|
The Official PC building thread!
|
|
|
photog
Suspended due to non-functional email address
|
2. March 2006 @ 19:42 |
Link to this message
|
|
I am constructing a AMD computer.
CPU: athlon 64 4200 x2 (Manchester)
M/B:Gigabyte K8N Pro SLI (nForce 4) 4 sata2, 10 usb2, 3 firewire, 4 RAM slots
RAM: 4 GB DDR (standard RAM as when running Photoshop CS2 (my major application) the qualtity of RAM is more important than fast timings
Graphics card; Radeon RX600 Pro - Native PCIe 16(more than adequate for Photoshop)
HDD: 2 250 GB WD YD sata2 drives, 1 120 GB USB2 for backup
Case: Thermaltake Tsunami (all aluminium)
No FDD (if needed I can drop one in the bottom of the case and hook it up to get me out of trouble)
XP SP2 Pro with all updates
I shoot RAW files which I process in PS CS2. Thus my main requirement is CPU power, storage and reliability , therefore the YD drive.
I may yet decide to run the WD YD's in RAID0
Ron
|
|
Advertisement
|
|
|
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
3. March 2006 @ 07:22 |
Link to this message
|
|
Avoid the X600Pro, go for an X800GT if you can, it's not a lot more, but it's a lot more powerful. To complement that CPU an X600 VPU just isnt adequate.
|
|
photog
Suspended due to non-functional email address
|
3. March 2006 @ 12:26 |
Link to this message
|
|
sammorris
Thank you for your reply. Did you pick up the point that this system will be used mostly for Photoshop. I was following the advice from the exhaustive and highly recommended Photoshop reference, ?The Real World Photoshop CS? by David Blatner and Bruce Fraser.
Here is the reference from page 9, Building a Photoshop System:
Video acceleration. There's a widespread but ill-founded belief that accelerated video boards speed up Photoshop screen redraw. The bot¬tleneck in redrawing Photoshop images on the screen is almost never the video system-it's getting the image data out of RAM (or even worse, from disk) to the video system. A super-fast video card may make your system feel faster and more responsive, but if you analyze what's going on, you'll usually find that the difference is a screen redraw of two-tenths of a second rather than five-tenths of a second. (Of course, those tenths of a second can add up-in a month you may even save enough time to grab a cup of coffee.) Most video acceleration these days is aimed at 3D graphics performance-useful if you do a lot of 3D work or play a lot of games-but the 2D performance of just about any current video card is good enough that it won't constitute a significant bottleneck in your Photoshop work.
The only reason we can find to add a third-party video board is to obtain higher resolutions than the built-in video offers. You really need to be able to run at your desired resolution in 24-bit (millions) color-16-bit color is fine for viewing images, but not for editing them.
A fairly widespread misconception is that a video board with a lot of VRAM will be somehow faster than one with less. Not so. More VRAM simply translates into more pixels on the screen-as long as your monitor can display them.
Regards
Ron McDermott
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
3. March 2006 @ 12:54 |
Link to this message
|
|
Yes, for photoshop the VRAM is unimportant, but I think for bigger jobs you would see a difference with a slightly faster GPU.
|
|
Red_Maw
Senior Member
|
10. March 2006 @ 18:15 |
Link to this message
|
|
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
11. March 2006 @ 01:01 |
Link to this message
|
None of the CPUs that are on there look clean, but I wouldn't like to say whether or not that they're impaired by the slight marks and warping caused, presumably by being warm in use.
However, you will note that in this picture that the CPU is slightly warped and it's still in its retail box.
The offer looks reasonable, but the FX-53 adjacent for $70 more interests me slightly more...
If you do buy one and it doesn't work give him hell about it, he's got 99.9% +ve feedback, so he should be good to deal with if anything goes wrong.
|
|
Red_Maw
Senior Member
|
11. March 2006 @ 10:39 |
Link to this message
|
|
When compared the 3800 and FX-53 preform very close to each other. If I can find a good deal on a FX-53, I'd buy it. On a different note, is there a prefered type/brand of heatsink gel to use to keep it cooler?
|
|
Red_Maw
Senior Member
|
11. March 2006 @ 11:03 |
Link to this message
|
|
Also, any recomendations for a good mobo that supports dual cpus(939 socket) and 8 GB of ram?
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 11. March 2006 @ 12:19
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
11. March 2006 @ 11:10 |
Link to this message
|
|
For dual cpus I'm not sure, I don't know much about them, but for cooling your best bet is a zalman cooler with Arctic silver V thermal grease. Avoid ones like Arctic Alumina, they're not as good.
|
|
Chaotix
Newbie
|
11. March 2006 @ 19:40 |
Link to this message
|
Quote:
hi - hope this the right place for this question . . .
I've been trying to put together a parts list for a new gaming computer and this is what I got so far. This will be my first build and I need lots of help, I'm sure. Look over my list and let me know if everything is compatible or if anything is overkill. And thanks alot for the help!
