computer - I need advice

[MTpockets Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close MTpockets]

Hi Guys,
I have always built my own computers, but have not touched them for 7 years or so and now don't have a clue what is best anymore.
For those who know, could you advise me if THIS is a good buy?
I dont run high end games no more, just want something that can edit high quality pics (photoshop) and make movies (from my handicam)
I am thinking duel core would be good?
Thanks

[Brissy4me Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Brissy4me]

Either Intel or AMD dual cores would be fine, if you dont buy the top of the line (which you dont need for what you want to do) then you will save a heap on the CPU price. More RAM is a must, get as much as you can fit on the motherboard or can afford. A RAID configuration (striped) would also increase your harddisk performance and a medium quality graphics card should also be fine. I believe the professional photo editors use CRT monitors rather than LCD (benefits of analogue over digital) however I dont know if you require that level of detail for your editing.

I dont do what you want to do, so someone else may be able to give you more detailed advice about the best setup for you.

[bitdist Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bitdist]

If you are doing digital movie editing and photo work then.....no
Don't use a motherboard with integrated graphics, use a seperate graphics card (even a reasonable one is pretty cheap)
The duel core processor mentioned is s l o w
Go for a core 2 quad processor now
You would need a lot more hard drive than that for digital video as well. The price difference between a 160 and say a 400 is really stuff all

[MTpockets Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close MTpockets]

Thanks for the info so far. I should have mentioned I run a P3-800 with 512 mb of sd ram. Basically it takes a week to edit any movies or photos.
I will have to replace everything by the looks. :?

[Chippy Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chippy]

Mine's getting a bit long in the tooth now - but it's an Intel 2.8 Ghz Dual Core with 2 Gb RAM and a pair of 200 Gb hard drives and a 17" LCD - but it does everything I want.

Sure, there are newer processors around, but I can't justify the cost when there's a heap of bits I need for the Prado.

Certainly take a look at a quicker processor with the credit card in one hand and the Prado wishlist in the other - but I reckon your money is best spent on upgrading to something like the processor you have mentioned and stuffing a heap of RAM and bigger hard drive in. I also use an nVidia graphics card which really helps with the pixel crunching and would recommend you do a similar upgrade away from the onboard graphics.

Good luck - my 2 cents FWIW

Cheers
Chippy

[whiteman Member Find all posts View Profile Close whiteman]

Get a copy of PC User Magazine. Around about page 100 of each issue they list the current available components to build the best PC for a number of different types of users. It's pretty well spot on. I build around 10 PCs a year for my business and family and I use their specs as benchmarks but these days you can buy ready to use PCs for not much more than a build your own - see the same magazine for recommendations.

[Chippy Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chippy]

Time for a trade-in. Maybe I need to go back to Fraser Island. :lol:

Cheers
Chippy

[carrot Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close carrot]

Mine's getting a bit long in the tooth now - but it's an Intel 2.8 Ghz Dual Core with 2 Gb RAM and a pair of 200 Gb hard drives and a 17" LCD - but it does everything I want.

Mine's a P4 2.8GHz with a 40GB HD and 512MB ram, and I still use it... It's all relative, isn't it?

Sell your 'old' computer to me when you upgrade! :wink:

[Chippy Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chippy]

It's perfectly relative ...

... that's why you drive a 90 :lol: :lol: :lol:

Sorry Carrot - I just couldn't help myself :roll:

Cheers
Chippy

[carrot Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close carrot]

It's perfectly relative ...

... that's why you drive a 90 :lol: :lol: :lol:

True! And the prado is a huge step up for me! I had to buy it as a write-off to afford it! :lol:

[Chippy Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chippy]

I had to buy it as a write-off to afford it! :lol:

As a write off ! .... then you have done one hell of a job getting it to where it is now. Awesome !

Cheers
Chippy

[carrot Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close carrot]

It wasn't that badly damaged, I reckon, and it didn't take a lot to fix it. 8)



Sorry for hijacking this topic!