An under $1000 multi-tasking oriented workstation

[noxcuzzs]

A warm Hello to all the members & moderators! Thank you so much for this opportunity.

I need to assemble my first desktop PC and having spent the past few days reading the various posts in the Forums, I still feel lost because I've found a lot of information on the forums with regards to the best rigs for Gaming, Office or Professional use under a varied price range, understanding processors, motherboards and other components that form an integral part of any machine and how to fairly understand their technicalities and I'm still struggling to see where my needs fit in.. Hence I thought posting my needs on the Forum instead would be a good place to start asking for help. If anyone feels that the same needs has already been addressed with in another Thread, please help me by pasting a link in reply..

My budget: Below $750-$1000

What am I going to use my first desktop for:

Multitasking-Being a freelance researcher & translator, I've use the internet a lot and have at least 15 odd tabs open at any given point in time, work on multiple word & excel sheets(Windows) and since I'm currently freelancing from home, I like to have my favorite music playing in the backgrounds.. Sometime watch a movie or play a game(Flight Simulator/ Prince of Persia) while I take care of work.. Also, I love downloading multilingual movies & soaps online and I'm constantly working with downloads and conversions of video & audio taking place simultaneously. I understand that choosing an processor with HT would do me good... would Intel i7-2600K be an overkill.. As I understand from the forums i5 processors do not support hyperthreading unless it's M(Mobile) usually used in laptops? Also, I would like my desktop to be online & working 24x7... without having to restart it in months-Is that possible to achieve with the kind of budget I have?

Once I have narrowed in on a processor, then the next logical step I've learned from the forums is choosing the right motherboard- IAsus P67 Pro or Gigabyte has a whole thread dedicated to the pros & Cons.. well.. as I'm currently not going to overclock my processor but would like to keep that option open in the near future and the games I play are not "hardcore" games either.. so which MoBo & Video card would you suggest?

I've also learned that the cooler Master HAF X is a very good chasis for my CPU.. would that be a overkill for me considering the above?

If anyone can help me figure this out, I think the rest of the information I can get from the forum threads...

I would like to thank one & all who have contributed to this wonderful forum... The posts here are extremely educating and helpful and although sometimes the information is just too much for a beginner like me, it's still a learning experience and helps me"broaden" my horizons with regards to technical know how! Thank you all so much for this opportunity and for contributing!

With tons of Luv & light,

nox

 

[striker410]

Hi there, welcome to the forum.

first, can you please fill out this form? You answered most of the information, but this sorta condenses it and answers important questions like country, monitor res and parts needed. http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261222-31-build-advice

And with that, we move to the build!

CPU: Sounds like you have fairly pedestrian needs. A 2600k would be WAYYYY overkill, those are used in rendering machines, not multitasking machines. Look at an i5-2400 on the extreme high end, and an AMD Athlon X3 on the lower end.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115074

Case: The HAF X is a nice case, but quite overkill. In fact, it would cost more than your processor! Look at the Antec 300, it's a sweet, reliable, basic case. The HAF 912 is also an excellent option.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233&Tpk=haf%20912

Mobo: Something basic, from a good brand. Since you arent OCing, a simple H67 or H61 board with USB3 and Sata3 would work quite well. If AMD, probably 880G or something similar.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157233

Hard drive? You might consider an SSD and a large storage drive. Look into SSD's and see if you like the idea.

Ram? A cheap set of 8GB ram. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231311

For a video card? Something small & light, but supports multiple monitors. The ATI 5670 gets the pick here, I think.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102870

PSU? A cheap, reliable one. Probably an Antec Earthwatts 380.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371033&Tpk=antec%20380

And there you have it! Let me know if you have any questions, concerns, or thoughts!
Cheers

 

[008Rohit]

AMD's bulldozer is releasing tomorrow and will serve you better for a slightly more cost than an i5.

Processor : Processor : AMD Bulldozer FX-8150: 8 core, 3.6GHz (4.2GHz Turbo) - $266.28

Motherboard : ASRock 970 EXTREME4 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS - $110
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157262

RAM : G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 - $70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231460

Graphics : HIS H667F1GD Radeon HD 6670 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 - $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161375

Hard Disk : SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB - $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185

Optical Drive : Asus 24X DVD R/W - $20
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

Power Supply : CORSAIR Builder Series CX600 V2 600W - $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139028&Tpk=Corsair%20CX%20600

Case : Rosewill THOR V2 Gaming ATX Full Tower Computer Case - $130
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147053

Total : $790 after rebates

Do you need monitor, OS and keyboard/mouse too?

 

[noxcuzzs]

Dear striker410 & 008Rohit,

Thank you so much for your prompt replies and for the warm welcome! Please find the information striker410 requested as below.. My apologies to have not followed the format in the beginning..

Approximate Purchase Date: Before October, 2011


Budget Range: $750-$1000(US) After Rebates


System Usage from Most to Least Important: Multitasking & Downloading 24X7, as explained in detail in my previous post.


Parts Not Required: Will require all parts as this is the first desktop I'm planning to assemble...

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Plan to buy the products locally from the company's authorized dealers after researching products online. So any websites you would recommend would be helpful to me as far as familiarizing myself with the product and its current price.


Country of Origin: Doesn't matter...


Parts Preferences: by brand or type : Whatever is best to achieve my aims.. Apart from my budget, nothing else is a constraint...


Overclocking: Maybe-Although I'm not a hardcore gamer, I do like playing Simulator games off & on.. I've noticed that multitasking-i.e. researching on the web while downloading(100+ movies/audio/ebooks @ any given time)+playing a movie/audio in the background and trying to play a Simulator game on the PC all at once used to make my computer(Intel Dual Core with 4GB RAM & a 512MB Video Card..an HP Pavilion Desktop PC-2007 model-which has been long discontinued (hence particulars not available online anymore!)made it extremely slow, and if I dared to play a game while the downloads or conversion of videos were on, the desktop would freeze...especially when I did not restart it... Also, restarting was painful since it took more than a few minutes to load... and then too it would become extremely slow.. and then I had to format the whole PC for it to work fine for a few days.. and again it would become extremely slow.. So if overclocking would serve this issue, then I would rather keep this option open!


SLI or Crossfire: I don't understand this but from a few articles I read on the forum, I think cross fire... but I would be extremely grateful if you could help me understand the concept and show me what would fit my needs best...


Monitor Resolution: I'm planning to buy a 23 inch plus monitor with 1920x1200-Look forward to enjoying Full HD movies and streaming online videos on my Desktop with my 2Mbps unlimited net connection I can stretch my budget by a few $100 to accommodate this...


Additional Comments: I would like a quiet PC-Something that operates 24X7 without much noise-a workstation that doesn't need to be restarted often...and can work 24X7... I work from home but my room is NOT air-conditioned...although well ventilated, but most of the times we need to close the windows as the weather fluctuates a lot... It gets hot (up to 50 degrees Centigrade) during the days during summer(Feb-July)... and cold (p to 5 degrees Centigrade) during winters(Oct-Jan) and heavy rains during the rainy season(July-Sept)... So, I would need to ensure that the CPU remains cool at all times, especially when the machine is on download & conversion mode without supervision... which happens at least 3 days a week...sometimes for almost a month or sometimes a couple of months when I travel on work...

I would also like to have a TV tuner facility in the Desktop which can help me record my favorite NatGeo and Discovery HD programs when I'm away...can I fit that in my budget??

@striker410: After reading your recommendations, I've the following doubts and I would be extremely grateful if you could help me with the answers...

CPU: What's the difference between rendering machines and not multitasking machines? Does downloading, converting multiple videos & audio (.avi to mp4 etc) downloading and Simulator gaming not come under the scope of "rendering" machines? Also, does i5-2400 or AMD Athlon X3 have the OCing feature? Do you think
OCing will be helpful for me?


Case: Would Antec 300 or The HAF 912 help me with my ventilation challenges, as enumerated above?


Mobo: Any changes you would recommend if you think OCing would be useful for me? Also, would they be able to accommodate a digital TV Tuner??


Video card: Wold the ATI 5670 g be able to support my Simulator games if played while downloading & researching simultaneously??

@008Rohit: Thank you so much for your recommendations...Any changes you would like to recommend in light of the information I've just shared??

Thank you for taking the time out for helping me out with my new Build..

