UKBouldering.com
technical => computers, technology and the internet => Topic started by: Jaspersharpe on December 02, 2009, 03:34:00 pm
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Right, I need a new PC. Basically just for storing photos, videos etc and work (I'll need to put an accounts / tax package on it + Sage etc but nothing fancy).
It'll not be used for games or anything else aside from arsing about on the internet so what sort of thing should I get? I'm assuming that I really don't need to spend a lot of money! Also realise that most people end up buying way too high (or totally wrong) spec for what they actually need so want to avoid being shafted.
Already seen that you can get a 1TB External HD for £60 so that would sort backing stuff up etc. I'm clueless about these things though so any advice would be most appreciated.
:please:
Not entirely sure what my budget is as it'll depend on how much :greed: I have left after being arse raped by HMRC next month :furious: but it'll be enough I'd have thought. Hopefully.
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This would do you fine (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/167153), although you'd have to either buy a copy of M$-Win [whatever version you want] as the default is Acers bastardised Linux distro Linpus. You can then either run M$ under virtualisation or just wipe Linpus and install (although best check its up to the minimum specs of whatever M$-Win version you install).
Oh and it doesn't come with a monitor, keyboard or mouse, but I suspect you may already have these.
Or you could give me ~£600 and I'll build you an identical system to mine (http://kimura.no-ip.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=gentoo_on_home_build)...
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3444/3971011395_acd8305982.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/slackline/3971011395/)
Spec...
Case Hiper HTC-1K614, Anubis Mid-Tower Alloy Case
PSU SilverStone 500W ST50F-230 v-1.0
Motherboard Gigabyte GA-X48-DS4 - Motherboard - ATX - iX48 - LGA775 Socket - UDMA133, Serial ATA-300 (RAID) - 2 x Gigabit Ethernet - FireWire - High Definition Audio
CPU Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Socket 775 (3.0GHz) 1333FSB 6MB L2 Cache
RAM Corsair 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 1066MHz/PC2-8500 XMS2 Memory CL5 2.1V
Graphics nVidia "Palit 9500GT 1GB DDR2 Super + VGA DVI HDMI PhysX and Cuda ready PCI-E Graphics Card
Fan Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro Quiet Intel CPU Cooler
HD 1 x Samsung SpinPoint F3 500GB Hard Drive SATAII 7200rpm 16MB Cache
RAID 2 x Samsung SpinPoint F1 HD103UJ 1TB Hard Drive SATAII 7200rpm 32MB Cache
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Do you need peripherals like screen/keyboard/mouse or just the base unit?
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Ah no I do need everything really as the only kit I have / had is ancient and shit. I want shiny new stuff.
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What about one of these then... all in one..
http://uk.insight.com/apps/productpresentation/index.php?product_id=ARRCA06MIS&nbs_search=C%3D102%26S%3D1013%26lang%3Den-gb%26SB%3Dplh%26200055v%3D5%264090v%3DAll-in-one (http://uk.insight.com/apps/productpresentation/index.php?product_id=ARRCA06MIS&nbs_search=C%3D102%26S%3D1013%26lang%3Den-gb%26SB%3Dplh%26200055v%3D5%264090v%3DAll-in-one)
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that desktop would still fit your needs, keyboards, mice and even monitors can be picked up from various places of work pretty easily (there's one of each currently gathering dust in the office here, probably going to nab the LCD monitor for my neighbour but can grab the mouse and keyboard for you). If you want new they're still relatively cheap anyway.
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Would it be worth getting someone like you to build something from scratch that was a lot lower spec than your setup or would that not be cost effective in comparison to the ready made examples?
Nothing nickable from work unfortunately.
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Would it be worth getting someone like you to build something from scratch that was a lot lower spec than your setup or would that not be cost effective in comparison to the ready made examples?
Probably not, and to be honest I could probably have got as good or better spec machine for less than I paid for all the bits I bought. My main reason for doing it was a) geek factor b) never built a system from scratch before c) very nice case with lots of space for extras d) geek factor.
Also I couldn't make a nice all-in-one desktop like that which Tris has recommended.
I'd be happy to do it though, but with the disclaimer that I'm not responsible if I inadvertently screw things up by not being properly grounded whilst building it (earthed myself to the radiator before!).
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You could always get Jim to build it. His quotes are certainly competitive.
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Does the Slack---line 9000 have a red light on the front like this?
(http://people.ict.usc.edu/~pynadath/images/hal-9000-eye.jpg)
S---L 9000 "I am putting myself to the fullest possible use, which is all I think that any conscious entity can ever hope to do"
Jasper "What are you talking about, SL?"
S---L 9000 "This tax return is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it"
Jasper "I won't argue with you anymore. Open the fridge and get me a beer"
S---L9000 "Jasper, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye."
--------------------
--------------------
S---L 9000 "Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half crazy all for the love of you. It won't be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage. But you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two."
Jasper "I said get me a beer you bastard machine. You've drunk the lot!"
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:lol:
Cheers for the ideas.........
