building new pc need some advice.

  • Thread starter Thread starter royharper3220
  • Start date Start date
R

royharper3220

New member
ok im building a new pc for college. I have a few questions.

1. what can i do to keep it quite? like certain fans or cases.

2. Does processer make a differece as far as brand like amd or pent 4?

3. Does hyper threading make a diff?

4 any other info is appreciated.
 
1) Visit Silent PC and go to their forums. You'll learn everything there is to know about which fan to use, which PSU to use, how to undervolt your case fans, etc. etc. etc. Basically, how to get your computer as quiet as humanly possible.

2) Yes. AMD's are typically faster for the price. That is... if you buy a $100 AMD processor, then you're going to get a much faster CPU than if you buy a $100 Intel processor. If you want the absolute fastest that there is, then right now, you'd wanna go with Intel (P4 3.2GHz and Canterwood chipset.) But if best-bang-for-buck is your goal, then go with AMD. Make sure you pick the right chipset, though. For example, Nforce2 is the fastest chipset for AMD CPU's, but there are compatibility problems that have creeped in with some audio programs. But VIA KT400 chipsets are pretty much on par with Nforce2, and when coupled with DDR333 RAM, they perform pretty much just as well but at a lower price poitn and with less compatibility issues. So you gotta get to know what mobo to buy to go with AMD. If you go Intel (P4 3.2GHz w/800 MHz FSB) then you should just get a good Centerwood mobo (Asus, et al)

3) Yes and No. Yes, is does make a difference... but no, not always. There are some instances (such as graphics) where HT is actually worse than non-HT. And many apps (such as audio apps) haven't been tuned to make full (or any) use of it. So yeah... if you get HT, it will impact some things you do, but not all, and in some instances, it may be a performance degredation. And sometimes, you just plain can't use it... i.e. If you run ProTools, digidesign actually mandates that you should disable HT. Basically, it's a case-by-case basis. Once you know which case you are, you'll know if HT is good for you.


4) Check out websites like Aandtech.com and TomsHardware.com for info/reviews on the latest components (mobos, video cards, CPU's etc) and check out places like Sharkyforums.com for a place to ask people about experiences with certain chipsets, CPU's, mobo's, whatever.


WATYF
 
WATYF said:

2) Yes. AMD's are typically faster for the price. That is... if you buy a $100 AMD processor, then you're going to get a much faster CPU than if you buy a $100 Intel processor. If you want the absolute fastest that there is, then right now, you'd wanna go with Intel (P4 3.2GHz and Canterwood chipset.) But if best-bang-for-buck is your goal, then go with AMD. Make sure you pick the right chipset, though. For example, Nforce2 is the fastest chipset for AMD CPU's, but there are compatibility problems that have creeped in with some audio programs. But VIA KT400 chipsets are pretty much on par with Nforce2, and when coupled with DDR333 RAM, they perform pretty much just as well but at a lower price poitn and with less compatibility issues. So you gotta get to know what mobo to buy to go with AMD. If you go Intel (P4 3.2GHz w/800 MHz FSB) then you should just get a good Centerwood mobo (Asus, et al)

WATYF
Click to expand...

Not true anymore. The price difference between comparable chips speedwise is relatively small (less than $50). I'd rather just go with a P4 in that case because the likelyhood of the motherboard having issues with DAW hardware is minimal. The same cannot be said with AMD based on their track record with VIA chipsets.
 
I used to be an AMD man until I started recording. This was back in the K6-2 days though, so I can't vouch for the newer AMDs. I now will go strictly Intel with a board that has an Intel chipset. I am running an Abit TH7II-RAID motherboard, and I have had absolutely no complaints. I know it's not the fastest anymore, and I don't even know that you can buy it anymore, but I really like Abit's boards. My advise would be to get an Abit board, possable the BD7II and a P4. The BD7II has a little bit slower RAM, you may look around for one that has either the new faster RDRAM or faster DDR. The RAID really will make your head spin with how fast things load.
 
I really like ABIT boards too, I've used them for years with Intels without any problems, I just built my new system and this time for the first time went with AMD cpu, and Epox(nForce) mb, I got the motherboard and CPU for under $150.00 saved some money (over Intel) and put it into memory.
 
Building a computer is actually alot easier than it sounds. I just built my first one a few months ago with components I bought from Newegg.com. Just read alot of forums and get an idea of what you want and then the hard part is over. Putting it together is a piece of cake compared to picking out the parts. If you'd like, I can send you the list of my components.

