girlyboy wrote:QUOTE (girlyboy @ Aug 27 2011, 09:10 PM) That's kind of the impression I'm getting everywhere I look online, it seems. >_< But still, could someone tell me -- if, hypothetically, I
was going to get an all-in-one, what would be, so to speak, the
least sucky one I could get for $1,500 or less? What would be the one with the best (least bad?..) graphics card, for example?..
I know there are resources and help available out there, but I'm not sure I'm ready to go this route. My knowledge of computery things is really limited here. More importantly, I'm not sure I currently have a ton of time for this, so it'd be appealing to, like, just take the machine out of a box and start enjoying it right away.
Still, since this is kind of a "fun/hobby" purchase to begin with, I guess I really should consider this route. It'd be a good learning experience if nothing else.
But tell me, why do you recommend these specific components? I know I can get an i7 2600 in a pre-built computer in my price range -- I've been assuming that this is better than an i5 2500... Do I have it completely backwards? And could you tell me, how does a Radeon 6870 compare to the graphics cards you mention?..
I do a fair but of browsing computer knowledge, so I have rough ideas for the prices of components. When you spec out a computer for purchase, you start with how much you are willing to spend. Next, you pick out your cpu and gpu. I chose the 2500K and 570/6950 because I have a rough idea how much much they cost, and that their price points would fit nicely into $1500. Once you've chosen your cpu, you can then find the motherboard with the appropriate socket (1155 for the 2500/2600 cpus), and a power supply that is appropriate for the cpu and gpu, as those are the main power draws. While the components I selected below could be powered off something as low as a 500 watt psu, I like to have a little headroom, and since the psu is the heart of your system, you don't want to cheap out on this. Harddrives, ddr3 ram, cpu cooler(if you even want an aftermarket one, you can always buy one later if the stock heatsink included with the cpu isn't cutting it for you, namely, should you decide to get into overclocking), dvd drive, and case are for the most part compatible with anything you can buy today.
I've even put together a sample, everything inside and including a case for $1264 not including shipping!
Intel Core i5 2500K Quad Core Unlocked Processor LGA1155 3.3GHZ Sandy Bridge 6MB
ASUS Radeon HD 6950 DirectCU II 810MHZ 1GB 5GHZ GDDR5 2XDVI 4XDISPLAYPORT HDMI PCI-E DX11 Video Card
ASUS P8P67 Evo REV3.0 P67 ATX LGA1155 DDR3 2PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 2PCI Sandy Bridge B3 Motherboard
Liteon IHAS124 24X DVD Writer SATA Black OEM
Corsair XMS3 CMX8GX3M2A1600C9 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-27 240PIN Core i5 i7 AMD Memory Kit
Western Digital 2TB Caviar Green SATA3 Intelli Power 64MB Cache 3.5IN Internal Hard Disk Drive HDD
Corsair Enthusiast Series TX750M 750W ATX Modular Power Supply Active PFC 120MM Fan 5 Year Warranty
Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H60 High Performance CPU Cooler System LGA1155 LGA1366 LGA1156 AM2 AM3
Corsair Graphite Series 600TM Mid-Tower Case ATX 4X5.25 6X3.5INT 4 Channel Fan Ctrl No PS MESH Panel
This was all just off the top of my head in about five minutes, looking around at NCIX.com, which is a popular Canadian computer parts retailer. There's also newegg.ca. I don't know of any other Canadian retailers, but I've never needed to.
Note: I wouldn't just go out and purchase this list, but it is a good place to start, and it gives an idea of the sort of stuff i'm looking for in the price range. Things like the motherboard are harder than the cpu or gpu, as there are lots of manufacturers and models and chipsets out there. That would take a little bit of looking into.
A lot of knowledge about components you just have to pick up over time, or sit down and do some research. While I don't have exact answers to some of your questions, as I have a computer built from last generation parts, and so I won't be looking to upgrade for another year or two, I can still help.
The main difference between the i7 2600 and the i5 2500 is the hyperthreading. Each has four discrete precessing cores, but the i7 has a feature called hyperthreading available. Hyperthreading splits each discrete core up into two virtual cores, which gives you something like 15-20% increased performance with applications that can take advantage more than four processing cores. Whether this is worth the extra $100 is individual preference. The K ending means the processor has an unlocked multiplier. For example, an i7 2600 would be unable to overclock, while the 2600K would be able to.
For graphics cards, usually the higher the number the better, within the generation. For example, on ati's lineup, from greatest to least performance: 6990, 6970, 6950, 6870, 6850, etc. Nvidia does a similar thing, 590 is the best, then 580, then 570, 560ti, 560, 550, etc.
Nvidia's current generation is the 500's, ati's is the 6000's. You can still buy last generation (400 and 5000 respectively) cards that may have greater performance than current generation, but i'd get something from the current generation.
).
Is there anything better available?)