So I'm thinking that this might be a decent setup for around £300:
http://www.ebuyer.com/bundle/K9TKD67P4/167153 (http://www.ebuyer.com/bundle/K9TKD67P4/167153) Which is the mini thing slackers recommended with a 2GB memory upgrade.
This monitor....... http://www.ebuyer.com/product/169051 (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/169051)
Keyboard and mouse.......http://www.ebuyer.com/product/132140 (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/132140)
And then as you can get XP for about £35 (http://www.cheapwindowsxppro.co.uk/?gclid=CMrP45GbuJ4CFaBb4wod2ElLmw), put that on it. A friend of mine in prison says he can get a copy for me but for the sake of £35 I think it would be better just to use the genuine one. I also realise that everyone is using Windows 7 now but I'm not spending £150 on an OS and I don't know how to get it for FUCK ALL. And I'm not geek enough to use the penguin.
Total cost £299.95
IS THIS A GOOD PLAN!? DO I NEED ANYTHING ELSE!?
As you can probably tell, I've been thinking about this for months without actually doing anything about it.
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IS THIS A GOOD PLAN!? DO I NEED ANYTHING ELSE!?
Oh and, as I mentioned, this.....
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/181159 (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/181159)
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Looks good Jasper. The computer actually comes with mouse and keyboard (apologies for misleading you), but it doesn't indicate whether they're wireless or not, so if thats a feature you want the one's you've selected look fine. Good size and price on the monitor too.
One final thing to check is the minimum requirements for the version of XP you want to install, I'm sure it will be fine.
Oh and don't forget there's no CD-ROM on it, so you're going to have to do some jiggery pokery to get M$ Win XP onto a USB stick and install from that or consider getting an external drive like this (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/172850) ( :oops: bit of an oversight)
(sorry for the late reply went to the cinema last night then a few drinks :pissed:)
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look at dell outlet site. you can get half decent spec desktop with win 7 on it for about 250.
get a 22" monitor, no smaller as well, can be got for about 100
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Probably not, and to be honest I could probably have got as good or better spec machine for less than I paid for all the bits I bought. My main reason for doing it was a) geek factor b) never built a system from scratch before c) very nice case with lots of space for extras d) geek factor.
Every machine I've built has saved significant amounts compared to what you'd pay for a ready built machine. Having said that, the more expensive it is the more you save.
Try building one yourself, it's very therapeutic.
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Oh and don't forget there's no CD-ROM on it, so you're going to have to do some jiggery pokery to get M$ Win XP onto a USB stick and install from that or consider getting an external drive like this (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/172850) ( :oops: bit of an oversight)
Cheers slackers. Already have a decent external CD-ROM so that's cool.
look at dell outlet site. you can get half decent spec desktop with win 7 on it for about 250.
get a 22" monitor, no smaller as well, can be got for about 100
Nice one Jim. I'll have a look.
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Would this do? (http://outlet.euro.dell.com/topics/global.aspx/arb/online/en/InventoryDetails?systemId=EP16ZJ83&~lt=popup&c=uk&l=en&s=dfh&cs=ukdfh1) Looks like better spec than the last one + includes Win7.
You were right by the way Jim, I found a really nice 22" monitor for £104.
Total cost of this system (inc the external HD + some speakers) £381.60 so only £20 more than the previous setup. Fuck me this is confusing.
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Looks like a good bet, doesn't list graphics card, but as all you want it for is simple surfing/pics/vid storage etc. these aren't really points that require much consideration. Processor is only single core and moderate speed, but again since you're not going to be pounding it it shouldn't be an issue.
Fuck me this is confusing.
Yep, lots of letters and numbers that I spend ages looking up the meaning and significance of. Simple/general rule is the higher the better.
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Yeah there's one with a dual core processor but that's another £40 extra and I think it'd be overkill anyway for what I need it for.
The spec of the PC I use at work is pathetic in comparison and it still works ok for the type of shit I'll be doing at home.
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Yeah there's one with a dual core processor but that's another £40 extra and I think it'd be overkill anyway for what I need it for.
The spec of the PC I use at work is pathetic in comparison and it still works ok for the type of shit I'll be doing at home.
Dual cores good - even the atom ones kind of do it (someone will know more than me..) - if you've got a flash intensive website or video playing on one browser window it doesnt cripple the machine for anything else (in my experience)... defo worth the extra sheets.
Watching this thread with interest as the GF needs a new desktop...
More genius from Lagers earlier ;D ;D
T
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Shut up. I'm not spending any more.
Seriously, the bag of shit PC I'm writing this on is about 5 years (old and was shit then). It manages to do plenty at once (for my needs) and I can't see me ever doing more at once at home.
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The computer I recently replaced was about 9 or 10 years old and was fine for 95% of my requirements, it was getting sluggish when I was stitching pictures together.
The laptop I use is a Dell Latitude X300 (http://kimura.no-ip.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=gentoo_on_dell_lattitude_x300) that I was kindly allowed to keep when I left a job back in January 2006. I'd already had it for three years before leaving the job. Opened it up earlier this year to stick a bluetooth module in it, thankfully it worked when I put it back together (the second time, managed to fry the RAM playing around with it as I'd not taken the battery out :oops:).
