Computer Advice Needed
#241
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As for WiFi, don't let that be a concern. Desktop boards with on-board WiFi are highly uncommon, and add-on WiFi adapters, be they PCIe or USB, are cheap and plentiful.
#242
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I agree with Joe. You're going to want an addon card for wifi.
Couple reasons, when / if it stops working, it's easily replaced. Most of them have antennas, multiple antennas, some even are hooked to wires so you can put them up high and get a good signal. Plus they're easier to find, and motherboards with them are usually poopy.
Couple reasons, when / if it stops working, it's easily replaced. Most of them have antennas, multiple antennas, some even are hooked to wires so you can put them up high and get a good signal. Plus they're easier to find, and motherboards with them are usually poopy.
#243
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Although, my wife's computer has been running of a no-name 400w PSU for over a year now with no hiccups. Lucky, I suppose.
IMHO. A case is something that will stick with you for *a lifetime?* Spend a little cash and get a good one, and one you like. Full tower. Motherboard trays are nice. Clip in easy removable hard drive trays. Aluminum, it acts as a great natural heatsink. ect. When people walk in my room and see my nice mid tower case with it's clear side, and water cooling lines it always gets complements.
I don't agree with the side windows, water cooling, and cold cathodes for my own personal computers. I like a clean look.
I was looking at monitors and started thinking to myself, "Why don't I just use my TV?". I have a 32" 1080 flat screen with VGA hookup. It would certainly make things nicer to have everything run off one unit. A/V for PS2, HDMI for PS3, VGA for computer. I haven't looked into it yet, so please inform me if this is a bad idea.
That is super duper overkill.
Something like this: Newegg.com - PowerColor Go! Green AX5450 512MK3-SH Radeon HD 5450 (Cedar) 512MB 64-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card or similar card. I just looked that one up real quick.
$28 is all the graphics card you will need, but only if your motherboard doesn't have an onboard GPU. If it does (with an HDMI port) than you don't need a graphics card at all.
BTW a similar Nvidia card if you are set on one of those: Newegg.com - XFX GM-210M-YNF2 GeForce 210 512MB 32-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card
Something like this: Newegg.com - PowerColor Go! Green AX5450 512MK3-SH Radeon HD 5450 (Cedar) 512MB 64-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card or similar card. I just looked that one up real quick.
$28 is all the graphics card you will need, but only if your motherboard doesn't have an onboard GPU. If it does (with an HDMI port) than you don't need a graphics card at all.
BTW a similar Nvidia card if you are set on one of those: Newegg.com - XFX GM-210M-YNF2 GeForce 210 512MB 32-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card
This is usually true with dual-channel supporting motherboards but a lot of newer DDR3 motherboards support triple-channel. If triple, 3x2GB or 3x4GB (probably too much) works great. Either way, 6GB or 8GB of RAM, whether dual or triple channel will suffice nicely for your requirements.
Avoiding wireless is ALWAYS a good thing. It is a fantastic technology, but if you aren't going anywhere (and a desktop isn't) then running some ethernet (when possible) is always better. I've never used those "ethernet over power wires" thing, but I have heard good things about them, so if it already works for you, that is the way to go.
I agree with Joe. You're going to want an addon card for wifi.
Couple reasons, when / if it stops working, it's easily replaced. Most of them have antennas, multiple antennas, some even are hooked to wires so you can put them up high and get a good signal. Plus they're easier to find, and motherboards with them are usually poopy.
Couple reasons, when / if it stops working, it's easily replaced. Most of them have antennas, multiple antennas, some even are hooked to wires so you can put them up high and get a good signal. Plus they're easier to find, and motherboards with them are usually poopy.
#244
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True this. I once bought a cheap-*** Coolermaster PSU and it started sounding like an airplane after a month or so of use. I ended up selling it for more than I bought it for
Gotta love online deals...
Although, my wife's computer has been running of a no-name 400w PSU for over a year now with no hiccups. Lucky, I suppose.
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Although, my wife's computer has been running of a no-name 400w PSU for over a year now with no hiccups. Lucky, I suppose.
I have a coolermaster in mine. I've had it for ages, it's the first PSU i bought when i built my current rig. At least 6 or 7 years ago. It's been through dual core, overclocking, SLI 8800gtx , quadcore now, 4 internal hard drives, liquid cooling. Honestly, i want to kill this PSU but it just won't die. The only reason i don't have 2 gtx560's right now is because i don't have enough plugs. haha, but power wise it should run it.
It really is luck of the draw sometimes with hardware. Same could be said about segate. I'll never buy another one just like you probably won't buy another coolermaster.
#245
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Alright, well, back to square one.
