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If you were to build a new system for yourself, what would it look like?
I'm about to do a new build for myself and I'm having a hard time deciding what to do. It's not going to be high-end because I'm not a gamer. The only thing that I know for sure is that I want to use an SSD rather than standard HDD.
You might, also, want to have 6 Gb of RAM or higher. All the better, to take advantage of AMD-64 processors.
My main/work PC has 6 Gb of RAM and a 2.2 Tb hard-drive.
Also, a decent Graphics card would be nice.
Meh, I'm gradually turning off of gaming, so I find that I really don't want all the stuff I used to. I feel that a good quality, fast terabyte of storage, probably 7,200 RPM, maybe four gigs of good quality, fast DDR3, my old standby GPU (the 9800 GT,) a basic keyboard and mouse, and a small, square monitor (say 15" capable of 1024 x 768, like the one I'm using now,) are really all I want.
I don't even need that. Which is good, because I have thirteen dollars to my name right now.
Two Hard-Drives. One Giant 2TB HDD and one 320GB SSD. I'd have an Intel i7 Extreme processor and Level 10 case. Max out my RAM with like 16+ gigs and use the latest NVidia graphics card and Creative sound card. Just the greatest computer ever.
Keep in mind, if you like multiple monitors, ATI offers cards with Eyefinity, which allows you to connect 3 monitors with nothing special, except for needing a displayport-capable monitor.
I'd probably have a laptop (I don't care how thick it is, so long as it has a screen that's at least 15.4 inches and a fairly standard keyboard layout), a graphics card reknowned for it's Linux support, 4GB of RAM, 500GB of storage, a decent sound system, at least three USB supports, and an Intel pentium chipset.
Two Hard-Drives. One Giant 2TB HDD and one 320GB SSD. I'd have an Intel i7 Extreme processor and Level 10 case. Max out my RAM with like 16+ gigs and use the latest NVidia graphics card and Creative sound card. Just the greatest computer ever.
I didn't even know they were making SSD with that capacity. I change my vote.
First I need a budget. I've used a spreadsheet to list various setups ranging from $750 to $8,000. Even the cheap configs would be better than what I have know, though that doesn't mean I'd just stick with the cheapest.
Price is by far the most important aspect for me, and since I tend to reuse parts with each iteration I haven't paid over $300 at once for a computer since 2001 or so. Though this means until my latest setup I still had a 4x DVD-R drive that only recorded +r not -r. Since it continued to work however, there was no need to replace.
Given an infinite budget, it would be the best MSI motherboard that supported AMD, the fastest AMD Phenom x6, and one of the top of the line Radeons, equipped with 4TB of Seagate hard drives. I would say I need more ram than I have now, but 6GB is just fine for anything that I have tried yet. (Yes, I am brand loyal). And a 36¨ HDTV to use as my monitor.
Oh, and I would have one of the Pink Apevia cases with the fan and temperature gauges, they are sooo cute!! Way cooler than my Alienware Aurora case (Which I traded a mid range Antec case for) which is not cute at all.
Why do all you guys need 1TB or more? Currently I've got around 100, maybe 150 GB's of documents (yes, that includes videos, music, photo's and Linux .iso's). As for the pc, I'm fine with my Acer 5740G - specs are in my sig. If I were to buy a new one, I'd get another laptop with a processor comparable in power, same storage and same RAM. I don't really need a powerhouse gamingdesktop 
Also, keep in mind that SSD's are worn out much, much faster than the typical HDD's. Especially on Linux, that why I'll keep my 640GB 5200rpm disk for a while.
Why do all you guys need 1TB or more?
Videos, music, games, etc. BTW you already said video and music, but some people have more files or bigger files.
I agree with anonymous. My music collection is 90GB and growing. As for movies and tv shows etc, it depends on the quality. But some people like HD content. If so, your looking at 8+ GB per movie.
Another use people seem to have overlooked is for backup purposes. Hard drive snapshots, or just copies of your used folders, are all very useful. If you hook up a 1TB drive as a secondary drive, you can back up a smaller drive many times over.
My dream computer would probably be a laptop, hooked up to external monitors, like I have now. It's the best of both worlds as I can have a desktop setup with big monitors and a proper keyboard and mouse, but still retain the ability to take the laptop with me. I'd love to have a 2TB external drive, hooked up through eSATA, my 1TB is already 3/4 full.
