Take 2: Help Me Build My New Computer

[Dynasty]

I got sidetracked a bit but I went over all the advice given to me in the last thread. Among the main points I took include:

1. Use dell.com and don't buy a Compaq
2. Spend a little extra on a flat screen (actually 2)

It should be noted that the computer I currently own will get shipped to MA so I can use it at my parent's home. So, I won't be able to use any parts from it.

With my new dell.com system, I managed to increase the cost of the system mostly due to the two flat screens. I'm now paying $2,011.10 for this computer:

Dell Dimension 8300 Series; Pentium 4 Processor with HT Technology 3 GHz w/800MHz FSB

ericd reccomended that I get a Dell Dimensin 4600. However, when I went to build a 4600, it did not give me a dual monitor option. The 4600 only came with an option for video cards that could not support a dual monitor. Maybe I missed something. I'm sure a 4600 is powerful enough for my needs.

Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

Memory: 512 MB Dual Channel DDR SDRAM at 400MHz (2x256M)

I barely understand what half of these numbers and abbreviations stand for. This applies for the entire post.

Keyboard: Dell Wireless Keyboard and Optical Mouse

Somebody said an optical mouse was good. Why?

Monitors (2): 17 in 1703FP Dell Ultrasharp Digital Flat Panel Display

My monitor is at the top of this list (http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productlisting.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=04&category_id=21 0&first=true)

This particular model came with a $150 discount. Also, the $1,000+ price of the 20+ inch monitors just didn't seem like a good value compared to the 17 inch monitors.

Video Card: New 128MB DDR GeForce FX 5200 Graphics Card with TV-Out and DVI

With all those #s and abbreviations, this thing looks really powerful. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

Hard Drive: 120 GB Serial AT Hard Drive (7200RPM)

Floppy Drive and Additional Storage Devices: 3.5 in Floppy Drive

Network Interface: Integrated Intel PRO 10/100 Ethernet

This doesn't sound like something I need.

Modem: No Modem Requested

REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION: Since I'm getting a cable modem hookup via Cox Communications (the cable provider here in Las Vegas), do I need a modem? Man, this sounds like a dumb question.

CD or DVD Drive: Single Drive 16x DVD-ROM Drive

I don't listen to music so I don't need a writer. I figured I'd getd a DVD-ROM just in case I want to watch a movie.

What is the difference between 16x and 48x? There wasn't a 48x DVD-ROM option.

Sound Card: Sound Blaster Live! 5.1(D) Card with Dolby Digital 5.1 capability

Speakers: Dell 5650 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System with Subwoofer

Again, I don't listen to music so speakers are not important to me.

Productivity Software: Microsoft Office Basic Edition 2003

Security Software: Norton Internet Security 90 day trial

Digital Music: Dell Jukebox powered by MUSICMATCH

I hope this is free because there wasn't a "none" option.

Digital Photography: Dell Picture Studio, Paint Shop Pro Trial, Photo Album Starter Editon

Again, I hope this is free.

[b]Limited Warranty, Services and Support Options: 3 Yrs Business Standard Plan

Dial-up Internet Access: No ISP requested

[nolanfan34]

[ QUOTE ]
Memory: 512 MB Dual Channel DDR SDRAM at 400MHz (2x256M)[/b]

I barely understand what half of these numbers and abbreviations stand for. This applies for the entire post.

[/ QUOTE ]

I love your honesty. The higher the number before "MB" the better. 512 is plenty, and for like $200 you can always get more later.

[ QUOTE ]
Keyboard: Dell Wireless Keyboard and Optical Mouse

Somebody said an optical mouse was good. Why?

[/ QUOTE ]

Short explanation - old mice have a rubber ball on the inside. The inside of the mouse collects dust, and then it doesn't work worth a crap without cleaning it out constantly. Optical mice have a laser instead. No cleaning required.