First thing: No WiFi needed anymore. I have the second wall adapter with an ethernet outlet. So I am good on that.
OKAY!!!!!! I guess I'll pass on that combo deal and stick with my original plan.
-Corsair Vengeance case or Antec Sonata III (comes with 500W power supply)
-Antec power supply (if I get the Corsair Vengeance)
-8GB ram
-Some motherboard with HDMI out***
-Seagate (or whatever brand) 500GB hard drive. (maybe 1TB for kicks)
***I am still clueless on how to read specs for hardware. I feel like I'm looking at Borg Warner S400's when I should be shopping for T25.
Edit: for the person saying don't use a TV for a monitor, I used my friend's 40" Samsung as a monitor for his laptop via HDMI today.....and it was beautiful. I can seriously get used to that.
First thing: No WiFi needed anymore. I have the second wall adapter with an ethernet outlet. So I am good on that.
OKAY!!!!!! I guess I'll pass on that combo deal and stick with my original plan.
-Corsair Vengeance case or Antec Sonata III (comes with 500W power supply)
-Antec power supply (if I get the Corsair Vengeance)
-8GB ram
-Some motherboard with HDMI out***
-Seagate (or whatever brand) 500GB hard drive. (maybe 1TB for kicks)
***I am still clueless on how to read specs for hardware. I feel like I'm looking at Borg Warner S400's when I should be shopping for T25.
Edit: for the person saying don't use a TV for a monitor, I used my friend's 40" Samsung as a monitor for his laptop via HDMI today.....and it was beautiful. I can seriously get used to that.
#246
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1: Does it have the correct socket for the CPU you wish to use?
2: Does it have the video out interface you want?
Seriously, that's it. Nothing else matters. You don't care about which chipset they used in the LAN controller, or whether it supports 1394a, or whether it's capable of driving 3 cards in CrossFireX mode or only two (or not at all.) For 95% of users, pretty much any motherboard which had the correct slots / connectors to support the required hardware is just fine.
Edit: for the person saying don't use a TV for a monitor, I used my friend's 40" Samsung as a monitor for his laptop via HDMI today.....and it was beautiful. I can seriously get used to that.
#248
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Heh, well, yeah. It needs to physically fit into the case.
Many (most?) cases these days will support more than one motherboard form-factor, being downwards-compatible with smaller designs. Many will even support ITX motherboards, although I have no idea how common this is.
Fortunately, the odds of picking an ITX motherboard at random from the list of all available motherboards is pretty tiny, especially since he seems to be fixating on AMD-architecture machines rather than Intel. A quick check at the 'Egg of AMD mobos shows 113 boards in ATX and micro-ATX, and two in ITX.
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Many (most?) cases these days will support more than one motherboard form-factor, being downwards-compatible with smaller designs. Many will even support ITX motherboards, although I have no idea how common this is.
Fortunately, the odds of picking an ITX motherboard at random from the list of all available motherboards is pretty tiny, especially since he seems to be fixating on AMD-architecture machines rather than Intel. A quick check at the 'Egg of AMD mobos shows 113 boards in ATX and micro-ATX, and two in ITX.
#249
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You don't mean what you say you mean and this departs from your typical extreme pedantry!
The HDTV set has the same resolution of just about any monitor you get in the size ranges most people get (Seriously, try finding a 1900x1200 monitor sometime. It's almost all 1080P now.), assuming the HDTV is 1080P. It's just larger pixels per square inch, or lesser resolution per square inch, although the resolution itself is the same!
Viper, this is part of the reason his HDTV looked so good.
/Soz, I just had to go all pedantic on the pedantry king!
#250
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You don't mean what you say you mean and this departs from your typical extreme pedantry!
The HDTV set has the same resolution of just about any monitor you get in the size ranges most people get (Seriously, try finding a 1900x1200 monitor sometime. It's almost all 1080P now.),
The HDTV set has the same resolution of just about any monitor you get in the size ranges most people get (Seriously, try finding a 1900x1200 monitor sometime. It's almost all 1080P now.),
I wasn't the one espousing the idea that you absolutely need an uber high-rez monitor or you will die. I'm the one saying "if you don't mind being limited to 1080, then by all means buy an HDTV" While I admit that 1920x1200 monitors are less common today than they were a few years ago when I bought mine, they are still around.
But by all means, go ahead and order the giraffe eating a necktie if that's what you want.
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#251
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Okay, decided on the Antec Sonata III. Excellent reviews and comes with their own 500W power supply. And it looks good. Can always paint white later if needed.
-Antec Sonata III
-8GB ram
-ATX motherboard (Asus because I r noob)
-1TB hard drive (might as well, price is so damn close) Seagate??? Excellent reviews.
