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Computer Help/Advice Thread the THIRD: Helping Harder
Malkor
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Original post was made by Salvation122, then edited/updated it by robaal
Assembling Your Own Computer
For many people, assembling their own machine is half the fun of buying your own computer. Building your own computer will better educate you on the way your machine works and make you more confident about upgrading down the line. Additionally, because you're buying all your parts independently, you know exactly what components you have if something goes wrong.
This is an excellent guide to the process. [Thanks Kriz!]
When should I upgrade?
At this point, if you're looking at upgrading and your computer has an AGP slot, it's probably time to replace your motherboard, processor, video board and RAM. If you're using PATA hard drives (the ones with the fat gray ribbon cables,) you might want to look at replacing those with SATA, as well, but it's not crucial; even though most new motherboard support only 2 PATA devices you can purchase a PATA->SATA adapter and use it to hook up the older HDDs to SATA ports.
What parts should I buy?
Ultimately, of course, this depends on how much money you have to spend and what you plan on using your machine for. Some general rules:
There's a comprehensive LCD buyer's guide at Anandtech forums, complete with specific recommendations and overview of their important characteristics that should help you make an informed decision.
DirectX 10
The first "wave" of games supporting DX10 just lack some fancy-but-minor effects when run on DX9 hardware.
Exactly what should I buy for $X?
That's hard to pin down. Anandtech regularly outlines good builds for a given budget, so that's a good starting point - just remember that they're only suggestions.
I'm worried about the process of actually assembling my computer. Is it difficult?
Nope! These days, it's pretty obvious where everything goes. A few things to keep in mind, though:
Suggested Gaming Upgrade Paths
Many people don't actually need to buy every component for a new computer. With that in mind, here are some recommended upgrade bundles for folks who already have a usable case, hard drives, optical drives, and power supply.
Note: OEM cases, like the old beige box your Dell or HP shipped in, are not ideal for a hefty overhaul like the ones described below. Often the cases are proprietary and your new motherboard won't even fit. Even if it does, they're a pain in the ass to work with, and it's well worth the fifty bucks for a new case to save yourself the aggravation of working in an OEM case. I've done both, and working with the HP case left me softly, continuously swearing. In three languages.
Similarly, your old Dell power supply might not be up to spec. See above for things to look for in power supplies.
That aside, all these upgrade paths include a motherboard, processor and video board. For RAM, 2GB of DDR2-667 or faster is recommended, though you can get away with 1GB. Currently 2GB of generic DDR2-800 RAM costs ~$45. If for some reason you desperately need a new AGP video card and nothing else, you can snag an AGP-interface 2600HD for around $86, but it will not perform up to par with PCI-E versions and you're just just delaying the inevitable, and are probably better off saving up some cash.
Prices and parts lists last updated 16th of March, 2008.
Budget Upgrade
The Radeon 3870 can be had for $184 if you look around and the new NVIDIA 9600 GT can be found for $179. The results are mixed when it comes to performance for those two fine parts, so look at many different reviews before making your decision.
An Intel-based system e6420 would cost around the same, but the low-end Core 2 Duo CPU would likely perform worse than the Athlon at stock settings. It is a very good overclocker if you're willing to try.
It should be possible to build a whole system with 2GB of RAM for <$650 with these components.
Mid-range Upgrade
The 8800GT 512MB is a great performer (notably WiC and Crysis demo). A good alternative to one 8800GT is SLI'ing two 9600GTs for ~358. Make sure you get a motherboard that supports SLI though! This will run almost anything you throw at it adequately at 1680x1050/1600x1200 and high settings. A whole system based on these components with 2GB of RAM should cost ~$1000.
High-end Upgrade
The 9800GX2 is currently the most powerful single-card solution available. The video card constitutes more than half of the total cost, with a price-tag of $570; there is also the less powerful 8800GTX at ~$370.
With these components a whole system with 2GB of RAM would cost <$1500. Note that 4GB of RAM requires a 64bit operating system.
