Hardware configuration help reqd.?

Question

Well, I am gonna buy a new PC this week.
The config is : p4 3.0 ghz with HT, Intel 945 mboard, 1 gb DDR 2 ram, sony DVD writer, samsung 260 gb SATA.

Can u ppl suggest me in getting a better config by changing it to diff brand and model being almost similar in budget.
Thanks

Answer 1

Well, actually i think this configuration can be 400$ (for example) and 800$. Why?
Because any offer you should get, has to be brands included.
The Intel 945 board is good, but if it is compiled by the ASUS or ASrock company. If it's MSI.. better leave it. So here's my suggestion in detail.

THE CPU:
An Intel Pentium 4, running on 3.0GHz with 1MB cache and 800MHz front-side-bus should do the trick for multimedia works, 3D rendering and so on. Oh, yeah - and with HT technology and extended SSL instructions if possible :)
note: If you would be buying INTEL CPU, buy "pentium" not "celeron" .. humongous difference and not for good, also;]

THE MB:
If I was looking for a multipurpose PC I would be asking for a ASrock motherboard like the "Conroe 945PL".
http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=ConRoe945PL-GLAN
note: the difference between ASUS and ASrock MB is in the integrated peripherals, such as firewire, irDa port and so on. To loose the price, ASrock looses the ports :) anyways, it's not fatal.

THE DIMM: (RAM)
So we have the Mother Board let's move on to the memory:
Since we have a dual-channel memory interface installed on the MB we can afford to have a humongous bandwidth. But for starters the best part is that you can simply stick one module of 1GB DDRII memory running on 533MHz. If you really must cut to the budget I can recommend A-data memory. Otherwise it's KINGSTON (CL2 if availible).
Later you can buy another module of the same memory.
NOTE: look at the SERIAL NO. - it must be close as possible to the first mem. (guarantees compatibility).

THE VGA: (video graphics accelerator or video card)
Lately ATI had some trouble on the market, so I don't recommend buying their brand. They are loosing market share and so on, because they bought AMD and since the loosing battle with nVidia was not enough, now they are in direct competition with INTEL. So, just the moment isn't right for ATI video card. The nVidia GeForce graphics adapter series is made for gaming, and as in the retail version of any model, we have architecture made for fast graphics, and high bandwidth. ATI used to be my usual weapon of choice, since it was made in a very simple and versitale way - it was compatible for gaming, design, 3D works and so on.. but since we have a loosing company. Nvidia will do the trick.
I recommend the 7300 series if your pocket isn't very deep :) but anyways, 7600GTX is a good choice. And 7950 ofcourse, but that another topic. nVidia isn't very good for multimedia and stuff, but then we have the Intel Pentium 4 cpu with high FSB and CACHE to save the day :)

THE HDD:
HITACHI always has been the best choice for a low budget. Go for SATAII interface.
note: Since the SATA2 has been new to the market, in most countries it has lower price than the SATA interface. Plus, it's faster ;)
If you wanna go for something more professional SEAGATE has always been the leading manufacturer in hi-end SCSI, IDE & SATA drives.
And by the way, if one day you wanna go "top of the top", using a hybrid HDD system is the best option availible. A 20GB SCSI drive for you OS and swap file (+ some app's) and a large cheap IDE/SATA storage for you files and games is the fastest way around (especially for the laggy windows OS).

THE DVD-ROM:
Sony is good, by NEC is better. I know it sounds cheesy but since i'm in the business i can tell that NEC has always been better in mechanics, and since there isn't something else that can get broken it's the better choice (plus - it's cheaper!)


So that's it. :)
I'm not telling you exactly what to buy. In case you have read closely you would've noticed that these are most of the right steps to take. And for anyone has explanation. I haven't included AMD in my post, because it has fast loading for games, but for anything else it has absurd performance.
But if you have to cut down to the prices if you buy a lousy SEMPRON 3000+, for example, you would save maybe 40$ or even more. But, believe me, nothing can compare with the performance with a good Pentium processor.

good luck :)

Answer 2

One thing you will need to consider is what amount of video memory you will need. I, myself am a gamer and demand a lot. Windows vista demands more as well. Truthfully i am a AMD guy and would suggest an AMD processor but that is up to you. If you are getting windows vista , or use high end applications, at least two gigabyte of ram would be better. Also, unless you need minimal graphic performance, DO NOT settle for integrated video. Nvidia powered BFGtech cards have done me well. If you like gaming, you might consider SLI or ATI's Crossfire setup which uses two video cards to tackle rough jobs. Custom build sites are everywhere, yet ibuypower.com and cyberpowerinc.com seem to do really well for a great price with full customization. just check out their "configurators". They also do notebooks. They mainly do gaming rigs but also do anything under the sun, including quad core setups. Give them a try , and most importantly, build it around the applications and programs you will use. Always go above the system requirements. I would wait for Vista untill a service pack is released. Vista is a bit buggy.

Answer 3

Just replace that P4 3.0 HT. It is HOT and leaks a lot of electricity. Most users just turn off the HT feature. Consider a Pentium D (dual core) or the E4300.