Purchasing a computer help...

[Mockery]

I'm gonna need to buy a new computer soon (well a separate one that I can do video/music editing on for my short films). Anyway, what I want to know is this:

Should I just buy a name brand computer? If yes, what brands are the best (and most affordable). CC sells Sony and HP, but I don't know much about those brands. If no, then where can I get a custom computer built for me with good parts (since I can't build one on my own without screwing something up I'm sure).

I'm trying not to spend too much cash on the thing, preferably within 800 bux. But I definitely need a good video card, a decent sized hard drive for those big video files, a speedy processor, and plenty o' ram.

Any help would be appreciated.

[ArrowX]

Brands arent the defining facrot in a computer. Its usially all about the hardware. Anything with a 2.66ghz processor, 512MB RAM, and a hard drive over 10GB is almost guarenteed to kick ass

[pjalne]

If you're editing video, 10 GB won't be nearly enough. I get by with 120 gig, but feature length projects are easier to work with if you get even more than that. 512 RAM is minimum unless you want to spend a lot of time rendering (REALLY tests your nerves if you're tweaking advanced effects and filters). If you're going to buy a finished package, I recommend you get one with a DVD burner.

Software-wise, Adobe Premiere Pro is the best video editor for PC if learning curve is a factor. AVID is actually pretty overrated. My personal favourite is Final Cut, but that's Mac only :tear

[whoreable]

There are definetly some dells in your price range too, but not with specs that are gonna blow you away(crappy video) this is probaly gonna be the same with most prebuilts.

I would build one personally. They are pretty damn easy to put together these days and there are much less problems than in the old days, plus you dont pay for the support and os(if you are a cheat). Plus you end up spending alot on a system with a good video card, unless you add your own.


My belief is that with the internet as a resource and if you purchase from a place that has a reasonable return policy you cant go wrong especially if you arent afraid to reinstall windows. It will be harder to get parts replaced, but each component still has a warranty.

i can put down some sample systems in your budget if you want, when i get back from work.

I would at least consider it as an option. for a prebuilt system i would go 2.8 ghz min (or amd equivilent), not celeron. and probaly 1gig memory, no less than 512. For video i would get at least an ati 9800(not se) of course with video editing size is good. 120-160s would be the min.

[Mockery]

Wanna build it for me, whoreable? :picklehat

[FartinMowler]

I built mine :/ it was easy... Bought an ASUS mother board from friend and then I purchased a soundcard/Video Card and A chip (bought a cheaper Celeron chip)...My friend gave me the Box and power unit...I think in total it was less than $400 Canadian and that is cheap... My computer is pretty fast and so far hasn't crashed.

[whoreable]

see? even fartinmowler can do it!

Actually i would build one, but shipping costs wouldnt be worth it.

[AChimp]

Building your own is definitely the way to go if you're looking for power. There isn't really much you can screw up, either, unless you drop it or spill Coke all over everything. Many of the computer parts stores around here absolutely insist that THEY be the ones to install the RAM and plug in the CPU, and they do it for free.

Those were the only two things that you could really break something with, and the new CPU fans are notoriously fiendish. :eek

As for all the other parts, the main rule when building a computer nowadays is "if it doesn't fit, it doesn't go there."

[ArrowX]

i can get parts and one built from the new guy St8ic

[executioneer]

virtualdub is an okay video editing program for the price :lol

[Mockery]

Building your own is definitely the way to go if you're looking for power. There isn't really much you can screw up, either, unless you drop it or spill Coke all over everything. Many of the computer parts stores around here absolutely insist that THEY be the ones to install the RAM and plug in the CPU, and they do it for free.
Heh, I'll have to get someone else to build it because I'm sure I'd still manage to fuck it up. :paranoid

[pjalne]

That's what I did.

If you DO buy a finished PC, don't even think about geeting a Compaq.

[ArrowX]

I have one. Took one year for the thing to start smoking :( now it constantly grins for no reason.

But me and st8ic can get 3.2ghz, with 120gb RAM, and possibly a radeon of sorts for under $600

[St8ic]

Well aren't we getting ahead of our selves? that's alot to expect from $600. But yes, I do have access to wholesale prices. You'll save quite a bit this way. Just tell us some minimum specs and I'll see what I can do.

Thanks.

[FartinMowler]

Hey, Arrow X your friend sounds like a fag.

[AChimp]

:dunce

Let's build a computer for Rog and mail it to the US. It will cost him triple of what he would have paid for something local.

[FartinMowler]

Send him a case of real beer and he will forget why he wanted a computer. :)

[executioneer]

i wish i had a computer w/ 120 gigs of ram :rolleyes

[St8ic]

Hey, Arrow X your friend sounds like a fag.

Trust me when I say that you don't know the half of it. But it's still nothing compared to what you have come to expect from ArrowX.

[ArrowX]

Shut up fartin you have a wife meaning you cant go out and have meaningless sex with many an ilustrious women without feeling morally guilty and hoing to hell.

