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My computers become very old now, and i want a new one. Im looking for something that can do all the normal stuff, like play music, as well as play games. i dont need every effect to be maxed out, but i want it to look good, cost in the range of $2000-$2500. So i Ask some people bout a good canadian site and i got ncix.com and tigerdirect.ca. So i look at them and Im swamped with all these acromyms. AMD, PCI, DDR, ASUS, and on and on. I have no clue on whaat i should look for, and how much it should cost. Someone please, please help me out here.
I am in the Detroit area so I am familiar with the Canadian dollar. For that kind of cash you can get a pretty good screamer. Post back with a list of all the different things you would expect a new computer to do for you. We need to see where to send you, hardware wise. The amount of memory, for instance, required for certain tasks. Where are you at in Canada?
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If you go to Google and type define:AMD you will get a description of what it means.
This applies to all the other initials, they are not acronyms, except Asus which is a manufactures name. Asus manufacture motherboards.
acronym n. word formed from the initial letters of other words (e.g. laser, Nato). [Greek akron end, onoma name]
Stuart
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So you are looking to build your own?
You should be able to put together quite a nice computer for $2000-$2500. In fact that'll be a really nice computer.
I guess the first thing you'd want to look at is processor.
Do you want to build your system around a Intel processor or an AMD processor?
- Steven
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Im in northern Alberta. I would like it to do all the average stuff like internet, word processing, play music, etc. I would like it to play all these new games my PC cant (i have a pentium3 and a TNT). I would like it to work with Flash, and play movies. I would like it to be able to multitask. I cant really think of anything else.
I want it to be $2000-2500, but thats including the monitor and speakers, but Im lookin for something at a good value- i dont want to pay top dollar for super hi-tech that will plummet in price a month later.
I doubt i know enough to put together a computer myself, so I probably should get a pre-built one, eh? And i dont know what the actual diff between AMD and Intel is.
Oh and is a regular monitor is better than a flatscreen one? Thanks people.
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hhmmmm, actually, how difficult would you say is it to put together a computer by yourself? One time i did open it up and clean this memory stick, and it didnt seem extremely complicated in there...
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Sam,
Building a computer is just a big - expensive - puzzle. Heh.
www.google.com > "building a computer", "how to build a computer"
There are plenty of tutorials that will explain in detail how to build your own computer.
For $2000-$2500, even with a mouse, keyboard, monitor, etc. you're still going to have an AWESOME computer with some realy high-end components. Should be nice.
- Steven
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sam
I wouldn't recommend attempting a new build as your first endeavor. I have been looking at some sites in your country by Googling Canadian computers. What I found so far didn't meet the criteria. There are some US vendors that will accept Canadian credit cards and ship to Canada. Seems like the vendors I did find there are selling lower end machines. What I would recommend would be an Athlon64 processor in the 3200/3800 range. You mentioned you don't particularly want to pay a premium for the newest stuff, so the 3800 is probably out. I have more questions for you. Is the size of the case critical. I wouldn't recommend placing the case in a desk. This causes overheating. Another thing is, do you currently own any software, like WindowsXP or MSoft Office? You MUST have an operating system and the only viable option with the Athlon 64 is Windows XP, either home or professional. There are upgrades available that can save money is you own a qualifying version of Windows now. Next, What size display screen are you considering? Do you have any local stores that sell computer related hardware? It would be better to buy the monitor locally if possible. Bestbuy, Circuitcity, etc? I think an upper tier LCD display in 17 to 19" range would be good. This type of display has recently come down in cost and up in quality. Get back with some feedback.
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Nope, the size or if its in a desk do not matter to me.
i have Windows software, and I think the version i have is Windows Millienium.
Im kinda leaning towards 19". My town does have a small radioshack, but i am likely taking a trip to a bigger city where theres a Bestbuy around mid-Febuary.
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If you are familiar with eBay, bud, then i suggest that you buy a brand spanking-new Dell Dimension 8400 that comes with everything you would want: auction end price of around 700-1000 USD which is about 863-1,233 Canadian dollars (correct my translation if i am wrong) or even less or more in my eBay experiences. It comes with everything you would want: P4 3.2 GHz 775, 1GB High Speed Memory, 320GB Hard drive Space, GeForce 6800, high-definition sound card, 4-year warranty, etc. Check link for more details: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=52476&item=5156828911&rd=1
After buying this killer system you should still have the money for a monitor of your choice and maybe even squeeze in a juicy 85 dollar speaker system.
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sam
Your post as made me get up to speed on the latest processors from AMD. The athlon64 processors are manufactured in two distict catagories. The different is the socket they plug into on the Motherboard. The 754 socket is the one that the Canadian sites I looked at were offering. The problem with that is the 754 series is due to be phased out soon, so the upgrade path would be slim. The other socket, 939, is continuing on. The top end processors in that socket are not in your probosed budget. The Athlon 3200+ is within your budget. There are different chipsets for the Motherboards that you can use that processor on. The top of the line, which offers the most performance and upgrade path is the nForce4 chipset. To further complicate things there are three versions of this chipset. None of these options are budget busters in of themselves, but the add-in cards are the kicker. The nForce4 chipset has something called PCIexpress. The 3 flavors all have some of these new style slots. PCI express is where the industry is heading. The main difference is in the Graphics Card slot. nForce4 chipset doesn't support AGP. I am taking to much space here to set up the reasoning. I would reccomend that you buy a system with a Motherboard with nForce4 chipset and an Athlon64 processor. The best value in the processor right now is the Athlon 3200+. Going back to the motherboards the 3 versions I mentioned all have PCI express graphics and one or more PCI express slots for things like sound cards. The plain nForce4 ultra chipset is probably all you need at the present.
CHAINTECH NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 939 CPU, Model "VNF4/Ultra" -RETAIL Newegg.com $129
AMD Athlon 64 3200+, 512KB L2 Cache, Socket 939 64-bit Processor - Retail Model# ADA3200BIBOX
Windows XP Home Edition w/SP2 - w/MS Plus! Digital Media Edition - OEM Model# V54-00020
Graphics cards using the PCI express slot range from $60 to $1100 US. Someone else will have to advise you concerning this item.
You need a minimum of 1GB of PC3200 dual channel RAM.
You will need a case to install everything into, also. This is a personal choice. The power supply MUST be large enough and a brand name. The Case needs to be ATX form factor. You should have, at the very least, a DVDRW drive, which can read CD & DVD media. This drive can also burn CDR, CDRW, DVDR, DVDRW. The latest drives will burn both formats and will burn dual layer. For storage you will want a SATA harddisk. The size is determined by your needs. If you get a roomy case then if you need more storage space later, you can simply add additional disks then.
Seagate 120GB Barracuda 7200RPM SATA II with NCQ Hard Drive, Model ST3120827AS, OEM
Model# ST3120827ASIn addition you Need a floppy drive, keyboard, mouse, speakers, monitor.
I suggest that you go to online to Newegg.com and place these item into a wish list. This will allow you to see the cost. As I said before, Newegg doesn't ship to Canada but this will give you an excellent gauge. This should get you to thinking. If this system appears to be too expensive, then the next step down would be to go with nForce2, socketA stuff. I will follow up with display recommendations.
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