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mukhi
07-18-2008, 07:08 PM
tech world is making me crazy day by day...back to the same question again...
which one to choose? PC or mac? and which type? desktop, laptop or imac kind (everything built into the monitor) or something else like tablet PCs?
people say buying a computer depends on your needs, however, i find it extremely difficult to see the connection between my needs and the type i should choose. ok, 1st thing 1st, here are my needs:
1. i want extreme "performance" for the jobs i do on regular basis. no slowing down!
2. the jobs i do:
surfing the net
watching video/audio/photo online
d/l-u/l video/audio/photo
working with MS word, excel, ppt and making adobe PDF
using chemistry drawing SW
burning DVDs
video/audio/photo ripping & editing (these are mostly future plans when the new computer arrives)
3. no limitations (SW/HW). i don't want to see that my computer cannot do the job i am looking for and, therefore, i have to work on a different computer to get it done.
4. it should look good in terms of its overall look, foot-print, etc. to me, laptops are the best in this regard, however, after the arrival of the new imac, i can not say for sure...what do you think? even for desktops, towers are getting smaller.
5. i don't want to go for something which may limit visibility, for this reason, i hate micro PC kind of stuff, does it feel good to edit the files in a handheld or just to read it? i have a "smartphone" (samsung blackjack II) where you can read and edit MS word/excel and read ppt with its tiny QWERTY keyboard (type there?http://gfx1.hotmail.com/mail/w3/pr01/emoticons/smile_angry.gif) and small screen (read it?http://gfx1.hotmail.com/mail/w3/pr01/emoticons/smile_cry.gif)!
6. do you think i should consider upgradability? well, some people say i should because after 2-5 yrs i may feel to upgrade my RAM or processor or HDD, however, don't you think its better to sell the entire system to get a new one rather than selling parts and upgrade them? if selling the entire system is better, why should i consider "upgradability"?
7. money is not quite a concern here, as i want performance, versatility, look, acceptability, and upgradability (?) at the same time. although i am not talking about a "budget computer", but i do not want a configuration which i will never utilize. for example, i am not a hardcore "gamer", therefore, extreme performance processor with formidable video graphics card may be redundant. i want optimum performance for my jobs.

after going through "mysuperPC", this is the configuration i like:

Motherboard ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
Processor AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ AM2
Ram Crucial 4GB PC8500 DDR2
Video Card eVGA Geforce 8800 GTS 320MB DDR3 PCI-E
Hard Drive Western Digital 500GB 7200rpm SATA
DVD RW Sony DRU-840A Dual Format Double Layer
Sound Card Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer
Operating System Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP2
(pro edition better?)
Monitor Dell UltraSharp 2001FP 20.1-inch Flat Panel LCD Monitor
Antec Sonata III with 500-Watt power supply: some people reported it has a static discharge problem. can you comment on it?
CPU cooler: Zalman CNPS9500 AM2
Logitech Cordless LX 710 Laser (Keyboard and Mouse)
Logitech X-530 5.1 Speaker System

one more question regarding processor: some people say AMD is way superior than intel (better in terms of power consumption) when you talk about performance. do you think this AMD processor can do better than intel core 2 duo quad?

thanks a lot!!!

RickyTick
07-18-2008, 10:01 PM
Hello mukhi and welcome to the MySuperPC Forums.

I know you posted in the "Send a Message To Rob" Forum, but I'd like to throw in my recommendation if you don't mind. I'm sure Rob will comment too at some point.

For the tasks you listed, I agree that you don't need an Extreme processor or a cutting edge video card, but I think you need more than what you have there.

I'll make it short and quick. Here goes.

Antec 300 case
Asus P5Q Pro motherboard
Intel Core2Quad Q9450
Western Digital Caviar SE16 640gb hard drive
EVGA 9600GT video card
Corsair HX620 power supply
G.Skill DDR2 1066 ram 4gb (2x2gb) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227230
Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit

Not sure about that monitor. Dell makes a nice 2007FP. Maybe that was a typo.

Good choice on Optical drive. I'm not sure you'll need a cpu cooler other than what comes from Intel.

This would be a blistering fast pc, and would handle everything you want. If at some time you wanted to try your hand a gaming, you could easily upgrade that video card to something better.

What do you think?

Rob
07-21-2008, 12:02 PM
I've been on vacation so this is my first chance to reply. It looks like RickyTick has once again given excellent information.

mukhi
07-22-2008, 11:14 AM
Antec 300 case
Asus P5Q Pro motherboard
Intel Core2Quad Q9450
Western Digital Caviar SE16 640gb hard drive
EVGA 9600GT video card
Corsair HX620 power supply
G.Skill DDR2 1066 ram 4gb (2x2gb) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227230
Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit

thanks for your comment ricky, however, i am wondering why you changed almost everything from rob's specs, for example,
do you think intel core2quad will do better for my job than AMD 64x2?
is g.skill memory as good as crucial's?
i see vista is extremely memory hungry, that's why i don't like it. xp better for now? or you think some special features in vista is highly desirable?

RickyTick
07-22-2008, 02:51 PM
The "video/audio/photo ripping and editing" that you mentioned in the first post can be fairly cpu intensive. A quad core would be better at performing those tasks more efficiently, while also a better attempt of future-proofing your system. Overall, the Intel Quad core is a better performer than AMD at this point.

Crucial memory is great. I've just had good success with G.Skill and now I'm kind of partial to it. That's all.

There are so many opinions on Vista vs XP. If you use the 64 bit version of Vista, than you can fully use the 4gb of ram. Therefore, overcoming the fact that Vista is "ram hungry". jmo

mukhi
07-23-2008, 10:26 AM
seems like i will no longer look for a laptop (no quad-core), one more question, why antec 300 case, not Antec Sonata III with 500-Watt power supply? the latter looks better! but...?

RickyTick
07-23-2008, 07:18 PM
The 300, 900, and 1200 are similar styles designed more towards the "enthusiasts" market, whe Sonata III is more towards the "Everyday common user". They are all very good cases, and you won't be disappointed with any of them.