• From: Prescott, AZ
  • Registered: 2010-04-27
  • Posts: 159

Re: New Build

Val_B wrote:

@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.

No. Less than four terabytes is not "so little." Neither is a collection of 200 DVD's for anime alone.
I appreciate your collection and obvious anime hobby; I have a fountain pen collection that could have put me through school for a year and then some, and that's just the daily writers.

But acting like four terabytes of personal media is normal or to be expected in the modern era is just simply ridiculous. hmm

  • From: California, USA
  • Registered: 2008-11-29
  • Posts: 8,647

Re: New Build

AnarchoPhill wrote:

Does anyone have a preference for AMD vs Intel?

I would go with whatever processor is faster for the money. I usually follow Tom's Hardware's charts:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/bes … ,2698.html

Schadt91 wrote:

But acting like four terabytes of personal media is normal or to be expected in the modern era is just simply ridiculous. hmm

Its not normal but with hard drives prices as they are, it doesn't hurt to have a bigger drive than you think you need.

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28 Reply by luc

  • luc
  • #! Die-hard
  • Offline
  • From: Munich, Germany
  • Registered: 2010-03-21
  • Posts: 560

Re: New Build

Important factors in my opinion include:

  • small case

  • silent fan

Nice to have:

  • usb within arms reach from straight up sitting position

  • bluetooth

if it is about storage, speed, ... i could bear with all the small fries you find in the stores today. (when using crunchbang :-)
cheers
luc

  • pvsage
  • Internal Affairs
  • Offline
  • From: Section Six
  • Registered: 2009-10-18
  • Posts: 4,912

Re: New Build

luc wrote:

  • small case

  • silent fan

I'm not sure if this is compatible with a small case, but I know there many ways to design a case so it forms a convection chimney around the CPU heat sink.  Decent cooling, but no fan!

Electrostatic thrust might be another option, like those so-called ionic air purifiers and "anti-gravity" lifters...

while ( ! ( succeed = try() ) );
  • pitje
  • #! Junkie
  • Offline
  • From: me to you
  • Registered: 2009-02-10
  • Posts: 395

Re: New Build

Schadt91 wrote:

That Thermaltake Level 10 case is...horribly ugly. Seriously ugly.

like they say in Dutch 'over smaak valt niet te twisten' (there's no accounting for taste) smile

I just don't like the grey-box-model, nor the outrageous casemods with lights, windows and whatnot.
It's a case that would go well in my living room, standing in plain sight smile

So for me it would be that one, or just a bunch of components that I'd build into my desk, something like this (but without the lights, and less plexiglass):
http://www.solidsmack.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/liquid-cooled-desk-pm.png

Name the greatest of all inventors. Accident. - Mark Twain

pitje's Website

31 Reply by deh

  • deh
  • #! CrunchBanger
  • Offline
  • From: Floripa
  • Registered: 2009-11-27
  • Posts: 103

Re: New Build

I find that ugly as well... but as we say in Brasil, taste is like ass, we each have our own. Weird little saying, funny though.

I for one find that what I have now exceeds my needs, and that should be enough for me to keep my setup for a long time.

Intel Quad Core 2.x Ghz (don't remember and now i'm @work on my laptop)
4gb ram
1 TB HDD
Onboard graphics card that should be replaced sometime in the future for a so-so Radeon card, so I can maximize potential for my 26" monitor that i'm currently using for my xbox and TV.

Anyways, a new build, IMO, should fit your needs for the immediate future and for some years to come. Even though by the time you can say "hey look this my new setup" it should be close to being labeled as "old fart". No matter, you don't need to go buy all the new stuff coming out anyways, who the hell actually NEEDS an Ipad? #rant

Herb will get you through times with no money, better than money will get you through times with no herb.
  • alef
  • #! CrunchBanger
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-02-05
  • Posts: 192

Re: New Build

Unia wrote:

Why do all you guys need 1TB or more?

I have the same question but about RAM: I am ok with 1-2 GB of RAM for home usage, and upgrade to 3-4 wouldn't hurt for my
professional usage (implies much data processing).

But I am curious about how those of you who need 6+GB of RAM consume it. If for developing , on which technology/software ?

thx

Eee-PC 1000H    |  Statler r20110207 Openbox
Vaio VGN-FE21H  |  Statler r20110207 Openbox

no more proprietary OS at home, and still no printer smile
  • dove
  • #! CrunchBanger
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-07-28
  • Posts: 106

Re: New Build

alef wrote:
Unia wrote:

Why do all you guys need 1TB or more?

I have the same question but about RAM: I am ok with 1-2 GB of RAM for home usage, and upgrade to 3-4 wouldn't hurt for my
professional usage (implies much data processing).

