Spec me a PC

[McJamweasel]

Wotcha.
Right, my PC is now about 6 years old and I think it's time for an upgrade. However, I also lost touch with the technology sometime shortly after my last upgrade so I'm after some advice.
I've got about £300 to spend, I won't need hard drives, a case or optical, maybe not a PSU unless they've changed from whatever it was for socket 939 boards.
I do a bit of gaming but not massive amounts so the graphics don't need to be awesome but onboard isn't going to cut the mustard either.
For now I'm probably going to stick with XP, but I'm sure I'll end up with Windows 7 at some point. Is it possible to pirate that or am I going to have to part with actual money for a Microsoft product?
Cheers.
____________________
BCF: Be yourself, just don't be an arse.

[Frost]

They might have changed from socket 939, i know mine did but £25 for a PUS isn't much.

I bought mine from overclockers and got the following for not much over £300

1055T x6 AMD3 CPU
2x 2gb DDR3 ram
Motherboad with on board sounds, LAN, 3250HD graphics

Basically RAM and CPU wise i've been unable to make a dent in it, graphics wise neither but then i'm running Linux and not gaming. For gaming i'd say get a slower CPU probably a quad core and spend £100 on a graphics card. On board LAN and sound are now the norm unless you really really really need otherwise. For general PC usage on board graphics are still acceptable. Ram speed is very important. Getting as many cores as possible is probably best for future proofing.

[divuk83]

On that low of a budget you will have to go for and AMD based setup.

You may need a better PSU as most new graphics cards are quite power hungry. The 400watt corsair one (built by Seasonic and with a 3 year warranty) is the best of the budget PSU's, don't be tempted to get a cheapo one with a higher claimed wattage.
https://www.ebuyer.com/product/150985

Bit Tech do a good hardware guide thats worth a look.

https://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/buyers-guide/2010/05/07/pc-hardware-buyers-guide-may-2010/2

Dave

[Scotsman37]

In regards to Windows 7...Microsoft has already caught on to many of the latest work around for activating pirated copies of windows.

Yes, it is faster than Windows Vista but just a little bit more power hungrier than windows xp, but just a little bit. windows 7 is definitely nicer program to use with all the added built in benefits it gives to the user.

Now the option of upgrading as you may find it easer to buy an already built system which includes Windows 7, but definitely stay from AMD because they are just a headache in the long run...why? AMD give me more trouble than an Intel based system has ever given me, and I do definitely do find intel has always been a good solid work horse that is dependable.

You get what you pay for!

[Frost]

I seriously doubt any person could tell the differences between instruction sets and architecture on an AMD / Intel processor just by using it. Your problems were most likely due to the motherboard where you do indeed get what you pay for.

Currently i consider the AMD's best value for money and exactly as compatible with everything.

Which to go for depends on what deals you find. Be aware though that a £100 say series 4 card though faster looking than the £100 next series card, it probably isn't. Go for the more modern architecture every time for future proofing and up to date development.

Windows 7 isn't perfect, but if your a windows user, it's probably your best option unless your system is ancient enough to justify a 10 year old operating system, though XP is good.

[Scotsman37]

[Frost]

Software developers don't design software to work on a single processor type, it defeats the point of the hardware / software abstraction layer. Also it is almost impossible that any of the errors you have seen have been caused by processor miscalculations or architecture design. Graphics card chipset has a great deal more to do with system stability as it is usually an overclocked or overheating graphics card that gives visual errors that bring down a system.

Currently Intel are using smaller transistor technology which does result in a cooler running more power efficient system, but thats why they are damn expensive. The smaller technology is more likely to power leak and cross talk so it definatly wouldn't be considered a stability advantage.

When you say that intel doesn't sell overclocked stuff this is true, no manufacturer does. The processors are all made to the same design in the same factory and are then tested. The ones that pass are sold as the top end ones, those that fail are down clocked till they start working and sold at that speed. If a whole core is fucked in a quad core, they disable it and sell it as a triple core etc. So people selling an 'overclocked' system are doing so without AMD's autheriseation. Saying that they are less stable as a result is like saying Hayabusa's are shit bikes cause you bought a 600bhp turbo one and it melted a piston

[Scotsman37]

[quote="Saying that they are less stable as a result is like saying Hayabusa's are shit bikes cause you bought a 600bhp turbo one and it melted a piston [/quote]

Talking about Suzuki in that I had bought one not long off the production line and it was performing poorly from the start and I complained a few times, and eventually the mechanic discovered debris in carbs no doubt left in there when it got assembled at the plant. So, it comes down to quality control by saying if you don't maintain quality throughout you'll get a bad reputation for producing crap!

I got rid of that suzuki asap and bought a Honda instead, now that one purrs like a kitten and never gave me any trouble!


So, what I am saying that I have tried desktop/laptop based systems and found them to be poorer cousins to the Intel for stability. That's what I have experienced.

In regards to graphic card, yes they can cause system to either hang or slow down due to the demands of the game or just the driver needs updating to overcome incompatiblity problems either with the hardware or software errors within the game itself.

My gripe is with AMD based systems not the graphics card as that is a seperate issue.

Software houses can only build their software around a certain number of complete system configurations which they think best represents the users because there is such a wide variety of setups out there that incompatibility will no doubt arise, which means at some point work around will have to be made otherwise if it's just a tiny number of users effected with a certain hardware configuration why bother as it's not cost effective in the end as the majority are fine!

[Casper]

You will get a nice dual core bundle for under 140 quid. Just made my seld one but i spent closer to 200 as i needed an extra HDD.

https://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/bundles.html

Yes you will need Windows but we all know where to get that for free.

[Scotsman37]

Here's some site for bundles;

https://www.overclock.co.uk/index.php?keyword=motherboard+bundle

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/productlist.php?groupid=43&catid=339

https://www.ebuyer.com/search?q=motherboard+bundles

[Frost]

[Scotsman37]

DaFrostyOne

You have you view on the matter and I have mine, and so stop this now and let's help the guy find an appropriate hardware bundle that does what he wants so that he can make a good choice!

[Frost]

Exactly, an AMD system