Help with New Computer

[SaMoSUP]

spook that's hilarious!!!

Slatch good baseline system but as PB points out the hardware has no touch capability so WIn 8.1 may piss you off. You can however set it up to default to desktop mode upon startup.

[spookini]

Wow Slatch, thought for sure you'd choose to build it yourself.  If I can do it, anybody can.  Obvious benefit is having a  small SSD as your dedicated OS boot drive; a clean install w/o any pre-installed bloatware.  And a good DIY case is so much easier to play around in vs. a pre-built machine.

Ask if your dentist accepts CareCredit -- it's a zero-interest healthcare credit card that gives you 6-12mos to pay off your dental bill.  Of course, the card co makes their money by charging the provider a cut...  But hat's more important: paying for services rendered, or building your next tech toy? 

[Admin]

spook that's hilarious!!!

Slatch good baseline system but as PB points out the hardware has no touch capability so WIn 8.1 may piss you off. You can however set it up to default to desktop mode upon startup.

8 is irritating .  7 is stable.  10 is awesome (if you don't mind MS watching your keystrokes).  Why not load 7 now and wait for 10?  The Beta of 10 is already better than 8 .

[TN_SUP]

I have to get a new "clean" computer to make gopro videos just because I have too much crap i need running in the background. The converted avi video segments will be choppy if you are low on memory, very frustrating indeed.

[SlatchJim]

Spook,  the fact is that Surfafrica (and several others I've talked to), are right.  I also appreciate your faith in my tech ability, blind as it may be  .  You can get more in a package than you can separately.  Even if the package isn't perfect, you can buy a solid base and build on it.  Thanks to you all, I can say "I love it when a plan comes together."

Good on you for wanting to do a build.  If you are interested in the process, it can be fun.  But you can easily buy a pre-built with good specs from Amazon, Best Buy, Dell or other retailers as well if you don't feel like going through all the finicky stuff. 

Here's a few things I'd look for (in fact I am looking for, but in a laptop)...

- 12 Gigs+ of RAM
- 256 or 512 Gig SSD (HUGE increase in performance..you can cheaply add a big internal or external storage drive now or later).
- a decent video card (like the beast you have lined up)

Surfafrica was spot on in the few features that can make that base a worthy foundation.  I haven't found many barebones models that had a solid state drive, so that will be something I'll add afterward (and after paying my deductable for two crowns my sado-dentist says I need).  I'd love to build my own but the game I'm playing is a numbers game, and my wife is the gatekeeper of those numbers.

I like your idea on SSDs.  I think having a rig that can handle TV tuning, movies, and games is what I'm aiming for.. in the most affordable package I can get.

[juandoe]

Here ya go

http://slickdeals.net/f/7585232-dell-xps-8700-desktop-i7-4790-8gb-ddr3-1tb-hdd-gt-720-win-7-home-premium-630-free-shipping

all fixed. 

[PonoBill]

4TB SSHD Hybrid drives sell for about $170. Pretty good performance and the drive figures out what should be on the SSD based on use. 2TB about a hundred bucks, 1TB is less but why bother. I have a 1TB Hybrid in my new iMac and it's fast. I have a 1TB ssd sitting on my desk that I'm thinking bout grafting in, but I don't think the speed diff will be worthwhile. If I get my macbook Pro fixed the SSD will go back in it.

Apple is so weenie about their drives. That 1TB Hybrid should be at least 4TB.

[SlatchJim]

Purchased a Lenovo K450, I54460 upped the power supply to support additional 2G Nvidia graphics card.  Picked up a 23 inch monitor too.
Price is always worse than advertised once the tax and gratuities are added.
After doing all the install work, I'm sure I'll be building my next rig.

You guys are the best.  Thanks for all the help.

Now for a first shot at video editing.

[stoneaxe]

Cool....I'm starting to consider my next PC purchase. Brother Bill helped me (long distance) build my 1st back in 1986. A 386/16....it was for running AutoCAD! Crazy that we all walk around with far more power in our pockets today. I've built and bought a bunch since, always on the high end of performance. My last purchase though was a mid-range laptop. Fine for 90% of my use but lacking the horsepower when I really need it. I'm thinking desktop for my next system. Going the easy route though and having my new son-in-law do the build. He just finished building his latest and it is a crazy rocket ship. Figure I'll splurge and go big this time.

One thing I've been surprisingly happy with is the use of a 42" LCD TV as a monitor. I run it from both my personal and work laptops and do a lot of CAD work at home on it. Great for editing videos too. I picked up a display 42" Magnavox for $170.

[SlatchJim]

I have a 32 inch tv that will work off the HDMI cable, but I honestly would get vertigo if I had that much screen in front of me.  Stone, you must have the ergonomic set up in your computer area to allow for a bit of distance from the keyboard, a great feature indeed.  As it is, I almost have to turn my head to see all the monitor I now have.  When I pulled up the first effort on the go pro, I got a bit dizzy.

I wanted a PC with plenty of box space for expansion and modifications.  I plan on putting a SSD and some more ram as the needs become apparent.  The Lenovo wasn't the greatest deal on earth, but it does have more expandability than others in the same range and it was a good foundation to build on.

Looking up free substitutes for MS Office now, all thanks to your recommendations.  I'm playing around with the go pro software, not having done any video work before.  Suggestions on this are appreciated.

The paddle mount with me operating the paddle is not a fantastic idea.  I don't care about the shot as much as I do having fun surfing, so I need something that requires fewer calculations.

[lucabrasi]

Don't know about the go pro software but I was able to figure this out. I would think it would work also.
 I think I started with Version 8, might be had for 20 bucks or so out there somewhere. Ran it on a little laptop......should really crank on your rig.
http://www.cyberlink.com/products/powerdirector-ultra/features_en_US.html?&r=1

[surfafrica]

fyi... Microsoft recently announced that they will be offering Windows 10 as a free upgrade for anyone with Windows 7 or 8.  Windows 10 will likely be released in late summer or early fall.

[stoneaxe]

I know what you mean about the vertigo. I typically move back a bit but I also do a lot of detailed CAD work on it and it provides lots of real estate even at resolutions that are easy on the eyes.