PDA

View Full Version : Help me build a PC!



TheSlipstream
July 26th, 2008, 06:57 AM
Hey there.
Having had problems with WINE and Photoshop CS2 lately, as well as dis-satisfaction with living entirely Windows free (no, I don't like Windows, but I really like Photoshop and Flash, as well as missing the occasional game), I'm beginning to get some interest in building a PC that I can run Windows on (and most likely Ubuntu as well -- please, no components that won't run with Ubuntu). My laptop will stay 100% Linux, probably Ubuntu. I most likely won't be building it until the next school holidays (assuming I get around at all, curse my unreliability!)

So here's my info, I want a $700 max desktop PC, particularly good for Graphic design, and with some ability in games. I have no real preferences other then that, except it needs to have wireless internet, and a cool case would be nice :P.

I live in Australia, and I don't want to pay overseas shipping fees if at all possible, a link to a good components seller would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

tamoneya
July 26th, 2008, 07:03 AM
unfortunately newegg doesnt ship outside the US but I assembled a wishlist with them anyways just so that you can take a look at the parts. I built this for a friend recently and it is working fairly well.

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=8469872&WishListTitle=TheSlipstream

geekygirl
July 26th, 2008, 03:55 PM
Go and check out MSY. There are a couple of stores in Melbourne (Clayton, Box Hill, Pascoe Vale, Malvern and Brooklyn), their website is http://www.msy.com.au and for the money you want to spend you should be able to get something really good. They are also probably one of the cheapest places in Aus to buy PC hardware from. IT Estate is another mob but you would be paying for shipping from Sydney. Another excellent Melbourne based PC shop is PC Case Gear in Oakleigh. http://www.pccasegear.com I use them a fair bit and their service is excellent.

The trick will be working out the hardware!

A good place as well to read is the Whirlpool forums, and they also have a wiki with suggested builds here: http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/?tag=rm...oolpcs_systems I have had a look at all of them and there isnt any hardware that wont 'just work' under Ubuntu.

Here is something I would consider though for the tasks you have in mind:

Intel Q6600 - quad cores are better for processor demanding tasks like Photoshop and Flash. You can get away with 2 but this CPU is pretty cheap now at $212 (all Aus Dollars)

Gigabyte EP45-DS3L - nice little boards for the price, and running the latest Intel chipset. - $133

2G of DDR2 800MHz RAM - probably the best value for money RAM around right now. Expect to pay anywhere between $43 and $56. Brand shouldnt be an issue, just get the cheapest, unless you are planning on overclocking!

Western Digital SATA 320G HDD - HDD's are pretty cheap now, but 320G is a good starting point - $65

9600GT 512MB Asus - $132, can handle quite a few games, I have one of these and it runs really well with Ubuntu, just had to use Envy to install the latest drivers.

Asus SATA DVD-RW -$33 - wouldn't even bother with IDE optical drives any more when SATA is cheap and fast.

Case: Tends to be a personal choice but MSY have the Coolermaster CAC-T05 for $105 with a PSU (500W) that will easily run this setup. The PSU included with this case is very good unlike the basic PSU's you get with Thermaltake cases, I would buy an after market PSU if you want a TT case, with the Thermaltake Toughpower range, Corsair and Antec all good brands to look at. There are plenty of good PSU's on the market though not just those I have mentioned.

As for Wireless, the Netgear PCI WPN-311 wireless card works straight out of the box with Ubuntu - I have one on one of my desktops and recommend them because of this - $53

Total is slightly over budget at $776, but you can reduce your costs by replacing the motherboard with something like an Asus P5N-MX ($58) or a Gigabyte EP31-DS3L for $82.

You can change the CPU for a cheaper one, but I wouldnt get anything less than a decent dual core, given most of your tasks are CPU intensive. Something like an E8400 for $189 would also work.

All of the hardware I have mentioned works no worries with Ubuntu, and at least you now have a starting point!

Cheers

Erdaron
July 27th, 2008, 02:02 AM
Quad-core might be an overkill, unless your programs are designed to use them. Dual-core is probably good enough, since windows can run its maintenance tasks on one while the other core is taken up by your cruncher app.

I think the current feeling is that Intel CPUs are better, but AMD's CPUs have individual L2 caches for each core, which helps with multitasking.

In graphics-heavy applications the graphics cards is more important than the CPU. nVidia generally wins the vote on Linux compatibility. They also generate a lot of heat, so get a PCI-slot cooling fan. I used an OKGear GC5120B, which cost US$3, and it was very effective and quiet.

Get a second HDD. One for OS, one for your applications and graphics files.

In PSUs, I strongly recommend finding 80Plus certified ones. Uncertified ones might have efficiency of 65-70%, which means whatever they use to power your computer, a quarter of that simply goes into heat generation. If your rig is already intense, it'll warm up your entire room.

Also, when picking a PSU (especially if you're buying a used one) make sure it has all the right connectors (SATA, PCIe, etc.). That's the advice that was given to me when I built a box recently, and I'm glad I listened.

Cheers, and have fun!

TheSlipstream
July 27th, 2008, 02:20 AM
Most of that is well thought, geekygirl, thanks for the help!

But as you said, it's over budget, and some of the parts seem a little...excessive. For example, the Quad Core processor. I don't really think of Photoshop as too CPU intensive, I'll probably save the money and go for the (I'd love to say AMD X2, but it really isn't the best processor) Core 2 Duo option. And possibly a cheaper Motherboard.

There's an MSY near me in Malvern, so I'll probably pay a visit sometime. I just wish it was easier to understand their catalog.

Crusty Juggler
July 27th, 2008, 04:57 AM
Also, it may be worth checking out umart http://www.umart.com.au/. They're a QLD shop, but you can order online and they beat MSY prices on some things, though I'm not sure if it's enough to cover the cost of shipping.

geekygirl
July 27th, 2008, 10:16 AM
Photoshop, contrary to popular belief is a CPU intensive application, not really a graphics intensive one. You can happily run Photoshop on intergrated graphics.

Well here is a revised system then :)

CPU: E8400 $189 - I wouldn't consider this excessive, more a standard now! Personally I wouldn't bother with AMD until they life their game a bit, performance wise Intel have it all over them. Thats pretty much the popular opinion as well.

Motherboard: Asus P5N-MX $58 Nice little mobo this one, has intergrated graphics, handy if your GPU were to crap itself lol

RAM: 2G of 800MHz DDR2, generic will do it. $45

HDD: 320G Western Digital SATA $65 - you can always get a larger one, I still think this is a good starting point.

Optical: Asus SATA DVD-RW $33

GPU: I would still look at a 9600GT (its just a next gen 8600GT, but with far better performance) but an 8600GT would also suit, provided you are not really into 3D gaming - 8600GT is $66, just get a generic the 8 series were all pretty much the same just different bundles - and the 9600GT is $132.

Network Card: Still sticking to the Netgear WPN311 as it works out the box with Ubuntu/Linux - $58

Case: Sticking with the Coolermaster CAC-T05 with PSU for $105

This makes your total now $614 with the 8600GT, but unless you really want to game you can just drop the Graphics card altogether and use the Intel integrated graphics on the motherboard, takes you back to $548 which is a pretty nice price!

One thing with MSY, make sure you take your list and let them know you are building this yourself, they will try to point you in the right direction if they don't have stock (usually best to call them first), and they will build and test if you are not too sure about that part for $70.

Cheers