djaditya
Hey all, sup! I'm finally ready to buy/build a new pc. But i'm reall confused about whether to buy or build. Can anyone please tell me which is better and how different they are?(cosidering the setup, BIOS config, etc) I know computers a lot and im comp savy to some extent.
Also, i cant figure out which Processor to opt for- AmD64 or Intel w/HT technology.(Which Motherboard??)
And the video card- Which is better? the pci-express or AGP8x?
which card would you guys recommend in the budget range within 200$ (max 250$)(preferable-nVidia)
It would be great to be answered to all questions. Thanks.
Peace.
Also, i cant figure out which Processor to opt for- AmD64 or Intel w/HT technology.(Which Motherboard??)
And the video card- Which is better? the pci-express or AGP8x?
which card would you guys recommend in the budget range within 200$ (max 250$)(preferable-nVidia)
It would be great to be answered to all questions. Thanks.
Peace.
Posted Mon 27 Jun 05 @ 1:26 pm
frd1963
If you are going desktop or rackmount, then definitely build it yourself. It may end up costing a bit more than a ready made system, but that's just because you didn't get cheap on any of the components. You will be assured knowing what's in your box and you will know your way around in case you do have problems. Premade systems do generally have the benefit of manufacturer's warranty but in this business, we don't have time to wait for computers to be fixed... we need to know how to do it ourselves, or else get a plan with oniste service and/or loaner systems.
If you decide to go with a laptop, then you don't really have much of a choice, but many manufacturers can custom build a system for you within a limited set of options. Here again, you will pay a bit more, but you will be able to choose where you want to spend more money (ie memory, disk, video, etc.)
As for video cards, PCI-Express definietly has the potential for MUCH faster performance, but it is newer technonlogy and therefore may be a bit too expensive and not yet implemented as well as it might be in the future. I opted for PCI-Express and am happy with it, but I probably did end up paying a bit more than I would have for a comparable AGP card.
If you decide to go with a laptop, then you don't really have much of a choice, but many manufacturers can custom build a system for you within a limited set of options. Here again, you will pay a bit more, but you will be able to choose where you want to spend more money (ie memory, disk, video, etc.)
As for video cards, PCI-Express definietly has the potential for MUCH faster performance, but it is newer technonlogy and therefore may be a bit too expensive and not yet implemented as well as it might be in the future. I opted for PCI-Express and am happy with it, but I probably did end up paying a bit more than I would have for a comparable AGP card.
Posted Mon 27 Jun 05 @ 4:29 pm
djaditya
Ive got it sorted out now, thanks,
i went to my local dealer, and fixed the plan.
I'm getting a pc with the AMD64 3000+ processor,
pc3200 1024 mb DDR2 ram
rs480 mobo with integrated radeon PCI-express card(not so cool)
and built in AC'97 7.1 channel soundcard( but im buying a audigy 2zs)
120gb sata hdd
combo drive
however, i will be upgrading the video card to a better one (I have my eyes on the awesome nVidia 6800 PCI-e card)
anyways, any comments would be welcome.
ps: is the AMD64 3000+ processor good enough for VDJ to run smoothly or should i go for a higher one(my budget in mind)
i went to my local dealer, and fixed the plan.
I'm getting a pc with the AMD64 3000+ processor,
pc3200 1024 mb DDR2 ram
rs480 mobo with integrated radeon PCI-express card(not so cool)
and built in AC'97 7.1 channel soundcard( but im buying a audigy 2zs)
120gb sata hdd
combo drive
however, i will be upgrading the video card to a better one (I have my eyes on the awesome nVidia 6800 PCI-e card)
anyways, any comments would be welcome.
ps: is the AMD64 3000+ processor good enough for VDJ to run smoothly or should i go for a higher one(my budget in mind)
Posted Mon 27 Jun 05 @ 6:03 pm
frd1963
I think you will do fine with that system even without upgrading the video card... A PCI-express card that shares system memory will access the memory fast enough to still be faster than an AGP with dedicated memory. And because the AMD 64 supports such a fast FSB and you have DDR2 RAM, you will probably not see any of the bottlenecks you would normally expect from a shared memory video card.
