Assembling a New PC

Discussion in 'PC Hardware' started by Nawzil, Jul 31, 2011.

  1. Nawzil

    Nawzil MDL Guru

    Jun 18, 2011
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    I am planning to assemble a new PC with the following specifications:-

    Intel Core i3
    RAM: 2 GB
    Hard Disk: 500 GB
    VGA: 1 GB

    What do you think about it? Is it a good combination? Or do I have to change anything? Please give me your suggestions.
     
  2. x86

    x86 MDL Addicted

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    #2 x86, Jul 31, 2011
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2011
    At first glance looks 'OK' - but it all comes down to what type of applications are you expecting to run on it :confused:

    Also, I wouldn't be referring to the graphics just by mentioning 1GB or 2GB; the more important here is the GPU & memory interface / clock / bandwidth. E.g. a 2GB card can be outperformed under certain applications / games by a 1GB card whose memory clock is set at higher MHz...

    So, which graphics card are you looking to buy?

    Another conclusion drawn from these specs, is that x86 is the only way to go, since 2GB of RAM won't match with x64 of whatever OS you are planning to use...
     
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  3. Michelle68

    Michelle68 MDL Senior Member

    Jul 16, 2009
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    Pick your hardware to run your software and not the opposite.

    What's the primary uses of the PC?

    Gaming requires better GPUs but some also tax the CPU.

    Ram is very cheap right now.Load up on the most you can afford.DDR3-1333 is a good speed.

    The motherboard quality and features should not be overlooked and should be equal to the effert going into choosing the CPU and GPU.

    Look at a WD Caviar 7200rpm HDD for a primary drive.With 5400rpm drives there's a performance hit.Use them for storage.
     
  4. nestsoft

    nestsoft MDL Novice

    Aug 1, 2011
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    yea i think it is a good combination.But if you need you can expand ram to 3GB or 4GB,it helps good performance.
     
  5. Nawzil

    Nawzil MDL Guru

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    I am going to install Windows 8 on this PC as the Primary OS.

    I am not sure about the graphics card yet. I will post the details after I buy the hardwares.

    I did not get what do you mean by "2GB of RAM won't match with x64 of whatever OS you are planning to use".
     
  6. alextheg

    alextheg MDL Expert

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    Basically to run a 64bit OS you would need 4GB upwards of RAM. I would also recommend running with 4Gb of RAM , as has already been stated right now its cheap. IMHO , if you are investing in an i3/i5/i7 then there is no point taking shortcuts. Also when you put together 4GB of RAM, a decent CPU and GPU you have a pretty rock solid system.
     
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  7. x86

    x86 MDL Addicted

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    #8 x86, Aug 2, 2011
    Last edited: Aug 2, 2011
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  8. Nawzil

    Nawzil MDL Guru

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    Ok. I will get 4 GB RAM. Thats what I already said: "Anyway. I will go for 4 GB RAM with this i3 PC."
     
  9. Shenj

    Shenj MDL Expert

    Aug 12, 2010
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    Ram is extremly cheap now, do not bother with 4GB, go with 8GB right now, i would also look if you could go with AMD instead if you plan on going Low-cost, instead of mainstream. (i3 is lowcost)
     
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  10. Olddigital

    Olddigital MDL Novice

    Jul 26, 2011
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    I wish you luck.
    And,don't scrimp on the power supply.Go for quality and reliability.
    Enjoy that 'puter ! :D
     
  11. alextheg

    alextheg MDL Expert

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    Nawzil , a modern 32 bit OS will address up to around 3.5gb of RAM. Hence the logical progression, 64 bit OS should be using 4gb or more. Otherwise you are under speccing your system , in which case stick with 32 bit.
     
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  12. x86

    x86 MDL Addicted

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  13. Olddigital

    Olddigital MDL Novice

    Jul 26, 2011
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    Hi x86,
    Antec isn't too far from us.
    It's been quite a spell since I've driven to Fremont.
    We're in the Central Valley.
    I'm a member of overclockers.com forum.Don't post much.I'm 45 Colt there.
    But,it's great learning.There's a thread on power supplies;what to buy,what to stay away from.
     
  14. x86

    x86 MDL Addicted

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    Good - so you could get factory pricing on those :cool:

    Antec's are a bit pricey here, but still well worth spending every penny - as you said - on a good PSU ;)
     
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  15. Nawzil

    Nawzil MDL Guru

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    #16 Nawzil, Aug 3, 2011
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2011
    (OP)
    I just came back from the shop after buying the hardwares. I made some changes. Here is the new details:-

    Intel Core i3 3.06 GHz
    RAM: 4 GB (DDR3 1333)
    Hard Disk: 1 TB

    But I did not buy a VGA as I ran out of money, so I decided to go with the onboard 256 MB VGA for now. I will upgrade it later.
    I did not assemble the PC yet. I will assemble it tomorrow.

    Thanks everyone for your kind help and advice.
     
  16. x86

    x86 MDL Addicted

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    You are most welcome & enjoy assembling your new PC :)

    Seems you placed some extra emphasis on storage. What was the $ difference between the 500GB -> 1TB you just bought, if you don't mind me asking :confused:
     
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  17. Nawzil

    Nawzil MDL Guru

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    Actually I did not want that much memory, but they did not have 500 GB HDD, so I went for 1 TB. The price difference was $18.
     
  18. x86

    x86 MDL Addicted

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    #19 x86, Aug 3, 2011
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2011
    That makes sense. I am running on a 250GB + 80GB HDDs and I honestly don't see the need for that extra storage space. Unless of course you are involved with projects that require it i.e. video processing. Otherwise I d rather have a smaller SSD (OS + Apps) and a secondary whatever HDD for temporary storage. Everything else gets backup up on (several) external units :p
     
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  19. Nawzil

    Nawzil MDL Guru

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    You are right. I am using both Windows 7 and Windows 8 on my Pentium 4 PC with only 80 GB Hard Disk.