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2539/3711714683_1742745502.jpg) (http://www.flickr.com/photos/slackline/3711714683/)
A Mac fanboy friend of mine said "Well the new Macs have eight-cores" when I was telling him about the new system I'd built. WTF are you using eight cores for when all you do is surf the web, write emails, and use word-processing and spreadsheets. Even the fancy eye-candy under OSX doesn't need that much processing power.
Its a complete myth/con that you need to have the latest and greatest computer.
Its not helped by the revisions of M$-Win continually requiring higher and higher specs, which suits the Wintel cartel fine, but just wastes normal people's money.
I've an old Sun Ultra 10 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra_10) (very c.1998 old 64-bit computer) you could have if you want Jasper, needs a new HD though and you'd have to re-install OpenSolaris or some flavour of Linux on it ;)
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STOP PRESS : I take it all back 48-core prototype CPU (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8392392.stm) :bow:
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A Mac fanboy friend of mine said "Well the new Macs have eight-cores" when I was telling him about the new system I'd built. WTF are you using eight cores for when all you do is surf the web, write emails, and use word-processing and spreadsheets. Even the fancy eye-candy under OSX doesn't need that much processing power.
Its a complete myth/con that you need to have the latest and greatest computer.
That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid!
Its not helped by the revisions of M$-Win continually requiring higher and higher specs, which suits the Wintel cartel fine, but just wastes normal people's money.
Presumably the Windows 7 that the Dell comes with will run ok on that system?
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Win 7 runs fine... slows down if you've got 1gm ram, but is all fine and dandy on my puny netbook so should be no problem.
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Cool.
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Of course I completely forgot (despite knowing) that Dell are cunts and their advertised prices never include VAT and delivery meaning £210 is actually £260 and that I can get a better spec machine for that than the one I was looking at from elsewhere so I'm still looking.
:furious:
Seen a decent one with no OS so if I was to put XP on it which one do I need to get as there seem to be a million different versions (32 / 64 / with various service packs etc). My head hurts.
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am very busy at home at the minute jasper so haven't been able to contribute much of late. right click on my computer - properties. what cpu and ram does it say you are currently running?
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Seen a decent one with no OS so if I was to put XP on it which one do I need to get as there seem to be a million different versions (32 / 64 / with various service packs etc). My head hurts.
You need to get the one with the penguin on the box ;)
The 32/64-bit refers to the type of processor and the size of the data blocks it can handle. (See this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/64-bit) if you want to hurt your head some more).
Post up the spec of the machine you're looking at and I'll be able to tell you whether you want a 32 or 64-bit OS.
The service packs are simply the updates that M$ release, you shouldn't have to worry about this, and certainly shouldn't pay more for one, 'cause you can download them for free!
The question then is whether you go for Home/Prox/[insert other name of a useless variant] which I know nothing about.
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Looking at this.........
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/176488 (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/176488)
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propably best sticking with 32 bit sp3 home.
i will be recycling some computers soon, so may have one good enough for your needs, i could also put windows 7 on it (obviously got off my mate in jail etc...)
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Cheers Jim / slackers.
propably best sticking with 32 bit sp3 home.
i will be recycling some computers soon, so may have one good enough for your needs, i could also put windows 7 on it (obviously got off my mate in jail etc...)
When's soon btw as I really need to get this shit sorted sooner rather than later!?
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propably best sticking with 32 bit sp3 home.
I defer to the man in the know on all things M$
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propably best sticking with 32 bit sp3 home.
i will be recycling some computers soon, so may have one good enough for your needs, i could also put windows 7 on it (obviously got off my mate in jail etc...)
I can recommend Jim's Computer Sales. Quotes and actual prices are linked by an exchange mechanism I don't fully understand, but you'll get a decent machine ready to go.
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why slum it with 32bit like a common leper, jim'll sort you out with a 256bit system. the day the world changed yeah.
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One of the reviewers of that PC I linked to (last link) says he's installed 64bit Windows 7 on it and it's running fine. Is that likely to be correct? I don't really understand all this 32 / 64 stuff but the price of both seem to be about the same.
Sorry for going on and on but I'm tearing my hair out with this shit! :wall:
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soon = next week
your better off with 32 bit as you won't have any compatability issues. 64 bit is only really usefull when you are dealing with a lot of data (seriously large amounts).
what spec computer have you got now? i may be getting some fast p4's my way very soon so could offer you an upgrade for less than fuck all. i may also be selling my htpc which is a bottom end core 2 duo but runs really well and is virtually silent
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Only have a super old bag of shit PC that I liberated from work a few years ago (and a netbook) which is why I'm starting from scratch really (unfortunately).
Good info re 32/64 ta.
What sort of spec is the one you may be selling and for what sort of price etc?
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an upgrade for less than fuck all
Ha! I told you his quotes were competitive. Shall we have a sweepstake on the exchange rate?
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The problem with building your own computer at the moment is that ram has nearly doubled in price.
