Help me with hardware for a new pc.

[barney]

Hi,

I'm a long time Linux user but am sick of my laptop and the troubles with hardware etc.

I'm looking to build a Linux PC desktop and have been researching hardware such as cpus Intel vs AMD for Linux compatibility; I haven’t reached any conclusions as everyone has their own opinions and loyalties.

This is where I need help.

Firstly, here’s what I would like:
compatibility: I’d like the parts to be compatible so as to run out of the box or with as little trouble as possible
power and reliability: I don’t really care about bang for buck and will pay a higher price, as needed
speed: I’m not a patient man and don't want to wait two minutes for for the PC to boot up
ability to run a HD monitor
option to install windows so as to play FPS along the lines of BF4 plus
a good graphic card with power and I mean something that will be good down the track
a wifi card that will work

I want a fast and powerful pc to use for things such as:
burning iso images
run images in virtualbox
movies
photos
as well as the normal internet stuff.

I have built computers before, all low powered for HTPC with Linux, so I have some idea but I need advice on which parts you think will work.

My budget is around AUD$1000-$1500 for the box.

Thank you,

Barney

[BBOSAK2143]

Am hoping someone will join in on this as am out of date on all the new components available. I can say however, the best place I have found to get the components for a very reasonable cost and a delivery time that is better than expected for ordering online is Directron. I will also say, I refuse to use any motherboard other than ASUS. Why? Asus stands behind their product, makes the most dependable and best out there. Look at my signature and you will notice am running the same computer since 2009. This is the kind of dependability you should seek. I have built all my computers(minus laptops no possible way have found to do those) since 2002. The first one, I went beserk. I bought all the latest greatest parts and spent close to 2grand. End result, 6months later I could have built the same thing(in fact did for spare) for $500. So, therefore, personally I recommend delving into components that are least 6months old.

My reasoning for this also has to do with reliability. Many times components come out and are not quite right. Solutions are found in a few months. So if you were the first to buy that component, you wind up suffering and waiting for a resolution. Generally, those parts that have been around for 6months are not at all out of date and very close to what has been released currently. The added bonus is those parts are proven and all the fixes have been done for them. So, I say what is a few seconds quicker worth if there are hassles that have not been resolved? I am just talking from years of experience building these computers. I also owe all the knowledge I have on building to all the websites out there and forums such like this one. I did buy one e-machine after I started building for a spare, but of course it tipped me off after a few months, so gave it away. I only paid about $150 so was not a loss at that time, since I was making good money. Since then I will only buy a laptop and never a PC pre-made and loaded. I hate being told what I should run on my computer and feel it should be my own choice. I suppose that is why Linux has always appealed to me so greatly, since I get the choice I want. Of course, is also TheeMahn's fault, since he taught me about building. I can never ever thank him enough for going down this path, since is the greatest ever to be able to build and run your own system on your own built computer.

Hope some of this advice helps and hope others with better knowledge than myself will help out. Is scary at points when you know you have a budget and must get all things together and have exactly what you want. Best wishes on this project and hope all will run better than you planned.

[barney]

Hi BBOSAK2143,

Thank you for your reply. All informaton is useful.
May I ask what laptop do you use and do you have Linux on it? I am having trouble with Laptops and linux.

Thanks again.

[BBOSAK2143]

Yes, I also run an Asus R503U Laptop with my own Linux OS's on a couple hard drives right now. Largest problem I ever have with it is trying to put a system together with it. Since it is only a 2-core processor in there just takes forever to make the image. Otherwises does well. I built an LXDE only OS for it to improve boot speed. One drive does have Windows 7 on it, but am not fond of Windows whatsoever, so stick with the two Linux systems on both drives. The single OS drive(without windows) is running Ubuntu 15.04 has GDM and basic Gnome Desktop besides that is all LXDE. Have decided since is not a 4-core am no longer going to torture it with alll the desktops, like I tend to do with my PC. The ASUS Laptop was a great price a few years ago as the 4-cores had just come up on the shelf. Had to go the cheaper since the money is not coming in close as it was back in 2008.

Will most likely never go back to Windows, since I can build exactly what I want in an OS thanks to having learned from TheeMahn and everyone here. You get to know which programs work and stick with them, least is what I do. Building is difficult and am nowhere near a pro. So many changes keep coming down and so many things confuse me. Now TMOSB would be a great thing to use and recommend that, but of course Xxjoker and TheeMahn have greater knowledge on it and could help you much better. I would lean towards one desktop for these Laptops since is less pressure on them. Also don't bulk the OS out with things that are extras. I am guilty of that. I am finally learning what I have just stated is the best way to go and leads to a more dependable OS. Unfortunately, I do have one issue on the PC's OS that am hoping at some point, someone will have an idea what I can do to fix it. Other than that, OS works very well and have been very happy with it. Always happy to help anytime. It was done for me many many times and just glad I can give advice when I can.