With tons of Luv & light,

nox

 

[008Rohit]

I'd recommend no changes. You'll be able to game at medium settings at 1920x1080.

So, with the $210 you'll have to get a monitor, mouse and keyboard.

This is a HD monitor for $150 : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009255

You have $60 left for keyboard and mouse which I think is enough to get quality keyboard and mouse.

Crossfire means using two video cards of the same model at the same time in a PC. Your motherboard needs to support it and needs to have 2 PCIe slots for that. Thats not really recommended as you'll not do heavy gaming. Not recommended for beginners.

You'll never have to overclock that 8 Core AMD beast! That'll make your PC blazing fast.

 

[striker410]

Thanks for the info! Sorry I had to make you go and fill out all that, but there were a few particulars I was looking for.

But first things first, I firmly disagree with Rohit. You do NOT need an 8-core CPU, not at all. Those CPU's are designed to be put in machines that are doing FAR more, such as running servers or rendering extremely complex projects. there is absolutely NO need for an 8-core in your machine.

Here's my reasoning.
Web surfing, downloading, word processing and other menial tasks only use 1 or 2 cores. They are extremely low power tasks, and do not require much effort to process. Now, what if you are downloading in massive quantities? Then it will use more power on that core. Not necessarily more cores.

Now, for gaming and converting videos.
Games like flight simulator use 4 cores most effectively. As far as i know, more cores give barely any boost in performance. For converting videos, unless you are converting many videos at the same time, you aren't going to take advantage of that 8-core.

Basically, it's not worth getting an 8-core CPU, because nothing can use all of those 8 cores!

More cores does not equal better.

Now, the difference between "rendering" and "multitasking".
Rendering refers to using a complex computer program to render dimensions and data into images onscreen. Programs like Maya and Autodesk do this. They are extreme power hogs. Multi tasking is simply moving data from one place to the other. You'd see a bigger performance increase by buying an SSD, really.

You're going to see a major increase of speed, no matter what you do. Here's what I'm talking about: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/56?vs=363 (pay attention to higher/lower is better) The i5-2400 is screaming fast compared to the CPU you have now! Really, anything is gonna seem crazy fast!

Hope that sheds some light on my opinion.

Now, overclocking!

Short answer: You don't need it! Overclocking is for high performance users, (usually gamers) trying to squeeze every ounce of speed they can get from their processors. With what your doing, I can confidently say you do not need to overclock. The processor will feel fast as a bullet, with or without overclocking.

Case: The HAF 912 and Antec 300 are quite well ventilated, and will serve your needs admirably.

Video card: Yes, the 5670 will be more than enough. The only thing that will tax the video card is games, the rest is using the CPU.

Mobo: No changes, the one I selected is more than capable. It can accept all manner of accessories.


That's about it! Hope it helps

 

[008Rohit]

well,

The bulldozer build is a lot more future proof than the i5 2400. It fits in the OP's budget and in the future more and more apps will be designed to take advantages of more than 4 cores, then it'll outperform the i5. It just fits in the budget, thats why I included it. The OP can also get a six core bulldozer with the other parts being same for $160.

 

[striker410]

This is true...... He may want to hold off until BD gets benchied, then. Excellent idea.

 

[noxcuzzs]

This is true...... He may want to hold off until BD gets benchied, then. Excellent idea.

Dear striker410 & 008Rohit,

Thank you for both your replies & effort at brainstorming my requirement & reasoning to help me get the perfect build...

So, you both would agree for me to opt for the AMD Bulldozer but would like me to wait till the same has been benchmarked and its performance compared to other processors has been rightly documented... this seems like a very good idea. Making my purchase future proof, at least for a few years seems prudent.

@008Rohit: In your earlier post, you mentioned that using HIS H667F1GD Radeon HD 6670 1GB 128-bit GDDR5, I would be able to game at medium settings at 1920x1080. If I wanted to play at Full settings, are there alternatives I could use (even if I have to stretch my budget by a few hundred dollars..) and also to make it a little more future-proof??

@ striker410 & 008Rohit:While researching on the AMD Bulldozer and comparing it to the Intel i5-2500 processor via the forums, I also stumbled upon information with regards to advantages of hyper-threading vs using a dual-core module(as in the case of AMD BD). Can you please help me understand the difference in the performance boost, while distinguishing between the two.

