My faithful Gateway Pentium IV desktop, purchased on New Year's Day 2005, is about to go Tits Up. RAM & vid card upgrades have kept me limping along for the past few years, but the inevitable new computer purchase is looming large before me. Along with the usual condition of Low Fundage, I am also completely clueless about WTF is out there right now, what's HOTT & what's not, and what (at a minimum) I *really* need & what would be overkill.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. In order to keep up-front costs down I would like to try to get a decent tower & processor right away, but skimp on RAM (which I can always upgrade down the road) & vid card (which I can steal from my current rig to keep me going for awhile). Getting the right bundle already put together would be preferred, but I wouldn't be afraid to piece stuff together if I had to.
Thoughts? Ideas? Comments? Suggestions? Help? Please? Bueller? Bueller? Frye?
No & No!
What do you want to do with your computer?
Quote from: Grey Fox on April 13, 2011, 06:43:38 AM
No & No!
What do you want to do with your computer?
The same thing that we do *EVERY* night, Pinky -- try to take over the world...
:cthulu:
Seriously, though, I think a good bar for me to shoot for would be that I want to be able to play Skyrim comfortably when it comes out in November...
What's your budget?
I think you'll find that computers are so much more powerful, and so much cheaper, then when you bought your old machine, you'll be very pleasantly surprised. You should be able to get something quite serviceable for $500-$700?
Get the Asus Crosshair IV Formula and build from there.
AMD Phenom X4 965 Black Edition.
8gb RAM DDR3
AMD Radeon 6850
750w Power supply
Microsoft Wireless Natural Multimedia Keyboard&Mouse
decent 24" widescreen monitor.
Quote from: C.C.R. on April 13, 2011, 06:39:22 AM
Thoughts? Ideas? Comments? Suggestions? Help? Please? Bueller? Bueller? Frye?
RIP Pentium IV. :(
My list:
MB: Asus P8P67 Sabertooth, Evo or Deluxe
CPU: i5 2500k processor or i7 2600k processor. If you won't be clocking it, just get the ones without the k
GPU: nVidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti of some sort. The Gigabyte Superoverclock one is supposedly the bees knees. If you intend to play at 1080p resolution, get something more powerful, like a Radeon HD 6970 or a GeForce GTX 570. They are comparable, and have about the same power draw and heat production. An alternative to the 560 Ti is a Radeon 6870 or 6950.
RAM. The P67 motherboards are limited to dual channel operation and needs matched sets of DIMMS (2 or 4) if you want more than one DIMM. 2 x 4 GB Corsair Vengeance are good and work at 1.50v, thus they produce no heat to speak of.
PSU: Get something reliable at 750 or 850 W. Why 850? With a classy MB like those mentioned, you can easily upgrade by adding another matched GPU for Crossfire or SLI and still stay at 850W. 750W will be plenty for single GPU operation, as the 2nd generation processors draw a lot less power.
HDs: 1 x 2TB Western Digital Green for storage, Corsair Force series 120 GB SSD for OS. There are other alternatives for SSDs, but I have a hard time telling what is good and what is rubbish. If all else fails, go Intel, as they rarely make crappy stuff.
Soundcard is no longer needed, you have HD audio right out of the box.
If you need more alternatives, check out http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/288311-31-homebuilt-buying-guide
Those guys know their stuff.
Viper's setup is nice too, and quite cheap. The Phenom X4 965 BE or 970 BE gives a lot of value for money, and AM3 socket MBs are cheaper.
How can you give recommendations when ccr hasn't given us a budget?
Also, he hasn't said if he'd actually do a "build yer own". His 6 year old machine was a Gateway, so he may well be looking to just buy a complete system.
Well, sorry. Disregard everything I said, and listen to BB.
Your Tomshardware link is good - if he wants to DIY. :hug:
Quote from: Barrister on April 13, 2011, 02:19:43 PM
How can you give recommendations when ccr hasn't given us a budget?
Also, he hasn't said if he'd actually do a "build yer own". His 6 year old machine was a Gateway, so he may well be looking to just buy a complete system.
Because, even if he did give a budget, we wouldn't listen to it.
Did you buy your kitchen computer yet?
CCR, try http://dealnews.com/. There is usually at least one desktop system there.
Quote from: Barrister on April 13, 2011, 02:19:43 PM
How can you give recommendations when ccr hasn't given us a budget?
Also, he hasn't said if he'd actually do a "build yer own". His 6 year old machine was a Gateway, so he may well be looking to just buy a complete system.
because at some point, you're gonna comme in here and suggest a mac. But friends don't let friends buy Macs ;)
Quote from: viper37 on April 13, 2011, 10:45:04 PM
Quote from: Barrister on April 13, 2011, 02:19:43 PM
How can you give recommendations when ccr hasn't given us a budget?
