New Computer Tips [Archive] - RonFez.net Messageboard

Tazz

04-05-2005, 05:29 AM

I'm starting to think about buying a new computer, as mine is slowly becoming like the pope and Terri Schaivo. I know I want a P4 with a 2.8 or 3.0 ghz processor. I need to know what the HT thing is, and whether I will see a great difference with 2.8 or 3.0 ghz, or with a 512 memory vs 1 gb. I don't game, just internet and downloading, so it doesn't need to be all powerful. I would like something with a video card that allows me to burn VHS to DVD. I also don't have much to spend. Maybe right around a grand. Any tips?

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JPMNICK

04-05-2005, 05:37 AM

HT is an Intel only thing meanin Hyper Threading. Its basically the ability for one chip to simulate being 2 chips. It has advantages and is usually worth it. GO with the slightly slower processor and bump up the RAM to 1GB. You will not be sorry on this one. It is so much more worth it. I am not sure exactly what kind of video card you will need. Do you play video games? I think you made need a special adapter for this either way, regardless of the video card. YOu can get a nice Dell, with a 19" flat panel monitor for 550 bucks after rebates and everything. That deal comes around like once every week or 2.  Also, get Windows XP pro if it does not break the budget. For some reason, i really like this a lot more. Also, go big on hard drive if you are going to be doing video stuff. 200GB is a minimum. and you will also need a DVD burner.  

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Evilpete

04-05-2005, 06:02 AM

I would suggest hitting some of the major computer makers sites (dell, etc.) to check out what they offer, and to ask questions you have, and they will answer then through theit FAQ or email.  I just got a new Dell (Dimension 3000) yesterday and it works wonderful (compared to my old 6-year old comptuer that the Dept of Sanitation just took away).  I got it for about 500 bucks (that's with free 3 day shipping and  some discounts they were offering that day, but they always offer you some discount online) one thing I have to suggest: when you get your new computer, go through the add/remove software window and get rid of the "free trials" of things you don't need or want.  I say this because sometimes they just pop up on your comptuer out of nowhere and are more annoying than some spyware!!!!

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HBox

04-05-2005, 06:05 AM

quote:I would like something with a video card that allows me to burn VHS to DVD.  There are two ways you can go about this.
First, get a card wtih VIVO. VIVO stands for Video In/Video Out. If you
go this route you will not need a seperate card for doing this.
However, I'm not sure if the video quality will be on par with a stand
alone card. And I'm not sure of the kind of programs that will
accompany the card. I also don't believe these kind of cards have a
coaxial input, just composite and S-Video. I also don't believe they
have audio inputs; you'll have to input the sound through your sound
card. I've never used a VIVO card myself, but I hear they work fineThe
second way is to get a stand alone TV card. They come as cheap as $50.
The one I have is the Hauppauge PVR-150. It has coaxial, S-Video and
composite inputs, along woth on-board audio inputs and a remote sensor.
It also has a TV tuner. This card can essentially turn your computer into a TiVo when used in
conjuction with programs like SageTV, BeyondTV, or the free MythTV. The
PVR-150 comes with a DVD authoring program. You can get it for $70-$80
at Newegg. If you go this route, I'd stick to either Hauppauge or an
ATI TV Wonder card.I
remembered one more option. You can get an
ATI All-In-Wonder Card. It is a regular Video Card with all the
functionality of a stand-alone TV card. They have coaxial inputs along
with a TV Tuner and S-Video and compostie inputs. These cards are a bit
more expensive than VIVO cards, but they are cheaper than buying a
seperate video card and TV card.If
you are doing strictly VHS to DVD, I'd suggest a VIVO card. If you want
to do a bit more, I'd suggest a Stand alone card of an All-In
Wonder. 


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This message was edited by HBox on 4-5-05 @ 10:06 AM

badorties

04-05-2005, 06:11 AM

i'm looking to get a new PC ... i'm not a game player, just your basic intertnet and a few imaging applications ...my big question is: should i buy a mid-range ($500) PC from a store and throw some upgrades into it; just buy a loaded PC or can i build a PC for a couple hundred ...<img src="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=badorties" border="0" /> 

This message was edited by badorties on 4-5-05 @ 10:16 AM

A.J.

04-05-2005, 06:31 AM

quote: mine is slowly becoming like the pope and Terri Schaivo. Your computer also once required a feeding tube?

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Tazz

04-05-2005, 06:41 AM

Are HPs any good?

