Proposed new system, what do you think?

[Alec]

I decided it was about time, having (accidentally, as it goes) avoided vista, to get a new machine, as things have progressed somewhat in the last 3.5-ish years, and Win7 seems well regarded.

I'd like to lower the cost (£997 with VAT) a bit if i can. The monitor will be changed as i did specify i cant have one bigger than 19", and i almost certainly wont be getting the speakers.

Speaking of speakers, the PC will be my main hifi source for now and the mobo has the optical connection my speakers need.

Would i have to spend much more by going 64 bit? Would the increase in memory (if i put more than 4 gig in) really help?

Apart from music listening i only do web browsing, emails etc. No photo work or games at all. The most i would do is save a photo to the hdd.

Oh, I'll probably get a much smaller hdd as ill never fill 1TB.

Intel Processor Core I7-920 2.66GHz
Motherboard ASUSTEK P6T SE S1366 X58
Case Evo Labs 600W PSU +12CM
Case Compucase 6C28 4 Bay Sil/Blk 3
Memory 4GB DDR3 (2 x 2GB)
Memory Internal 3.5 card reader XD
Floppy Drive *** No floppy drive ***
Hard Drive 1.0 TB Serial-ATA
Video Card PALIT 1GB GeF 9500GT
Keyboard Black keyboard PS2
Pointer Black Wheel Mouse & Mat PS2
OS Software Windows 7 Home Premium OEM
CD Rom Drive 22x DVD±R/RW Black SATA
Sound Card AC97 7.1 Onboard
Speaker Logitech Speakers 2.1 bla
Modem *** No dial-up modem ***
Monitor 22" TFT Silver/Black 1680x1050
Printerr No Printer
Networking Onboard Gigabit

 

[Messiah]

For what you have listed I would say you would need to spend no where near that money.

Still, I'll have a quick look......

 

[Alec]

Thanks Messiah.

That seems to be the consensus.

As long as i have decent connections to a monitor (ok im no gamer but i look at it a lot) and the tv if i decide to use media centre with my tv then im happy graphics wise, and someone pointed out that i could then get a lesser power supply. As i hope i said above, the monitor will be changed anyway.

 

[PJPro]

Given your usage, I'd recommend that you get the cheapest PC you can find. Look for ones on offer from someone like PC World. These tend to be getting a little bit long in the tooth in relation to the latest models.....but that not going affect you.

The key thing to work out is the inputs / outputs you want.....although you can add cards later. Plenty of RAM is good, especially for Vista. And I like to get big HDDs. They don't tend to cost much anyway.

It's probably worth being a little more picky if you're buying a monitor as these don't tend to suffer the same rate of obsolescence that PCs do, so you'll keep the monitor over several base unit ungrades/replacements.

 

[Anonymous]

once you have setup, and you have a spare £90 .... have a close look at these M-Audio Studiophile AV40 desktop speakers .... I will be getting a pair at the end of the month for one of my home pc's (for spotify) ....

have not heard them, but many seem to be happy ...

 

[Alec]

Thanks PJ. Thing is, im still struggling to see where i could save a lot. I dont want something thats going to feel slower than my current pc (i did that last time as i was talked into something i shouldnt have been through my naivety). Also, the cards seem to do what i want at a reasonable price...dont they? Tho someone on another forum has said that gfx card is considered a donkey, i suspect tthis is the opinion of gamers. And id prefer to do as little as i can with it once ive got it. Sorry, i seem more argumentative than i mean to i think.

 

[John Duncan]

Get a Mac

 

[PJPro]

My wife uses an NC10 netbook for browsing and music. Compared to my PC it's really weedy....but it's got more than enough oomph for the use we make of it.

What do you have right now? It must be as old as the hills if the performance is impacted my web browsing and music! If it's fairly new, it's more likely an issue with the OS, software generally or the network.

XP seems to grind to a halt over time if you don't perform routine maintenance and keep on top of the myriad processes that seem to accumulate over time. Over zealous security can also bog down a PC until it runs like a dog.

Clearly, slow performance with browsing is more likely to be a network issue rather than the PC itself.

 

[PJPro]

al7478:
T..... someone on another forum has said that gfx card is considered a donkey.....

Given your stated use, a donkey is what you are after.

 

[PJPro]

PJPro:....What do you have right now?....
Doh! Just seen your signature. It would appear that your Dell should be more than capable for your needs.

Although if you're still keen to upgrade, how about something like this for £400 ish? This has oomph to spare.

Of course if you want something nice, and can afford it, go for a mac. I haven't but I'd like to. You might get lucky and bag a secondhand mini mac on ebay for a good price.