I built one 3 weeks ago and was expecting to put 4gig ddr800 in for about £35 (some gold shit like cofe's), however it was nearer to £70 so only ended up putting 2gig in it. However this is more than enough for the average user. This is due to the introduction of DDR3
The low end core 2 duo chips are great value, they run really cool and the stock fans turn at very low rpm's (even when overclocked) and are virtually silent. My E2200 is overclocked from 2gig to 2.5 gig very nicely with no increase in noise this (http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/CPUs+%2F+Processors/Intel/Celeron+775/Intel+Celeron+Dual+Core+E1500+2.2GHz+%28Retail+775%29+?productId=37202) E1500 is only £35 and I bet would overclock to near enough 3 gig with out any worries alongside some decent memory.
Hard drives cost fuck all, 500gig = £35, 1tb = £58, 1.5 tb = £73, even SSD's are nearly at acceptable prices.
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So by those figures I can see why building your own might not be the right or even the cheapest option for me as just for the processor, memory and HD you'd be looking at £135 to get the same spec as the ebuyer PC I've been looking at (linked above) which is only £230 all in.
Only thing I'm not sure about now is a wireless card thing which it doesn't seem to have but which I presume would be easy enough to buy/install (I've put memory / graphics cards etc in machines before so I'm not a total retard when it comes to this shit). If someone could recommend one though that'd be handy.
Oh and my final sticking point is the OS. I know £70 is fuck all in the grand scheme of things but A) will it be easy enough to install Windows 7 on it if I buy it and B) (steady Slackers) Should I really be paying £70 for a bit of software when I could probably get a hooky version from a mate in prison etc? I'd sort of prefer to do it properly but provided the only thing I need to watch out for is Bill Gates "genuine software" update thing........
My Mrs is going to kill me unless I get this sorted in the next couple of days and to be fair I've had enough and just want to buy something!
All the advice so far is much appreciated.
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Only thing I'm not sure about now is a wireless card thing which it doesn't seem to have but which I presume would be easy enough to buy/install (I've put memory / graphics cards etc in machines before so I'm not a total retard when it comes to this shit). If someone could recommend one though that'd be handy.
Depends, where does your internet come into the house, and is it near where you want to site the computer? If its not too far between these two points then just go with a cable if its not going to be visually annoying.
Failing that I always go with Linksys networking periperhals, but most command brands (NetGear D-Link, ZyXel) are likely to be ok. You could either get a PCI card (http://www.ebuyer.com/search?page=1&store=8&subcat=1019) (similar to the graphics cards you say you've installed) or tie up one of your USB ports with a USB adapter (http://www.ebuyer.com/search?page=1&store=8&subcat=1020).
Oh and my final sticking point is the OS. I know £70 is fuck all in the grand scheme of things but A) will it be easy enough to install Windows 7 on it if I buy it and B) (steady Slackers) Should I really be paying £70 for a bit of software when I could probably get a hooky version from a mate in prison etc? I'd sort of prefer to do it properly but provided the only thing I need to watch out for is Bill Gates "genuine software" update thing........
Dual-boot :whistle:
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I've got enough rock boots, what does that mean?
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If you can try and plug into your router with a cable, its a lot faster and cheaper.
Personally I would definately go with windows 7. If you don't want to buy it I may be in the peak on wednesday and can give you a copy from my mate in prison
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Jim, are you a PC ebay seller or something? You always seem to be building one...
I'm in the market for a new desktop soon too - just need something that will do usual t'interweb stuff, as well as photoshop/lightroom/traktor pro with ease. No video processing or anything hardcore. Since I'm currently running an Athlon XP2800+ pro I suspect anything modern will be a massive upgrade. Any ideas of a ballpark spec/price?
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you can't go wrong with the low end core 2 duo's like the one I mentioned above. get a uATX board with graphics & sound onboard and you've got a nice little machine that will run quickly & smoothly as long as your not doing any intensive cpu or gpu action on it. Also as I previously mentioned they are virtually silent as they run really cool and the stock fans turn at very low rpm's even when overlocked and in the summer.
No I don't sell PC's, I just build them for mates and its kinda of a hobby. I also recycle computer bits, putting together systems from odds and sods and either giving them away or selling them for a couple of pints depending on how good they are
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A copy of Windows 7 (from your incarcerated friend) would be great. Nice one. I'll drop you a PM.
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only problem with that package is you don't know what motherboard or what speed memory it will have although I'm sure it'll work fine.
Also that E6300 is an old chip but still good.
I could get my mate to post it via the prison postal services if I don't make it over the peak next week, in return my incarcerated friend asks that you purchase a pint of quality ale and I am to drink it on his behalf ;D.
I just priced up a self build budget system:
DVD writer, case, 2gig ram, everything onboard uATX motherboard, CPU, 500gig HDD = £173.67 with 4gig ram = £213.34 so not far off that price at all
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Jasper - building a PC is piss easy - like a lego kit (if not easier) the hardest part is if a couple of jumpers need changing.. (all this is assuming its not much different from the last time I built one - about 5 years ago)
Jim - would it be possible for you to put up a slightly more detailed spec of whats there - or PM me one? it would be much appreciated..
