Humble request. Need advice on DIY PC.


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Binzento

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Oct 29, 2004
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Hi guys, not sure if i'm posting in the right forum or not. If not pls do excuse me. I need some advice. I'm thinking of getting a new PC as my old P4 thats been with me for 7 years, has been getting very slow lately and hanging quite often. So i'm wondering if you guys can give me some advice and suggestion on what parts i should get for my new DIY PC. I'll be using this new PC mainly for photo/video editing, net surfing, movie playing and watching shows through streaming. The below parts are currently what i have in mind of getting. I hoping to assemble a PC that is able to last me another 4 to 5 years or maybe even more. My budget for the entire PC including monitor calibration software hopefully doesn't go beyond $2000. Hope you guys can give me some advice and suggestion. :)

Processor and Mainboard
- Asus P7P55D P55 w/GBL/1394/Sound/DDR3

Harddisk
- WD 500GB 32MB

Memory
- 4GB of either PC3 12800/1600 Kingston CL8 or OCZ 12800/1600 DDR3 CL8

Graphic Card
- Either Palit GTS250 512MB DDR3 or XFX GT240 1GB DDR3 w/HDMI. (Not really sure what graphic card to get as these 2 are recommended by my friends.)

DVD Writer
- Samsung S223 22x DVD+-RW (SATA)

ATX Casing
- CoolerMaster CM690 3 x 12cm Fan + Side Window

ATX Power Supply
- CoolerMaster RealPower Pro 550W

OS
- Window Home Premium 7 64bit (OEM)

Monitor
- Not too sure what monitor to get, but my budget for the monitor is around $400, as i'm also thinking of getting a calibrating software as well, so hoping to get a monitor that fairly easy to calibrate and colour accurate after calibration. Currently i'm considering getting the Sumsung 23.6" 2494HS (Wide screen) or the Philips 23.6" 244EISB (Wide), but i'm not sure if they are considered good monitors or not. Any suggestions?
 

i would say post on hardwarezone forums. just take 2k minus off your moniter calb and say u want a good rig.

i would say get a ATI card instead of nvidia. Cause ATI now has more processing power at the same price or cheaper than nvidia, not that im a ati fanboy. i use nvidia too.
 

For ure main uses, buying a cheapo stand alone GFX card is more than enuf($60 or $100). There is some difference between the 2 brands Nvidia and ATI, at least at the color reproduction side. My friend and i both using different brands can see the difference in colour of the same picture in both our monitors..

And like they said increase HDD size and RAM more impt.. but seeing the prizes now.. buy those newer module 6GB RAM.. HDD. 1TB and 1.5TB are the more value buys right now, and also buy externals for backups of ure pics IMPT!!

Monitor take a look @ the Dell U2410, supposedly same model as the phillips one but then they upgrade the software and they have $60 discount coupon sometimes. Not sure about calibrators, Spyder III maybe?

Like that u may juz about reach ure $2k budget with the optimum usage of the hardwares bought. Hope it helps.
 

i would say post on hardwarezone forums. just take 2k minus off your moniter calb and say u want a good rig.

i would say get a ATI card instead of nvidia. Cause ATI now has more processing power at the same price or cheaper than nvidia, not that im a ati fanboy. i use nvidia too.

Hi agentxq49, I also try to post in hardwarezone forum, but somehow my browser isn't allowing me to get in. Will check out the ATI cards ^_^

Increase your HDD and RAM by 100% minimum.

Hi eosandy, would it be better to get 2 500GB or a 1TB HDD. As for the RAM, which brand is better?

For ure main uses, buying a cheapo stand alone GFX card is more than enuf($60 or $100). There is some difference between the 2 brands Nvidia and ATI, at least at the color reproduction side. My friend and i both using different brands can see the difference in colour of the same picture in both our monitors..

And like they said increase HDD size and RAM more impt.. but seeing the prizes now.. buy those newer module 6GB RAM.. HDD. 1TB and 1.5TB are the more value buys right now, and also buy externals for backups of ure pics IMPT!!

Monitor take a look @ the Dell U2410, supposedly same model as the phillips one but then they upgrade the software and they have $60 discount coupon sometimes. Not sure about calibrators, Spyder III maybe?

Like that u may juz about reach ure $2k budget with the optimum usage of the hardwares bought. Hope it helps.

Hi, LearninKin. I check the price of a 6GB RAM, its slightly cheaper compare to getting 2 x 4GB RAM. Would it be better to get 2 x 4GB RAM instead of a 6GB RAM? Will check out the Dell U2410 :)
 

Hi agentxq49, I also try to post in hardwarezone forum, but somehow my browser isn't allowing me to get in. Will check out the ATI cards ^_^

Hi eosandy, would it be better to get 2 500GB or a 1TB HDD. As for the RAM, which brand is better?

