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$2000 Build List...

Make sure you get atleast 2GB of ram. As I do alot of graphic editing 2GB is a must for me, as I can imagine 2GB being a must for a video editor. Fit it in the budget, and get PC3200.
 
Originally posted by RandysWay
Make sure you get atleast 2GB of ram. As I do alot of graphic editing 2GB is a must for me, as I can imagine 2GB being a must for a video editor. Fit it in the budget, and get PC3200.
i was thinking 2GB would be better for the application this computer is for. ill try to get it into the budget if i can.

ive decided to downgrade the 74GB raptor to a 36.7GB raptor for a savings of almost $100. 36.7GB should be enough room for a boot and work area drive right? i would think its enough.

so the subtotal with the raptor change and another 1GB pair of dimms equals... $2379.55, keep in mind this is still with those dual TFTs costing ~$830.

heres the list (for some reason it wont let me update the memory with a quantity of 2, so just add another $224)...
http://secure.newegg.com/app/WishR.asp?ID=706375

edit: wish list error.
 
yeah 36gigs of raptor power is plenty for a boot drive and work area.

you got cables and stuff too?
 
It sounds like video editing is going to be big so:

P4 definitely, HyperThreading helps a lot. (just echoing the other posts)

Also, this may not be the case with VIVO functions now, but the built in video in/out functions on my MSI TI4600 VIVO card bring in and put out images that are pretty low quality. The same with my ATI TV Tuner card. This might just be my crappy hardware, so an expert will have to put in more input. That said, maybe a better quality video in/out device would be a good investment? Just something to think about...
 
Originally posted by Deadlierchair
...
Also, this may not be the case with VIVO functions now, but the built in video in/out functions on my MSI TI4600 VIVO card bring in and put out images that are pretty low quality. The same with my ATI TV Tuner card. This might just be my crappy hardware, so an expert will have to put in more input. That said, maybe a better quality video in/out device would be a good investment? Just something to think about...
good point and thatnks Deadlierchair, ill go over that with him aswell. any suggestions to better input/output video devices?

edit: also if it comes down to it, which would be better. another 1GB of RAM or the 36.7GB raptor work area drive?
 
Originally posted by jwill

edit: also if it comes down to it, which would be better. another 1GB of RAM or the 36.7GB raptor work area drive?

I can't say which would affect performance more, however RAM prices are currently fairly high. So if you skimp on the ram now and he decides he needs more later, the upgrade should cost less. The difference over time would only be maybe $50, but it's something to think about. Adding RAM would also be a slightly easier and less time consuming upgrade than a new boot HDD.
 
Originally posted by LeChuck
I can't say which would affect performance more, however RAM prices are currently fairly high. So if you skimp on the ram now and he decides he needs more later, the upgrade should cost less. The difference over time would only be maybe $50, but it's something to think about. Adding RAM would also be a slightly easier and less time consuming upgrade than a new boot HDD.
very good points. thank you.
 
the hard drive will give you more performance for sure. i do video editing and i havn't had a problem with a single gig yet. sure maybe not hard core master video editing, but i havn't even come close to using my full gig. Even with Premeire open and a crapload of large clips loaded. if you're staying within your ram limit, then more ram isn't going to give you more performance. However the hard drive will give you more performance right out of the box. 10,000 rpm's is mighty fast for a boot and work drive compared to a 7.2k drive. my buddy has a 36 gig raptor and nearly the same specs in everything else as my computer and his smokes mine. Windows loads from reboot about twice as fast, a fresh install of windows alone took him in just about 8 minutes. His programs load much faster than mine, especially big stuff. We do a lot of audio editing, remixing, and producing and stuff using Cakewalk Project 5 and everything is most definitely faster on his system because of the raptor drive. In fact, he has a 2.0B and 512mb of RAM and stock 133*4 bus speed and his stuff still smokes mine. Except for the processing power of course. If you want to save a little to use for extra ram you could always downgrade the 250gb drive to a 200, even a 160 like you were thinking about doing before if you wanted. I dunno, that depends on how much space you really think he would use though. Western Digital, Maxtor, Seagate, and Samsung all make great drives. You could save anywhere from 50-100 bucks right there and still have plenty of room for a data drive. All for the exchange of a more powerful and much faster boot drive which will YES most definitely yield a significant system increase in performance.

