getting new Desktop

since i joined Windowsbbs i realized my computer knowledge is lacking (to say it mildly) so id love some advice mainly in choosing a case, my primary concerns are efficient cooling and silence.

my 1st thought was to get something water cooled but after browsing the thermaltake website I noticed that option alone is about $ 200 extra, which isn't such a big deal but id rather not dish out 500 USD just for a case unless i have to.

PS I mention thermaltake as its the only brand I know off.

also I am not too sure about the CPU (last time I bought a PC was 5 maybe 6 years ago) so I am not sure about all that dual/quad core stuff I am still doing my research.

I also would like your recommendations concerning AMD vs intel, I for one favor Intel but lately I am noticing more and more ppl praise AMD so id like your take on that. I am not gamer but I like to get a good system so 5 years down the road it still running like a respectable PC. (my current system is still good although it has become far from stable due to power outages).

 

Hi braindead, this is a wide open bunch of questions here, in my opinion I think you have to look at your budget and work out your requirements and how much you would be prepared for to spend and give a round figure, then you can work on your components in %, Case, PSU, CPU, Motherboard and so on.
There are many good cases out there from $80- no PSU to hundreds of dollars, much of it is what appeals to your eye and internal functionality my preferred option is to buy a case without PSU and then I will buy the PSU that suits my requirements from a good PSU maker,wattage is not always what counts a quality 430W PSU may give you better performance than a cheap 580W. Your graphics card has a lot to say here as well.
AMD and Intel mate that is up to you as well, again personally I like AMD, the next guy would not touch AMD, a bit like Cars.
Sometimes the liking of a particular Motherboard may decide on which way you will go.
I am sure if you give us a figure on what you are prepared to spend then recommendations and ideas will start rolling in by the bucket loads.
Cheers
Hawk22

 

AMD vs Intel: i figured might as well see before i get a new PC never had a problem with Intel so im sticking with them.

Chip: that was a stupid question (on my part) I always got the latest chip or the one just before (I see no reason why i should do things differently this time).

Budget: good question, last PC I got was for $800 and prices went down allot since, so $1000 should buy me a top of the line machine.

 

Not hardly - you want top of the line - you are pushing $10,000, not $1000. If you do design, there are $3000 Graphics Cards! Still, you can have a nice PC for $1000 these days.

Intel regained the lead a couple years ago and never looked back - AMD will never catch up - Intel will not let themselves be spanked and embarrassed again. BUT AMD does, and will continue to build great CPUs at competitive prices and will keep a flame under Intel's butt. That means both AMD and Intel will continue to put out better and better CPUs - and be forced to keep prices within reach of most consumers. A win/win all around.

I agree. However, do not discount a case just because it comes with a PSU. I have a pile of brand new PSUs retailers "tossed in" to make the case sale. If nothing else, they are good for testing fans.

I like Antec cases - the Sonata line in particular. I will NEVER get a case again that does not have an easy access, washable air filter.

One final comment - putting more money into the graphic card and an ample supply of RAM will have a greater impact on performance than a more powerful CPU.

 

as i mentioned before my primary concern is cooling and "silence ", concerning PSUs im still trying to figure things out.

ill take a look at ur suggestion concerning Antec cases (given i can find any in this part of the world, in case i don't alternative brands would be welcome)

This is a home PC at most I might have a game or two so all ill need as far as graphics go will be TV out (I will go in more details on that later) with a few 100 MBs memory nothing too fancy.

Edit: fixed wording

 

Budget for 2Gb minimum.

 

2GB graphic memory? i figured 512 at best.

if your talking about ram i though 4GB is max for XP, so that was the goal

 

Yes Bill I also like the Sonatas, as a matter of fact only 3 weeks ago I purchased a Sonata II 100LS Case basically the same as the Sonata II except with no PSU.
Yesterday I bought a Antec EarthWatts 430W, but just my luck the flaming thing was as dead as a Doornail. Tomorrow I will have to take the thing back, not sure yet if I want to go for the same again feel a bit cheesed off. Might go for a OCZ Stealth 500W instead, $10- more, I think the problem with the EarthWatt could be that there is no switch to select different voltages, like you guys have 110V we use 250V and it is supposed to regulate that automatically.
In my opinion PSU's should be factory tested.

