New Computer (Been out of touch with the scene)

[Frodo Baggins]

Hello,

There was a time I was into OCing but not anymore. The fact is I'm a bit out of touch with what works and what doesn't. I will need to purchase a computer mainly for:

1. Photography preprocessing with large image files
2. Mathematical research in which I'm often required to code simulations.
3. I doubt I will be doing much gaming, but I've never had the chance to play some of the newer games (do you know my newest graphics card is an ATI 8 mb?), so it'd be nice to be open to that possibility.

I really don't want to assemble anything and I would really like to purchase something from Future Shop or Best Buy. My budget I would estimate would be about $1000-1200 CDN including a flat screen moniter (my current moniter is a 15" CRT!)

Here is what I found: HP Intel Pentium Dual Core 820 2.8Ghz Media Center for $899

Processor Type: Intel Pentium D (Dual Core) Processor 82
Processor Speed: 2 x 2.8GHz
RAM: 1GB PC2-3200 DDR2 SDRAM (Exp. To 4GB)
Hard Drive: 250GB (7200RPM) Serial ATA
Optical Drives: DL 16X DVD+/-RW w/ Lightscribe, DVD-ROM
Graphics Card: ATI Radeon X300 SE PCI-E
Cache: 2 x 1MB L2
System Bus: 800MHz

FEATURES:

* High-Performance Audio Ready: Intel High Definition Audio with up to 7.1 surround sound capabilities.

* ATI Radeon X300 SE PCI-E Graphics Card With 128MB DDR Video Memory And TV Out

* I/O Ports: 6 x USB 2.0 (2 front, 4 back), 2 x Firewire (IEEE 1394, 1 front, 1 back), 9-In-1 Memory Card Reader, Composite Video, S-Video And Audio Inputs

As far as I can tell, it has everything I need. Photo processing requires chunks of ram and 1 GB should be enough, though I'm unfamiliar with the different types. The firewire, USB, and Memory Card readers I need. The processor seems adequate.

As for the monitor:
LG 19" Flatscreen for $349.

Can you guys tell me if I'm making a big mistake or something?

 

[aeiou]

Looks ok..... the video card is junk, but its better than onboard and as long as you aren't playing much in the way of games it should be fine. I would definately look for an amd machine, though. The x2's are much better processors than the intel dual cores. As far as ram, 1GB is the minimum for photo editing, imho. 2GB is preferable. I am down to 1GB right now because one of my sticks went bad and I can really notice a difference in photo editing- esp. since I like to have lots of files open at once.

 

[Captain Slug]

I don't see anything in the configuration of that machine that warrants a $900 tag. It only took me a few minutes to make a list matching that for only $600 USD. For $900 at Newegg you can get twice the RAM, two hard drives (80gb and 250gb) and reliable cooling.
I'm working on an AMD64 list

 

[aeiou]

it probably has somthing to do with it being a media center machine. Remeber to always include a copy of windows in the price when comparing prices. In this case, you need xp media center edition and a tv tuner, too.

 

[Frodo Baggins]

Looks ok..... the video card is junk, but its better than onboard and as long as you aren't playing much in the way of games it should be fine. I would definately look for an amd machine, though. The x2's are much better processors than the intel dual cores. As far as ram, 1GB is the minimum for photo editing, imho. 2GB is preferable. I am down to 1GB right now because one of my sticks went bad and I can really notice a difference in photo editing- esp. since I like to have lots of files open at once.

Hi, okay, here's another one for a bit cheaper than what I proposed:

Gateway X2

Processor Type AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ Dual Core 64-Bit
Processor Speed 2GHz
RAM 1024MB DDR RAM (Exp. To 4GB)
Hard Drive 250GB 7200RPM
Optical Drives DVD +/- 16X Multi-Format Double Layer
Graphics Card nVidia GeForce 6100 GPU
Cache 2 x 512KB L2
I/O Ports 7 x USB 2.0, 3 x IEEE 1394
System Bus 2000MHz

FEATURES:

* 9-In-1 Digital Media Reader
* Graphic Card: nVidia GeForce 6100 GPU With Up To 128MB Of Shared Video Memory
* Other I/O Ports: 1 x VGA External Connector, 1 x Parallel Port, 2 x PS/2 Ports (Keyboard And Mouse), 5 x Audio Ports (2 In Front And 3 In Back)

Onboard video and less cache though.

Also, how are the Athlon 64 3400+? This one here is only $499. 1 GB RAM, all the ports I need, though dunno about that onboard video. How important is the L2 cache? At this price, I can always up the ram.

 

[Captain Slug]

The Gateway X2 is a pretty good deal. You might want more RAM, especially when using Photoshop or similar software.

He doesn't have to use MCE. GB-PVR is a VERY functional alternative.

