LinuxQuestions.org - New PC Purchase advice needed

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- - New PC Purchase advice needed (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-hardware-18/new-pc-purchase-advice-needed-4175434279/)

Quote:

Originally Posted by tigerflag (Post 4817066)

Try this. Use your own case and toss in a big slow case fan and you're good to go for about $300. The nice thing about this setup is the combined CPU+GPU saves the cost of a video card, and the system can be easily upgraded at a low cost as your finances allow. It will also run very cool, so you can have a silent system:

AMD A6-5400K Trinity APU + Biostar Motherboard Combo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...=Combo.1076961

Seasonic Power Supply:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817151090

SAMSUNG 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820147094

Western Digital 500 GB 7200RPM SATA-3 Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136769

ASUS 24X DVD Burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827135204

Thanks for the links! After checking out your advice, I am considering a combination of items I mentioned earlier & some of that you offered.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TobiSGD (Post 4817092)

The OP is searching for a machine that can easily be upgraded later and that is going to be used for gaming. A laptop is neither easily upgradeable, nor is this particular laptop good for gaming.

seppalta,
I am afraid tobi is correct. I already have a decent HP laptop that works well, but still as a laptop has its limitaion. The only arts on a laptop that are easy to upgrade are HDD & RAM, both of which are limited. My HP is already maxed out at 8gb ram and a 750 gb HDD. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find an hdd bigger than 1tb for a laptop, which also only has the capacity for a single hdd. Plus, there is compatability issues when you upgrade an hdd too much.

linuxPCplus, No problem. I just latched on to your $400 max and was thinking in terms of something immediately. If you have the rest of your life to build it, then by all means get the best components one at a time as you can afford them and build it from scratch.

*edit-

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxPCplus (Post 4817112)

Unfortunately, it is difficult to find an hdd bigger than 1tb for a laptop, which also only has the capacity for a single hdd.

The only 2.5'' drive bigger than 1TB I know off is a WD20NPVT 2TB.

Not bad if you need 1TB+ in a laptop, but not that great either. Its only SATA-II (not that SATA-II and SATA-III have much different with current HDDs) 8MB small cache, and its $225+. You can get faster 2TB+ desktop drives for half the price.

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxPCplus (Post 4817112)

Plus, there is compatability issues when you upgrade an hdd too much.

In theory, that shouldnt happen with SATA much, if at all.

Even if you have an old SATA-I motherboard, and the drive wont work as native SATA-III on a SATA-I port, its possible to use a jumper to force SATA-I mode.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tigerflag (Post 4817066)

Combined CPU+GPU saves you not much at all. Fm1 and FM2 is always going to be lower end systems.

That seasonic isnt ATX, and could (will IMO) have major fitting issues in ATX cases.

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxPCplus (Post 4817035)

My current CPU is: AMD Turion(tm) II P560 Dual-Core Processor which has an integrated video card (Radeon 4200). This was actually my most recent upgrade. My HDD is SATA, but I will take your advice to get a new DVD drive.

A turion laptop? I wouldnt pull a SATA HDD from a laptop to use in a desktop computer..besides making the laptop pretty much useless, laptop HDDs tend to by 2.5'' or 1.8'', and need an adapter to mount properly on a standard 3.5'' HDD cage. *edit- and they are slower than equivient 3.5'' desktop drives.

Since you've got a turion II P560 (2.5GHz, 2 x 1MB L2 cache) pretty much any current dual-core CPU would be faster. A readon 4200 is an older, low end, intergrated video setup, so pretty much any current desktop GPU would be faster as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxPCplus (Post 4817035)

I found a pretty decent case that includes a PSU for $50. The items you referred me to seem like a very good starting point, though I did choose a different motherboard.

I actually never linked to to any system setups....I'll fix that now.

I wouldnt trust any $50 case + PSU. Cheap PSUs are IMO the most likely single part to cause issues with your computer.

I'd get a decent 500 watt PSU, like this-

SeaSonic S12II 520 Bronze 520W, $68. Yeah, I know, you can get a case + PSU cheaper....yuo get what you pay for.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817151094

2nd choice, CORSAIR Builder Series CX500, $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139027

If you want something upgradable in your motherboard/CPU setup, either get an Intel LGA 1155 or AMD AM3+ system. I wont suggest a Intel LGA 1155 motherboard + CPU, I dont know the Intel stuff anywhere near as well as AMD.