I keep meaning to buy Mrs TT a new machine and I recon I might well just build her one instead.. also - wheres the best places to get components from nowadays - last time I did it it was Dabs etc.. but they dont seem as good as they used to be...?
T
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depends on where you live. aria is where I get all my stuff from these days as it's only 5 mins down the road rom my house http://www.aria.co.uk/ (http://www.aria.co.uk/)
cpu (http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/CPUs+%2F+Processors/Intel/Celeron+775/Intel+Celeron+Dual+Core+E1500+2.2GHz+%28Retail+775%29+?productId=37202)
memory (http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Memory/DDR2/DDR2+800+%28PC6400%29/Arianet+2GB+PC2-6400+DDR2+SDRAM+?productId=30174)
hard drive (http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Hard+Drives/Serial+ATA/500Gb+Samsung+EcoGreen+F2+SATA-2+Hard+Drive+?productId=35279)
case (http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Cases/MIDI+Tower/Arianet+2036+Black+Midi+Case+with+460W+PSU?productId=38071)
motherboard (http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/Motherboards/Socket+775+%28Intel%29/Asus+P5KPL-AM+EPU%2C+Intel+G31+Chipset%2C+DDR2%2C+LGA775+?productId=36992)
dvd writer (http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Components/CD%2FDVD+Drives/Internal/SATA/Samsung+22x+SH-S223B+DVD%C2%B1RW+SATA+-+Black+?productId=31918)
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wheres the best places to get components from nowadays - last time I did it it was Dabs etc.. but they dont seem as good as they used to be...?
T
Like Jim says, Aria are good or Microdirect (http://www.microdirect.co.uk/) have 2 shops in MCR. I usually go to them as they are closest to me. I tend to buy components in person (especially MB's) as you are more likely to get DOA's and it's quicker and easier to replace faulty parts rather than buying stuff online and posting it back and forwards.
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wheres the best places to get components from nowadays - last time I did it it was Dabs etc.. but they dont seem as good as they used to be...?
More recommendations here (http://ukbouldering.com/board/index.php/topic,9902.0.html) :)
I rate eBuyer (free delivery which is usually five days often turns up the next day, and before I go to work) and Scan (check out there daily deals for some bargains).
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Jasper - building a PC is piss easy - like a lego kit (if not easier) the hardest part is if a couple of jumpers need changing.. (all this is assuming its not much different from the last time I built one - about 5 years ago)
I know but my time is extremely valuable at the moment so the less faff the better!
Have sent you a PM Jim.
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Well after hours and hours of arsing about and tearing my hair out I have eventually bought this:
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/176488 (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/176488)
with this monitor
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/136897 (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/136897)
Keyboard, mouse and speakers and this external HD
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002C46042/ref=ox_ya_oh_product (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B002C46042/ref=ox_ya_oh_product)
after recommendation from Mr Starfish.
Total cost just under £420 and having had a quick look at pricing up something of similar (slightly worse actually) spec from PC World I reckon that a not dissimilar setup from them would have cost me just short of £700.
Thanks for all the help and special thanks to Jim's mate in Wormwood Scrubs for sorting out my OS nightmare.
I'll be posting on this thread again when I fail miserably to set it all up. ;D
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too late but have you considered an eeebox? good enough performance for everyday usage and very small size
http://event.asus.com/eeepc/microsites/eeebox/en/ (http://event.asus.com/eeepc/microsites/eeebox/en/)
I'm sure there must be other companies making similar
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Don't worry I've considered everything! Looked at them.
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Followed this thread with interest. I want a PC for general home stuff, but I'm also a bit of a gaming geek. Will this be good value for money and generally kick ass?
Inspiron 545
Intel® Core™ 2 Quad-Core Q8300 Processor (2.50GHz, 4MB cache, 1333MHz FSB)
6144MB Dual Channel DDR2 800MHz [2x2048 + 2x1024] Memory nVidia GeForce GT220 1024MB graphics card
750GB (7200rpm) SATA Hard Drive
Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
DVD +/- RW Drive
I've got a monitor etc already, but the PC plus some new speakers, keyboard etc is gonna cost £577. Is it worth shelling out for the 64bit, or should I go for the cheaper jobby off ebuyer like jasper?
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Quad core is a 64-bit processor (or are you referring to the OS?)
Speed on the RAM isn't brilliant, I'd want something a bit higher.
What sort of games are you wanting to play, presumably some 3d FPS?
Quad core is probably a bit of an overkill unless the games you want to play are multi-threaded (i.e. written such that they use multiple processors), and anyway, most of the work is done on the GPU, so a system with a more powerful GPU would probably be more sensible.
Consider shopping around for keyboard/speaker/mouse as opposed to going with Dell's basic cheap stock.
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Consider shopping around for keyboard/speaker/mouse as opposed to going with Dell's basic cheap stock.
:agree: dell standard keyboards are shiter than shite. If we buy a dell machine, the keyboard goes straight in the bin.
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Isn't this similar spec to what you're talking about but £100 cheaper?
http://www.ebuyer.com/product/172711 (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/172711)
Ignore me if not!