Also, he hasn't said if he'd actually do a "build yer own". His 6 year old machine was a Gateway, so he may well be looking to just buy a complete system.
because at some point, you're gonna comme in here and suggest a mac. But friends don't let friends buy Macs ;)
Real friends do. :contract:
I don't
always recommend Macs. Just where appropriate. It's just some people don't realize when a Mac is appropriate.
But, for example, if CCR said he had a $500 budget, I wouldn't recommend a Mac. -_-
Quote from: Barrister on April 13, 2011, 10:52:14 PM
Quote from: viper37 on April 13, 2011, 10:45:04 PM
Quote from: Barrister on April 13, 2011, 02:19:43 PM
How can you give recommendations when ccr hasn't given us a budget?
Also, he hasn't said if he'd actually do a "build yer own". His 6 year old machine was a Gateway, so he may well be looking to just buy a complete system.
because at some point, you're gonna comme in here and suggest a mac. But friends don't let friends buy Macs ;)
Not even an iPad? :P
Real friends do. :contract:
I don't always recommend Macs. Just where appropriate. It's just some people don't realize when a Mac is appropriate.
But, for example, if CCR said he had a $500 budget, I wouldn't recommend a Mac. -_-
Since CCR's primary need was gaming, and you can't bootcamp an iPad, no I wouldn't recommend one...
Buying a Mac is of course an option. If C.C.R. was a teenage girl who wanted to blog.
I was going to apologize for starting this thread & then not coming back to it, but it looks like Hilarity ensued, so I'll save my apology for a more pressing time...
:P
Things aren't quite as dire as I had initially thought -- it turns out that my primary HD failed & my mobo/processor were little flakey when I first switched over to my backup HD (which is what prompted me to start this thread), but things have smoothed out considerably since then. Which is Good, because my I Need A New Computer Right F'ing Now Budget is woefully small, whereas having a little more time means that I can better plan what I want and/or need. To answer a couple of questions:
1) Budget probably around $500 to $700
2) I'm not opposed to building it myself, but I'm still running XP on my current rig & don't have a copy of a new OS, so unless it's A-OK to run XP on a quad core I'll probably have to come up with a new OS
3) I am not afraid to cut back a little on RAM & vid card to save me a few bucks out of the gate & upgrading later
Or something. Need coffee. I'll be back later...
Quote from: C.C.R. on April 17, 2011, 05:27:58 AM
2) I'm not opposed to building it myself, but I'm still running XP on my current rig & don't have a copy of a new OS, so unless it's A-OK to run XP on a quad core I'll probably have to come up with a new OS
Unless you need more than ~3.6GB of RAM, XP should be fine for now, though I'd budget for a Windows 7 upgrade sooner rather than later since new stuff is going to stop working properly with XP over time and Microsoft is no longer releasing new updates for it.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/budget-gaming-pc-phenom-ii-radeon-hd-6850,2903.html
$500 gaming PC - specs look nice actually. It is AMD if that matters to you.
Quote from: C.C.R. on April 17, 2011, 05:27:58 AM
I was going to apologize for starting this thread & then not coming back to it, but it looks like Hilarity ensued, so I'll save my apology for a more pressing time...
:P
Things aren't quite as dire as I had initially thought -- it turns out that my primary HD failed & my mobo/processor were little flakey when I first switched over to my backup HD (which is what prompted me to start this thread), but things have smoothed out considerably since then. Which is Good, because my I Need A New Computer Right F'ing Now Budget is woefully small, whereas having a little more time means that I can better plan what I want and/or need. To answer a couple of questions:
1) Budget probably around $500 to $700
2) I'm not opposed to building it myself, but I'm still running XP on my current rig & don't have a copy of a new OS, so unless it's A-OK to run XP on a quad core I'll probably have to come up with a new OS
3) I am not afraid to cut back a little on RAM & vid card to save me a few bucks out of the gate & upgrading later
Or something. Need coffee. I'll be back later...
Go for Windows 7 64bit. It's a new computer, it will work like a charm
As for graphics cards, they are practically giving away the Radeon HD 5770s these days, and they are still good enough for titles coming out this year and the foreseeable future, due to consoles being Just As Important, and having hardware limitations.
I am guessing even an old Q9540 or Q9660 would be a massive upgrade for C.C.R., so why not go for an old LGA 775 setup on the cheap.
He's better with a brand new AMD than an old Intel, I think...
Oh, I agree, and the AM3 socket seems to be the future in AMD processors too.
Good suggestions, Guys -- thank you. The rational consensus seems to be that I probably want an AMD Phenom II x4 or an Intel i5, which is more or less the part that I was clueless about (which happens when you make a computer last six or seven years). Now that I have a baseline for what to look for I'll probably try to pick something up Out Of The Box to get me started, add on a bigger HD immediately (which is no big whoop, because I like to keep a backup HD with an OS installed -- it makes troubleshooting the primary HD sooooo much easier when the need arises) & then work on upgrading RAM & vid card as wanted/needed. I'm not afraid to put something together from scratch, but I'm so out of date on everything right now (especially the OS) that it will probably be easier to start over fresh.