Bleeding Edge
Note that 4GB of RAM requires a 64bit operating system. But you might as well go for 8 if you're gonna spend this kind of money. Also get DDR3.
Buying A Pre-Built System
As a general rule, Alienware overcharges and HP and Compaq suck. Dell has had some reliability issues in the past, but they're not a bad buy. Sony is hit-or-miss, depending on who you talk to.
For gaming, prebuilt systems are usually not the best choice. In order to keep prices down, wholesalers like Dell use cheap motherboards and power supplies, which can lead to stability issues under load. Their cases also tend to be very poorly designed, so heat is an issue. However, for general web browsing and office/school work, pre-built systems will do you just fine. Make sure you look at the warranty before buying.
Laptops
You can definitely buy a laptop with enough power to run modern games at high resolution with all the bells and whistles on. If you're willing to shell out the money, you can even get an SLI setup. In the end it's up to you to decide if the 'mobility' is worth it.
Maintenence
Software:
Wait, who do I give my money to?
One thing that I can't stress is enough is to shop around. Saving a few dollars here and there can add up, and maybe you can get something better with your savings. Try the local shop down the street, write down their price for a part. Go on the webs and see if you can find it cheaper. Best Buy and Circuit City will almost always sell things for more than online retailers. Go to them last, or if you're in a hurry.
Price Watch - Has the listings of many internet sellers, if you don't mind dealing with multiple stores this is your option.
Newegg - Fast shipping, good customer service, and great deals. Can't go wrong with them.
Tiger Direct - I'd say their service is almost up to Newegg's standard.
*I'll add more (International and such) as people suggest them*
If anyone has anything to add, please PM me.
Assembling Your Own Computer
For many people, assembling their own machine is half the fun of buying your own computer. Building your own computer will better educate you on the way your machine works and make you more confident about upgrading down the line. Additionally, because you're buying all your parts independently, you know exactly what components you have if something goes wrong.
This is an excellent guide to the process. [Thanks Kriz!]
When should I upgrade?
At this point, if you're looking at upgrading and your computer has an AGP slot, it's probably time to replace your motherboard, processor, video board and RAM. If you're using PATA hard drives (the ones with the fat gray ribbon cables,) you might want to look at replacing those with SATA, as well, but it's not crucial; even though most new motherboard support only 2 PATA devices you can purchase a PATA->SATA adapter and use it to hook up the older HDDs to SATA ports.
What parts should I buy?
Ultimately, of course, this depends on how much money you have to spend and what you plan on using your machine for. Some general rules:
- DO buy Core 2 Duo processors. They perform significantly better than Athlons 64 X2s.
- DO buy motherboards on the Intel P965 or P35 chipset for Core 2 Duo processors and ones on nVidia or AMD chipsets for Athlons 64. They offer the best stability and features available for the least amount of money at the time.
- DO buy power supplies with high amperage on the +12v rails if you're going to be doing any gaming. You can probably get away with a 450 watt power supply if it has good specs for the 12v rails - when looking at the specs on a power supply, you want to see 20 amps or higher under "+12v".
Getting a good power supply is vital. Cheap, rebranded, high peak wattage PSUs are easy to find, but it can easily destabilize your entire system. Good power supply brands are Seasonic (also sold under the Corsair brand), Enermax, Fortron-Source/Sparkle, Antec, OCZ and Thermaltake. There's a good chance these will cost double the price of a non-name power supply with equivalent max power, but there's a reason for that - the other ones suck. Even if your case comes with a power supply, and many do, look at replacing it unless it's made by one of the above companies. - DO buy good RAM. For most people, Corsair Value Select is the best value. Not all motherboards work "out of the box" with DDR2 RAM rated at more than 1,8V. If you really need faster RAM for overclocking, Mushkin, Corsair and OCZ make good products.
- DO buy SATA hard drives. They tend to achieve higher transfer rates than PATA drives, use a neater connector and very importantly - new motherboards support only 2 PATA devices, so most likely the HDD would have to share the cable with an optical drive which isn't great for performance, but also makes the cable management very hard. Be aware that Windows XP often needs drivers for the SATA controller to see the drives, and sometimes to boot with no problems after installation.
