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Help Needed...

Post Date: 2009-09-09
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amm240 View Drop Down
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Posts: 12 		  Quote amm240 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Topic: Help Needed...
    Posted: 09 Sep 2009 at 12:20pm
Hello.  We are in  need of a new PC ASAP.  We had a Dell that lasted a couple years and is already blown.  We were going back and forth with getting another Dell or a computer through Digital Storm and have narrowed it down to Digital Storm after reading rave reviews and getting recomendations.  That being said, here is what we are looking for...
 
We are "average" gamers.  When I saw that, I mean, we maybe play a few hours a day.  My husband plays WoW, Company of Heroes and other games like that.  I play Sims 3.  Our old Dell would randomly shut down a lot and we had a lot of issues gaming.  The only other thing I am mainly concerned with is memory as well, because this PC will be used for games and regular word processing and photograph storage.
 
So, I guess what I am asking is what are the recomnedations that we get?  we are looking to spend around $1,000.  I just don't want to to go through the hassle of grpahics not showing up, games randomly shutting down, etc.  Any help is appreciated.  I am pretty literate with PC terminology, but definitely not a pro.
 
Thanks,
Angie
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Clocks View Drop Down
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Posts: 64 		  Quote Clocks Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 09 Sep 2009 at 12:23pm
Thats a great price point for mainstream gaming right now with a lot of options.

My recommendation would be to go with the Performance 2 package model which offers a great price on a core i5 platform.

If you can swing it in your budget, spend just a touch more for the enthusiast 1. The upgraded video card and faster over clock on the processor will help ensure your PC is going to serve you well for the longer term. I would also advise you that the upgraded case that the Enthusiast 1 has (a HAF 922), has upgraded ventilation and better airflow.

Lower temperatures over time can help enhance the longevity of the components your computer is built from.

This airflow ensures that the heat your computer generates is captured and pushed out of the case, helping to keep your computer running at a lower temperature.

Edited by Clocks - 09 Sep 2009 at 12:24pm
-Clocks
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amm240 View Drop Down
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Posts: 12 		  Quote amm240 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 09 Sep 2009 at 12:25pm
thanks. we were looking at the Perfomance 2 and it met our needs we thought.  I always prefer to go over our needs though, for future use and such...
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sdelu View Drop Down
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Posts: 304 		  Quote sdelu Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 09 Sep 2009 at 12:44pm
Just so you know, with the sims 3 there's always a chance it won't work on any system. It's awfully buggy and, well, just not very well coded.

At least, that's how it was a few weeks ago. Maybe the patched it by now and it isn't so awful...
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amm240 View Drop Down
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Posts: 12 		  Quote amm240 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 09 Sep 2009 at 12:48pm
I only had Sims 3 for a few days before the Motherboard went on our Dell.  So, I guess i am just always scared things are going to go wrong.  And I don't know enough about computers to tell what the main differences are between the Performance 2 and Enthusiast 1.  I don't know if you can tell a difference with the two graphic cards, etc.  I also see they are both on 4GB of memory.  I thought 6 was preferred but we can't add that on???
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Clocks View Drop Down
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Posts: 64 		  Quote Clocks Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 09 Sep 2009 at 12:59pm
Originally posted by amm240

I only had Sims 3 for a few days before the Motherboard went on our Dell.  So, I guess i am just always scared things are going to go wrong.  And I don't know enough about computers to tell what the main differences are between the Performance 2 and Enthusiast 1.  I don't know if you can tell a difference with the two graphic cards, etc.  I also see they are both on 4GB of memory.  I thought 6 was preferred but we can't add that on???


Sure. You can definitely tell a difference between the two graphics cards. The graphics card in the Enthusiast 1 is a GTX series card with significantly enhanced capabilities on par with the 285. The 275 is just intentionally made a little slower (literally, by turning down how many processes in a second the processor will do) so it is less expensive. The card in the Performance 2 on the other hand actually has decreased capabilities (216 stream processors versus 240 stream processors in the 275) no matter how many cycles you tell the 250 to do in a second, it doesn't have the raw circuits to do the same amount of work efficiently as the 275.

As far as the memory is concerned, the 6GB memory is when you are working with a triple channel chipset like the Core i7-920. With the Core i5, it is still dual channel albeit with DDR3 memory standard RAM. Generally you want to have one stick of whatever capacity for each channel that your system can work with. So using 2GB sticks of memory, the core i5 with two channels offers 4GB of memory.

The reality is that with the use you described, you should never exceed the capability of the 4GB of memory.

My recommendation would be to invest just a little bit in the overall more robust capabilities of the Enthusiast 1 which will continue to serve you better in the future while performing very well for your current needs.

