Looking for computer workhorse

purdychar

Reputable
Aug 16, 2014
4
0
4,510
I need a computer that will allow me to live stream nature cameras, record video of same, process/convert the video from one format to another and work on a movie making program without having to worry about overloading my computer. I currently have a desktop - vista home premium, AMD Athlon 64 x2 dual core 5600+ 2.85 GHz , 4 GB memory and run into frequent freezing and Flash crashes. Is there such a computer that will meet these needs or am I living in a dreamworld?
 


hahahaha. People have computers with $3000 video cards and full watercooling loops. There is many possibilities.

Do you want to build or buy?
 

purdychar

Reputable
Aug 16, 2014
4
0
4,510
I want to buy but don't want to be oversold. I am willing to pay what ever is necessary to get a computer that meets my needs. It will be used mainly for the above plus intermediate photo editing, (PS elements), some MS Office, Access and Exel, (beginner level only) and Word (intermediate to advanced). No PowerPoint. use Outlook and very very basic surfing. No gaming other than jigsaw puzzles and board and card games - Pogo level! My main use is to watch nature live streaming cams and record and make videos at the same time.

Thank you for taking the time to help me.
 
I don't know about pre-built systems, but here is a system that will give you an idea of what components to look for and a price range.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($172.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($87.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Team Xtreem Dark Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($72.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($55.98 @ OutletPC)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 USB 3.0 MicroATX Mid Tower Case ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec EarthWatts Green 380W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($48.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($15.63 @ OutletPC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $574.52
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-08-17 00:06 EDT-0400
 

purdychar

Reputable
Aug 16, 2014
4
0
4,510
Thank you so much! That's what I thought! The salesperson I was talking to advised an I7 and I wasn't sure if he was trying to sell me more than I needed.

Next question would I be able to buy the equivalent in a laptop? I haven't made up my mind as to whether I want a laptop or a desktop. Do you have any advice to offer re this decision? I wonder if a laptop may not be up to the job.

Added: What about a video card? I don't see one listed or is that incorporated into something else these days?
 

purdychar

Reputable
Aug 16, 2014
4
0
4,510
Yes, I use a video recording software program called "liteCam" and sometimes a program called "TipCam," I convert from .avi format to .wpm format with "Prism file converter" and edit with Windows Live Movie Maker.

My computer skills are mostly self taught since I retired 9 years ago. However I am sadly lacking in hardware knowledge. I found your site when I googled "compare Amd A series with Intel 3, 5, 7." after reading up on amd and intel processors and realizing I was out of my depth! You know what they say about teaching an old dog new tricks! LOL

Thanks again for your help.