....Also, keep in mind that SSD's are worn out much, much faster than the typical HDD's. Especially on Linux, that why I'll keep my 640GB 5200rpm disk for a while.
I really think that having said something like that, you really need to read something like this. 
if money's no option, I'd go with this case in gun-metal grey
some high-end multi-core processor, plenty of ram (4 to 8 GB), a decent (silent)gfx-card, a 64 GB high-end SSD, a couple of big hard-disks and a biiig monitor.
I don't game, don't do much processor-intensive things and I run crunchbang, so the above specs are already outrageously overdone 
edit:
if I had to pay for it now, I'd go with some simple mainstream system from a big retailer. no bells, no whistles, around 300-400 euros
Last edited by pitje (2010-08-31 19:04:14)
Unia wrote:....Also, keep in mind that SSD's are worn out much, much faster than the typical HDD's. Especially on Linux, that why I'll keep my 640GB 5200rpm disk for a while.
I really think that having said something like that, you really need to read something like this.
I've read something on a well known Dutch tech-site, that states different. If you want, I can send you a link, but you'll have to translate yourself
google translate is good for that stuff Unia.
That'd be real fine, Unia, and as I'm guilty of it too, we should all remember to back up our statements with documentation, even if it's a link or two so it doesn't appear we're advocating a personal opinion.
More to the topic -- even with adequate monies I have no idea what I'd want for a custom-build. 
This build is going to be <$500USD.
This is the case I want to use: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a … 6811154094. I've used it in the past and I like it a lot.
I'm thinking about getting some airbrush work done on it or some pin stripping because it'll be for me and I like hot rod art. I also don't need a lot of storage because my wife's computer has more than enough and I can just store files on it.
The artwork on the case won't be more than $50 I'm thinking.
I use a small SSD [16g to 30g] for boot and root and a 7200 HD for home [&swap if needed] with a good increase in boot & desktop response.
Heres an example config (prices from Newegg in USD):
COOLER MASTER Elite $40
CORSAIR CMPSU-400CX $50
ASUS M4A785TD-M EVO $80
AMD Athlon II X3 440 $75
Crucial CT2KIT12864BA1339 $45
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ $55
Intel X25-V $100
SAMSUNG SH-S243N/BEBS $25
Total ~$470
That Thermaltake Level 10 case is...horribly ugly. Seriously ugly.
As for SSD, if any specific computer part costs more than $200, including the monitor, it had better burp the baby.
And change its' diaper.
So until the prices go down considerably and their sizes increase considerably I won't be getting one, no matter how long they last.
Last edited by Schadt91 (2010-09-01 01:19:00)
Does anyone have a preference for AMD vs Intel?
I used to use Intel processors; now I'm actively preparing for the far-off day when my Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition dies.
What kind of work are you using it for? I know you said no gaming, but anything more specific?
@AnarchoPhill: I have been all AMD with the exception of portable devices since the K6, and I have been all ATI since the Mach 32 came out (as well with the exception of portables). For me it was like heaven when they merged. I usually buy seagate hard drives, PNY ram, and so on. Having a brand preference helps me decide on what parts I want, and since I have never had problems with the brands I buy, it tends to give me some confidence.
When a brand starts steering me wrong I switch (For example around 2k1 I switched from Western Digital and Maxtor to Seagate after having nearly 4 hard drives fail in the space of a year. I haven't had a Seagate under 10 years of age fail me yet.) even though that doesn't mean they are better per se, merely I have better luck with that brand.
@Unia
I have over 200 Data DVD's full of Anime, and around 1.5TB of hard drive space on my PCs pretty much maxed out, and that isn't even mentioning my music, abandonware, or Linux ISO collections. I need at least 4TB to be able to access my media without my CD books (I have over 1000 CD/DVD's in 6 books currently). This is important as I would like to set up one of my older PCs into a media center, and I want to use the network to get the files rather than finding which DVD in which book has the series I want to watch.
In fact, 4 TB might not last too long, with great series like Fairy Tail, Highschool of the Dead, Occult Academy, Bleach, etc all continuing to crank out new episodes week after week. Especially when downloading them @ 720p as is now the de facto standard. Storage has been a problem of mine for years actually, and I always find it amazing that other people seem to get by on so little.
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