hi
so, after working very hard in the last few weeks, I will be in the situation whereby I can afford a new computer mid june. I
have done some reading but still need some guru info.
This is what I am looking at:
Prices are from today, litec computer, munich. (euros)
CPU AMD Athlon XP 3000+ 333 512k Cache: 122,00
(boxed with cooler, I think)
MB Asus A7N8X E Deluxe 2x Lan,Raid,1394: 91,00
DDR333 1GB Samsung Original: 215,00
(or should I go for 2x512?)
HDD Seagate 80GB ST380013AS S-ATA: 75,00
HDD Seagate 120GB ST3120026AS S-ATA: 98,00
VGA Matrox Millennium G550 32MB DH bulk: 95,00
case: 150,00
TOTAL: 846,00 euros.
I have a DVD burner already.
I may buy win 2000 prof. as an oem version too, prefer that to XP - or is that a bad move?
I have a network here and win 2000 works fine.
But should I go for S-ATA - what is the difference?
Do I need a controller card then, or does that ASUS board cope with that?
Do I need S-AT? Can I mix it with ATA?
What does CL2,5 mean - what FSB things do I have to look out for?
When are the prices dropping due to the new system standard?
thanks for any feedback
regards
blue
The classic new system questions...:)
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- KVRian
- 838 posts since 22 Feb, 2001
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- KVRian
- 1379 posts since 26 Apr, 2004 from UK
It should be in the spec of the mothermoard if it accepts S-ATA... I don't know if W2k is able to boot on serial ATA drives.
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 838 posts since 22 Feb, 2001
thanks Mr Miles,
good points.
OK, the board does s-ata, but win 2000 as you said, seams to have probs.
What would be the disadvantages of not using s-ata, are normal ata drives just slower?
(Still fast enough I would think)
regards
blue
good points.
OK, the board does s-ata, but win 2000 as you said, seams to have probs.
What would be the disadvantages of not using s-ata, are normal ata drives just slower?
(Still fast enough I would think)
regards
blue
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- KVRist
- 444 posts since 16 Dec, 2003 from here and now
Hello,
850 euros that seems to be quite expansive imo.
I know it's said everywhere ata drives are almost dead etc, but considering you hardly change your hdds before they break, considering the price of ata is lower (thus more hdd room for the same bucks), you could go for 2x160 gb 8mb cache for the same price (Hitachi for example, as they seem to be more reliable than in the past, and the fastest atm - see http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/storag ... d-120.html for example). But whatever your choice, you have to know, sata or ata makes no difference for performance at all (what could make performance boost would be (s)ata 100 or (s)ata 150 drives.
Then if only what you need about graphic card is to be able to plug in 2 screens to enlagre your desktop, you could go for a cheaper card with more memory (that is a card with vga+dv output with 64 or 128mb ram400 : 30 to 60 euros) to achieve this.
Then about the pc case, I suppose for 150 euros you get an antec sonata with power supply or sthg like that. Of course it's a question of taste and design too, and those cases are quite silent and greatly designed (precisely), BUT it won't at all make you feel you're working in a room with no pc in, and the noise will certainly be a problem at some point. This is why you could - if possible - invest in a cheaper case (power supply remains a critical point anyway) and buy some extra cables to store the pc outside your music room. There are many cheap cases around with a not-so-bad design for a corridor or a cabinet, and this solution could satisfy your need of silence much more than an expansive all integrated pc case (f.e. case 30 euros + power supply 50 euros + extra cables 30 euros + a few extra fans 20 euros = a cool pc outside the music room - cpu 120 euros and pc case 150 euros, isn't it sthg wrong here?)
There's one good point on your config : the 1gb ram (1 x stick right?). Depending on your modo ram's available slots, indeed it's much better to be able to upgrade to 2x 1gb when the need is coming, rather than being stucked with 2 x 512 and no more free slot. Maybe 2x sticks could help for dual channel memory support, and even 400mhz ram if you plan to overclock the pc in the future would be great. a mobo with 2 slots allow 2x 1gb or 2 x 512, a mobo with 4 slots allow 4x 1gb (which is quite great nowadays) or 4x 512 (quite enough too), or 2x 512 + 2x 1gb, etc etc. This is a parameter you should think about seriously for your future needs and upgrades.
Thus, scraping the components prices where it makes no difference for a DAW (graphic card, pc case, ata rather than sata drives), you could concentrate on crucial points (xp3200 rather than xp3000, 160gb hdds instead of 80+120 sata drives, ddr400 better than ddr333, complete silence etc etc) and end up with a better machine for maybe even a lower price.
One last word about the os : if you can afford it, go for xp pro or home ; it's simply the best pc os for making music (win2000 being good too though, but second best choice imo).
850 euros that seems to be quite expansive imo.
I know it's said everywhere ata drives are almost dead etc, but considering you hardly change your hdds before they break, considering the price of ata is lower (thus more hdd room for the same bucks), you could go for 2x160 gb 8mb cache for the same price (Hitachi for example, as they seem to be more reliable than in the past, and the fastest atm - see http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/storag ... d-120.html for example). But whatever your choice, you have to know, sata or ata makes no difference for performance at all (what could make performance boost would be (s)ata 100 or (s)ata 150 drives.
Then if only what you need about graphic card is to be able to plug in 2 screens to enlagre your desktop, you could go for a cheaper card with more memory (that is a card with vga+dv output with 64 or 128mb ram400 : 30 to 60 euros) to achieve this.
