An Animation Computer

[JesusIsGonnaOwnSatan]

My sister is a second year uni student doing (amongst other things) 3D animation. She's currently on semester break which ends on July 13, and her adventure into 3D wonderness starts next semester. She needs a new computer that handle the kinds of stuff she's going to do before then.

 

Though she can use computers well enough, she's certainly not technical, hence me helping her with this.

 

Problem is, I've never really looked into the design side of computing and I don't know what kinds of hardware requirements she needs. So I'm/we're looking for advice as to how to pursue this.

 

The programs that I know she's going to use for sure are Maya and Adobe CS3. I think there will be more, but I'm not sure.

 

She has 3000-4000 NZD to spend on this computer.

For a reference into what the market in NZ is like, check out these links:

 

Retail store

Retail store 2

Small computer store

 

I know better than to go to money-milking retail stores; the best ones to go to are the small computer ones. But ask anyone in the know over here, and they'll point you to PriceSpy.co.nz, the site for finding and comparing the best prices for hardware in New Zealand across many, many stores. Ive found computers 5x more powerful on PriceSpy's listed stores for the same price than the pathetic stuff you get at the big chain stores.

 

So the main question is: What kind of computer is she going to need? (Cpu, ram, graphics, monitor, etc)

[Astrotoy7]

You should check Avery's "Graphic Design Computer" thread Pretty much the same topic

Unfortunately, being in NZ, Q may not be able to help as much with the snazzy bargains and rebates from US sellers.

 

If you have trouble sourcing certain bits of kit there, there is a great search engine for Australian based tech stockists http://www.staticice.com.au

 

Good luck If CS4 is an option, Id definitely recommend that over CS3, particularly the x64 edition

 

mtfbwya

[Q]

Yeah, it would be a good idea to check out Avery's build thread, because that is precisely the machine that your sister is going to need.

 

Here's a basic hardware list to get you started:

 

CPU: Core i7 920.

 

Motherboard: X-58 chipset with both Nvidia SLI and ATI Crossfire support.

 

RAM: 6-12GB DDR3.

 

Graphics: I'm not sold on workstation graphics cards being even remotely worth the money, because it would be a lot cheaper to get a very powerful multi-GPU gaming setup from either Nvidia or ATI.

 

Monitor: This is where you shouldn't skimp at all. I recommend a 30" 1600p IPS panel for 3-D graphics work like that, and believe that Astro would concur.

[True_Avery]

Graphics: I'm not sold on workstation graphics cards being even remotely worth the money, because it would be a lot cheaper to get a very powerful multi-GPU gaming setup from either Nvidia or ATI.

The Graphics card I got was an advanced specialty model.

 

Quadro FX 3800

 

Now, the Quadros come in a few classes. For most computers, I would recommend the 150s and such which are only a few hundred. Mine is an $800 card, and it considered to be professional level. Quadro hardware and drivers have been tweaked so that they render 3D objects in a different manner than Gaming cards, so the difference is there if needed. However, this difference can only be seen when doing detailed animation renders.

 

Monitor: This is where you shouldn't skimp at all. I recommend a 30" 1600p IPS panel for 3-D graphics work like that, and believe that Astro would concur.

Indeed. Get a Samsung if possible. Bigger the better.

[JesusIsGonnaOwnSatan]

You should check Avery's "Graphic Design Computer" thread Pretty much the same topic

yeah, i thought of that, but i wasnt sure if it would be considered hijacking if i posted this on Avery's thread, seeing that shes not finished with it. but if it seems fit to you, and if its ok with Avery, you could merge this thread into that one.

 

Unfortunately, being in NZ, Q may not be able to help as much with the snazzy bargains and rebates from US sellers.

that would have been good, but i didnt expect him to be able to.

 

Good luck If CS4 is an option, Id definitely recommend that over CS3, particularly the x64 edition

i got it wrong; she is getting CS4

 

Graphics: I'm not sold on workstation graphics cards being even remotely worth the money, because it would be a lot cheaper to get a very powerful multi-GPU gaming setup from either Nvidia or ATI.

