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Computer noob needs help
 

Hi everyone!

I'm hoping to purchase a new computer in the next month or two before uni resumes in March.

Things I know:

• I want to spend $1200 max
• I will be using my computer for cadding, some photoshop, video editting, etc
• I would like to be able to play SC2 without my screen freezing mid-battle
• I do not need a new monitor, speakers or keyboard and mouse

Things I don't know:

• Anything computer related :'(

Any help at all will be very much appreciated.

Otherwise I'll just buy something like this.

Is that thing any good? HOLY SHIT THIS IS SO CONFUSING!

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

Honestly, you could get something that can do all those things pretty damn well for considerably less than that! That thing you posted is good, but pretty unnecessary unless you wanna, like, download the internet or something.

32GB of RAM. Christ.

I'm sure there are people way better at this than me that can help you out!

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

I want to dowload the internet!

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

Hi,

Mmm that computer you posted is alright I don't think it will handle SC2 well. The 1500w is really overkill and they probably put some generic cheap PSU (SHAW). I don't think there is a need for 32gb of ram so I simply put 16gb for you. It doesn't come with a SSD at the price range which is expensive at a 1.2k price range for a multi purpose computer.

This is what I listed it's from Arc computers you can probably pick it up from Parramatta or Livopool whichever is closer and have someone you know that can build it for you? (Pig?)

Here is my suggestion I have used similar parts for people who has the same needs as you

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

Mirry bought a sick samsung laptop with the help of a bunch of computer freaks, namely Fadey and Dippa from TA. I'll post you the link of the laptop she eventually got, it was by far the best deal she got. It even plays GW with very high FPS on medium graphics.

http://www.mln.com.au/product/?itemID=3951

Unfortunately it is sold out. Found something similar, of a newer model/series

http://www.mln.com.au/product/?itemID=3924

Hope I helped.

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

If you don't want to put something together, PCCG has the best pre-mades.

Pre-mades like the one you linked to often have horrible generic PSUs (as above) and are poorly balanced (powerful CPU, shitty graphics).

Something like this would suit http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?...ducts_id=22345

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

Hope not to get flamed by the Tech Savy but here's a video that JackFrags had posted up. It's your very own DIY Steam Box!



Parts:
1GB XFX Radeon HD 7770
Intel Pentium G850, Socket 1155, Dual Core, 2.90GHz
LiteOn IHAS124-04 24x DVD±R
Fractal Design Core 1000
500W Storm Silent LPJ19-25
MSI H61M-P31 (G3) Motherboard
4GB Corsair Value DDR3 PC3-10600 (1333)
500GB Seagate ST500DM002 Barracuda SATA 6Gb/s, 7200rpm
Windows 7 64BIT Professional

And viola! Powerful comp!

EDIT: does anyone know where I can get these parts in Malaysia? Either in the Subang Jaya area or the Johor Bahru area

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

PiG should help you out.
Deth helped me make my first pc. and i love it

I might not be the best at building them myself (not a chobo but totaly not gosu) but it's good to have a good idea on what you want or at least an idea what everybody else has and how they use there pc's

mine was roughly 1.2k in value but ofc the stuff i have is allot lower now heh
but i'll type it down if it helps

This setup i have is good if you don't overwork your computer like advanced video or game editing,
It's good enough to stream on high quality, (deth has the same specs,)

and as well as being good with games (most games are on max other than sc2 (just for the fact it gets too shiny and it distracts me) it is THE best for PS2/ Wii emulation. without having to fork out heaps for an i7.

RAM
8 GB of ram ( could get 6 but since you will be editing 8 is probably the best bet, if you want more, just buy some later on) anything over that is most likely too much and you'll be wasting your money
Kingston, Corsair, Geil, they are all pretty good.

CPU
i use i5 2500k, runs sc2 fine, i never get lag spikes on low or med setting , photoshop sometimes lags for me (probably bad programing) but imo i think a lower range i7 would suit you more...

GRAPHICS
graphics i have an Nvidia GTX 560 Ti (the msi one is really good, has heaps of awards too) you can use raedons too, but for sc2 invidia cards run a little better.