The AMD64 3000+ is definitely enough for VDJ to run smoothly, but of course a faster processor couldn't hurt. However, I would suggest if you are looking for ways to improve the specs, then increase the size of your hard drive. Depending on how much of a selection of music you plan to provide, 120GB is kinda small especially if you plan to do videos. Also, you might want to go with a pro quality soundcard rather than an SB.
The AMD64 3000+ is definitely enough for VDJ to run smoothly, but of course a faster processor couldn't hurt. However, I would suggest if you are looking for ways to improve the specs, then increase the size of your hard drive. Depending on how much of a selection of music you plan to provide, 120GB is kinda small especially if you plan to do videos. Also, you might want to go with a pro quality soundcard rather than an SB.
Posted Mon 27 Jun 05 @ 7:40 pm
clownius
i have the nvidia 6800 256mb gaphics card, theyre fairly good, probably what youre after if youre video mixing now or later, and like frd1963 said will use alot of your physical memory, especially if you decide to overclock it with the nforce drivers nvidia supply from their website. besides that, for the price, theyre the benchmark card in their class. if you play games at all, i run half life 2 on the maximum possible settings and resolution for a 40fps... but an extra collong card-fan for the 6800 is worth thinking about. if you do go ahead with the 6800, changing the mobo to something, if not ANYTHING without an intergrated video card would be a good idea. in the end though, your choice of motherboard will ultimately depend on what cpu you choose. (sorry if you know any of this already...:S)
the hdd is a fairly mediocre size, but if you dont mind one more plugging-in-of-an-external-thingo, a firewire external hdd of 200gb are reasonably priced here in aus, might be worth checking out.
the cpu will be fine, but intel processors with HT run multiple desktop applications typically faster than amd's, whereas amd's were aimed more for gamers that run processor-intensive games and/or other progs. either way id say the difference between good and great will be in your choice of ram. for safety, id say a 1gb more. youll really not have to think about any more for like 2 years.
and cache and all that, 2mb fsb @ 800mhz would probs be ideal, but higher, again, is possible. wouldnt know about costing of that though...
whilst im blabbin', anyone know about using SLI for video with vdj? anyone doing it atm? its been tested that its about a 30%-60% gain to med-high / high-end gamers of "pro performance gaming" (being cpu intensive, and extremely punishing on graphics), though amd-type mobo's were all that was availible in the first tests. an intel version exists now, and its supposed to be great.
the hdd is a fairly mediocre size, but if you dont mind one more plugging-in-of-an-external-thingo, a firewire external hdd of 200gb are reasonably priced here in aus, might be worth checking out.
the cpu will be fine, but intel processors with HT run multiple desktop applications typically faster than amd's, whereas amd's were aimed more for gamers that run processor-intensive games and/or other progs. either way id say the difference between good and great will be in your choice of ram. for safety, id say a 1gb more. youll really not have to think about any more for like 2 years.
and cache and all that, 2mb fsb @ 800mhz would probs be ideal, but higher, again, is possible. wouldnt know about costing of that though...
whilst im blabbin', anyone know about using SLI for video with vdj? anyone doing it atm? its been tested that its about a 30%-60% gain to med-high / high-end gamers of "pro performance gaming" (being cpu intensive, and extremely punishing on graphics), though amd-type mobo's were all that was availible in the first tests. an intel version exists now, and its supposed to be great.
Posted Tue 28 Jun 05 @ 12:55 am
djaditya
Hey djs, slight confusion here in my pc config, there is another config i have researched(better than the earlier)
the mobo is an MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum, w/ AMD64 3000+ (still)
and the video card will have to buy(no on-board card)
that will be a nVidia 6600GT128 pci express
this config has setup great benchmarks...and come out the winner in this range.