 

Now, the Quadros come in a few classes. For most computers, I would recommend the 150s and such which are only a few hundred. Mine is an $800 card, and it considered to be professional level. Quadro hardware and drivers have been tweaked so that they render 3D objects in a different manner than Gaming cards, so the difference is there if needed. However, this difference can only be seen when doing detailed animation renders.

do you mean quadro 150 or 1500?

 

prior to this, i havnt really looked into anything but GeForce cards, so i need some education on quadros. the nvidia site made them look very tantalizing indeed, but then that could just be propaganda.

 

@Q:would two 9800GTX(+)'s cut it? how about two GTX260's? logic tells me the 260s... theyre higher up the ladder, and cheaper than the GTX+'s... but either way, we're going to have to make it fit in the budget.

what are the equivalents from ATI? they seem to be generally cheaper. even though i like nVidia better, if ATI can deliver the same amount of power for less, that might be the best choice

[True_Avery]

yeah, i thought of that, but i wasnt sure if it would be considered hijacking if i posted this on Avery's thread, seeing that shes not finished with it. but if it seems fit to you, and if its ok with Avery, you could merge this thread into that one.

Actually, I am in fact finished with it. Here is the link to my new thread:

 

http://www.lucasforums.com/showthread.php?p=2633837#post2633837

 

Keep this thread open for questions, as I've devoted the last 2 months of my life researching Workstation computers. I'll answer what I can, and then I recommend searching Newegg and Tigerdirect, as well as finding Workstation specific forums for your questions like I did.

 

i got it wrong; she is getting CS4

Good choice. Have her get the complete package if she can, as each program is worth learning.

 

do you mean quadro 150 or 1500?

 

prior to this, i havnt really looked into anything but GeForce cards, so i need some education on quadros. the nvidia site made them look very tantalizing indeed, but then that could just be propaganda.

http://www.nvidia.com/page/quadrofx_family.html

Misspoke. The Entry Level cars you can usually find at PC outlets, and they are relatively cheap. The Mid-Range stuff is a little more expensive. What I have is a 3800 High End card, just below the Ultra-High-Ends.

 

I would have gotten an entry, but I am already past entry level in most of these programs. Plus, the High End will last me quite awhile.

 

If she cannot afford an $800 card though, I suggest an Entry card for CS4. That, or just go ahead and get a normal card as I am going to guess that the difference between a GeForce and a Quadro becomes very debatable at Entry level.

 

@Q:would two 9800GTX(+)'s cut it? how about two GTX260's? logic tells me the 260s... theyre higher up the ladder, and cheaper than the GTX+'s... but either way, we're going to have to make it fit in the budget.

what are the equivalents from ATI? they seem to be generally cheaper. even though i like nVidia better, if ATI can deliver the same amount of power for less, that might be the best choice

Unless she is going to be doing some heavy duty gaming, then these cards would be pointless for a Workstation computer. Like I said, the GeForce cards do not have CAD specific drivers, and trying to edit the GeForce cards to do some will 1) might have negative consequences if done wrong and 2) still wont have the same shader, opengl, and so on support.

 

If she is going to buy 2 260's, then you are better off getting a Mid-Range Quadro that is designed for the job. It'll have better driver support, compiling speed, render speed, and so on.

 

Qliv may not be convinced, but the Quadro's are the industry standard Workbench cards for a reason (Not to knock on you at all Qliv).

[Q]

I know you're not trying to knock on me, Avery, but you are 100% wrong about this. I'm truly sorry that you fell for the marketing hype and bought a Quadro FX 3800 for 5 times what a GTX 260 (which is the GeForce equivalent to a Quadro FX 4800, which, BTW, is superior to your 3800) would have cost. The basic hardware is identical. The only difference is in the BIOS, the drivers and maybe a few tweaks on the PCB and that simply does not justify paying 5 times as much. Nvidia is charging a huge premium for what amounts to the tech equivalent of a fashion plate, and as such it's little more than a marketing scam.

 

If you want to ignore me and waste your own money, that's fine, but I respectfully request that you do not come in here and encourage someone else to waste theirs in the same manner. It's just not good advice, and I'd be doing JIGOS and the Tech Forum a disservice by not pointing that out.

