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PC for moms business

S

Sadude

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 20, 2003
Messages
227
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc

This PC will be for my mother. She'll be using at her personal business. She'll be doing a lot of quicken and database type work. Id like an I7 Machine for her.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?

$1500 - $2000
3) Where do you live?

Miami, Florida
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word
Cpu, Motherboard, PSU, case, Ram, and Hard Drive. ( I need a hard drive that has fast seek times)

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.

I have an old 8800 GTS 512 Nvidia PCI-E I'm putting into the machine

6) Will you be overclocking

No

7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?

Standard 17" LCD no big deal

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?

This week


9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc.

USB 3.0, and whatever is recommended for fast Hard Drive Seek time. In my time it was Sata drives, but sure what the latest it. I'll need an Ethernet port and on board sound card

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?

She'll need an OS probably a 32bit system because of a database software she's using. Windows 7 will do, if not I might an XP laying around (Legit version) will XP software work on Windows 7? That's very important
 
You'll need to be specific on the software in question. Most software does work, but some have compatibility issues that require ironing out.

With a budget of $1500 - $2000, using old hardware is pointless at this point. You could get a maxed out rig for that price, not to mention quicken/database work isn't very "video" dependent. Something with an SSD, multiple cores and lots of RAM would be best for that kind of setup. Just stick with Intel's SSDs.
 
An i7 is seriously overkill for "quicken and some database type work." Unless it's a very very large database that is heavily used, and even then more ram would be more beneficial.


Go with a Core 2 Duo / Core i3 or Athlon II X2 and a motherboard with onboard graphics. Then use the extra money for a larger monitor that will allow her to see more of her work at once.

As for the hard drive, do you need capacity, or speed? SSD's offer huge performance gains, but are expensive and limited in size still (64-256GB are the most common). But if SSD's are too small, 7200 RPM mechanical drives are getting greater than 120MB/s sequential speeds , compared to 70-80MB/s we were getting just a few years ago.
 
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Given the usage I would probably do at most a 1055t with a 890gx board.. use the integrated graphics & spend the rest of the budget concentrating on SSD's & 8gb ram..

Another option that would work well & would make things easier for most business enviorments would be a a 95w 1055t (Tiger direct carry's them) & an asus m4a88t-i (mitx board) in a lian li q07 case.. Makes for a very small case & would have plenty of oomph. Then add a large SSD & a mechanical drive for mass storage
 
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bastage said:
Another option that would work well & would make things easier for most business enviorments would ................................................................................ a lian li q07 case.. Makes for a very small case & would have plenty of oomph.
Click to expand...

Really ?? A Lian Li for a small business? Are you in purchasing for the US military by any chance?:D

Have you looked into the premades like a Dell, etc? I believe they offer some sort of warranty and service agreement that may be worth it for a small business. I understand you can build better for cheaper probably, but the uptime may be worth the trade-off. Heck, its probably even deductible.
 
jay2472000 said:
Really ?? A Lian Li for a small business? Are you in purchasing for the US military by any chance?:D

Have you looked into the premades like a Dell, etc? I believe they offer some sort of warranty and service agreement that may be worth it for a small business. I understand you can build better for cheaper probably, but the uptime may be worth the trade-off. Heck, its probably even deductible.
Click to expand...

Really did you read the original post... I Suggested a 60 dollar case that has a distinct advantage in the workplace when there is a 1500 dollar budget.. Also why suggest a prebuilt to someone who has the budget & know how.. that aint [H] at all..
 
I dispute the Lian Li case because this is a work environment. Aesthetics takes a back seat to reliability. I am assuming here, but I bet theres room for a full size box, so why not take advantage of that and get a larger more standardized case? For a lot cheaper. I see you say the Lian Li has "distinct advantages", please elaborate.

Also, as I said word for word in the previous post "I understand you can build better for cheaper probably, but the uptime may be worth the trade-off."

Granted the OP has a nice budget, and the skills to build one, BUT does he have the time and patience to do tech support for this machine under a business essential role? Thats something to consider.

Just trying to make him aware of his options.
 
did the OP ask for the best over the counter box? No good now that we have that straight..

The q07 has the advantage of size. in a workspace environment especially size is always an issue. because if your taking up the space with your computer, thats that much less desk space you have to do your job.. & What Uptime are you talking about. Buying a premade doesn't guarantee you any type of additional uptime, it guarantee's you a warranty typically of 1 year done via the phone from someone who does not speak the same language as you do..