YOU WILL NEED A GOOD MOTHERBOARD AND PSU (power supply)

Don't be budget with these items!
Both need to be surge protected because these can potentially screw up all your hardware

PSU
Good PSU i'd recomend is Corsair and Antec, even the higher up Thermaltake PSU (Toughpower Grand)

hint : best way to check for quality is that the product has a 80plus gold sticker on it
i have a 750w PSU, I did a psu calulator on the things i wanted and it came up to 600w (from memory)
http://www.extreme.outervision.com/p...ulatorlite.jsp
but to be on the safe side it is fine to buy a psu slighly more powerful than whats recomended, just in case you want to add more stuff

MOTHERBOARDS
With motherboards, anything that's roughly $100 or more is fine, Gigabyte and Asus have a pretty good rep, just make sure it has surge protection.
also if you are making it yourself double check to see if it is compatable with the cpu AND ram it will tell you on the box as well as on there site or online stores ie. LGA 1155 will be mentioned on the cpu and the motherboard box, same applies to ram (DDR3)
EDIT: Make PiG a nice dinner to get some cheap Gigabyte parts.
I did it with Deth when he was sponsored by Archaic (before Nv existed) got a free graphics card, (shame I wasn't able to get a motherboard too since they weren't selling them in Aus)

HARD DRIVES
HDDs arn't to problematic to get, Corsair, Kingston, Intel are pretty nice. Seagate is also really nice (however there service has been poor in the last year) WD is good too but AVOID GREENS
Solid state drives are pretty good if you want to turn on your pc quickly, but they are fairly expensive and it's not a must have... have to be picky with brands though...

If you are buying a pre made one just be cautious on what goes inside.. (ie. brand of psu and motherboard and hdd)
heaps of companys that make premade try to go cheep and buy unbranded stuff. Feel free to e-mail your conserns. It is there job as sales people to help you , more information the better,

DO NOT BUY SECOND HAND.
I learnt my lesson after receiving a 2nd hand PC from one of my exes...
&& DO NOT BUY EXPENSIVE STUFF FROM MSY (I don't need to tell why)

Also highlighted the important bits. haha this was a bit longer than expected but at least it should be fairly easy to read.

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

Remeber if getting more than 4gb of ram, you need a 64-bit windows - probs need to ask what windows you want from people who know, but i dont get why people are buying 8, but you will be hard pressed to find shops that still stock 7 TT. I highly doubt you will go over 8gb of ram with even the most ambitious video editing. What NOM has suggested is quite a reasonable system and quite similar to mine. I paid 1400 for mine >12 months ago so should be well within your price range.

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

CPU: Intel Core i5 3570 - $205
Mobo: Asrock B75 Pro3-M - $70
RAM: G.Skill Ares 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3-1600 - $45
SSD: Intel 330 Series 120GB - $99
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 2TB - $99
GPU: Asus 2GB Nvidia Geforce GTX670 DirectCU II - $439
Case: CoolerMaster CM 690 II Advanced - $109
PSU: Antec High Current Gamer 520W - $83
ODD: DVD burner - $20
CPU HSF: Coolermaster Hyper 212 EVO $35

Total: $1,200

Windows 7 64 bit will add a bit more on, same with more hard drive space.

If you want to shave money off, i'd probably look at:

i5 3570 > i5 3470 = save $15
GTX670 > Radeon HD7870 = save $200
CM 690 II Case > Antec 300 = save $39
New total = $946
You'd take a minor hit in performance, but you'd need to check benchmarking sites to see how much.

This is more of a generic gamer build than a video editing build. Like always, double/triple check sizes of cards and room in the cases, power consumption, stuff like that.

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

Buy it from Sheepy!

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

Definitely go for an nVidia graphics card. Lots of CAD apps, and photoshop/video editors actually have decent CUDA support now, so you can get away with not spending super big on the CPU and still getting pretty awesome performance (and performance in sc2 as well).

