Need help building new computer ~ PLEASE :)

[jmiasi]

I am desperately seeking the advice for purchasing a new computer. I was on nearly a year ago asking for this same advice and have no clue how my current computer has even lasted THAT long. I am a graphic designer and would like to build a new computer (well, more of a DIY but have it built) that can handle many applications (Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, etc. are common programs I use) at once. I am willing to invest to hopefully get a computer that will last me a couple of years.

Where should I start? So much has come out since the last time I was on here (last Feb.). I'm a bit overwhelmed...

I should add, my spending limit is $2500 (and I would LOVE to get a new 20-22" widescreen monitor! Too much to ask?).

Any advice is appreciated. THANKS!

Jen

 

[jmiasi]

Okay, so much for Monarch! Just read that they closed... soooo any rec's for another site? I'm hoping to avoid the big brand name (dell, etc.) computers as they're just not as competitvely priced (and I've gone through 2 Dell's in 4 yrs).

 

[Ken90630]

Hi, Jen,

VelocityMicro, Vision Computer and PCsforEveryone are three vendors that build custom PCs (like Monarch used to). I don't know much about any of them, however, so I'm just making you aware of them rather than endorsing them. Alienware is another, but I think they're considered rather expensive (and cater mostly to the high-end gamer community, if I'm not mistaken).

VelocityMicro has been around for a number of years now, and Vision Computer claims they've been in business for 15 years (for whatever that's worth to you).

There also used to be a guy who built custom PCs for photographers, but for the life of me I can't remember the name of his site. He used to offer his services over at DPReview last year (in case you're not familiar with it, DPReview is a digital photography site based in the U.K). Reason I mention that is that PCs for photographers tend to need very similar characteristics & capabilities that PCs for graphics designers do: excellent 2D video quality, lots of RAM, fast CPU, maybe an extra hard drive to use as a "scratch" drive w/Photoshop, etc.). You might cruise over to DPReview and see if you can find a mention of that guy or his site (or post a question about it). I Googled "PCs for photographers" for you but came up empty, so maybe he's closed up shop. I dunno, as I haven't spent much time over there recently.

Good luck.

Edit: Just saw your edit. Yeah, you should be able to get a very nice system, including a 20-22" widescreen monitor, within that budget. I recently finished buying components for a new computer I'm building myself to mainly do Photoshop and maybe some graphic design stuff like you, and the parts came in at around $1,100 (that's without the monitor). A builder is gonna charge you more than that 'cuz they need to make some profit, but you should still be able to get a nice system for way under $2500. Prolly well under $2K for that matter, with the way LCD prices have come down.

BTW, if I were you, I'd research the monitor and buy it myself, separately, rather than from whoever builds the computer for you. You'll prolly get a better deal that way, and you'll have an infinite choice of brands/models vs. the limited choice a system builder is likely to have.

 

[jmiasi]

Thanks so much!! I will definitely buy the monitor separately, on my own. I really would love ideas on what configurations would work best for the computer I need.

 

[Boyo]

You should definitely go with dual core, something like an Intel E6600. Get a minimum of 2gb of RAM, and if you are going the Vista route, then get 4GB.

Velocity computers have a very good reputation and have gotten great reviews on H] OCP.

 

[jmiasi]

What are these Quad core ones that I see? Is that overkill?

 

[Boyo]

Right now the Quad cores are a little bit overkill. If you want one, then you should wait until the 3rd quarter before buying.

To me it's not worth it. Just go with dual core.

 

[jmiasi]

Sounds good. What about a case? The computer would be in a equipment trolly so only the front and back are open - no point in getting something with clear sides, etc. But the last thing I want is to have it overheat. Do you know what would be a good option?

 

[Boyo]

Are you building this computer yourself, or are you planning on ordering the PC from a builder like Velocity?

There are plenty of good cases out there. Check out Lian Li or Silverstone.

 

[jmiasi]

About a year ago I configured a PC on Monarch - never ended up buying it. I was hoping to go that route. Velocity seems good - are their prices reasonable? They don't have as many choices as ibuypower.com it seems (I browsed through them last night). So Velocity must be a brand name? Like Alienware, etc.?