AM3+ boards I'd think of getting-

GIGABYTE GA-970A-UD3 AM3+, $104-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128519

2nd choice, ASUS M5A97 R2.0, $90-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131873

There is also a few asrock AM3+ 970chipset boards that are very cheap (ASRock 970 PRO3) but I'd get the gigabyte.

You'll probably want a DVD-RW, they are cheap $20 or so.

So you can get a great PSU, motherboard, DVD-RW for $192. That leaves $208 for a video card (you'll need one, no onboard vieeo with the AM3+ 9XX chipset boards), RAM, and CPU.

You can get a ATI/AMD 5450 for $30 or so. Faster than the 4200 by a long shot. The cheapest of the CPUs that will run in an AM3+ board (which is faster than your P560) from newegg is $60 (dual-core athlon II X2 270), you can get a triple core for $70 (AMD Athlon II X3 450/455) and a quad-core for $95 (Phenom II X4 955). 8GB (2 x 4GB sticks) can be had for $35-40.

Even if you got the Phenom II X4 955 there is enough wiggle room to get a new SATA HDD, or an aftermarket heatsink, or maybe bump the video card a little to somethign better, or the CPU.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cascade9 (Post 4817222)

Combined CPU+GPU saves you not much at all. Fm1 and FM2 is always going to be lower end systems.

That seasonic isnt ATX, and could (will IMO) have major fitting issues in ATX cases.

From the reviews and videos I've seen, the A10-5800K or A10-5700 do pretty well for gaming- better than the Core i3/i5's. It's also possible to add a discrete video card. I'm just thinking that it's a low-cost system that's game capable, although not totally top of the line, and can be expanded upon for some time to come.

The significant differences between the 5800K and the 5700 are that the former is unlocked for overclocking and draws 100 watts, and the latter is locked but only draws 65 watts.

Good catch re the power supply. Sorry about that!

Quote:

I wouldnt trust any $50 case + PSU. Cheap PSUs are IMO the most likely single part to cause issues with your computer.

Good advice. Never skimp on the PSU or fans. They don't get all the attention, but they're the crux of a long-lived, stable system.

Quote:

Originally Posted by seppalta (Post 4817160)

LOL! 6 months is hardly the rest of my life seppalta!

Quote:

Originally Posted by cascade9 (Post 4817222)

*edit-

The only 2.5'' drive bigger than 1TB I know off is a WD20NPVT 2TB.

Not bad if you need 1TB+ in a laptop, but not that great either. Its only SATA-II (not that SATA-II and SATA-III have much different with current HDDs) 8MB small cache, and its $225+. You can get faster 2TB+ desktop drives for half the price.

In theory, that shouldnt happen with SATA much, if at all.

Even if you have an old SATA-I motherboard, and the drive wont work as native SATA-III on a SATA-I port, its possible to use a jumper to force SATA-I mode.

Combined CPU+GPU saves you not much at all. Fm1 and FM2 is always going to be lower end systems.

That seasonic isnt ATX, and could (will IMO) have major fitting issues in ATX cases.

A turion laptop? I wouldnt pull a SATA HDD from a laptop to use in a desktop computer..besides making the laptop pretty much useless, laptop HDDs tend to by 2.5'' or 1.8'', and need an adapter to mount properly on a standard 3.5'' HDD cage. *edit- and they are slower than equivient 3.5'' desktop drives.

Since you've got a turion II P560 (2.5GHz, 2 x 1MB L2 cache) pretty much any current dual-core CPU would be faster. A readon 4200 is an older, low end, intergrated video setup, so pretty much any current desktop GPU would be faster as well.

I want to get at least a quad core cpu because of the fact that I will be doing live broadcasting with the machine. I need speed & reliability.

I actually never linked to to any system setups....I'll fix that now.

I wouldnt trust any $50 case + PSU. Cheap PSUs are IMO the most likely single part to cause issues with your computer.

I'd get a decent 500 watt PSU, like this-

SeaSonic S12II 520 Bronze 520W, $68. Yeah, I know, you can get a case + PSU cheaper....yuo get what you pay for.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817151094

2nd choice, CORSAIR Builder Series CX500, $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139027

Excellent advice. I was actually given a nice case yesterday. I just need the PSU & I will be going with one of those you suggested.

If you want something upgradable in your motherboard/CPU setup, either get an Intel LGA 1155 or AMD AM3+ system. I wont suggest a Intel LGA 1155 motherboard + CPU, I dont know the Intel stuff anywhere near as well as AMD.

