DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register) 
 

DPChallenge Forums >> General Discussion >> New Computer - Am I missing anything?
Pages:  
Showing posts 1 - 13 of 13, (reverse)
AuthorThread
 03/07/2007 01:11:00 AM · #1
My laptop isn't keeping up with me anymore and my wife would like to have it so I think it is time to buy me a desktop. I have some experience with hardware but am feeling a little nervous that I might buy a combination of items that are not fully compatible with each other. I am also worried about something not being Vista compatible.

Case - //www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811119106
Power Supply - No clue (help please)
Motherboard - //www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131046
Processor - //www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819116254
2x Memory - //www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820227074
Hard Drive - //www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822136062
Video Card - //www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814121004
Optical Drive - //www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106055

Am I missing anything obvious? Is there something better at a comparable or less price? I already have a monitor and hope to expand to a second 19" LCD in the future. I have speakers, a mouse, and keyboard as well.

Message edited by author 2007-03-07 01:47:19.
 03/07/2007 01:28:11 AM · #2
//www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817153023

I just got an HP box from Wally world for $500 on clearance, because it had XP instead of Vista ;)

AthlonX2-4200,2GbRam,250Gb Sata300, DVD+/-RW

Oh, you forgot a DVD burner.

The Pentium D is a bit older, can the MoBo be upgraded to a dual-core eventually? Don't mind that :P

Message edited by author 2007-03-07 01:35:30.
 03/07/2007 01:38:42 AM · #3
Originally posted by wavelength:
Oh, you forgot a DVD burner.


Oops, I knew I would forget something. I'll fix it in my first post. Thank you.
 03/07/2007 01:40:35 AM · #4
Okay, I have to ask, what are you planning to do with this. That case has a bajillion expansion bays, are you going to use them?

If you're not, save yourself the headache and just buy something like this.

I know, not nearly geeky enough, but I guess I've outgrown my sport-tuner PC phase, and just want something that's easy and works. I don't have time to futz around with cables and installing power supplies, and I just end up with a headache and backache if I do. (I tend to hunch when working on my PC)
 03/07/2007 01:46:55 AM · #5
Originally posted by wavelength:
Okay, I have to ask, what are you planning to do with this. That case has a bajillion expansion bays, are you going to use them?

If you're not, save yourself the headache and just buy something like this.


Web Design, Photo Editing, and web browsing is mostly what I do.

No, I don't need that many expansion bays but I worry about buying a case that doesn't have at least two fans.
 03/07/2007 02:02:39 AM · #6
Originally posted by skylercall:
Originally posted by wavelength:
Okay, I have to ask, what are you planning to do with this. That case has a bajillion expansion bays, are you going to use them?

If you're not, save yourself the headache and just buy something like this.


Web Design, Photo Editing, and web browsing is mostly what I do.

No, I don't need that many expansion bays but I worry about buying a case that doesn't have at least two fans.


The Pentium D's are pretty cool-running, if you had a P4 space-heater you would have to worry, but not with that one. Also, if you buy from a dealer or brand-name, they have things warrantied for at least a year for that kind of thing.

If you want to run CS2, Bridge (or other organizer) and possibly, Dreamweaver at the same time, you might think about going up to 2gig of RAM, I can tell you that it has made a world of difference for me. Considering that Yahoo/MSN IM take 40mb, and Firefox takes 100mb (for me), I'm using about 600Mb of RAM right now, but the new PC doesn't choke and about die when I ask it to do something like bring up Rhapsody and play some music too. ;)

03/07/2007 02:21:34 AM · #7
Originally posted by wavelength:
If you want to run CS2, Bridge (or other organizer) and possibly, Dreamweaver at the same time, you might think about going up to 2gig of RAM, I can tell you that it has made a world of difference for me. Considering that Yahoo/MSN IM take 40mb, and Firefox takes 100mb (for me), I'm using about 600Mb of RAM right now, but the new PC doesn't choke and about die when I ask it to do something like bring up Rhapsody and play some music too. ;)


I am planning on buying two of those sticks.

Message edited by author 2007-03-07 02:22:09.
 03/07/2007 02:24:44 AM · #8
If you were happy running a laptop b4. Y not get a new laptop with 2Gb of ram a Dual core CPU and say a 17" screen and 256mb video card?
 03/07/2007 02:27:08 AM · #9
Originally posted by admajic:
If you were happy running a laptop b4. Y not get a new laptop with 2Gb of ram a Dual core CPU and say a 17" screen and 256mb video card?


I love having a laptop in the house and could not do without it! Why don't I buy another one you ask? A laptop with the same specs will cost almost twice as much.
 03/07/2007 02:33:39 AM · #10
Originally posted by skylercall:
I am planning on buying two of those sticks.


Oops, missed that ;)

Message edited by author 2007-03-07 02:34:19.
 03/07/2007 03:28:45 AM · #11
Personally, I wouldn't build a computer with just one hard drive. I'd go for a minimum of two. I'd also put in a 500w+ PS.
 03/07/2007 03:31:16 AM · #12
Originally posted by TechnoShroom:
Personally, I wouldn't build a computer with just one hard drive. I'd go for a minimum of two.


I would like to purchase an external hard drive later.
 03/07/2007 07:41:25 AM · #13
I think wavelength has a point.

When you buy an entire system of parts and put it together, it often costs more than buying a complete system.

When my boy bought his computer, I went with him to the store so we could pick out all of the parts and put it together. The plan was for him to see the process and learn from the experience of putting a computer together. But after we had priced everything, it was so darned expensive to buy the parts, that we ended up walking out the door with a complete system instead.

For example, right now you have $674 worth of parts in your cart, and you still don't have a power supply, an operating system, or a warranty. The operating system would cost over $100, the power supply maybe $50, so even without the warranty you'd be hitting $825.

Now look at this system. Better processor (Core 2 Duo), bigger hard drive (320G vs 160G), Windows Vista already loaded (so you don't have to go thru the time, trouble, expense, to buy and load it later), and a one year warranty, all for $699.

What you'd want to add 1G of memory. And later, when you decide you want two monitors, add in a separate video card (these machines often come with video built in) that can handle two monitors.

Anyway, it's just a thought. I'd still suggest shopping around, I picked this one out of the pile in newegg.com since that's where you were looking at everything else.

Pages:  
Current Server Time: 04/25/2024 05:02:07 AM

Please log in or register to post to the forums.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Prints! - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2024 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 04/25/2024 05:02:08 AM EDT.