 

If you don't believe me, here is an article explaining how you can use RivaTuner, a utility that most hardcore gamers are familiar with, to soft-mod a GeForce card to emulate the equivalent Quadro FX. Basically, all that RivaTuner does is make the GeForce card use the specialized Quadro drivers, and the performance results are pretty impressive but also predictable when one considers that, as I've been saying all along, the hardware is identical. I invite you both to read the article and make up your own minds.

 

@JIGOS: Here in the States people can get a GTX 280 or 285 or 2 GTX 260s for ~$300.00-$350.00, which is less than half of what Avery paid for her Quadro FX 3800 and then use RivaTuner to soft-mod them to emulate either a Quadro FX 5800 (GTX 280/285) or 2 Quadro FX 4800s in SLI (2xGTX 260 -would be more powerful), which are the top of the line Quadro FX models that Nvidia has the nerve to charge $1500.00-$2000.00 for. Will the performance be the same? Probably not, because the Quadros have more RAM and possibly a few circuit board tweaks. Will the performance be close to or superior to that of a Quadro FX that costs twice as much? Most definitely, especially in the case of the 2 GTX 260s in SLI.

[True_Avery]

Post G8 series, Nvidea has been lascutting certain segments of the chip so that you cannot soft mod them so your 260 suggestion doesn't fit.

 

The highest card you can soft mod is an 8800.

 

And again, I will point out that while this is giving comparable quality with the drivers and so on, the Card only truly shines through as a whole in high quality renders, particularly in animation.

 

The boost in price may be unfair, but it is also an industry standard and you wont find many companies soft-modding their cards.

 

If you want to risk soft-modding, then get an 8800 and do so. The boost is slight in opengl and direct3d, but that is used to viewpoint windows. Rendering may be comparable, but the end quality still ends up being better optimized on the Quadro.

 

However, if his sister is just getting in I still recommend an entry card, or at least a soft modding 6000 series.

 

EDIT:

http://www.hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1031223502&postcount=9

 

Thats a good example of what I'm talking about.

 

You may get better viewport performance, which is what the people I've been seeing softmodding bragging about, but frankly that doesn't matter when rendering the actual picture.

[Q]

I've seen several posts like that arguing for and against Quadro every time I try to research this subject, which can be pretty confusing. I also asked around when you were buying your hardware and got equally divergent answers, which didn't help at all. I didn't know about the laser-cutting, though. It must be a pretty recent thing. Funny that Tech ARP failed to mention it, because that article was updated recently. I stand corrected on the GT200+ plus mods, then. Sorry about all that.

 

The price just really pisses me off. It's exploitative as hell.

[True_Avery]

The price just really pisses me off. It's exploitative as hell.

That I will not disagree with in the slightest. Mine is, again, a High End Quadro which is why I recommend an Entry level or, as you said, a modded GeForce.

 

I got it because I plan to do a lot of high level animation. I recommend your sister looking over exactly what she wants to do before deciding on a Video Card.

[JesusIsGonnaOwnSatan]

After checking out the links, and some more internet hunting, i have come to the conclusion that an entry level quadro like the fx 380 or 580 would fit the bill. because, shes not a gamer, (she would only play the odd game here and there) but rather is going to have to do some rendering and other generally 'designy' things which quadros are specialized for. (since i game rather than design, i find myself not so inexplicably gravitating to the GTX260 ) BUT, it seems those two quadros are extremely elusive here in new zealand. ive been hunting high and low, and the closest ive gotten are "out of stock"s.

 

link

on that page, an fx 580 is $523.85 nzd including Goods and Service Tax, while a 380 is $279.06 nzd inc. GST.

i'm comparing the 580 and 380's specs, and it seems that there isnt too much of a difference between the two, except for the relatively large price diff... i feel like i must be missing something. why are 580s so much more expensive than 380s? is there some special feature missing in the 380?

also, why are older and weaker 370s selling for higher prices than the newer and more powerful 380s?

 

i am leaning toward the 380, but i need to know if there is a big difference between the two.

