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Hi,
I am in a bit of a dilemma choosing which notebook to get. I've basically narrowed it down to two choices, but they are somewhat very different from what they offer. One thing they have in common however, and that is my most important concern, is a lightweight design. A notebook over 4 - 4.5 pounds is not a choice, I know that I'll be on the go with it a lot, and I like very light models.
I've basically come done to:
Choice A:
Sony VGN-T150/L, with added memory to 1GB and possibly a bigger HD (60GB, but I would exchange that later on, 40 is fine for now)
Choice B:
Acer Travelmate TMC112TCi-G, also pumped to 1GB (actually 2GB is the max, but I don't think I could afford that... but it's good to know that there is room for expansion)
Both devices share the same CPU (1.1 ULV Centrino), 10.6 and 10.4 screens respectively, B/G wifi (essential), Bluetooth (I hope it's 1.2, it isn't really specified anywhere), same video cards (I don't plan to play 3D games on them).
The major differences are that the Acer is a hybrid tablet PC, whereas the Sony is a regular design notebook. The Sony is also a bit lighter, but that's marginal.
The Sony has a killer internal CD/DVD reader/writer, something very nice to have, but not essential, then again, watching DVDs without an external drive would be really cool. The Acer comes with both external diskette and CD/DVD drive (no burner I think)... that's ok... I don't burn a lot anyhow, particularly not while traveling.
Now, the second crutial criteria is battery life. The Sony is supposed to have up to 7 hours on the standard battery, whereas the Acer is down at 3, with no extended battery available (haven't found any).
I plan to use the notebook for two major areas, college and work. I'll be commuting to college soon, about 1.5 hours a day, plus I would love to organize my notes paperless, that's definitely a plus for the Acer as it's a tablet PC.
On the other hand, I work for an IT consulting company and also do some webdesign. The Sony has an excellent screen brightness, I don't mind the small screen, I've been used to a 12.1 for many years.
What do you guys think? I really like the Acer for it's tablet design and functionality, but the battery life is disappointing... unless I find an extended battery... the Sony's got the internal drive, brilliant screen and I currently own a 4.5 year old Sony Vaio notebook, I know that Sony makes great quality, and most of their units are engineered beautifully.
Oh, price is a secondary concern, I am willing to invest up to $2500, because I know that this notebook will be with me for the next 3-4 years. If I could have it all, great battery, tablet, internal CD/DVD and less than 4 pounds, I'd be willing to spend even more, but there isn't anything out there right now... sadly.
Thanks for your input,
Treo
i had to change the plastic on my acer laptop 2 times
i dident abuse it or anything the plastic qulity was just poor
So, right now, I have a desktop PC and a laptop PC that I use on a regular basis. The desktop is my master system and is good for another 2 years definitely. My laptop has been aging and we're on the verge of a revolution in small PCs.
I have a Dell XPS M140 that I upgraded to 2GB RAM. It has 80GB of hard disk space, CD/DVD burner, and Windows 7. It's getting old and I wondered if everyone could chip in some advice for a replacement.
I spent like $600 on it originally, so I'd like to stick with that price or less. I use it to browse the web and watch internet videos on it while I play XBox360 or when I have people over. I use it to feed to my TV when I have a movie to watch (movie file, not a DVD). I also take it with me on any vacations in the hotel room to keep connected to the internet.
For a replacement, I'm looking for the following...
-CD/DVD drive
-video out
-at least 120GB of disk space
-ability to run Windows 7 Ultimate with Aero
-ability to have 2GB of RAM at least
-USB ports
-Wifi (of course)
-A good processor
-HARD keyboard
-multitouch screen
-$600 or less
Preferred but optional
-ethernet port
-webcam
-4 USB ports
There may not be anything out there just yet that meets all the requirements, but if anything's close, let me know.
I have a Dell XPS M140 too. Great system. I loved the battery life -- 7.5 hours when I bought it like 3 or 4 years ago. But now its old and I rarely use it.
I've migrated to a Samsung N120 netbook. The keyboard is great even though its smaller form factor. The portability is excellent. It's so comfortable to use even with the 97% sized keyboard and 10" screen that I am still able to do most of my programming on it. So it can be used every day for hours with no eye strain or me wanting to throw it cause the keyboard is awkward. I love it.
I've run Windows 7 on it and it runs great once I upgraded it to 2GB. I did go thru the Windows Services and set to manual/disable some of those that I don't need (heavy networking ones) that made it a little faster. It can run OSX too as a side benefit. You can pop in a 640GB in here for cheap if you feel comfortable taking it apart.
