PCA Forums

Hello All.

I keep dropping in reading from time to time just not been posting much.
I been getting into 3D art stuff , Poser, Carrara, Daz Studio, Etc... and trying to learn that stuff and real life work stuff has me tied up all the time.

Planning to build another new system, or maybe buy one prebuilt from Dell or something?

What's the best deals out there now for parts?
If I build my own I need System Board, Ram, CPU and maybe that's all?

I have good power supplies, decent high watts, from the 754 system that blew and a new spare P/S also. And I have Sata Drives I can use.

I been watching the stats when working, I often max out my 2gig ram but most the time my CPU is about 50% when working with 3D programs. It hammers 99% for awhile durring renders though.
I need to beak into the 4 gigs ram, and a faster CPU. I have an 5200 Amd now.
I'm running and OLD XP PRO with updates on the work system and it's going fine. Can I get ubove 2 gigs ram in use with XP Pro I have now?

32 bit XP or Vista will only address 3 or (depending on your mobo) 3.5 Gb. This is a physical limitation of 32 bit operating systems. You might as well install 4Gb though since RAM is cheap and it's better and cheaper to use two sticks of 2Gb than mix and match.

Check out this thread here for suggestions on a parting out a budget rig (you can always slap a faster CPU on any of the suggestions in there): http://www.pcabusers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47629

No real bargains on high end rigs on Dell's site right now, but keep an eye on GotApex.com every few days for specials - especially on the Vostro 420. Last month they were selling it heavily loaded with a quad core CPU and a 19" LCD for $650.

I have some nice videocards I can sell you.

Thanks guys,

Nexus what you got for video cards in case I need one? Any other parts and laptops?

I'll look at the link FP.

So I should be able to get use of 3 gigs ram at least and maybe 3.5 gigs with XP Pro? (32 bit)
If so I'll order 2 more gigs for this system I'm using now. I thought 2 was the usable limits. I got rusty worse than ever not doing much for so long.

I am looking at a low cost (kind of) $79 GIGABYTE board, built in video. That's what I am running now that works fine, this should be a newer better version?

I am happy enough with my 5200 CPU now, might as well go bigger though

If the Programs support multie threading, then would they make use of all 3 or 4 cpu cores in XP Pro (32bit)?

I've not got allot of money to spend right now ( and kid wants to go to collage $$$$ ) but I need to replace that system that popped last year, I really need another computer so 2 people can work at once, and I may take mine to the other house so I can live there and work in my shop.

I was wanting a laptop, but prices are so danged high and it would need to do the 3D programs if I got a good new one and be fairly large screen.
I could use a nice used one though for just downloading files from WIFI spot and surfing the net and doing some work.

It all depends on your mobo, but yes you should at least get 3Gb out of XP Pro 32-bit.

If your present rig is using DDR1 memory I wouldn't waste any money upgrading it unless you're going to use it for a while. DDR1 costs 2 - 3 times as much as DDR2 in some cases.

Even if your present rig uses DDR2, I wouldn't buy new RAM for it if you intend to get a new rig soon. Chances are the memory in there now is too slow for a new rig. You might as well just buy 2 x 2Gb for the new rig. Keep in mind you get better stability and less power consumption with 2 sticks instead of 4.

On the other hand, if you're going to use the old rig for a while, RAM is relatively cheap (except for DDR1) and more RAM is always better.

If you're going to do 3D work, avoid any mobo with onboard Intel graphics. You want ATI or AMD.

If your apps support multiple cores then you'll benefit from multiple cores. A lot of apps don't. You still get a minor performance boost going from 1 core to 2 cores because at the very least the Windows GUI can run some background apps like your anti-virus on the 2nd core. 4 cores is nice but very little makes any real use of it except some video encoders.

If you don't need a powerhouse, the Dell Vostro 220 that's on sale right now is a decent budget system for the money and nicely loaded: http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/ ... c=topic~us

The base $400 system is okay, but if you want something better and can spare the money then upgrade the CPU for $110. Otherwise it's nicely loaded for the money. Shipping is free so all you pay is state tax.

Be aware the base configuration comes with a crappy Intel onboard video (fine for everything except gaming or 3D rendering). You can always upgrade the vid card for $70 or drop in your own PCI-E card, but if this is going to be a system for the rest of the family to get on the web and play flash games the base configuration is plenty.

A decent laptop need not set you back much more than a decent desktop nowadays. This is not a bad one for the money, although I would upgrade it to the P8600 CPU for an extra $125 for the extra horsepower: http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/ ... lid=566643

It's got a 15" LCD but you can always connect a larger external display to it.

There's also a Vostro 17" laptop here, but you'll spend closer to $900 for one with a decent vid card for 3D and a decent processor (the $599 base package is a little weak on the CPU and has a crappy Intel video chip): http://www.dell.com/content/products/pr ... l=en&s=bsd

currently a 9800gt 1gb ram and a radeon 4870 512gb.

Thats what I see currently.

Greg

The system I am using now I built last year.
AMD 5200 daul core, 2x 1gig corsair DDR 2 800 mz dual channel ram, and the system board is Gigabyte with onboard video and sound.
It's doing fine, so better than this would be good for the new system and I'll be keeping this one in use till it blows up. That's why I thought maybe add more ram if I can use it. This I built for the wife, then mine blew up Sept or Oct last year so we are sharing it, but often both want it at the same time like Friday-Sunday night

Render times are not bad for the Carrara 6 Pro I use for 3d and Daz Studio, I do crash at times with BIG scenes with memory errors but I really laod the scens with like 6-10 dressed figures etc....
I may have got that fixed, not happened for abit after I changed some settings, deleted temp files and defraged all the drives. But I do get slow downs with lots of stuff loaded and I think it could be swapping, more ram might help that?

A bigger faster system won't hurt for sure, and I need a new one for my own.

Kid is still using a XP1700AMD with a shuttle board, and this system I use now for the internet is XP1700AMD or XP2000AMD IWILL XP I bought so many years ago!

Speaking of older things, you don't have a AMD Socket 754 with APG slot board laying around to sell do you? My Abit system blew up and that's what it was, I could still use it too.
I don't watch TV but I did capture tapes with an ATI AIW ( APG ) video card and burn them DVD. I'd like to get that back together again.

Keep an eye on these pages every Thursday. Dell specials expire Wednesday at midnihght and Thurs AM they post new ones. You usually save $100 on the bundles on these pages. Last couple of weeks have been pretty crummy deals so they're about due for something better:

Desktops:
http://www.dell.com/content/products/fe ... l=en&s=bsd

Laptops:
http://www.dell.com/content/products/fe ... l=en&s=bsd

As I mentioned previously, this site also will list any really good deals from Dell and other manufactuers. You'll see specials posted here with coupon codes that might knock off another $100. Check it every few days: http://www.gotapex.com/

If the Vostro 420 goes on sale again for anything under $650 it's a nice deal for a nice machine. Usually they're throwing in the Quad core and Vista Business with the Windows XP downgrade (it'll come with XP installed but it also comes with the Vista DVD).

The Vostro 220 is more budget oriented but if you load it up with a faster processor it's a good machine as well. Both have a PCI-E slot so you can add a vid card even if you order it with the onboard video.

The Precision T3400 Workstation on the desktop page would be a real nice PC for 3D/CAD work as it comes with a commercial grade vid card designed for that work, but the base configuration they have this week would need some upgrading. Only has 1Gb RAM and an 80Gb drive. Then again what I would do is use the 80Gb drive as just the Windows boot drive and install a 2nd drive (that's what I did when I bought my Dimension 9200 quad core last year, which is essentially the same PC). Just remember it only takes a SATA drive - IDE is dead. You get better performance anyway having the OS on it's own dedicated hard drive. Don't buy the memory upgrade from Dell because they only sell it with 2Gb non ECC (and you don't want to buy expensive ECC RAM). Just order a 4Gb kit from Crucial.com

Thanks,

I see you mention Crucial.com for ram. Are they the best deals now?
I bought Corsair last time, was kinda thinking about Corsair again, but as long as it works well it doesn't matter I guess.

Is there any real advantage to going with a 3 core AMD? I was looking but a bit confusing. I read the post about a utility to unlock the 4th core, but I dought I would do that anyway.
I want a system I can depend on.
Put hours into setting up a 3D scene or animation, I don't need it to crash for some odd reason!

So far if I build it I am looking at.

GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-US2H AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail $79.99 ( $10 rebate if I get it)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128379

AMD Phenom 9600 Agena 2.3GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 2MB L3 Cache Socket AM2+ 95W Quad-Core Processor - Retail $99.99
Cheapest 4 Core AMD newegg shows right now. Reviews mention TLB error on 64BIT Vista, But I won't be running that.

Was going to go with 4gig 1066Mz Corsair DDR 2, still looking though.

I got to go, wife wants the system now! See that's why I need a new one of my own LOL
Be back in a few hours or so.

The reason I recommend Crucial is because if you lookup your system or mobo in their database and they tell you a particular part works with that system it WILL work with no tweaking or fiddling required, right out of the box, with default by SPD settings.

Corsair is performance RAM. You buy Corsair to overclock. While Corsair is nice RAM, it is also known for being temperamental. I often seen Corsair RAM that didn't work properly on a mobo until I tweaked the timing. Corsair's forums are full of lists of mobos with recommended timing settings. That's all fine, but I don't want to work that hard.