[ QUOTE ]
Video Card: New 128MB DDR GeForce FX 5200 Graphics Card with TV-Out and DVI

With all those #s and abbreviations, this thing looks really powerful. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Certainly powerful enough to run Party, Stars or UB :-)

[ QUOTE ]
Network Interface: Integrated Intel PRO 10/100 Ethernet[/b]

This doesn't sound like something I need.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is what your cable modem box will hook into. You do need this. So a regular modem is not required.

[ QUOTE ]
Sound Card: Sound Blaster Live! 5.1(D) Card with Dolby Digital 5.1 capability

Speakers: Dell 5650 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System with Subwoofer

Again, I don't listen to music so speakers are not important to me.

[/ QUOTE ]

They'll be important if you want to watch a movie /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Nice choice though, should serve you well since it doesn't sound like you're doing a lot of high-end applications or anything. Enjoy those monitors...those are nice.

[andyfox]

"Somebody said an optical mouse was good. Why?"

I am a techno-peasant, but most mice today are optical. They work better and are easier to use; they're smoother and don't jam or "jump."

And they don't get their tails cut off with a carving knife.

[illunious]

Dynasty, I demand you buy 1600x1200 resolution displays. You won't even fit 2 poker windows on a 1280x1024 resolution without overlapping, so buying two of these crappy resolution displays will be a complete waste.

I would rather have one 1600x1200 (like the Dell 2001FP) than two 1280x1024 because the one 16x12 will fit 4 windows without any overlapping.

I'm positive other posters that multi-table online will agree with me here.

Other than that the computer is bad ass.

[El Barto]

[ QUOTE ]
Dynasty, I demand you buy 1600x1200 resolution displays. You won't even fit 2 poker windows on a 1280x1024 resolution without overlapping, so buying two of these crappy resolution displays will be a complete waste.

I would rather have one 1600x1200 (like the Dell 2001FP) than two 1280x1024 because the one 16x12 will fit 4 windows without any overlapping.

I'm positive other posters that multi-table online will agree with me here.

Other than that the computer is bad ass.

[/ QUOTE ]
He is absolutely correct. Avoiding misclicks and other mistakes will pay for the cost difference.

[TylerD]

I concur.

The rest of the system sounds fine though. If anything it may be a little too powerful (hence expensive) for what you are using it for.

[elwoodblues]

Regarding the modem --- you don't need one unless you want to use your computer as a fax machine.

[ericd]

The 4600 has the option to choose the same video card you listed above. Regardless, for either machine you will need an adapter which is specified under "Help Me Choose" for video cards to use 2 monitors. The 4600 is plenty powerful enough for what you mentioned you wish to do. You might consider increase your memory to 1GB. That will safeguard you against "locking up" when you are playing several tables. However, that is probably overkill.

[Inthacup]

Dynasty,

You've helped me quite a bit over the years but directly and indirectly, so I'm happy to return the favor. Keep in mind that I haven't read your first 'build my computer' post. Here goes:

Pentium 4 Processor with HT Technology 3 GHz w/800MHz FSB

This is certainly fast enough for pretty much anything you'll ever be doing on your computer.

The 4600 only came with an option for video cards that could not support a dual monitor.

My computer came with a video card that only supports 1 monitor. A few months ago, I decided to get a dual setup. I went to compUSA and bought a dual monitor card for $80. This feature shouldn't sway your decision in which desktop you should buy. I can walk you through the process of changing video cards as it is not very difficult.

Memory: 512 MB Dual Channel DDR SDRAM at 400MHz (2x256M)

I barely understand what half of these numbers and abbreviations stand for. This applies for the entire post.

The important thing to take away from this is that you have a total of 512MB ram. Unless you plan on literally running 10 applications at a time(WORD, Explorer, Party, Excel, Windows Media Player, Outlook, etc etc...) you probably won't come close to using up your system resources. This may be something you already know, but it never hurts to be safe: The amount of RAM you have basically determines how much stuff you can do on your computer at once without it starting to lag or get clogged up. 256MB is not enough IMO, but you should be fine with 512. You can always bump it up to 1 GB. I did, but I do a ton on my computer.

Keyboard: Dell Wireless Keyboard and Optical Mouse

Somebody said an optical mouse was good. Why?