Im not so keen on video mixing, so i guess this should work fine for music mixing and gaming?
please put in your thoughts on this!
thanks!
ps: the reason im not going for the great 6800ultra was becos it shoots my budget beyond limit :(
and hey clownius, how bout two nVidia 7800ultras on SLI ;)
ok, stop dreamin...;)
the mobo is an MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum, w/ AMD64 3000+ (still)
and the video card will have to buy(no on-board card)
that will be a nVidia 6600GT128 pci express
this config has setup great benchmarks...and come out the winner in this range.
Im not so keen on video mixing, so i guess this should work fine for music mixing and gaming?
please put in your thoughts on this!
thanks!
ps: the reason im not going for the great 6800ultra was becos it shoots my budget beyond limit :(
and hey clownius, how bout two nVidia 7800ultras on SLI ;)
ok, stop dreamin...;)
Posted Wed 29 Jun 05 @ 4:23 pm
djaditya
@frd1963: what do you exactly mean by a pro quality soundcard?
thanks
thanks
Posted Wed 29 Jun 05 @ 4:26 pm
clownius
if youre not video mixing and going with amd, in aus at some retailers ati cards which have similar performance to 6600gt's are a bit cheaper, could be food for thought...
and 'if' you were to comprehend upgrading for video mixing later, getting an sli mobo now could save time and money down the track, being 6600gt's and sli-capable. i suggest this cause sli wont double the video performance as such, just increases the quality of the designated specs of the original (for whoever doesnt know :P)
:)
and 'if' you were to comprehend upgrading for video mixing later, getting an sli mobo now could save time and money down the track, being 6600gt's and sli-capable. i suggest this cause sli wont double the video performance as such, just increases the quality of the designated specs of the original (for whoever doesnt know :P)
:)
Posted Thu 30 Jun 05 @ 1:36 am
djaditya
Yeah, the mobo im going for is SLI-capable.
thanks dude.
thanks dude.
Posted Thu 30 Jun 05 @ 7:40 am
clownius
anytime, i love talkin bits :D
Posted Thu 30 Jun 05 @ 1:37 pm
frd1963
@Djaditya:
By the word 'pro' I mean that a sound card conforms to professional specs. For example, most computer sound cards have an output level that is much lower than normal 'line level' while a pro card will have the same output level as any other piece of audio gear (mixer, CD player, etc.)
I guess the word 'quality' is a bit subjective, but I would suggest an external (USB or preferrably FireWire) sound card to an internal (PCI or built-in) sound card mainly because the further analog signal is from the CPU, the less chance there is for electronic interference. Don't get me wrong... there are some very good quality PCI cards though, such as the Echo Darla of which I have owned 2, but it takes less elaborate/expensive technology to protect an audio signal when there is less interference.
One solution that I had used in the past for a while was to use a mixer with digital inputs (like Denon-X800 or Tascam X9, both of which I own but no longer use) and then get a pair of the cheapest soundcards you can find with digital output. This way, all of the analog conversion happens in the mixer and the low quality of the soundcard isn't even a factor (at least not in sound quality.)
In summary, if a soundcard is promoted for gamers, it is probably not geared toward pro-audio.
By the word 'pro' I mean that a sound card conforms to professional specs. For example, most computer sound cards have an output level that is much lower than normal 'line level' while a pro card will have the same output level as any other piece of audio gear (mixer, CD player, etc.)
I guess the word 'quality' is a bit subjective, but I would suggest an external (USB or preferrably FireWire) sound card to an internal (PCI or built-in) sound card mainly because the further analog signal is from the CPU, the less chance there is for electronic interference. Don't get me wrong... there are some very good quality PCI cards though, such as the Echo Darla of which I have owned 2, but it takes less elaborate/expensive technology to protect an audio signal when there is less interference.
One solution that I had used in the past for a while was to use a mixer with digital inputs (like Denon-X800 or Tascam X9, both of which I own but no longer use) and then get a pair of the cheapest soundcards you can find with digital output. This way, all of the analog conversion happens in the mixer and the low quality of the soundcard isn't even a factor (at least not in sound quality.)
