On 6/18/2011 12:08 AM, DENISE ROCHE wrote:
> Hi Guys!
>
> Rotten people! They could at least make the link work right. The combo I'm looking at is at Tiger Direct and it's the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R Motherboard and Intel Core i7 950 Processor BX80601950 Bundle. It is under $500 and I'd bet it will last as long as anything I could buy!
>
> I have a nice, new case- a full tower. I own my house so I'm not going anywhere. I fully expect to have to replace optical drives and such numerous times over the years. It has always been so. I have never had a hard drive go down on me yet, but I know it's just a matter of time.
>
> As a matter of fact I have been looking at blu-ray drives simply because they have come down in price. I do backups every six months onto disk, and with the data I have on my computer it can take a month at this time. Blu-ray holds so much more that I really think it would be a worthwhile investment for me, even though the prices will come down some more eventually.
>
> Although it may not be exactly what I want in the future, I think that the computer I'm building will last 10 years. Even if I upgrade to something else long before then, It will still function as a secondary computer for the kids who visit me to use. I have a functioning computer now that is 11 years old. I was using it as my primary machine up until about 2 years ago, although I was starting to get frustrated with it.
>
> The power supply I have in mind is not one of the top brands, but it looks really good. It's the Ultra X4 850-Watt Modular Power Supply.
>
> The one thing that I'm concerned about, because I have limited knowledge of these things, is the video card. The motherboard I'm looking at doesn't have onboard video, so I need to pick one right away. I have 2 monitors with HDMI interfaces. With school, I can't live without them! I suspect it will be no different when I'm writing nonfiction for a living. Of course, I would like to have some good quality for my movies.
>
> As for the 64 bit issue, I agree. I want 64 bit. I can relax a little, though. With Windows 7 it is possible to upgrade to 64 bit any time I like. I can install a 32 bit OS, test out my new computer, add the parts I need to it, and make sure that it is fully ready for 64 bit before I commit. It's just a matter of making sure I have all the drivers and such that I'll need. Then I can convert my laptop, play with it awhile, and then take the plunge with my desktop.
>
> What I'm glad to see is that the ideas I already had are being verified by you guys. I really appreciate the input and I am looking forward to anything else you might have to tell me.
>
> Denise
>
I suggest that you look at a Sandy Bridge processor instead of the 950.
An i5 2500, for example. The 950 is pretty old technology, and the
Sandy Bridge has been around long enough that the motherboard
manufacturers are getting to know it. Also, if you pick the proper
motherboard, you might not need a video card - but, if you are going to
run multiple monitors, then the on-chip processor is probably not
powerful enough. Check out Tom's Hardware Guide:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-gaming-cpu,2951.html
Ignore the fact that the review is gaming-oriented. Your requirements
are similar to that of a gaming computer.
The power supply is always a gamble, but the one that you chose is
probably okay.
Look at Tom's Hardware Guide for help in choosing your video card:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card-game-performance-radeon-hd-6670,2935.html
Other sources besides Tom's for Consumer information:
http://www.anandtech.com/
http://www.extremetech.com/
These three places have been around since you were a baby and are quite
reliable. (You cannot always trust internet reviews.)
The NOSPIN Group has added a new feature on our website,
web based bulletinboard for questions and answers:
Visit our sister website at http://nospin.com
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