Here's my list which includes...
+ COOLER MASTER Centurion 5
+ ASUS A8N5X Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 ATX AMD Motherboard
+ CHAINTECH SV62TC-T2 Geforce 6200TC w/ HDTV/S-Video Out
+ Hauppauge 1062 PCI Interface WinTV-PVR-150 MCE Kit (w/ MCE remote)
+ FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX400-PN 400W Power Supply
+ AMD Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego 2000MHz HT 1MB L2
+ pqi POWER Series 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 533
+ Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 ST3250823AS 250GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA150
+ SAMSUNG 16X DVD±R DVD Burner With 5X DVD-RAM Write and LightScribe Black
+ Scythe Katana CPU Cooler 92mm
Total = $827

 

[Frodo Baggins]

That's a pretty good deal Frodo. You might want more RAM, especially when using Photoshop or similar software.

He doesn't have to use MCE. GB-PVR is a VERY functional alternative.

Here's my list which includes...
+ COOLER MASTER Centurion 5
+ ASUS A8N5X Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 ATX AMD Motherboard
+ CHAINTECH SV62TC-T2 Geforce 6200TC w/ HDTV/S-Video Out
+ Hauppauge 1062 PCI Interface WinTV-PVR-150 MCE Kit (w/ MCE remote)
+ FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX400-PN 400W Power Supply
+ AMD Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego 2000MHz HT 1MB L2
+ pqi POWER Series 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 533
+ Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 ST3250823AS 250GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA150
+ SAMSUNG 16X DVD±R DVD Burner With 5X DVD-RAM Write and LightScribe Black
+ Scythe Katana CPU Cooler 92mm
Total = $827

That's US, Captain Slug. Plus from newegg means shipping charges.

Which one is the "pretty good deal"? I posted two

 

[Captain Slug]

Yeah, but I couldn't remember off the top of my head the preferred Canadian hardware sources but they have similar pricing on hardware. The Gateway X2 is the best deal you've posted because the processor it comes with is around $300USD on it's own. After some usage with that machine you can decide if it needs more RAM or not.
I personally would avoid Compaq and HP as much as possible. Especially that cheap one you posted which doesn't have PCI-E 16x.

 

[Frodo Baggins]

*sigh*, Remember the good old days when 256 mb SD133 ram was considered uber?

 

[twoeyes]

Why dont you just have someone here assemble a PC for you? If its someone in the US they can get a killer price then ship it out to you... i.e. AMD 4400+ 2GB RAM, etc.

 

[Soichiro]

Why dont you just have someone here assemble a PC for you? If its someone in the US they can get a killer price then ship it out to you... i.e. AMD 4400+ 2GB RAM, etc.

QFT. The only drawback is that you'll have to pay shipping twice, once from newegg->builder then from builder->you. However it would give you a lot better performance than any POS OEM build, and I'm sure the members here wouldn't jack up their prices (like the retailers) for a fellow OCF member.

 

[Frodo Baggins]

The Gateway X2 is a pretty good deal. You might want more RAM, especially when using Photoshop or similar software.

He doesn't have to use MCE. GB-PVR is a VERY functional alternative.

Here's my list which includes...
+ COOLER MASTER Centurion 5
+ ASUS A8N5X Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 ATX AMD Motherboard
+ CHAINTECH SV62TC-T2 Geforce 6200TC w/ HDTV/S-Video Out
+ Hauppauge 1062 PCI Interface WinTV-PVR-150 MCE Kit (w/ MCE remote)
+ FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX400-PN 400W Power Supply
+ AMD Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego 2000MHz HT 1MB L2
+ pqi POWER Series 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 533
+ Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 ST3250823AS 250GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA150
+ SAMSUNG 16X DVD±R DVD Burner With 5X DVD-RAM Write and LightScribe Black
+ Scythe Katana CPU Cooler 92mm
Total = $827

Captain, can you shave off the price a bit? I think you guys are right and it's much better for me to purchase over the border, even if I have to pay some shipping fees.

Perhaps I can go with your system Slug, but:

1. I need the price shaved off as much as I can.
2. I need all associated cables. The cables on my systems are ancient.
3. I will NOT need a HD. I have 2 Seagate Barracuda 160 GB HDs Ultra ATA
4. If the motherboard does not have a slot for media cards (compact flash especially), I will need a card reader.
5. No need for a TV card. I don't even have cable TV.

Can you factor in those considerations and perhaps get the price down a bit? Already without the TV card and HD, looks like I got the price down $170.

I really appreciate the help. I can assemble everything fine (I hope that assembling PCs has not changed in the past few years), but I am so overwhelmed with the product choices (I see 136 different media card readers -- which one do I choose?)