 

but among all that, i still havnt discounted the GTX260. it seems that a 260, which is $370.13 inc.GST, is way more powerful than a $523.85 nzd FX 580 in almost every aspect listed. i'm wondering if the 260's sheer power increase would rival, if not outdo the appearingly feeble fx 580's performance in design programs. but if this is the case, then there would be no point in releasing a quadro 580...

 

my question here is what (the hell) have they stuck in a weaker, cheaper 9500 that turns it into an fx 580, and warrants an almost 200% price increase that exceeds that of an almost 400% more powerful 260?!

 

i talked to my sister, and she is leaning toward "that gaming one" (260)

[True_Avery]

After checking out the links, and some more internet hunting, i have come to the conclusion that an entry level quadro like the fx 380 or 580 would fit the bill. because, shes not a gamer, (she would only play the odd game here and there) but rather is going to have to do some rendering and other generally 'designy' things which quadros are specialized for. (since i game rather than design, i find myself not so inexplicably gravitating to the GTX260 ) BUT, it seems those two quadros are extremely elusive here in new zealand. ive been hunting high and low, and the closest ive gotten are "out of stock"s.

Damn, that sucks. The entry Quadros are all over the United States stores.

 

link

on that page, an fx 580 is $523.85 nzd including Goods and Service Tax, while a 380 is $279.06 nzd inc. GST.

i'm comparing the 580 and 380's specs, and it seems that there isnt too much of a difference between the two, except for the relatively large price diff... i feel like i must be missing something. why are 580s so much more expensive than 380s? is there some special feature missing in the 380?

also, why are older and weaker 370s selling for higher prices than the newer and more powerful 380s?

It mostly comes down to the different Quadros have different drivers I think.

 

That, and the 580 has a memory advantage over the 380. Not a whole lot, but memory is a big part of what makes the Quadro work.

 

In the end, not a whole lot of difference. With the minimalist differences between the entry levels, I'd say get any of them and they should work at comparable speeds.

 

but among all that, i still havnt discounted the GTX260. it seems that a 260, which is $370.13 inc.GST, is way more powerful than a $523.85 nzd FX 580 in almost every aspect listed. i'm wondering if the 260's sheer power increase would rival, if not outdo the appearingly feeble fx 580's performance in design programs. but if this is the case, then there would be no point in releasing a quadro 580...

Drivers.

 

It does not matter -how- powerful the 260 is. It could have an intel super computer running it if you wanted.

 

The fact of the matter is, CAD programs work better regardless under a card with a CAD driver. Why? Because CAD programs use graphics cards in a different way.

 

To simplify it, a 3D graphics driver (from a GeForce series) renders things in pieces. It renders the world, then objects, people, and so on. It does this because rendering the many different things happening in the game must be done in pieces, or the card would fry.

 

A Quadro CAD Drivers rearranges the way the card thinks. The card now renders -everything- at once. This is very important for a CAD program, as the viewport prefers to show everything at once. When rendering especially, -everything- in the viewport is being completely rendered at once.

 

When you bring a gaming graphics driver to the program, you end up getting glitchy viewports with poor performance. Renders also come out with less final quality, as the card preferred to render in a way that the program is not programmed to do.

 

my question here is what (the hell) have they stuck in a weaker, cheaper 9500 that turns it into an fx 580, and warrants an almost 200% price increase that exceeds that of an almost 400% more powerful 260?!

Unfortunately, that is how capitalism works. Car companies do it, computer companies do it, and just about every other manufacturer does it.

 

The 200% price increase is you paying for access to -specialized drivers- that the 260 -does not- have. Despite the 260's power, a graphics driver works differently than a performance/CAD driver.

 

i talked to my sister, and she is leaning toward "that gaming one" (260)

She can get the one she wants. The 260 isn't -bad- per say, it is just doing a job it was not meant to do. It would be like buying a huge, strong badass truck and then trying to race it against sports cars. Is it better? Worse? In the end, it is just a car and it can do the race but the Sports Car is going to do it better.

 

If she wants to put out some money for performance, render speed, and so on then buy a Quadro. In particular, I recommend this one:

 

http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_quadro_fx_1800_us.html

 

It is better than the 580 and 380 by a long shot, and comparable to the 260 in CAD performance, along with probably better opengl and shader support. Not the mention it will also have Quadro drivers. Its $500 even it seems, and getting close to my high performance card...

