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I'm getting ready to give up the laptop and buy a new desktop.
I don't want to get a Mac, because all of my programs are made for PC, and I think PC's are just as good as a Mac for my purposes.
My questions are : What are the key features I need to look for?
I've been looking at Dell XPS 410... and Gateway® DX430X so far.
Jen
What programs are you going to run? What will you use the computer for ?
I think that this can determine what you might want to buy.
I'm running Xara Xtreme, ArtRage, and Inkscape.
The problem I have is I like to have several programs open at once. This really slows down my computer. I'm looking for something that will be able to keep up with me.
Jen
Jen if you get a machine with Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad with a very minimum of 2 GB RAM it should keep up with you for several years. Go for 4 GB RAM or more if you can afford to do so.
If you plan on getting into 3D graphics using programs like Hexagon or Maya also add a high end graphic card (currently a 'gaming' machine would already have a good video choice).
I bought a 'digital media manager' machine and I cannot run Hexagon or Maya on it. Have to go back to one of my old AMD processor machines with a Radeon or nVidea graphics card to support those two applications.
Well That Dell 410 looks pretty nice. 256Mb on the video card and the system can take up to 4Gb of memory. I would get 4Gb if you can afford it. That can probably keep up with what ever tasks you want to do.
Well, it seems that somethings are not quite as vista friendly, and for that matter, there really is a lot of bloat and bloat scare out there...
xp still works ok :)
even for 3d work, music, what have yas, most any mid road amd is plenty, , mid range v cards, a gig of ram and your set...
I have to agree with Gidgit. Get the most bang for your buck...
go with An AMD Processor... More speed, less hype, less cost.
As much RAM as you can throw in her...
An ASUS motherboard...
A decent Video Board... 256 Meg should do it...
If you work with lots o bitmaps... As large a HD as you can stuff in the box, and as many as you can get. (I have 500 GB and have to juggle what I keep on the computer... but I do a bit of video work and that eats HD space.)
I personally prefer to buy my machine empty and load the OS myself... These days, the 'puter makers throw 10 tons of garbage on the machine, then don't even give you a copy of the OS...:mad:
The best advice I can give is to avoid off-the-shelf PC's no matter the marketting blurb.
The big-name sausage-factory PC's are fine for newbies and offices, but never good for those with higher expectations and specific usage requirements.
If you are comfortable buying, assembling and loading your own PC that's always the best way to go.
If not, find a very reputable local bloke who will build to your requirements.
Never accept cheap and nasty components (buy cheap = buy twice)
For example, the often overlooked case+PSU. Cheap power supply units can be the source/cause of OS and application crashes AND of internal hardware failure. The PSU is the very *heart* of a system (the CPU is the Brain).
Look for good name parts, I agree with raynerj1 on the choice of ASUS who offer 3 yr WTY on thier mainboards which is a good indication of faith in their manufacturing.
My rig is a few years old now, but has never let me down (Though I needed to fit a better CPU fan due to our tropical summer heat and my dislike of home Air Conditioners)
ASUS K8V mainboard
AMD3400+ 64bit (2.4GHZ)
2GB ddr400 ram
ASUS GF7600GT 128MB
XPPro / Vista Ult (Dual-Boot - but seperate drives)
Lian-Li tower with 480W ThermalTake PSU with Active PFC (Power Factor Correction).
The GF7600GT runs a 24" Dell LCD at 1920x1200 on DVI without any dramas.
(Though I have pretty well all Windows effects turned off except styles because I dislike sliding/fading menu's etc).
And get a good quality 700VA UPS to protect your investment.
I think it all depends on what you can afford:cool:
The PC is advancing by leaps and bounds these days.
What's high tech today is history tommorrow:eek:
Personally, that's no reason for me to buy rubbish - I just can't afford that much money :DQuote:
Originally Posted by aridzone
I know from experience that buying good quality componentry is important no matter how quickly it is superceded by newer models. A high quality PC will last for years, be more reliable and give outstanding performance.
Quality is remembered long after price is fogotten.
This thread is really useful to me ! I want to buy a new pc (not a Mac, although I prefer that, because of all my pc software) and I can't see the trees in the forest anymore, so to speak :confused: So thanks for all the advise, especially Sledger and raynerj1 :)
I would not suggest the top of the line... You pay too much. Last years top of the line is much cheaper and will keep you happy for many years.
Oh... the best investment I have made... Partition Magic from Symantic. Lets me partion the drives where and how I want. I have a partion just for Windoze and another for a disc image of windoze (You know when they always ask you to install the disk crap). My Programs are on another partition, and all my data is in a another partition. My computers have been worry free since setting em up.:)
Advice by example?