 

[jmiasi]

How do I know how much power supply I need?

 

[jmiasi]

After much help from this board a year ago, here's what was configured (never bought):

Monarch Furia Custom Workstation (PCI-E) 1 $89.00 $89.00
Case: 100587 - No PS - Antec SLK3000B ATX Mid Tower (Bla $51.71 $51.71
Power Supply: 100337 - PS 400W - Enermax Liberty ELT400AWT ATX 2 $74.98 $74.98
Case Fan: 100887 - 120mm - Antec 120mm SmartCool Case Fan $18.92 $18.92
Motherboard: 110460 - DFI NF4 Infinity nForce4 Audio/GB-LAN/IEE $85.64 $85.64
Processor: 120242 - AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ Dual-Core 512K Per $555.75 $555.75
Thermal Grease: None
Heat Sink Fan: 800083 - None - Fan REQUIRED - except with RETAIL
Memory: 140210 - DDR (400) 3200 - 2 GB (2 pcs 1GB) Corsair $198.87 $198.87
2nd Memory: 140210 - DDR (400) 3200 - 2 GB (2 pcs 1GB) Corsair $198.87 $198.87
Hard Drive: 150175 - Western Digital Caviar SE16 400 GB SATA 1 $230.74 $230.74
2nd Hard Drive: None
3rd Hard Drive: None
4th Hard Drive: None
RAID Setup: None
RAID Controller: None
CD-ROM/DVD-ROM/CD-RW: 160081 - DVD±RW - BENQ DW1640 16X DVD±RW DL (Black $51.85 $51.85
CD-RW/DVD-RW: None
CD-RW Software: 210613 - Ahead Nero 6.6 Suite DVD+-RW Software (OE $15.99 $15.99
DVD-ROM Software: 210600 - nVidia DVD Decoder 1.00.58 (OEM) $15.97 $15.97
Floppy: None
More Storage: None
Sound Card: None
Video Card: 190441 - ATI (Sapphire) Radeon X800 GTO 256MB GDDR $168.00 $168.00
Modem: None
Network Card: None
Wireless Network Card: None
Add On Card: None
Case Function Add On: None
Round Cable: None
Operating System: 210111 - Microsoft Windows XP Professional w/Servi $155.72 $155.72
Additional Software: 210863 - Microsoft Office 2003 Basic - CD-License $179.00 $179.00
Antivirus: None
Warranty: 800010 - Standard Tech Support, 3 Year $125.00 $125.00
Hot Rush: None - Standard Order ( ships within 10-15 busines
Nero 7 Promotion: None
Molex Connector: None
Video Capture: None
TV Tuner: None


Obviously, this was when Monarch was still around haha.

 

[Boyo]

Originally posted by: jmiasi
About a year ago I configured a PC on Monarch - never ended up buying it. I was hoping to go that route. Velocity seems good - are their prices reasonable? They don't have as many choices as ibuypower.com it seems (I browsed through them last night). So Velocity must be a brand name? Like Alienware, etc.?

Velocity Micro is a brand name and they use their own cases, which are just Lian Li's. They cost more than IbuyPower, but their work is impeccible, where as IBuyPower is not going to be as great.

You listed your budget as $2500, which won't get you the best of the best at Velocity. They tend to be a little expensive. I will see what you can get for $2500.00.

 

[jmiasi]

Yeah I'm hoping to get the best that I can within my budget. I've been burned the past two PC purchases so I want to do it *right* this time.

 

[Boyo]

I went to Velocity and configured a Vector PCX Digital Media PC for a total of $1934, which leaves you plenty of room to go out and buy yourself a great 20"-22" monitor.

GX Velocity Micro Case 2x 120mm fans silver
500W PSU
Intel G965 775 mobo
AC Freezer 7 Pro
4GB Corsair DDR667
eVGA 7600GS (You might want to ask to upgrade this part)
320GB WD HD
Pick your Optical drives for your needs
Soundblaster X-Fi Audio

But keep your options open and try and configure other PC's if you want. Feel free to PM me or ask any questions about configuring your PC.

 

[crimson117]

What is your computer now - cpu, ram, hard disk, graphics card?