I know there is going to be complaints about the processor speed...its a slow Atom. For daily browsing use its not that much difference than the M140's 1.73ghz P-Mobile. I do agree that its slow on Youtube videos and having multiple flash animations on the same page. The newer generation of netbooks are faster and will probably do a better job. Also Adobe is releasing a new version of Flash very soon that they have tweaked and stating would allow the Netbook to view Youtube without the jitters.
If you already have a desktop that is powerful enough for the heavy lifting tasks (photoshopping/video editing/filesharing/etc) then if I were you I would look into a netbook for its portability and convenience. It can still photoshopping btw, just going to take a little longer with the filters and handling large image sizes. And of course it is harder on the small screen.
You can get a great netbook in the $300-350 and get an external slim DVD burner for $50. If you do a lot of traveling or working away from home like at a cafe or just like having it on your lap surfing while you are in front of the TV, a 10" netbook is the way to go.
for the touchscreen thing,
i think you should buy additional hardware such as DUO.
Hmm. Very interesting! Thanks for the feedback.
I really appreciate that another M140 user out there has spoken. I haven't found anyone with this "XPS mini"!
When I upgraded to Windows 7, I can't believe how smooth everything ran. It really sold Windows 7 for me. Yeah, my desktop was faster but, wow, it turned by old M140 into a new PC. I haven't done much programming since college and even then, I did more making Counterstrike maps on their CAD-like interface software than anything.
I was really considering netbooks and your advice fits in well. I like the idea of add-on hardware like DUO to make anything touchscreen, but I would like to be ahead of the game with my new purchase. I felt like even my M140 purchase was behind the game. My desktop was nicely fit with a quad-core masterpiece at the time. Now it's commonplace.
I think a netbook fits my needs perfectly, but maybe I'm waiting for the next wave to include multitouch netbooks. The technology is definitely there, and fortunately it shouldn't be that expensive. I was waiting for someone to post the latest Eee multitouch PC, but I know that the processor is child's play.
I guess I see myself owning 3 systems...
Desktop PC - currently fulfilled need
Multitouch PC - for portability and ahead of the game portacomputing
Slate Phone - I know there's phones and then there's slates, but I won't be buying a replacement for my Rhodium until a nice slate phone arrives (with slide out hard keyboard, of course)
These 3 systems will practically make me have a mess in my pants. We're on the verge of #2, but I know I might have to wait 2 years for a good #3.
I'm staying away from virtual keyboards forever. I know how they are and I know what they can do, but I cannot accept 30 wpm slower. Unacceptable.
Great advice guys, and I really do appreciate your input. Tablet PCs are going to erupt soon, to prove that the iPad is garbage. And I just can't wait for the results. I dream of a day when I can just pop out my multitouch netbook in the comfy Hyatt hotel bed and respond to the next great XDA post.
I actually was looking tonight and there really isn't anything out there right now. I really hope this market picks up. The closest thing is the newest Eee PC, with a processor at 1.66 MHz. My M140 is at 1.73, so I can't go lower. Let's hope for a nice push in products...
Dell should hit this up. The only Multitouch tablet they offer is over $2k!!!!
I bought a LOADED HP tx2000z two years ago because I thought that I'd actually use the touchscreen/wacom digitizer. Boy was I wrong. 2000 bucks later, I honestly wish I would have bought a macbook pro over this POS.
Using a mouse or keyboard still is faster. Windows is not designed well for using a touch screen. Plus, that tiny swivel point where the screen connects to the rest of the computer isn't quite as strong as I had once thought, and all the wiring inside of it, over time, starts to get shorts in it. My sound crackles as I swivel the screen. Also, HP doesn't have the best of build quality in general. However, the digitizer does do an excellent job of speeding things up in photoshop.
My advise: Stay away from laptops with touch screens. Unless you spend the majority of your time in photoshop, it won't be worth it.
got the earlier tx1270 little brother of tx2000z
it get too hot to use in tablet mode and it's too fat and it makes too much noise
speedfan say the gpu is 89c in idle
the heat caused the wifi to stop working
but it was good for reading eComics on if I could stand the heat
I'm not put off tablets yet though
what laptop to get is really down to what one use it for
if it's surfing in the sofa netbooks are great and got long batt
but some people like to game on their laptops in which case they end up having to pay
a lot
got 2 dell work laptops both ugly and plastic'ish but better quality then crappy hp
and got a acer very underpowered one but manage with xubuntu
gf got a new macbook pro cost an arm and leg and kidney but the build quality is pretty good
osx remind me of linux really in a closed platform version though
if I were looking to get a laptop now I would look at tablets without combi keyboard option like the hp got
otherwise I would look at asus eebooks or whatever they are called
Hmm, good points. I guess my consideration for getting something with multitouch is basically to make sure that I'm consistent with the market. If that's what people are buying, I want to have my copy, just in case software erupts for it.