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wilee

04-05-2005, 07:08 AM

The main thing you should make sure of is that any system you buy
has the ability to expand.  Don't simply buy a machine because it
seems cheaper at the time, especially if it has a limited number of
expansion ports in the system.  Some of these $500-or-so machines
are extremely limited in how you can expand them.  Either they
don't support 4X AGP or they have only 1-3 expansion slots (some of
which may already be occupied when the machine is shipped.For
video, I mostly recommend to people that you pick out your own video
card and not go with the one the OEM puts in the machine.  OEM's
usually skimp a little on the graphics capabilities on lower end
machines.  You'd be better off working with the guy on the phone
"building" the machine to your specs.As for the processor speed,
I doubt that even the most observant person would see a difference
between a 2.8 and 3.0 GHz machine when rendering web pages.Unless
you are very computer-savvy and know how to build or fix your own
machine, you should stick with a brand name, as their tech support and
warranty can be invaluable, unless you have a friend that can help you
out with your issues as they arise.

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JustJon

04-05-2005, 10:20 AM

Your computer also once required a feeding tube? It's currently being appealed before the Supreme Court whether or not to insert the water cooling tube. 

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PapaBear

04-05-2005, 06:37 PM

I got my tv/fm tuner for about 30 bucks on ebay. I don't see the same one on there anymore, but there are others. I've made several DVD's from VHS with it, and they're great.

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04-05-2005, 06:53 PM

HP's are good. In your proce range. Just make sure its got at least 512MB of ram. Anything bellow thattends to slow down the computer, and since you dont do games Its perfect.

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LordJezo

04-07-2005, 07:09 AM

quote:The main thing you should make sure of is that any system you buy
has the ability to expand. Don't simply buy a machine because it
seems cheaper at the time, especially if it has a limited number of
expansion ports in the system. Some of these $500-or-so machines
are extremely limited in how you can expand them. Either they
don't support 4X AGP or they have only 1-3 expansion slots (some of
which may already be occupied when the machine is shipped. Expansion
is a myth as far as I am concerned.  By the time I needed to
upgrade my current box it was so out of date after only a year and a
half that I would have needed a new motherboard, cpu, and ram just to
start.  Maybe that's more like upgrading though, 
 Tazz does not really seem like much of a power user.. "I don't game, just internet
and downloading, so it doesn't need to be all powerful. I would like
something with a video card that allows me to burn VHS to DVD."Hate
to say it but you can't go wrong with an Apple. Save a little bit extra
and get an iMac.  You will be in video editing paradise. 


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badorties

04-07-2005, 08:00 AM

do you save money buy building your own PC ...? are those computer shows that pop-up at racetracks and auditoriums a viable option, or is it better to go though compusa, radio shack or on-line store ...?

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Death Metal Moe

04-07-2005, 08:05 AM

They should make computers pre-loaded with porn.  That would be rule.

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LordJezo

04-07-2005, 09:52 AM

quote: do you save money buy building your own PC ...? are
those computer shows that pop-up at racetracks and auditoriums a viable
option, or is it better to go though compusa, radio shack or on-line
store ...?

 
If you know anything about computers then you would usually buy your
own so you could pick each part of it individually.  It's almost always
cheaper and  you get much better stuff, but only people who care about
what brand motherboard and the speed of their ram really benefit from
that.  If you dont then I would suggest getting something from a big
name like Dell or Compaq or even an Emachine, which has had very good
ratings lately.   Buying from a dude at a show might be cheaper but you are SOL if something goes wrong.

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badorties

04-07-2005, 10:03 AM

thanks

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JustJon

04-07-2005, 10:10 AM

quote: do you save money buy building your own PC ...? are
those computer shows that pop-up at racetracks and auditoriums a viable
option, or is it better to go though compusa, radio shack or on-line
store ...?

<img border="0" src="http://scripts.cgispy.com/image.cgi?u=badorties" /> 
 Remember, the big
companies buy in such bulk that they're getting a much lower price per
part.  When building your own, it allows you have more control
over what's in the machine.  Generally those who build their own
don't save too much because any difference ends up going back in as a
more specialized part. 

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PapaBear

04-07-2005, 08:22 PM

quote:  do you save money buy building your own PC ...? are those computer shows that pop-up at racetracks and auditoriums a viable option, or is it better to go though compusa, radio shack or on-line store ...?  As long as you know exactly what you're looking for, you can save money by building it yourself...  but only if you have specific needs. For the average person, most package deals are cheaper. When I built mine, I knew I'd be using it primarily for still photo purposes. I figured out what I wanted, and proceded to buy all the individual components on Ebay. 