As for doing tech support.. you think those of us with family close dont do it regardless of who built the computer.
 
Hi guys! Wow nice discussion. I honestly don't like premade machines. I love building and maintaining the machines I build. The database and storage my mom needs must be quite large and have good seek time.

I've found that over the years built machines last longer and are easier to troubleshoot when something goes wrong. You get the quality parts you want and know what you're dealing with.

So i'd really like to build my mom another machine. The last time I did it was a Q6600 machine for her home that she still has today and runs like a champ. So i've been out of the loop for a few years and I'd like a list of parts that I can examine before I order.

Id like to order her parts today! So that I can build it this week while I'm on vacation. :) Thanks fellas.

Also longevity and upgrade-ability are a must. That's why I was going for the I7 since we'll keep it for some time.
 
Sadude said:
Hi guys! Wow nice discussion. I honestly don't like premade machines. I love building and maintaining the machines I build. The database and storage my mom needs must be quite large and have good seek time.

I've found that over the years built machines last longer and are easier to troubleshoot when something goes wrong. You get the quality parts you want and know what you're dealing with.

So i'd really like to build my mom another machine. The last time I did it was a Q6600 machine for her home that she still has today and runs like a champ. So i've been out of the loop for a few years and I'd like a list of parts that I can examine before I order.

Id like to order her parts today! So that I can build it this week while I'm on vacation. :) Thanks fellas.

Also longevity and upgrade-ability are a must. That's why I was going for the I7 since we'll keep it for some time.
Click to expand...

An i7 you build now is not going to be upgradeable since Intel is releasing a new set of sockets for their Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge CPUs next year.
 
ryan_975 said:
An i7 you build now is not going to be upgradeable since Intel is releasing a new set of sockets for their Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge CPUs next year.
Click to expand...

Anything you build now is not going to be long term upgradeable.. AMD has a new socket coming out as well.
 
bastage said:
Anything you build now is not going to be long term upgradeable.. AMD has a new socket coming out as well.
Click to expand...

While this is true, there's usually something released a little later after you build that will give some breathing room down the road. In this case, Intel is not releasing anything else for socket 1156 or 1366. Whatever he buys now, he's going to be stuck with.


With that said, I still feel an i7 is going to be way overkill for a typical business role and money would be better spent on things that would actually benefit his mother. So while he won't be able to upgrade, he'll still get the longevity he desires.
 
A build for right now? Go with this:

$289 - AMD Phenom II X6 1055T + Asus M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 combo (combo deal expires 12/31)
$110 - G.Skill Ripjaws 2x4GB DDR3 1600 CL9 1.5V dual channel kit
$230 - Intel X25-M G2 120GB SSD
$100 - Samsung Spinpoint F4 HD204UI 2TB 5400RPM HDD
$16 - LG GH22NS50B SATA DVD burner
$100 - Antec NSK 6582B case with Antec Earthwatts EA-430D Green 430W PSU
$120 - Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit System Builders DVD
=====
$965 - Subtotal (not including shipping, taxes, or rebates)

I don't know whether or not you really need them, but I added a six-core processor and 8GB of RAM for whatever multitasking that your mom may perform. The motherboard that I chose for you also has onboard video, so you can sell your 8800GTS. To maximize compatibility with your mother's programs, I chose Window 7 Professional, which comes with XP Mode (which is, in reality, a stripped-down version of Windows XP running inside a virtual machine). If you see yourself upgrading to Sandy/Ivy Bridge or Bulldozer in the near future (within, say, the next six months), you may want to break down and buy the full retail version of Windows 7 Professional, which will allow you to legally transfer the OS from computer (specifically, the motherboard that the OS key is "bound" to) to computer. As an FYI, 32-bit programs run fine on the 64-bit OS, but Windows XP Mode uses the 32-bit version of XP (though I believe it's XP Home).

Let's get this out of the way now: All of the Intel and AMD chipsets will be replaced by this time next year, and you really shouldn't expect many (if any) new boards and processors for the current chipsets out now. While Intel's Socket 1366/X58 chipset appears to be the last one to be replaced (by Ivy Bridge around the second half of 2011), it will be replaced regardless. For future upgrading options, AMD appears to be the best way going forward right now. The Bulldozer-based AM3+ motherboards are reportedly backwards compatible with AM3 processors, like the X6 1055T. Translation: If you were to stick with the above build, you could replace the board and keep everything else.

Since you want fast seek times, an SSD is the way to go. There should be more than enough storage on the SSD that I chose for you for the OS and all of your mom's critical software. Keep everything else on the "green" HDD, which is still pretty fast compared to mechanical hard drives built a few years earlier. If you don't want to go with an SSD/green HDD combination, or you want to avoid SSDs altogether, you should consider going with either two Samsung F3 HD103SJ 1TB hard drives in a RAID 1 configuration or four Samsung F3 HD102HJ or Western Digital WD5000AAKS 500GB drives in a RAID 0+1 (or RAID 10) configuration.

(The RAID 0 configuration combines two hard drives as one for faster speeds while the RAID 1 configuration creates mirrored drives for data uptime. RAID 0+1 combines the aspects of both RAID 0 and RAID 0, but it also requires at least four physical hard drives. Most SSDs' garbage collecting algorithms, which are need to reduce slowdown and prolong longevity, don't perform well under RAID at this time, so it's generally not recommended to use commercial SSDs under RAID. None of the RAID configurations are to be considered backup solutions, so have a separate hard drive available for that role.)
 
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tiraides said:
A build for right now? Go with this:

$289 - AMD Phenom II X6 1055T + Asus M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 combo (combo deal expires 12/31)
$110 - G.Skill Ripjaws 2x4GB DDR3 1600 CL9 1.5V dual channel kit
$230 - Intel X25-M G2 120GB SSD
$100 - Samsung Spinpoint F4 HD204UI 2TB 5400RPM HDD
$16 - LG GH22NS50B SATA DVD burner
$100 - Antec NSK 6582B case with Antec Earthwatts EA-430D Green 430W PSU
$120 - Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit System Builders DVD
=====
$965 - Subtotal (not including shipping, taxes, or rebates)

I don't know whether or not you really need them, but I added a six-core processor and 8GB of RAM for whatever multitasking that your mom may perform. The motherboard that I chose for you also has onboard video, so you can sell your 8800GTS. To maximize compatibility with your mother's programs, I chose Window 7 Professional, which comes with XP Mode (which is, in reality, a stripped-down version of Windows XP running inside a virtual machine). If you see yourself upgrading to Sandy/Ivy Bridge or Bulldozer in the near future (within, say, the next six months), you may want to break down and buy the full retail version of Windows 7 Professional, which will allow you to legally transfer the OS from computer (specifically, the motherboard that the OS key is "bound" to) to computer. As an FYI, 32-bit programs run fine on the 64-bit OS, but Windows XP Mode uses the 32-bit version of XP (though I believe it's XP Home).

Let's get this out of the way now: All of the Intel and AMD chipsets will be replaced by this time next year, and you really shouldn't expect many (if any) new boards and processors for the current chipsets out now. While Intel's Socket 1366/X58 chipset appears to be the last one to be replaced (by Ivy Bridge around the second half of 2011), it will be replaced regardless. For future upgrading options, AMD appears to be the best way going forward right now. The Bulldozer-based AM3+ motherboards are reportedly backwards compatible with AM3 processors, like the X6 1055T. Translation: If you were to stick with the above build, you could replace the board and keep everything else.

Since you want fast seek times, an SSD is the way to go. There should be more than enough storage on the SSD that I chose for you for the OS and all of your mom's critical software. Keep everything else on the "green" HDD, which is still pretty fast compared to mechanical hard drives built a few years earlier. If you don't want to go with an SSD/green HDD combination, or you want to avoid SSDs altogether, you should consider going with either two Samsung F3 HD103SJ 1TB hard drives in a RAID 1 configuration or four Samsung F3 HD102HJ or Western Digital WD5000AAKS 500GB drives in a RAID 0+1 (or RAID 10) configuration.

(The RAID 0 configuration combines two hard drives as one for faster speeds while the RAID 1 configuration creates mirrored drives for data uptime. RAID 0+1 combines the aspects of both RAID 0 and RAID 0, but it also requires at least four physical hard drives. Most SSDs' garbage collecting algorithms, which are need to reduce slowdown and prolong longevity, don't perform well under RAID at this time, so it's generally not recommended to use commercial SSDs under RAID. None of the RAID configurations are to be considered backup solutions, so have a separate hard drive available for that role.)
Click to expand...

Everyone is making good points! I like this build a lot. Thanks fellas! Keep it coming!@ :)
 
Keep it coming? Everything was said that I believe needed to be said:

- With Intel's Sandy/Ivy Bridge and AMD's Bulldozer arriving in 2011, no processor/motherboard platform out now has any true "longevity." AMD is a little better than Intel right now as its AM3+ motherboards will reportedly support all AM3 processors. Then again, using your Q6600 as an example, whatever you build now could easily last you(r mother) years before requiring any major upgrades.

