Welcome back to the board that actually believes in A-RODs. Hope the weather is wam and sunny for youA-ROD said:
Buying a new computer
- Thread starter Dawgger
- Start date
In all fairness, there is no such a thing as underbuy IF AND ONLY IF the consumer knows what he needs the new sustem for. For tech purchase, I always go with " what you need " , since within 3 years or even less, our current systems will be obsolete, given the pace of chip tech delvelopment.Dawgger said:
As any helpful salesman will tell you, you must know what you need your new system for. Then start from there. Yuo have a budget of about a grand right ? As I said before, that should get you a system more than enough for basic usage.
Best of luck.
I'll throw a few things out there...
Get a good power supply and case!!! The longevity of your system is dependent on these two items. The system may be obsolete by the time a cheaper PS goes, but you still may have use for it or want to be able to access documents on it. I speak from multiple experiences.
Vista is inevitable... so dual core, a 3d card with DirectX 9.0c support, 2 GB RAM and maybe even 64 bit will see your computer into the future. I don't see a need for Vista just yet, but in two years the user base will be large enough that you'll basically need to switch to get your hands on the latest software and hardware upgrades.
I personally would go to a Canada Computers or Logic Computer House to buy my systems. However... if you're not completely tech inclined I recommend you go with a store-bought ready-made system for support purposes. Although the CC and LCH guys are usually nice, they don't have the best customer care policies. I recently bought a power supply from one of them and it turned out to be a bad unit. Rather than replace it as a Futureshop or Best Buy would do, I'm waiting 4-6 weeks for the warranty replacement. Ridiculous.
Get a good power supply and case!!! The longevity of your system is dependent on these two items. The system may be obsolete by the time a cheaper PS goes, but you still may have use for it or want to be able to access documents on it. I speak from multiple experiences.
Vista is inevitable... so dual core, a 3d card with DirectX 9.0c support, 2 GB RAM and maybe even 64 bit will see your computer into the future. I don't see a need for Vista just yet, but in two years the user base will be large enough that you'll basically need to switch to get your hands on the latest software and hardware upgrades.
I personally would go to a Canada Computers or Logic Computer House to buy my systems. However... if you're not completely tech inclined I recommend you go with a store-bought ready-made system for support purposes. Although the CC and LCH guys are usually nice, they don't have the best customer care policies. I recently bought a power supply from one of them and it turned out to be a bad unit. Rather than replace it as a Futureshop or Best Buy would do, I'm waiting 4-6 weeks for the warranty replacement. Ridiculous.
I'd also recommend a good power supply. I use a lot of drives so I upgraded to 430W (which still isn't a whole lot) from a name brand.
In the past, I didn't realize how important the power supply is/was and I would just keep using the same one every time I changed systems. I've since learned that it pays to have a good one so when my last one burned out I upgraded.
A good power supply (not with case) should cost you around $50.
In the past, I didn't realize how important the power supply is/was and I would just keep using the same one every time I changed systems. I've since learned that it pays to have a good one so when my last one burned out I upgraded.
A good power supply (not with case) should cost you around $50.
Power supply is the big huge fan at the back of the computer with a fan.
Usually found at the top, it's what controls, distributes power to the various components of your computer.
Seasonic, Enermax, Thermaltake are well known brands and reliable.
Never cheap out on a power supply, get one with a good warranty and get one that would be more than sufficient for your computer.
It depends on what your computer specs will demand in terms of power.
ie - I could have gone with a 500W PSU (power supply unit) but went with a 650W.
In case down the line I add a another harddrive.
Usually found at the top, it's what controls, distributes power to the various components of your computer.
Seasonic, Enermax, Thermaltake are well known brands and reliable.
Never cheap out on a power supply, get one with a good warranty and get one that would be more than sufficient for your computer.
It depends on what your computer specs will demand in terms of power.
ie - I could have gone with a 500W PSU (power supply unit) but went with a 650W.
In case down the line I add a another harddrive.