- DON'T buy two video cards to run in an SLI/Crossfire configuration. The only reason to run more than one video board is for two high-end cards - which will cost >$600. Mid-range/low-end cards in SLI usually perform slightly worse than a faster single card of comparable value. There's nothing wrong with SLI support in motherboards by itself, as nowadays they aren't more expensive than ones without it.
- DON'T as a general rule, buy a separate sound card. On-board sound is enough for most people unless you're running a surround-sound system on your PC, and even then, some better boards have optical-outs. If you really need a separate sound card, your best bet is an M-Audio; better sound quality and cheaper than Creative boards.
- DON'T look only at the amount of VRAM when choosing a video card. Manufacturers often equip the slower cards with more memory than default but working at a lower speed, or leave the speed the same but increase the price significantly. A faster card with less memory will almost always perform better in games than a slower one with more.
There's a comprehensive LCD buyer's guide at Anandtech forums, complete with specific recommendations and overview of their important characteristics that should help you make an informed decision.
DirectX 10
The first "wave" of games supporting DX10 just lack some fancy-but-minor effects when run on DX9 hardware.
Exactly what should I buy for $X?
That's hard to pin down. Anandtech regularly outlines good builds for a given budget, so that's a good starting point - just remember that they're only suggestions.
I'm worried about the process of actually assembling my computer. Is it difficult?
Nope! These days, it's pretty obvious where everything goes. A few things to keep in mind, though:
- BE ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT YOU'RE GROUNDED! Static electricity does very bad things to many computer components; RAM in particular is very static sensitive. To reduce the risk of zapping your components before you've even turned the box on, build in an uncarpeted room, and touch the frame of the case before handling components.
- Install the standoffs on your case before installing the motherboard. Standoffs are little risers that keep the motherboard from actually touching the case. Generally these look like screws with a hole for another screw in the top, but sometimes they're little springs that pop into place with a hole to screw the motherboard to on top. If you screw the motherboard directly to the case, you will almost certainly short something out. This will make you a Sad Panda, and you may or may not be able to get it replaced under warranty.
- Don't force anything. Most components fit pretty easily in their respective slot. If you have to really force something, chances are you're doing it wrong. As a general rule, try to push straight down, not in at an angle.
- Make sure you use the right pin-outs on a power supply. Most new motherboards use 24-pin power connectors, but this is a pretty new type of interface, and many power supplies use 20-pin connectors. Your motherboard or power supply probably came with a 24-pin adapter, so make sure you use it if you need it. Most motherboards that use 24-pin interfaces can be run with the last four pins empty, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
- Make sure all your fans are plugged in and properly operating. Overheating sucks. Make sure everything runs appropriately.
- Read your motherboard manual. Information on how to hook up front inputs, LEDs, and power switches is there, and it's kinda important.
- Install RAM in dual-channel. When you're installing your RAM, there should be four DIMM slots - two of one color, two of another. Put your RAM into the slots with matching colors to enable dual-channel, which enhances memory performance.
Suggested Gaming Upgrade Paths
Many people don't actually need to buy every component for a new computer. With that in mind, here are some recommended upgrade bundles for folks who already have a usable case, hard drives, optical drives, and power supply.
Note: OEM cases, like the old beige box your Dell or HP shipped in, are not ideal for a hefty overhaul like the ones described below. Often the cases are proprietary and your new motherboard won't even fit. Even if it does, they're a pain in the ass to work with, and it's well worth the fifty bucks for a new case to save yourself the aggravation of working in an OEM case. I've done both, and working with the HP case left me softly, continuously swearing. In three languages.
Similarly, your old Dell power supply might not be up to spec. See above for things to look for in power supplies.
That aside, all these upgrade paths include a motherboard, processor and video board. For RAM, 2GB of DDR2-667 or faster is recommended, though you can get away with 1GB. Currently 2GB of generic DDR2-800 RAM costs ~$45. If for some reason you desperately need a new AGP video card and nothing else, you can snag an AGP-interface 2600HD for around $86, but it will not perform up to par with PCI-E versions and you're just just delaying the inevitable, and are probably better off saving up some cash.