With tons of gratitude, luv & light,

nox

 

[hellfire24]

AMD's bulldozer is releasing tomorrow and will serve you better for a slightly more cost than an i5.

you got any proof or something.no offence but i am curious to know

 

[008Rohit]

@ OP

For high settings at 1080p you need a HD 6950 or its Nvidia equivalent. (GTX 560 Ti)

HD 6950 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125385
GTX 560 Ti - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127565

@ Hellfire

Seems that AMD has delayed the BD launch. I read on a few websites that it was going to launch yesterday, but it didn't.

 

[selayan]

BD is launching sometime around October 20th at least for my state. I too am considering waiting till then or going with the core i5 2500k. But the thing with me is, I don't have a desktop at all so I don't know if I want to wait.

 

[striker410]

@ striker410 & 008Rohit:While researching on the AMD Bulldozer and comparing it to the Intel i5-2500 processor via the forums, I also stumbled upon information with regards to advantages of hyper-threading vs using a dual-core module(as in the case of AMD BD). Can you please help me understand the difference in the performance boost, while distinguishing between the two.

With tons of gratitude, luv & light,

nox

Ahh, I see. I'll do a quick summary of each technology.

HyperThreading: 4 real cores, and 4 "fake" cores.
Bulldozer "Strong Thread": 4 Modules with 2 mini cores in each.

Basically, Hyperthreading is the act of making a single core perform 2 separate tasks at once. It tricks the OS into thinking it's got twice as many cores.
However, it's not like having 8 real cores. Since each core is doing the work of 2, they tend to be a bit slower than a true 8 core. Still an amazing technology.

Strong Thread is 2 mini cores wrapped up into a Module. This means there's 8 REAL cores, but they probably aren't as fast as 8 full size cores (just my speculation), but are still much faster than HyperThreading.

Either way, these are meant to be used for much more powerful computers, like hardcore gaming desktops or professional machines. "Multitasking" Is not going to need 8 cores. It probably won't need 4!
However, I do advise getting a quad. Why? That's the standard nowadays, and it should last you a good while before getting slow. Either Sandybridge or Bulldozer is fine.

Hope that helps!

 

[striker410]

Seems that AMD has delayed the BD launch. I read on a few websites that it was going to launch yesterday, but it didn't.

Maybe they'll get it out just in time to be stuck in a phone. At this rate, we're gonna be into 32 core, 6GHz, 25w processors before bulldozer releases. Cmon AMD!

 

[008Rohit]

Lol.

 

[noxcuzzs]

Hey striker410 & 008Rohit!

My apologies for the delayed reply!

@striker410: thank you so much for helping me understand & distinguish between Hyper-threading & Full-sized cores and for making it so simple and easy for a newbie like me to understand!

@008Rohit & striker410:

While I'm still waiting for the AMD BD to be launched & bench-marked, I'm extremely grateful to both of you and overwhelmed with gratitude for all your help in assisting me narrow down on my options and helping me understand which configuration to opt for & why.

As you both brain-stormed and chipped in your time, effort & knowledge to assist me, it only seems fair to me to not only acknowledge all your efforts with tons of gratitude but also, keeping with the SOP of this wonderfully helpful site, ensure that both of you get equal credit for the same.

But I'm in a dilemma as the forum does not provide me an option to select multiple answers as "the best"-Perhaps the moderators can make an exception in this case as the "Best" answer was, in fact, a joint-effort of brainstorming of both of you.

In light of the same, and since I'm new to this forum, any ideas to work around this hurdle would be much appreciated!

With tons of love & light,

nox

 

[striker410]

No problem! Happy to help.
Give Best answer to Rohit, I don't really care about best answers. I started contributing to this forum because when I was a nooby, someone helped me out!

If you have any questions in the future, hit me up with a PM. I'll be happy to help.

Good luck!

 

[noxcuzzs]

Dear striker410 & 008Rohit!

I've been faced with a few challenging decisions these past few days and need your advice.

