in the market for a new computer---

So i'm a multimedia student and I'm in the market for a new computer.

As much as i'd love a mac- I don't think I'm going to get one at this stage...they cost more, I know pc's better, and I can't even run ie 6.0 on a mac- which is what 86% of the web population uses... which makes me wonder how so many web developers use macs.

So i've been thinking about PC's ... and I was thinking about the Sony Vaios. People seem to enjoy these--- what is it about them that's so good? What other brands should I look into?

Here's the heavier programs I run- photoshop, flash, director, etc. I'd like to even to do even some video editing/adobe premiere. This being said- what are the more important things I should be looking for ...ram...processor...etc....

My price range is $800-$1000.

Anyone have thoughts/suggestions?

Honestly, your best choice would be to build your own computer. Do you need an entirely new setup or will yo be reusing parts? I'll show you a nice setup you can get if you build.

I need an entirely new setup. I have a laptop now.

How much money would I save (if I do save) by building?
I haven't dealt with building computers since high school, so i'm not sure if i'd be up to the challenge.

you'd probably save 50% of your money as far as the hardware goes, although a lot of companies package their computers with software, which can cost a pretty penny, too...
you'd still save a lot anyways...

and if you haven't built a computer since high school (not sure how old you are but i'll just assume), you'll be suprised how easy it is to build 'em now.

if you're going PC, I recommend a Dell or building your own. Dell for their support, building it yourself for both the experience and the cost effectiveness.

Of course, I hate to see people say that Mac cost more when you spend more time fixing a PC just to get it to work in the first place. So is your time and headaches worth it to you? That's how I weigh my decisions, what is going to save me time and keep my work day efficient. That's worth the extra money to me.

try getting a dual processor rig of ebay, with lots of ram, that should cope with rendering movies and most other things you want to thow at it, and as a bonus they usually come with an os.

*plum*

oh! i forgot to give this link out, they are awesome. I have referred several people here and they all love their machines:

http://www.ibuypower.com

they usually have good shipping deals too.

AMD Athlon 64 3000+ 1.8GHz, 512KB L2 Cache 939-Pin 64-bit Processor - OEM $155

MSI "K8N Neo4 Platinum" NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra Chipset Motherboard For AMD Socket 939 CPU -RETAIL $159

Mushkin Dual Pack 184-Pin 1GB(512MBx2) DDR PC-3200 - Retail

Seagate 7200.8 200GB 7200RPM SATA NCQ Hard Drive, Model ST3200826AS, OEM $135

Antec Solution Series Quiet Black Mid Tower Case with 350W Power Supply, Model "SLK2650-BQE" - Retail $66

Lite-On Black 52X32X52X16 Combo Drive, Model SOHC-5235K BLACK, Retail $42.50

ViewSonic G90FB 19" PerfectFlat CRT Monitor -RETAIL $209

Sapphire ATI RADEON X300 SE Video Card, 128MB DDR, 64-Bit, TV-Out, PCI Express, Model "1024-2C50-04-SA" -OEM $60

ZALMAN Aluminum + Copper CPU Cooler for Socket 775/478/754/939/940, Model "CNPS7700-ALCU" -RETAIL $41.49

TOTAL: $1005.24

This should be a great PC for general use. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

By the sounds of it you will be running memory intensive applications if you are a "media student" so i would opt for as much ram as you can get your hands on. GeIL do value ram which is perfeclty capable, its very good value and comes in up to 1Gb sticks.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/acatalog/GeIL_Value.html

*plum*

Build your own if at all possible. If building is not an option then go Dell.

I'd suggest as *plum* as much memory as you can get, and not just ram, but hard memory, and cache memory of your cpu (I'd go for 1 mb L2 cache).

If you do multimedia, ignore TomK. You want a P4 w/ HT if you do movie editing, graphics, etc. To answer your Q about IE, it is because people who know better don't use IE. Most Mac Designers are more into graphic design for print or web use, but not for websites neccesarily. Developers for the most part use PC's, but with the new open source OS X I am tempted to dish out some extra cash.

Anyways, some suggestions:

P4 @ ~ 3GHz - 3.6GHz
Asus or Abit Mobo (I recommend Asus P4P800)
At least a gig of ram. Faster is better (at least 333MHz).
Go for either an ATI X800 or nVidia 6600-6800 (I use 6800)


I will continue later!

AMD is the leader in basically every benchmark, INCLUDING multimedia.

Proof (from an Intel-biased website):
http://www6.tomshardware.com/cpu/200412 ... ts-13.html

Look through those benchmarks. There is no question that current AMD offerings are superior to Intel. I have yet to see a benchmark that doesn't give the nod to AMD over Intel. Plus, AMD chips are a better value and are priced much cheaper. The only reason to even consider Intel would be for multi-tasking since they have HyperThreading, but even then the price difference is not worth it.

Please know the facts before you give a recommendation like that.

Tom, I do know the facts. The P4 outperforms any AMD that is a widespread CPU when it comes to video editing and related applications because they are able to take full advantage of HT technology.

Just because you have a hosting company doesn't make you god. Quit acting like it.

PS: Your servers crash too much anyways.

What?

Look at the benchmarks. There is absolutely NO evidence that Intel outperforms AMD. Historically, yes, Intel has outperformed AMD in content creation applications. This has changed and AMD is now the recognized performance leader.

What's with your personal attacks on me? I don't pretend to be a "god" as you called me and have no idea where you got that idea. I just don't like it when people misinform others.