But I'm surprised at the story about the shoddy HP hardware.
I could, however, see how I can use a touchscreen with Windows 7. I won't touch Apple products because they don't suit my needs, but I guess that's why I won't spend $2k on a tablet PC. It sounds like it's just not worth that much.
Rudegar said:
got the earlier tx1270 little brother of tx2000z
it get too hot to use in tablet mode and it's too fat and it makes too much noise
speedfan say the gpu is 89c in idle
the heat caused the wifi to stop working
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I've had the SAME exact problems with my tx1219. Too loud, too hot, wifi stops working, and also the touchscreen is horrible.
I've only worked with the tx2000 for 10 minutes, so I can't comment on the problems, but the the touchscreen was really good on it.
yeah tx2000 and up have vacom active digtizer and some got capative with dual touch
but I don't trust their quality so even if they look good on papir I don't want to pay that much with such a high risk of being ripped off
My computer is a couple years old so I'm trying to upgrade it to give it a new breath of fresh air. I'm really confused with all this pcI express 2.0, 2. 1, x 16 ... what does this mean? My motherboard is an MS-7525. it says it supports pci express x 16? What is compatible? Thanks guys
Peace and Love
Not based on any other specs of your computer (such as your PSU), It simply means you have a MB compatible with PCI-E x16 cards which are generally today's standard cards for computing. However, video cards typically require more juice than the stock PC has, So you would probably need to upgrade that.
ArtificialMusik said:
Not based on any other specs of your computer (such as your PSU), It simply means you have a MB compatible with PCI-E x16 cards which are generally today's standard cards for computing. However, video cards typically require more juice than the stock PC has, So you would probably need to upgrade that.
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That's no problem I'm willing to buy a new psu, so any card is conptabile? I just want a decent one with a good price what's with all the 2. 1 and 3. 0 stuff is it supported?
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LoveisPeace2012 said:
My computer is a couple years old so I'm trying to upgrade it to give it a new breath of fresh air. I'm really confused with all this pcI express 2.0, 2. 1, x 16 ... what does this mean? My motherboard is an MS-7525. it says it supports pci express x 16? What is compatible? Thanks guys
Peace and Love
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used to be heavy into custom PCs 3 to 4 years ago and when PCI Express came out, 16x was the best bus. But I know nothing these days. But here's some good places to start learning:
http://forums.guru3d.com/
http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/
http://forums.overclockersclub.com/
MartyLK said:
I used to be heavy into custom PCs 3 to 4 years ago and when PCI Express came out, 16x was the best bus. But I know nothing these days. But here's some good places to start learning:
http://forums.guru3d.com/
http://forums.extremeoverclocking.com/
http://forums.overclockersclub.com/
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Click to collapse
Thanks I will take a look
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LoveisPeace2012 said:
That's no problem I'm willing to buy a new psu, so any card is conptabile? I just want a decent one with a good price what's with all the 2. 1 and 3. 0 stuff is it supported?
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
2.1 Is just a recent update. Nothing too different from 2.0 (from what i understand)
Most NVidia cards are 2.0. But as I have implied previously, It heavily relies the PSU from my understanding. Make sure that you have something that can fit and work out for you.
ArtificialMusik said:
2.1 Is just a recent update. Nothing too different from 2.0 (from what i understand)
Most NVidia cards are 2.0. But as I have implied previously, It heavily relies the PSU from my understanding. Make sure that you have something that can fit and work out for you.
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Thanks a lot bro, I will buy a new psu to make sure it can handle it
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LoveisPeace2012 said:
Thanks a lot bro, I will buy a new psu to make sure it can handle it
Sent from my SPH-D710 using XDA App
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This is a good place to learn about PSUs and which ones are best...at least it used to be 3 or 4 years ago.
http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/index.php?
.
Moved to proper section, please read the rules before posting
If you have a small case, make sure you measure the space you have available and check that against the card dimensions. Some of the newer ones are behemoths! Check your PSU rating. If it's 600W+ you easily have enough juice to power any single GPU card on the market.