That will help us to recommend something noticeably better.

And $2500 is actually somewhat of a high budget for a non-gaming rig. You might not need to spend that much; or you could get a system for $1500 and have up to $1000 to spend on a much larger monitor than 20-22". Or you could spend under $2000 with a 20-22" monitor, and save the rest for your next computer.

 

[dreddfunk]

jmiasi - your PSU requirements will really depend on the components you choose. If you have a couple of hard drives, a couple of CD drives, etc., you draw a little more power. High-end graphics cards, however, really up the requirements the quickest.

Unless you're doing a lot of gaming, you'll only really need a graphics card that can handle the resolution of the monitor you choose. As far as I know, most of the mid and lower-end cards can handle pretty high monitor resolutions (for 2D work, not gaming, that is).

In looking at the system you configured a year ago, I'd suggest several changes. First, I would go with one of the "Conroe" series Intel CPUs. Look for the e6300, e6400, or e6600. They perform better than their AMD counterparts for the most part right now. If I were under a really tight budget and building myself, I might consider a couple of AMD parts but you'll probably get a better price/performance ratio from the e6300/6400/6600 right now.

The x800gto is outdated (and would have been more than you need if you don't game). If you don't game at all something as inexpensive as an nVidia 7300gt will probably do just fine (but, again, check to make sure that the card can support the monitor resolution you'd like to use). If you do light gaming, you'll have to get a much more powerful card, as well as a more powerful power supply to match probably.

Given that you're doing graphics work, I'd also get 4GB of RAM and a 64-bit OS to take advantage of it. As well as buying the monitor separately, I'd buy extra RAM separately and install it, if you are even remotely comfortable with installing RAM. iBuyPower.com, for example, wants to charge you an extra $630 to go from 512MB of RAM to 4GB. If you look at newegg.com, however, (http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi...ory=147&description=&Ntk=&srchInDesc=)
you can get 4GB memory kits for as little as $340. That's nearly $300 less right there.

On iBuyPower.com (and this isn't a recommendation, only an observation) I was able to configure a system with a basic case, 350w PSU, an e6300, 1x160GB HD and 1x500GB HD, 512MB RAM (remember, buy your own), and no monitor for around $850.

If you add in $350 more for RAM, that's around $1200 with the monitor still to buy.

 

[crimson117]

I know you didn't like Dell, but perhaps you'd like HP:

m7790y
$1,789.98

Still need to add a monitor $629: UltraSharp 2407WFP - 24" LCD (anandtech review

Total $2419. Includes a great monitor, and a 4 year warranty on the the computer.
(You could shave off $200-$400 with a lesser monitor.)

Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista(TM) Home Premium
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor E6400 (2.13GHz)
Memory: 4GB DDR2-667MHz dual channel SDRAM (4x1024)
Hard Drive: 320GB 7200 rpm SATA hard drive
Primary CD/DVD Drive: LightScribe 16X DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive
Front Productivity Ports: 15-in-1 memory card reader, 2 USB, 1394, video
TV & Entertainment Experience: ATSC-NTSC TV tuner with PVR, FM tuner, remote
Graphics Card: 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT, HD , TV-out, 2 DVI
Sound Card: Integrated 7.1 channel sound w/front audio ports
Keyboard and Mouse: HP Keyboard, HP Scroller Mouse
Productivity Software: Microsoft(R) Works 8.0
Security Software: Norton Internet Security(TM) 2007 - 15 Months
HP Extended Service Plans: 4-year HP Total Care Extended Service Plan with House Call for HP Pavilion and Compaq Presario Desktop PCs

 

[jmiasi]

I used to play the Sims but it's been well over a year since I've touched a PC Game. Would you suggest ibuypower.com? My husband can install RAM. Don't you think that seems more expensive than others that could be more custom built? Just because it's "HP".

 

[dreddfunk]

jmiasi - I can't really recommend anyone, since I've never used them. I'd check out resellerratings.com for anyone you do consider, however. Just put in the merchants name and you'll get some information on how satisfied their customers have been.

For anything you think you're capable of installing yourselves, I'd also encourage you to check prices for them on newegg.com (like the RAM).