Personally, adding extra ram later on is much easier than formatting, reinstalling the os, and adding a new main drive. That's just what I would do though, not trying to tell you what to do or anything. ;)

Good plan on the mushkin level II by the way. You can bet that's the kind of i'll be getting soon as well.

I can see why he wants dual LCD's. Because it looks very PHAT. And they are MUCH easier on the eyes. I can't stand CRT glare. And those screen filters are rediculous looking, lol. I personally love LCD's and if you're not much of a gamer then I would say who needs CRT's. But they are expensive. You should tell him that because of his monitor requirements; the $2000 budget he gave you is really only getting him a $1200 system (like the guy stated above). I think that would be the best key words to use to get him to maybe jump his budget up some for sure. Maybe $2500 and then you would have everything needed without making any cuts here and there like we are doing. But either way, the system is looking good and it'll be great.
 
well the mushkin 2700 level two is no longer in stock at newegg. probably explains why it wouldnt let me select two pairs. i guess its mushkin 3200 level one now for $24 more... http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=20-146-290&depa=0

at least i wont have to worry about the ram not reaching 200MHz FSB.

edit: ok so heres the list pretty close to final and budget...
http://secure.newegg.com/app/WishR.asp?ID=706669

i still need to go over the storage drive size whether 160GB is enough aswell as the quality of video in/out he wants whether the VIVO is going to cut it. also whether he really wants the dual TFTs or not since the budget is really ~$1200 and the computer can still be upgraded. the custom fitted acoustic pack is another extra that i dont know if hes going to want. it depends if he wants to pay for the extra quietness.
 
If his budget is $2000, and your right at his budget; what about your "builders fee"?
 
Originally posted by RandysWay
If his budget is $2000, and your right at his budget; what about your "builders fee"?
well he's more family then friend but technically not family anymore. he is my ex-brother-in-law, more of a distant brother since ive known him so long. if it were a normal friend id say like 5-10% or $100-200 in this case. im not going to raise that issue with him, only if he feels like he should (which he should :p). its also pretty cool for me putting together such a nice system. this will be somewhat of a learning experience in that i havent put together an intel setup before.

once i start the overclocking process, whats the highest intel cpu voltage i should go? i remember hearing someting about above a certain voltage can cause sudden cpu death.

edit: grammar.
 
Originally posted by rive22

I can see why he wants dual LCD's. Because it looks very PHAT. And they are MUCH easier on the eyes. I can't stand CRT glare.
glare? GLARE??

modern, flat CRTs do not have "glare" sir!

at least mine doesn't.

However, they are freakin' big, and consume more power.
 
once i start the overclocking process, what is the highest intel cpu voltage i should not go above? i remember hearing someting about above a certain voltage can cause sudden cpu death.

also what is the max die/core temp i should not want to go above?

i know this information with AMD but i have little experience overclocking with intel.
 
If it's not for you or it's not for a compugeek, don't overclock it.

Also, just get some decent 2.5-3-3 PC3200 instead of 2700, it'll do the job just fine. Memory latencies don't matter as much on Intel machines anyway.

And DEFINITELY try to get him to get CRTs! Even nicer LCDs tend to drive some of my video worker friends nuts.
 
Originally posted by jwill
once i start the overclocking process, what is the highest intel cpu voltage i should not go above? i remember hearing someting about above a certain voltage can cause sudden cpu death.

also what is the max die/core temp i should not want to go above?

i know this information with AMD but i have little experience overclocking with intel.
you'll want a mild, GUARANTEED overclock since it's not your personal rig. As such, I wouldn't overvolt more than .1 over stock, and be sure that rig is 100% stable (IE run memtest overnight, run prime95 overnight, all the benchies you can think of) before you deliver it.

Temps should keep below 50C load, preferrably below 45C. My machine runs a bit hotter than that, but yours should not.
 
Originally posted by Stiletto One
If it's not for you or it's not for a compugeek, don't overclock it.
why not? ill do a weeks worth of overclocking and stability tests to make sure its all good.
Also, just get some decent 2.5-3-3 PC3200 instead of 2700, it'll do the job just fine. Memory latencies don't matter as much on Intel machines anyway.
that would save some money. ill keep that in mind.
And DEFINITELY try to get him to get CRTs! Even nicer LCDs tend to drive some of my video worker friends nuts.
if this happens ill probably be able to upgrade the rest of the system. just depends on how much he'll decide to spend on CRT displays.

thanks for the input Stiletto One.
Originally posted by jagec
you'll want a mild, GUARANTEED overclock since it's not your personal rig. As such, I wouldn't overvolt more than .1 over stock, and be sure that rig is 100% stable (IE run memtest overnight, run prime95 overnight, all the benchies you can think of) before you deliver it.

Temps should keep below 50C load, preferrably below 45C. My machine runs a bit hotter than that, but yours should not.
understood, thanks jagec.
 
Originally posted by Stiletto One

Also, just get some decent 2.5-3-3 PC3200 instead of 2700, it'll do the job just fine. Memory latencies don't matter as much on Intel machines anyway.
that's not what I hear...I heard latencies are much MORE important with Intel rigs. Especially the second two numbers. People claim they can actually *notice* the difference between 2-2-2-6 and 2-3-3-7, not just see it in benchmarks.
 
Originally posted by jagec
first of all, for video editing he's gonna want a gig of RAM at least.

Second, I suggest you get a 350W power supply or so, it'll be enough power and save you some money. And, if you're going to be getting a seperate power supply, why get a case that comes with one?

Actually, I suggest you just get an Antec case WITH psu, like this one for $70 shipped. That takes $140 off your budget right there. Spend it on more RAM, and a better hard drive. Stick to Maxtor, Seagate, WD...and I actually suggest you try getting a hard drive at a B&M store, since they usually have specials going on. Check the Hot Deals forum, you can usually get a good drive for $.50/gig, something you can't do at Newegg.

You can get a Radeon 9600XT with VIVO for $180 or so. Frees up some money for other parts of the system.

I can't comment on the quality of those LCDs because I don't know, I'm sure someone else can tell you if they're good or bad.
i agreed with everything you just said

550w isnt that necessary, get more ram, and stick to getting harddrives in B&M stores for sales which is what i always do but some of western digitals harddrive is pretty noisy...i just bought a 120gb 7200rpm and 8mb buffer at CC and when i plug it inm its pretty loud
 
Originally posted by wayne
...
550w isnt that necessary, get more ram, and stick to getting harddrives in B&M stores for sales which is what i always do but some of western digitals harddrive is pretty noisy...i just bought a 120gb 7200rpm and 8mb buffer at CC and when i plug it inm its pretty loud
what is B&M and CC stand for?

im thinking the storage drive i chose will be pretty quiet with the "Fluid Dynamic Bearing Spindle Motor Technology". a feature recommended by silentpcreview.
 
Originally posted by jwill
what is B&M and CC stand for?

im thinking the storage drive i chose will be pretty quiet with the "Fluid Dynamic Bearing Spindle Motor Technology". a feature recommended by silentpcreview.
brick and mortar, circuit city.

you see, hard drives go on sale pretty often at brick and mortar stores, just check the Hot Deals forum. You can usually pick one up (7200RPM, 8MB cache, good brand) for $.50/gig or so.
 
B&M stands for brick and mortar meaning physical stores because stores are made of brick and mortar...(at least some of them)

CC stands for circuit city
 
Originally posted by wayne
B&M stands for brick and mortar meaning physical stores because stores are made of brick and mortar...(at least some of them)

CC stands for circuit city
now i understand. from the first two explanations of B&M i was just thinking it must be funny named computer chain stores not in my area :p. now i know the term. ill check those out, thanks for the explanations guys.
 
No.

It would make things look better if you were using two LCDs (thus allowing you to connect one to DVI rather than VGA), but otherwise, it's just more expensive.
 
while i was browsing newegg tonight i almost got excited about this product, since my friend wants dual monitors. its a dual 15" LCD monitor by DoublSight now sold at newegg...
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=24-185-001&depa=1

until i saw more indetail there was still a partition in the middle. you can see it in the ds-1500 product specs pdf at the product link...
http://www.doublesight.com/ds1500spec.php

basically incorperating two $300 15" LCD monitors (retail price) into one case and on to one stand then adding a premium (in this case ~$170 extra). these arent even quality monitors used, stat wise anyway. this idea for a dual monitor would be alot better if they did away with the partition all together and make it one cable hookup so you could plug in two of these units to one normal dual out video card.

so far im going with two of these next to each other...
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=24-014-048&depa=0

until i can convince him to go CRT other wise if he has the room for the CRTs.

ive also changed my video card choice to a 9600xt AIW because of all the video and audio inputs/outputs...
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=14-102-352&DEPA=1

another reason being the MSI FX5900XT i had on my list isnt in stock anymore at newegg.

new review of the card at rage3d...
http://www.rage3d.com/content/reviews/video/aiw9600xt/
 
That monitor (the DoubleSight) was reviewed by MaximumPC. Don't buy it, it's more of a hassle and having them "attached" creates problems.
 
Originally posted by Noah
That monitor (the DoubleSight) was reviewed by MaximumPC. Don't buy it, it's more of a hassle and having them "attached" creates problems.
thanks for the heads up Noah. ill be sure to steer clear of it.

here is the current list (over budget)...
http://secure.newegg.com/app/WishR.asp?ID=716509

edit: should i get the 3.0E instead of 3.0C for the twice amount of L2 cache for $20? would i see an improvment in performace with this addition? or would i be better overclocking the 3.0C instead? is the 3.0E known to overclock like the 3.0C? ive read it runs hotter then the C-version, this sounds like i wont be able to overclock the chip as much if i want to stay under my limit temp of 50c suggested by jagec since this computer is for someone else.
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=19-116-171&depa=0
 
Don't get the Prescott ("E"). It has a slight (and when I say slight I mean no more than an extra frame in a game, and no more than a fourth of a second when doing intense movie applications). Plus, you could cook eggs on the top of that thing (in other words, it's super hot). The motherboard really has to be "Prescott approved" to run it, because that high temperature processor would burn the socket off the board. :p

Edit: There may be a larger difference in benchmarks, leaning towards the "E." But once you overclock the 3.0 "C," it will kill the "E" in ever aspect (which, unless you are watercooling, I would hope you will avoid overclocking). Who cares about benchmarks anyway? :rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by Noah
Don't get the Prescott ("E"). It has a slight (and when I say slight I mean no more than an extra frame in a game, and no more than a fourth of a second when doing intense movie applications). Plus, you could cook eggs on the top of that thing (in other words, it's super hot). The motherboard really has to be "Prescott approved" to run it, because that high temperature processor would burn the socket off the board. :p

Edit: There may be a larger difference in benchmarks, leaning towards the "E." But once you overclock the 3.0 "C," it will kill the "E" in ever aspect (which, unless you are watercooling, I would hope you will avoid overclocking). Who cares about benchmarks anyway? :rolleyes:
good points. looks like ill stay with the 3.0C. thanks for clearing that up Noah.
 
For tuner cards... you probably want to go with http://www.hauppauge.com/.. they make awsome quality capture cards. I currently use the MSI one (which is also very good). I try and stear clear of any tuners that do hardware encoding though... It tends to limit your options as far as quality of rips. And if you are going with a nice 3GHz+ cpu.. the encoding on the fly is no prob. my 1200 could do it.
 
Originally posted by schapman
For tuner cards... you probably want to go with http://www.hauppauge.com/.. they make awsome quality capture cards. I currently use the MSI one (which is also very good). I try and stear clear of any tuners that do hardware encoding though... It tends to limit your options as far as quality of rips. And if you are going with a nice 3GHz+ cpu.. the encoding on the fly is no prob. my 1200 could do it.
ill check out there products, thanks schapman.
Originally posted by s.Lim
video editing...get a mac
lol. please state your reasoning.
 
Originally posted by s.Lim
video editing...get a mac
he's got a $2000 budget...not enough for what he wants.

Also, he games, so no go:p





*yes, I know that there are a few games for mac.
 
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