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wilee

04-08-2005, 07:31 AM

Jezo,  while Tazz doesn't seem like a power user, there's still
the possibility that in the future he may decide to do something a bit
beyond what the machine does.  I don't think he'd be the type to
buy another machine in a couple of years, but I could also be
wrong.  I tend to get new machines every couple of years, but I
still have an old desktop, running Win 98 sitting at home.  I
regularly use 2 laptops, and have a 3rd that needs a new display and
I'm dealing with the insurance I have on it to fix it (it's an old
machine but still works well aside from the screen issue).Expansion/Upgrade
is usually the least expensive route to go for most people, allowing
them to squeeze some more performance/life out of their machine by
plunking down $100-$200 instead of more than $500 on a new
machine.  Granted, not everyone does this (like you or I), but
there are some who do, and it doesn't add much more to look for a
machine with 5 PCI ports instead of 2 or 3, or with additional drive
bays in case they want to add another CD/DVD reader/recorder or
something a short time down the road.

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Tazz

04-11-2005, 08:43 AM

Wilee is right, I want something I can upgrade in the future if necessary, so I want a few extra PCI and disk drive slots. I'm still looking around and weighing my options. Does anyone know Dell's policy as far as adding your own cards or drives? If I open the case, does that void my warranty?

<img src=http://tazz1376.homestead.com/files/homersig.gif>

JustJon

04-11-2005, 11:52 AM

If you really want to consider future expandability, be sure to
consider PCI-Express.  This new technology is phasing out both PCI
and AGP slots. 

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LiquidCourage

04-11-2005, 01:37 PM

<a href="http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/featured_notebook4?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs">http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/featured_notebook4?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs</a>  This is one that I was looking at.  What do you think?

HBox

04-11-2005, 02:16 PM

Wilee is right, I want
something I can upgrade in the future if necessary, so I want a few
extra PCI and disk drive slots. I'm still looking around and weighing
my options.I'd
suggest you get an Athlon 64. it's the only 64-bit processor out on the
market. There aren't many, if any, 64-bit apps out there right now, and
there is only a 64-bit beta version of Windows out, but 64-bit is the
future and it's not something you will be able to upgrade to without
getting a whole new motherboard. To "future-proof" your new machine as
much as possible, get one with an AMD Athlon 64 with PCI Express. That
would rule out Dell, as they don't sell AMD processors. If you get a
PCI Express motherboard, I'm 99% sure it will still have standard PCI
slots as well, so don't worry about that. 


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Tazz

04-11-2005, 05:03 PM

Which Operating System should I look for? XP Home or Media Center. Pro seems like overkill for what I have in my house. 

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LordJezo

04-13-2005, 04:46 AM

quote:Which Operating System should I look for? XP Home or Media Center. Pro seems like overkill for what I have in my house. 

 
 Home or Pro. 
You wont notice the difference between those two and media center is
only useful if you buy a computer and plan on turing in into a TIVO /
stereo / well, a media center. For everyday users who want to do what you want to do it's not the way to go. 

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ADF

04-13-2005, 06:44 AM

Anandtech just put out an article on tv tuner cards that you can use with MCE that you might find helpful. You can find it <a target="_blank"" href="http://anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=2393%22">here.</a> 

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This message was edited by ADF on 4-13-05 @ 10:45 AM

SatCam

04-13-2005, 11:36 AM

I'd suggest you get an Athlon 64. it's the only 64-bit processor out on the market. There aren't many, if any, 64-bit apps out there right now, and there is only a 64-bit beta version of Windows out, but 64-bit is the future and it's not something you will be able to upgrade to without getting a whole new motherboard. To "future-proof" your new machine as much as possible, get one with an AMD Athlon 64 with PCI Express. That would rule out Dell, as they don't sell AMD processors. If you get a PCI Express motherboard, I'm 99% sure it will still have standard PCI slots as well, so don't worry about that. Unless you have a whole lot of cash to spend (over $300 on just a CPU) you should forget about AMD64 right now.  Lonhorn wont be out for a while and yes, you'll have to spend the cash on a new mobo and proccessor, but by then prices will have dropped on these things anyway.  You're better off with a higher end 32bit from AMD.

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HBox

04-13-2005, 11:54 AM

Unless you have a whole lot of cash to spend (over $300 on just a CPU) you should forget about AMD64 right now.<a href="http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=19-103-485&depa=1" target="_blank">You're exaggerating quite a bit.</a>Comparable Pentiums are often more expensive. 

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JustJon

04-13-2005, 04:23 PM

quote: . That
would rule out Dell, as they don't sell AMD processors. If you get a
PCI Express motherboard, I'm 99% sure it will still have standard PCI
slots as well, so don't worry about that. 
 Dell announced AMD computers at the beginning of the week 


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HBox

04-13-2005, 04:31 PM

Dell announced AMD computers at the beginning of the weekWhere did you hear that? 

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