Getting a new PC - Suggestions and Advice?

Hey guys,

I've been working on an HP notebook for about a year now which has an AMD 1.6Ghz with 3GB ram and recently, I've found it to be a little slow. I find this to be extremely irritating as my laptop usually crashes when I have like 3 different browsers open along with photoshop and a video editing software that I use regularly. Anyways, I was thinking of getting a new laptop when a friend suggested me to get a PC instead as it will be a cheaper solution as opposed to a laptop, and perhaps better as well..

I thought this made complete sense, and after inquiring here and there I found that an i5 would be more than enough for my computer needs. I'm not exactly a computer noob, but have limited information on hardware specs and all. Therefore, I wanted to ask for suggestions on what hardware I should be aiming for. Price is a constraint, yes. So, I wouldn't want to look at anything fancy. So here's the question:

- Which i5 processor should I get?
- Which motherboard to support it?
- Suggested RAM? (I'm thinking 4GB)
- PC Case and Power Supply? (If they really make a difference)

I'm going to get it tomorrow most probably, so all advice will be highly appreciated.

- PC Case and Power Supply? (If they really make a difference)
Most important part,stronger Video Card - More Power needed,unless your PC burns...

If you have money, go with Ivy bridge i5 3rd generation with X79 as mobo

if you have medium money, go with sandy bridge i5 2500k, with 68 as mobo.

the is up to you, I think, since it's not a gaming PC.

PS: try to buy the "K" version,

also, i7 2600k/2700k is also good,

Best luck for you

I opened a similiar thread recently when my son was looking for a gaming PC... I got lots of great advise and I hope you get the same response.(the boy is currently hammering the new beast !!)

It might help if you narrow down the selection for people..whats your outline budget ?....what is its core usage ?....what features you must have and what you can live without.

In my case I listed a machine I was thinking of buying(that I thought looked good to me) and a lot of members quickly pointed out the Pros and cons.

I ended up spending more than planned but the machine I got is the bomb. And the advise I got here was great

Giga_L said:

- PC Case and Power Supply? (If they really make a difference)
Most important part,stronger Video Card - More Power needed,unless your PC burns...

Click to expand...

Do I have to get the video card separately? I'm asking because the dealer that I'm getting it from has listed custom building specifications and none of them shows video card. They do show the option for a graphic card (which I'm not getting since I won't be gaming with this PC). Also, what is the suggested poweer supply for best performance? 460, 500 or 600 Watts?

BlackShadowS said:

If you have money, go with Ivy bridge i5 3rd generation with X79 as mobo

if you have medium money, go with sandy bridge i5 2500k, with 68 as mobo.

the is up to you, I think, since it's not a gaming PC.

PS: try to buy the "K" version,

also, i7 2600k/2700k is also good,

Best luck for you

Click to expand...

My dealer does not happen to have the sandy bridge processor you've recommended. He has "INTEL COREi5 3450 3.1Ghz IVY BRIDGE" though, so I'm guessing this should be good too. Do you really think that an i7 would be recommended for my purposes because an i7 is easily another $200-$300. And I don't want to burn that cash unless I necessarily have to..

Duffers5000 said:

I opened a similiar thread recently when my son was looking for a gaming PC... I got lots of great advise and I hope you get the same response.(the boy is currently hammering the new beast !!)

It might help if you narrow down the selection for people..whats your outline budget ?....what is its core usage ?....what features you must have and what you can live without.

In my case I listed a machine I was thinking of buying(that I thought looked good to me) and a lot of members quickly pointed out the Pros and cons.

I ended up spending more than planned but the machine I got is the bomb. And the advise I got here was great

Click to expand...

Sounds nice man. Well I'm looking to spend around $400-$600 max. Cash is kind of a constraint, so I'm looking for the type of PC that will just get the job done.

The core usage will be photoshop, after effects, pinnacle studio (video editing software) and music production software. All of them seem to work fine on my current AMD as well. But, they're a little slow. I've been told that an i5 will be way better than my current PC so I can expect these softwares to load up and run extremely fast too!

Which i5 processor should I get?
- Which motherboard to support it?
- Suggested RAM? (I'm thinking 4GB)
- PC Case and Power Supply? (If they really make a difference)

Click to expand...

Processor - i5 Sandybridge , either the 2500k or the 2600k or i7 depending on your budget

Motherboard - You can find a decent Gigabyte motherboard for a pretty good price

Hard drive - If you plan on doing Photoshop etc and you want quick speeds opt for an SSD (I use dual OCZ 120GB SSDs, One for boot and the other for storage). SSD's are at the lowest price ever so get them whilst you can

Case and PS - Coolermaster all the way. Opt for a modular power supply and a coolermaster HAF case or coolermaster elite case depending on the size you need

Anything else PM me and i can help since i've built a few PC's not just for me but family and friends (Performance to gaming machines)!