Prices and parts lists last updated 16th of March, 2008.
Budget Upgrade
- Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-MA69GM-S2H
- Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+
- Video board: Radeon HD 3850 256MB
- Total cost before tax/shipping: $410.
The Radeon 3870 can be had for $184 if you look around and the new NVIDIA 9600 GT can be found for $179. The results are mixed when it comes to performance for those two fine parts, so look at many different reviews before making your decision.
An Intel-based system e6420 would cost around the same, but the low-end Core 2 Duo CPU would likely perform worse than the Athlon at stock settings. It is a very good overclocker if you're willing to try.
It should be possible to build a whole system with 2GB of RAM for <$650 with these components.
Mid-range Upgrade
- Motherboard: DFI BloodIron P35-T2RL
- Processor: Core 2 Duo E8200
- Video Board: GeForce 8800GT 512MB
- Total Cost before tax/shipping: $579.
The 8800GT 512MB is a great performer (notably WiC and Crysis demo). A good alternative to one 8800GT is SLI'ing two 9600GTs for ~358. Make sure you get a motherboard that supports SLI though! This will run almost anything you throw at it adequately at 1680x1050/1600x1200 and high settings. A whole system based on these components with 2GB of RAM should cost ~$1000.
High-end Upgrade
- Motherboard: ASUS P5K-E/WiFi
- Processor: Core 2 Duo E8400
- Video Board: Geforce 9800GX2
- Total Cost before tax/shipping: $870.
The 9800GX2 is currently the most powerful single-card solution available. The video card constitutes more than half of the total cost, with a price-tag of $570; there is also the less powerful 8800GTX at ~$370.
With these components a whole system with 2GB of RAM would cost <$1500. Note that 4GB of RAM requires a 64bit operating system.
Bleeding Edge
- Motherboard: eVGA nForce 680i LT SLI
- Processor: Core 2 Extreme QX9650
- Video Board: 2x GeForce 8800 GTX
- Total Cost before tax/shipping: $2567
Note that 4GB of RAM requires a 64bit operating system. But you might as well go for 8 if you're gonna spend this kind of money. Also get DDR3.
Buying A Pre-Built System
As a general rule, Alienware overcharges and HP and Compaq suck. Dell has had some reliability issues in the past, but they're not a bad buy. Sony is hit-or-miss, depending on who you talk to.
For gaming, prebuilt systems are usually not the best choice. In order to keep prices down, wholesalers like Dell use cheap motherboards and power supplies, which can lead to stability issues under load. Their cases also tend to be very poorly designed, so heat is an issue. However, for general web browsing and office/school work, pre-built systems will do you just fine. Make sure you look at the warranty before buying.
Laptops
You can definitely buy a laptop with enough power to run modern games at high resolution with all the bells and whistles on. If you're willing to shell out the money, you can even get an SLI setup. In the end it's up to you to decide if the 'mobility' is worth it.
Maintenence
Software:
- Install SP2. Do it. Do it, damn your eyes.
- Vista users. It's not XP, get used to it. This thread can help you deal with any problems you come across.
- Install Microsoft Antispyware. You can find it here.
- Leave automatic Windows Update on... unless there's software you need to run that they break. This isn't common, so you should probably leave it on.
- Although with SP2 and MSAS, IE doesn't cause nearly as many problems as it used to, it's a good idea to install Firefox. You can find it here.
- Use a virus scanner, and keep your definitions up to date. Some good free AV programs are Avira AntiVir, AVG and avast! Home Edition.
- Defrag your hard drive once every month or so. Disk Defragmenter can be found by clicking Start -> Accessories -> System Tools. Open Defragmenter, and click "Analyze." Read the report afterwards - if File Fragmentation is greater than roughly 10%, you should probably defrag. Just let the thing run overnight.
