New PC...Custom or Stock

[vicb]

Looking for a new PC and just looking for feedback. I usually have one custom built
every few years and just wanted to see what everyone else is using.
Intel or AMD and which type, quad core or 8 core, amount of ram, graphics card and so on.
I run 2 hd's, one with OS and programs and the for data and an external for backup using
norton ghost. Let me know what's under your pc hood!

[mk162]

Used Lenovo thinkstation.  They can be had for under $1K and they are flippin' quick.  The video cards in them are high end, alone they run about $400-$500 new.  Add the ECC RAM and Xeon processor and you have a system that is top notch.

[blue moon]

Brad (mk162) is a convert since getting his 1st Thinkstation few years back. I've been using them for graphic work and would not go to a regular system any more.
Some here will disagree with us and prefer to build white boxes.
My suggestion would be to get one and see what you think, it can't be worse than what you would normally get and it could potentially be a lot better.
If you go that route, Xeon 3.0Ghz or about for the CPU speed and nVidia Quadro video card are the minimums you are looking for. E series is pretty cheap, S is the way to go if choosing the refurb route. E's are about $1K for new, $550 for refurb/open box (if you can find them) and refurb S is about $650. In some cases refurbs will come with a license but no OS installed. All will need another $75 or so worth of RAM.

pierre

[GraphicDisorder]

If you are going to get a Thinkstation make sure its not one of the super out dated ones that are often posted here.  There are good ones, there are ones that hae processors in them that are several years old and are slower than many budget chips are today. 

But I would certainly do that over a Dell or HP or something like that. 

Or build one.  A monkey can put together a computer, there is no skill involved IMO. 

[mk162]

I just bought an S20, 3.2ghz Xeon, 4GB RAM, Quadro 2000, Windows 7 x64 installed....for $842.  Not awesome on price, but good.  The video card alone is $399 and the processor on Newegg is $316.  So $715 alone for just those 2 components.

Building one is fine, but I think it's easier to go with one of these..pre-done and cheaper.

[Frog]

Brad or Pierre need to post the link(s) for these gems

[blue moon]

all of the above are with Quad core Xeon CPUs. While usable to a much larger extent than anticipated, I would follow Brandt's advice and stick with newer CPUs.

The absolutely biggest advantage workstation class offers is the extent of testing done to limit any possibility of crashing or similar issues. This is where I disagree with Brand. He has a lot of experience building the systems and is picking top of the line components that he knows are working together well. Monkey could put the components together, but the reliability offered and in depth testing will not be there. Yes, this might be a difference of one crash a month, but if there are a couple of components not playing well together, it could turn ugly quickly. To further emphasize the advantages of going away from a white box, Lenovo has a support page with fixes to any known issues (usually not many). If there are problems with new drivers or OS patches, you'll find out before getting in trouble and the solution will be posted.

pierre

[blue moon]

Brad or Pierre need to post the link(s) for these gems

other than ebay, I have two more sources I'd prefer to keep to ourselves (TSB) rather than advertise to the world. Anybody interested, PM me and I'll send the links.

pierre

[vicb]

My regular company I deal with gave me a quote with an AMD 8 core processor and 16 gigs of ram, graphics card, hd and all the other basics for around $1100.00  I priced the same parts out at new egg
for around $850 so $250 didn't seem too much to put it together. How does the AMD processors stack up against the Intel's?

[GraphicDisorder]

all of the above are with Quad core Xeon CPUs. While usable to a much larger extent than anticipated, I would follow Brandt's advice and stick with newer CPUs.

The absolutely biggest advantage workstation class offers is the extent of testing done to limit any possibility of crashing or similar issues. This is where I disagree with Brand. He has a lot of experience building the systems and is picking top of the line components that he knows are working together well. Monkey could put the components together, but the reliability offered and in depth testing will not be there. Yes, this might be a difference of one crash a month, but if there are a couple of components not playing well together, it could turn ugly quickly. To further emphasize the advantages of going away from a white box, Lenovo has a support page with fixes to any known issues (usually not many). If there are problems with new drivers or OS patches, you'll find out before getting in trouble and the solution will be posted.

pierre

My problem in many of the previous posts is that a lot of these systems you were posting in the past most of them that are "cheap" had VERY old processors, and I mean REALLY old in the tech world. 

What is this crashing you speak of?  Haven't seen a crash in years other than when a hard drive died.  Which could happen in any system, at any time, new or refurbished. 

My monkey comment was in the context of that there are enough smart computer people here we could all suggest components to anyone here and they could assemble and assuming they can follow simple windows prompts they can in fact build and set up a computer from nothing but piles of parts.  It's very easy. 

I don't care what any one builds or buys really, but I think its important not to just point someone at a site full of refurbs and suggest the world will be right with any choice.  A lot of them on that site you posted before were not impressive.  There were a few good values that were not already dead tech in the computer world though.  But those were not 400 buck computers either.   

[GraphicDisorder]

My regular company I deal with gave me a quote with an AMD 8 core processor and 16 gigs of ram, graphics card, hd and all the other basics for around $1100.00  I priced the same parts out at new egg
for around $850 so $250 didn't seem too much to put it together. How does the AMD processors stack up against the Intel's?

I used to be a AMD freak, but once I went Intel I just can't bring myself to go back even to save the money.  Now that said, they are plenty fast enough.  In most of the type of work you will do with a computer a processor WONT be your bottle neck.  It will be disk read/write and memory size/speed.  So go with a ton of fast ram and a Sata III SSD and you will be in great shape.  Processor just so it is decently fast you will be good. 

For $250 IMO you can do it yourself and save some coin if you are at all mechanically inclined. 

[inkman996]

I just bought an AMD 8 core for $169
New Asus MB for for $139
16 gigs of DDR3 for just over $100
All at Tiger

I already have an extra large case, graphics card and PSU and HD's

I am building it for home, my kids actually got me hooked into playing Minecraft/Tekkit so now I will have a PC just so we can all enjoy playing that and some other odds and ends.

[mk162]

I pass by Tiger on the way to my parents house...I need to stop in there sometime...they have free coffee.

[GraphicDisorder]

A useful site in seeing just how your CPU, Video Card, Hard Drive, Or Ram stacks up to others below, so don't take any ones word for it, look at the hard data. 

http://www.videocardbenchmark.net

[ebscreen]

It's been my understanding that the video card has little to do with what we do, IE Illustrator
and Photoshop type stuff.

AMD (only bad chip I ever got was an Intel), SSD's, and as much memory as you can afford.