Graphics cards are fairly easy to install/upgrade yourself, so if you haven't touched a PC game in a year, I'd get a reasonably inexpensive one initially. If it turns out that you find a game you really want to play, it's easy to go back and get a card that runs it well (and better and cheaper cards will have come out in the meantime).

Good luck!

 

[crimson117]

Originally posted by: jmiasi
I used to play the Sims but it's been well over a year since I've touched a PC Game. Would you suggest ibuypower.com? My husband can install RAM. Don't you think that seems more expensive than others that could be more custom built? Just because it's "HP".

Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista(TM) Home Premium $120 at newegg
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor E6400 (2.13GHz) - $218 at newegg
Memory: 4GB DDR2-667MHz dual channel SDRAM (4x1024) - $210 at eWiz (buy two pair)
Hard Drive: 320GB 7200 rpm SATA hard drive - seagate 320GB $85 at newegg
Primary CD/DVD Drive: LightScribe 16X DVD+/-R/RW SuperMulti drive - $50 at newegg
Front Productivity Ports: 15-in-1 memory card reader, 2 USB, 1394, video - $25 anywhere
Graphics Card: 256MB NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT, HD , TV-out, 2 DVI - $100 at newegg
Keyboard and Mouse: HP Keyboard, HP Scroller Mouse - $50 anywhere

adding:
motherboard: gigabyte DS3 - $125 at newegg
case with psu: Antec LifeStyle SONATA II 450W - $106 at newegg

not including since you don't really need these:
TV & Entertainment Experience: ATSC-NTSC TV tuner with PVR, FM tuner, remote -
Productivity Software: Microsoft(R) Works 8.0
Security Software: Norton Internet Security(TM) 2007 - 15 Months


hard to value, but HP charges $260 to upgrade from 1 year to 4 years:
HP Extended Service Plans: 4-year HP Total Care Extended Service Plan with House Call for HP Pavilion and Compaq Presario Desktop PCs


Total parts bought separately: $1089 (without monitor)
Total from HP: $1530

So for $440 HP gives you a guaranteed-to-work config compared to a do-it-yourself thing. Up to you whether it's worth it to hire HP to do that or if you'd rather save money and risk frustrations from building it yourself And for $260 more they'll add 3 years of warranty coverage, if you want it.

You can probably find other sites like iBUYPOWER.com that will fall somewhere between HP's markup and doing it yourself.

 

[Boyo]

I have never used IBuyPower either, nor Velocity Micro. I built my own rig using parts that I bought from Newegg. Quite honestly, I have heard some negative things regarding IBuyPower. Their builds are not that great. Sloppy workmanship.

Do you think you or your husband can put a system together by yourselves? That way you will get a rig that meets your needs exactly. You won't have to settle for what they offer.

 

[jmiasi]

I have to admit I'm dissapointed with many of the ratings from resellerratings.com ibuypower doesn't fare well though Velocity did okay. Of course, Newegg has a great rating - but they don't sell PCs already built. Unfortunately, neither my husband or myself could put one together from scratch. We can both do minor things, upgrades, fixes, etc. but that's about it.

I totally understand that it's a fair deal with HP and that it's a sure thing. I just don't like the mark-up... not to mention their customer service, like Dell's, completely sucks.

I'm going to take another look at Velocity. But I would love some extra help going through to pick certain things out. I'll refer to what has already been posted in the mean time.

 

[jmiasi]

Okay, starting here: http://www.velocitymicro.com/category.php?cid=21

Do I start at the bottom (cheapest) and work my way up by adding? Or better to start at the top and work my way down, removing things I don't need?

 

[crimson117]

Originally posted by: jmiasiI totally understand that it's a fair deal with HP and that it's a sure thing. I just don't like the mark-up... not to mention their customer service, like Dell's, completely sucks.

I tend to agree And I build my own anyhow.

Perhaps there's a local PC shop who you could give a config (from these forums) to and they'd put it together and test it for a fee? That way you'd get the cost savings of buying your own parts, but not have to put it together yourself. You'd still lose out on the comprehensive warranty offered by HP or iBUYPOWER or Dell.