Hardware Comments?

[mark]

As I've noted elsewhere, I'm about ready to cobble together a "desktop" PC for use at home. After some cursory research, I'm kinda leaning towards the Intel D865GLC main board with (probably) a 2.8GHz/800MHz Pentium 4, 512MB RAM, a reasonably speedy IDE HD of around 120GB and a DVD-ROM/CD-R/W combo unit. Stuff it all into a mid-tower case and there it is.

The 865GLC appeals to me because it's got all the mod cons I'm looking for and decent graphics built-in as well. Should I later develop a lust for more in the way of pixel power, it also has an AGP-8X slot.

My questions are (a) does anybody know of any specific problems with this setup? And (b) could I realize significant savings by going with an AMD-based alternative (and, if so, are there any specific recommendations)?

Oh, yes - I plan to use this system as a - well, I guess I'd call it a workstation. I plan no server installations, I'm not real big into sophisticated graphics and such programming that I might do would just be dinking around to learn a little more & amuse myself.

I await your comments with bated breath...and there's nothing worse than having bait on your breath.

[ewdi]

If you want to wait 1 more month a BTX type board should be out and Intel New socket type will benefit you even more for the money you are spending right now.

[crackers]

As far as my experience has been, I've always gotten more bang-for-the-buck with AMD processors. Of course, that was before Intel started selling 'em cheaper and AMD needed to start selling 'em at a higher price. Then there's trying to find meaningful benchmark comparisons.

Unless you're into some pretty hefty gaming (which it doesn't sound like since you're not sinking $400US into an AGP graphics card), or over-clocking, you can actually build a very decent workstation using middle-line (or even low-end) processors. My home-built system uses an Athlon 2100XP and my work-workstation uses an Intel 2.4 GHz Pentium IV. The one at work has a touch more memory, but the "feel" of each is roughly equivalent.

[mark]

Tux, Crackers - thanks for the replies.

Tux - I don't see anything compelling enough about the BTX specs to cause me to wait. And the idea of a major CPU socket with exposed pins on the board just scares the whee out of me. And, by buying current technology, I'll save a few bucks (I'm nothing if not cheap...).

Crackers - I spent a fair part of the morning trying to figure out what's going on in AMDland. Lemme see, AthlonXP, Athlon64, Athlon64FX, Socket A/754/940/939 - I'm soo confused. Seriously, I checked articles at the AMD site and Tom's Hardware Guide (www6.tomshardware.com (http://)), as well as most (if not all) of the major AMD board vendor's sites and I'm more befuddled now than when I started.

I kinda feel now about my initial choice like the IT guys from the Dark Ages (late '70s - early '80s) felt about another hegemony: Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM...

[crackers]

Welcome to first-class, do-ti-yourself personal computing... It might help if you set a dollar amount that you're willing to spend (both upper and lower limits), then find what options exist in that range (both vendors), and then do the comparisons. My opinion is that you'll come off better with the AMD choice, but that's only an opinion these days - the chips are really pretty close to being the same in terms of overall performance. Some things Intel works better with (like Windows-based games), some things AMD does better (I've seen a recent Java benchmark and the AMD selection beat the crap out of Intel).

However, my motto is (paraphrased from Mark Twain): "Lies, damned lies, and benchmarks."

[mark]

Originally posted by crackers
Welcome to first-class, do-ti-yourself personal computing... It might help if you set a dollar amount that you're willing to spend (both upper and lower limits), then find what options exist in that range (both vendors), and then do the comparisons. My opinion is that you'll come off better with the AMD choice, but that's only an opinion these days - the chips are really pretty close to being the same in terms of overall performance. Some things Intel works better with (like Windows-based games), some things AMD does better (I've seen a recent Java benchmark and the AMD selection beat the crap out of Intel).

However, my motto is (paraphrased from Mark Twain): "Lies, damned lies, and benchmarks." How true. Select the right set of postulates and you can "prove" bloody near anything.

Pricewise, I'm thinking somewhere under $750.00 (ex. monitor, etc.). I've already got a quote from the outfit my company buys generic W2K PCs from for $625.00, which is for the Intel D845GVSR board (which doesn't support AGP, hence the "upgrade").

[crackers]

Jeez! You're not building a simple workstation - you're building a MONSTER! I guess I'm too over the hill: what do you mean by "mod cons"? The latest workstation (this one) I built from scratch cost about $350, excluding the $100 case. (Overkill, but it has such pretty lights!) And I've got a dual-head NVidia 5200 card, as well. Now if I could just manage to permanently swipe the wife's monitor without her knowing about it... :D

[mark]

Originally posted by crackers
Jeez! You're not building a simple workstation - you're building a MONSTER! I guess I'm too over the hill: what do you mean by "mod cons"? The latest workstation (this one) I built from scratch cost about $350, excluding the $100 case. (Overkill, but it has such pretty lights!) And I've got a dual-head NVidia 5200 card, as well. Now if I could just manage to permanently swipe the wife's monitor without her knowing about it... :D Sorry - "mod cons", short for "modern conveniences" - y'know, lots of USB ports, 10/100 Ethernet. dual-channel S-ATA (should I take a notion to upgrade), built-in sauna & Jacuzzi - sorry...<g>

I don't really see it as being a "monster" - I just decided that, for once, I was gonna treat myself to not having to "make do".

[crackers]

Well, let's see - I have an ASUS board (can't remember the model) that has on-board sound (disabled for my SB-Live! and old-style analog joystick), 8x AGP, 6 PCI slots, on-board 1G/100M/10M ethernet, 6 USB ports (3 hubs), firewire, 2 ATA, 1 IDE raid, yadda, yadda, yadda. I don't feel slighted at all with my Athlon XP 2100.

Of course, I'm am kinda eyeing a dual-CPU rig, but my wife always deflates my dreams with a simple "Why?" :(

Aw, what the hell - just go for it! I bought "bottom-of-the-line" just once - now I shoot for "middle-of-the-road" (it has a longer lifetime and doesn't quite hit the pocketbook so bad).

[mark]

Originally posted by crackers
...Aw, what the hell - just go for it! I bought "bottom-of-the-line" just once - now I shoot for "middle-of-the-road" (it has a longer lifetime and doesn't quite hit the pocketbook so bad). It appears I've gotta do something - my VAIO laptop is (apparently) suffering from "heat death". Previously, it would go into thermal shutdown when I did something very disk-intensive (backup, OS install, etc.). Now it's taken to just randomly powering down. Annoying, to say the least...

The bad news about hardware failure with a laptop is that it's usually so very expensive! (I smell main board here...)

[crackers]

Originally posted by mark
Now it's taken to just randomly powering down. Annoying, to say the least...

(obligatory cheap-shot) I know this is a Fedora forum, but you sure you're not running Windows? :D

If you don't need a laptop, then I would definitely do the workstation thing. Hell, I imagine the cost of a mainboard replacement (if even possible!) would cost about the same. A professional tech would probably tell you to just get a new laptop because of the cost of replacement - unless you're still under warranty.

[mark]

Originally posted by crackers
(obligatory cheap-shot) I know this is a Fedora forum, but you sure you're not running Windows? :D Positive - haven't had a software crash in months....

While I haven't gotten a quote, I know from past experience that the main board for this thing would cost a lot more than the entire new system that I ordered last night. Just waiting to hear when I can go pick it up and (gasp, wheeze) write the man a check. Ah, well - it's only money.

[mark]

Thought I'd finish off this post - I have my new system up & running now - and, man , is it nice! It's pretty much the spec I had outlined previously, with one added "goodie" - my vendor was out of DVD-ROM/CD-R+W combo drives, so he threw in a combo that does everything - creates DVDs, VCDs, CDs (and probably a better cup 'o coffee, once I figure it out!).

After living with a laptop for c. 1.5 years, getting back to a "real" machine feels mighty good. Oh, yeah - and I'm now running FC2 for the first time (my VAIO didn't like it too well)...

Look out, world!

[Prometheus]

Crackers, sounds like you have the same MOBO i do, a78n8x, but mines a "deluxe" version. Only complaint i have is the NF2 chipset. Works awesome in Windows, but in Fedora its kidna picky and a pain to set up. Once its up and running though its awesome. BTW, the $100 less i paid for my AMD 2700 plus when compared to an Intel chip made all the difference.