 

But that is the way the cookie crumbles. To be blunt here JesusIsGonnaOwnSatan, your sister is going into a very personally expensive field. You think the card is expensive? Maya is $6,000. Adobe stuff is around $1,000 to $2,000. School for this subject is anywhere from $60,000 to $90,000 where I live.

 

You are trying to bargin shop for your sister, and that in commendable, but this field of expertise may be a little over your head if a $500 Quadro is the only thing weighing on a wallet. Even if she gets the programs by questionable means (do not admit to this or we'll have to delete your post), a workstation computer is still quite expensive. The programs are expensive, and you cannot get all of them free. Professional training is even more expensive.

 

Gaming is a subject that you can spend $800 on a full computer that will play games incredibly well. The reality is, 3D graphic design is a subject where you can easily pay $800 on a single program, class, or card.

 

You think $300 is a lot for a single card? My After Effects training cost me $300, and that is just to get me started.

[Astrotoy7]

The price just really pisses me off. It's exploitative as hell.

 

Cmon Q. We know about the hardware under the hood vs the exorbitant price, but lashing out at Avery because of deeply held personal convictions isn't providing more information on the actual performance of the devices in their stated applications (which is what we like to focus on of course) eg. Im not an intel fan because of their business policies, but will readily admit they have a performance edge if asked purely about their performance in a certain context.

 

As someone who does use both types of cards, the quadro (whether it be due to optimised driver and the BIOS enabling certain functionalities) is better equipped for these workstation oriented tasks.

 

In CS4 (esp Premiere and After Effects), Maya and AutoCAD 2010 specifically, The GPU accelerated renders are optimised on a quadro, whereas the Geforce cards driver set are optmised for gaming.

 

If someone did opt for 295 instead, they could indeed get alot done in most apps(esp older versiosn of CAD), but when it came to particular tasks with specific apps, particularly at Hi Rez, the geforce cards will cause some hassles, which if you are a professional(or serious trainee) in the field - is simply unacceptable.

 

This is an interesting nvidia (older) Geforce vs Quadro whitepaper - and is fascinating reading for a display junkie. It does a great job of talking about the actual software vs hardware mechanics involved. (More detailed info about newer products is of course available on the card and software manufacturer websites)

 

http://www.nvidia.com/object/quadro_geforce.html <<pdf

 

Of course, it has been published by nvidia - but does have third party references. It must be noted that similar queries made at Autodesk and Adobe forums will yield a similar consensus. In fact the places where you will find the most confusion on the topic, are places posted in by non professionals who are having lark on a p2p copy of 3dsmax. From the look of it, Avery is taking this very seriously. We should be supportive that she's prepared to make the financial committment to ensure she can develop the skill set that she needs Good luck Avery !

 

From a consumer perspective, yes the pricing structure sucks, but it comes down to how serious you are about this stuff.... nuff' said... non?

 

mtfbwya

[JesusIsGonnaOwnSatan]

But that is the way the cookie crumbles. To be blunt here JesusIsGonnaOwnSatan, your sister is going into a very personally expensive field. You think the card is expensive? Maya is $6,000. Adobe stuff is around $1,000 to $2,000. School for this subject is anywhere from $60,000 to $90,000 where I live.

Yes, she knows this. But you see, this semester 2 of her uni is sort of an "entree" to this field. There are a few animation papers in it. This is where she is going to see if this is for her; see if she wants to pursue CAD and the like.

This is why i believe an entry level quadro is good for her.

After this semester, if she decides she wants to get serious about this, then we can do something like go get a better quadro. But for now, i think there isnt much use in putting $1000 in a card and her not using it.

The same goes for a monitor; i don't think she needs a 30 inch right now. 24 inch seems good, and then later if she decides to get serious, we can upgrade like with the quadro.

 

You are trying to bargin shop for your sister, and that in commendable, but this field of expertise may be a little over your head if a $500 Quadro is the only thing weighing on a wallet.

I think my previous post has conveyed the wrong message.

i have no problem spending the money and getting the quadro. i just wanted to know what exactly the differences between GeForces and Quadros were.