[pam]

Hi Barney

Be careful for how you spend a large amount buying computer parts.
Things are not that simple anymore, you can spend a lot and get nothing or spend wisely and make a long lasting system.

You have many options to choose from. Both AMD and Intel are excellent and which totally depends on the tasks you do. How much resources you utilize----- Do you GAME a lot, how much multitaskting you do, are you a power user, do you do 3d rendering, image editing, video rendering etc etc.

AMD has very good solutions, but this is a transitional period for both AMD and Intel. By end of 2016 all the parts you buy now will become obsolete, not in terms of performance delta but instead a generational gap that caters to future and beyond. Both AMD and Intel will add a plethora of instruction sets(features) for handling next gen content like 4k/8k videos, 10 gigabit ethernet, DDR4-3800, wifi AC inbuilt into the motherboards like ethernet, sata 3.1 etc etc.

I dont mean to confuse you but I would suggest you go with an Intel Haswell i7 CPU, 16GB DDR3((8GBx 2)-2133Mhz), a decent motherboard from asrock or gigabyte, a good GPU like GTX 970 4/6 GB version(a good GPU is very important these days), if you can wait some time you can now probably buy a real cheap gpu and when AMD HBM GPU's come out like the Radeon 380x/390x you can purchase those as they are scalable for the future. But the most important is the SSD, you can cheap 256 GB ssds or if you have a sale nearby you can even get 512GB for a good deal and if you need redundant storage then you can get an external HDD drive or internal one. For the case, go with a full tower from Antec, corsair or anyone you can get a good deal on. For CPU cooling, I would suggest air cooling options with twin or single tower coolers over liquid coolers. Liquid coolers are just an accessory for extreme overclocking and extreme overclocking is an absolute waste of time and resources these days as they provide little benefit. Single tower coolers are very good and will give you a decent useful overclock.

Logitech makes good cheap wireless keyboard/mouse that will last you a long time.

For the display I would suggest looking for a good 27" 1440p resolution or even a 1080p with a good response time of less than 5ms and preferably having a displayport and HDMI ports. 4K panels will expend your budget, for now.

NOTE: Intel i7 Haswell CPU's can be very expensive. If all you ever do is gaming, buying an Intel system is a waste of money. If you do a lot of multitasking you will notice no difference between an AMD FX 8350 versus an Intel Haswell i7. Today, the only factor left for not recommending AMD CPU's is the power consumption, since the FX CPU's are based on a 3 year old architecture. If you want to save up some money then get an Intel i5 CPU....JUST KEEP IN MIND, THAT THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO CPU BENEFITS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE WORTH COMPARING OVER THE LAST 4 YEARS.

AMD APU's like the A10-7850k have HSA inbuilt for which code in the linux kernel will arrive with kernel version 4.1 as stable patches will be pulled in. For someone like me, I would bank on this, as APU's are radically dramatic in data processing instead of just having the best benchmarks. With this APU, you could add 32 GB DDR3 of which half will be used as video memory(GPU) i.e 16GB. This is very useful when apps use HSA(hUMA) inbuilt in the APU.

[barney]

Hi Guys,

Thank you for your replies.

I don't do much gaming at all really, I use xbox one for that, mainly use it for surfing downloading ISO etc. I want to run os's in virtual box
Don't do much video stuff a little and just crop photos etc.

I was thinking Intel processor, in Aus there is more motherboard choices and power is expensive so the power consumption is better with them but the i7 is like $450. If I get a cheaper $250 AMD cpu I could upgrade the MB and CPU in 3 years.

[barney]

Is there much difference between AMD 8370 AUD$291 and AMD 8350 AUD$250?

[barney]

Thank you all very much for the information.

Another question, if I don't worry about say gaming would the Nvidia GTX 960 card be ok with AMD fx 8350?

Thanks again.

P.S Is there any cases in-particular you guys prefer?

[pam]

If power bills are your concern then AMD now can be a "very" bad choice.
In multithreaded tasks the FX 8350 will beat the i5 haswell. I would suggest a 95 watt AMD FX CPU like the 8370E or 8320(If still available)...or maybe the FX 8300.

If you dont need extra muscle, then the A10 7850k can handle most workloads and if you are upgrading in the coming years, then its a smart choice as you will NOT need an extra GPU. The 7850K can more than handle 1080p content and multitask...I hope I have not sidetracked you.

Dont forget the fact, the moment you put in an FX 8350 inside your case you WILL require a few exhaust and at least one intake fan. That will further increase your power consumption. I would suggest a case like the corsair 300r or an Antec full tower. Full tower cases can be heavier than usual and you wont be able to lift them up out of the ordinary.

[barney]

Cheers.

You guys rock; rock, I tell ya.

Thank you all so very much.

Mark.