If asked today to create a PC quote for a Xara user on a AUD$1500 (£630 / €932) budget, it might look like this:
*I know some people dislike wireless mice because they worry the batteries may run down at the most inappropriate moment. While this is true, the Logitech model I select has the recharger dock that keeps the battery topped up when the mouse is not in use. You simply pop the mouse into the dock like you would with your cordless phone. I've personally used the (older) MX700 for three years now and wouldn't be without a wireless mouse ever again.Quote:
THERMALTAKE MATRIX MIDI TOWER CASE (inc 430W PSU)
LITEON LH-20A1H 20x LIGHTSCRIBE DVDRW (BLACK/WHT)
AMD A64 X2 5200+ DUAL CORE (SKT AM2)
ASUS M2A-VM-HDMI AIO AM2 MATX M/B (HDMI) Integrated ATI Radeon X1250
http://members.westnet.com.au/ledger..._HDMI_back.jpg
also 2x USB on the front of the case
GEIL 2GB DDR2-6400 800 DUAL KIT
2x SEAGATE 320GB SATA2 16MB-AS
CMV 221D 22 INCH WIDE LCD MONITOR (DVI, 5ms,Silver Black)
LOGITECH CORDLESS (OEM) RECHARGABLE DESKTOP BUNDLE*
LOGITECH X530 5.1 SPEAKER SYSTEM.
WindowsXP Pro OEM version (Geniune CD Supplied)
My Retail: AUD$1,494.75 inc GST
Although this system is Vista Certified, I'd stick with XP for the moment.
The mainboard includes an integrated Radeon X1250 display with the ability to output both HDMI and DVI at the same time.
Of course the board has a PCIe slot for future upgrade if required.
In all, this system would run very well and should last for years before an upgrade is considered. Adding more RAM can be done at anytime, but 2GB is an excellent base.
I've purposly left out a Digitizer Tablet as not everyone can work with or justify owning them. However the Wacom Graphire4 is good value and works fine even with the wide-screen monitor.
I normally offer the option of an internal multi-card reader which most people accept and only adds AUD$19 to the overall cost.
Floppy Disk Drives are only included on request now days.
If a UPS is not already in place with a current System, then I strongly suggest that thought be given to buying at least a 700VA model.
looks good
no way would I be without a wireless mouse or keyboard either - my logitech warns when the batteries are running low and I have a second set charged up ready to go - prefer this to charging dock method
second the recommendation on UPS
Nice system there sledger... I would leave the floppy out and just take the old one from my exisiting system. The same would be true with the OS, if she has a OEM XP CD. If the motherboard has IDE busses, might as well rape the harddrive from the old system also.
I would use the SATA as the C:/ drive tho... Also get a 500 GB at least. You will fill it up before the system starts to act up.:)
didn't look too close, does that motherboard have firewire input? If not, grab a model that has it. You can't mess with video without firewire. That might have changed tho... video is the latest and greatest thing and Video camera makers are finally saying goodbye to VHS...:rolleyes:
I'm not quite sure what anyone would put on a 1.4MB floppy diskette?Quote:
Originally Posted by raynerj1
USB flash drives are cheap as chips now ['scuse pun] and a darn site more reliable than those horrid little disks. As I say, FDD's are purely by request and not fitted as standard any longer.
OEM licenses are not transferable to new hardware, this is different from Retail versions which are.
Yes the MB has one IDE interface (one is now standard, where it used to be two) useful as you say for fitting older drives, but in this quote - used for the IDE DVD burner (SATA interface burners are now around, but why waste a SATA port?) though you can still throw in your old drive as a slave on the IDE.
Notice that I included TWO drives 320GB each ;)Quote:
I would use the SATA as the C:/ drive tho... Also get a 500 GB at least. You will fill it up before the system starts to act up.:)
Two drives are better than one, as it's unlikely that two drives will die together. One large drive, even if partitioned, is like having all your eggs in one basket. It dies - you loose the lot.
As you can see from the image of the rear IO ports, firewire is indeed available on this m/board. However DV is becoming more common than firewire I've noticed, and a good many video cams use mini USB.Quote:
..didn't look too close, does that motherboard have firewire input? If not, grab a model that has it. You can't mess with video without firewire. That might have changed tho... video is the latest and greatest thing and Video camera makers are finally saying goodbye to VHS...:rolleyes:
Image again here for convenience:
http://members.westnet.com.au/ledger..._HDMI_back.jpg
Hey sledger...
