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  • #1

    Help me buying a new computer!

    So I've finally started it! My crappy PC is only 4 years old . I know something about computers, but I haven't really followed the new stuff coming out for about... maybe over a year. So I need a bit of your help.
    I'd appreciate as many answers as possible, maybe even some debates about some components.
    I'm basically getting the whole package, excluding the monitor. You furriners don't know our prices etc, but it would be nice to hear your views too. It's not all about money, I want the good stuff. And if you could include links when you recommend some device.. would be nice.

    I like to play games very much (well.. I'd like to play then new ones too, warcraft 2 is not stimulating any more ). I especially enjoy flight simulators, fighter games etc. Also other games . So performance on that side would be manditory. I also like to do some programming, but that won't really need much resources.
    I like to do some stuff with music, nothing professional, but half serious (for my own enjoyment). So I would like to have a good soundcard. But nothing too exotic, it would be cool if it actually worked when I play games.
    I also want to try some video editing, but only as much as playing with it, nothing professional.. with digital videocamera. So display device should be good too, and support these. But it should not be a professional video editing tool.. support on gaming is more appreciated.

    Obviously I want to go with the good ones when it comes to processor and motherboard. It doesn't have to be Intel, AMD will do just fine . I think.. has something happened in the last year in this scene? My knowledge about motherboards are slim to none. Also memory is needed, there are all kinds of new stuff like DDR and stuff like that.. I don't know anything about them, open my eyes.

    Maximum hdd space for my porn. I use lots of it. I have 50 gigs already, so maybe smaller hdd would do. Maybe a nice 60 or 80 gigs drive? No SCSI however. IDE will do, or if something has happened, let me know.

    I might not need info on cd-roms, but you can list the ones you have had bad experiences, or have heard.
    I think those wireless keyboards and mice are cool, and they would come handy in my situation too, but there are so many to choose from! Help me!

    Then.. dvd of course. What is a new package without dvd these days? Nothing. I don't know anything about those, so let me know. Burning dvds are maybe too much, I can reduce the price there. Oh and dvdplayer would be nice if it was region free. I might need a new cd-r too, my old crappy HP is really trying to survive with bad results.

    Did I forget something? Mention if I did. Links, info, everything. My financial situation is not that great, but this is something I need so... And please, don't look up for the ones that have highest prices and say that's what you want.. I would like to keep some cost effeciency too, if possible.
    In da butt.
    "Do not worry if others do not understand you. Instead worry if you do not understand others." - Confucius
    THE UNDEFEATED SUPERCITIZEN w:4 t:2 l:1 (DON'T ASK!)
    "God is dead" - Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" - God.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Now is not the best time to be buying a new computer, to be honest.

    On the Intel side, AGP 8x, Serial ATA, and official DDR333/PC1066 RDRAM support is coming in a couple months, and the 3GHz+ P4s will come with HyperThreading in November.
    On the AMD side, upcoming chips will use a faster 333MHz system bus by around October/November, and then by early next year a new core called Barton will be out with 512KB of L2 cache instead of the current 256KB. The 64-bit Athlon comes out then too.
    On the graphics card side, the new Nvidia chip (which is a totally new design, not based on any previous chip) is due out in November/December as well.

    So when will you be buying it? This month, or early next year, or what? It's not BAD to buy now, it's just that there's an unusually large amount of new technology coming out within 4 months.
    "The issue is there are still many people out there that use religion as a crutch for bigotry and hate. Like Ben."
    Ben Kenobi: "That means I'm doing something right. "

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    • #3
      Yeah, but I really need it, I have been waiting and waiting for few years.. I can always wait more for new tech.. hoping it takes the prices down of other products.
      I'm thinking of buying it in about 2 months, when I have gathered the money for it doing a very ****ty job .

      ps. I'm also trying to study for TOEFL and SAT at the same time.. kind of tough but I will prevail!
      In da butt.
      "Do not worry if others do not understand you. Instead worry if you do not understand others." - Confucius
      THE UNDEFEATED SUPERCITIZEN w:4 t:2 l:1 (DON'T ASK!)
      "God is dead" - Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" - God.

      Comment

      • #4
        Asher, you'd wait a few months then? What would you recommend?

        I am thinking about getting a new computer within few months, but I am not sure what I want to get yet.
        Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi Wan's apprentice.

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        • #5
          2 months works, Intel will launch new versions of its i845 and i850 chipsets which support newer, faster RAM officially (DDR333 for SDRAM or PC1066 for RDRAM), AGP 8x (2GB/s, current is AGP 4x -- 1 GB/s), and support for HyperThreading CPUs.

          I'd go for a Pentium 4 based system. At least in North America, AMD's simply aren't cheaper anymore for similarly performing chips.

          (the following prices are in USD from Pricewatch.com)
          2800 P4: $508
          2533 P4: $156
          2200 Athlon XP: $144
          (the 2.53GHz P4 is the market sweetspot right now)

          i850 motherboard (RDRAM, for Pentium 4): $35
          i845 motherboard (DDR SDRAM, for Pentium 4): $36
          KT333 motherboard (DDR SDRAM, for Athlon XP): $64

          PC1066 RDRAM is slightly faster than DDR333 SDRAM for the Pentium 4s (you don't have a choice of RDRAM vs DDR for Athlons), but RDRAM also costs more:

          256MB PC1066 RDRAM: $109
          256MB DDR333 SDRAM: $54
          "The issue is there are still many people out there that use religion as a crutch for bigotry and hate. Like Ben."
          Ben Kenobi: "That means I'm doing something right. "

          Comment

          • #6
            I would go for a AMD based system... just because.