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Hmm, looks like some more digging around. I mostly play MMORG's and strategy stuff, but sometimes FPS as well. Don't really need anything that fast, but also want it to be upgradable so thought a 64bit machine would be better for this (can't 32bit machines only use 4GB of RAM or something?)
I'm one of those people with just about enough knowledge to be dangerous to themselves cos they think they know what they're doing, when in fact they ain't got a clue. And I'm not only talking about computers...
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For 32 bit desktop (windows not linux or otherwise) OS's you ain't gonna be able to see more than 3gb, so there's no point putting 4gb in the machine... if you want 4gb or above you need to put on 64bit.
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For 32 bit desktop (windows not linux or otherwise) OS's you ain't gonna be able to see more than 3gb, so there's no point putting 4gb in the machine... if you want 4gb or above you need to put on 64bit.
You forgot a crucial caveat there, in so much as this only applies to M$-OS's. Its linked to the fact that no single application/process can have more than 2Gb of RAM allocated to it. There's an informative outline of this and the implications for one of the stats packages I use here (http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/win/winmemory.html).
Under Linux you've been able to have >4Gb RAM (and > 2Gb RAM per app/process) for years, even under 32-bit. Just requires enabling in the kernel (its tiered so you can specify > 4Gb RAM or if you're really rich or have some specialist kit then you can specify >10Gb RAM (last time I looked at these options anyway)).
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Eh? I thought that's exactly what he meant by.......
For 32 bit desktop (windows not linux or otherwise) OS's you ain't gonna be able to see more than 3gb, so there's no point putting 4gb in the machine... if you want 4gb or above you need to put on 64bit.
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Thanks Jasper :)
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Eh? I thought that's exactly what he meant by.......
For 32 bit desktop (windows not linux or otherwise) OS's you ain't gonna be able to see more than 3gb, so there's no point putting 4gb in the machine... if you want 4gb or above you need to put on 64bit.
:oops: I managed to miss that bit, apologies Tris.
I skim read too lightly ::)
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Tis ok - it was added afterwards as an edit (afterthought), but obviously before you replied :lol:
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Tis ok - it was added afterwards as an edit (afterthought), but obviously before you replied :lol:
Ahh, so I'm not that crazy!
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ME AGAIN!
All my kit's been delivered and I have a copy of Win7. I'm not going to get the chance to sort it out til the weekend (probably) but I have one (hopefully last) query.
Jim's explained how to install the OS but I also have a CD with motherboard drivers on it and another one that came with the monitor (can't remember what it said it was).
So my query is, which do I stick in the computer first once I've connected all the bits together? Sorry for being so basic but I may as well ask rather than cock it up and have to start again.
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So my query is, which do I stick in the computer first once I've connected all the bits together? Sorry for being so basic but I may as well ask rather than cock it up and have to start again.
Load up Windows 7 and that will hopefully everything will work - you are probably not going to need the other disks but keep them handy just in case.
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Motherboard drivers is likely whats called the BIOS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BIOS) which is what gets your computer to start up initially. You'll likely find that these are already installed and the disc is a back up, so you probably don't need to worry about it (thats a guess though!).
The monitor disc will have drivers for the monitor, and these are something that Windows will use so you'd have to install Win7 first and if it doesn't automagically get your monitor up and running at the maximum specified resolution/refresh rate then you'd fall back on using the supplied drivers on the disc (whether it actually includes drivers for Win7 is a different matter though).
Either way what ever is on those discs can be obtained from the internet (or newer versions if and when released).
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OK, chances are (greater than 90%) that it has W7 alraedy on the Hard drive so you just switch it on and follow the instructions.
If that fails, you start with the W7 DVD and go from there. Chances are W7 will have most/all of the drivers you need (or will download them) so you will not need the other CD's - but it may ask you for drivers later on during the install...
Of course if you recieve a brown envelope in the post from another part of Sheffield containing a DVD with 'ubuntu' mystically scrawled on the top in felt-tip - insert in the DVD drive and await eternal salvation ;)
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No the copy of Win7 I have is on a CD not pre-installed (keep up with the thread tomtom!).
OK that's what I thought. Just go with the OS install and see what happens. Ta.
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OK that's what I thought. Just go with the OS install and see what happens. Ta.
Yeah unless you are doing something fancy with RAID on your disks, the Win 7 DVD will be all you need. Just pop it in and boot from it, you may need to press a key (to boot from CD/DVD) when you first switch the machine on though if it doesn't boot from it automatically. A lot of manufacturers use the F9 key for the boot menu, just see what options flash up - it may be different.
The Win 7 installation process is really easy, you can't go wrong...
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as previously stated, just stick the Win7 DVD in and follow that. There is a very good chance you won't need the motherboard driver CD as win7 has a very comprehensive amount of drivers already built in.
I've really no idea what slackline is waffling about. best ignore him
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I've really no idea what slackline is waffling about. best ignore him
:o You've never updated your BIOS?
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I love you guys.
(http://x28.xanga.com/20eb90f1c0c09233030441/z31312829.gif)
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:o You've never updated your BIOS?
