Rookie builder

[geomcd]

Decided to build a PC, and would greatly appreciate advice and counsel. It will be a dual-monitor system (both HD) using Ubuntu 12.10. No gaming (I fear becoming addicted.). No overclocking (Am afraid I would break something.). Just want the fastest computer possible for web surfing, web-page design, watching HD content from the Internet on a 46" TV, and a little bit of audio and video editing.

1. Should I go with Intel or AMD?

2. I'm thinking a dual-core processor is sufficient, but will go with a four-core if advised to do so.

3. I don't understand how video cards work in conjunction with CPUs with onboard graphics. I assume I'll need a video card with two HDMI outputs to run the dual monitors. Should I therefore get a CPU that does not have onboard graphics?

4. Is 32GB of RAM sufficient to make the computer blazingly fast? Is there a particular attribute of RAM (1333, 1600 . . . ) that I should consider?

5. I've heard that two hard drives can be used in one computer. Is it possible to use a SSD and an HDD in the same machine?

Thanks for any advice and guidance.

~George

 

[zolton33]

1.Depends on your budget
2.If not gaming a dual core is fine but if you can fit a quad core into your budget i would.
3.The on board graphics is just where you hook your monitor onto your mobo. a10-5800k amd cpu seems to boast multi monitor support for up to 4 monitors using its eyefinity. But if you go intel you would need a discrete gpu for it.
4.32 gigs may be a bit over kill many get by easily with just 8 and some consider 16 over kill although with video and audio editing you may want to go with 32 gigs
5.yes you can.

I know you say you are unsure of getting a quad over the dual core but looking at your post it seems you would benefit the best from as many cores as you can get to help with the video and audio editing. So what is your max budget?

 

[Kamen_BG]

I don't know what your budget is but ill make you something really fast for a reasonable price.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($179.99 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($55.54 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Antec Three Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 520W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($46.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS224-06 DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Total: $752.46
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

[geomcd]

Max budget is around 1,500 USD, however, if I can get a machine that will be screamingly fast, I'll spend the extra money.

Will an eight-core processor be noticeably faster than a four-core, for the things I want to use the machine for? If so, I'll get one.

Thanks for the reply!

~George

 

[zolton33]

Max budget is around 1,500 USD, however, if I can get a machine that will be screamingly fast, I'll spend the extra money.

Will an eight-core processor be noticeably faster than a four-core, for the things I want to use the machine for? If so, I'll get one.

Thanks for the reply!

~George

O_O good god should of given us your full budget from the start lol. For $1500 you can make 1 killer pc for just about anything you could throw at it.

 

[geomcd]

Kamen_BG,

Let me study these components and I'll get back to you. I want something REALLY fast, and also reliable. I'll ask you about the various components, and see if we can find the fastest.

Thanks!

~George

 

[geomcd]

O_O good god should of given us your full budget from the start lol. For $1500 you can make 1 killer pc for just about anything you could throw at it.

Can you give me the components for this "killer?"

Thanks!

~George

 

[zolton33]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/jPlB take a look and see what you think. $1461.50 and it can be adjusted here and there. I chose the i7-3770s for the hyper threading (which will help with the editing. I included windows 7 pro but if you still want to go with a linux you could take off about $128 from that build. You could go cheaper or more expensive depending on what you want. I did not include a monitor or keyboard or mouse as you did not say whether you needed them or not. But there is at least 1 build for you to consider.

 

[geomcd]

The purpose of this build is to gain experience in assembling a computer. I want it to be, simply, a lightning fast machine for general use, and one that the components can be individually upgraded in the next two or three years.

Would appreciate comments on compatibility of theses components, and any suggestions for improvement.

Thanks!

~George

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/geomcd/saved/

GIGABYTE GA-990FXA-UD3 AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard

AMD FX-8150 Zambezi 3.6GHz Socket AM3+ 125W Eight-Core Desktop Processor FD8150FRGUBOX

OCZ Vertex 4 VTX4-25SAT3-512G.M 2.5" 512GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL10Q-32GBXL

ASUS GT620-1GD3-L GeForce GT 620 1GB 64-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Low Profile Ready Video Card

(2) LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Model iHAS424-98 LightScribe Support

RAIDMAX RX-500AF Continuous 500 watts ATX 12V v2.3/EPS 12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Power Supply

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Compatible with latest Intel …

Rosewill CHALLENGER-U3 Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ,comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top …

ASUS PCE-N15 PCI Express 300/300Mbps Transfer/Receive Rate Wireless Adapter