New Computer...what to buy/recommendations???

[54warrior]

Ok folks, the time has come for me to upgrade and I'm not exactly sure what I should do...

First of all, my current setup is this:

2002 HP Desktop
AMD 2800+ Processor
1.0 MB DDR2 RAM
80 GB Hard Drive
500 GB SATA Hard Drive (1 yr old)
500 GB External Flash Hard Drive for backing up files (<1 yr old)
New Power Supply
Windows XP SP3
Office 2007
22" AOC Flat Screen Monitor

Programs which I use regularly:
Adobe CS3 Ps, Dw, Illy, Fl
Corel Draw X3
Office

What do I use it for?
Just a side gig doing Web Design, RaceCar Wrap Design, Graphic Design, etc. I don't do a lot of 'wrap' stuff, but when I do, it takes forever cause the system is extremely slow

Often will have Photoshop, Illy, Draw, and Firefox open all at same time and it just bogs everything down.

I am trying to decide between another desktop, or a laptop w/ docking station. We use docking stations for our laptops at work and I really like this concept. It's like having a desktop and laptop all in one. Also, the added portability of the laptop would be nice, although it's not a 'must have' right now, I anticipate portability being more important.

Additionally, I have been 100% satisfied with my current system which I bought years ago at Staples. It is an HP unit and I never intended to use it for more than just the internet and Word/Excel. Hewlett Packard has served me well, and I wouldn't hesitate to purchase another.

HP- would definitely purchase again
Dell- not a huge fan, although they are popular
Sony- highly recommended by a close friend who is a former manager for Sun Microsystems, Silicon Graphics, HP, etc.
Other Brands????

Desktop Pro's

• less expensive
• can simply upgrade my existing system with newer, better components

Desktop Con's

• not portable

Laptop Pro's

• portable
• docking station provides desktop 'feel/environment'

Laptop Con's

• more expensive
• possibly not as 'powerful' of components/system

My 'idea' of a good system/upgrade that will handle what I need to do...

Laptop: <<<HP G71-340US>>> $599.00 + docking station

Intel Core 2 Duo T6600
4GB RAM DDR2 Expandable to 8GB
320GB SATA Hard Drive
Windows 7
17" HD LED Display
DVD Burner


Desktop:
Upgrade Processor
Upgrade to 8GB RAM if possible
Utilize Existing 80GB and 500GB Hard Drives
Utilize existing 22" Monitor



Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated! Thanks for the help!

 

[jiarby]

what's the top end of your budget?
Remember that you will need a 64bit os to address more than 4gb of RAM.

One more thing...

Laptops, while certainly convenient & portable, pay a price in performance for the buck.
-Less powerful CPUs
-Slower RAM
-5400 RPM HDD
-Cost more!

you have to decide if performance is the goal, or portability. A high end graphics workstation will knock you back $2500-3000 and that is without a monitor!!

The good news is that even the cheapest new processor and win7 will blow your 2002 rig out of the water so no matter what you buy you will really be improving your situation.

 

[54warrior]

Thanks for the information!! I would like to keep things under $1000

 

[trakers]

Would stay away from a laptop. Much more bang for your buck with desktop unit.

If you want a decent system stay away from the $500 cheapy's.

You'd be a rube to spend $2,000+ on a computer since you could put your own killer system together for well under $1,000. Hit Google, it isn't hard at all.

Buy your parts from NewEgg. Install Win7, 32 bit with 4Gb of memory. Get the fastest AMD processor you can afford. Get the largest SSD you can afford.

You will have a blazing system, for a reasonable price, that you can proudly say you built yourself.

If you still want to buy mainstream, it is a crap shoot. All the national brands suck these days. If I had no other choice I'd buy Dell, but I'd sure hate to.

Good luck.

 

[54warrior]

you have to decide if performance is the goal, or portability. A high end graphics workstation will knock you back $2500-3000 and that is without a monitor!!

Can you describe to me the specs for this type of system? I mean, something like that should last me quite awhile I would think, right?

Something like this probably huh? http://signburst.com/

 

[choucove]

If you are looking for a mobile design workstation for portability, you will have to get something towards the top of the line offerings for it to offer the best performance for you for the next several years. A regular Dell Inspiron just won't cut it really (and I've had a ton of Inspirons come to me lately with hardware issues.) You would be looking at something along the lines of the Dell Mobile Precision lines of notebooks which will probably run around $2,000.00 depending upon the size of notebook, the graphics, the screen quality you choose, etc. HP also has some EliteBook Notebooks again around the $2,000.00 mark. The big thing is you need to get something with capacity for plenty of RAM, a speedy Core2Duo or even a mobile i7, and a dedicated graphics card.

Desktop-wise, for half the cost of a mobile design workstation you can build a very decent desktop. Quad core processors anymore are quite cheap. I have built numerous AMD systems because their price is generally less than a matching Intel system, but I also know many people that prefer Intel just because of the name. If you want to use more than 4 GB of total RAM you will have to use a 64-bit version of Windows 7 (it's possible to get a 64-bit Windows XP Professional but not suggested). Again a dedicated graphics card is suggested, though it doesn't have to be a killer $200 video card.

I don't know if within your budget you could get an SSD that would also offer enough space for installing your operating systems and all programs comfortably. I have two 120 GB OCZ Vertex drives in my computer and I can attest that it definitely offers a huge noticeable speed increase...but it is at a hefty price at $250 or more per drive.

Invest in a good quality power supply. I prefer Thermaltake or Corsair, they have both proven years of good running performance. I can't tell you how many headaches I have gotten from computers with just a bad quality power supply.

If you aren't comfortable with building your own desktop computer or want more customization than you think you can do, then there are several options out there. You can speak with Casey at Signburst Computers he is a member here. You could also look at AVADirect as they build very customizable high-end systems for a very decent price.

 

[Circleville Signs]

Listen to the wise people who are telling you to build your own system.

You will be glad you did.

Gary

 

[Si Allen]

I just upgraded my old P4 puter to :

i7 processor
Intel MB
1 gig video
2 sata HDs
Win7 64 bit
4gig RAM

It boots up in less that a minute, Corel X4 and Photoshop open in 5 seconds.

All this for a lil over $900.

 

[jiarby]

Can you describe to me the specs for this type of system?

This is what I was thinking of when I wrote that...
http://www.signs101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58427&highlight=coolermaster

I mean, something like that should last me quite awhile I would think, right?

If you are still nursing around that 2002 box then I think you would be best served spending $750... that will build a great AMD Phenom Dual core box with 4gb Ram and 64bit Win7Pro. It has some future proofing built in with the 64b O/S, and expansion room for more RAM, and extra drives. You do not have to build a bleeding edge cray super computer to see a significant improvement in your workflow, especially since you are using such an old machine now.

 

[Letterbox Mike]

Build your own, for $1000 you can do alot. It's not hard. You could upgrade your processor, add more ram and upgrade to Windows 7, but that will cost you about as much as it would to build a much better computer from scratch.

 

[ddarlak]

Install Win7, 32 bit with 4Gb of memory.

why waste your money on win7 if your only going to use 4GB of ram and use 32 bit processing?

win XP will do that just fine

 

[jiarby]

ya... go 64

 

[54warrior]

Thanks everyone for the information.... so the general consensus is to just build one from scratch? Case, motherboard, the whole nine yards, correct?

 

[jiarby]

have you got the know-how to build it, install the O/S, install your apps, migrate your data, and hook it to your network?

If so...

Do you have the time to invest in doing it?

If so, then yep! do it!

Otherwise, call Casey at Signburst. He understands the unique needs of the sign/graphics biz and can help you optimize your configuration to get your job done AND meet your budget. Then all you do it wait for the UPS man.

 

[54warrior]

have you got the know-how to build it, install the O/S, install your apps, migrate your data, and hook it to your network?

If so...

Do you have the time to invest in doing it?

If so, then yep! do it!

Otherwise, call Casey at Signburst. He understands the unique needs of the sign/graphics biz and can help you optimize your configuration to get your job done AND meet your budget. Then all you do it wait for the UPS man.

I don't, but a friend does, and I feel confident that I could figure it out. Have replaced hard drives, and power supplies before. Seems like most everything nowadays is plug and chug, no?

I might have to call Casey just to find out what he can do for me.

Thanks all!

 

[ddarlak]

hell, do it for the fun of it.

 

[Sticky Signs]

Get a Mac book pro and throw that other piece of junk in the garbage!
No, seriously, get a Macbook Pro. Worth every penny.

 

[choucove]

Get a Mac book pro and throw that other piece of junk in the garbage!
No, seriously, get a Macbook Pro. Worth every penny.

I actually know of a few die-hard Mac computer users that will be making the switch very soon or already have back over to Windows with the release of Windows 7.

The only way to get all the compatibility with software and everything else on a Mac is to run Windows on it as well...now isn't that a little pointless?