(but i admit i did get a little carried away. )

 

You think $300 is a lot for a single card?

I don't. If you remember, i was thinking of spending double that.

 

SO, i have decided on a Quadro FX 580 for the graphics card. If i can't find it, I'll have to contact a store to see if they can get it ordered in.

 

I think the next order of business should be Motherboards.

This is something i don't know much about, (as with cooling systems and PSUs), so i need to do some reading. What should i be looking for in a motherboard?

 

A lot of the i7 ones are around $500, which is good. Does anyone have any ideas?

[Q]

Cmon Q. We know about the hardware under the hood vs the exorbitant price, but lashing out at Avery because of deeply held personal convictions isn't providing more information on the actual performance of the devices in their stated applications (which is what we like to focus on of course)

I know, and I apologized. Avery's right about this, and IMO she bought the best bargain workstation card out there in that Quadro FX 3800.

[JesusIsGonnaOwnSatan]

question: how many i7 mobos does intel have out?

 

reason: i7 965 + Mobo + RAM + cooler fan auction starting at $500

 

^ he said it has an intel motherboard. intel's site shows only one i7 motherboard: the DX58SO i find that quite surprising. only one i7 motherboard? id expected them to release a couple at least...

[Q]

That looks way too good to be true. The seller has *1* feedback.

 

Beware!

[JesusIsGonnaOwnSatan]

^ he said it has an intel motherboard. intel's site shows only one i7 motherboard: the DX58SO i find that quite surprising. only one i7 motherboard? id expected them to release a couple at least..

i got it wrong; its not an intel mobo, its and intel x58 mobo (as in the x58 technology).

its not a DX58SO; its a Pegatron IPMTB-TK MicroATX; a motherboard used in high end HP systems, and that made me cringe at first, but it seems its not limited in expansion as i thought it would be.

 

but the worst thing about the auction is that the cpu is an engineering sample. even though an i7 965 extreme here in nz is about $2200 nzd at the cheapest, im not sure i want to risk having headaches with the thing. furthermore, it has no warranty.

 

so i doubt ill try on that auction.

 

mobos: overclocking is not a priority for this comp. there is very little chance of me overclocking, and 0 chance of my sister doing it. she's not going to mess around with any settings, not going to open it up. shes just going to use it. she doesnt need to overclock since shes not going to be playing games at insanely high settings.

 

it seems that the higher end mobos are priced accordingly because of their overclocking capabilities. and the lower ones do everything the higher ones can do, except overclock as well. i just founds this out and its a pleasant surprise. i thought the lower end mobos would be skimping on more vital things, but its just overcclocking. so ive started looking at the lower end ones.

 

any thoughts on these?:

 

ECS X58B-A: Review 1, Review 2

 

Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R: Review 1

 

Asustek P6T Review 1

 

Intel Extreme DX58SO Review 1

 

^ will post more reviews as i find them

[Astrotoy7]

Whilst I cannot comment on those mainboards specifically, I can tell you that the x58 chipset and the corei7s are pretty darn impressive. The corei7 920 is clocked at 2.66Ghz and has proven the megahertz myth perfectly, running rings around (on a per core basis) than anything Ive had at a higher clockspeed(intel or AMD)

 

Intel's chip engineers are obviously pretty good at doing what they do... Now if only Intel could get similarly competent persons in their business unit [/editorialising]

 

mtfbwya

[JesusIsGonnaOwnSatan]

questions:

 

1. im not going to be overclocking. is it really necessary to get a specialized cpu cooling fan? wont the stock one be enough?

 

2. PSUs: how many watts? im thinking 600. (i know it isnt as simple as that though )

im eying a few ones that look promising after researching:

 

Cooler Master Silent Pro series

Thermaltake PurePower series

Antec Earthwatts series

(^ models correspond to wattage. i'm leaning towards the coolermaster)

 

3. Should question 2. be in the hardware discussion/advice megathread?

[Q]

1. You probably should, yes. The stock Intel CPU cooler that comes with a core i7 is woefully inadequate. It is also quite loud.