Up till now, I was using my 15 " IBM Thinkpad R50(Intel Centrino M) laptop for work & travel but it conked off day-before(not powering on). It's been 6 years since my laptop has been out of warranty-Having shown it to the engineer's @ IBM Customer Support, they said the MB had to be replaced and gave me an estimate of USD 150-200. I also showed it to a local computer hardware so-called expert and he suggested going in for a refurbished MB, which would cost approx USD 100. I'm aware that there would be more affordable refurbished MB's available online but ordering them and paying the shipping & custom duty would negate the price difference, if any.

Long story short, I'm now faced with need to buy another laptop for work while traveling, which I can use the same way I wanted to use my desktop while I'm on the road, which is usually 15 days in a month. I would also like to have a desktop @ home which I can use for my downloads, video conversion and games while I'm @ home. The challenge is that I need to manage both in under $750-$1000/- which was my original budget for a desktop, including the lcd screen(preferably 21 inches that can play HD videos), keyboard and mouse(wired would do just fine).

So, I'm now left with searching for almost the bare minimum that would help me achieve my goals. I was checking on your initial advice of AMD Athlon X3 with an 880G MB..Here are the questions, the answers to which I need your help with.. Is there a way I could fit in a Quad core processor for my desktop and still have enough to opt for a good laptop which can help me with my needs-playing HD videos in full resolution, 24X7 downloads, internet surfing & multitasking with Office docs, playing games like Flight Sim-also preferably in full resolution but if it's out of my budget that medium resolution would do and a good battery life(6-8 hours)??(Just a quick review of my needs to avoid you going through my previous post/s all over again!)

I know that searching for the "bare minimum" while asking about a Quad core processor sounds contradictory but just want to know if I could get the best of both the worlds(laptop & desktop) in the given budget?

Also, what in your opinion should be my approach to this-Narrow down on the laptop first and then go in with the remaining money for the desktop or should it be the other way around-Or just keep a max of USD 500/- for each and narrow down on each accordingly??


Also, my Thinkpad still has a valid Win XP 32 bits OS-Can I use this on my new laptop and/or desktop?? Should I instead opt for a 64 bit OS(Win7)?? Would there be conflict for drivers when getting a desktop/laptop configured for linux and then installing WinXP??

I would be extremely grateful for any advice in this regard.. Also, do you think I should start another thread for the laptop requirement or is it something that you & other forum members can help me with on this thread itself??

With tons of love & light,

nox

 

[cutebeans]

Hello, my friend. I am sorry for your sudden sad turn of events but do not worry you can still have your cake and eat it too.

An APU would be the best choice for you.


A8-3850 - It is a CPU which a GPU inside which will easily handle your needs. $140
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103942

FM1 motherboard - Asrock, a good brand. $70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157261

Hard drive - Seagate 500gb $45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148701

Power supply - Corsair 430w, great brand $45 before rebates. $35 dollars after rebate.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026&Tpk=corsair%20430w

Optical Drive - LG or Sony, whatever is cheapest and 24x $20

Ram - G. skill ripjaws $47
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231311&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=14dshinxb69xl

Case - HAF 912 $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233&Tpk=haf%20912

It all comes down to $427 if you choose the a8 but $407 if you choose the a6.

Oh darn, I forgot you needed an OS too.

Windows 7 OEM 64 bit.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986

It actually comes down to $527.

Another thing you may cut costs is with the casing

The Elite 430 which is also made by CM. It is $40.
Although, the Haf 912 is cooler but the 430 is no slouch .
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119227

A6-3650 - It is also a good CPU though. much weaker than the above CPU but cheaper by $20
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103943&Tpk=a6-3650


I'm sorry but I do not know much about monitors as it is always up to the buyer what he wants.

For me, it is better if you get at least up to $700 dollars for the desktop since you need OS, Keyboard, Mouse and Monitor .

 

[striker410]

I agree with cutebean's build for the most part. Quad core, 5670 level graphics, overall a good deal. Will be tough to get a good laptop with the $300 left, lol. If you can stretch the budget just a little, we might make it work. Things would also be a bit easier if you had a copy of win7 laying around

For ~$550, with no OS you can get a complete system with a good screen and keyboard/mouse.

 

[FinneousPJ]

Use Linux and save $100.