Partitioning your hard drive so that you have a separate partition at least for the system should minimize fragmentation impact on system performance; you can do this during XP installation. Setting your page file size to a static value should also help (system -> advanced -> Performance Settings -> Advanced -> Virtual memory Change... and choose Custom size of around 2 000 MB, the same for initial and maximum)
- Make sure your computer can breathe. Most of the heat from a computer is expelled through the back of the tower. Heat causes lots of problems, so try to leave a couple inches between the back of your case and the wall.
- Undo your overclock if applicable. If you suffer constant crashes or hangs, reset your BIOS to factory standards.
- If your machine is constantly unstable, check your RAM. Run MemTest86, available here.
- If your machine is still unstable, check your heat. Pop open your case and ensure that all your fans are spinning as they should be and that there's not a dust bunny the size of Los Angeles nestled between your video board and your processor. Get some canned air and use short bursts to blow any dust out of the case - long sprays can cause condensation, and water tends to be real bad for computers.
- If your computer is still unstable, check your drivers. If you built your system yourself, you should know what individual drivers to look for. If you bought it pre-built, check the manufacturer's website.
- If one of the fans has started to make an awful noise its bearings most likely need lubrication.
Wait, who do I give my money to?
One thing that I can't stress is enough is to shop around. Saving a few dollars here and there can add up, and maybe you can get something better with your savings. Try the local shop down the street, write down their price for a part. Go on the webs and see if you can find it cheaper. Best Buy and Circuit City will almost always sell things for more than online retailers. Go to them last, or if you're in a hurry.
Price Watch - Has the listings of many internet sellers, if you don't mind dealing with multiple stores this is your option.
Newegg - Fast shipping, good customer service, and great deals. Can't go wrong with them.
Tiger Direct - I'd say their service is almost up to Newegg's standard.
*I'll add more (International and such) as people suggest them*
If anyone has anything to add, please PM me.
Malkor on
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This discussion has been closed.
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Hm, I figure this is as good a place as any to ask.
I'm shooting for a new gaming computer for my birthday in July.
But until then, I wanna try a MMORPG and a few other games to see if a gaming computer is even necessary.
However, my current machine is a piece of crap, and can barely run Gunbound without hiccups.
Is there anything I can do short of spending a penny to increase performance until I can get my hands on a quality beast?
I wanna see their faces turn to backs of heads and slowly get smaller
Well, what are your current specs.
Also I updated the OP.
Is this the right place for that type of question?
Steam ID: Good Life
Several of these items have rebates that expire Monday, so fast feedback is appreciated. Here's what I have so far:
Case: AeroCool ZeroDegree-BK (thanks OremLK)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EP35C-DS3R
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz
RAM: Corsair 2x1gb DDR2 800
Video card: MSI NX8800GTS 512M OC GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB
Power Supply: CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX ATX12V V2.2 550W
HDD : Samsung 500gb SATA 3.0gb/s
DVD : Samsung SATA DVD burner
Total (after rebates): $1027. Hmm, a little more than I was looking to spend, but not too far outside of my range.
CPU note: The e8200/e8400's are out of stock on Newegg and I prefer to order all from one place but can shop around if there's a strong recommendation to try and find one.
(UPDATED) I've added a case/dvd/hard drive to my list now, and switched the CPU to the Q6600.
I like having the option for gaming, but don't do much high end gaming on the PC right now (i.e., I'm not trying to run Crysis, nor do I plan to. Oblivion is probably largest system-hog I have and I don't play it much). The big thing right now is NOT having to upgrade just about everything in 2-3 years like I'm having to do now (after my last upgrade about 3 1/2 years ago).
Will edit this post if I find case/HDD/DVD, but taking a break for now.
I'll be running XP Professional on this.
EDIT: After looking at my current PC, all the fans spin when I hit power EXCEPT the intake fan on the power supply (until the PC shuts itself off after a couple of seconds). Also, there is a very quiet, high pitched ringing seemingly coming from the PSU that stays around for a little bit even after I unplug the machine. So, strongly thinking it is a power supply problem... any other opinions?