Hi, LearninKin. I check the price of a 6GB RAM, its slightly cheaper compare to getting 2 x 4GB RAM. Would it be better to get 2 x 4GB RAM instead of a 6GB RAM? Will check out the Dell U2410 :)

I would go for 2 x 1 TB. And get an external drive to backup all your photos. As to RAM, the brand is not that critical unless you are into squeezing extra FPS out of the latest games and overclocking etc... Go for any known compatible brand.

One of the best upgrades I did was from a Dual to a Quad-Core Xeon... not sure how it stands against i7 if that's what you are getting? Excellent performance doing video.
 

Nividia card on a board that supports ATI CrossFireX?
What processor you looking at?
If not into gaming, el cheapo graphics card will do fine...
as mentioned, increase your hdd.

btw, don't seem to be in the correct subforum and you will get better response in HWZ and VRZ...
 

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Interesting thread.

I'm in the same position, except that I'd like the ability to play 3D games at a decent fps on my 1900x1200 screen.

Do post up what you end up buying.


Cheers
 

1. Unless playing games, 512MB gfx will do.
2. Get x2 500GB instead of 1TB. However, rather u factor in for a backup HDD instead.
3. Monitor calibrators hardware, not software.

>There is some difference between the 2 brands Nvidia and ATI, at least at the color reproduction side. My friend and i both using different brands can see the difference in colour of the same picture in both our monitors..
*LearninKin, u mean on hardware calibrated monitors?
 

For ure main uses, buying a cheapo stand alone GFX card is more than enuf($60 or $100). There is some difference between the 2 brands Nvidia and ATI, at least at the color reproduction side. My friend and i both using different brands can see the difference in colour of the same picture in both our monitors..

Like redmonsoon asked, are you comparing NVIDIA/ATI Cards on the same monitor model or have they been calibrated? When comparing, it would seem to really help if you can remove variances like different monitors.

2 internal hard drives can be good at keeping your data separate from your OS. Another good thing is that for scratch disks when using Photoshop, having a second drive makes it a little faster.
 

I would go for 2 x 1 TB. And get an external drive to backup all your photos. As to RAM, the brand is not that critical unless you are into squeezing extra FPS out of the latest games and overclocking etc... Go for any known compatible brand.

One of the best upgrades I did was from a Dual to a Quad-Core Xeon... not sure how it stands against i7 if that's what you are getting? Excellent performance doing video.

Hi eosandy, i'm getting a i5 as my friend was telling me that i7 is only slightly better than i5. As for the HDD i'm thinking of just getting 2 x 500GB as i already have quite a few external HDD at home, also i don't really install alot of stuff in my PC. The 80GB HDD i'm using now still have around 10GB of free space left ^_^

Nividia card on a board that supports ATI CrossFireX?
What processor you looking at?
If not into gaming, el cheapo graphics card will do fine...
as mentioned, increase your hdd.

btw, don't seem to be in the correct subforum and you will get better response in HWZ and VRZ...

Hi forward83, i'm thinking of get an i5 processor. I'm not really into gaming for now, but can't brush off the possibility of me getting back into it again :bsmilie:, but i'm thinking of using After Effects, Adobe Suite on this PC, will a 512MB graphic card be able to handle it?

Yah, was thinking that i have posted in the wrong subforum as well. I wanted to post in HWZ as well, but my browser somehow isn't able to go in.


Interesting thread.

I'm in the same position, except that I'd like the ability to play 3D games at a decent fps on my 1900x1200 screen.

Do post up what you end up buying.


Cheers

Hi Kanski, k will post here, but i'll only be buying it after getting my AWS, so you might have to waiting for a couple of weeks :bsmilie:

1. Unless playing games, 512MB gfx will do.
2. Get x2 500GB instead of 1TB. However, rather u factor in for a backup HDD instead.
3. Monitor calibrators hardware, not software.

>There is some difference between the 2 brands Nvidia and ATI, at least at the color reproduction side. My friend and i both using different brands can see the difference in colour of the same picture in both our monitors..
*LearninKin, u mean on hardware calibrated monitors?

Hi redmonsoon, i might go back to gaming in the future, but for now i thinking of just using it to watch movie, streaming, Photoshop, Illustrator, indesign and i may be picking up After Effects, so will a 512 gfx be able to handle it? As for the HDD i'm thinking of getting 2 x 500GB as well. Oh the monitor calibrator is a hardware not a software ah :embrass:, hmm then how does one use it? will the calibrator comes with a manual on how to calibrate my monitor when i get it? Any idea where i can buy the calibrator hardware? Cause i did a search, and i only come upon a thread mentioning that CP are selling Spyder. Hope i'm not asking too much questions.
 