Heya 0o0o0, I like the parts, this looks like the kind of computer i was gonna build, cept more meaty. Looks like you've got everything but the hard drive, on newegg though they have a nice 250gb seagate barracuda for i think US$95. Your also going to need a power suplly, a cpu fan and some case fans
|
Junior Member
|
11. March 2006 @ 20:18 |
Link to this message
|
Hey im wanting to build a pc wich will beat my current one im wanting a intel P4 2Mb cache 3.0ghz or 2.8Ghz and 1gb of 533MHz ram a 6600gt graphics card and a old ide 120GB hd for the first week then geting a 10K raptor ive seen bad bench marks with the 36GB raptor is that true or dont worry about it and this for the mobo http://www.asus.com.tw/products4.aspx?modelmenu=2&model=515&l1=3&... the chipset is slighly worse then my current on my mobo or would i be better of geting some high priced ram for my current pc and a 6600GT graphics card and for the first pc the rough specs would a 430W psu wich came with a thermaltake run it fine for a week so il know its all working before i blow $200 on a 600W psu and a 10K raptor ty in advance AD rox
AMD Athlon 3200+ s939 MSI MOBO 500Wpsu 2x120mm fans 1x90mm fan and 1 stocky heat sink with fan quiet as WD1x120GBsata2 WD 1x200GBide 1.5GB of ram X300 graphics card 1 of the cheapst pci express 16x cards on the market under $45
|
|
Chaotix
Newbie
|
11. March 2006 @ 20:35 |
Link to this message
|
|
Ack intel!, Just wondering, is this build, just for a possible upgrade, any good before i go out and buy the parts? budget is about $1500 aus, = ~US$1000
Geforce 7800 gt, the SLI capable one
Seagate Barracuda 250gb, 3gb/s transfer speed
Abit KN8 SLI + AMD 64 3700+
2x512mb Corsair DDR ram
|
Member
|
12. March 2006 @ 02:24 |
Link to this message
|
|
Whis is also £579 GBP, 842 Euro's or even $1160 CAD.
{approx}.
Just helping out those who live somewhere else.
Is there really anything wrong with Intel ? - seriously, its purely your choice, you can have whatever CPU you want, but it must be compatible :D
3.2Ghz P4 775, ATi X700 Pro 256mb, 1GB DDR2,Asrock 775Twins-HDTV S/L, Maxtor 10 160GB SATA, NEC 4571 DVD±RW DL/RAM, Pioneer 110 DL/RAM, Hiper Type R 480W.
----------------------------------------------
Satin Silver Ltd. Ed. PS2, 200GB Maxtor HDD, Swap Magic 3.3, Slide Card, HD Advance 3
|
|
dog1977
Newbie
|
12. March 2006 @ 06:57 |
Link to this message
|
Hi. First post. Going to scrap together a PC... Already have loads of parts: ATX Case, WD80 IDE harddrive, soundblaster live, Radeon 8500 64mb, and most importantly an Athlon xp 2200 chip. They all work. All I really want to replace into this system is a new motherboard ($40-60) and 2 RAM chips ($60-$160)... have been looking at this motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813186061 ... any suggestions? Getting something that is compatible is really important. Yes, my machine will be wimpy! But Loved.
|
|
ddp
Moderator
|
12. March 2006 @ 07:04 |
Link to this message
|
|
that motherboard should be alright
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
12. March 2006 @ 07:15 |
Link to this message
|
|
Lol not one for elaborate posts, are we ddp?
But yeah, if it's the right socket and supports your CPU, there's not much you can do wrong. With RAM stick to a reputable brand like Kingston, Corsair or Crucial. These relatively cheap "superb performance at a great price" deals from brands you haven't heard much about are recipes for bad news.
|
|
dougisjc
Junior Member
|
12. March 2006 @ 09:38 |
Link to this message
|
Hello everyone. This are the computer specs that I have laid out for a computer I am trying to build under $1000. Please let me know your opinions - if this system will work well. I'm not into hardcore gaming like counter-strike and things like that. If anything, the only games I would really play are Diablo II or Age of Empires III, most likely.
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ Manchester 1GHz HT 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket 939 Dual Core Processor $357
ASUS A8N5X Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 ATX AMD Motherboard- $76
CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB of ram (2 x 512MB) $66
Western Digital Caviar SE WD1600JS 160GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive $75
eVGA 256-P2-N369-T6 Geforce 6600 256MB 128-bit DDR PCI Express x16 $99
LITE-ON Black 16X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 16X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 5X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 24X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2M Cache ATAPI/E-IDE DVD Burner With LightScribe $53
Also...Does anyone know where I can get a 19" LCD flat panel for a good price (under $200ish)?
I also don't really know anything about cases and cooling. I've only "built" (upgraded really) one computer before. I bought an AMD processor, ram, motherboard, and case. But my computer is loud and I don't know anything about fans, cases, and cooling...so having a quiet and reliable computer is important to me.