In summary, if a soundcard is promoted for gamers, it is probably not geared toward pro-audio.
Posted Thu 30 Jun 05 @ 9:48 pm
jchiar
if you are looking for a external 6 channel USB sound card , PM me..
Posted Thu 30 Jun 05 @ 10:25 pm
djaditya
@frd1963
I've ordered for a Numark DXM01 mixer, its got two professional quality soundcards in them..is this what you are trying to explain? thanks bud.
I've ordered for a Numark DXM01 mixer, its got two professional quality soundcards in them..is this what you are trying to explain? thanks bud.
Posted Fri 01 Jul 05 @ 9:16 am
antileon
Always a good choise in making your own setup, with the components you want. 1 important thing is to make sure your components are compatible with each other...
It looks similar to my future setup. Any objections?
MOTHERBOARD: Abit AN8 Fatal1ty nForce4 SLI 4DDR-DIMM 2PCI 4PCIe SATA Raid Audio GB-LAN Firewire Socket939 ATX
PROCESSOR: AMD Athlon64 90nm 3700+ 2200MHz/2.2GHz 1Mb "San Diego" Boxed (with cpu-cooler!) Socket939
RAM: Kingston ValueRAM KVR400X64C3A/512 2x512Mb (tot. 1024Mb/1Gb) Dual DDR-DIMM PC3200 400MHz CL3 184pin
HD, (XP, BOOT): Western Digital Raptor WD360GD 36Gb 10000rpm 8Mb cache S-ATA
HD's, STORAGE: 2x Western Digital Caviar WD2500SD 250Gb Raid Edition 7200rpm 8Mb S-ATA
GRAPHICS: 2x (SLI) Leadtek WinFast PX6600 GT TDH GeForce 6600GT 128Mb DDR3 TV-out DVI RETAIL PCI Express
TFT DISPLAY: ViewSonic VX912 19" TFT Black/Silver Analog&DVI 12ms
CD/DVD BURNER: Samsung DVD Dual-Layer +RW/R -RW/R 16X DVD+R 4X DVD+RW 12X DVD-R 4X DVD-RW 48X CDR 32X CDRW bulk IDE
+ other stuff.
It looks similar to my future setup. Any objections?
MOTHERBOARD: Abit AN8 Fatal1ty nForce4 SLI 4DDR-DIMM 2PCI 4PCIe SATA Raid Audio GB-LAN Firewire Socket939 ATX
PROCESSOR: AMD Athlon64 90nm 3700+ 2200MHz/2.2GHz 1Mb "San Diego" Boxed (with cpu-cooler!) Socket939
RAM: Kingston ValueRAM KVR400X64C3A/512 2x512Mb (tot. 1024Mb/1Gb) Dual DDR-DIMM PC3200 400MHz CL3 184pin
HD, (XP, BOOT): Western Digital Raptor WD360GD 36Gb 10000rpm 8Mb cache S-ATA
HD's, STORAGE: 2x Western Digital Caviar WD2500SD 250Gb Raid Edition 7200rpm 8Mb S-ATA
GRAPHICS: 2x (SLI) Leadtek WinFast PX6600 GT TDH GeForce 6600GT 128Mb DDR3 TV-out DVI RETAIL PCI Express
TFT DISPLAY: ViewSonic VX912 19" TFT Black/Silver Analog&DVI 12ms
CD/DVD BURNER: Samsung DVD Dual-Layer +RW/R -RW/R 16X DVD+R 4X DVD+RW 12X DVD-R 4X DVD-RW 48X CDR 32X CDRW bulk IDE
+ other stuff.
Posted Fri 01 Jul 05 @ 5:33 pm
frd1963
@Djaditya
The sound cards built into the Numark are definitely pro quality... Besides, what gamer would attach this mixer to his computer and stereo? ;)
I think that mixer is a good choice, aside from no computer audio inputs, which means one would need another sound card to be able to do TCV.
The sound cards built into the Numark are definitely pro quality... Besides, what gamer would attach this mixer to his computer and stereo? ;)
I think that mixer is a good choice, aside from no computer audio inputs, which means one would need another sound card to be able to do TCV.