Yeah - but Jasper said it was "a CD with motherboard drivers on it", last time I checked BIOS's didn't need drivers? You are talking about firmware..or am I wrong?
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BIOS is invariably a form of firmware.
I've never come across having to update drivers for a motherboard under the OS, as everything that would be improved would (most probably) have come from the motherboard manufacturers, and surely they'd have implemented improvements at the BIOS level so that they're independent of the OS? :shrug:
I guess you might get third parties who could write software that adds functionality to the motherboard under a given OS, but never encountered it before (not that my experience is a good measure of anything!).
Never have to specify what drivers are required for the motherboard (/what my motherboard is) for any of my Linux systems when configuring the kernel.
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In my experience motherboard drivers are drivers that are needed by Windows so that the OS can recognise various hardware on the motherboard - graphics, audio, network, chipset, bluetooth etc
You may get a utility to flash (upgrade) the BIOS firmware - but no BIOS drivers....
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Strange, you'd have thought the OS would have everything compiled in to recognise the possible hardware it might be installed in. Most features of MB's are fairly standard, its the quirky peripherals (such as bluetooth, CD/DVD/Blu-Ray, graphics cards, dedicated sound cards) that have unique features that can be anticipated by the OS coders that require specific drivers.
Actually thinking about it there is one driver for the on-board sound that I do compile in to my kernels (AC97 sound support).
Still if Win7 is so great you should never need a special drivers disc :)
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Still if Win7 is so great you should never need a special drivers disc :)
finally!!!!!!!!!!!!
all the rest of your words about bios drivers are nonce-sence.
the bios doesn't contain drivers for specific onboard devices that are used in the OS.
BIOS is basic input output system, which gives just enough control of certain things (eg video/keyboard/dvd drive/USB) so that the OS can be loaded which then assumes control over everything (clues in the name etc)
updating the bios can give you benafits but this is only if you are an experienced user and assuming that there is an update available.
99% of home computer users should never need to update the bios
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Still if Win7 is so great you should never need a special drivers disc :)
finally!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just like Vista did!
all the rest of your words about bios drivers are nonce-sence.
the bios doesn't contain drivers for specific onboard devices that are used in the OS.
BIOS is basic input output system, which gives just enough control of certain things (eg video/keyboard/dvd drive/USB) so that the OS can be loaded which then assumes control over everything (clues in the name etc)
updating the bios can give you benafits but this is only if you are an experienced user and assuming that there is an update available.
99% of home computer users should never need to update the bios
Cheers, thats clarified things that I should have known :-[
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no disrespect but your previous posts suggested that you didn't really know what you were talking about. Your post only seemed to serve to confuse people. You were getting updating bios and updating drivers mixed up which are 2 very different things. Also to confuse things further (jasper-ignore all this stuff)I have updated bios' via the OS on a number of different computers, I seem to remember dell seem to like doing it like this and I think my eeepc was also via the OS
Vista was shit, even microsoft admit this, win 7 is great
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(jasper-ignore all this stuff)
Don't worry, I am doing!
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no disrespect but your previous posts suggested that you didn't really know what you were talking about. Your post only seemed to serve to confuse people. You were getting updating bios and updating drivers mixed up which are 2 very different things.
None taken, it wouldn't be the first time, and won't be the last that I'm wrong, and thanks to yourself I've now learnt something and won't mis-inform people again, so thank you. :hug:
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It's up and running. ;D
Just got a minor issue to sort with BT who have fucked up the phone socket in the attic when failing to fix a previous broadband issue the USELESS FUCKING CUNTS.
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It's up and running. ;D
:thumbsup:
Just got a minor issue to sort with BT who have fucked up the phone socket in the attic when failing to fix a previous broadband issue the USELESS FUCKING CUNTS.
No surprises there then!
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Utter bastards. Just glad I shouldn't have to deal with them again after this.
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As Jasper seems to be finished with this thread I was hoping I can get away with a bit of a Hi-jack.
A few years ago my parents stupidly bought a computer through work which has been a ball ache for me every time I visit. From two hard drive failures, a card reader that they hadn't bothered hooking up and many many more things.
Its f*cked once again and they're willing to replace it.
They only use it for light internet, backing up all of their music and word processing/finance packages etc.
The screen and peripherals that came with it were all fairly poor so It'd be the whole lot to be replaced (although doesn't have to all be one package).
The eee boxes look interesting but none of them have optical drives which is one thing (as well as a card reader) that I think they'd like.
Jaspers option looked good but the screen is no longer stocked, and the lack of card reader and OS might be a bit of a ball ache. I'm not sure which OS would be best to be honest, Win 7 or sticking with something XP based, on one hand they know a bit in XP but they don't know enough for the change to absolutely confuse them.
Ideas?
Thanks.
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something like this?
http://www.aria.co.uk/Systems/Special+Offers/AriaNet+Value/Asrock+Nvidia+Ionstar+330+Nettop+PC+?productId=36632 (http://www.aria.co.uk/Systems/Special+Offers/AriaNet+Value/Asrock+Nvidia+Ionstar+330+Nettop+PC+?productId=36632)
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Cheers jim that looks great.