What resolution do you play at and what CPU do you currently have? It'd be pointless adding a GTX 580 to a system running a dual-core at anything less than 3.0Ghz, and ideally you'd want a quad-core running that speed to get the best from the top of the line gfx cards. Equally, if you play at 720 res, a top card would be overkill. Basically balance is what you want.
Assuming your PC is medium spec i would suggest a GTX560 TI for medium res, or GTX570 if you play at 1680x1050 or above.
Other stuff to consider.
Courtesy of the nice people at HP your motherboard looks like this:-
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01386897&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en
The graphics slot is the large black one above the HP logo.
A decent graphics card, and its resident cooler, will probably obscure both the small PCI express slots below it, and if there is anything in the bottom standard PCI slot, that may obscure the air intake for the GPU cooler fan. Anything in these slots?
Graphics Cards need their own six, (later eight) pin PCI power sockets, (some of the older amp hungry cards needed two six pin sockets!). As mentioned above your power supply needs to able to supply this amount of grunt.
What sort of case does this all fit in? If it is a HP slimline case, you may struggle trying to shoehorn all this in the case, as well as the fact that slimline cases tend to have bespoke power supplies.
It usually worth doing a fair bit of groundwork first, before parting with your hard earned moolah. It can sometimes end up as a complete rebuild to get it all to work properly. Been there, done it, got the T-Shirt.
Good luck!
stephj said:
Other stuff to consider.
Courtesy of the nice people at HP your motherboard looks like this:-
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c01386897&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en
The graphics slot is the large black one above the HP logo.
A decent graphics card, and its resident cooler, will probably obscure both the small PCI express slots below it, and if there is anything in the bottom standard PCI slot, that may obscure the air intake for the GPU cooler fan. Anything in these slots?
Graphics Cards need their own six, (later eight) pin PCI power sockets, (some of the older amp hungry cards needed two six pin sockets!). As mentioned above your power supply needs to able to supply this amount of grunt.
What sort of case does this all fit in? If it is a HP slimline case, you may struggle trying to shoehorn all this in the case, as well as the fact that slimline cases tend to have bespoke power supplies.
It usually worth doing a fair bit of groundwork first, before parting with your hard earned moolah. It can sometimes end up as a complete rebuild to get it all to work properly. Been there, done it, got the T-Shirt.
Good luck!
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the advice I am going to take it, first I am going to buy a new case its the Fractal Core 1000 series. It's a micro atx mini tower, I was looking at power supplies, if I have a micro atx motherboard does that mean I need a micro atx psu?
ok my post vreww
0S0 said:
ok my post vreww
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Pass that blunt bro
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LoveisPeace2012 said:
Pass that blunt bro
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Click to collapse
Hmmm... talking from experience here, so bear with me.
1. New GPUs are hot. I mean they suck the juice outta you. I mean, they run at high temperatures and require a high wattage PSU. That being said, usually they will have six/eight pin, sometimes double(!) power connectors. My 6950 is running two six-pin connectors. Also, almost all PCI-E ports are x16, and I'm sure the above posters have done their legwork for you. Since you're looking at a single card solution, getting something top-of-the-line, or thereabouts will do. NVIDIA/AMD doesn't matter, just get the BIGGEST, FATTEST, FASTEST (first two doesn't really jive with the last, right) card you can afford. This saves money, and gives you more bang for your buckeroos. They're BIG too. The size of my 6950 is drawn in the red box.
2. Smart move on getting a new case. Refer to no.1 for a good reason why I'm saying this. Here's a bonus tip; try getting it for FREE. Recycling centres, friends, even random custom PC shops might have them. check around your area. #1 important criteria for a PC-case = size. Bigger is better, and if it's the size of your room, huzzah! DISCLAIMER: my parents own a shop. I snatch free screwdrivers, screws, the occasional case (when mine get too dusty), cardboard, plastic and duct tape (explain later) and internets (actually, my own connection is faster :-|).
3. Air-flow + cooling. Almost split this to two different topics, but WTH. The are drawn in lime green is the size of a decent after-market cooler for your CPU. Depending on over-clockability, a CM Hyper 212 Plus (really cheap, like >USD20 cheap) will give you about 20%+ in temperature leeway. Good for ekking out just a bit more. WARNING: check our your processor slot first to ensure compatibility. Now, on to cooling. Notice the red and blue arrows? With the CM H212+, your airflow will change to that (you can do it the other way around, but you'll melt the PCB when playing Crysis). Oh, blue is cool air, red is hot air, but I guess that's intuitive enough, right? While it will seem idiotically retardedly stupidly imbecilic moronic dumb to let one component's hot air flow into another component's cool air intake, you should notice that purplish (borderline gay, but who am I to judge how your PC does things) block. That is your custom cooling solution, aka using plastic/cardboard + duct tape to change the airflow. Be creative, and just remember that hot air flows upwards, while being mindful of cables.