 

i wasnt able to find a retailer for Antec over here so im going with the Thermaltek Spedo Advance Pakage with the 600W PSU from thermaltek as well. (600W is the smallest they have)

back to GPU.
in order to hook my PC to my Dish and TV and use the optical drive what exactly do i need?

- TV tuner (to hook up with my Dish)
- Graphics card with TV out (in order to view my DVD on the TV)

 

i had a dell in the passed and when i needed to repair the PSU (cause i forgot to switch power from 110 to 220) the official Dealer wanted $ 150 just to look at it (I repaired it at a random electrician for $ 15). I have since added them to my black list.

 

It's hard to answer your questions concisely because one man's budget is another man's bank-account-buster and one man's "quiet" is another man's "jet overflight ".

AMD and Intel are both "contenders" now. The Phenom II X3 and X4 cpus are excellent in performance and value.

The Dells I've used at work are completely silent - but, then again, they have very limited upgradability.

It's hard to imagine a PC being "usable" for five years - at least not without continual upgrades. My first thought was of a high-end Core i7 but my second thought was that I just read that at the moment, AMD has a better "socket upgrade path "....which is usually the case for AMD.

One thing to keep in mind, the bigger the fan, the quieter it runs - unless someone goes nuts with the RPMs. No case I would ever buy at this point would use anyting except 120mm fans. Maybe you can track down a case renowned for its quiet based on construction material and put in some low-rpm or low-noise 120mm fans. Newegg is a good place to start your search.

Cooling with water is not for the faint of heart. Keep in mind that to beat the cooling performance of a high-end air cooler ($60?), you have spend about $250-300 on a high-end water cooler. Cheap water kits are a no-no.

 

I gave up on the water cooling, while looking around i noticed the Db next to each fan that's when i started wondering how much is 17 Db? and if i have 6 fans with either Db16 or Db17 how much noise is that of course the retailers claim its virtually silent but i know that's just sales talk.

you mention its hard to keep a PC usable for 5 years, what i do is NOT upgrade every software as soon as a new version comes out, I for on still use certain appz i discovered in 2001 (the way i see it is if it works no need to upgrade) you'd be surprised how much difference that makes also reinstalling windows once a year helps as well. Frankly main reason why I am getting a new PC is cause of hardware failure partly cause I let the shop decide what to use and partly cause of power outages, this time I am prepared.

i will check fan sizes and see how much it ill cost me to upgrade them if needed (very useful tip)

 

Did you try Google? 16db is very low - somewhere between a quiet whisper and a ticking watch.

Also note that noise levels don't add up by adding the values. As can be seen here, 16dB + 16dB = 19db. 6 16dB fans would have an SPL of less than 24dB.

My PC is over 7 years old - but then it is on its 2nd motherboard, 2nd CPU, 3rd graphics card, 2nd PSU. Same My Documents folder and I have all my email going back to Outlook 97. If you build your computer on a solid foundation (PSU and case) - it will "evolve" and last for many years.

 

i have to admit i did think of googling it wasnt sure what exactly to search for.

 

That is the trick - just plug something in and see what you get, and narrow it down from there.

 

i just did that, it seems anything under 30 is considered pretty quiet.
btw love the calculator. I knew they wouldnt add up (17+10=27) i was actually wondering if the 17 would cover then 10.

anyways bookmarked

 

I have on my Athlon 64 3800+ a 14" Zahlman in a Antec case with ACAG (Antec Chassis Air Guide) and I am running it at 900 - 960 RPM without problems.

 

The key is to keep an eye on your temperatures and don't forget that long term exposure to high (but not hot) temps can increase aging and cause stability issues. So err on the side of cool - not quiet.

 

Just keep in mind that you should be updating things like Java and Adobe Reader and other such utility apps on your PC.

Often older versions of these "apps" engender exploits leaving you vulnerable to malware. I never got around to updating Adobe Reader 6 on my business box and as a result ended up with a trojan.