Hi there... Looks like a friendly place around here so I figured i'd try getting some advice...
I've been using a 2Ghz P4 with 512MB ram and crap video card for around four years now. I'm convinced that i've outgrown this thing and it's now causing me a fair bit of trouble. I'm looking to get a new high end computer in the next 3-8 months but have no idea where to start.
I'm looking for some advice on what to get and how to get it. I have very little computer building experience and wouldn't know where to start on what's compatible with what, moreover, I am very much out of the loop in terms of what things are like performance wise. I am considering purchasing rather than building, unless convinced otherwise.
I'd like to use the new computer for the following:
- Windows Media Center use
- Digital video recording (I already own a capture card, so that's not required)
- Heavy use of multiple applications (my current computer becomes very slow very fast and I need a computer that can keep up)
- Ability to last for long periods of time without rebooting (Due to the nature of my current computer use, I may have it on for a few days at a time without a reboot)
- Very good for gaming (not necessarily top of the range, but good enough to cope with all the "next-gen" games that are coming out and requiring all the better video cards)
- Photoshop/Video converting (my current computer, as you could imagine finds it very hard to work efficiently when it comes to the more demanding tasks)
- Something that I won't have to replace for a few years at least
- I suppose I use my computer for everything, so keep that in mind
I'm not completely sure about my budget at this stage, im still only trying to find out what kinds of hardware i'll need. By looking around, I suppose somewhere between "moderate" and "expensive", but more to the moderate side of course
If someone could reccommend what I should aim for in terms of hardware, and give me some general advice about what i'll need, i'd be extremely grateful. Of course, if there's anything i've missed out in my descriptions, please ask me and i'll answer as best I can.
Thanks to everyone who replies, I hope this helps some other people as well.
I've been using a 2Ghz P4 with 512MB ram and crap video card for around four years now. I'm convinced that i've outgrown this thing and it's now causing me a fair bit of trouble. I'm looking to get a new high end computer in the next 3-8 months but have no idea where to start.
I'm looking for some advice on what to get and how to get it. I have very little computer building experience and wouldn't know where to start on what's compatible with what, moreover, I am very much out of the loop in terms of what things are like performance wise. I am considering purchasing rather than building, unless convinced otherwise.
I'd like to use the new computer for the following:
- Windows Media Center use
- Digital video recording (I already own a capture card, so that's not required)
- Heavy use of multiple applications (my current computer becomes very slow very fast and I need a computer that can keep up)
- Ability to last for long periods of time without rebooting (Due to the nature of my current computer use, I may have it on for a few days at a time without a reboot)
- Very good for gaming (not necessarily top of the range, but good enough to cope with all the "next-gen" games that are coming out and requiring all the better video cards)
- Photoshop/Video converting (my current computer, as you could imagine finds it very hard to work efficiently when it comes to the more demanding tasks)
- Something that I won't have to replace for a few years at least
- I suppose I use my computer for everything, so keep that in mind
I'm not completely sure about my budget at this stage, im still only trying to find out what kinds of hardware i'll need. By looking around, I suppose somewhere between "moderate" and "expensive", but more to the moderate side of course
If someone could reccommend what I should aim for in terms of hardware, and give me some general advice about what i'll need, i'd be extremely grateful. Of course, if there's anything i've missed out in my descriptions, please ask me and i'll answer as best I can.
Thanks to everyone who replies, I hope this helps some other people as well.