Posted Fri 01 Jul 05 @ 11:38 pm
clownius
(MOTHERBOARD: Abit AN8 Fatal1ty nForce4 SLI 4DDR-DIMM 2PCI 4PCIe SATA Raid Audio GB-LAN Firewire Socket939 ATX) = overkill
(PROCESSOR: AMD Athlon64 90nm 3700+ 2200MHz/2.2GHz 1Mb "San Diego" Boxed (with cpu-cooler!) Socket939) = fine, but im inviting critcism here by saying more people have less trouble with intel
(RAM: Kingston ValueRAM KVR400X64C3A/512 2x512Mb (tot. 1024Mb/1Gb) Dual DDR-DIMM PC3200 400MHz CL3 184pin) = 1gb of ram should be enough, if you plan to video mix 2gb would ensure you dont have to upgrade anytimne soon
(HD, (XP, BOOT): Western Digital Raptor WD360GD 36Gb 10000rpm 8Mb cache S-ATA) = same as me, cept mines 7200rp, works well
(HD's, STORAGE: 2x Western Digital Caviar WD2500SD 250Gb Raid Edition 7200rpm 8Mb S-ATA) = youll probably only need 1 for a while, unless like i said, you video mix, AND copy the movies to your hdd, which is unwise anyway. plus expansion would need to be usb2.0 or firewire ext hdd
(GRAPHICS: 2x (SLI) Leadtek WinFast PX6600 GT TDH GeForce 6600GT 128Mb DDR3 TV-out DVI RETAIL PCI Express) = if yourte going to bother with sli before its all perfected by nvidia, get 2x256mb ultras, the money youll save not buying the fatal1ty mobo and extra hdd should at least cover this a lil
(TFT DISPLAY: ViewSonic VX912 19" TFT Black/Silver Analog&DVI 12ms) = screens really come down the personal perference, but a bigger screen on a dedicated virtual dj machine wont be of much extra use to you
(CD/DVD BURNER: Samsung DVD Dual-Layer +RW/R -RW/R 16X DVD+R 4X DVD+RW 12X DVD-R 4X DVD-RW 48X CDR 32X CDRW bulk IDE) = all burners are under $350 or so these days, not a major investment
getting the highest quality RAM you can would be a good move, also check out intel sli-ready mobo(s) and pentiums with extreme hyperthreading, theres only one or two of the mobos, and compare prices of each. i mean, if you kept crazy specs should look into dual-core proccessors too.
minus a hdd, will free up money. downsize ur screen, will add more. hopefully theres enough over to get sli-ultras. but always remember, that graphics cards that use pci-e will use your system memory, especially when overclocked, which i know youll do. i assume from this almost ludicrous setup that you either love puters, or you play tons of games, either way youve shot off the deep end with the specs. med-high end systems are recommended, but not the starting point.
put simply, this kind of setup belongs in a rackmount case with projectors and such. a little more thought would benefit you somewhat i think. theres plenty of people asking about systems in here, and theyre mostly not as flash as what youve thrown down. read around, alot of answers are here already.