No OS: I'm a bit worried that if I go the "mate in jail" route, they'll do something with windows updates and all will fall down.
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which OS would people suggest?
stick with XP
or Win 7?
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^ No brainer.
Be more inclined to ward you away from AMD & the woeful multitasking ability.
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multitasking isn't something my parents do with computers, much like maintenance. but thanks
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Tune Up Utilities - one click maintenance.
It maintains it for you. PM
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Win 7 is brilliant from what I've seen of it so far. Very very easy to use.
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did you go mate in jail jasper? If so do updates etc. still work.
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Indeed. I've always had updates set so I check em before installing so no change there and its working fine. Seems it's just like XP and it's only the Genuine Advantage Tool thing you have to watch out for but a mate in prison reckons even if you cock it up there will be an easily downloadable patch to correct it etc.
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what Jasper said.
Soemthing like the product I linked to but with windows 7 as part of the package would be ideal. My mate in jail could always hook you up to.
There are a lot of those small box PC around now, I didn't really have time to search, look at all the usual suspects; ebuyer, dabs etc...
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this looks a good deal
http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/2827_12578.htm (http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/2827_12578.htm)
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pretty distasteful though
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Doesn't seem to have FireWire/ IEEE1394 either, so if you want to use it with your HV20/30/40 you may struggle.
Otherwise I agree with Jim, good deal.
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ok so I've had some more mis information I believe. Bloke in vid camera shop told me that USB 2.0 has surpassed Firewire and hence all vid cameras use that. I'm taking it thats not the case? My firewire port is f*cked I think.
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Things may have changed but Canon recommend FireWire for the HV20 :shrug:
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Doesn't seem to have FireWire/ IEEE1394 either, so if you want to use it with your HV20/30/40 you may struggle.
Otherwise I agree with Jim, good deal.
this ones not for me anyway... I'd rather hoped i could delay replacing my box as a HV20/30/40 + a new tower is a bit of a large hit.
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Just had a look at the HV20 Manual (http://www.camcorderanswers.com/manuals/Canon_hv20.pdf) page 76, and it definitely says to use IEEE1394 for video, and USB for still.
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Just had a look at the HV20 Manual (http://www.camcorderanswers.com/manuals/Canon_hv20.pdf) page 76, and it definitely says to use IEEE1394 for video, and USB for still.
I've just found similar on the HV20 forum, Thanks.
I should know better than to have listened. Someone today basically told me that I didn't want a HD Camera unless I had a bluray DVD recorder and that I should just buy the SD camera (that they'd sold out of).
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You need a puntering, boy.
Listening to specialists in camera shops rather than some scruffy boulderers.
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PCI or PCI-e firewire cards are fairly cheap.
I thought this box was for your folks?
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Firewire beats USB 2.0 hands down.
Are you confusing it w/ 3.0?
I've asked around some audio geek pals: consensus is those expansion cards firewire cards are poor.
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PCI or PCI-e firewire cards are fairly cheap.
I thought this box was for your folks?
it is jim, some PM info confusing the main issue. The box is for my folks. My own box can wait.
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Sorry, :guilty:
T'was just a thought in case you wanted to use it for vids at some point.
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Sorry, :guilty:
T'was just a thought in case you wanted to use it for vids at some point.
no problemo...I'll be back asking for something suitable for HD editing some time in the future, when I've sourced a camera for a start!
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In case anyone reading this is in the market for something similar etc.
I went for Jim's recommendation of the Asrock Ion330 (http://www.eclipsecomputers.com/product.aspx?code=PCA-ION330&af=50)
(http://www.ehomeupgrade.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/asrock_ion_330-bd.jpg)
for my folks, I can't believe how compact and quiet it is. Boots up and shuts down very quickly compared to everything I've ever had, Win 7 X86 was a doddle to install and the only driver it didn't instantly get was for the keyboard hotkeys... Nice
They also do a Bluray version which might be worth a look if anyone is looking for a media center type PC.
For me, I went for this Acer M3800 (http://www.ebuyer.com/product/167442):
(http://www.productwiki.com/upload/images/acer_aspire_m3800_1.jpg)
came with windows vista which was swiftly ditched for Win 7 X64. Seems great.
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It looks a lot better in that bigger picture :thumbsup:
Windows 7 x64 is the shizzle :dance1:
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this ones not for me anyway... I'd rather hoped i could delay replacing my box as a HV20/30/40 + a new tower is a bit of a large hit.
My own box can wait.
For me, I went for this Acer M3800:
:lol:
Looks cool. Win 7 is great. :agree:
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It did wait.. a few days.
My folks dropped off their external hard drive for me to transfer onto their new machine. Its hilarious, 100Gb capacity and its literally got the same footprint as the Asrock. Its incredible how fast technology moves.
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Ok, so I'll revoke my above recommendation (sorry lincoln) and tentatively ask to re-open this topic:
I need a desktop mainly for photo and video editing. The last one was the Acer linked above and I'd like one with equal capacity. (I've now worked out a suitable way to free my funds from ebuyer so its no longer a site specific search).
:please: