[ssmit132]

I'm looking for a new computer for my birthday. I got the specs of this ready-made Acer from Harvey Norman:

• Pentium Dual Core 2.7Ghz
• 2GB Ram, 320GB HD, DVD RW
• 512 GeForce G210
• Vista Home Premium

for $1099.00, with a 19" ICD Monitor starting from $199.00.

However, this suggested computer from the program on the computer magazine I get seems to be better:


What do you think of that? I know the one from Harvey Norman isn't that good compared to the PerfectPC one, but I just want someone's opinion on that before I go and get someone to build it for me (I'm not confident enough to try and build it myself), such as what kind of performance it will have. However, I want to keep around $100-200 for a wireless router, too.

Cole suggested that I go to Newegg, but I'm not sure about that, as I don't know if my Mum would be able to get the tax refund if I get something overseas (You can get a rebate on new computers if you're a student and you're getting it for 'educational purposes'). Also I need to get it before the end of the financial year to be eligible, and the maximum cost is $1500

[redsniper]

(I'm not confident enough to try and build it myself)

Try and build it yourself anyways. The hardest part is finding what parts you want to get, and you've already done that. There is only one right way for all the parts to fit together and they're more resilient than you think. You'll feel better for it.

[colecampbell666]

Aye. It's actually super-simple to build a PC, it's like doing a really simple puzzle with 10 pieces.

[Tyrian]

I'd second the build it yourself suggestion.  NewEgg is a great place to do research.  It's also where I got the parts for my system.

As for your system, I'd look at more RAM, a 64 bit OS, and a bigger hard drive.  (Those things are all fairly inexpensive.)  You also might want to consider XP instead of Vista.  I know that they've fixed the problems, but there was so much bad press initially that M$ has essentially written off the entire OS.  You might want to go with XP 64 bit and upgrade to Win7 once the initial bugs get ironed out.  Also, I searched NewEgg and didn't find that GeForce G210.  Could you post a direct link to it somewhere?

[eliex]

Is it a possibility to wait until mid-October when the retail Windows 7 is released? From all tests, W7 is far superior to Vista and somewhat better than XP.

[colecampbell666]

Linux.

[ssmit132]

I could wait for mid-October for Windows 7...

Should I buy the parts from NewEgg or should I research on there and try to buy the parts local? Also, would Newegg just send the parts if I want to build it myself?

Also, do you know of a good wireless router that supports Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and isn't too expensive?

[Dark RevenantX]

1. Some of those prices are weird.  Really, I've seen 1.5TB for $125, yet on that thing there's a 1TB drive for $150...

2. Core 2 Duo is an useless thing to buy these days.  Get a Quad or i7 for a new computer.  Look at the best price-performance ratio, such as the i7 720.  It is possible for you to try AMD (cheaper than Intel if you like to overclock), but it seems you're set on Intel.

3. Rather than a single HD 4850, I'd suggest TWO of them, or a single HD 4890.  You could also go with nVidia, in which case a GTX 285 would be the best (and most expensive, except for the GTX 295) choice.  GTX 275 seems to be about even with the HD 4890...

4. 4GB of ram, and 64 bit XP (cheap, and you can wait until W7 comes out).  Unfortunately W7 is going to be RIDICULOUSLY expensive - starting at $250...  the 64 bit XP you could probably get OEM to halve the price...

5. Buy as much as possible from retailers if you can.  If you have a good retailer near you, such as Frys Electronics, buy from them rather than online.  You may get the full sales tax, but shipping costs are eliminated (for all of the computer parts combined, the costs can be anywhere from $40 to $200) and you get the parts instantly.  Sometimes you can nail some sales and get parts for VERY cheap (I got 4GB of 4-4-4-12 latency DDR2 800mhz RAM for only $45).

6. The case is important.  Very important.  It doesn't have to be a refrigerator, but it MUST be large enough and must have good air flow.  DO NOT buy a flimsy piece of crap, even if it has good air flow, because it will not last in the unideal environment a desk or home floor can be.  That $60 for a PSU AND case, AND mouse, AND keyboard, will give you utter crap.  You should be spending $60, at least (unless you get a deal), on the case alone.

7. Cheap PSUs (Power Supplies) WILL **** YOU OVER.  It doesn't have to be modular, but make sure it has enough power and MOST IMPORTANTLY MAKE SURE IT IS RELIABLE!  If the power supply fails, it can either be: a. an annoyance - you have to replace it. b. a problem - it shorted out your motherboard and CPU costing you a couple hundred. c. a massive ****ing emergency - it started smoking and burnt part of your case and shorted out most of the parts in your computer, rendering most of your equipment destroyed.  You don't want to take the time to sue the PSU company (chances are you'll lose anyway) - you'll simply lose that $1,000.

[ssmit132]

I'm not really worried about Intel or AMD and ATI or nVidia. Either one is fine with me, but I'd go with the cheaper brand (as far as I know both brands perform equally well). I'm just not very hardware-savvy, the only things I know are memory and hard drives - anything else I'm not very knowledgeable about. So I'll go and look around the computer stores - unfortunately there's only two dedicated computer stores around my place.