Or something. If/when this goes down I'll be sure to share...
:ccr
Tom's Hardware has charts up the wazoo about the various components, but given that CPUs and GPUs invariably are the most costly items, they are perhaps the most useful charts:
Gaming CPUs:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/best-gaming-cpu-core-i3-2100-recommended-processor,review-32155.html
GPUs:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/best-graphics-card-radeon-hd-6990-geforce-gtx-590,review-32170.html
They recommend within several price-ranges, and quite frankly, I've found that the i7 950 and a GeForce GTX 580 both are way overkill for my real needs.
I'd have been fine with an i5 2500k and a HD 6950 or GTX 560ti.
I suppose what you should be wary of, are SSDs.
These are now "old" and more affordable, but the guide is useful, nonetheless, since a new SSD could cost you the same as a low-spec computer and still not really offer that much of a performance boost.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/windows-7-ssd-trim,review-31982.html
Corsair Force and Crucial both get the thumbsup from me. The Kingston SSDNow not so much.
SSDs are bad, but STDs are much, much worse...
:P
Still, they are nothing compared to CTDs. :mad:
Quote from: Barrister on April 17, 2011, 08:35:17 AM
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/budget-gaming-pc-phenom-ii-radeon-hd-6850,2903.html
$500 gaming PC - specs look nice actually. It is AMD if that matters to you.
Oh cool. I just bought something fairly close (CPU, mobo, gfx, RAM only) to this about 5 minutes ago. The GFX card I got isn't nearly as ballsy as that thing (5770 vs. 6850, about $55 cheaper) though, since I was trying to keep it closer to $300 than $400. The chip is a Phenom II X4 3.2ghz (higher clock speed, no L3, ~$25 cheaper with the combo discount, meh), RAM is exactly the same, and motherboard is a similar looking MSI that was bundled with the CPU instead of the ASRock (+$5). With shipping and rush processing, it was $330. Would have been $462 with the rest of their stuff there, maybe a little more if there are shipping charges for the other stuff. :)
Some sort of rebate card is coming with the gfx card. Don't know what I'm going to do with it, but I'm sure I can find a way to flush $20 on newegg. New fans or something dorky like that.
Edit:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103921
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130290
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102873
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231396
With your budget though, CCR, you can get better stuff. This is el-cheapoish here, upgrading from an Athlon X2 2.7ghz, 2gb ram, and an HD3650 1GB card.
Quote from: C.C.R. on April 18, 2011, 07:57:39 AM
If/when this goes down I'll be sure to share...
:ccr
It went down yesterday. Ended up going :area52:
Alienware Aurora
i5-2400 overclocked turbo boost to 3.6 GHz
Windows 7 Home Premium
8GB dual channel at 1333MHz
Dual 1.5GB NVIDIA GTS 450 SLI enabled (I kinda skimped here, will upgrade down the road)
1TB HD (plus I've got like three other HDs sitting around the house)
Alienware 19-in-1 media card reader
23" monitor
Integrated 7.1 channel audio
802.11n Wi-Fi & Bluetooth 2.1 EDR USB combo adapter
single DVD+/RW burner drive (again, skimped here to get started but will add a Blue Ray drive down the road)
Microsoft Office Home & Student 2010
Netgear WNDR3400 N600 wireless dual band router (never had a router, need one)
The rig set me back a few bucks, but like I told my wife I wanted a decent rig out of the box that I can upgrade easily & last me another 5-7 years. Or something...
:ccr
EDIT - Oh, and went with the 875W or whatever power supply...
Not bad given your $500 budget ;)
Quote from: Richard Hakluyt on August 23, 2011, 09:12:51 AM
Not bad given your $500 budget ;)
:lol:
Yeah, that $500 budget kind of went right out the window, but fuck it -- it makes me happy. Or at least it will when I get it. Should be here on or before Sept. 7th. How does that Tom Petty song go? "The waiting is the hardest part." Indeed...
Yeah, I think computers are actually not that bad at all when it comes to cost. All of the money I've spent on them in 20 years, plus the cost of the beer, would probably not even buy me one decent sports car :P
...............and fast women cost even more than fast cars :D
So, in conclusion, we are guys with nice cheap hobbies and our wives should be grateful :cool:
If I don't have an "Order Shipped" e-mail by the time I get home from work tonight I'm going to get in the car & drive to wherever the hell I need to drive in order to rip somebody's lungs out...
<_<
They'll be inundated with orders because the economy is powering ahead..........wait......... :hmm:
:lol:
Fucking cockmonkeys pushed my delivery date out to 9/13...
<_<
:shifty:
Although, you'd think that what I just paid for this fucking thing they could have included an HDMI or DVI cable with it...
<_<
Fuck it. I'll get one on the way home from work tomorrow...
Best place to get cables:
http://www.monoprice.com
Quote from: viper37 on September 09, 2011, 12:10:37 PM
Best place to get cables:
http://www.monoprice.com
I'm definitely bookmarking that for Future Reference...
:ccr