I won't use Intel. I use AMD exclusively.
AM3+ boards I'd think of getting-

GIGABYTE GA-970A-UD3 AM3+, $104-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128519

I like the GIGABYTE

2nd choice, ASUS M5A97 R2.0, $90-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131873

There is also a few asrock AM3+ 970chipset boards that are very cheap (ASRock 970 PRO3) but I'd get the gigabyte.

You'll probably want a DVD-RW, they are cheap $20 or so.

So you can get a great PSU, motherboard, DVD-RW for $192. That leaves $208 for a video card (you'll need one, no onboard vieeo with the AM3+ 9XX chipset boards), RAM, and CPU.

You can get a ATI/AMD 5450 for $30 or so. Faster than the 4200 by a long shot. The cheapest of the CPUs that will run in an AM3+ board (which is faster than your P560) from newegg is $60 (dual-core athlon II X2 270), you can get a triple core for $70 (AMD Athlon II X3 450/455) and a quad-core for $95 (Phenom II X4 955). 8GB (2 x 4GB sticks) can be had for $35-40.

Even if you got the Phenom II X4 955 there is enough wiggle room to get a new SATA HDD, or an aftermarket heatsink, or maybe bump the video card a little to somethign better, or the CPU.

All of this is dman good advice Cascade! I think I am pretty close to my final design thanks to you & all the other help I have gotten here! I will include my final design here to for anyone who is interested.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tigerflag (Post 4817551)

Thanks Tiger! I am rethinking my psu options!

Here is my final design. Thank you to all who helped me with this!
1. CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103871
2.Case: ATX case I was given a cpuple days ago
3. Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...2E16813128510R 97.99
4. DVD drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827135204
5. PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817171031
6. Ram: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820139975

Total cost: $309.80

This system is designed to meet the following primary concerns I had:
Budget of $400
Powwerful enough for live broadcasting & gaming
Easily & extensively upgradable on an incremental basis
Linux compatibility (I verified each part for this)

I just ordered everything above. I figure I can put about $150/month into upgrades, so within 6 months or less this machine will be much more powerful!

If anyone would like updates on my success with this, let me know & I will post it here.
Thanks again for all the advice!

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxPCplus (Post 4818462)

Nice, but get 2 Dimms of ram so it works as dual channel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by linuxPCplus (Post 4818462)

Get the Phenom II X4 955 over the Athlon II X4 640. The Phenomis only $5 more, has a lot more CPU cache (athlon II X4 640 is 512k x 4 L2 cache, the Phenom II has an extra 6MB L3 cache that can help performance in some situations, and it runs 10% more MHz as well)

I'd suggest avoiding 'open box' deals with newegg unless you've got the parts, and knowledge to know quickly if there is a problem. The 'open box' return policy is pretty vicious, and pretty much means the warranty period (on gigabyte boards anyway) goes from 3 years to virtually nothing.

Quote:

Open Box Refund Only Return Policy

Return for refund within: 30 days
Return for replacement within: non-replaceable

Products that state "This item is covered by Newegg.com's Refund Only 30-Day Return Policy", or items labeled as “Non-Replaceable” (or similar labeling) must be returned to Newegg within 30 days of the invoice date for this policy to apply. Products covered by this return policy may only be returned for a refund. “Return” constitutes receipt of the product by Newegg, and not the mere issuance of an RMA.

http://www.newegg.com/HelpInfo/ReturnPolicy.aspx#29

So you've got 30 days from when newegg has invoiced you to when the part must be recivied by newegg.

990X chipsets are have features that most of the 970s dont (namely multipule GPU setups, crossfire or SLI). If you arent planning on running multipule video cards for gaming, its a pointless feature.

Coolmaster eXtreme Power Plus RS500? Avoid.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/artic...ply-Review/728

I've used coolmaster PSUs for budget builds before, some of the PSUs are O.K. I would not be spending $50 on one if you can get a PSU with better efficiency, more stable voltages, less ripple, and actually capable of delivering what the sticker says, etc. for $10-15 more. Compare the coolermaster to teh seasnoic-

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/artic...y-Review/954/1

abefroman has a good point, get 2 x 4GB sticks for dual channel memory access.

BTW, the AM3+ CPU ('bulldozer' and 'piledriver') that you may end up upgrading to support DDR3-1866. Running DDR3-1333 is possible, but its slower than the faster memory. I'd either drop down to 1 x 4GB stick DDR3-1333 or get some slightly more expensive, faster DDR3-1866 (or faster) sticks.

*edit- you'll need a video card if you want to have a monitor on your new system.