Desktop Shopping
Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 11:41 am
tl;dr - I need a new computer. Can you look at the two links I provided and see what I screwed up for the configuration and/or make suggestions?
So I have had my laptop forever... Actually only 1120 days...
And now it's time to upgrade I think. Honestly I'd love to sell my laptop because while it served me the way I had hoped I just don't need a laptop any more much less a 17 inch beast. I mean I have a CR-48, a nice smartphone, and a tablet - none of which I had when I got my laptop. Needless to say I have other devices that better serve what a laptop did back then (mobility).
So I'm looking into buying a desktop.
Here is the thing. I *KNOW* I should build myself my own computer. I also know it still pathetically scares me. Actually the motherboard and processor placement is what scares me.
So I'm looking at Dell. Let me tell you something. I love Dell. I have owned and used Dell's for longer then I can remember off hand and the worst issue I had was a CD-ROM drive died on a machine that had two optical drives.
So I'm looking at Desktops. Pretty much I want a i7. I just have no desire to screw around with something less. I'm thinking that I also want 12 GBs of RAM. The idea being to get more RAM than I need today so that in 3 years I'm still operating in the green.
However the RAM has already become a huge sticking point. To no shock at all to me Dell decides they need to use all 4 DIMM slots no matter how much memory you put into the computer. Here is what I have realized. If I bought 8 GBs of RAM through Dell and then bought 16 GBs through Crucial (Only using Crucial as a example) it would be cheaper that way than to just buy 16 GBs from Dell. ie If Dell would sell a computer without memory I could easily save like $200 in memory alone and end up with the max memory the machine will take.
:sigh:
Than there is HDs. Basically I would much rather take a much smaller SSD drive for the same price than a 1 TB drive, but that isn't a option with Dell.
I want a nice video card, but not to pay through the nose for it. In fact I probably would be okay with a decent bottom end card here. Basically I want to be able to play GTA IV on the PC at max settings, and hopefully GTA V at decent settings when it comes out. However I have ZERO idea what that means as far as one card to another. The only thing I know is integrated is unacceptable in every possible way.
I'd like a Blu-Ray drive, but it isn't a deal breaker. Hell. To be honest a CD-R/W drive wouldn't even be a deal breaker at this point.
-----
For Reference - Pieces I'm looking at for my own build (Subject to change daily )
[quote="Self-Build Computer"]
CPU - AMD FX-6100 (95 watt 6 core...aka fast and cool) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819103962 ($149)
MOBO - Gigabyte GA-970A-D3 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128521 ($89.99)
MEM - 8GB Corsair http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820233180 ($55)
SSD - OCZ Vertex 3 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820227706 ($139 before rebate)
HDD -
PSU - OCZ 700W modular http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817341018 ($89)
GFX - EVGA 560 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814130660 ($189)
OS - Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6832116986 ($99.99)
Hardware = $710.99
OS = $99.99
Total = $809.98
[/quote]
-----
I did price out two self builds. One that had a case with a 480w power supply and looked cooler, and one with a 500w power supply with a case that didn't look as cool.
Cheaper 480w - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XGY ... Im5v8/edit
500w - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aP- ... 3usWw/edit
Basically they came to the same price as the Dell within a hundred dollars of each other.
The thing to note is the graphics card. Like I said I have no idea about graphics cards as far as bang for the buck.
The other thing to note is if either of those self builds look promising - Can someone make sure I didn't screw up and try to put a SDRAM memory card into a DDR3 slot? Or that I tried to put a IDE hard drive into a SATA slot? The real thing I'm concerned about is using the wrong speeds.
Edited: Removed the Dell specs and price because I don't think I'm going that route
So I have had my laptop forever... Actually only 1120 days...
And now it's time to upgrade I think. Honestly I'd love to sell my laptop because while it served me the way I had hoped I just don't need a laptop any more much less a 17 inch beast. I mean I have a CR-48, a nice smartphone, and a tablet - none of which I had when I got my laptop. Needless to say I have other devices that better serve what a laptop did back then (mobility).
So I'm looking into buying a desktop.
Here is the thing. I *KNOW* I should build myself my own computer. I also know it still pathetically scares me. Actually the motherboard and processor placement is what scares me.
So I'm looking at Dell. Let me tell you something. I love Dell. I have owned and used Dell's for longer then I can remember off hand and the worst issue I had was a CD-ROM drive died on a machine that had two optical drives.
So I'm looking at Desktops. Pretty much I want a i7. I just have no desire to screw around with something less. I'm thinking that I also want 12 GBs of RAM. The idea being to get more RAM than I need today so that in 3 years I'm still operating in the green.
However the RAM has already become a huge sticking point. To no shock at all to me Dell decides they need to use all 4 DIMM slots no matter how much memory you put into the computer. Here is what I have realized. If I bought 8 GBs of RAM through Dell and then bought 16 GBs through Crucial (Only using Crucial as a example) it would be cheaper that way than to just buy 16 GBs from Dell. ie If Dell would sell a computer without memory I could easily save like $200 in memory alone and end up with the max memory the machine will take.
:sigh:
Than there is HDs. Basically I would much rather take a much smaller SSD drive for the same price than a 1 TB drive, but that isn't a option with Dell.
I want a nice video card, but not to pay through the nose for it. In fact I probably would be okay with a decent bottom end card here. Basically I want to be able to play GTA IV on the PC at max settings, and hopefully GTA V at decent settings when it comes out. However I have ZERO idea what that means as far as one card to another. The only thing I know is integrated is unacceptable in every possible way.
I'd like a Blu-Ray drive, but it isn't a deal breaker. Hell. To be honest a CD-R/W drive wouldn't even be a deal breaker at this point.
-----
For Reference - Pieces I'm looking at for my own build (Subject to change daily )
[quote="Self-Build Computer"]
CPU - AMD FX-6100 (95 watt 6 core...aka fast and cool) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819103962 ($149)
MOBO - Gigabyte GA-970A-D3 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128521 ($89.99)
MEM - 8GB Corsair http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820233180 ($55)
SSD - OCZ Vertex 3 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820227706 ($139 before rebate)
HDD -
PSU - OCZ 700W modular http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817341018 ($89)
GFX - EVGA 560 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814130660 ($189)
OS - Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6832116986 ($99.99)
Hardware = $710.99
OS = $99.99
Total = $809.98
[/quote]
-----
I did price out two self builds. One that had a case with a 480w power supply and looked cooler, and one with a 500w power supply with a case that didn't look as cool.
Cheaper 480w - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XGY ... Im5v8/edit
500w - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aP- ... 3usWw/edit
Basically they came to the same price as the Dell within a hundred dollars of each other.
The thing to note is the graphics card. Like I said I have no idea about graphics cards as far as bang for the buck.
The other thing to note is if either of those self builds look promising - Can someone make sure I didn't screw up and try to put a SDRAM memory card into a DDR3 slot? Or that I tried to put a IDE hard drive into a SATA slot? The real thing I'm concerned about is using the wrong speeds.
Edited: Removed the Dell specs and price because I don't think I'm going that route