Author Topic: What type of desktop should i buy?  (Read 1983 times)

mozar

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What type of desktop should i buy?
« on: November 18, 2018, 02:56:28 PM »
Hello,
I'm thinking about buying a new desktop.
Here are the specs I need:
http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/compatibility/Pro-Tools-System-Requirements

This computer looks good to me, what do you think?
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/ibuypower-desktop-intel-core-i7-16gb-memory-240gb-solid-state-drive-white/6238446.p?skuId=6238446

I'm about to lose internet (long story) I will come back to answer questions and ask other things.

Khaetra

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Re: What type of desktop should i buy?
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2018, 04:00:37 PM »
I have heard stories about the ibuypower brand and many have not been good.  If that's what you need I would check out Dell for something similar, especially with Black Friday sales going on now.

mozar

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Re: What type of desktop should i buy?
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2018, 04:31:51 PM »
Quote
have heard stories about the ibuypower brand and many have not been good.  If that's what you need I would check out Dell for something similar, especially with Black Friday sales going on now.

Do you think I should go in person, maybe to a place like bestbuy on Wednesday?



AccidentialMustache

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Re: What type of desktop should i buy?
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2018, 09:45:10 PM »
You want a ssd in whatever system you buy. An old machine (even 2-4 generations old) with a fast ssd will run rings around a "new" machine (i5-7400 is one generation old at this point) with a POS 5400 rpm spinning rust (hdd).

If you need a ton of space, get a reasonable ssd (128 min, 256 may be nicer) and some spinning rust for your mass data storage.

I'm a build it myself type for desktops. It isn't rocket science, you could likely DIY if you wanted to. You are on the mustache forums after all.

That said with prices being (about to?) be inflated by the trade war, might be worth looking used on craigslist + ram/ssd upgrades -- just be sure to let windows to a refresh/reinstall. You don't want any 'gifts' left by the seller on the machine.

YttriumNitrate

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Re: What type of desktop should i buy?
« Reply #6 on: November 19, 2018, 07:52:05 AM »
I've found that the sweet spot for desktops is the two year old gaming computer in the $400 to $550 range. People are continually upgrading their gaming systems, so there tends to be a good supply of computers that are amazing but just can't play the latest games at the most intensive settings. Take a quick look on Craigslist and see what you can find.

EDIT: You previously mentioned the DC area, so have a look at this one (although it has an AMD instead of an Intel processor).
https://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/sys/d/fx-8300-rxg-ram-plus-ssd/6747781906.html
« Last Edit: November 19, 2018, 08:47:51 AM by YttriumNitrate »

FIRE 20/20

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Re: What type of desktop should i buy?
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2018, 08:33:33 AM »
You want a ssd in whatever system you buy. An old machine (even 2-4 generations old) with a fast ssd will run rings around a "new" machine (i5-7400 is one generation old at this point) with a POS 5400 rpm spinning rust (hdd).

If you need a ton of space, get a reasonable ssd (128 min, 256 may be nicer) and some spinning rust for your mass data storage.

I'm a build it myself type for desktops. It isn't rocket science, you could likely DIY if you wanted to. You are on the mustache forums after all.

That said with prices being (about to?) be inflated by the trade war, might be worth looking used on craigslist + ram/ssd upgrades -- just be sure to let windows to a refresh/reinstall. You don't want any 'gifts' left by the seller on the machine.

^This! 

I agree 100% - an SSD is the component that has the largest impact on system performance.  Whether you DIY or buy a pre-built system that should be a requirement.  I'd also second the idea of DIY if you're at all interested.  It's really easy to do, and you'll be more likely to end up not only with something that meets your needs at a reasonable price but you can also chart an upgrade path to keep it running for far longer than if you buy a pre-built system.  Another benefit is that if you're using ProTools I would assume you would prefer something that's silent or nearly silent, and pre-built systems typically have cheap, loud fans.  If you have any geek friends they might even have an old case you could re-use, and they might even have a power supply or two on the shelf.  At the bottom they list additional requirements, and one of them is for a dedicated graphics card.  You should be able to pick up an old used card for cheap; all it probably needs to do is offload a little video processing from the CPU and RAM, so one that's 4 years old is probably more than sufficient. 

mozar

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Re: What type of desktop should i buy?
« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2018, 12:09:35 PM »
Thanks all!

Kahooli

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Re: What type of desktop should i buy?
« Reply #9 on: November 19, 2018, 12:30:55 PM »
Id go for a refurb HP z440 off of ebay, CTO

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!