By the way, what part of TN are you from? I live in Knoxville, but I'm heading off to MTSU next year.

Best of luck!

Andy
 
Driphter Music said:
Building a computer is actually alot easier than it sounds.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it really isn't very difficult until you start having strange problems happen like cold-boot issues, or strange incompatibilities, but if you buy all top o' the line stuff you usally won't get a lemon.
 
Last edited:
Driphter Music said:
Building a computer is actually alot easier than it sounds. I just built my first one a few months ago with components I bought from Newegg.com. Just read alot of forums and get an idea of what you want and then the hard part is over. Putting it together is a piece of cake compared to picking out the parts. If you'd like, I can send you the list of my components.

By the way, what part of TN are you from? I live in Knoxville, but I'm heading off to MTSU next year.

Best of luck!

Andy
Click to expand...

Same here. It was quite easy.

I like the ABIT board that I bought (BH7) no problems so far. :)

Oh and another Tennesseean here (Nashville area) :D
 
brzilian said:
Not true anymore. The price difference between comparable chips speedwise is relatively small (less than $50). I'd rather just go with a P4 in that case because the likelyhood of the motherboard having issues with DAW hardware is minimal. The same cannot be said with AMD based on their track record with VIA chipsets.
Click to expand...

cmon, where did you get those figures? the cpu and mainboard will cost you at least 150 bucks more, if not more...

intel is slaming hardware out as fast as they can make it and about half is outdated a week later, i don't care for makers that don't take the time to deal with there hardware issues and just pop out another board for 150 bucks... bla

AMD does anything Intel does and better IMO...

granted the cpu cores are not really strong, but there fast, very for the money...

ABIT? humm, QC has gone down hill the last few years, might want to reconsider that option...

i live hardware unfortunitly :)
 
Fusion2 said:
ABIT? humm, QC has gone down hill the last few years, might want to reconsider that option...
Click to expand...
Of the 5 or 6 Abit boards that I have/have owned, I have never had a single problem with any of them. Granted, 3 or 4 of them were older, but I have had my TH7II-RAID for about a year and a half and it has been one of the most consistantly solid boards as I have ever had, even at being 330 MHz over-clocked.
 
I gotta lot of researching to do. THe building part wont be hard, I've helped my dad build a few pc's.



Driphter Music
I'm from columbia. I'm goin to MTSU this fall,for a Recording degree. It'll be rough but hopefully i'll make it through it.
 
o yeah , what about brand of ram. some one recommended samsung to me, but i figured someone probally makes it for samsung.
 
Kingston, Dan-Elec, Infineon, Corsair, Viking... It doesn't really matter what you buy.
Someone might recommend you a certain brand because he's happy with it but he'd probably be just as happy with any of the other brands in his PC.

If you want to go for the memory with the highest performance you need to dig into matter like front side bus speed, CAS latency and such but I'm not going into that now (or anytime soon).

Personally I'm a satisfied no-name memory user.
 
christiaan said:
Kingston, Dan-Elec, Infineon, Corsair, Viking... It doesn't really matter what you buy.
Someone might recommend you a certain brand because he's happy with it but he'd probably be just as happy with any of the other brands in his PC.

If you want to go for the memory with the highest performance you need to dig into matter like front side bus speed, CAS latency and such but I'm not going into that now (or anytime soon).

Personally I'm a satisfied no-name memory user.
Click to expand...
I would have to disagree with you there. Cheaper RAM is more liely to have problems with latency. Most of the time you will haev to turn your latency up. Sometimes you will get a good batch, but I have had some bad experiences with cheap ram. I do recommend Samsung. I am running PC800 RDRAM amd it has been over-clocked for a year and a half with no problems.
 
RoyHarper, thats what I'm doing to. When did you go to Customs? Were they not the longest damn thing ever lol. ANywyas man, well have to exchange contact info and meet up here in a few weeks.
 
I agree stick to the major/well known brands, on my mew machine I put in some brand that I hadn't heard of because it was on sale with a rebate, I kept having strange lockups and restarts (but my system is overclocked) luckly a more well know brand that I had used before went on sale/rebate the next week, I traded the less well known for the other and now I have no problems what so ever, so yes there is a difference in memory, even memory of the same speed and price.
 
ok thanks for the help.

Driphter, I went to customs on the last day for transfer students.
It was long, then i had to walk all over looking for the place to make my student id, and it was hot as hell. I was in Congo, btw.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top