            Anyways, watch out what kind of motherboard you get... you could regret it later. Some brands to avoid are Soyo and Shuttle. I usually recommend going with Gigabyte.
            For there is [another] kind of violence, slower but just as deadly, destructive as the shot or the bomb in the night. This is the violence of institutions -- indifference, inaction, and decay. This is the violence that afflicts the poor, that poisons relations between men because their skin has different colors. - Bobby Kennedy (Mindless Menance of Violence)

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            • #7
              I hear a 4-86 is the shiznit!

              Comment

              • #8
                For video cards, the Radeon 9700 Pro is your best bet if you're a gamer. Full DirectX 9 hardware support, 8 graphics pipes instead of 4, 256-bit memory bus instead of 128-bit, 96-bit floating point color instead of 32-bit integer, etc. It's also expensive though, the cheapest online is $325 (128MB).

                I'm not too fond of ATI's drivers, but supposedly they're decent this time around.

                If you're going the Nvidia route, NV30 is a DirectX 9.1 part and outdoes the Radeon 9700 on paper and most likely in practice as well, but won't be out till the end of the year.

                If you don't need a DX9 part, get one of the GeForce 4 Ti cards (DX8). Do not get an MX.
                "The issue is there are still many people out there that use religion as a crutch for bigotry and hate. Like Ben."
                Ben Kenobi: "That means I'm doing something right. "

                Comment

                • #9
                  Now we're going the right way!
                  Unfortunately I have to go to sleep now, have to do lots of work tomorrow.. to be able to pay for it . I know, my salary sucks, do you know many people who have to work for straight 2 months just to get a decent computer (when all the money is going directly to it)?
                  Nighty night, I'll check back tomorrow, and hope to find a whopping 19 pages of answers, links and debates.
                  In da butt.
                  "Do not worry if others do not understand you. Instead worry if you do not understand others." - Confucius
                  THE UNDEFEATED SUPERCITIZEN w:4 t:2 l:1 (DON'T ASK!)
                  "God is dead" - Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" - God.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Would you put your own system together then?

                    I do enough of that kind of stuff at work, I was quite happy with my Dell purchase for my last computer.
                    Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny, consume you it will, as it did Obi Wan's apprentice.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      It's cheaper to put your own stuff together, but you don't get the warranty like Dell's. It's a tradeoff.

                      I build my own, and rely on the specific parts' warranties.
                      "The issue is there are still many people out there that use religion as a crutch for bigotry and hate. Like Ben."
                      Ben Kenobi: "That means I'm doing something right. "

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Yes, I'll be putting it together myself naturally.
                        But I need hints about what are the hot stuff today.
                        In da butt.
                        "Do not worry if others do not understand you. Instead worry if you do not understand others." - Confucius
                        THE UNDEFEATED SUPERCITIZEN w:4 t:2 l:1 (DON'T ASK!)
                        "God is dead" - Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" - God.

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          I recommend AMD based systems.

                          Here's a suggestion based on what you can easily get from Verkkokauppa.com in Finland and if you want a PC that has a good value, but isn't as expensive as Asher's high-end PC's. Product numbers are also included for Verkkokauppa.com.

                          Mobo: 6474 - MSI KT3 Ultra2
                          CPU: 3493 - AMD Athlon XP 2000+
                          RAM: 8531 - Kingston 512MB DDR 333MHz
                          GPU: 7317 - 3654 - Hercules 3D Prophet FDX 8500 DVI 128MB (ATI Radeon 8500 chipset based)
                          HDD: 8536 - Western Digital Caviar 80GB EIDE 7200rpm
                          DVD-ROM: 1513 - Lite-On LTD-163 16X DVD-1648
                          CD-RW: 2762 - Plextor Plexwriter 40X/12X/40A
                          FDD: 1346 - Samsung/Nec 3.5" 1.44MB
                          Sound card: 7637 - Philips Acoustic Edge 5.1
                          Speakers: 5524 - Creative Inspire 5.1 Digital 5700
                          Mouse and keyboard: 2120 - Logitech Cordless Desktop Optical
                          Case: 4591 - Enlight EN-7238 300W ATX

                          I will be back on Sunday, so I can have a look at the details then. And if you have any questions, just ask here or send e-mail. Sorry for not having more time now, Pekka.

                          I agree with Asher that homemade PC's are cheaper, but also better. BTW, Soyo's mobos aren't always that bad. It depends much on the chipset and model, Fez.
                          Last edited by Rasbelin; September 14, 2002, 10:46.
                          "Kids, don't listen to uncle Solver unless you want your parents to spank you." - Solver

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                          • #14
                            Soyo's mainstream KT-266A and KT-333 Motherboards are buggy and don't work half of the time. IRQ conflicts are a major problem....
                            For there is [another] kind of violence, slower but just as deadly, destructive as the shot or the bomb in the night. This is the violence of institutions -- indifference, inaction, and decay. This is the violence that afflicts the poor, that poisons relations between men because their skin has different colors. - Bobby Kennedy (Mindless Menance of Violence)

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              The only thing I recommend is not get a DVD. Unless of course there is some porn stuff you must watch on your computer.
                              (\__/) 07/07/1937 - Never forget
                              (='.'=) "Claims demand evidence; extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence." -- Carl Sagan
                              (")_(") "Starting the fire from within."

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