Looking for advice for a new PC....
 

I will probably buy it in the spring.

Requirements:
- Windows XP or Vista(?)
- Intel or AMD or? chipset (i.e. not MAC or -NIX or Other)
- FAST! Processor and FAST! Memory
- Probably at least a quad (or are 8's out and affordable now?)
- Prime use will be intensive computing: i.e. GIMPS and related stuff.
- I am NOT really into games or graphics or audio or video ... not that I won't have an audio/video card; just probably a basic one.
- Don't want to have to get a mortgage for it ... I hope I can get what I need for under $2,000.
- I live in Canada so it needs to be available there.

Advice???

Processor of choice: [url]http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2643933&Sku=CP2-DUO-Q6600[/url]

[QUOTE=petrw1;120474]I will probably buy it in the spring.

Requirements:
- Windows XP or Vista(?)
- Intel or AMD or? chipset (i.e. not MAC or -NIX or Other)
- FAST! Processor and FAST! Memory
- Probably at least a quad (or are 8's out and affordable now?)
- Prime use will be intensive computing: i.e. GIMPS and related stuff.
- I am NOT really into games or graphics or audio or video ... not that I won't have an audio/video card; just probably a basic one.
- Don't want to have to get a mortgage for it ... I hope I can get what I need for under $2,000.
- I live in Canada so it needs to be available there.

Advice???[/QUOTE]

Avoid Vista. It is a memory pig. There are too many GD processes,
many of which are not needed.

Be wary of quad processors. They won't be much faster than duos
unless your jobs are small.

[QUOTE=petrw1;120474]I will probably buy it in the spring.

Requirements:
- Windows XP or Vista(?)
- Intel or AMD or? chipset (i.e. not MAC or -NIX or Other)
- FAST! Processor and FAST! Memory
- Probably at least a quad (or are 8's out and affordable now?)
- Prime use will be intensive computing: i.e. GIMPS and related stuff.
- I am NOT really into games or graphics or audio or video ... not that I won't have an audio/video card; just probably a basic one.
- Don't want to have to get a mortgage for it ... I hope I can get what I need for under $2,000.
- I live in Canada so it needs to be available there.

Advice???[/QUOTE]

[URL]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116378[/URL]
[URL]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017[/URL]
[URL]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131237[/URL]
[URL]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145098[/URL]
[URL]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136131[/URL]

With all of that, you get a 64bit operating system, a motherboard, a quad-core processor, 2GB of dual channel RAM, high quality integrated graphics and audio and a 750GB hard drive for $744.95, plus approximately $8.41 shipping and handling. All you need now is a good case and a good psu. Here are my suggestions:

[URL]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817104902[/URL]
[URL]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129154[/URL]

If you follow them, your ears will thank you. The two of those raise the cost to $977.03, plus approximately $27.10 shipping and handling, but you get a $50 mail-in rebate from the PSU and given its energy efficiency and tight voltage regulation, which can be found in the following review, it is a steal for $34.99 after the $50 mail-in rebate:

[URL]http://www.silentpcreview.com/article263-page1.html[/URL]

In total, that should cost $977.03 + $27.10 - $50 + $0.42 = $954.55. You can bring that down by approximately 2% if you get cashback through fatwallet and an additional 1% to 2% percent if you use a special credit card:

[URL]http://www.fatwallet.com/cash-back-coupons/Newegg[/URL]
[URL]https://www.penfed.org/productsAndRates/creditCards/RewardCards.asp[/URL] - this one lowers your bill by 1.25%, it is the one I use

If you were to use the 1.25% cashback credit card and get cashback through fatwallet, the total cost will be floor(($977.03 + $27.10 - $50) * 0.98 * 0.9875 + 0.5) + $0.42 = $923.78.

That will give you all of the components you will need to build the system you specified. You might also want things like an optical drive, a floppy drive, a keyboard, a mouse, a monitor, speakers, a printer, etcetera, but you probably will be able to get those from an older system.

ShiningArcanine, the "CORSAIR ValueSelect 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300) Desktop Memory" memory you recommend is a no go for a quad core : it is way to slow. (I would even go as far as saying it is to slow for a core2 duo dual core.)

Do not forget the requirement : "- FAST! Processor and FAST! Memory"

With PC2 8500 memory you will get a 60% performance boost. It is more expensive of course. 89,00 USD for the "CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-8500C5" and 114,00 USD for the "CORSAIR Dominator 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-8500C5D".

And forget everything people are saying at anandtech and so on. They do not use the CPU's like you will. They test memory throughput by loading one instance of their test program... Their conclusion is of course that PC2 6400 memory is good enough.

Jacob

A couple comments I have read recently on this forum suggest:

1. Wait for 45nm chips. I understand the Q6600 is still 65nm

2. AMD Quads are closer to 4 times than the Intel Quads.

Truth or Rumor?

[QUOTE=petrw1;120525]A couple comments I have read recently on this forum suggest:

1. Wait for 45nm chips. I understand the Q6600 is still 65nm

2. AMD Quads are closer to 4 times than the Intel Quads.

Truth or Rumor?[/QUOTE]The 45nm chips are already here... But at which price ! 1100,00 USD or so.

At the moment AMD cannot deliver their quadcores because of a production bug with the Level 3 cache. I also read some reviews (anandtech I believe) that state that the AMD is not performing as it was hoped (and much slower than Intel products.) Of course there is still some type of work where AMD shines (factoring ans especially with 64 bit programs I believe.)

Jacob

The complete line of Intel 45nm (Penryn) cpus are on the verge of being offered to the public. The Q9450 (quad-core) looks like the best bang for the buck - 2.66Ghz with 12Mb cache for $316.
[URL]http://www.overclock.net/intel-cpus/266534-best-45nm-price-performance.html[/URL]


Match it with this memory for $47 (after mail-in rebate), and you will have one fast pc.
[URL]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145034[/URL]


The Q6600 will be going away soon.

A mild overclock on the Q9450 would get it up to the same frequency as the QX9650 that costs $1,000.

[QUOTE=ShiningArcanine;120515]high quality integrated graphics [/QUOTE] Just don't go with integrated GFX as it will occupy some of the memory bandwidth needed by CPU...
Also AFAIR there were some general perfomance issues with integrated chipsets and Prime95.

[quote=petrw1;120474]I will probably buy it in the spring.
Advice???[/quote] Wait until spring, or when you are ready to buy and re-ask the question as many things will change between now and then. ;)

Personally I think there are not too many software well support vista yet,&it's funny to say it as a memory pig:lol: