new guy here, I have a few questions

Status
Not open for further replies.

chevytrucknut

In Runtime
Messages
363
Hi everybody,

I'm new here, and fairly new to building computers. I've never built one, but I have a guy who's trying to help me along the way.
I'm an engineering student, so my plan is to be running programs like CAD, Design programs, of course some GAMES, etc. etc. etc.

I know this is going to cost me a buttload, but what am I going to be needing? Here's what I think, now you tell me where I'm wrong and tell me what I actually need haha.

Socket 939 motherboard
Processor of around 3.0GHz
A great video card (not too familiar with those...)

Now: a few questions about those:

The processor - Here enlies the problem. I'm going with Athlon. Just a personal taste thing. And all I see is like 2.20 GHz or 2.40GHz. I never see a 3.0GHz for less than like $1000 bucks (I'm exaggerating, but they're a LOT). These new Dual Core (X2) processors, are they like 2 X 2.20 GHz? I don't understand a whole lot about that.

Lastly, (at least for now), if I'm looking for a M/B, what's up with this stuff with SATA and IDE and EIDE, or whatever? Does the m/b I buy have to match the drives I put in there, and vice versa, or will they all match?

Thanks a lot in advance,
 
CPU... X2 Teledo
Go with SATA harddrives, 99% of new mobos with support them.
not much else to say untill you narrow things down to actual choices and let us know what they are.
 
well ... for one you shouldn't be looking at ghz

AMD's flagship processor only has a clock speed of 2.8ghz

to hard for me to explain. i bet someone else will jump in here ... im hoping...


the top of the line video cards right now are the nvidia geforce 7800GTX and the ATI x1800xl

they will both be great for games and autocad..
 
I would get a pentium for what you are doing, as these CPU clock speed intensive programs (CAD) are suited better for penitums, but it will run fine on a AMD, and you will get better performance in the games.

AMD do not have a processor that runs at 3ghz yet. THe highest is 2.8ghz witgh the FX57, which in the US probally does cost around $1000 (haven't checked prices in a while.)

It is pretty much 2 cpu's at 2.2ghz or what ever one you can afford, welded together (not literally) to give you two cores on one CPU chip. The prgrammers have to prgram the application/game to utilise both cores. I know there are a few CAD like prgrames out there that do these. But right now, there isn't any games that support two cores working on the same game. For what you are doing, it would be best to invest in a X2.

If you go with socket 939, you will have 2 IDE channels, which can connect 2 devices on each channel. This is what your cd drive will be connected to. You can also, if you want, use these for harddrives. You will have at least two SATA ports on your motherboard. These right now are for harddrives. SATA is better for hard drives, as the transfer data at a faster rate (not that it matters) but they have the advantage of RAID being faster, as with IDE the harddrives have to be on the same cable, and they share their bandwidth between both drives, where as sata will have its own, individual cable, and have a dedicated 150mb/s (or if you must with SATAII 300mb/s)

And they will have to match up.


edit: What is your budget btw?
 
budget...I'm in college, how about that? haha.

Actually, I don't have a real number because what I've decided is, I'm probably just going to keep buying about 300ish in parts a month, then when I have everything, put it all together.

Thanks Trifid, for the info on the Pentiums...I know that the P4's are running at a Bus speed of about 800MHz while Athlons are running at like 2000 MHz. Does it matter about the smaller Bus Speed?
 
They are different things. Pentiums have a FSB on the motherbaord, which is less efficient than what AMD's have which is the hypertransport, which is on the CPU, which runs at 2ghz. The hypertransport is a direct link from the CPU to the RAM. Intel makes up for this (very slightly) by having faster RAM (DDRII) where as AMD has DDR.

But anyway, I made a U turn when writting that...


For what you are doing, it would be best to invest in a X2.


Here is a few bench tests for the X2 and other proccesors, not CAD, but will give you a idea.

http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/20050509/index.html

http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/20050509/index.html
 
Alright, if I go with Intel, I can tell you right off the bat its going to be cheaper. I can go with a great 3.06GHz Intel PD Celeron Processor which is powerful and cheap, but it's only got 256KB Cache. Or I can go with the P4 which has 1GB cache but it's only a single core.

Which in ya'lls opinion is better?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom