Is this a good system for my usage?

J

JYeager11

Gawd
Joined
Nov 15, 2006
Messages
563
Looking at buying a new system. I'm currently working on a 2.41 GHz Dual Core AMD Opteron with 3GB recognized ram.

Current (and future) uses :

- Hardcore Music Recording (Sonar)
- Hardcore Photoshopping
- Everyday Web Surfing

No gaming. I've got an XBOX for that.

I'm used to building my own systems, but thought that this time I'd just go the easy route and try an All-In-One for the first time ever.

I'm hesitating between these options :
http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/prodd...0217&PCName=desktop_800_1000&logon=&langid=EN

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0926INGFS10111876&catid=20217&logon=&langid=EN

What do you guys think? What are the downsides here?

PS: I've got my own PCI audio card for the hardcore music recording, so the onboard audio is irrelevant. I've also got a great 24" monitor already.
 
You nearly scared me with the "all-in-one" phrase.

Both systems are fine; one offers more RAM whereas the other offers more storage capacity.

But you may save yourself some money by building your own system. What do these systems offer that you couldn't get through the DIY route (besides convenience)?
 
tiraides said:
You nearly scared me with the "all-in-one" phrase.

Both systems are fine; one offers more RAM whereas the other offers more storage capacity.

But you may save yourself some money by building your own system. What do these systems offer that you couldn't get through the DIY route (besides convenience)?
Click to expand...

Indeed build it yourself and save 25% of the cost $
 
HardwareGuru said:
Actually these 2 Dells would be better and cheaper than those 2 x HPs
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Probably because they're on BestBuy.com and not BestBuy.ca (which is where I got my two links from).

I'm Canadian. ;) So what's on BestBuy.com doesn't really apply to me. I also intend on purchasing in person, not online.

(Sorry for not specifying sooner.)
 
GonzoP said:
Indeed build it yourself and save 25% of the cost $
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Which is then made up for with the legal OS license.

But even without that incentive, what you're stating hasn't been my experience. I've found that most of the systems I've built myself ended up costing me more than these all-in-one desktops would've.

So what I'm really looking to find out is if there's anything inherently bad about any of the parts inside these machines, or in the overall concept of them.

For example, I'll still be able to plug my Gina3G PCI Audio card into it, right?

And the ram/processor are of decent quality as well?

Also, is it safe to go 64-bit SP1 with Vista (from the 32-bit XP SP3 I'm using now)?

How big a performance leap should I expect going to either of the two quotes systems, from the original setup described on the first line of the OP?
 
Fair enough; building isn't for everyone.
The question of the year is v64sp1 vs xpsp3 because you referrenced [H] photoshop I'd go with v64sp1 so that you can utilize at least 4gb of ram. There will be a tangible benefit from your current dual opty's to a quad C2D
 
why don't they list what PSU they use in the build, that is very inconvenient.

the lovely part of all in ones, they don't tell what ram they use except that is 4gb 1x1x1x1 ... or the fans they use or if they use any fans, or hard drive brand and they do a great job of hiding what mobo they're using
 
we can suggest a sub 1000$ build excluding monitor, and you can tell us what else you have laying around that may be reusable. other then that i couldn't justify to myself spending 1 grand on a pc with 4gb of 1x1x1x1 ram or with a 350 w unknown psu, or 9500GS or 9300 GE.. etc but if i had to choose one it would be the Q6700 one
 
etherone said:
we can suggest a sub 1000$ build excluding monitor, and you can tell us what else you have laying around that may be reusable. other then that i couldn't justify to myself spending 1 grand on a pc with 4gb of 1x1x1x1 ram or with a 350 w unknown psu, or 9500GS or 9300 GE.. etc but if i had to choose one it would be the Q6700 one
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One of the things I like about the all-in-ones is the fact that it comes with a legal license of the OS. Most of you who are talking about custom builds fail to take that into account, possibly assuming I won't mind using a hack I can't update. I want my OS to be legal so it can be regularly updated.

With that in mind, I'd certainly be open to see how much better of a system I could get by building it myself, with parts from TigerDirect.ca or NCIX.com. Not ruling it out entirely. But it would have to be significant to offset the convenience of the all-in-one ("live" in-store service, included OS, much quieter than any custom system I've built in the past, no compatibility issues between the various parts, etc.)

Since I'm not a gamer and 3D video isn't a concern -- plus I have my own PCI audio card I'll be transferring from the old system either way -- I just figured I'd be a good candidate for an all-in-one system. But you guys seem to feel differently.

When *is* an all-in-one the best choice, if my situation doesn't warrant it?
 
It's not that your situation doesn't warrant a pre-built system -- please stop saying all-in-one, as it creates a negative connotation in my mind -- but that, if you look around, you may be able to build a complete system with an OS for less than you're paying for one of those pre-built systems. However, since most of the good deals are for U.S.-based retailers, I personally don't know whether or not that's entirely true. (I figured that you've already done some legwork, so I won't press the issue further.)

Because of the included OS license and customer service, which many people don't take into account, we often recommend a pre-built system if you're on a fixed budget (normally, under $600 USD) and/or you don't want to do any system troubleshooting (or, you're looking for the perfect computer for a relative -- one you don't have to work on).

As I mentioned before, either of those two pre-built systems would work fine for your needs. If you know something that we don't (as in, the lack of specials/sales from Canadian retailers), please let us know.
 
JYeager said:
For example, I'll still be able to plug my Gina3G PCI Audio card into it, right?

And the ram/processor are of decent quality as well?

Also, is it safe to go 64-bit SP1 with Vista (from the 32-bit XP SP3 I'm using now)?

How big a performance leap should I expect going to either of the two quotes systems, from the original setup described on the first line of the OP?
Click to expand...

You could plug in your Gina3G but the problem is whether or not there are Vista drivers for that audio card. The RAM and processor of the second linked build is pretty good. It is safe to go with Vista SP1 64bit provided that you don't have any old hardware with no Vista drivers. And you'll see a pretty big performance leap in Photoshop with the second linked setup over your current setup.

JYeager said:
When *is* an all-in-one the best choice, if my situation doesn't warrant it?
Click to expand...
If you were in the U.S then yes it might have been a better choice for you to just build the system. However you're in Canada where computer hardware prices as well OS prices are significantly higher. One can get Vista 64bit for $80 here in the US at a Microcenter.com whereas a Canadian would have to pay $148 for Vista 64bit. I think everyone here assumed that Canadian computer hardware prices were roughly the same as US hardware prices.

So unlike some people here in this thread, I recommend that you go with the second linked build. For your needs, that prebuilt is more than enough.
 
price changes here;) in CA are radical, but you can build a PC for less, especially if you buy the graphics, cpu and/or mobo from a [H]ardforum member in US and pay shipping ^ ^
 
tiraides said:
It's not that your situation doesn't warrant a pre-built system -- please stop saying all-in-one, as it creates a negative connotation in my mind
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So I take it the proper terminology for what I'm describing is "pre-built" instead of "all-in-one"?

The situation is this : whenever I build my own system with the idea of saving a few bucks (because that's what I've been doing for over 10 years) I end up spending as much as $2,500 on it. Don't ask me how, I just do. And that's with extensive homework.

(Sidenote : I'm guessing it has to do with knowing what the next step up is for each piece of the puzzle, and not realizing that although the price difference seems small individually, they amount to quite a bit in the final total. So maybe I'm better off NOT researching every individual part.)

But I digest. ;)

Lately, I've been buying pre-built systems for family members (so I won't be called in to build or troubleshoot them) and I swear they all seem better off than I am. I regularly run into conflicts. Plus, my computers always end up being noisy -- whereas these pre-built ones are silent as can be.

So naturally, I've been wondering why I should keep doing it the hard way, especially given the prices of parts here in Canada. Check out TigerDirect.ca and browse around. Sure, I probably COULD build a cheaper one than $1,000 if I tried really hard... but the difference won't be significant. Perhaps not significant enough to offset the work involved.

Granted, you know exactly what type of ram you're getting when you buy it yourself... but as someone who's been buying top of the line ram for years, based on reviews and recommendations, I'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference. And given the price of TOTL ram, I believe I'd be willing to sacrifice the name brand 4GB for 6GB of whatever type of ram HP ships with its systems.

I guess that's what I'm most worried about. Sure, there are probably SOME performance differences between Crucial ram and whatever's in the HP box, but is it really THAT significant? The yard stick for me would be : "If I'm better off with 6GB of generic ram than 4GB of the best out there, then I really don't care *what* the brand is."

The 4GB, 6GB and 8GB figures found in pre-built computer specs... how reliable are they? When is 6GB of ram not 6GB of ram?

I'm also assuming that whatever graphics card ships with these pre-built systems (linked above) is better than whatever was on the market 3 years ago. In other words, better than what I'm currently using. Would that be correct?

(Thanks to everyone else chiming in, too.. I'm not replying individually but I've read everything and taken it into account.)
 
JYeager said:
I'm also assuming that whatever graphics card ships with these pre-built systems (linked above) is better than whatever was on the market 3 years ago. In other words, better than what I'm currently using. Would that be correct?
Click to expand...

No. That's quite an assumption. Unless you're spending alot of money on the prebuilt systems, they will not necessarily be better than you graphics card 3 years ago.
 
If you're not looking to overclock, nor do you care about having high-end parts, getting a pre-built system is fine for your needs. (The term all-in-one means that everything you need for the computer is integrated with the monitor. I don't like all-in-one systems because they're hard to upgrade and provide comparatively weaker performance. To me, they're just like stationary laptops.)

We normally dissuade people into getting pre-built systems because many people often try to substitute those as high-end gaming machines. I've seen several threads where the OP gets the cheapest pre-built system they could find and then tries to put a high-end card into it... not realizing that either the video card can't fit into the case -- since many pre-built systems use microATX boards and cases -- or their power supply isn't designed to handle the card.

The graphics cards the pre-built systems come with will be enough to power your monitor. But as Alai alluded to earlier, (if you're used to having high-end parts) that doesn't mean that they'll be better than the card you currently have.

As for the RAM, the only time 6GB isn't 6GB is when you're using a 32-bit OS. The long story short is that 32-bit operating systems have a limitation of recognizing only 4GB of total system memory, and they subtract the amount of "usable" RAM available by the amount of memory taken up by other system components. Both of your choices offer a 64-bit version of Vista Home Premium, so you're safe there.

The other thing to consider (in regards to RAM) is whether the motherboard offers dual channel support. Dual channel works best with matching (identical) pairs of RAM (though the actual numbers vary), so (theoretically) 8GB (4x2GB or two 2x2GB sets) would perform better than 6GB (2x2GB and 2x1GB). Since you're running everything at stock speeds, you don't need to worry much about not having better quality RAM.
 
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