 

[008Rohit]

@ Finneous

+1

 

[cutebeans]

Found a combo for you

Save $10 on CPU and mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.738478

Haf 912 Case and Optical Drive $70 save $10
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.743728

 

[noxcuzzs]

Dear cutebeans, striker410, 008Rohit & FinneousPJ,

Thanks so very much for your prompt replies & for all your time & efforts in helping me out with my request

@cutebeans: Thank you so much for helping me with the configuration and for your valuable tips, espl while deciding between the A6-3650 & the A8-3850.

Also, thank you so much for taking the trouble of shortlisting the combo offers for me. Unfortunately, I won't be able to take advantage of the offer as I plan to buy all the parts from the local tech market in my city and accordingly assemble the Workstation.

Earlier, you had recommended an Asus laptop costing about $400/- 15.6 inch display with an AMD processor-I can't recollect the exact specifications(or the model no.) but I do remember that you had posted a link in your message, but sadly I couldn't locate the same on your message today-Perhaps you deleted it post revisions in cost of the desktop, considering the OS needs which made the $400 laptop look unfeasible. Well, I did check that out. Unfortunately, the model has been launched in mid-September this year in the US & is still to be launched by ASUS in my country. And purchasing it online would attract shipping & Custom duties that would ruin the laptop's cost effectiveness

@striker410: I was just contemplating on getting my hands on Win 7 64 bit OS when one of my friends I was brainstorming with, made me aware that his recently conked off HP laptop has a the said OS that came with the package and that I could make use of the same of my Desktop & or Laptop. Seems that I'm not the only one in the soup, as far as my laptop goes!! In your opinion, is the OS on laptops configured differently as in Desktops-I ask this to remove the doubt of all possible conflicts between hardware/software arising due to this. And will I be able to install the same on my forthcoming Desktop??

You mentioned that you happen to agree with cutebean's recommendations "for the most part" & that "For ~$550, with no OS you can get a complete system with a good screen and keyboard/mouse-I'm eager to know what changes you would want to recommend before I finalize on the configuration, which I need to do by this weekend. What, according to you, would make the configuration "complete"?

Also, my apologies to be naive but what does "5670 level graphics" imply??

Considering my needs, what do you think would be a good configuration would be, as far as a laptop is concerned. As far as my being able to stretch my budget is concerned, I would just need to ask myself the right question-Not-"I can't afford it?" BUT "How can I afford it?"-Please let me know your views and I'll try my best to find a way to cut corners to be afford the config you recommend.

Btw., I was trying to brainstorm with a couple of my friends about opting for a cheap Tablet instead of a laptop on the go, but we decided to scrap the idea as while on work, there are many times when I need to connect external drives to upload/download & work with client data and also need to scan/print documents-Due to the driver limitations on Tablets currently in the market(i.e. from the brief research we did online, I believe they are yet to support scanners, non-wifi printers and external NTFS based hard-drives), we gave up on the idea of opting for a Tablet, for it seems that a laptop would be the only device that would be able to meet my current needs on the go.

@FinneousPJ 008Rohit: Thanks for the recommendation for using Linux-Well, using Linux & saving $100 at this point in time does look pretty tempting I do believe in change but changing from using Windows since childhood to Linux would require getting out of my comfort space and "re-learning", something that I don't feel like getting into right away. Frankly, this & the doubts about having complexities with drivers(especially while opting for laptops that have Linux preloaded, rather than Windows, in case I need to switch the OS to Windows in the future) is the only reason I have not yet experimented with Linux yet. Not that I've written it off completely but I feel that Windows serves my purpose, at least as of now. I can't help but feel overwhelmed with the gratitude for all your help & generosity, especially the kindness of my friend who is willing to allow me to use the OS of his conked off laptop-apparently he still has the official CD's that came along with his laptop @ the time, that also has all the original software's preloaded in them.

With tons of love, light & gratitude,

nox

 

[FinneousPJ]

Using office programs and surfing the net is exactly the same under (Ubuntu) Linux as it is under Windows. I'd never used Linux before university but it was easy enough to learn(there are lots of Linux desktops at my uni), though I'm far from being a "power-user". On the point of Ubuntu it's easier to install drivers on that Windows :lol: it's basically all automatic unless you're unlucky and there's no routine for your hardware (hasn't happened to me yet over about 5 different systems).