4. PSUs. Here is where $#[email protected]+ goes down. No.1 advice? Don't skimp. Components might sound cheap, but they are cheap for a reason. To cater to my 6950, I bent over and bought a 650W 80+ silver PSU. From your posts above, I surmise you understand about wattage, but you need to learn about the 80+ certification thing. It just means that when you're PC is running low loads, only 20% of the certified power draw is being used at any time. Good for energy efficiency because I leave my PC on 24-hours.
5. CPUs. @DirkGently pointed out that you shouldn't get an über-powerful (sorry for the ümlauts) GPU without getting an über-powerful (I'd apologize again, but I'm repeating myself) CPU. So... get one? NO! Over-clock that [email protected]+c#! (Note that the last exclamation mark is a mark of exclamation) My Phenom II x4 945 is showing its age, but my-oh-my it's ageing more gracefully than Lindsay Lohan.
Before I end, there's a few things I need to comment on; first being the lack of info from your side regarding the "proper" use of your PC. Specifics like, gaming at what resolutions with what usual effects on, or just simply going on Farmville to further your goals of world domination via virtual agriculture should suffice. We do not wish to learn about your [email protected]! gaming titles. Also, listing the exact and entire specs of your prior PC will go a long way towards organizing a proper refresher on your PC.
That should be about it, and thanks for indulging in my brief, profanity-laden, typing spree. Have a good day, and if this REALLY kicks off (I'll know when I get a thank or two here) I might post pretty pictures of how my monstrosity looks like.
I'm interested in building my own gaming pc, something that can run games like BF3 and Fallout 3, New Vegas on full graphics. If I had to throw a price out there, I would say something under $700, the cheaper the better. I don't have a preference in parts since I am not experienced at all in this. I have looked at different videos and tutorials on this but I wanted peoples opinions on specific combinations, part brands, etc. Thank you beforehand! :good:
I asked this question here before, a member recommended me to go to overclocked.net they could help you out alot there on how to build a computer and what parts fit your specific needs
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I think this isn't very helpful but you should check alienware. They have that desktop for 700 bucks which has great specs.
Georges2251 said:
I think this isn't very helpful but you should check alienware. They have that desktop for 700 bucks which has great specs.
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DO NOT get an alienware. They are the apple of PC's. You pay a huge premium for fancy lights.
Get a computer with something along these lines:
Nvidia gtx 670
8-16 gig ram
Because of your price range you might have to go i5 as your processor
Asus motherboards are the bomb.
A cool case but don't spend more than 40 bucks on the case.
Any store you would recommend for the parts, something maybe cheaper and as reliable as New Egg?
Moved to Off-topic.
tigerdirect.com is a great place for parts
quad core CPU i5 or i7 $200
8gb ram 1600mhz or above $40
500 or 600 gtx series nvidia video card $200
SSD 128gb or above $200
750w power supply $50
Those prices are a guestimation based on average market prices. You don't need to trick out your case IMO, any that will fit your motherboard and everything else is fine. Frys electronics is a local electronics store near me that sells it all if you have one near you go there.
Thanks guys, this really gives me a good idea on what I need. What about in regards to the monitor and such. Anything good for the money? Any tips will be really appreciated.
valdesr11 said:
Thanks guys, this really gives me a good idea on what I need. What about in regards to the monitor and such. Anything good for the money? Any tips will be really appreciated.
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This was as close as I could get on newegg:
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811129042
$54.99
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822152185
$69.99
Acer G215HVAbd Black 21.5" Full HD WideScreen LCD Monitor
Item #: N82E16824009306
$119.99
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card (100314-3L )
Item #: N82E16814102948
$169.99
Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
Item #: N82E16817371030
$59.99
G.SKILL Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL9D-8GBNT
Item #: N82E16820231422
$39.99
Intel BOXDZ77SL50K LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813121618
$119.99
Intel Core i3-2120 Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz LGA 1155 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I32120
Item #: N82E16819115077
$124.99
Total before shipping+tax: $759.92
Could probably be brought down some by going with cheaper/ghetto on many of the parts like power supply, mobo, vid card, memory, case.
