[Help Given] Buying New Deskop - Now Updated!

[John Crichton]

Hey all.

So the time has come to get a new desktop. I have built a few machines in the past with various levels of success. However, this time around I really don't want to spend the time worrying about doing that. I want to have a warranty that is not me and am comfortable paying for it. This would also make my GF happy as she will be using it as well.

So, the problem comes with which company to go with and price. One of the issues with the current rig is that is is loud and only gets louder the longer it is on. All that said, this what we want in the new PC:

- It needs to be pretty quiet.
- Don't mind spending a lot. I've considered everything in the range of $2500-$5000.
- Customer service is huge. We are willing to pay a premium to not worry about the system for the next few years.
- Don't need top of the line as I don't play the big FPS or the like. Games to be played: 4X (CivIV, GalCivII), Tycoon games, Sim Games and a few RTS. I would also buy a PC exclusive RPG (like Neverwinter Nights 2). But I have a PS3, 360 & Wii so those are my gaming platforms of choice.
- Will be using the most recent versions of Photoshop, Office Apps and probably some video editing software down the line.
- I typically upgrade every 4-5 years so I don't want to have to upgrade anything in the machine with the exception of possibly more HD space and maybe RAM as needed.
- Already own a Dell 24" wide screen monitor - don't need a new one.

So, I configured an Alienware Area-51 7500 - SLI last night. Was happy with it and then decided to read around for reviews. I found that with the huge case and quad-core processors that the machine was loud. Not cool. Here are the dimensions:

Height: 19.01”
Width: 9.97”
Depth: 25.02”
Weight: 52 lbs.

Basically, the thing is a beast. Yow. Has 4 case fans and one for each of the videocards (GeForce 8800 GTX). My config only had one videocard but I wanted the ability to add a second down the line when they get much cheaper as I don't need it now.

I need a little help finding a PC with the requirements I listed above. I'd be okay with the above Alienware, even with the huge case but the noise is a deterrent. I'd also like a little help understanding RAID 0 vs 1 and watercooling. I know a bit about both these things from reading many articles but have no practical experience with them.

If I'm leaving out info needed to make a suggestion, please ask.

 

[Mycanid]

Hmm ... well John I am not sure what to say.

You want advice on who to buy the desktop from? And descriptions of water cooling? And the raid setup explained too?

If your budget is $2500 to $5000 (Yikes!) I don't think you will have much difficulty getting what you want. And yes ... the reviews I have seen of the Alienware Area-51 7500 also said it was noisy.

Well. The first question that comes to mind immediately is how much are YOU going to upgrade the machine? Or will you want to send it off (or have a tech come) and install things for you?

Other than that ... have you looked at Falcon Northwest and Voodoopc's offerings?

 

[Mycanid]

Almost forgot ... I should add that I have recently been purchasing custom built computers from magicmicro.com and have really liked their work. However, most of the systems have cost around $750. You can find them on ebay and at their own website.

Perhaps worth a look at least?

 

[Wystan]

I would suggest the following site:

www.ibuypower.com

I have bought my last 3 pc's rom them and have no complaints.

 

[John Crichton]

Hmm ... well John I am not sure what to say.

You want advice on who to buy the desktop from? And descriptions of water cooling? And the raid setup explained too?

I should have been more specific here. Is the water cooling worth it and will it make the system run quieter? My take is that is should do both but I've read reviews to the contrary.

As for the RAID, I do know about striping and all that. I guess the question would be is the speed of RAID 0 worth the risk compared to the stability of RAID 1.

If your budget is $2500 to $5000 (Yikes!) I don't think you will have much difficulty getting what you want. And yes ... the reviews I have seen of the Alienware Area-51 7500 also said it was noisy.

Yeah, the budget is high because I'm sick of handling hardware myself and having overheating problems (with no overclocking) and losing Hard Drives. I've lost 2 in the last few years and it could have been my fault.

I'd rather spend closer to $2500-$3000 but I'll drop more to get what I want which is a quieter running machine.

Well. The first question that comes to mind immediately is how much are YOU going to upgrade the machine? Or will you want to send it off (or have a tech come) and install things for you?

If it won't void the warranty, I don't mind upgrading things like RAM or videocards myself. I can handle that.

Other than that ... have you looked at Falcon Northwest and Voodoopc's offerings?[/QUOTE]Ooo, forgot about VoodooPC. I was just @ the Falcon site. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[John Crichton]

Almost forgot ... I should add that I have recently been purchasing custom built computers from magicmicro.com and have really liked their work. However, most of the systems have cost around $750. You can find them on ebay and at their own website.

Perhaps worth a look at least?

I would suggest the following site:

www.ibuypower.com

I have bought my last 3 pc's rom them and have no complaints.

Checking out both sites now.

 

[John Crichton]

The VoodooPC Hexx configuration is looking very attractive right now. It's pretty small and appears to be quiet while still offering a great amount of power...

 

[Mycanid]

You are looking for the intel platform I take it?

 

[John Crichton]

You are looking for the intel platform I take it?

Yeah, from what I've been reading it appears to be better than the AMD chips at the moment.

 

[Mycanid]

Well ... I think the Hexx looks nice. You know that VoodooPC has been bought out by HP, yes? Doesn't seem to have hurt their quality any. Just thought you might be interested to know, though.

The configuration I threw together cost a little under $5000 ... which seems to be the upper end of your price range.

Hmm.

Any other considerations?