Because an optical mouse can be used on many different surfaces. Not only that, but it doesn't need to be cleaned like a track-ball mouse. An optical mouse is head and shoulders above a track-ball.

Monitors (2): 17 in 1703FP Dell Ultrasharp Digital Flat Panel Display

My monitor is at the top of this list

This particular model came with a $150 discount. Also, the $1,000+ price of the 20+ inch monitors just didn't seem like a good value compared to the 17 inch monitors.

Get this monitor: 2001FP (Monitors (2): 17 in 1703FP Dell Ultrasharp Digital Flat Panel Display) . I can't recommend it highly enough. It is a 20.1" that supports 1600x1200 resolution, which is essential for multitabling. I would recommend 2 of these monitors for the serious online player; 1 monitor to multitable and 1 monitor to multitask with other programs. Dell frequently runs a 25% discount on this monitor so, you should be able to get it for around $750 in the near future. Well worth the price.

128MB DDR GeForce FX 5200 Graphics Card with TV-Out and DVI

DVI is good. Almost all dual monitor cards have both a DVI and VGA out. Make sure it has both, unless of course, you're willing to buy one and install it yourself.

120 GB Serial AT Hard Drive (7200RPM)

I doubt you'll ever use 1/4th of this. ever.

Network Interface: Integrated Intel PRO 10/100 Ethernet

This doesn't sound like something I need.


It's very much something you need. If you're getting high speed cable, this is what you use to connect to the internet.

REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION: Since I'm getting a cable modem hookup via Cox Communications (the cable provider here in Las Vegas), do I need a modem? Man, this sounds like a dumb question.

This is not a dumb question. You only need the modem if you would like to use dial up as a backup to cable. You pretty much won't ever need a dial up modem unless you wanted it for peace of mind.

What is the difference between 16x and 48x? There wasn't a 48x DVD-ROM option.

I believe it's how fast it reads the information on the disk. If you were to copy a CD to your computer, I think it would copy at 48x the time it takes to listen to it. If you copied a DVD, it would copy at 16x. That's my understand, though I could be wrong on that. What's important is that you'll be fine with a 16x DVD-ROM if you just want to watch movies.

Speakers: Dell 5650 5.1 Surround Sound Speaker System with Subwoofer

Again, I don't listen to music so speakers are not important to me.

Then you are getting a lot of wasted speakers. a 5.1 sysem means that you're getting 5 speakers (center, front l/r and back l/r) and a subwoofer. Is there any way you can downgrade to the dinky 2 speaker system that comes standard?

Digital Music: Dell Jukebox powered by MUSICMATCH

I hope this is free because there wasn't a "none" option.

It is, and should be because the program sucks.

Digital Photography: Dell Picture Studio, Paint Shop Pro Trial, Photo Album Starter Editon

Again, I hope this is free.


It is.

I hope this info helps. If you have any questions about what I've written, feel free to PM me.


Cup

[David Steele]

Get the 20 ( 2 of them later if you need it ).

You might want to get stereo speakers if you don't want
all those surround speakers hanging off.

D.

[illunious]

[ QUOTE ]
You might want to get stereo speakers if you don't want
all those surround speakers hanging off.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, you might be able to save a few bucks on speakers. Personally, I'm a music (mp3) junkie. I prefer my Sennheiser headphones and don't even have speakers hooked up to my computer anymore.

The PC is really top of the line, you'll have a great system for many many years.

Inthacups advice is golden, Dynasty. I am glad I had the opportunity to give you advice also. I have read almost all 4000 of your posts and learned so much, the chance at giving you some advice is pretty cool /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Sooga]

[ QUOTE ]
REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION: Since I'm getting a cable modem hookup via Cox Communications (the cable provider here in Las Vegas), do I need a modem? Man, this sounds like a dumb question.

This is not a dumb question. You only need the modem if you would like to use dial up as a backup to cable. You pretty much won't ever need a dial up modem unless you wanted it for peace of mind.


[/ QUOTE ]

Actually modems come in really handy when you need to send/receive a fax.

