Computer Hardware Specs Help

[LoneWolf_Spike]

Hello,
Basically I am in the market to buy and build my very first computer. I have very roughly $2500 AUD to spend. I want to buy the components from a store "www.Pccasegear.com" so any info as to wether that is a good store would be helpful.
I basically want to buy a computer that can run the newer games ( not online ) for example stuff like Battlefield Modern Combat 2 and Command and Conquer Tiberium Assault. I also want to use i for multi-media so music and stuff. I will also be multi-tasking alot in terms of programs mainly but not like video-editing but yes photoshopping and video converting etc.

Do you have any suggestions as to what I would need. I am so far thinking ( very brief version ) I will run:

- A expensive motherboard lol IDK which one ( most perferably lots of PCI-E slots )
- A Intel Core2 Duo E8400 - 500 - 600 (3.0 - 3.16 - 3.33 Ghz only diff) Maybe a quad core would be good? would a Quad 2.8 GHz 12MB cache ( twice as much as E8xxx) be a good alternative?
- 4GB DDR3 RAM 1600 MHz
- 2 or 1 for now HDD's SATA or II ITB to set up software RAID array 1 or 1+0 (is RAID worth it)
- Have no clue about Grpahics Card
- Antec 1200 case most probably with 850-1000W PSU ( does PSU have to be Antec)
- Only real options (don't want OEM) is Vista Home Basic (Sp1) or Ultimate 64-bit or 32-bit (Sp1) - Baisc is around $250 while ultimate is $350

So a few questions

- how important is Gb/s in Hard Drives
- in CPU's what is "W TDP" e.g. "95W TDP"
- What is everything you need to set up TV (compatibility + cards)
- What is everything you need to set up RAID (compatibility + cards)
- What is all the safety equipment neede to build a computer e.g. AS wrist strap
- What is monitor HD-1080p capability
- do you know of any great helpful website
- What is the name of the DVD drive that can burn files and read files
- What is the name of the DVD drive that can read files (copy and paste from them)

Any answers or support would be greatly apprecieated, Thank you

 

[cohen]

Hello,
Basically I am in the market to buy and build my very first computer. I have very roughly $2500 AUD to spend. I want to buy the components from a store "www.Pccasegear.com" so any info as to wether that is a good store would be helpful.

Well, that site looks dear, and you being in Vic, may i recommend MSY computers?? they are A LOT cheaper than that website / store.

I basically want to buy a computer that can run the newer games ( not online ) for example stuff like Battlefield Modern Combat 2 and Command and Conquer Tiberium Assault. I also want to use i for multi-media so music and stuff. I will also be multi-tasking alot in terms of programs mainly but not like video-editing but yes photoshopping and video converting etc.

Quad Core, 4 GB of ram, nice video card sounds good

Do you have any suggestions as to what I would need. I am so far thinking ( very brief version ) I will run:

- A expensive motherboard lol IDK which one ( most perferably lots of PCI-E slots )

Why so many PCI E slots??? only works if your going to wanting to run SLI or crossfire, and the max i think you can get is 3 slots.... but the average motherboard has 1 slot

- A Intel Core2 Duo E8400 - 500 - 600 (3.0 - 3.16 - 3.33 Ghz only diff) Maybe a quad core would be good? would a Quad 2.8 GHz 12MB cache ( twice as much as E8xxx) be a good alternative?

I recommend that quad, you can get a 3GHZ Quad Core....

- 4GB DDR3 RAM 1600 MHz

The cost of DDR3 is high and is not worth it at the moment!

- 2 or 1 for now HDD's SATA or II ITB to set up software RAID array 1 or 1+0 (is RAID worth it)

You could do that, but it is up to you....

- Have no clue about Grpahics Card

I recommend the ATI HD 4870 or the ATI HD 4780 x 2

- Antec 1200 case most probably with 850-1000W PSU ( does PSU have to be Antec)

Depending on parts, will depend on what PSU you will need, and no you won't need an antec PSU, it can be any PSU as long as it fits into the case

- Only real options (don't want OEM) is Vista Home Basic (Sp1) or Ultimate 64-bit or 32-bit (Sp1) - Baisc is around $250 while ultimate is $350

I recommend Windows Vista Ultimate 64 bit.

So a few questions

Happy to answer any questions you might have

- how important is Gb/s in Hard Drives

For what your going to be doing, the higher the better, and at the moment it is 3GB per second.

It is meaning the speed that it can transfer data to and from the hard drive

- in CPU's what is "W TDP" e.g. "95W TDP"

OK, well that means, the example, it will take 95W to power the CPU.

TDP = Thermal Design Power.

- What is everything you need to set up TV (compatibility + cards)

TV tuner card, and software - Make sure that the software works for vista

- What is everything you need to set up RAID (compatibility + cards)

Personally not sure

- What is all the safety equipment neede to build a computer e.g. AS wrist strap

Don't use any myself

- What is monitor HD-1080p capability

View here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1080p

- do you know of any great helpful website

What sort of site are you looking for??

- What is the name of the DVD drive that can burn files and read files

LG, Asus, they don't really have models.....

- What is the name of the DVD drive that can read files (copy and paste from them)

You can copy files from the DVD / CD in the drive, but if you want to put files onto the disc, you will have to burn them to a fresh disc or the disc has to be an RW (Rewriteable)

Any answers or support would be greatly apprecieated, Thank you

I think i answered most of them.

If your willing to go to MSY, i can do you a nice build from there, i personally go there and have build my whole PC (in sig and on my website) at very little cost

Enjoy.

 

[TrainTrackHack]

I want to buy the components from a store "www.Pccasegear.com" so any info as to wether that is a good store would be helpful.

www.itestate.com.au seem a lot better priced

- 2 or 1 for now HDD's SATA or II ITB to set up software RAID array 1 or 1+0 (is RAID worth it)

I wouldn't recommend software RAID, hardware RAID is usually better in all aspects. Also, setting up a software-RAID can be difficult and troublesome at times. I would recommend hardware RAID 1 on 2 10,00rpm Raptors for OS/applications/primary storage, and 2 7,200RPM 500GB+ drives in RAID 1 for secondary storage/backups. Considering the amount of money you have to spend, you may as well do a RAID 1 so a HDD failure won't do nothing at all.

- in CPU's what is "W TDP" e.g. "95W TDP"

OK, well that means, the example, it will take 95W to power the CPU.

Wrong, Cohen. Thermal Design Power is the maximum amount of heat the cooling system is excepted to handle when the CPU is under load. Higher TDP = better cooling required. Of course, higher power consumption = higher TDP, but defining TDP as the CPU power draw is still technically incorrect.

- how important is Gb/s in Hard Drives

Not important at all. RPM and Cache have the most impact on performance, running a drive in 1.5GBs or 3.0GBs mode makes no difference as no HDD is capable of saturating the SATA link bandwidth.

- What is the name of the DVD drive that can burn files and read files
- What is the name of the DVD drive that can read files (copy and paste from them)

...somehow I find these questions quite perplexing, is DVD burner / DVD-RW the answer you're looking for?

 

[coleman]

for $2500 i would go 4 this build and i would buy from newegg as they are very cheap

case antec 900
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021&Tpk=antec 900

dvd/cd drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151171

cpu
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115018

cpu cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134

hdd
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218

memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227267

mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131284

power supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

gpu
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125243
or if you are willing to spend extra
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814103066

monitor
i have a t220 and it is an amazing monitor, and if you are going to have a 22" i would stick with that. but with $2500 i would also 2 19" or 17" to go each side side which would be amazing for multitasking. with that you would have to add a second gpu, an older version card will be fine and it can run of the hd 4870's drivers, here is an example
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127384

that's what i would go 4 if i had the money, there will be a resolution change between tha monitors but 4 multi tasking it will be amazing.

overall price $1682 not including p&p (hd 4870 not x2 and 2 19" monitors)