Also this does not take into account a copy of Windows (could be had cheaply if you are a college student through your school most likely) and keyboard+mouse.
Also could shop around for prices, Amazon can be pretty good as well as other sites mentioned.
I mostly stick with Antec for cases/power supplies these days, they're not super-gamer oriented by they have good 12v amperage and reliability.
I've been going intel not only CPUs but also Mobos for the same reasons, they are no frills reference boards. Simple and reliable. I see the appeal of overclocking but it just has never been a priority, spending more money on proper mobo+cooling to possibly reduce video encode times by seconds, maybe minutes?
Same with SLI/Crossfire, by the time I think I could benefit from a 2nd card the newer cards are already as good if not better for around what I paid for the first one.
If you did expand your budget I'd recommend a Crucial SSD drive over beefing up the CPU and mobo. You'll get more real performance gains from an SSD. Just don't benchmark it every day like a moron, they do have limited write cycles but it will last many many years with normal use not continuous torture testing.
Nice choice.. but it would be better if you go for i5 or i7 quad core processor.. they will give you higher fps and smoother performance..
Sent from the Underdog..
heinrichkaiser said:
Nice choice.. but it would be better if you go for i5 or i7 quad core processor.. they will give you higher fps and smoother performance..
Sent from the Underdog..
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Considering his budget I'd stick with the i3. An i5 won't give any meaningful performance gains for the majority of games out there as they are usually not multi-threaded.
Google for: "The Clarkdale Review: Intel's Core i5 661, i3 540 & i3 530"
It's an AnandTech review, there is a gaming page and it shows there really is only a 3-7 frame difference between the processors, and that's with the FPS being over 70.
Also as I said aside from the graphics card a Crucial SSD would provide the biggest performance gains overall. For games it will significantly cut down launch and load times. And it will make everything else faster, but with the budget as it is that will probably be an upgrade for later (though the prices have come down quite a bit, they are now under the $1/1GB ratio).
Also if you are on a budget, I'd also recommend picking up a basic Dell with an i3 processor and a PCI-Express slot and then getting a Radeon 6850 or 6870. Then expand the ram out yourself as well. It would probably be the cheapest way to get a decent base that you could upgrade to gaming duty.
I'm not really on a budget, I just wouldn't want to spend too much. I do play, but not to an extent that I would go all out. I play maybe a couple of times a week, mostly online with BF3 and story modes on games like Fallout and Skyrim. I decided to sell my laptop since my family got me an Ipad for my birthday, and with the PC that I build with this I can sell my Xbox as well with all its games. Then I'll use my PC for school, games, and surfing the web. The Ipad for traveling and taking it to school. You guys know more than me about what is best when it comes to gaming PC's, I just want to get my money's worth and not make a mistake when putting it together. If I need to go over my "budget" a bit, its no big deal, same with letting me know if you think I shouldn't even build one and just get a Dell like you said, and upgrade the main parts for gaming in order to save money.
valdesr11 said:
I'm not really on a budget, I just wouldn't want to spend too much. I do play, but not to an extent that I would go all out. I play maybe a couple of times a week, mostly online with BF3 and story modes on games like Fallout and Skyrim. I decided to sell my laptop since my family got me an Ipad for my birthday, and with the PC that I build with this I can sell my Xbox as well with all its games. Then I'll use my PC for school, games, and surfing the web. The Ipad for traveling and taking it to school. You guys know more than me about what is best when it comes to gaming PC's, I just want to get my money's worth and not make a mistake when putting it together. If I need to go over my "budget" a bit, its no big deal, same with letting me know if you think I shouldn't even build one and just get a Dell like you said, and upgrade the main parts for gaming in order to save money.
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Building a PC isn't too bad nowadays but there are weird little quirks you can run into.
For instance, I build a system for my wife and got a case with USB3.0 front ports but the mobo only had USB2.0 front panel connectors, oops. Ended up having to buy an adapter from another case manufacturer, wasn't a huge deal but was a little annoying. I've also had issues with cases having more fans and plug harnesses than the motherboard had but that is less the case as a lot of case fans use molex harnesses.
frank_jaeger said:
Building a PC isn't too bad nowadays but there are weird little quirks you can run into.
For instance, I build a system for my wife and got a case with USB3.0 front ports but the mobo only had USB2.0 front panel connectors, oops. Ended up having to buy an adapter from another case manufacturer, wasn't a huge deal but was a little annoying. I've also had issues with cases having more fans and plug harnesses than the motherboard had but that is less the case as a lot of case fans use molex harnesses.