°·dJ_clowniUs·°
(PROCESSOR: AMD Athlon64 90nm 3700+ 2200MHz/2.2GHz 1Mb "San Diego" Boxed (with cpu-cooler!) Socket939) = fine, but im inviting critcism here by saying more people have less trouble with intel
(RAM: Kingston ValueRAM KVR400X64C3A/512 2x512Mb (tot. 1024Mb/1Gb) Dual DDR-DIMM PC3200 400MHz CL3 184pin) = 1gb of ram should be enough, if you plan to video mix 2gb would ensure you dont have to upgrade anytimne soon
(HD, (XP, BOOT): Western Digital Raptor WD360GD 36Gb 10000rpm 8Mb cache S-ATA) = same as me, cept mines 7200rp, works well
(HD's, STORAGE: 2x Western Digital Caviar WD2500SD 250Gb Raid Edition 7200rpm 8Mb S-ATA) = youll probably only need 1 for a while, unless like i said, you video mix, AND copy the movies to your hdd, which is unwise anyway. plus expansion would need to be usb2.0 or firewire ext hdd
(GRAPHICS: 2x (SLI) Leadtek WinFast PX6600 GT TDH GeForce 6600GT 128Mb DDR3 TV-out DVI RETAIL PCI Express) = if yourte going to bother with sli before its all perfected by nvidia, get 2x256mb ultras, the money youll save not buying the fatal1ty mobo and extra hdd should at least cover this a lil
(TFT DISPLAY: ViewSonic VX912 19" TFT Black/Silver Analog&DVI 12ms) = screens really come down the personal perference, but a bigger screen on a dedicated virtual dj machine wont be of much extra use to you
(CD/DVD BURNER: Samsung DVD Dual-Layer +RW/R -RW/R 16X DVD+R 4X DVD+RW 12X DVD-R 4X DVD-RW 48X CDR 32X CDRW bulk IDE) = all burners are under $350 or so these days, not a major investment
getting the highest quality RAM you can would be a good move, also check out intel sli-ready mobo(s) and pentiums with extreme hyperthreading, theres only one or two of the mobos, and compare prices of each. i mean, if you kept crazy specs should look into dual-core proccessors too.
minus a hdd, will free up money. downsize ur screen, will add more. hopefully theres enough over to get sli-ultras. but always remember, that graphics cards that use pci-e will use your system memory, especially when overclocked, which i know youll do. i assume from this almost ludicrous setup that you either love puters, or you play tons of games, either way youve shot off the deep end with the specs. med-high end systems are recommended, but not the starting point.
put simply, this kind of setup belongs in a rackmount case with projectors and such. a little more thought would benefit you somewhat i think. theres plenty of people asking about systems in here, and theyre mostly not as flash as what youve thrown down. read around, alot of answers are here already.
°·dJ_clowniUs·°
Posted Sat 02 Jul 05 @ 3:32 am
acw_dj
To me the top is in a Intel based computer.
The new FSB is 1066 and the memory is DDR2 667MHz. With a 3.8GHz Processor and a 955 based motherboard, and support 64bits extensions as well.
For a cheaper option: Intel motherboard 925 based ( BOXD925XECV2LK, 3.0GHz processor, 2 DDR2 512MB Memories.
If you want to have good HD performace go to 4 SATA HD in RAID10 (configuration supported by Intel 925 the motherboard).
You can use a N-Vidia PCI-Express 6600 to complete (the 6800 is the top but also is more expensive).
Regards...
The new FSB is 1066 and the memory is DDR2 667MHz. With a 3.8GHz Processor and a 955 based motherboard, and support 64bits extensions as well.
For a cheaper option: Intel motherboard 925 based ( BOXD925XECV2LK, 3.0GHz processor, 2 DDR2 512MB Memories.
If you want to have good HD performace go to 4 SATA HD in RAID10 (configuration supported by Intel 925 the motherboard).
You can use a N-Vidia PCI-Express 6600 to complete (the 6800 is the top but also is more expensive).
Regards...
Posted Sat 02 Jul 05 @ 4:14 pm
DJ Cyder
To me intel is years behind anything AMD is doing, you don't need the fast ram with those chips because the pipe is huge on a athlon based proc.
Posted Sun 03 Jul 05 @ 6:05 am
djaditya
AMD with their 64bit processors have paved a way for outstanding processor speeds. Has anyone heard of the game FarCry? Its one of those games that says: "Im hungry, i need a lot of CPU power"
Its come out with an AMD64 patch, and the game has improved wonderfully....its awesome what this processor does.
Its come out with an AMD64 patch, and the game has improved wonderfully....its awesome what this processor does.
Posted Sun 03 Jul 05 @ 7:19 am
DJ Cyder
Someone say on chip memory controller? Geez 1000 mhz fsb is so 2003 for amd....
Posted Sun 03 Jul 05 @ 7:27 am
