New Computer Help

[googlebuddy]

I have been reading toms hardware forumz for a while now and have come to value and respect the knowledge available here. Since I have never built my own computer before, I'm hoping some of you can help me with what parts I'll need to build a new computer.

I'm estimating my budget to be around $1500 but can go as high as $1750 if you feel there is a need. I will not need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, case or CD ROM drive but will need anything else you recommend. So let me describe what I'll be doing...

Since I recently purchased a new video camera, I would like the new machine to do video editing at a decent speed. I'm guessing I would need to have a large amount of storage as well.

Also, I'd like to play some of the newer games so a good graphics card would be useful.

I'd also like the computer to be upgradable in the future (I think I read quad core is coming out in 2007).

I'd really appreciate any help you can give me. I'm really a newbie to this whole process and I figured I would go right to the experts before even trying to come up with a parts list.

Thanks!

 

[dandano]

for (essentially) a completely new build, it would be better to wait until the new intel processors (conroe) come out in a few months. performance appears to be much higher with conroe than with anything currently available.

if you *have* to build it now, then i'd go with the amd am2 socket systems, since that will still be upgradable for some time, and the amd procs are a good value.

 

[badge]

Money would be well spent on specifically:

A dual core processor (video editing will be much faster and smoother)
A Premium MB with the premiun chipset there is to offer
And a a top notch video card, ATI 1900, Nvidia 7800 to 7900 GT type card.

Plan to spend more than you originally are planning at this moment. I use a AMD 4800 X2 in SLI with two 7600 GT's a Platinum MB. Two gigs of Crucial ballistic 500 mgz RAM and I run Pinnacle Studio 9. Video editing is fun when you have a fast machine. Hope this gives you some ideas. Pioneer DVD burners work flawlessly for me.

 

[antichrysler]

I think you should be able to get an awesome system with the amount you've described.

Personally I would wait for conroe, even if you don't plan on going Intel all the prices on AMD stuff will be dropping.

But just as a tentative list:
Asus M2N32-SLI
AMD Athlon 64 3800+ X2
2.0GB Kingston DDR2 Memory
Ge-Force 7600GT
2x320GB Seagate SATA2 HD's
Enermax PSU

You should be able to get that in your price range.

 

[antichrysler]

I think you should be able to get an awesome system with the amount you've described.

Personally I would wait for conroe, even if you don't plan on going Intel all the prices on AMD stuff will be dropping.

But just as a tentative list:
Asus M2N32-SLI
AMD Athlon 64 3800+ X2
2.0GB Kingston DDR2 Memory
Ge-Force 7600GT
2x320GB Seagate SATA2 HD's
Enermax PSU

You should be able to get that in your price range.

 

[googlebuddy]

When is Conroe expected to be released? Also, do you know what the estimated price will be?

If its within 2 months, I can probably wait.

 

[googlebuddy]

I have never overclocked a CPU before but do you think that this would be a good chip to do that with (Conroe)?

If so, should I try water cooling?

I'm really excited to try and build a machine. It might take me a while but this stuff really interests me and I know I can build a better machine than anything you can buy from a store.

 

[antichrysler]

AMD's AM2 stuff will be dropping around 50-60% off what it is now.

 

[googlebuddy]

Are the Conroe stats really that great or will the price drop in AMD allow for a better overal system config?

Also, which way should I go if I am interested in potentially upgrading to quad core in 2007/2008?

 

[angry_ducky]

Are the Conroe stats really that great or will the price drop in AMD allow for a better overal system config?

Also, which way should I go if I am interested in potentially upgrading to quad core in 2007/2008?

Conroe looks great, but just wait until it's released to compare the price/performance. There might also be issues with the availability of Conroe, and that might justify going AM2. Conroe will be released in about a month; you'll just have to wait and see.

 

[Mobius]

If by "upgrade" you mean "add more RAM" then that is tickety boo. (good).

If by "upgrade" you mean "replace CPUand graphics" then you are simply dreaming. Theindustry is geared to prevent you doing this - and if you attempt it you are throwing bad money after good.

The ONE AND ONLY UPGRADE YOU CAN EVER DO IS RAM.

That's it.

This because, it is pointless to put the new A1 CPU into a D3 motherboard: the next generation of CPUs worth upgrading to won't work for shit in your new motherboard (even if it will physically fit.)

I can't understand why anyone ever even thinks about upgrading a PC: the entire concept of doing anything except adding RAM died in about 1999. The hardware just moves too quickly to allow it. That is, unless you are one of these fools who has more money than brains, and buys a new CPU every 4 months regardless of how much it costs to stay on top.

While it may SEEM like in 2-3 years time you will be able to put in a ATI X99999XT crossfire GFx card with 27 times more speed than an X1900XT has today - the reality is that that new card will be heavily choked by sticking it in a "crappy old 2006 box", and the CPU required to drive it properly will NOT under any circumstances fit in your mobo.

So, just accept that the only upgrade you can ever do is RAM, and settle on what bits you'll be throwing out in 3 years from now.

 

[antichrysler]

Well that's exactly the problem. No one really knows for sure how good Conroe is going to be. All of the benchmarks that are out right now are unofficial. So it's going to be more dependent on real life tests.

The thing is though AM2 will be dropping in price, 939 will be dropping in price, and as far as I've observed when AMD cuts prices Intel generally does the same.