- Jan 24, 2015
- 5
- 0
- 18,510
Hi all,
I was hoping for some help with my next computer build. Both my computer and I are getting old (I haven't built a machine in ~4-5 years) and it's time for a new build. I have fallen a bit behind the times though, and could really use some advice. I would ideally like to build the entire machine from scratch other than keyboard, mouse, and one 24'' acer HDMI monitor that I can probably keep using (would plan to buy a newer second 24'' monitor to use as my primary display)
Uses:
My main goal is to have a very efficient machine that boots rapidly and can handle heavy multitasking without lagging or being choppy. I use my machine both for personal use and for work applications. My specific needs are:
1.) I use my machine for research (statistical programs, databases, and excel, mostly), with some light graphical work (photoshop, some imaging programs related to my research)
2.) I multitask a lot. For example I will often have 20 browser tabs open, while watching video / streaming music and running excel and statistical programs on two separate monitors.
3.) I use my computer for home media and output it to a receiver and a projector. I would need the ability to run two 24'' monitors and a projector, and would prefer good audio support
4.) I occasionally use my computer for music production. This is just for fun (I am a fairly crappy musician) and I don't need high end equipment for this, but would like the ability to input and record a guitar + keyboard
5.) I don't plan to overclock and would like to avoid complicated cooling setups. I don't need an ultra-quiet machine, but it is near where I sleep and a quieter build is a plus. I don't need the machine to be super portable. A mid-size tower or similar would be fine. I am fine with either AMD/intel.
6.) I will probably run Windows 8 and upgrade to 10 when it comes out.
A couple specific questions:
1.) Do people recommend doing a RAID setup for data backup? Or should I just back up periodically to an external drive?
2.) I need at least 500 gb storage space and would prefer 1 tb. Should I try to buy one large SSD? Or should I have an expensive small SSD for my OS and a larger cheaper drive for music/movie/data storage?
3.) Would I benefit from a separate GPU given my needs? Or can the graphics on the motherboard handle most of what I need?
Budget: I don't have a set budget for the build, but including a new 24'' monitor would like to stay below $2000 (the lower the better, without sacrificing too much on performance).
I really appreciate any help or advice anyone can offer! Let me know if you need more information on my build plans. Thank you so much!
I was hoping for some help with my next computer build. Both my computer and I are getting old (I haven't built a machine in ~4-5 years) and it's time for a new build. I have fallen a bit behind the times though, and could really use some advice. I would ideally like to build the entire machine from scratch other than keyboard, mouse, and one 24'' acer HDMI monitor that I can probably keep using (would plan to buy a newer second 24'' monitor to use as my primary display)
Uses:
My main goal is to have a very efficient machine that boots rapidly and can handle heavy multitasking without lagging or being choppy. I use my machine both for personal use and for work applications. My specific needs are:
1.) I use my machine for research (statistical programs, databases, and excel, mostly), with some light graphical work (photoshop, some imaging programs related to my research)
2.) I multitask a lot. For example I will often have 20 browser tabs open, while watching video / streaming music and running excel and statistical programs on two separate monitors.
3.) I use my computer for home media and output it to a receiver and a projector. I would need the ability to run two 24'' monitors and a projector, and would prefer good audio support
4.) I occasionally use my computer for music production. This is just for fun (I am a fairly crappy musician) and I don't need high end equipment for this, but would like the ability to input and record a guitar + keyboard
5.) I don't plan to overclock and would like to avoid complicated cooling setups. I don't need an ultra-quiet machine, but it is near where I sleep and a quieter build is a plus. I don't need the machine to be super portable. A mid-size tower or similar would be fine. I am fine with either AMD/intel.
6.) I will probably run Windows 8 and upgrade to 10 when it comes out.
A couple specific questions:
1.) Do people recommend doing a RAID setup for data backup? Or should I just back up periodically to an external drive?
2.) I need at least 500 gb storage space and would prefer 1 tb. Should I try to buy one large SSD? Or should I have an expensive small SSD for my OS and a larger cheaper drive for music/movie/data storage?
3.) Would I benefit from a separate GPU given my needs? Or can the graphics on the motherboard handle most of what I need?
Budget: I don't have a set budget for the build, but including a new 24'' monitor would like to stay below $2000 (the lower the better, without sacrificing too much on performance).
I really appreciate any help or advice anyone can offer! Let me know if you need more information on my build plans. Thank you so much!
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