Thanks for you input!!
Mike
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
12. March 2006 @ 09:57 |
Link to this message
|
|
Great Choice of CPU, congrats on that one. That's an admirable system for under $1000, but you'll probably want to spend most of the remainder of the 1000 on the monitor. Good 19" screens aren't that cheap. You can get digimate ones or similar for a low price, but generally their picture quality isn't all that.
Generally you're looking at say LG, Viewsonic, Samsung and Hyundai. As a rule of thumb: 12ms or LESS, and 500:1 or MORE.
|
|
dougisjc
Junior Member
|
12. March 2006 @ 10:30 |
Link to this message
|
|
Thanks for the post. I'll probably also swap out the 160GB Western Digital hard drive and instead go with the 250 GB Seagate drive that is going for $90 on newegg.
Any advice on a case? Not even sure what size I need. As for material...is aluminum the way to go? That's what I have no and it's great because it's so light, but it's loud. Don't know if that's due to the case or the fans. I don't know anything about cases and cooling system, so I need some advice about what type of case and cooling system/fans to buy. Please provide a link if possible. Thanks a lot.
Mike
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
12. March 2006 @ 10:54 |
Link to this message
|
|
Generally, to stop noise you want quieter fans, not a thicker case. Aluminium cases are great because, as you say they're light, plus they look fantastic. When looking for case fans, look for the noise level in dB(A), dBA or just dB. If it's above 30, avoid it, it's not going to be very quiet at all. If it's 25-30 it's reasonable, 20-25 is good, not very audible, below 20 is ideal. Below 15 is rare, but very worth it, you'd struggle to whisper quieter.
MIDI ATX Tower is all I can really say about cases. There are loads to choose from.
|
|
Red_Maw
Senior Member
|
12. March 2006 @ 12:33 |
Link to this message
|
|
As far as hard drives go is there an interface that provides a faster rate of transfer than the others?
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
12. March 2006 @ 12:43 |
Link to this message
|
|
For single drives, the interface is generally unimportant, but Serial ATA, and in particular Serial ATA 2 offers a few advantages.
Firstly, a 3Gbps (375MB/s) max transfer rate which will allow up to 6 normal or 4 high speed drives to be synchronised together (RAID stripe) at full speed. However, for anyone who doesn't need ultra fast or ultra high capacity drives, this is mostly irrelevant.
Secondly, a few drives supporting S-ATA feature NCQ (Native command queuing). Basically, the drive orders its own commands, since it knows its physical properties better than any generic software, allowing it to prioritise jobs and basically go faster.
In addition, Serial ATA is the cheap way of getting high speed (10,000rpm) hard disks, in the form of Western Digital Raptors. If you're after high speed, not huge capacity, these are the ones to go for.
If not, then look for any S-ATA II drive that offers NCQ and you're onto a winner. Generally Samsung drives are the quietest, and Seagate do quite well here too.
|
|
Red_Maw
Senior Member
|
13. March 2006 @ 16:08 |
Link to this message
|
|
I am constructing a computer in the range of $900-1000. This is what I plan on buying.
Processor: AMD 64 FX-53 #ADAFX53DEP5AS
Mobo: ABIT KN8 Ultra Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard or ABIT AN8 SLI Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard
HDD: Maxtor DiamondMax 10 6V250F0 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
GPU: Radeon X800 XL DVD Edition 256MB PCIE or Radeon X800 XL 256MB PCIE
Any suggestions?
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
14. March 2006 @ 00:34 |
Link to this message
|
|
The FX-53 is an old top of the line model. You might be better off choosing something like a 4000+ in stead. It might be cheaper but not necessarily slower. Or if you can overclock, then pick something like a 3700 and boost it up to about 2.6Ghz.
|
|
Advertisement
|
|
|
Member
|
14. March 2006 @ 14:38 |
Link to this message
|
Okay, I'm going through some personal problems... I.E. Wife taking my computer... So I'm staying real world budget conscience, no where near bottom of the line, but not a dream machine.. I've been looking around, having purchased anything yet, and I was wondering if anyone had any corrections/suggestions/comments on what I've got setup
Gigabyte K8U ULi Socket 754 ATX Motherboard and an AMD Athlon 64 3000+ 2.0GHz OEM Processor
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details....
Aspire X-Cruiser Thermally Advantaged Case - Black
http://www.xoxide.com/aspire-x-cruiser-case-black.html
Western Digital Caviar SE 320 GB Hard Drive
http://www.bizrate.com/marketplace/search/search__cat_id--410,pro...
RAM is going to be DDR400, 1G, no clue what brand, or if I should get 2 512's or 1 1024...
Video Card and sound card I've already got taken care of.
Any input/advice/different brand suggestions would be nice.. Trying not to rush in and make a stupid mistake.
|