- If you want fast access times, your best bet is with an SSD. For a business, however, system uptime is also important. Truthfully, I believe that an SSD for the OS and key software plus two storage drives in RAID 1, along with a separate drive to serve as a backup, would be the best of both worlds.

- You really haven't said anything that would justify anything more than a quad-core processor and 4GB of DDR3 RAM. However, since you have such a generous budget, I chose the parts that I did as a compromise between what you wanted and what (I believe that) you "needed."

- One thing that I didn't say earlier: Your mom may want the additional real estate offered by a larger monitor (of, say, at least 24 inches with a 1920x1200 resolution)

Having said all of that, let's pretend that, for now, you're considering my build. Is it perfect as it is? Or are there any changes that you feel are necessary?
 
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From that rough usage, I like the splurge on a decently large Intel SSD and I'd add dual 23" or 24" monitors. Productivity software is much more... productive with a reasonable amount of screen real estate. A couple of NEC EA231WMI would work: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824002524 Though, without any color-critical applications, you could really just grab some cheap TN displays.
 
tiraides said:
Keep it coming? Everything was said that I believe needed to be said:

- With Intel's Sandy/Ivy Bridge and AMD's Bulldozer arriving in 2011, no processor/motherboard platform out now has any true "longevity." AMD is a little better than Intel right now as its AM3+ motherboards will reportedly support all AM3 processors. Then again, using your Q6600 as an example, whatever you build now could easily last you(r mother) years before requiring any major upgrades.

- If you want fast access times, your best bet is with an SSD. For a business, however, system uptime is also important. Truthfully, I believe that an SSD for the OS and key software plus two storage drives in RAID 1, along with a separate drive to serve as a backup, would be the best of both worlds.

- You really haven't said anything that would justify anything more than a quad-core processor and 4GB of DDR3 RAM. However, since you have such a generous budget, I chose the parts that I did as a compromise between what you wanted and what (I believe that) you "needed."

- One thing that I didn't say earlier: Your mom may want the additional real estate offered by a larger monitor (of, say, at least 24 inches with a 1920x1200 resolution)

Having said all of that, let's pretend that, for now, you're considering my build. Is it perfect as it is? Or are there any changes that you feel are necessary?
Click to expand...

I definitely like this build. Im trying to convince her t upgrade to a larger monitor, especially since she mention yesterday that she also wants to do some video editing with the machine.

Im going to with the SSD as the main drive for the OS and major programs the mechanical one as a storage device. Im not too familiar with Raid setups, would I still have to do that with SSD as a main and a mechanical as a storage.

She's always used Windows Movie Maker as her primary video editing/creation tool. Is there anything better as far as software is concerned? Also will the onboard video card be good enough for that or should consider using my old card or getting her a better one.

I want to order the parts today, hopefully youll see my questions today.
 
Windows 7 now no longer comes with Windows Movie Maker. Nor is Windows Movie Maker available any longer as a standalone download. Instead, a stripped-down version of Windows Movie Maker is now part of the Windows Live Essentials download package (also available through Windows Update) - and you cannot install Movie Maker without also installing all of the other Live Essentials programs.

As for Windows XP, it is now on what I'd call "life support". Only Service Pack 3 will receive any more critical security fixes (such support for Service Pack 2 has already been discontinued as of this past July 13).
 
E4g1e said:
Windows 7 now no longer comes with Windows Movie Maker. Nor is Windows Movie Maker available any longer as a standalone download. Instead, a stripped-down version of Windows Movie Maker is now part of the Windows Live Essentials download package (also available through Windows Update) - and you cannot install Movie Maker without also installing all of the other Live Essentials programs.

As for Windows XP, it is now on what I'd call "life support". Only Service Pack 3 will receive any more critical security fixes (such support for Service Pack 2 has already been discontinued as of this past July 13).
Click to expand...


I'd rather go with Windows 7 whats a good alternative to movie maker?
 
I'd grab a Dell or HP business machine. You can't beat the warranty and support on a machine like that. For business, that's essential. There is no point in building a machine for this type of work. You build it, you'll be expected to support it. That's just how it goes. Buy a Dell and be done with it.
 
