Official Hardware Discussion and Advice Megathread

[Ferc Kast]

Well, I noticed a good deal on a laptop for about $400. Though, I was wondering with most laptops having either a dual or quad core processor, would a single core processor be worth it to get or would it be better to look at one with a multi-core processor?

[Q]

Since software is finally becoming more multi-threaded, I think that it's pretty pointless to have a single-core CPU in a machine that you'll be using a lot. That's probably why there are so few of them available now.

[acdcfanbill]

Anyone have a NAS here? I've have a htpc up and running now, ubuntu+xbmc samba thru my windows shares but I'd like to have a dedicated storage/media server. I plan on running 4-5 drives, raid1+0, linux etc. I'd like it to be pretty quiet and low powered, just sit around and serve media or accept backups. hot swapping drives would be nice, but not required.

[Canderis]

My laptop's motherboard is failing so I've been forced to accelerate my plans for a new gaming computer build. I'm unsure on what processor/motherboard/power supply I should use. Google brings up many options but I trust you people here much more than a google search. Any suggestions?

Note: this is for gaming so I am looking for something good. I have a very nice graphics card picked out already. But I would still like to keep this at a reasonable price.

Thanks in advance!

[Q]

Couple of questions:

Do you live near a Micro Center store?

How old is your laptop? Would it be worth buying another motherboard for it? Depending on the model, replacement laptop motherboards can be had for < $100.

[Canderis]

Originally Posted by Q

Couple of questions:

Do you live near a Micro Center store?

How old is your laptop? Would it be worth buying another motherboard for it? Depending on the model, replacement laptop motherboards can be had for < $100.

Its been replaced once already and the amount of effort required to do so is immense. It took a trained repairman 2 hours. I needed a new computer sooner or later, i was just hoping for another year. I got this laptop in 2009. Its an alienware. The cd drive, the sound card, harddrive and motherboard are all failing.
Don't buy alienwares. They are not worth the hassle.
And no, there isn't one of those stores near me.

[Q]

OK, so you probably are better off selling it for parts/repair on ebay and not sinking any more money into it, then.

Some more questions:
What type of video card do you have in mind? If you're still playing/modding KotOR, I'd suggest an Nvidia card.
What resolution will you be gaming at?
What's your budget?

For gaming, you're going to want to go with an Intel CPU. Since you don't live near a Micro Center, an Intel Core i5 3570K CPU and a decent motherboard together are going to run you about $300. 8GB of memory is going to cost another $40-$50.

Seasonic is generally regarded as the best overall power supply manufacturer. They make PSUs for several different companies, and they also sell them under their own brand. You shouldn't need one any bigger than 650W, with 54-55 amps on the 12-volt rail. The mid-grade (80Plus Bronze) ones go for around $60, while the ultra-high-end model (80Plus Platinum) is sometimes on sale for $90. If you want a bullet-proof PSU with a 7-year warranty, I'd go ahead and get the Platinum. It'll likely last you through several builds. If you don't want to shell out that much, there are definitely cheaper alternatives out there that will still serve you well.

[Canderis]

This is the combo i had come up with:

Processor:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819116504
(as per your recommendation, is this correct?)

Motherboard:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131837
(Price saving combo with the processor, ~300$)

Power Supply:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817153158
(Would this be good? It can be bundled with my shell for around 100$ less than buying them both separate.)

Graphics Card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130768

Sound Card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc..._-NA-_-NA-_-NA

Also on my list is a solid state 256gb for the os and games, and a 2tb storage drive, 16(or 8, depending on final budget)gb of RAM, a CD drive & BluRay drive. I feel like i'm missing something else important too.
I don't really have a set budget, and my current resolution is 720p 1600X900, but i plan on getting a new monitor in the near future. 1080p.

Also i'm unsure of what speed of RAM i should use.

I am unsure if these all will fit together well and also, if i can save any cash that would be good, but i really don't want to lose out on much performance. I'd like this to last without too much upgrades through the next few years as I am starting college soon. And, because i'm a gaming nerd i'd like to be able to run games on highest settings for as long as i can push it.
As for kotor modding, i have a desktop i prefer to do that with.

Currently the price is stiing around 1600$

By the way, thanks so much for helping with this!

EDIT:
I was re-looking at SSD drives and i am unsure of what one i should get. I'm stuck on these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820147193
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...scrollFullInfo
The one is quite a bit more money than the other, but it seems to be higher rated. I'd be open to an entirely different one as well.

EDIT 2:
I'm starting to deem my graphics card, which was nvidia actually, as not worth the price. I'm looking for a card that can support HDMI, 3 monitor support, and powerful enough to last me a while playing the newest game on highest graphics with any enhancement mods for a while.
The card i had been considering was http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130768 but i think that it's not worth the price to what i need it to do. Suggestions? I would like to keep it a nvidia too if possible.

[Q]

Sorry I haven't answered this till now.

You haven't bought anything yet, have you?

If you haven't, and you can wait just a little while longer, Haswell, Intel's new CPU architecture, launches June 4. With an investment this big, it's always best to get the newest stuff that you can, and getting the newest Intel CPU is a big deal. It shouldn't be any more expensive than Ivy Bridge is now.

Motherboard: You pretty much can't go wrong with either ASUS or Gigabyte.

As far as a power supply is concerned, you really should get one that's made by Seasonic. Channel Well (CWT), who makes that Thermaltake, is certainly OK, but Seasonic is better. If you're going to spend $100 on a PSU, do yourself a favor get a Seasonic. 650 watts is plenty. Newegg has the Seasonic 660W 80Plus platinum on sale for $90 every once in a while, and I strongly recommend it. This database will tell you who makes what.

Graphics card: Never buy a high-end graphics card. Not worth it, IMO. Get 2 mid-grade ones and SLI them together. The best ones to do this with are the GTX 660 and the new GTX 650 Ti BOOST. They are the best bang-for-the-buck option, and will save you as much as $200 over a GTX 680 and give similar performance. Just make sure they have at least a 2GB frame buffer per card. 1GB just doesn't cut it anymore. For reference, I'm still gaming on 2 GTX 460s that I bought new for about $62.50 apiece after rebate!

Sound card: Try using your motherboard's on-board sound chip before buying one. Chances are, it'll be good enough.

SSD: The Samsung 840 Pro is the best one on the market right now. It's on sale sometimes for $200, though this is really not a good time to be buying an SSD because prices are high right now.

RAM: At least DDR3 1600. 8GB should be plenty, unless you use software that requires more. Most people don't. Corsair, GSkill and Crucial are my usual go-to brands, though my latest has been Samsung.


EDIT: If you haven't yet, sign up for the Newegg newsletter to get their coupon codes. The AnandTech Bench is also extremely useful in cases such as yours.