds are you'll freak.

    Malkor on
    14271f3c-c765-4e74-92b1-49d7612675f2.jpg
  • HiredGunHiredGun Registered User regular
    edited March 2008
    Five or six years ago I used to build PCs (budget gaming or general home use) but I have been out of the game so long that it feels a bit intimidating trying to get back into it. I am not so lazy that I will simply ask you all to come up with full builds, but I could certainly use a few pointers to help me back on my feet.

    What I need to do is build a new PC whose sole purpose will be to process very large amounts of data. So graphics is a non-issue; a very cheap optical drive will suffice; and the box will definitely be running Linux (probably Debian or openSUSE) as the primary OS.

    My instinct tells me that since intense data analysis is computationally intensive, I want to jump for a quad core or even dual quad core. Is this correct? (I am potentially worried that a Linux distro might not take full advantage of the most modern processors... so am I better off with a dual core?)

    My guess is also that I should get a decent, but not necessarily gaming-strength amount of RAM - say 2GB.

    For the hard drive, I would eventually like a hardware RAID array to insure against the loss of data, but for the moment a single ordinary high-speed drive will do. 7200rpm is what I should be looking for in terms of speed, right? Or are faster drives widely available now at decent prices?

    For anyone who can't take the time to give specific hardware recommendations, I would also truly appreciate being pointed to any particular threads or articles that give a concise overview of the current state of hardware... what are the common features of today's motherboards, what chipsets are now in wide use, what kinds of RAM are available now... etc. If such a resource exists, that is.

    HiredGun on
  • CylaranaCylarana Registered User regular
    edited March 2008
    What sort of data analysis? Quad cores freaking rock for stuff that's coded to actually use 4 cores, but most stuff right now really only takes advantage of one or two cores at most :( Intel's Quad Core (Kentsfield I think is the name) and Core 2 Duos are nice. The Wolfdale core intel chips are really, really nice but hard to find. AMD's kind of fallen on it's face the last two years sadly; they're mostly for budget rigs now :(

    As cheap as RAM is, 4 gigs of decent DDR2 isn't bad; it'll set you back 80 bucks or so.

    In terms of hard drives---basic SATA 7200 RPMs are still the king. SSDs are developing, and available, but still cost way too much, and non-random seek and write times aren't that hot. 128 gig SSDs are several thousand dollars the last I looked, versus maybe 99 bucks for a 250+ gig HDD. I don't trust RAID for backup; I just use external hard drives for that, so that a real bad failure won't wipe me out (I once had a PSU catch fire and fry EVERYTHING...I'm paranoid now!).

    Cylarana on
  • SomestickguySomestickguy Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Hi guys, I'm having trouble finding a good gaming rig that isn't on Newegg (I live in the UK).
    What's the best that I could get with £500 ($1000), preferrably including a Monitor, from a website that ships to the UK?

    Somestickguy on
  • DirtyDirtyVagrantDirtyDirtyVagrant Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    I'm building a new computer starting soon and I've got sort of a passing idea what I need and what I might want.

    When I built my first computer I made a lot of mistakes. I picked up a cheap case and a video card with the highest VRAM for the cheapest price. (Geforce FX 5500) ...And it was AGP, because again, motherboards, and cheap. P4 processor, and the list goes on.

    So I'm starting over. A new case will be the first piece of my new creation. I'm not entirely sure what to look for, though. I remember that with my old case the USB ports on the front didn't work and the headphone jack disabled the onboard sound - headphones were always plugged in, even though they weren't. Very frustrating.

    I'd like to ask you guys to help me find a case. Among other things maybe, but we'll start with the case. I'm looking for something red. Something under $150 I think should cover even the highest end cases. Or $250ish if the power supply is included. It doesn't have to be slick or LED ridden or anything like that. Merely functional. And red. Because I'm picky like that.

    Next is the motherboard. Correct me if I'm wrong: I'm looking for three basic things. Processor, Video bus, memory bus. I'll likely spring up to $500 on the processor and another $300 or so on the video card, and I know that PCIe is more powerful than AGP. (How much more? If anyone would like to explain that)

    Next on the list, but not necessarily in the system is the processor. Dual core? Intel? What size? There are several sizes based on the amount of connections the processor has with the motherboard - something that I feel I overlooked when I got the 478 pin P4 I put in my old computer.

    And the video card. PCIe. But ATI or Nvidia? Or something else?

    I can pick ram out myself. Fortunately.

    And the hard disk. And the DVD drive. Actually, I'm pretty sure most other things I can handle. Except the monitor.

    My old computer has an old NEC Multisync CRT monitor, and it's 100 lbs of worthless. I'd like to find a nice flat panel that would be viable for gaming and video applications. I've noticed that LCD monitors can be rather grainy.

    Overall I'm trying to spend $1500 or so. And you guys don't really need to pick shit out for me. Just let me know what I should be looking for. Except the case. Find me a red case, because I command it.

    DirtyDirtyVagrant on
  • bbmartinibbmartini Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Daboohk wrote: »

    The motherboard is a bit over priced, i would only go with the 780 chipset if you're planning to have 3 cards in SLI but that has its own set of issues. You're probably better off getting an intel x38 chipset or at least the P35. You don't have room for the 120mm fan unless there is something I'm not seeing. Also, I would spend 15 more on the CPU and go with the Intel Core 2 Duo E8400. You won't necessarily need the arctic cooling heatsink or the arctic silver 5; the wolfdales run plenty cool but thats up to you.

    bbmartini on
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