 

2. That wattage range is about right, but you should probably forget Thermaltake. There are far better choices at that wattage. This is the home if the PSU guru. If he gives it a 9 or higher, then it's worth buying. Look for the best price that you can find on one of the ~600W PSUs that he rates that highly.

 

3. Not really. This thread is about a specific computer that you're wanting to build, so it should be asked here.

[JesusIsGonnaOwnSatan]

thanks Q, that link was invaluable.

 

here's the setup so far:

 

Case: NZXT Guardian 921

 

Motherboard: Asus P6T

 

CPU: Intel Core i7 920

 

PSU: Cooler Master Silent Pro M600

 

Graphics Card: nVidia Quadro FX 580

 

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Green 1.5TB

 

=======

 

CPU cooling: Air cooling. i want to stick with the quiet theme. it wasnt intentional, but it just so happened that a lot of the parts we chose turned out to be quiet/eco friendly. (case, psu, graphics card)

what are the good brands? is it very important to choose a well known brand (like PSUs)?

 

 

RAM: i'm thinking 6gb. with no overclocking, i dont think latency is too much of a problem. neither are heatsinks (but man, do they look cool!).

would generic do fine? are there special benefits if you choose a prestigious brand? (like the cpu or mobo enhancing the ram or something)

 

 

Optical Drive: possibly blue ray. but the sis may not need it...

 

Monitor: No idea. halp!

 

Anything else: Am i missing anything?

[JesusIsGonnaOwnSatan]

I couldnt do anything for this for a couple months (circumstances/busy), but i just got back into it. this thing has taken way too long already (it turned out that that "July 13 Deadline" was more of a "guideline" than anything else, so its all good, but still, gonna get a move on).

 

Ive gone full speed ahead and completed the parts list. In my absence it seems pricespy has gotten a *major* upgrade and now sports insanely useful and awesome features. (finding and comparing products, comparing stores, cheapest price calculator for bundles, etc).

 

Here's the list:

http://beta.pricespy.co.nz/product_list.php?do=lista&b=315

 

two things have changed from the previous list:

1. the mobo: since last looking at the prices, all the prices for everything has gone down. i found that the Asus P6T deluxe V2 came down in price and its only off the P6T's price by only $7. Its got an extra ethernet port, more usbs, better capacitors (not sure), and looks better.

This is a no-brainer.

 

2. HDD: was gonna stick the 1.5TB WDC caviar green in the list, but found the 1.5TB Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 right next to it. It has a higher RPM of 7200 compared to the Caviar Green's 5400. At only $3 more, i think this is probably another no-brainer.

 

All thats left is the OS and the monitor.

 

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium. 32-bit or 64-bit? retail or OEM?

I read up on it from this article.

 

i'm thinking its gotta be 64 (6gb of RAM). I dunno bout retail or OEM... according to the article, the only differences are the license and the disk label. with retail, you can move your license key between systems, while with OEM, your key is tied to your system. Also, with OEM you're not entitled to technical support (pfeh, never used/needed it before).

 

Some questions about OEM: when they say that the key is "tied" to that one system, does that mean the computer, or the install? basically, what will happen if the hard drive goes kabluey or something? am i going to be left dangling and have to go pay for another key?

Also, what about if you just want to format the hd?

[Q]

Definitely OEM on Windows 7, and definitely 64-bit. It's way, way cheaper. If you have a hardware failure you can contact MS for another key for free.

 

Try to find a 7200.12 if you're going with Seagate, or look for a Caviar blue or black from Western Digital. The Caviar Green is rather slow and really only appropriate for archiving. With that mobo you could also look for deals on 500-750GB drives and double them up in RAID 0, depending on which would be cheaper.

 

Core i7 can take advantage of faster RAM even without overclocking, but, yeah, you can go with plain-jane RAM as long as it's got a warranty. Keep in mind that Core i7 can overclock to ~3.8GHz without increasing the voltage and shortening the life of the CPU. It may not be relevant now, but it might be a few years from now when the computer is no longer state-of-the-art.

[Hallucination]

Since your sister seems to be doing some computing courses, you may want to ask her if her school has a partnership with Microsoft. Mine does, and provides keys for lots of their software for free, including Windows XP, Vista, and 7 Business/Professional editions.