Additional note for some people: don't get an SSD and then an eco drive for storage as you probably don't want to use your SSD as a scratch disk for photoshop or for video editing. If it comes down to it, just get a good 7200RPM disk. (SSD is nice to have apps like photoshop start up quick though).

I would go up to at least 16GB of ram to help with handling large files with photoshop/CAD/video editing.

And for dot: is noise a big issue for you?
And arc is not really cheap... from burwood it's an easy trip down parramatta rd. to Auburn with MSY, PCDIY etc. (all the really cheap computer stores).

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

I'm with whiplash on this one TBH. PCCG builds some of the best gaming CPU's at a really cheap price.

I disagree with Erasmus, I think if you're going to be using it for video editing etc. then having a 120GB SSD to put your windows and video editing programs on will do you wonders.

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?...ducts_id=22327

^ That is a beast PC for its price. Similar to the one Whiplash linked, however there is a 120GB SSD, a larger hard drive and a ******* gosu graphics card for $1,300. If you want to build it yourself it'd probably be even cheaper (as you can see by the one UHF has described, basically the same), but I bought a pre-made PC and it saves the time and hassle of making sure you don't **** anything up. You wouldn't have to upgrade that PC for aaaages.

Also, check this out for information on comparisons between graphics cards in terms of performance, price-performance etc.: http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

Wow! Thank you everyone for the advice! You've all been super helpful. Love Nom's post!

Seems a few of you have similar systems in mind. I think I'll have a look for something along the lines of UHF and Lost's recommendations first. Will report back when I buy it

Btw what's wrong with MSY, Nom?

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

MSY can be a bit of a bitch with regards to warranties. They will pretty much never just replace something for you on the spot and insist on sending it to the manufacturer first even with obvious faults. PCDIY just near them in auburn is only -marginally- more expensive and way better customer service.

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

Yep he's right they would make you do that which is ridiculous. Well, that or they ask you if you want to pay them to get that faulty product have tests to confirm the fault. -.-

So, yeah go with the other stores that people recommend around the area, PCDIY is pretty good. There's one in Adelaide and they were very helpful with getting a bargain build set up for me.

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

Oooh ooh! What about this from PCDIY?

‐ Intel Core i5-3570 3.40GHz
‐ Kingston HyperX 8GB DDR3 1600 Memory
‐ 1TB 7200RPM Hard Drive
- Nvidia GeForce GTX-660 Ti 2GB Graphics
‐ 24X DVD±RW Optical Drive
- Intel Z77M Motherboard
- USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gbp/s
- High Denition Audio
‐ High Speed Gigabit LAN
- Thermaltake 80 Plus 600W PSU
- CoolerMaster CM 692 Nvidia Case

For $1119

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

You could talk to your lovely friends at www.MWave.com.au for a special build.

Just use the code word "I bring home the bacon" for ultra eSportsness.

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

2x8GB of RAM since you're going to be doing CAD and Photoshop etc.

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

Hm seems a bit expensive, try.

PCCG, Centrecom, Umart and some others.

Also making it yourself isn't that hard too, should give it a go it is fuuuuuuuuuun!

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

the 1119 sounds good, plus those nvidia cases are really good, pretty quiet and good insulation (so things won't get stinking hot in there)

Centercom is Melbourne only and there isn't U-marts in NSW only at queensland and vic

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

Costs to build around $880 if I built it myself in QLD if I've added up right. More if you include operating system and building costs.

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

The PCDIY build is very similar to the PCCG one I linked to. For an extra $90 you get a slightly better graphics card and possibly a better power supply.

However, the PCCG build includes Windows 7 which the PCDIY doesn't, which will cost you ~$100, or 109 if you want windows 8.

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

That build is fine, GL HF

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

And for an extra $100 on that you get an SSD (for all your picture stuff), one of the best graphics cards on the market and an extra TB of space if you decide to go with the one I recommended. Seriously, it's a steal.

Re: Computer noob needs help
 

Yeah I just got excited cos it looked the same to me :P

@ UHF where do are you sourcing your prices from?

Currently getting PiG to ask his sponsors/contacts for a good deal