im buying a desktop pc computer but im absolutely clueless on what specs.. *help?*?

Question

im hoping to get a pretty reasonable desktop computer working with a budget of maybe 1.5-1.8K (aus) ...

(at the moment, my laptop is the laggiest of laggers.. i put a dvd in AND IT LAGS, even though it would be the only window open.. for crying out loud, i put a cd in, A CD! AND IT LAGS! ...)

i dont mind getting it custom built, but i need help with hardware specs so i dont end up paying for stuff i wouldnt really need.

- im not a fulltime hardcore gamer, only occasionally.. well maybe i would be a lil hardcore were it not for my laggy comp.. i think i'll play sims 2 often =]
- i usually listen to music while im doing stuff
- i more than often have 3 or more windows open simultaneously
- i want to watch/edit/burn vids/mulitmedia/pics without it lagging
- i multitask heaps ..
-i like things fast..
-i wouldnt want the cpu to sound like a lawnmower..
-it would be nice if the comp was sexy, but i need it to be a rocket =]

advice would be cool =] ty

Answer 1

This guide might be of help. There are three PC configurations in there:
http://arstechnica.com/guides/buyer/guide-200711.ars
Adjust the specs as you please.

Answer 2

It sounds to be like you're looking for a system that has a lot of RAM. I suggest 2 GB, but not more as most versions of Windows won't be able to cope with 4 GB. This should allow you all the multitasking you could possibly want. For the processor just about anything dual core will do, but the Core 2 Duos are great for encoding. For games, look into the Nvidia GeForce 8600 video cards for cheap, decently fast gaming cards or the 8800s if you don't mind spending a bit on your graphics card. That about covers what you want to do.

BUT (there's always a catch):
You may not get much better performance out of CDs and DVDs. Optical media is inherently slow, and Windows makes this worse by refusing to do anything else while it's reading an optical drive. A new computer will definitely allow you run more programs at once and play games, but don't expect miracles out of CDs and DVDs.

Answer 3

I feel better of the spec as follows which would be better for a hard core gamer as well as for entertainment center.

Amd Athlon X2 6000+
4Gb dd2 RAM
Bluray writer(LG)
22" wide screen monitor(LG -L226WTQ)
Creative inspire 7.1
Asus motherboard ---model: M2R32-MVP
500Gb seagate sata hdd
cabinet
fdd if u wish
multiple card reader
UPS
ATI Radeon 2900/ Nvidia GeForce 8800GTX
A suitable TV tuner card

Answer 4

I suggest u Intel Duo 2 Extreme Quad Processor of 6850 series with Intel X' series mother board, 2GB DDR3 RAM. 17" TFT monitor, 350GB Hardrive, DVD RAM (Sony which supports Blue Ray disk). Good 7.1 Channel speaker system. (X series mother board supports on board 7.1 channel audio codec). Addon as PCI Video card for game.

Answer 5

Contact me, I build and ship them free anywhere in the world that there is a Federal Express service!
I don't charge an arm and a leg like the big boys either!