 

[Captain Slug]

Updated List
+ Spire SilverFin III SP-7688B Case (basically the same features and layout of the Centurion 5 for half the price)
+ HEISEI HU-208N2TS 16-in-1 USB 2.0 USB2.0 Card Reader
+ GENERIC 120MM FAN FILTER (for rear intake)
+ MASSCOOL FD12025S1L3/4 120mm Sleeve Case Cooling Fan - (For rear intake)
+ ASUS A8N5X Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 ATX AMD Motherboard
+ CHAINTECH SV62TC-T2 Geforce 6200TC w/ HDTV/S-Video Out
+ FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX400-PN 400W Power Supply
+ AMD Athlon 64 3700+ San Diego 2000MHz HT 1MB L2
+ pqi POWER Series 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 533
+ NEC 16x DVD-Burner
+ Scythe Katana CPU Cooler 92mm
+ 2 Rounded cables (The motherboard probably comes with enough cables but these are easier to work with)
Total = $635

You will be PLEASANTLY suprised at how easy it has become to build computers since even the Socket 370 era. You can decide on the mouse and keyboard or just use what you have. This list will give you a machine with a noise footprint of only 25dBa and plenty of power for everything you need to do.

 

[Frodo Baggins]

Grrr! I was making my list on Newegg and then I discovered they didn't ship to Canada (I thought that Newegg changed their policies...). So I've been trying to make a comparable list with a decent local seller. Here is what I have (All price are CDN! Divide by 1.15):

Aspire X-Discovery Mid-Tower, 420 W PS $101
AMD Athlon64 3500+ $250
Asus A8N5X NF4 S939 PCIe Mainboard w/SATA, RAID, GB Lan, Audio $97
Asus GeForce 6200 256MB AGP Video Card w/TV-Out,DVI $79
Corsair ValueSelect 2GB (2x1GB) PC2-4200 DDR2 $212.00
NEC 16x DVD-RW $51
Vantec All in 1 USB 2.0 Internal Card Reader $19
Total = $809 CDN ~ $700 US

I'm still missing a CPU heatsink, but other than that...I think that's it? As you can see, I decreased the CPU down from 3700+. The case is actually a very good deal as it retails for $60 on Newegg without a PSU. So if I spend another $40 on a heatsink, I think that's the final amount? Am I missing anything?

 

[ColtIce]

just a FYI AMD does not use DDR2 yet.

 

[jmt391]

I have the aspire x-discovery - It's a really nice case but you're gonna wanna replace the fans bc they're loud as hell

the front panel is also a tiny drop flimsy

I dont know about the PSU i bought the one without it bc i dont trust PSU/case combos

I woudn't downgrade the proccy - I have the 3700 and It's great. get the 1mb l2 cache(the 3500 has 512kb)

other than that you're good IMO

 

[Soichiro]

Aspire has acceptable PSUs if you don't plan on oc'ing, and if you aren't going to oc, just go with the stock coolers on everything as well, since it'll save you some money. And AMD systems use DDR, not DDR2 (at least not yet)

I'm just going to assume you don't plan on oc'ing this thing at all since you were about to buy an OEM POS, so yeah, go with the stock coolers, that Aspire PSU, and Corsair ValueSelect DDR400

 

[aeiou]

Also, you aren't looking at the dual core cpu's anymore? That would really be nice for you for photo's.

 

[Frodo Baggins]

You're right, I don't plan on OCing, so stock cooler included with retail proc is fine. Man, RAM doesn't come cheap. What speed ram should I be getting?

Updated List:

Aspire X-Discovery Mid-Tower, 420 W PS $101
AMD Athlon64 3500+ $250
Asus A8N5X NF4 S939 PCIe Mainboard w/SATA, RAID, GB Lan, Audio $97
Asus GeForce 6200 256MB AGP Video Card w/TV-Out,DVI $79
OCZ DC Value 2x1 GB PC3200 DDR Memory $216.00
NEC 16x DVD-RW $51
Vantec All in 1 USB 2.0 Internal Card Reader $19
Total = $813 CDN ~ $706 US


I dunno about the 3700+. What do you guys think? I have to pay $50 more. Maybe if I sacrificed RAM? Is there anything I can do to cut the costs down?

Question/Challenge: If I had to choose a mobo/processor combo that would shave off $100-$200 from the above, what would it be? How much of a performance downgrade am I looking at?

 

[Galt]

I'm just mentioning this because no one else has said it yet, but now might not be the best time to buy a new computer. AMD's AM2 launch has been moved up to May 23rd, and (more importantly) Intel's Conroe will be out as early as possible in Q3. Now, I'm not saying you necessarily need to jump on the 'new stuff' bandwagon, but you might not want to plan a purchase right on the tail end of a hardware generation. If you've waited a while already, will a few more months really kill you? I think just about anyone considering a new computer right now would do well to wait three months.