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Yeah stuff like this is what I want to avoid.
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valdesr11 said:
Yeah stuff like this is what I want to avoid.
Sent from my PG86100 using xda premium
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What I listed earlier is a pretty decent start point I think.
Case obviously is very much up to taste, I like the Antec 300 because it has a lot of bays, large rear and top fans and looks nice. No chrome and lights n stuff.
Video card could be swapped based on brand/manufacturer preference.
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM
Item #: N82E16832116986
$99.99
Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD2 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Item #: N82E16820148443
$179.99
Adding the OS (Win7 Home 64-bit OEM) and the SSD drive bumps the total up to $1,035.90.
The SSD drive would be for OS, games, programs. And any big files like movies, music, etc could go on the regular 1TB.
As far as actually assembling it you can probably find some pretty good generic guides but really just need to take it slow and follow the directions. The case comes with these kind of "post" screws, that you put on first and then the MB sits on those and then you use the normal little screws. And check everything to make sure the screws you use are the correct threading for where you put them.
Oh and IO panel cover that comes with the MB goes into the case first before mounting the MB itself.
One weird area is connecting all the front panel switches and lights (power, hdd activity) from the case to the MB, usually isn't too bad as the case plugs are labeled and then you just color match.
I honestly think an i3 will be sufficient for normal use and gaming. Additional threads/cores won't really show their worth unless you're doing 3D rendering or lots of encoding jobs.
Only thing is with the OEM license it would be paired to the motherboard at license time. The retail license which you can move between complete systems is an additional $80.
frank_jaeger said:
What I listed earlier is a pretty decent start point I think.
Case obviously is very much up to taste, I like the Antec 300 because it has a lot of bays, large rear and top fans and looks nice. No chrome and lights n stuff.
Video card could be swapped based on brand/manufacturer preference.
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM
Item #: N82E16832116986
$99.99
Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD2 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Item #: N82E16820148443
$179.99
Adding the OS (Win7 Home 64-bit OEM) and the SSD drive bumps the total up to $1,035.90.
The SSD drive would be for OS, games, programs. And any big files like movies, music, etc could go on the regular 1TB.
As far as actually assembling it you can probably find some pretty good generic guides but really just need to take it slow and follow the directions. The case comes with these kind of "post" screws, that you put on first and then the MB sits on those and then you use the normal little screws. And check everything to make sure the screws you use are the correct threading for where you put them.
Oh and IO panel cover that comes with the MB goes into the case first before mounting the MB itself.
One weird area is connecting all the front panel switches and lights (power, hdd activity) from the case to the MB, usually isn't too bad as the case plugs are labeled and then you just color match.
I honestly think an i3 will be sufficient for normal use and gaming. Additional threads/cores won't really show their worth unless you're doing 3D rendering or lots of encoding jobs.
Only thing is with the OEM license it would be paired to the motherboard at license time. The retail license which you can move between complete systems is an additional $80.
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Fortunately, my school provides us with Windows 7 (all versions) for free. So that's $100 I can save. Building it doesn't worry me as much as getting the right parts and making sure they work for what I need them for. What is the deal with AMD and why do people love Intel so much over it?
valdesr11 said:
Fortunately, my school provides us with Windows 7 (all versions) for free. So that's $100 I can save. Building it doesn't worry me as much as getting the right parts and making sure they work for what I need them for. What is the deal with AMD and why do people love Intel so much over it?
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Intel hit a homerun with the initial Core 2 Duo/Quad processors after the old Core Duo pieces of crap. Since then they haven't let their quality and performance drop. They were the SSD leaders for awhile as well but Crucial took that away from them, Samsung is making noise but still hasn't been proven.
Really though it just comes down to preference. I'm not really up to date on what AMDs current cpu offerings are, I switched from AMD to Intel during the Core 2 Duo days and stuck into the Core i series. Basically it seems the AMD cpus are sub-par compared to Intel offerings and to counter-balance AMD cuts the price.
Granted while I have no preference for AMDs processors I love their GPUs. The Radeon HD 4870 made a lot of waves when it came out and they've continued to deliver. The 6850/70/90 have excellent performance to price ratios.
