Buying a new PC

[Codyz28]

I am purchasing a new pc and I have some options. My first question. What is the diference between these two pentiums, and which one of the two 3.0's would be a better choice? I hate to go the extra 60 on a 3.2, but it is an option also. The price is the same on the two 3.0s. I am gettting an ABS and these are my options:

Intel Pentium 4/ 3.0E GHz 800MHz FSB 1MB L2 Cache Hyper Threading Technology - Retail

Intel Pentium 4 3.0GHz 512KB L2 800MHz FSB with Hyper-Threading

Intel Pentium 4 3.2GHz 512KB 800MHz FSB With Hyper-Threading [+$60]


Question 2,

The case options are these, and are the same price. Which would be better and more quieter?

ANTEC LIFE STYLE SERIES SONATA PIANO BLACK Model# Sonata w/ ANTEC TRUE380 380W Power Supply

SILVERSTONE Black ATX Mid-Tower Case Model "SST-TJ04" -RETAIL


Question 3

On the hardrive options, they used to have the 2 seagate Barracudas, now, all they have are Maxtors. I have heard the maxtors are noisy? They have the two WD raptors which are about 224 dollars more, so thats out of the question for me. Are Maxtors good or would the seagates be better?

Also the ram is a choice between corsair and OCZ. Thanks!

Cody

 

[thorin]

I'd go with the Antec Sonata or not on your list the Antec SX635, though the 635 may be bigger then the Sonata, I remember thinking the Sonata was really sweet when I checked it out in a shop where they had a demo system in it but I don't remember it's exact size compared to others.

Thorin

 

[mechBgon]

I would get the 3.0 with 512kb of L2, not the 3.0E, and the [ Antec fanboy ] Antec Sonata [ / Antec fanboy ] case and power supply, and I'd pick Corsair memory. Then again, I would build my own PC exactly the way I liked it, with the parts I want, and not let myself be limited by what a vendor wants to unload on me.

If you'd like to build but never tried it before, the link in my signature below may help you scope out the process

 

[Codyz28]

Thanks for the info. As far as building one goes, I am very lost at it. I couldnt build anything heh, and wouldnt even go there. Nice site though on how to put them together. Thanx again

 

[sisooktom]

Originally posted by: Codyz28
Thanks for the info. As far as building one goes, I am very lost at it. I couldnt build anything heh, and wouldnt even go there. Nice site though on how to put them together. Thanx again

Don't be so sure. Building your own is cheaper, fun, and a good learning experience. Don't count it out. Don't you know anyone that could help you? Once you build you'll never buy from a vendor again.

 

[Delorian]

1. Definitely build your own

2. L1/L2 Cache is always better, the bigger it is

3. Always shop around, certain vendors screw ya certain ways, just like car repairs.

 

[Codyz28]

I dont know anyone that can build one. And the pc repair places around me, may as well take a match to the money and light it up. They are all frauds. I do have a brand new case a friend of mine sent me, AACD ATX demon I think it is called, but dont know where to even start. I cant even install a power supply lol. Id be scared to death to mess up something, espeialy 1700+dollars worth of parts...yikes.

 

[Tostada]

Originally posted by: Delorian
2. L1/L2 Cache is always better, the bigger it is

This is wrong.

http://www6.tomshardware.com/cpu/20040322/index.html

Current Prescotts are slightly slower than Northwoods. Prescott is designed for 4 GHz+, and isn't special at all currently.

Notice that the Prescott 3.0 and 3.2 use the old stepping Prescott core, which runs 13% hotter than a Northwood.

Definitely get the P4 with 512k cache.

 

[LuNoTiCK]

Every generation, intel chips get faster in clockspeed, but in reality they get slower in real speed.

 

[moonsite]

If I buy a computer, I would just buy a Dell. It is a lot cheaper. Get one of the outrageous deal. One nice thing about Dell Computer is it's very quiet. I bought a Dell for a friend with 2.8 Ghz and 512Mb ram, 80 Gb hd, and 17" LCD monitor for $580. You might want to consider that instead of buying from local vendor. Dell still give you 1 year warranty minimum where they come out to your home and fix it for you.