Price-wise Crucial is pretty good, although you can often find a better deal with a rebate on NewEgg. Just be aware that if you order Crucial trhough their online database then it will work, no worries, no tweaking.

FlyingPenguin wrote:The reason I recommend Crucial is because if you lookup your system or mobo in their database and they tell you a particular part works with that system it WILL work with no tweaking or fiddling required, right out of the box, with default by SPD settings.

Corsair is performance RAM. You buy Corsair to overclock. While Corsair is nice RAM, it is also known for being temperamental. I often seen Corsair RAM that didn't work properly on a mobo until I tweaked the timing. Corsair's forums are full of lists of mobos with recommended timing settings. That's all fine, but I don't want to work that hard.

Price-wise Crucial is pretty good, although you can often find a better deal with a rebate on NewEgg. Just be aware that if you order Crucial trhough their online database then it will work, no worries, no tweaking.

Sounds good too me.

OK, Kick me now if you want!!!
I bought a Wally World Laptop this Morning!

I was a bit desperate and the old beatup Thinkpad has been a nightmare last few times, just barely downloads the files and I can't do anything else with it.

I have 15 days to return for refund if I don't like it, so I'm installing the 3D software and giving it a workout now and tonight.
I think the OLD Laptop had a bottle kneck on slow parts, I got far better download speeds today with this one than the old one ever got.
Both Wireless G.

What I got for now is an Acer Aspire 5515. AMD 2650E Cpu, 3 gigs DDR2 ram, 169gig Hard Drive, and I think an 8X DVD burner.
The video is ATI 1200 something.
Vista SP1, I hate Vista, Vista I hate!
Only one day or 6 hours to form that opinion so far, I dought it will change much LOL

Anyway, what do you think of this one for $380? Before I decide to keep it for sure I will see if the CPU is upgradable and how much it will cost and what else about this range or a bit more I could get.

First thing I saw I don't like is no slots for cards! If the built in WIFI happens to fry someday I would have no way to use my wireless card. Only 2 USB and I can't use my 2 port usb card either. 1 of the usbs will mostly be a mouse, I don't like these finger pad things and need a real mouse most the time.

Otherwise so far it's pretty nice for cheap easy to grab unit this morning. I am kinda surprised with it actually.
So Far I loaded Daz Studio, it loaded a scene and rendered it. Just the basic thing that is a default scene in D|S for fresh install.

I installed Carrara and it seems to be working also for a smaller scene so far.
Rendered fine for now.
Tonight I'll install more content and give it a workout, if it breaks I won't be needing it and it will go back Monday!

I have not tried Poser 6 yet though, haven't been home yet today. I just did a FAST download of the other two from Daz this morning and tried them quick.

Are there any Known problems with these things dying anytime soon?

I was looking over other deals but getting confused and not finding anything nearly this cheap for Amd really that I remember. I pretty much needed it today, so when I was poking around waiting for WIFI to open I saw this one and thought might as well give it a try?

The laptop is ok, don't expect to do any good games on it though. Gaming laptops can get kind of costly. It is a very basic laptop and so is the processor. Don't expect alot of power from it, but it will get the basics done. As for Vista, it takes some effort to get a new computer without it.

The biggest advantage of that cpu is it is a low power one, thus longer battery life. You do trade off performance for it though.

canton_kid wrote: OK, Kick me now if you want!!!
I bought a Wally World Laptop this Morning!
What I got for now is an Acer Aspire 5515. AMD 2650E Cpu, 3 gigs DDR2 ram, 169gig Hard Drive, and I think an 8X DVD burner.
The video is ATI 1200 something.
Anyway, what do you think of this one for $380?

I don't see how you can go wrong at that price.
As long as it's reliable. arty

So far the Laptop did ok today, now I am ready to give it a workout and I find my folders are not shared on my biggest desktop system. I need those files!

OK, I got the C: shared (and all other drives) How do I get XP to share all the folders and subfolders?
I don't see a tick box to share them and I seem to have to go through and share each one one at a time and that just can't be right!!!

I click to share a folder, then I go look at the subfolder and it says do not share??
Since I am the only one using this really I want the entire system shared so I have access to everything on my system when I am on the others and need ANYFILE!

Not a bad laptop for the money, as long as you realize it's no powerhouse (1.6 GHz single core CPU). A google search turned up a lot of positive reviews. Not going to be much of a 3D renderer with that weak CPU.

You can put Windows XP on it and it'll run even better. Info & drivers here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=356765
and here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthr ... 087&page=2

Oh, forget about upgrading the CPU.

You can't expect much for under $500.