With Windows 7 just around the corner, just a bit more than a week away, I decided it was time to get a new computer. This new theoretical computer should last me for at least until Windows 8 comes out in three years or so. It should make everything I do better, more programs open without lag, more speed, and so on.
The Build
- The Mother Board – The crucial component that ties everything together. This excellent board from Newegg, GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P AM3 DDR3 AMD 790FX ATX is what I’m getting. The reviews are favorable and $174.99, it’s a great deal.
- The Processor – The processor will be a AMD Phenom II X4 945 Deneb 3.0GHz from Newegg. Coming in at $169.99, the speed from this processor is comparable to the 955 and 965, without the heavier price tag.
- The Video Card – Originally, I wasn’t going to get a video card. I realized the mother board didn’t have on board graphics, so here is my choice from Newegg: an EVGA GeForce GTS 250 with 1GB of DDR3 at $154.99. This will make a significant difference to current 9500 GT.
- Wireless N – Since this is a new computer, having Wireless N will be new. While we have an N router, only one other laptop we have has an N card. So from Newegg, an Encore card, is the pick. This card works with Windows 7 too, so the reviews reveal. It’s cheap too, $34.99.
- Memory – Since this is a new age machine and will be running a 64-bit version of Windows, 4GB of memory is the standard deal. So two orders of DDR3 1333 at $102 from Crucial will satisfy my needs.
- Hard Drives – I bought a conservative sized hard drive, 500GB from the local General NanoSystems for $68. I buy small drives for Windows and will use my current storage drive in the new computer.
- The Case – So the case had no power supply. Again from NanoSystems, it was a Antec 300 for $59.99. I loved it because it had a fan on the top, so even if it wasn’t running, it would also be venting. It’s a very open case so heat will be at a minimum. NanoSystems didn’t have the power supply we wanted, somewhere around $89, so they gave us a deal on the next model up, a 550 versus a 500, for $96 instead of $119. Good deal.
The total comes out to be around $860.
That’s it! That’s going to be my brand new computer within two weeks. I’m already excited for it.
There’s More!
So I was bored, I admit. I compared the price above, $860, to models from Apple and to HP.
Apple – To even get a Mac with a Quad-core, you need to jump up to the Mac Pro line up. Setting aside the 8-core model, the Quad-core for the Mac Pro is a 2.93GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 3500 series processor. So the price of one such Quad-core machine is $2,499.00.
HPP – HP has a computer that is $20 less than the one I’m getting, at $849.99. It’s an Intel i7 2.66GHz with 4GB DDR3 and a reasonable graphics card. However, for $20 more, I’m getting another half GB on my graphics card, so that’s a bonus. HP doesn’t seem to carry a Phenom 2 processor on any model.
So that’s the comparison. I could pay $1639 more to get the entry level Mac Pro with a Quad-core or pay $20 less for an HP Pavilion Elite e9150t with half a video card. I think I came out pretty well.