But I like to build my own computer.

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: moonsite
If I buy a computer, I would just buy a Dell. It is a lot cheaper. Get one of the outrageous deal. One nice thing about Dell Computer is it's very quiet. I bought a Dell for a friend with 2.8 Ghz and 512Mb ram, 80 Gb hd, and 17" LCD monitor for $580. You might want to consider that instead of buying from local vendor. Dell still give you 1 year warranty minimum where they come out to your home and fix it for you.

But I like to build my own computer.

DO check to ask if they have an AGP port in that motherboard they use. Sometimes on their smaller systems they won't have it and you will be SCREWED when you want to upgrade it. This only matters if you game or have the need for a more powerful video card.

But yeah Dell do some nice deals but I'd rather build my own and pick my own parts

Koing

 

[Runner20]

Originally posted by: Koing

Originally posted by: moonsite
If I buy a computer, I would just buy a Dell. It is a lot cheaper. Get one of the outrageous deal. One nice thing about Dell Computer is it's very quiet. I bought a Dell for a friend with 2.8 Ghz and 512Mb ram, 80 Gb hd, and 17" LCD monitor for $580. You might want to consider that instead of buying from local vendor. Dell still give you 1 year warranty minimum where they come out to your home and fix it for you.

But I like to build my own computer.

DO check to ask if they have an AGP port in that motherboard they use. Sometimes on their smaller systems they won't have it and you will be SCREWED when you want to upgrade it. This only matters if you game or have the need for a more powerful video card.

But yeah Dell do some nice deals but I'd rather build my own and pick my own parts

Koing

Dell's are quiet?? A Dell computer with a 3.0 Pentium 4 are one of the loudest computers I've ever been around. When you game it gets louder. Now it is stable and pretty reliable, but not that quiet as you say it is.

 

[Codyz28]

Thanks for all the info ppl. I do plan on gaming, and need the stuff to handle it. I am afraid of Dell since their reviews are mostly negative, and ABS are mostly good. I had a Dell once and an HP, and it was a tossup between them. Their phone support was so bad, which charged me like 25 dollars for half an hour. And all they wanted to do was ask me how they were providing great customer service, and that was before I even asked my questions and before they even helped me. So I have had my fill with them.

Cody

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: Tostada

Originally posted by: Delorian
2. L1/L2 Cache is always better, the bigger it is

This is wrong.

http://www6.tomshardware.com/cpu/20040322/index.html

Current Prescotts are slightly slower than Northwoods. Prescott is designed for 4 GHz+, and isn't special at all currently.

Notice that the Prescott 3.0 and 3.2 use the old stepping Prescott core, which runs 13% hotter than a Northwood.

Definitely get the P4 with 512k cache.

Explain why the Prescott's pwn folding@home. The extra cache makes them better. Throw in a little overclock, and the prescott is a good choice.

 

[Delorian]

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: Tostada

Originally posted by: Delorian
2. L1/L2 Cache is always better, the bigger it is

This is wrong.

http://www6.tomshardware.com/cpu/20040322/index.html

Current Prescotts are slightly slower than Northwoods. Prescott is designed for 4 GHz+, and isn't special at all currently.

Notice that the Prescott 3.0 and 3.2 use the old stepping Prescott core, which runs 13% hotter than a Northwood.

Definitely get the P4 with 512k cache.

Explain why the Prescott's pwn folding@home. The extra cache makes them better. Throw in a little overclock, and the prescott is a good choice.

Exactly, it may not always be faster, but generally will be. I agree w/the Prescott just check the stepping

 

[moonsite]

I got dual xeon, and p4 2.8 from Dell, and I barely can hear the sound from those machine. I think anything above the 2400 has an AGP slot.

 

[Tostada]

He's not talking about getting a Prescott 3.4. He's talking about a 3.0 or 3.2, which is going to be a furnace if he gets a Prescott. It's a fact that Prescotts are almost exactly even with Northwoods (actually a tiny bit slower), so there's no reason to get a Prescott.