Here is a quick question for you... When was the last time you had a drive fail before you knew it was time to upgrade your system? I have filled many drives and had to replace em cause dey was too small. I have had more problems with PWR supplies, Motherboards, processors than I have had with HDs. I still wouldn't want to run the same system for 10 years tho...:)
I tend to agree about having two drives just in case.
And imaging software - I use Acronis True Image.
I would not sleep at night without an up to date image of my system. :D
In my game I see failed hard disc drives regularly, infact more so now than in previous years. Sadly a lot of failed drives are occuring with budget PC's that often encorporate a 'recovery' partition (and therefore are not supplied with an OS on CD). Budget PC's are cheaper for a reason.Quote:
Originally Posted by raynerj1
Recently more Laptops have been coming to me with failed HDD's which is a real concern for those who bring their laptops on holidays and photo shoots in order to download pics from their cameras (and free up card space).
Of course, once repaired, these customers often go away with an external 2.5" HDD in an aluminiun enclosure as backup (these need no external power).
You would be amazed how many PC owners do not backup important files to CD or DVD inspite of all PC's now having burners fitted. It always suprises me how many still don't understand how to use a burner, and I've even come across people who do *backup* to CD then delete them off their hard drive (to free up space). Of course, doing this means they no longer have a *backup* - their CD then contains the only copies.
Newer (increasingly larger) Hard Drives are failing more regularly than older drives due to altered manufacturing processes driven by highly competitive manufacturers wanting market share, consumers demanding lower prices and the shear volume of drives now out there. If you wanted a HDD to last for 10 years and be 100% reliable it can in theory be manufacturerd, but would cost thousands of dollars to produce. I get some customers balking at AUD$119 for a 320GB hdd!! <shakes head>
Seagates philosophy is that their drives are 'good enough' for the price, and for the most part this is true, plus their warranty of 3 - 5 years is ample coverage for it's expected lifetime. However, inspite of warranty - if a 500GB drive fails, you've still lost all your eggs.
The way I see it, if you had just one large HDD which you were quickly filling up and therefore needed to 'upgrade' to a larger drive, then you'd likey be 'adding' the large drive and not replacing the full one because you'd want to keep the data that was filling it up. If you didn't, then you'd delete it which would free up space and therefore you would no longer require a larger drive.
if you do any Video editing, you would want a bigger HD. I have 500GB on my machine and can only edit one maybe two movies at a time... AVIs are huge mothas...
the next time I upgrade, I will be putting at least a terabyte in my machines. At least 2 500GB drives. maybe more...:)
I suppose that it all depends on the res of those videos, but yea, vids eat up room... even at 320x200 for web cam, doesn't take much to start eating into those gigs of hd space... and yea, good to have more than one drive for sure, and so many other wonderful storage devices as well :)
Typically 740X480. But when video editing, one typically has more than 2 hours of video (@ 1gb/minute). When one starts saving interim steps... You get lots of stuff real quick.:)
I would agree with that. They throw big numbers at you, but bottle neck your system with some cheap component. If you have the expertise, I'd recommend building your own. I did not too long ago, but had to leave it behind...I'm very tempted to build another one at the expense of a chunk of earnings...the most powerful you can build (for gaming).Quote:
Originally Posted by sledger
Offensive terminology from an offensive member who takes pride in posting trivial rubbish. That's opinion: but it's fact that you would be breaking your licence agreement by re-using an OEM Windows XP CD. Ignorance and an anti-Microsoft bias is not an excuse for piracy: I hope they catch you and nail you to the wall.Quote:
Originally Posted by raynerj1
EDIT: Removed the offending word from the quoted text.
This was covered well by sledger [can't find the link right now] - if memory serves when we were musing about just how far you can upgrade a machine before it becomes a 'new' one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Daniel
Its certainly true that, having registered windows OEM on one machine, installing it on a second one is against the license. The fact that the first maybe dead doesn't alter the OEM situation.
Good reason for buying the full version, I have been converted in this respect. ;)
I just had to make this decision last weekend. My old computer was fried by repeated lightning storms...the UPS burned out, then my power supply...and the motherboard. You could actually smell the burned components...the power went off seven times that day...
My old computer had been built by my own loving hands, but this time, I decided to go with a store-bought system. It is my first computer with a brand name on it since the old Atari days!
Anyway, I chose the HP Pavilion Media Center m8120n PC TV
Intel Core 2 Quad processor, 3 gigs of RAM, 640 Gb hard drive plus 500 Gb personal media drive, for more than 1 Tb total storage.
But the most important thing is the insurance! If this one burns out, I just take it back to Best Buy and they give me a new one.