[JeefGyle]

If this computer is going to be specifically for video editing. I'd actually recommend getting a mac. That's what we used in my TV production class, and they are actually pretty sweet for that. I believe you could get a single processor G4 for around a grand.

[executioneer]

macs are good i guess but expensive :x

[Alive]

Thats why they suck, there hard to upgrade (if at all possible, depending on the upgrade) theres no gaming (well not that much of it anyway) takes forever for them to port over a pc title, if it even makes it.... and the prices are WAY higher , and you cant build your own. why the hell would anyone want one of these things? that video editing capabilities that there great for has made it to the pc in the last couple years, and the pc processor speeds combined with the newer video cards out there now totaly blow macs away. but thay still have a tight knit following instep with there "god" steve jobs, that they would most certainly beg to differ... if i go any further with this your gonna have to open up a "pc vs. mac" forum.... >:

[Matt Harty]

Is St8ic Arrowx?

[ArrowX]

no, and i meant 120 GB hard drive space possibly 512mg RAM s we can get it.

[Captain Goodtimes]

I'll kick your ass, shithead.

[Mockery]

Well aren't we getting ahead of our selves? that's alot to expect from $600. But yes, I do have access to wholesale prices. You'll save quite a bit this way. Just tell us some minimum specs and I'll see what I can do.

Thanks.
Actually, I can go to between 800-1000 now. Anyway, here's what I need:

Pentium 3.2ghz processor (or higher) with HT technology
200-250 gig hard drive
512mb RAM
Preferably a Flatscreen monitor
A DVD/RW Drive
A CD/RW Drive
A solid video card that can handle all my video editing needs. (ATI Radeon 9200 perhaps?)
IEEE (firewire) ports
USB ports
A NIC card

I still can't build it on my own though, I know I'd fuck something up. Still, I need to get this thing built asap because the longer I wait, the longer I have to put off doing some of these short films I want to do. And in the end, that's just gonna prolong the zombie movie getting filmed as well.

-RoG-

[AChimp]

For video editting, you'd want at least 1GB of RAM. I think.

I'm not sure of the prices in the U.S., but the hardware that you've listed seems like it would cost more than $1000... The CPU itself is listed at C$400 at the cheapest place in town, which translates to about $300 US. :(

EDIT: Hard drives are about $1/gig.

[whoreable]

i would say these are avg prices for what you can get online.

3.2 gig 279 (you can get a 3 gig for 208)
MB with sound nic, firewire about 110
1 gig ram(2x 512) 160
case with ps ~50
9600xt 140
250gig 150
52x cdrw 30
dvdrw 70

989 or 918

of course thats no monitor and building it yourself.

honestly thats better hardware than a prebuilt and gonna cost less. I still think you should do it yourself, i can find some tutorials online that you can try to look at, its really,really easy. just plug some crap in where it goes, put in a windows disc and follow the instructions on screen, then install a couple drivers and thats it. You just need to get an os and thats easy enough/

otherwise, I would say either hold out for a decent dell deal, or just go for it and forget costs.

the closest dell you can get in specs. (still worse in most areas) is

ell Dimension 4600 Series Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor with HT Technology (3.20GHz, 800 FSB) WPB328B [221-4140] 1
Operating System Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional WPXP [420-1922][313-7222][412-0409][412-0688][463-2282] 11
Memory 1GB Dual Channel DDR SDRAM at 400MHz (2x512M) 1GB4 [311-9004] 3
Keyboard Dell® Quietkey® Keyboard QK [310-1582] 4
Monitor No Monitor N [320-3000] 5
Video Card 128MB DDR NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Graphics Card with TV-Out and DVI 128FX52 [320-0735][320-2575] 6
Hard Drive 250GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) 250S [340-9731] 8
Floppy Drive and Additional Storage Devices No Floppy Drive Included NFD [340-8688] 10
Mouse Dell® 2-button scroll mouse SM [310-1871] 12
Network Card Integrated Intel® PRO 10/100 Ethernet IN [430-0412] 13
Modem No Modem Requested N [313-3607] 14
CD or DVD Drive Dual Drives: 8x DVD+RW Drive + 48x CD-ROM Drive CD8DVR [313-2609][313-2219][462-7812][430-0945] 16
Sound Integrated 5.1 Channel Audio IS [313-2758] 17
Speakers No Speaker Option N [313-4514] 18
Standard Plan ($55 Mail in Rebate) BSP2Y1S [950-1230][950-1231][412-0360][461-3749][970-9158][980-9497] 29
Video Editing IEEE 1394 Adapter 1394 [320-0169] 85


TOTAL: $1,288.00

[whoreable]

this isnt a bad deal.

http://www.slickdeals.net/#p5092

of course it is a 2.8 gig

I would upgrade the ram and video at least, but even then the price isnt too bad.

[St8ic]

http://computers.listings.ebay.com/Desktop-PCs_W0QQfromZR4QQsacategoryZ3736QQsocmdZListingIte mList

honestly your best bet.