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I want to build you a computer


prophetik music
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i just want to point out that it's super hilarious how everything goes full circle. someone quoted neblix in this thread a few posts back as their guy that they learned computer stuff from. neblix learned from me. it's the ciiiiiiiiircle of liiiiiiiiiife!

Disclaimer: Brad is in no way liable of any stupid shit I tell you guys.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I want a good mobo, ram & a good processor for a good price. I currently have an M2N-E, 6000+ proc and 4x2GB HyperX 800MHz - That served me well during 5 years and didn't cost 800$ back then, but it's all getting old. I need something on which I could still use my graphic card until I upgrade (9800GT 512 pci-e 2.0 16x).

Suggestions?

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9800GT will run on basically any PCI-E 2.0 slot, and should run on PCI-E slots as well. How much are you looking to spend? RAM is cheap - if you don't know why you'd want better RAM than just G.SKILL's standard 2x2gb or 2x4gb packages, you shouldn't get it - but there's lots of options for other stuff.

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Oh I don't really know exactly how much. I think back then, for the board/processor/ram, it was around 350-400$. I just need something fast enough to let me run a bunch of devices with a small buffer and minimal latency. At the moment I'm getting around 9ms but can't stack tracks. I'm sure something way below the i7 could work nowdays or perhaps an i5.

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really any processor with decent speed would be solid. if you figure 8gb of RAM is like 50$ and a decent motherboard is around a hundred, that gives you between 175 and 225 to spend on a CPU and still have cash for tax and shipping. you should be able to find an i5-3570 for around 210$, which is a quad at 3.4ghz, and is Ivy Bridge so it's as new as it gets. if you want below that, there's a ton of sandy bridge models around that price too. spend a bit more and you can get a quad with hyperthreading, which is eight cores and even better. you won't need a cooler unless you're folding or something that's multi-core AND long-term. the normal cooler should be good if you use real thermal compound.

i recommend intel for music purposes, since they just blow away amd in most price/performance metrics. for RAM i usually use G.SKILL - their 2x4gb kits are great in terms of performance and i've never had one crap out on me. for a board, msi sells an H77 board (the G43 i think) for well under a hundred that's pretty solid. it can't be overclocked but is a great board and msi's cheaper offerings tend to be pretty nice. i have been impressed with their sub-100$ offerings recently.

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  • 2 months later...

so, i've got two big builds in the queue right now. waiting on parts for one, but here's another one where they said it was ok that i post pictures.

sphexic, a dude who actually lives near where i used to when i was in grad school, ordered a music PC from me that is pretty kick-butt. he wanted a system that had tons of CPU power now, and the ability to upgrade to nice graphics later once he got into working with cuda-enabled applications like blender. i'm gonna meet him when i hand-deliver it in a few days =)

here's the case we're using. you might recognize this from the build i did for xenon odyssey, where i switched from this to a storm scout for portability and red lights. it's a zalman gs-1000, which is still a killer case.

QBS5Tvp.jpg

here's the parts going into said case, along with my son josh. josh didn't agree with the PSU, saying that i needed a gold-rated PSU. i told him to shove it, since he can't speak yet.

cpu: i7-3770k

gpu: basic

ram: g.skill DDR3 1600mhz 2x8gb sticks

ssd: crucial m4 128gb

hdd: 1tb WDC black

mobo: gigabyte UD5H

cpu cooler: hyper 212+

puFzei5.jpg

here's the installed cpu, proving that yes, it IS a k processor.

R9LHlIO.jpg

here's the installed mobo and cordage. since this case has no side window, i wasn't as concerned about cabling, preferring to keep it loose to allow for more modifications down the line. plus, this case isn't great at allowing for cabling all told.

VisHj7yh.jpg

and here's a better picture of the mobo with stuff installed.

kw2nheG.jpg

i'll be installing the OS tonight, so once that's done i can post a video of startup speeds and crazy clock rates.

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those four slots are for cable organization, yeah. there's a back plate that wasn't on in either picture - look at a picture of a GS-1000 to see what they're actually supposed to look like. i just don't like the placement, but that's because i'm used to being able to hide things easier in a mid-tower rather than a giant case like this. they have to be far from the mobo because it has to be able to take full-size cases with 13" graphics cards, but it means that they're highlighted against the back of the case.

it doesn't matter since the case has no window, anyways, it's more just my OCD kicking in.

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Brad, do you have any tips for shipping a custom-built computer across the country? I built a computer for a friend recently, and when it got to him, the video card was exhibiting some really bad signs (black lines across the screen, etc.). It worked perfectly before I shipped it (I benchmarked it 'n everything, didn't see a thing wrong), so I think the shipping process may have damaged the computer.

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I've had similar problems. You probably want to get a large box and pack it -tight- with peanuts. It needs inches of space and very snug cushioning because shipping companies handle things very, very roughly. It needs to be insulated from moisture, closing all gaps with tape. If it's not insulated and warm, cold air may also condensate/freeze moisture and ruin boards.

Bring it to a storefront (UPS?) and tell them to stamp 'fragile' all over the box and warn the clerk there's sensitive electronics inside. They put all that info into the computer and it's metadata on the shipping label's barcode.

edit: Pink anti-static peanuts. Static bad.

Edited by Modus
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actually, i only ship computers in the original box, and i use USPS registered mail. registered is key - they have to sign every time the touch it. also it's got paper tape all over it so water damage is easy to see. lastly, i'll usually bag it in a large garbage bag of some sort to prevent liquid from penetrating. honestly, as long as you do registered, you're probably fine. i rarely see issues with shipped systems beyond a cable maybe falling out.

fragile doesn't matter. i shipped a system to chrono26 with that on it and it had a boot print on it.

flex, talk your buddy through how to reseat the graphics card. sounds like it's loose. also, whenever you ship anything, screw everything down tight. i prefer dual-slot cards in shipped systems for that reason - i can bolt the thing right to the case frame.

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Thanks for that excellent packing advice, Brad!

I've run into problems with cards unseating themselves during a rough transit too. If you carefully deliver your computers personally, you can virtually guarantee that they'll arrive in good shape, but I realize that this isn't feasible for some of you who might have larger areas of business or friends living across the country.

I find it's best to be proactive and generous about tech support. I mean, obviously there have to be boundaries to that, and ideally there shouldn't be a need for it, but issues do come up which are outside of everyone's control. Problems can happen in shipping, new parts can fail well before they should, and so on. It's a good idea to insure your shipping and keep track of your orders for potential RMAs so that neither you nor your customers have to eat costs you shouldn't have to.

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So, I figured this is probably the best place to ask, but can anyone recommend me a gaming laptop?

I am well aware that desktops are cheaper and better performing, and I do plan on building one in the distant future, so I am likely to come here again if this thread is still up by then.

This is merely for my convenience since I do some studying in graphic arts, 3D modeling and After Effects. I tend to do a little gaming, like DayZ, during my downtimes, but I am usually on the go.

So far, my research turns up to the Alienware M17X for both my needs, and I have little problem spending around the ballpark of $2k for my build.

But I am looking for suggestions. Either a cheaper or better alternative would be nice.

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Hm... I got my computer here in 2009 (thanks, prophetik!). It's now 2013, and I have yet to make any upgrades to it. Probably should upgrade my RAM, at least. Maybe get a newer graphics card. Any suggestions for those? I don't need top-of-the-line stuff. I mean, I've gotten this far with just 4GB of RAM and an EVGA 9800GTX+, so I'm not exactly in need of extreme power. Though maybe I should also OC my CPU a bit, if I can figure out how to do so safely.

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