Case... Antec 900 is indeed a massive dust magnet according to my friend, says he feels like he has to clean it pretty much daily. Look into AeroCool cases, the ones with big 25cm side fans stay very cool and are extremely quiet.
EDIT:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811196023
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811196021
Hard drive. Since you're apparently splurging on a pretty high-end machine, why not spring for a Hitachi 1TB? It's faster than a 10k RPM Raptor in many cases, and having that much room is surely a pleasure.
DVD burner doesn't really matter that much unless you're going HD, choose your preferred brand name.
Kudos on the Corsair PSU, they're SeaSonic-made and are fantastic units.
Question: Does anyone know when the real 9xxx cards are coming out? Not this 9600 or 9800GX2 bullshit. I'm thinking the 9 series version of the 8800GTX.
The 9800GTS has a "Q2 2008" date. So June-ish?
I saw this barebones kit and it blew my original build out of the water in terms of cost effectiveness. Basically the same case, power, and processor for almost $100 less. My concern though, is about the motherboard. Is it compatable with an 8800GT 512mb PCI-E 2.0 x16? The whole "2.0" and "x16" part kind of bugs me, because it's not highlighted on the mobo specs. Otherwise, I could just go for the PCI-E x16 without the 2.0, or would that reduce my performance a lot?
UPDATE: Answered my own question. It won't fly.
Now I have a question between the differences of this and that. One of these motherboards is a lot cheaper. Why?
Oh, and original question if the video card can still work for either still stands.
Let 'em eat fucking pineapples!
The asus one is more expensive than the Gigabyte because frankly, asus makes a more quality product. Additionally, it uses a slightly better southbridge, and has digital audio onboard.
Also, OP might want to consider rephrasing the bit about Dual Chanel DIMMs, as same color does not always necessarily mean same channel. Blame mobo makers.
When I play certain games, my computer will freeze with the sound playing (Not looping, playing normally at the point where it froze) the sound will stop, then it will start again, and it will unfreeze. This continues with increasing speed until I exit the game. The bizarre thing is, it only affects certain games. CoD4 and TF2 along with some smaller windowed games work just fine, but Titan Quest, GTA:SA and Dawn of War all get horrible lockups. I've dusted the inside of my tower, and the hardware itself can't be more than a year or so old.
EDIT: I checked my hard drive fragmentation, and holy hell it's like 31%. I'll try defragging it, hopefully that will help.
I've already bought the monitor, processor (took two months for me to find one in-fucking-stock), ball cooler, and RAM. I've got the money in my bank for the rest but I've kind of scared to order it all* . . . haha. Anyways, what do you all think?
*
My budget will probably be around $2000-2500 all told, maybe slightly more as I'm probably selling my old computer to my roommate. Split that however you want, but I'd like both computers to at least be able to run Company of Heroes at close to full.
My major question right now isn't so much specific parts as timing. Is there anything big on the horizon that I should wait for? Deltron Mem-Capsules going to make everything that came before obsolete on July 4th or whatnot.
I just want to know if its possible to retrieve anything from the old login,
http://www.fallout3nexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=16534
Specs
If you need to know any other spec to decide just tell me. I was just curious as to the benefits that could be had since I started to play Crysis.
That's what I really wasn't sure of. It seems that the only real reason I have to pick up a 64bit OS is for Direct X 10 then? I may as well just wait until I upgrade ram, right?
Vista is the DX10 OS. Holding off until you get more RAM might not be a bad idea. Microsoft might get disparate and have a Vista fire sale or something (probably not but you never know).
are notebooks with vidja cards on the scale of the HD3870/9600GT reasonably priced?
I run Ubuntu, so I prefer Intel integrated graphics. Is it wise to wait until the G45 chipset comes out? Does anyone know if the ADD2 cards will be compatible? (To add a 2nd DVI port to Intel integrated graphics.)