---
Will
Sorry to hear that Will - still brand new computer - cant be all bad :D
Friend of mine has been woo-ing me into the virtues of leasing a computer - costs him £16 [$35] a month - brand new replacement every two years, alternative machine supplied within 4 hours to cover if needed on breakdown...... hummmm you know, I'm sorta tempted...............
The License is to install on one computer... If you only have it on one computer than you are legal. Anything else is rediculous. :rolleyes:
Then sell the original OS to your spouse and then have em sell it back to you for a penny then you are legal... (stuff that in your hat, that is why Microsux)Quote:
You can however transfer the entire desktop/notebook with the OEM license to a new user/company. When transferring the PC to the new end user the original software media, manuals (if applicable) and Certificate of Authenticity (COA) must be included. It is also advisable to include the original purchase invoice or receipt. The original end user cannot keep any copies of the software.
John the OEM license is to be used on the specific computer with which it was purchased. It cannot be transferred to another computer. OEM license media (CDs) usually will not install on another computer unless it is the same model from the same manufacturer.
If you have CDs that were purchased from a retailer without a computer, that is not considered an OEM license. A retail license allows you to install the OS on a single computer. As Sledger originally stated.
In my experience hard drives fail more often than any other component as long as quality components have been used to construct the computer. In an environment of 400 desktop computers I had 1 in 10 hard drive failures. There were 2 in 400 motherboard failures, and only 1 power supply failure.
About 9 years ago e-Machines were prone to power supply failures. But that was due to using low cost parts. Since then e-Machines was bought by another management company and they have reliable hardware.
Going back to the question of how many drives, this looks like a great solution.
mostly what Sledger said. all good advice. and if building your own scares you, chill. it really is not difficult at all. The 'net has many places to help.
as much mem as possible. a tower case for expansion.
and 2 power supplies. keep one in the cupboard.
I expect to be building a new one too, soon.
geo.
The computer is a method of running the operating system which runs your programs. If your operating system allows you to run more programs, it is a great convenience.
I have both MAC and PC programs and run them on my MAC Pro as I have Parallels Desktop. I find, however I am using Windows less (Windows XP didn't upgrade to Vista) and MAC more.
MAC comes with programs which are actually useful, and you can get the new iWork and iLife for around $80.00 each. The hardware costs more but lasts longer. Not all programs are more expensive. In fact, I've been having a ball with a $25.00 program. BTW, does run under Windows too. That is ArtRage, and like Xara, it can be unstable though incredibly intuitive and productive, you just have to save, save, save.
Who cares if it makes sense to anyone else, get the computer which will do the job for you. I have to work with both platforms so the MAC made sense for my line of work. MAC will run Windows, Linux too. A PC running MAC???? Not likely going to happen anytime soon. You might get the OS to load, and it is nice to look at the desktop.
The next hurdle is running software which is 64-bit rather than 32-bit.
A building is as stable as its foundations, Windows still sits on top of DOS. Why? It's like a deck of card, how high can you go building with cards?
Windows has not sat on top of DOS since Windows 98 and Windows ME. Businesses have used Windows NT since 1994 and most PCs since 2001 have been shipped with Windows XP - neither are based on DOS.Quote:
Originally Posted by sallybode
Technically & in fairness to Sally, XP is a DOS (Disc Operating System) ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Daniel
ROTFL...Quote:
Originally Posted by sledger
Talk about self proclaimed experts...:eek: :D
Not being too sure in what context you mean't that remark to be taken, I'll just follow it with more humour to get you rolling about by defining an 'Expert'Quote:
Originally Posted by raynerj1
Ex = something that was
Spert = A drip under pressure
I realise the spelling is questionable, but humour allows for this. :p
:)Sledger: your definition of "Ex Spert" works for me... :) I'm also curious as to what John meant with his remark?Quote:
Originally Posted by sledger
Risto
Maybe he's thinking that the OS doesn't technically 'operate' the disks, and that it is more of the responsibility of the BIOS. Wiki states that DOS is standardly referred to in that capacity, though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Risto Klint
Daniel was getting "technical" about XP, Vista not using DOS... Sledger corrected him by saying that DOS stands for "Disk Operating System". The correction of the corrector made me ROTFL.:D
The intent of Daniel's statement was correct Microsoft quit using MS-DOS in everything newer than 2000. Using the more general term DOS was the error. Every computer that accesses a hard drive uses a DOS.:)
Personally I will never buy an Apple!:eek:
Have you ever seen someone with a PC run Parallels?
No with good reason PC software is better!
And to go on about Apple - I've always believed they would have
gone out of business if they didn't make it so easy to rip off the music industry with their Ipod:p