That's another item you could swap, is the 6850 for the 6870 (what I'm running currently) or a comparable Nvidia card, just check the reviews on sites like anandtech, tomshardware, legitreviews. Again this is all opinion but the card manufacturers I've been partial to lately are Sapphire/XFX/EVGA, mostly Sapphire because they are the least expensive and I've had great results with them. ASUS and Gigabyte would probably be ok.
Also as an earlier posted said you can most likely get better info/recommendations from a dedicated site like overclock.net.
SKYNET 1.0
Good morning everyone,
I thought I should share the official build I purchased last night. Came out to a little more expensive than I wanted but it will be worth it in the end.
And that's with not doing exactly what I wanted of having two monitors and throwing in there a home theater system build as well.
So I just kept it as a gaming system for now. I will either be upgrading it as I go or sell it in the future and build my second one when I have money for it with exactly what I want, and possibly learn to overclock
1 x Logitech MK550 Black USB RF Wireless Ergonomic Wave Combo
1 x APC BE450G 450 VA 257 Watts UPS
1 x ASRock B75 PRO3 LGA 1155 Intel B75 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
1 x Newegg Free CPU Magazine Coupon
1 x Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, ...
1 x ASUS VH242H Black 23.6" 5ms HDMI Full 1080P Widescreen LCD Monitor W/Speakers
1 x SAMSUNG 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model MV-3V4G3D/US
1 x EVGA 012-P3-1571-KR GeForce GTX 570 HD w/Display-Port (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready ...
1 x Western Digital WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
1 x Rosewill CAPSTONE Series CAPSTONE-450-M 450W ATX12V v2.31 & EPS12V v2.92 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD ...
1 x ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
1 x Intel Core i5-3470 Ivy Bridge 3.2GHz (3.6GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics ...
Everything including shipping came out to $1,077.18 - $30 in rebates.
I'll post some pictures later on of the building process just to share with you guys.
P.S. Thank you guys for all the advice and mad credit to everyone from the overclock.net community. You were all great and a big influence on my build.
Nice!!!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
I'm starting college next year, and I need a laptop! I better one than my current laptop anyways... I currently have an Acer Aspire S7 391 - purchased it used, and it just has too many cons that just don't make it worth the $600 I paid for it.
It gets too hot for Lap use, battery life is about 2-3 hours, the fan gets crazy loud... too loud for my high school classes, and the trackpad is jumpy, slow, and just.. terrible.
So I need a new laptop! Here are some things I would like to mention that may help tell you what I'm looking for.
1. Good Battery Life. A minimum of 6 hours.
2. Atleast a 1080p display. (Prefer touchscreen)
3. 13 inches minimum display size.
4. Slim, and powerful for it's size. I don't need to be editing videos or playing games, but being able to do some tasks that require a little more power would be nice!
5. The fan, if there is one, simply can't be loud. I don't know why this bothers me so much, it's fine if it's my desktop, but for a laptop, ugh..
I'll also be bringing my desktop to school, this Laptop will mostly be for taking notes, and being able to do all of my school "stuff" on a portable device, so I can work... anywhere!
Your suggestion doesn't need to match any of the specifications I mentioned, I'll certainly take a look at anything recommended!
Thank you so much!
(In-case it makes any kind of difference, I'm going into Business at an above average university, 30,000 students total)
I forgot to include a budget! haha! I'm willing to look into used versions of the laptops recommended as well, to possibly save a hundred bucks or so, I would say mu budget is just around $1,000. (Possibly being able to find it used for maybe $800 if any are available used).
Dell Inspiron 13 may be a fit for you.. If not the Surface Pro 3 was OK
I reckon surface pro, but if your looking for a bargain, look at some of the sub $200 Windows 8.1 tablets. Ad some accessories such as a keyboard, mouse and battery pack, and you could have a decent laptop replacement for under $300.
I would even suggest something such as the cube iwork7 dual boot tablet (android and windows 8.1) for ~$125USD from geekbuying
http://www.geekbuying.com/item/Cube...GB-32GB-HDMI-IPS-BT---White-Black-341909.html
This is all you really need for school imo, and after adding accessories such as a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, battery pack and usb hub, you could have a moderately powered computer for about $200.
I seriously considered doing this myself, but the school gave us Lenovo ThinkPad yogas (current model), which is also a good option.
Ive been wondering about this also. Im about to start my computer science degree this year.
Look into Asus. By far the best in terms of hardware and build.
I'm particularly fond of the N range, though those might be a bit too powerful for regular use. (still, €1299 for a laptop(N76VB) that can run Dragon Age Inquisition on Ultra at 58FPS is well worth the money to me.)
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