My new computer

[Sereyna]

Hey all! First I must say it is good to see a lot of familiar faces from some other boards, its good to see you!

Well, I'm going to be getting myself a new computer here shortly, and someone was telling me that some computers can't be upgraded. I know you can always strip all the stuff inside out and throw it together in a different case, but aren't some computers more upgradeable than others? Im just trying to figure out what brand I should get myself (and oh yeah--- think budget prices!) and I want to get something that can be easily upgraded. Everyone on here seems to be reasonably intelligent, so I thought that I'd ask you all. Any advise?

 

Thanks for the help, and dont be too mean to me!!

[Monte Carlo]

A few pointers from a computer-user who is by no means any sort of expert, just your average-or-garden PC owner.

 

1. When buying your rig, make it clear that you want something with sufficient space/ slots to allow you to upgrade. Remember that your computer isn't really the plastic box all the gubbins sit in...it's the stuff inside that counts and you just need something to put it all in. Oh, and fans, heatsinks and all that jive.

 

2. Have a reasonable idea about how future-proof your purchase can realistically be given the amount of skillz you have. Also, know what type of stuff you need to do...gaming? Art? Video?

 

3. Don't buy a laptop. I know it's obvious, but I was once tempted until a colleague got stung on that one.

 

4. Find someone with 733t skillz in McGuyvering 'puters and make him or her your New Best Friend.

 

---

 

Cheers

MC

[mkreku]

Right now is a difficult time to buy an upgradable computer, since both AMD and Intel are in the middle of a generation change in CPU's.. Meaning that both Barton and.. uhm.. Intel's Pentium 4 line of CPU's (forgot the name) are out of their development cycles. They're as fast as they will ever get, they won't be upgraded anymore. So to be able to upgrade for the future now you'd have to buy the newest, most expensive CPU's, like Athlon FX 3200 and such.

 

Also, a new card standard is coming in a few months, PCI Express, which will be faster than old PCI and AGP. So graphic cards bought now will also become "useless" in a few months time.

 

But if you need a computer NOW, I'd go for an AMD system with a Radeon card. Maybe AMD Athlon XP 2800+, 512 DDR, Radeon 9600 XT, 120 Gb hd. They're being sold at budget prices.

[Monte Carlo]

So, basically you're saying hang on for a while? I'm looking to upgrade in the next six months....is that long enough d'you think. I've got a bonus due and I was going to splurge out on a mid-life crisis, leery Alienware rig with bells & whistles. Of course, the problem is I'm not an expert and I'll end up with something sub-optimal.

 

Or do I leave it until next year, by which time my wife will have spent my bonus on something pointless...like food or mortgage payments.

 

Cheers

MC

[Sarjahurmaaja.]

I disagree with mkreku. While there may be new tech coming along soon, it's going to be overpriced, won't be supported for a long time and won't be required for a very long time.

[Phosphor]

I disagree with mkreku. While there may be new tech coming along soon, it's going to be overpriced, won't be supported for a long time and won't be required for a very long time.

And chances are you don't need that kind of technology. Most computers bought now are far above and beyond what most users really need - often it's nothing more than the desire for bragging rights that causes the average user to buy a 3gHz machine, when all they really need is less than half that.

 

The system that mkekru suggests would be perfectly suitable and would keep you going for a long time yet.

[Phoenix]

Brand name computers always difficult to upgrade (special drivers and easily voided your warranty - like Dell or Hewlett Packard. If you want to build your own PC (DIY), or a generic brand form PC stores then it's easier to combine all kind of different components (some cause conflict and won't work).

 

Proccessor: I believe the AMD proccessors just had another major price cut this week. So i say get one reasonable speed (3000 MHZ); or if you want something better and future proofed - get Athlon 64 FX, but they certainly not cheap. The Beta for WinXp 64 bit already showed out, but anyway the new proccessor is backward compatible with current 32 bit WinXp.

 

Video Card: i think you should use old card from previous system first; then either next month or in April, the R420 (successor to the R350 or Radeon 9800) will be out. If you don't want to buy R420 or R423 (R423 is a PCI-Express version of the R420) because they're very expensive, go for the Radeon 9800 since they will become much cheaper by then.

 

Hard Disk - as big as can you get.

 

RAM - At least 1 GB, good quality if you can effort.

 

Sound card - M-Audio Revolution 7.1, or sound blaster Audigy 2.

 

Suggestions above are for high-end PCs. Follow mkekru's ideas for mid-range system.

[Fionavar]

One thing to do regardless of when you buy, is to make sure you have a good quality and stable PSU (power supply). I would say a good 65%+ of t/s I have do for people has to do with a) gaming B) a generic rig with a poor PSU - two things which do not play nice with one another. Most of the name brands are ok, but I would recommend either an Antec or Vantec if you are paying someone to put it together for you or if you are doing it yourself. As well, if you can, you can get a much better rig put together by someone locally than a Dell for instance ... the big proviso is ensuring that the person you find is someone who has a good reputation. If you know of someone who does gaming rigs and has a web site, I am sure there are many gecklings here who can compare and assist in ascertaining whether the person knows their pricing.

[Guest Mistress]

I'm one of the flashy idiots that went for a leery twenty something crisis alienware rig, and I love it Well I went for Alienware because of a lack of time and inclination to sort everything out for myself, an excess of cash and good reviews. Plus it looks pretty. Yes I do look at it lovingly every so often.

 

Basically - work out exactly what you want the PC for, how much you can spend, and set your limits with that. My bf is just building himself a new PC, at a cost of

[Slammy1]

Well, Alienware is rather high end, and if you wanted to go that route I'd say Falcon Northwest which has a better reputation for price/performance (if you live in the states). I wouldn't go Dell unless you get one of those stupid cheap deals you read about on FatWallet I really couldn't tell you who to buy from, your best bet's to put it together yourself. As mentioned, you'll get cheaped out somewhere pretty much no matter who you buy from. It really is pretty simple to put a system together, there are boards set up to explain how with a bunch of guys wanting to demonstrate their l33t knowledge on the subject.

 

If you're looking for a gaming rig, AMD is the better price/performance. For office and multimedia, Intel hands down. The important changes that are occurring right now are not CPU related, but are video and PCI. Athlon just released their 64-bit CPU, and Intel just released the Prescott. It's definitely worth waiting for a few months.

 

Consider what it'd take to get your current system to last longer. Usually a new video card would be the answer to rejuvinate a system, but like I said it's not the best time for that.

[neriana]

I agree, Falcon Northwest all the way. They have "bargain" units at around $1300, which is what I got. You may think it's not a bargain until you compare their features with other manufacturers'. As for the system, it is phenomenal. It seems bug-proof; even when it should run into bugs (like the ATI Radeon 9600 problems with Knights of the Old Republic) it has none. It boots up very fast, runs like lightning (faster than computers with better specs) and is easy to upgrade. Very highly recommended.

[Sereyna]

Well, I guess Im going to try to tough it out with my current system, and see what I can do mid-summer. There is a place nearby that custom-builds computers and they have a very good reputation, so I guess thats what Im going to do unless one of you all changes my mind otherwise. I do mostly only use the computer for gaming and internet, so I'll be sure to take all of your suggestions into consideration. I would have never thought about the power supply either-- Thanks Fionavar. I appreciate everyones help!