The only good (well, I think so) case/power supply brand I know off the top of my head is Antec - any other good ones I should look out for?

[portej05]

Sorry DarkRev, we don't have NewEgg in Australia
ssmit:
I bought my machine from AusPC Market 2 years ago - it is still going strong.
I advise getting a copy of Vista so that you can use the upgrade path to Win7.
I got an Antec modular PSU.
I agree that the PSU is important. I remember seeing a review somewhere that showed that the cheaper PSUs are generally inferior to the brand name ones.
I'd go Intel processors - they seem to have better offerings atm.
As to ATI/nVidia - I've never had problems with nVidia (my brother had an ATI card, and always had problems)
I'd go 32bit OS unless you have a reason to go 64bit - driver support is generally better under 32bit - I bought a USB/serial belkin device a little while ago (to try out the new embedded systems hardware at uni), and they don't support it at all under 64bit. Just one cautionary tale.

Hope this helps!

[Dark RevenantX]

Sorry DarkRev, we don't have NewEgg in Australia

Wait, what?  I never mentioned NewEgg...


Anyway, ATI is cheaper, but nVidia is usually more of a quality product.  Low-tier nVidia cards are useless, so if you're looking for good price-performance ratios, go with high-end ATI or mid-high nVidia cards.  8800GT, 9800GTX, GTX 260 Core 216, GTX 275, GTX 280 (and if you're financially secure, GTX 285) are all great choices.  2x HD 4850 and HD 4890 are the only good ATI options right now.

[ssmit132]

Okay, I'll have a look around the shops today.

One thought occured to me, though; what about sound cards? Do I still need to buy one, or are they integrated into something else now?

[Ghostavo]

I'd actually suggest the two 4770 instead of a single 4890.

[High Max]

;-)

[General Battuta]

Sorry DarkRev, we don't have NewEgg in Australia

Wait, what?  I never mentioned NewEgg...


Anyway, ATI is cheaper, but nVidia is usually more of a quality product.  Low-tier nVidia cards are useless, so if you're looking for good price-performance ratios, go with high-end ATI or mid-high nVidia cards.  8800GT, 9800GTX, GTX 260 Core 216, GTX 275, GTX 280 (and if you're financially secure, GTX 285) are all great choices.  2x HD 4850 and HD 4890 are the only good ATI options right now.

Things may have changed since I bought my components, but as of last summer, the HD 4870 was an excellent pick... is the HD 4890 the same thing but a bit better?

The 4870 was performing as well as much higher-priced Nvidia cards in benchmarks.

[ssmit132]

Well, I didn't get to look in the shops today, but I found an Australian site that allows you to get a quote on a custom computer, so I decided to see what hardware I could get at what cost. I've only done the internals for the moment, since I want to get them out the way before I choose what external peripherals I want (and since I'll probably just get a cheaper keyboard and mouse, they're not really important at the moment - also a Ethernet card since I'm not going to worry about a wireless router yet).

This is what I have so far:


This is by no means set in concrete, just more of like throwing together pieces at the moment, and I probably won't find the exact parts around my area. I chose the HD 4870 since it appears to balance price and performance. Also, I'm not sure on the case and power supply (specifically wattage), so I chose one of the higher-wattage Antec ones.

[colecampbell666]

I'd really go for the 4890 over the 4870. You can also get WD Blue and Black HDDs, much better than the Green Power ones in terms of performance, much better.

Go for a newer dual rather than a ****ty quad like that, try the E8XXX series, or optionally an AMD Phenom.

Is that AUD? Cause some of those components seem a bit too expensive.

[ssmit132]

Since it's an Australian site, I assume they're in AUD, Cole. But this is just to get an idea of what it'll cost me; I'm (almost certainly) not getting the components from this company.

Something like this, then?



I decided to choose an AMD processor since then I'd be able to get the 4890 without paying as much as I would with an Intel processor.

I can be flexible with the case and motherboard (especially as I chose a more expensive motherboard this time around), but I don't want to pay much more for the internals, as I don't have much left out of $1500 for externals as it is.

I'll probably stick with whatever operating system I get for a while, until Windows 7 is released and goes down in price.

[Spicious]

First, ditch the network and sound cards; onboard is likely as good as your choices. Second, get a samsung disk - UJ not UI - $125 or less. Finally, the power supply won't work with a 4890 (or a 4870 for that matter).

[ssmit132]

Samsung disk, as in hard disk? And as I said, I can be flexible with motherboards and cases, so I'll just keep researching/asking the storepeople (as long as they are the helpful type).

I'll think I'll stick with the AMD Processor and the HD 4890, though. I haven't had any luck finding what kind of power the HD 4890 requires yet, but the Phenom II I chose uses 95W, so will a 550W power supply suffice?

Also, any motherboard that says it has 'Gigabit Lan' or something similar means that it has built-in Ethernet, doesn't it?