I need a new computer

Joben

Joben

Joined
May 22, 2009
Messages
1,755
Hi guys.

I need a new computer. It's suddenly became unexpectedly urgent due to school projects...I need it ASAP. So it has to be a complete off the shelf system instead of individual parts.

It's been years since I upgraded, or payed any attention to the state of technology. So I really need some advice.

I have no idea what proccessor is what anymore, or how much RAM is standard etc.

The computer primarily is to run the Adobe Creative Suite, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.

That said, i would prefer Windows to Mac.

Can you guys help me out?
 
I prefer Windows, but have had limited exposure to the Macs. MS is releasing their new operating system, Windows 7, in Oct. If you can't wait I believe you can find select machines that will get a free upgrade from Vista to Windows 7 when it is released.
 
If you run CS go with a Mac. I believe CS4 is having issues running on vista. I have a Macbook Pro and I can have AI, PS, and ID running at the same time with no problems.

Since you are in school I would contact your school's computer tech and ask him/her what you need. That is what I did and I am extremely satisfied in what he recommended.
 
You really need to try before you buy. Go to a big box store like Fry's and try out a bunch of different systems.

Everybody likes different things in their machine. Bare minimum though, PC you should be looking for:

4 gigs of RAM
At least 2GHZ processor
Minimum 200GB hard drive
 
Compaq 15.6'' Presario CQ60-220US Laptop PC w/ Intel Pentium Dual-Core Processor T3400 & Windows 7 Tech Guarantee Upgrade

I bought the above for my Daughter for college. At Walmart was less than $600.00. She is happy with it so far.
 
Joben said:
I have no idea what proccessor is what anymore, or how much RAM is standard etc.

The computer primarily is to run the Adobe Creative Suite, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.
Click to expand...

You are running multi-threaded apps so, you want a QUAD CORE cpu minimum (if you can afford it the Intel I-7 is better). 4Gb of memory minimum with 8Gb being better since you are running applications that need a lot of memory (be sure you get get 64bit Vista/Windows 7). Lastly, don't forget the monitor which should be a 24 or 25.5 inch model and video card which should have at least 256Mb of memory on the video card itself.

To economize, watch the loss leaders in the Sunday sale ads for a Windows based PC. If you have the money, Apple Macs are in general a lot better for the graphic arts applications which is what you appear to need.

Be cautious with sales people and gamers who are looking for different performance. About any PC will run Microsoft Office so, don't let that sway you at all.
 
I've been a computer tech most of my life. I use a Mac. Why? I've grown quite tired of explaining so don't ask. :p

Instead, let's look at one example of how Microsoft and Apple treats their existing customers:


Apple Snow Leopard upgrade - One version. $29. No activation required.

Microsoft Windows 7 upgrade - Three versions(Premium, Pro, Ultimate). $119, $199, $219. Internet activation required. If failed, automated phone activation required. If failed, live phone activation with tech support in India required.
 
Sid Post said:
You are running multi-threaded apps so, you want a QUAD CORE cpu minimum (if you can afford it the Intel I-7 is better). 4Gb of memory minimum with 8Gb being better since you are running applications that need a lot of memory (be sure you get get 64bit Vista/Windows 7). Lastly, don't forget the monitor which should be a 24 or 25.5 inch model and video card which should have at least 256Mb of memory on the video card itself.

To economize, watch the loss leaders in the Sunday sale ads for a Windows based PC. If you have the money, Apple Macs are in general a lot better for the graphic arts applications which is what you appear to need.

Be cautious with sales people and gamers who are looking for different performance. About any PC will run Microsoft Office so, don't let that sway you at all.
Click to expand...

I like a lot of what Sid says.

The I7 cpu is the most up to date (so will give the greatest longevity).

You'll want as much ram as you can afford, but luckily it is pretty cheap these days, Vista and it soon to replace windows 7 take 12 gigs of ram max. You'll want over 4 for the most peace of mind. If you can't afford 12 and since a premade machine hardly ever has it, don't fret since ram is the easiest and cheapest upgrade you can do on a computer. (make sure your computer can actually expand to a higher amount as most premade big box store computers only come with 4gigs.

Sounds like you might need a decent video card too. I think most would be hard pressed to convince that either AMD or nVidia is significantly better than other. Video cards are basically mini computers now with their own heat sinks, fans, and ram memory. In general it seems AMD is prefered for graphics and nVidia for games...for whatever that is worth.

I'm not a expert but just did a bunch of research 2 months ago before getting my new computer. Hate Vista and hope windows 7 is much better...:grumpy:
 
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