Final thoughts
1. if you are willing to spend $2500 i would get 3 20" monitors and an hd 4870 x2

 

[oscaryu1]

for $2500 i would go 4 this build and i would buy from newegg as they are very cheap

case antec 900
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021&Tpk=antec 900

dvd/cd drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151171

cpu
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115018

cpu cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134

hdd
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218

memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227267

mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131284

power supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

gpu
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125243
or if you are willing to spend extra
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814103066

monitor
i have a t220 and it is an amazing monitor, and if you are going to have a 22" i would stick with that. but with $2500 i would also 2 19" or 17" to go each side side which would be amazing for multitasking. with that you would have to add a second gpu, an older version card will be fine and it can run of the hd 4870's drivers, here is an example
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127384

that's what i would go 4 if i had the money, there will be a resolution change between tha monitors but 4 multi tasking it will be amazing.

overall price $1682 not including p&p (hd 4870 not x2 and 2 19" monitors)


Final thoughts
1. if you are willing to spend $2500 i would get 3 20" monitors and an hd 4870 x2

Newegg ships to the US only.

 

[coleman]

where are we shipping to, sorry if i am missing something obvious but i am new here looks like the sites they looked at are U.S

 

[oscaryu1]

I have very roughly $2500 AUD

Just becaues they're typed in English doesn't mean it's located in the US

 

[scooter]

just becaues they're typed in english doesn't mean it's located in the us

lol!!!!

If its in French..its Canadian

If its in English..it's UK

If its in Broken Spanglish...then it's America

 

[coleman]

lol

im in the UK and got the impression that they where American by the sites, you still haven't told me where they are though

 

[TrainTrackHack]

im in the UK and got the impression that they where American by the sites, you still haven't told me where they are though

AUSTRALIA!!!

BTW, all the sites are Australian and have .au extension in the address, and also the specified budget was $2500AUD(Australian Dollar)

 

[cohen]

lol

im in the UK and got the impression that they where American by the sites, you still haven't told me where they are though

Might be worth reading the first post again! It has AU as the currency, and if you have a look at the website, the store is Oakleigh, Victoria, Australia!

 

[LoneWolf_Spike]

Wow thanks everyone. The information is amazing. Sorry I haven't posted but I could only just get back to the internet today.
I know the website is expensive (i will look into them all and MSY). All your input has been carefully read I assure you, thanks.

Just to clarify:
- It is an Australia website (www.pccasegear.com) even though it does not have ".au" on the end. It is located in Victoria (State in Australia) and will be shipping to New South Wales (another state in Australia)

- As i'm not in the U.S newegg unfortunatly can't help

- I want so many PCI-E slots for the hope of having a PCI-E sound card, video card(s), TV Tuner (made for vista) and maybe something else. That is i think 3 used up so I hope the max isn't 3.

- with the DVD burner. I am just not sure. I basically wante 1 dvd burner to be able to read and write dvd's. And the other to be able to read dvd's (and be able to copy information of them onto the hardrive if that is possible with a read only DVD)

One final question though. If I go with DDR2 RAM would you consider that I get 8GB of RAM with the 64-bit OS?. It wouldn't bother me to go with 4Gb with vista 32-bit, the CD can also install 64-bit so I could future upgrade to 64-bit. Does the mobo have to support 64-bit operating systems and can a mobo support 32-bit and 64-bit?

 

[TrainTrackHack]

Does the mobo have to support 64-bit operating systems and can a mobo support 32-bit and 64-bit?

A mobo has nothing to do with it; the CPU determines whether the computer can run a 64-bit OS or not. Any fairly recent CPUs (All Intel Core2, Pentium D and some Pentium 4 CPUs as well as all Athlon 64, Athlon X2 and Phenom CPUs support 64-bit). And yes, a 64-bit CPU can run a 32-bit OS as long a it's x86 compatible (all of the CPUs I just listed are, so there's nothing to worry about).

 

[LoneWolf_Spike]

OK thanks thats not a problem at all then