 

[The_Lhc]

al7478:Oh, I'll probably get a much smaller hdd as ill never fill 1TB.

Heh, where have I heard that before! If you're going to be putting all your music on there, in lossless or uncompressed or you start getting into 24-bit downloads you might come to regret that comment!

Hard drives are cheap, doesn't seem to make sense to skimp on that.

 

[John Duncan]

Given your stated use, a Mac's not a bad idea...

 

[Craig M.]

i'm with the others on this one, a calculator on steroids should have enough ooomph for web browsing. not in a million years would i spend that much on a pc for what you want it for.

why not just back up stuff you need, and then re-format and re-install xp?

then don't install anything you don't need - instant faster pc in a lot of cases.

 

[Alec]

JohnDuncan:Given your stated use, a Mac's not a bad idea...

But very pricey. 1K is pushing it as it is, which is part the reason for my post.*

Would a £400ish machine feel sluggish compared to mine?

EDIT * under £800 would be nice.

 

[John Duncan]

al7478:But very pricey. 1K is pushing it as it is, which is part the reason for my post.

Acknowledged and withdrawn.

al7478:Would a £400ish machine feel sluggish compared to mine?

It would probably kick your PC's butt, if it's any more than a couple of years old.

Read this.

 

[Alec]

Thanks JD yes mine is over 3.5 years old.

If i could easily do 12-1500 on it (like, er, my speakers, once id replced one of the leads with a longer one, plus p&p) without breaking sweat, id seriously consider a mac, but right now id not be able to consider more than a low spec mac mini, i think...

EDIT yes vaguely familiar with whatsits law (ive blinked siince i opened the link). But my (i know, unanswerable, often) question is always "but will it feel better"?

 

[John Duncan]

Which would also kick your PC's butt for your purposes. Might be worth looking at some benchmarking numbers to see how well a Mac Mini would perform.

 

[Craig M.]

a low spec mac mini might still be faster then yours.

 

[Alec]

And useable as a home pc aswell as a music server?

did once consider one attached to the network just as a server. in fact, the good prof (and perhaps others) may still be recovering from that thread.

 

[PJPro]

Unless you're dead set on a buying a new one, why not do as suggested by Craig M. If you mess it up, you can buy a new one anyway.

But PCs are a little like hifi, maybe worse. Once you start having a look at what's available it's very easy to spend more than you need.

A minimac has gotta be worth a punt...even an old one of you can get it at the right price.

 

[Alec]

OK, just to answer a few things in the thread I've missed so far.

Firstly (tho no one has asked this) my current procesor, if relevant, is an Intel Pentium D 2.80 GHZ, 2.9 GHz 0.99GB of RAM. At least thats what it says in My Computer - Properties.

There isnt anything wrong with my current machine as such, its just someone is expecting it whne i get the new one, plus i want certain connections i dont have now (i dont have optical - im using an adaptor for the speakers which id like to cut out of the equasion (i know that sspelt wrong...but...). These factors coupled with the new OS coming out mean it just...er....feels like a good idea.

I'll look at the Apple site. Thing is, i feel quite loyal to a local store who have known i want a new one for a while and theyve just given me the quote (tho i wish id said make it under 800 and i bet they could have) after working through a rambling email i sent outlining my requirements. Mind...im not altogether sure they dont do Macs...

 

[PJPro]

al7478:
.....i want certain connections i dont have now (i dont have optical - im using an adaptor for the speakers which id like to cut out of the equasion (i know that sspelt wrong...but...).....

You can probably add cards to provide the connections you're after.

Optical? Creative Soundblaster card provide this. I've got the Xtreme Gamer. But there are many others. Good thing about SB? WASAPI! Clearly, you can also use USB to get sound out to your dac...so optical not critical (but I prefer it).

Gigabit ethernet? I added a netgear network adapter card.

Whatelse?

BTW, I believe that minimacs come with gigabit ethernet and optical out as standard (but please check).

 

[Alec]

I think you're right about Macs. I would need optical as my ADM9.1s dont have USB.

Someone reccommended an Asus soundcard. Now, it was £130, but i used the optical from a 25 quid card a few months back and do think it sounded worse than even my m-audio-coax-adaptor-optical-AVI setup. Controversial, and maybe psychological. Even if not psychological, no guarantee expensive = better i guess.

 

[Anonymous]

http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/imac

 

[Alec]

Thanks Taylor. the thing about imacs in particualr is their all in one thing. i cant have a monitor bigger than 19". But if i could, that top one could be tempting.