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E4g1e said:
Windows 7 now no longer comes with Windows Movie Maker. Nor is Windows Movie Maker available any longer as a standalone download. Instead, a stripped-down version of Windows Movie Maker is now part of the Windows Live Essentials download package (also available through Windows Update) - and you cannot install Movie Maker without also installing all of the other Live Essentials programs.

As for Windows XP, it is now on what I'd call "life support". Only Service Pack 3 will receive any more critical security fixes (such support for Service Pack 2 has already been discontinued as of this past July 13).
Click to expand...

You can pick which Live Essential components you want to install. You don't have to install them all.
 
ryan_975 said:
You can pick which Live Essential components you want to install. You don't have to install them all.
Click to expand...

Do you know if Movie Maker is still buggy? my mom complained a lot about the program freezing.,
 
Very [H] of you to build your mom's puter instead of getting a Dell, much more fun too! ^-^
Too bad it's a few weeks early for Sandy Bridge, but I guess it's a computer that can be used for 3-5 years without any major change, or upgraded to Windows 8 or with a Direct 12 graphic card when they're out to keep it running decently for another 2 years.

Still, I'd go with something like a Gigabyte GA-890GPA-UD3H (AMD) or an Asus P7H57D-V (Intel) instead. Buying any motherboard without on-board USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s (especially for SSDs) today is irresponsible and is the only thing that will prevent you from upgrading your machine in the future. These two boards are also the only ones in these specs with HDMI I know of (for HD TV connection,) but you'd better visit the manufacturers' web sites to check out the latest models.
You'll need your 8800 GT though, or something more recent.

If there's some money left, add at least an external backup drive and an internal multi-card reader ($10-15), and definitely go for a 24" widescreen display. 17" allows you to view not even a half page on your browser or word processor.

Get a quality ergonomic keyboard and wireless laser mouse too, it's the other main interface your mom will be using. Think about other peripherals and accessories like an HD webcam for skyping and YouTube, a laser printer and scanner, an upgrade to optical fiber Internet, whatever your mom's priorities for business or personal usage are.
Don't know if you need Blu-ray, but tiraides' DVD burner $16 price is unbeatable right now.
 
This decision is too easy. I can guarantee she will appreciate the dual or triple 24 " monitors and a SSD drive more than anything. Hell, her old Q6600 system would run just fine for her needs. I have 3 systems all running SSD drives and that was by far this biggest performance boost. You commented on her doing "some" video editing, although there have been performance figures showing the i7 seriously beating AMD, I can assure that the 1055t is no slouch. Like other posters have said, make sure the MB has USB 3.0 and sata 6.0 and there will be no room to complain.
 
Chimel said:
Still, I'd go with something like a Gigabyte GA-890GPA-UD3H (AMD) or an Asus P7H57D-V (Intel) instead. Buying any motherboard without on-board USB 3.0 and SATA 6 Gb/s (especially for SSDs) today is irresponsible and is the only thing that will prevent you from upgrading your machine in the future. These two boards are also the only ones in these specs with HDMI I know of (for HD TV connection,) but you'd better visit the manufacturers' web sites to check out the latest models.
Click to expand...

USB 3.0 yes, but SATA III (we are lots of years away from SATA 6.0 contrary to the mis terminology used above) inst worth a premium.. Money is better spent on SSD's that can take better advantage of SATA II.. There is no reason to buy a motherboard in preparation for replacing your SSD's in 2 years if your buying your SSD to last 4 years.. Just asinine to do so.. So unless OP is going to sport for c300's which would be a complete waste then it would be pointless to worry about sata III..

And given the usage best buy for an SSD will almost certainly prove to be an intel g2 (which is SATA II) given there reliability & proven track record.
 
bastage said:
we are lots of years away from SATA 6.0 contrary to the mis terminology used above
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I think you got me confused with someone else. Not to be picky but SATA III is also a misterminology, it should be SATA 6 Gb/s now, according to SATA-IO. ^-^
SATA 6 Gb/s SSDs have been out for a year now, since last CES, so it's really critical to get the latest established and back-compatible standard, not an already obsolete one.

There wouldn't be any price premium if we consumers keep pushing for SATA 6 Gb/s and refusing SATA 3 Gb/s, and you definitely won't find any good SATA 3 Gb/s SSD in 2-3 years should the current one fail or if you want to switch to RAID or whatever new features that require SATA 6 Gb/s may exist then. Even a $20 premium now will be worth it.
SATA 6 Gb/s is likely to be obsolete then, some customers already complain it's too slow and are switching to 2-4 gigabytes/s PCIe solutions with multiple controllers, like OCZ's.
 
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