But I am curious about how those of you who need 6+GB of RAM consume it. If for developing , on which technology/software ?

thx

I have 8g with crunchbang 9.04 64b and I agree with you it is a waste. conky ram graph has never gone past 25%

  • From: California, USA
  • Registered: 2008-11-29
  • Posts: 8,647

Re: New Build

alef wrote:

But I am curious about how those of you who need 6+GB of RAM consume it. If for developing , on which technology/software ?

I don't have 6GB of memory but heres some use cases I can imagine: virtual machines and Photoshop (or any heavy image editing really). You can also use a lot of memory by just running applications simultaneously.

Note: ** Please read before posting **

BTW if you wish to contact me, send me an e-mail instead of a PM.
  • benj1
  • Wiki Wizard
  • Offline
  • From: Yorkshire, England
  • Registered: 2009-09-05
  • Posts: 1,084

Re: New Build

alef wrote:
Unia wrote:

Why do all you guys need 1TB or more?

I have the same question but about RAM: I am ok with 1-2 GB of RAM for home usage, and upgrade to 3-4 wouldn't hurt for my
professional usage (implies much data processing).

But I am curious about how those of you who need 6+GB of RAM consume it. If for developing , on which technology/software ?

thx

modeling nuclear explosions, genome sequencing, weather forecasting ?

I'm sure if I never closed any tabs for a week I could get firefox using 6gb

Does seem a bit extreme for most of us tho, my hard drive is only showing 7gb used (stripping out music, videos etc), nevermind that ram usage is currently at 100mb

- - - - - - - - Wiki Pages - - - - - - -
#! install guide           *autostart programs, modify the menu & keybindings
configuring Conky       *installing scripts
  • From: Prescott, AZ
  • Registered: 2010-04-27
  • Posts: 159

Re: New Build

Meh; I feel that a home user should never have to have more than four gigs of reasonably powerful RAM. I'm not saying you can't, or that you shouldn't be able to spend money on more if you're a really stupid person; but I don't recommend using programs that are such resource monsters that you need more than four gigs to multitask.

In the workplace, however, or in a research lab, that's a different ball-game.

  • Registered: 2009-08-30
  • Posts: 51

Re: New Build

This is what I'm thinking at the moment.

APEX TX-381-C Black Steel Micro ATX Tower Computer Case $24.99

ICY DOCK MB990SP-B Dual 2.5" to 3.5" SSD & IDE/SATA HDD Bracket $14.99

hec HP585D RETAIL 585W ATX12V Power Supply $29.99

Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 2GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 $38.99

Corsair Nova CSSD-V32GB2-BRKT 2.5" 32GB SATA II Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) $89.99

MSI 880GM-E43 AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
AMD Athlon II X2 250 Regor 3.0GHz Socket AM3 65W Dual-Core Processor ADX250OCGQBOX Combo $130.98

Total $329.93

  • From: California, USA
  • Registered: 2008-11-29
  • Posts: 8,647

Re: New Build

Pick a better power supply. Corsair, Antec, and Seasonic are good brands.

Note: ** Please read before posting **

BTW if you wish to contact me, send me an e-mail instead of a PM.
  • From: Prescott, AZ
  • Registered: 2010-04-27
  • Posts: 159

Re: New Build

I agree; you should never skimp on the PSU.

40 Reply by hhh

  • hhh
  • #! Die-hard
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2010-08-04
  • Posts: 755

Re: New Build

re: lots of RAM, if you've ever tried to work with a large-ish svg file in Inkscape, you will crave all the RAM you can get.

  • Registered: 2009-08-30
  • Posts: 51

Re: New Build

My parts arrived today and I opened the case first and it was in pieces inside.  The case was inside the box upside down and had yellow shipping tape on the top side of the box.  That seems strange to me.  I have to call them tomorrow when they are open to see what I need to do.

The box with my other parts in it is partially open on both sides too.  I haven't opened it yet.

  • From: Stockholm, Sweden
  • Registered: 2009-01-23
  • Posts: 231

Re: New Build

Great thread.

My HD crashed mid summer-vacation and even though I saved my box by installing a new HD and recovered from back-up I realize I should buy something new before the end of this year as this box is from 2003 and is most likely not designed to last forever. Also, nowadays it struggles with flash-wrapped online videos (100% CPU load). In every other application it is snappy enough. Well, maybe not every. I do some photo editing that bogs it down.

The present box is a Shuttle SK41G and I would prefer something of similar size but I am not religious about it. I am not a gamer nor do I do heavy duty electromagnetic or fluid dynamic simulations at home but I would like a reasonable head start on the SW engineers, if you see what I mean.

Shuttle seems to have abandoned the Swedish market but a friend built a compact, quiet and fairly powerful computer using an Antec NSK 1380 http://www.antec.com/Believe_it/product.php?id=MzA=

Anyways, I will follow this thread. I have already picked up some useful information.