Also, I decided to get a decent monitor for the computer instead of the TV as I just realised how often I'll need to be using both for RPG's.
-Antec Sonata III
-8GB ram
-ATX motherboard (Asus because I r noob)
-1TB hard drive (might as well, price is so damn close) Seagate??? Excellent reviews.
Also, I decided to get a decent monitor for the computer instead of the TV as I just realised how often I'll need to be using both for RPG's.
#254
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Any particular motherboard you're looking at, or just "Motherboard, ATX" in general?
Also, I decided to get a decent monitor for the computer instead of the TV as I just realised how often I'll need to be using both for RPG's.
The really ironic thing is that this is, in fact, starting to become true. These days, when somebody needs to do brute-force decryption, simulate the behavior of atomic nuclei in a fusion reaction, model the flow of particles in a complex fluid environment, perform heavy physics calculations or lots of vector math, etc., they use a GPU. In fact, lots of respectable labs such as NCSA and STFC are starting to build whole supercomputers around large clusters of gamer-class video cards.
#255
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The really ironic thing is that this is, in fact, starting to become true. These days, when somebody needs to do brute-force decryption, simulate the behavior of atomic nuclei in a fusion reaction, model the flow of particles in a complex fluid environment, perform heavy physics calculations or lots of vector math, etc., they use a GPU. In fact, lots of respectable labs such as NCSA and STFC are starting to build whole supercomputers around large clusters of gamer-class video cards.
But I agree. I am going to guess that a lot of people with the i7 SUPER EXTREME OVERCLOCKED GT SUPER EXTREME BLACK EDITION SUPEROVERCLOCKED actually have a choke point somewhere else which negates the extra speed of their CPU.
#256
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lol, I was making a (bad) joke that he doesn't need a CPU at all.
But I agree. I am going to guess that a lot of people with the i7 SUPER EXTREME OVERCLOCKED GT SUPER EXTREME BLACK EDITION SUPEROVERCLOCKED actually have a choke point somewhere else which negates the extra speed of their CPU.
But I agree. I am going to guess that a lot of people with the i7 SUPER EXTREME OVERCLOCKED GT SUPER EXTREME BLACK EDITION SUPEROVERCLOCKED actually have a choke point somewhere else which negates the extra speed of their CPU.
#257
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Yeah, I understood the joke, and noticed the lack of a CPU in Viper's list. Just wanted to add some useless trivia from the "truth is stranger than sarcasm" file.
I have an previous-generation core i5, and on my system, the choke point is a lack of skill when it comes to playing as Demoman in T2.
I have an previous-generation core i5, and on my system, the choke point is a lack of skill when it comes to playing as Demoman in T2.
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Recommendations?
Why? Alternatives?
I was told that just about any motherboard will do as long as I make sure it supports the things I like. Such as HDMI, is the correct form for my case and what have you.
Also that I will not need a video/graphics (same thing?) card since a motherboard will take care of my emulator needs.
Do I not need one?
Why would a hard drive slow you down? Is there an advantage to a solid state drive?
Why? Alternatives?
Also that I will not need a video/graphics (same thing?) card since a motherboard will take care of my emulator needs.
Do I not need one?
Why would a hard drive slow you down? Is there an advantage to a solid state drive?
#260
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CD/DVD drive: the cheapest one you can find. You will use it at least once to install windows, and possibly never again. If you have an old one from an old PC (or can find/borrow/steal one) you can just install the used one.
CPU: You definitely need one, it's what goes in the center of the motherboard and makes the computer go. Think of it as the ECU of your computer. Which is funny because your ECU also has a CPU, so that CPU is the ECU of your ECU.![Giggle](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/smilies/gay.gif)
HDD vs SSD: A Solid State Drive will be much much much faster, however, they are quite expensive, and don't last as long as HDD (Hard Disk Drive, the one with a spinning platter). Generally what people do for baller builds is they have 1 HDD and 1 SSD, since anything over 250GB and you will have to sell a kidney for an SSD.
You don't need one. A regular 500gb or 1tb HDD will be fine for you.
CPU: You definitely need one, it's what goes in the center of the motherboard and makes the computer go. Think of it as the ECU of your computer. Which is funny because your ECU also has a CPU, so that CPU is the ECU of your ECU.
![Giggle](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/smilies/gay.gif)
HDD vs SSD: A Solid State Drive will be much much much faster, however, they are quite expensive, and don't last as long as HDD (Hard Disk Drive, the one with a spinning platter). Generally what people do for baller builds is they have 1 HDD and 1 SSD, since anything over 250GB and you will have to sell a kidney for an SSD.
You don't need one. A regular 500gb or 1tb HDD will be fine for you.