Then about the pc case, I suppose for 150 euros you get an antec sonata with power supply or sthg like that. Of course it's a question of taste and design too, and those cases are quite silent and greatly designed (precisely), BUT it won't at all make you feel you're working in a room with no pc in, and the noise will certainly be a problem at some point. This is why you could - if possible - invest in a cheaper case (power supply remains a critical point anyway) and buy some extra cables to store the pc outside your music room. There are many cheap cases around with a not-so-bad design for a corridor or a cabinet, and this solution could satisfy your need of silence much more than an expansive all integrated pc case (f.e. case 30 euros + power supply 50 euros + extra cables 30 euros + a few extra fans 20 euros = a cool pc outside the music room - cpu 120 euros and pc case 150 euros, isn't it sthg wrong here?)
There's one good point on your config : the 1gb ram (1 x stick right?). Depending on your modo ram's available slots, indeed it's much better to be able to upgrade to 2x 1gb when the need is coming, rather than being stucked with 2 x 512 and no more free slot. Maybe 2x sticks could help for dual channel memory support, and even 400mhz ram if you plan to overclock the pc in the future would be great. a mobo with 2 slots allow 2x 1gb or 2 x 512, a mobo with 4 slots allow 4x 1gb (which is quite great nowadays) or 4x 512 (quite enough too), or 2x 512 + 2x 1gb, etc etc. This is a parameter you should think about seriously for your future needs and upgrades.
Thus, scraping the components prices where it makes no difference for a DAW (graphic card, pc case, ata rather than sata drives), you could concentrate on crucial points (xp3200 rather than xp3000, 160gb hdds instead of 80+120 sata drives, ddr400 better than ddr333, complete silence etc etc) and end up with a better machine for maybe even a lower price.
One last word about the os : if you can afford it, go for xp pro or home ; it's simply the best pc os for making music (win2000 being good too though, but second best choice imo).
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 838 posts since 22 Feb, 2001
thanks for your thoughts and (long:)) answer
If I can save cash I will of course.
I know now that Win 2000 supports s ata.
OK, maybe I should just go for the ata variation.
Regarding 2x 160, that's not a prob. I always try to have one smaller drive for the OS and a nother partition for other things on it, e.g. an image of the OS. So I would be happy with 1x80 and 1x160.
This is not a pure music computer, I do webdesign on it too, and also need it in the room.
The 150 for a case was just a guess after taking a quick look, rather guess too much than not enough, I thought.
Good idea with the G. card, I've been using two monitors for years with a G450, but it is slow I think, so I thought I would get a new card too.
So, I can use and adapter on the second output to drive my second "old fashioned" monitor, can I?
This "old" computer will become my server BTW.
Could afford XP as an OEM version, but somehow I don't like it, maybe it's just me.
Try to set up a network on one here on my LAN and couldn't get it working....just worried.
That's new, this 1GB stick thing, quite cool, but I thought if it goes bad I lose the whole thing, whereas with 2x512, if one breaks, I just lose the half. Stupid thought I suppose.
Would be nice to have tons of ram later though, could buy a second 1GB stick when the prices go down...
thanks again
blue
If I can save cash I will of course.
I know now that Win 2000 supports s ata.
OK, maybe I should just go for the ata variation.
Regarding 2x 160, that's not a prob. I always try to have one smaller drive for the OS and a nother partition for other things on it, e.g. an image of the OS. So I would be happy with 1x80 and 1x160.
This is not a pure music computer, I do webdesign on it too, and also need it in the room.
The 150 for a case was just a guess after taking a quick look, rather guess too much than not enough, I thought.
Good idea with the G. card, I've been using two monitors for years with a G450, but it is slow I think, so I thought I would get a new card too.
So, I can use and adapter on the second output to drive my second "old fashioned" monitor, can I?
This "old" computer will become my server BTW.
Could afford XP as an OEM version, but somehow I don't like it, maybe it's just me.
Try to set up a network on one here on my LAN and couldn't get it working....just worried.
That's new, this 1GB stick thing, quite cool, but I thought if it goes bad I lose the whole thing, whereas with 2x512, if one breaks, I just lose the half. Stupid thought I suppose.
Would be nice to have tons of ram later though, could buy a second 1GB stick when the prices go down...
thanks again
blue
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 838 posts since 22 Feb, 2001
Thanks for the feedback,
after thinking about things for a while, I actually went for a notebook which I desperately needed.
Got an Acer travelmate 290, 1,4GHz centrino 30GB, 512 RAM, 15", WLAN etc. for 1065,-- euros and a Nikon CoolPix 3100 digi cam.
Excellent, the fan doesn't even turn itself on - working in peace.
May extend it for making music, time will tell.
Thanks
blue
after thinking about things for a while, I actually went for a notebook which I desperately needed.
Got an Acer travelmate 290, 1,4GHz centrino 30GB, 512 RAM, 15", WLAN etc. for 1065,-- euros and a Nikon CoolPix 3100 digi cam.
Excellent, the fan doesn't even turn itself on - working in peace.
May extend it for making music, time will tell.
Thanks
blue
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- KVRAF
- 2582 posts since 24 Apr, 2003 from Canada
very short advice here: if I would buy a new system today, it would without a doubt be an athlon 64 system. anything else is a poor investment.