Edited by Clocks - 09 Sep 2009 at 1:01pm
-Clocks
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merc7dx View Drop Down
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Posts: 15 		  Quote merc7dx Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 09 Sep 2009 at 4:07pm
So you bought a dell, and I'm assuming you spent $600-$1200 for it, and it lasted you for two years, and in that two years you had to deal with a lot of problems. The recommendation by clocks for the enthusiast 1 is pretty good. Your computer will have liquid cooling that will maintain your computer better and reduce noise. Your computer will be *****ously tested for use, so any hassle you have will likely disappear like a bad dream. And your computer will be overclocked, which means the original processing power of the computer at 2.66ghz is going to be pushed up to an extreme performance at 3.6ghz. All of this under warranty. This does not include speakers, keyboard, mouse, monitor. You will have to purchase them separately or use from your current computer.

That said, you do want a computer that will accommodate you pretty well the next few years in the future, and provide peace of mind. Here is what I recommend. It is a custom spec:

Ticket # 330397       2357 - 150 special = Total $2207
Copy of Specifications:
Chassis Model: Cooler Master HAF 922
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Interior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz (Quad Core)
Motherboard: EVGA X58 LE Edition SLI (Intel X58 Chipset) (Supports SLI or CrossFire)
System Memory: 6GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified by mushkin enhanced (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 1000W Digital Storm Certified (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition Highly Recommended)
Card Reader: - Internal Digital Media Card Reader (Black)
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (500GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 20x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 1GB (Includes PhysX Technology)
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: H20: Stage 1: Asetek Liquid CPU Cooler
Liquid Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a H20: Stage 3 Cooling System Selected
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Stage 1: Overclock the processor between 3.3GHz to 3.9GHz (Requires Air Cooling Upgrade)
Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Tweak Windows: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-Bit Edition) With Windows 7 Upgrade Coupon
Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Benchmarking: - No Thanks
Install/Test Game: - No Thanks
LCD Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: - No Thanks
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-10 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty

The performance of an i7 920 and i5 750 are comparable but the i7 920 has a potential of 8 processing threads versus the i5's 4 processing threads. It's definitely good to keep in mind future games, that might be optimized for the best performance in 8 threads. Also in the i5 customization, you are limited to 4gb ram memory versus the i7 6gb memory selected. In this build you get more memory, a superior graphics card, a 1000w power supply versus a 750w, an upgraded motherboard that you can easily install another of the same graphics card for 2x sli, and a media card reader that reads the memory cards from cameras.

Go with what you think is most suitable for you. Good luck.





Edited by merc7dx - 09 Sep 2009 at 7:01pm
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merc7dx View Drop Down
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Posts: 15 		  Quote merc7dx Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 09 Sep 2009 at 4:20pm
P.S. the ***** is v.i.g.o.r I've tried a few times to edit it but for some foolish reason the word has been censored.
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Loki View Drop Down
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Posts: 18 		  Quote Loki Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 09 Sep 2009 at 5:39pm
Though I'd point out that you don't get the $500 off that price.

At $2357 you get $150 as the discount.  So the price would be $2207.  Just so you can keep your budget in mind.  :D
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sdelu View Drop Down
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Posts: 304 		  Quote sdelu Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 09 Sep 2009 at 6:04pm
suggesting a computer $1000 over the desired budget is a bit of a stretch, merc. Also, they are "average" gamers, so a $2000 custom build isn't really necessary.

The enthusiast 1 would be a great deal if you could swing it (it has a better GPU, a better PSU, a better overclock, better cooling, etc.), but it's not like the performance deals won't be good. But, let's put it this way: I think you'd be much better off if you go with the performance 2 rather than a dell any day of the week, but see what you can do about the enthusiast 1!

The only thing I worry about for you with either choice is the sims 3... sometimes it will run like a gem on crap systems, sometimes it will chug along on a $4k system =/
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DST4ME View Drop Down
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Posts: 36758 		  Quote DST4ME Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 09 Sep 2009 at 6:33pm
I think enthusiast 1 is a good one for you also.

Nvidia Drivers----AMD Drivers
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merc7dx View Drop Down
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Posts: 15 		  Quote merc7dx Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 09 Sep 2009 at 6:59pm
Loki,
good looking out. I should have inquired further into the promo.

sdelu,
I agree enthusiast 1 is a great deal. My build is another option I'm tossing out there. If nothing more, it is good for comparative purposes.
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DST4ME View Drop Down
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Posts: 36758 		  Quote DST4ME Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 09 Sep 2009 at 7:41pm
If you change to Noctua NH-U12P, 275, then I would say its a good build

Nvidia Drivers----AMD Drivers
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amm240 View Drop Down
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Posts: 12 		  Quote amm240 Quote  Post ReplyReply bullet Posted: 11 Sep 2009 at 8:33am
thanks everyone.  we ordered the Enthusiast 1.  Can't wait!
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