/Martin

MartinRF's Website

  • From: California, USA
  • Registered: 2008-11-29
  • Posts: 8,647

Re: New Build

@MartinRF - do you have a particular budget? Heres something reasonably cheap:

Antec NSK1380 $120
ASUS M4A785TD-M EVO $80
AMD Athlon II X3 440 $75
Crucial CT2KIT12864BA1339 $45
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ $55
SAMSUNG SH-S243N/BEBS $25

$400

Note: ** Please read before posting **

BTW if you wish to contact me, send me an e-mail instead of a PM.
  • From: Stockholm, Sweden
  • Registered: 2009-01-23
  • Posts: 231

Re: New Build

Well anonymous, that was quick!
And it is in all likelihood a pretty decently performing machine. (I am not an expert in this and have not looked up reviews so I am only guessing.)

No, I don't have a particular budget. I am a believer in the principle of paying a little more but less often for quality.

Some moron questions since I am not in a hurry:
1) I guess all computer HW these days are 64-bit. Is there any reason for not installing 64-bit Linux? Do I have to research my favorite programs for 64-bit compatibility? Back in the days when SUN Solaris went 64-bit it happened without any drama but our Windows at work is still 32-bit 1.5 decades later...
2) How do I know a CPU will work with a motherboard. Is looking at the socket type enough or do I have to study the fine print?
3) I have noticed some motherboards now come with USB3. It feels 'future safe' to go for that, or is it just silly to take that into account?

/Martin

MartinRF's Website

  • Registered: 2009-08-30
  • Posts: 51

Re: New Build

This is the best Linux forum IMO.

  • Registered: 2010-08-20
  • Posts: 108

Re: New Build

AnarchoPhill wrote:

This is the best Linux forum IMO.

Indeed!

Metaphysicist v2_10-7-10_8.1_21
  • Unia
  • #! Die-hard
  • Offline
  • From: The Netherlands
  • Registered: 2010-07-17
  • Posts: 2,127

Re: New Build

winotree wrote:

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.  wink

Sorry, I totally missed this. Here's the link:

http://gathering.tweakers.net/forum/lis … /ssd,linux

It's about all sorts of tweaks one should do to prevent it from getting worn out fast.

Let's do it and don't screw it.
  • Morley
  • #! CrunchBanger
  • Offline
  • From: Albuquerque
  • Registered: 2010-02-17
  • Posts: 127

Re: New Build

I don't see myself needing more than 4GB of RAM.  Honestly I don't know many people who need more than that.  People like my former roommate confuse me ... he spent $1,500 custom building a gaming desktop with 12 GB of RAM ... and then, all he played was World of Warcraft, which runs on a netbook.  He never does anything with it that I can't do on my lower powered computers (all of which were acquired for under $1,500 put together).  I don't see the point.

Anyways, my dream machine is a maxed out Sony Vaio Z.  Yes, with more storage and memory than I could possibly use smile

I willfully participate in a campaign of misinformation!
  • From: California, USA
  • Registered: 2008-11-29
  • Posts: 8,647

Re: New Build

MartinRF wrote:

1) I guess all computer HW these days are 64-bit. Is there any reason for not installing 64-bit Linux? Do I have to research my favorite programs for 64-bit compatibility? Back in the days when SUN Solaris went 64-bit it happened without any drama but our Windows at work is still 32-bit 1.5 decades later...

The only problem I see with 64-bit Linux is Flash. There are workarounds, though ymmv.

Skype may also need a workaround.

MartinRF wrote:

2) How do I know a CPU will work with a motherboard. Is looking at the socket type enough or do I have to study the fine print?

Best way to just make sure they're the same socket.

However in the case of AMD, it can be tricky. If your motherboard has the AM2+ socket, it can accept AM2, AM2+, or AM3 CPUs (BIOS update may be needed). But an AM3 mobo will only accept AM3 CPUs.

MartinRF wrote:

3) I have noticed some motherboards now come with USB3. It feels 'future safe' to go for that, or is it just silly to take that into account?

If your motherboard does not have USB3, you can always buy an adapter card later. For a MicroATX build though, you may or may not want to converse your available slots.

Note: ** Please read before posting **

BTW if you wish to contact me, send me an e-mail instead of a PM.
  • Unia
  • #! Die-hard
  • Offline
  • From: The Netherlands
  • Registered: 2010-07-17
  • Posts: 2,127

Re: New Build

anonymous wrote:
MartinRF wrote:

1) I guess all computer HW these days are 64-bit. Is there any reason for not installing 64-bit Linux? Do I have to research my favorite programs for 64-bit compatibility? Back in the days when SUN Solaris went 64-bit it happened without any drama but our Windows at work is still 32-bit 1.5 decades later...

The only problem I see with 64-bit Linux is Flash. There are workarounds, though ymmv.

There's a problem with flash on 64-bit? I didn't notice anything, I just installed it and it works cool

Let's do it and don't screw it.