Hi Kanski, k will post here, but i'll only be buying it after getting my AWS, so you might have to waiting for a couple of weeks :bsmilie:

No worries. I'm not in a rush. In speculation phase :cool:
 

Hi guys, not sure if i'm posting in the right forum or not. If not pls do excuse me. I need some advice. I'm thinking of getting a new PC as my old P4 thats been with me for 7 years, has been getting very slow lately and hanging quite often. So i'm wondering if you guys can give me some advice and suggestion on what parts i should get for my new DIY PC. I'll be using this new PC mainly for photo/video editing, net surfing, movie playing and watching shows through streaming. The below parts are currently what i have in mind of getting. I hoping to assemble a PC that is able to last me another 4 to 5 years or maybe even more. My budget for the entire PC including monitor calibration software hopefully doesn't go beyond $2000. Hope you guys can give me some advice and suggestion. :)

Processor and Mainboard
- Asus P7P55D P55 w/GBL/1394/Sound/DDR3

Harddisk
- WD 500GB 32MB

Memory
- 4GB of either PC3 12800/1600 Kingston CL8 or OCZ 12800/1600 DDR3 CL8

Graphic Card
- Either Palit GTS250 512MB DDR3 or XFX GT240 1GB DDR3 w/HDMI. (Not really sure what graphic card to get as these 2 are recommended by my friends.)

DVD Writer
- Samsung S223 22x DVD+-RW (SATA)

ATX Casing
- CoolerMaster CM690 3 x 12cm Fan + Side Window

ATX Power Supply
- CoolerMaster RealPower Pro 550W

OS
- Window Home Premium 7 64bit (OEM)

Monitor
- Not too sure what monitor to get, but my budget for the monitor is around $400, as i'm also thinking of getting a calibrating software as well, so hoping to get a monitor that fairly easy to calibrate and colour accurate after calibration. Currently i'm considering getting the Sumsung 23.6" 2494HS (Wide screen) or the Philips 23.6" 244EISB (Wide), but i'm not sure if they are considered good monitors or not. Any suggestions?

dun need 2K la..Save your money for a rainy day.
The thing about technology , same as camera is that the latest generation always carry a premium. Unless u really need the speed, why spend so much for something that will get obsolete in a 1-2 years? Video editing, photoshop movies etc all can run well on a low end C2D . 500 gig hddk more than enough ( if u are doing video, get a fast hdd, 2 gig ram more than enuff le). Your $$ will be well spend if u can get a system for about $450-$550 excluding software and monitor,
 

Posting this is HW Zone forum would be most appropriate. Pertaining to your monitor choice, if you want 100% or more NTSC color gamut and a true 8 bit panel, you have to look out for IPS based panels. Any cheaper panel that you find on the market are all TN based. A 24" IPS would easily cost you around 750++. If you can go for a 22" IPS, DELL has one around 350++

PS: Only a few panel makers make IPS based panels (Hitachi, LG, Philips and some from HP & DELL which use panels from the first three)
 

i lost touch with all the computer hardware so I cant really help. But would like to advise u to backup all your important files/photos cos from what you described.. your com is not in very good shape liao :)
 

Hi guys, anyone using Philips 23.6" 244EISB (Wide) monitor? What do you all think of this monitor?
 

dun need 2K la..Save your money for a rainy day.
The thing about technology , same as camera is that the latest generation always carry a premium. Unless u really need the speed, why spend so much for something that will get obsolete in a 1-2 years? Video editing, photoshop movies etc all can run well on a low end C2D . 500 gig hddk more than enough ( if u are doing video, get a fast hdd, 2 gig ram more than enuff le). Your $$ will be well spend if u can get a system for about $450-$550 excluding software and monitor,

Hi cosycatus, i'm getting a better PC now so that i don't have to change pc again in a couple of years. I'm hoping this one that i'm going to assemble will last for 6 to 7 years like the current one i'm having. :)

Posting this is HW Zone forum would be most appropriate. Pertaining to your monitor choice, if you want 100% or more NTSC color gamut and a true 8 bit panel, you have to look out for IPS based panels. Any cheaper panel that you find on the market are all TN based. A 24" IPS would easily cost you around 750++. If you can go for a 22" IPS, DELL has one around 350++

PS: Only a few panel makers make IPS based panels (Hitachi, LG, Philips and some from HP & DELL which use panels from the first three)

Hi geekbrains, is the Philips 23.6" 244EISB (Wide) monitor a IPS based panel?

i lost touch with all the computer hardware so I cant really help. But would like to advise u to backup all your important files/photos cos from what you described.. your com is not in very good shape liao :)

Hi mingjiewong, same here i also lost touch with computer stuff too. I've backup all my important files/photos to my external HDD already ^_^.
 

Hi geekbrains, is the Philips 23.6" 244EISB (Wide) monitor a IPS based panel?
I don't know why Philips doesn't specify the Panel type in the spec sheet..I can't find any details about this model too..See whether the person in the shop can give you more details on this..I'm sorry dude..
 

Here's what I got after looking at the technical specs of Philips 244E1SB

Viewing Angle: 176º (H) / 170º (V), @ C/R > 5

which makes it a TN panel..
 

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