Show me some benchmarks of a Prescott PWN'ing an identical system with a Northwood at folding. Even if the Prescott is a little faster, why would you care? Is it fun watching your machine folding? I'd rather have a machine that runs cooler and is faster in games, etc.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: Tostada
He's not talking about getting a Prescott 3.4. He's talking about a 3.0 or 3.2, which is going to be a furnace if he gets a Prescott. It's a fact that Prescotts are almost exactly even with Northwoods (actually a tiny bit slower), so there's no reason to get a Prescott.

Show me some benchmarks of a Prescott PWN'ing an identical system with a Northwood at folding. Even if the Prescott is a little faster, why would you care? Is it fun watching your machine folding? I'd rather have a machine that runs cooler and is faster in games, etc.

The Northwood isn't noticeably faster at anything. And once the new motherboards get here, Prescott should really take off. So that's an upgrade avenue you leave for yourself.

There's no reason not to get a prescott. So they have a slightly larger thermal footprint... Big deal, it's not the end of the world.

 

[Mo0o]

Wasting your time w/ the 3.0 or aboves. Just get 2.8 C and overclock. It'll save you lots of money.

 

[Nebor]

Originally posted by: Mo0o
Wasting your time w/ the 3.0 or aboves. Just get 2.8 C and overclock. It'll save you lots of money.

Prescott 3.2s have been seen hitting 4.1 on air.

 

[dudeman007]

I'm not crazy about dells. Once you start getting into the higher cpu speeds you can forget about good deals.

 

[Mo0o]

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: Mo0o
Wasting your time w/ the 3.0 or aboves. Just get 2.8 C and overclock. It'll save you lots of money.

Prescott 3.2s have been seen hitting 4.1 on air.

did the air turn into plasma from the heat?

 

[Tostada]

Originally posted by: Nebor

Originally posted by: Tostada
He's not talking about getting a Prescott 3.4. He's talking about a 3.0 or 3.2, which is going to be a furnace if he gets a Prescott. It's a fact that Prescotts are almost exactly even with Northwoods (actually a tiny bit slower), so there's no reason to get a Prescott.

Show me some benchmarks of a Prescott PWN'ing an identical system with a Northwood at folding. Even if the Prescott is a little faster, why would you care? Is it fun watching your machine folding? I'd rather have a machine that runs cooler and is faster in games, etc.

The Northwood isn't noticeably faster at anything. And once the new motherboards get here, Prescott should really take off. So that's an upgrade avenue you leave for yourself.

There's no reason not to get a prescott. So they have a slightly larger thermal footprint... Big deal, it's not the end of the world.

Come on now. Use some common sense. Northwood is about 1% faster in most things. Sure, that's not noticable, but Northwood is also 13% cooler and a few bucks cheaper. Getting a Prescott just doesn't make any sense.

Look at the Prescott 3.2 vs. Northwood 3.2. Why would you pay an extra $11 for something that is significantly hotter and very slightly slower?

It's convenient that you forgot to reference this information you have regarding a Prescott beating a Northwood in anything. The only thing you offer is unfounded speculation that Prescott will eventually be better once new motherboards show up. Do you have any facts to back anything you say?

Allow me to quote a couple of Tom's articles that actually do offer facts to back them up:

Do you believe buying a Prescott processor is a future-proof investment? You really shouldn't

Pentium 4 Prescott is not particularly helping Intel's reputation with a TDP of over a hundred Watts and with no tangible advantages compared to its predecessor, the Northwood.

From this perspective, the results are sobering, because even at 4 GHz little changes in the balance of power between the two cores. Northwood is and remains the faster processor in common applications, even if the difference can be virtually ignored in application.
http://www6.tomshardware.com/cpu/20040517/northwood_prescott-15.html



The simple fact is that you should only get a Prescott if it has the newer stepping that doesn't generate as much heat. Currently, that's only the Prescott 3.4.