I am extremely price-sensitive, so the number one thing I'm looking for is budget value (i.e. I'd rather pay $400 for something decent that'll last 5 years than $300 for something that's going to crap out in 16 months). My current laptop is a five-year-old Dell, and I despise it, but if they've gotten better, I might be willing to buy a new one from them. Weight doesn't bother me. I want long battery life, screen size isn't a huge priority, but 15" would be nice. If it came with a larger-than-standard keyboard, that would be awesome, but I'm not gonna hold my breath. Not looking for performance, I just want something with integrated Wi-Fi that I can use for documents and surfing the internet. I'd prefer a Windows machine, because that's what I know, but if the price is right, I could go with Linux (provided the wireless actually works). I don't mind hauling around a 20-pound beast if it gets me a few extra hours of battery life (my current laptop is 17 pounds, and I don't think it's all that heavy). I may want to watch a movie, or transfer files via CD/DVD, so a DVD-ROM/RW would be nice, but not a requirement.
Suggestions?
They had a Vostro up earlier... it was $409, now $449. You can get it with XP too, and avoid Vista.
Link to it.
And specs:
* AMD TurionTM 64x2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology TL-58 (1.90GHz/512K)
* Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic or XP Home Edition
* 15.4" Wide Screen XGA LCD Anti-Glare Display
* 1GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM
* 80GB 5400RPM Hard Drive
* 8X DVD+/-RW w/Double-layer DVD+R Write Capability
* ATI Radeon Xpress 1150 256MB HyperMemory (integrated)
* Dell Wireless 1395 802.11g Wi-Fi Mini Card
* 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Everyone else: Not a damn thing.
Okay. That's cool, that's cool.
How about this?
Should I grab the quad core or stick with a duo?
This sounds like something didn't get plugged in right from the front of the case when you did the wiring, actually.
Well, for starters, you won't find much in the way of new video cards for AGP regardless, so yeah, PCIe is the way to go. The answer to your question of "why is it better" is actually a matter of bandwidth - the interface allows for more information to be transmitted. AGP was a parallel interface allowing for up to 2133MB/s, PCIe is a serial interface allowing for 8 GB/s in revision 1.1. Revision 2.0 (available in high-end chipsets) will double this capacity.
Due toc onflict of interest, I won't make any recommendations on products or brandings themselves. However, as for dual vs quad core, it more depends upon your usage - very few programs/areas of work will be able to utilize quad cores, and we haven't seen games that can take advantage in any meaningful way yet (although we have seen ones which are taking advantage of dual core). The first one which comes to mind which is supposed to have strong quad support is Alan Wake. Now, if you're a heavy multitasker, regularly encode video or do something else that can be done in a massively parallel manner, quad makes a lot of sense for you. Otherwise, it's only in the small spurts where you're making your computer do a whole crapload of things simultaneously that you'll notice any difference.
Personal preference makes me say nVidia, but depending on yoru OS, I don't know how their driver situation is anymore. I'd head over to anadtech or tomshardware and look at recent benchmarks more than listening to some random people on forums :P
Just make sure to get SATA for the hard drives. Optical and whatnot you can figure out.
The key to making sure LCDs look nice is to get a monitor where you'll run it in its native resolution. Otherwise it won't look nice at all. I haven't gone monitor shopping for a while, though, so I've got no real recommendations in the direction of response time, etc.
Insofar as the case goes, I won't dig for a red one myself, but newegg is where I'd recommend looking. Or get a cheap one and paint it yourself :P
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_common_resolutions - look in the DAR columns of the charts. Any resolutions with the same DAR will have the same ration (4:3, 16:9, 16:10 being the most common).
Anyone know of a good way to test the memory/CPU to make sure they are working correctly? at this point thats the only 2 options I can think of. Thanks in advance.
So assuming I want a dual core (Or possibly an interchangeable setup if such a thing exists) system with plenty of ram expandability and a good cardbus for my graphics, what kind of price range do you think I'm looking for? Do you have any suggestions? I should be buying the socket 775 processor, right?
Edit: This mobo http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131225 seems at first glance to be what I'm looking for. Support for SATA, intel chipset, PCIe x16, 8GB RAM support. And the reviews seem quite positive overall. Am I wrong?