[whiskeytown]

at work right now, I have dual monitors that share one PC - but there's a dispatch station being set up that has 4 on one screen

that's 16 games on 1600 by 1200 resolution going at once with no overlap...(drool) - perfect for when you feel like blowing your brain in one setting

I've also seen similar setups for flight simulator - where they'll put a row of monitors in a line and pump the left and right views on those so they actually turn left to see left...

kewl stuff....rock on

RB

[Inthacup]

but there's a dispatch station being set up that has 4 on one screen

Do you mean 4 monitors from 1 PC? This can be done relatively easy. The hard part is buying 4 monitors, lol. You pretty much need one AGP card and one PCI card that both support dual monitors. You have to install the software that comes with the graphics cards. Then a few clicks to change your display settings and 16 tables later, you're playing 1000+ hands per hour /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Dynasty]

Take 3

Thanks to everybody who has given me advice on building my new computer. It had better be helpful since it has doubled the price of my system to $2,893. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

This appears to be the final product which I expect to be ordering Wednesday afternoon.

Dell Dimension 8300 Series: Pentium 4 Processor with HT Technology 3 GHz w/800 MHz FSB

Memory: 512 MB Dual Channel DDR SDRAM at 400MHz (2x256M)

Monitors (2): 20.1 in 2001FP Dell Ultrasharp Digital Flat Panel Display.

View the monitor here (http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/ProductDetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=04&sku=320-1578&category_id=4009)

Video Card: New 128MB DDR GeForce FX 5200 Graphics Card with TV-Out and DVI

Hard Drive: 120GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)

The less important components are all the same.

[brick]

Someday you'll wish you had a CD Writer in there.
Not hard to add later, but you'll be probably use it if you have it.
Do you have a CD player at home and in the Car. It costs only pennies to copy your a CD for use in your car. Also, you could copy your poker tracker database to a CD for backup.

I would much, much rather have a CD Writer than a DVD ROM.

I think a stand-alone DVD player (to connect to your TV) is a lot more flexible.

[brick]

I should say, this is one awesome computer.

[Boris]

the 20 inch monitors are overkill. you can save $800 by going with 2 17 inch monitors.

[Dynasty]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you have a CD player at home and in the Car. It costs only pennies to copy your a CD for use in your car. Also, you could copy your poker tracker database to a CD for backup.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't own any music. I haven't bought a CD/tape/album in more than twenty years.

[Dynasty]

[ QUOTE ]
the 20 inch monitors are overkill. you can save $800 by going with 2 17 inch monitors.

[/ QUOTE ]

All the 17 inch monitors were 1280x1024. All the above posts insisted 1600x1200 was vastly superior for multi-table online play.

[Mano]

That is the same monitor I have at work, and it is very nice. If you had the desk space, you could save a lot of money by getting 21" CRT monitors, but I am sure you will be pleased with the display.

[illunious]

I'm glad to see you're getting the 1600x1200 displays, they are well worth the extra $900.

Once you become spoiled by the power of a the combined 3200x1200 resolution, then go back to your old computer you'll realize what a huge difference it makes.

[David Steele]

NM

[illunious]

Also, I'm assuming you'll start out playing only 1 or 2 tables while getting the feel for playing online. You can save $850 and just buy one 20" display for now, then when you start playing 4+ at a time, buy display #2. As long as you have a dual output video card, upgrading to the second display will be as simple as plugging it in.

Like I said before, I'd prefer one of these displays to 2 of the 17" displays.

[Inthacup]

the 20 inch monitors are overkill. you can save $800 by going with 2 17 inch monitors.

I have had a 17" monitor before and could only play 2 tables without massive overlap. Even with the 2 tables, I had to sit in the top right/bottom left corners of the table to be able to see both hole cards at all times. It hinders the ability to watch the action severely. Now, suppose that Dynasty were to play 2 tables on a 17" monitor. I'm convinced it's as easy to play 3 tables on a 1600x1200 than 2 on a 1280x1024. With the added ability to add an extra table without a significan loss in win rate, the monitor will pay for itself in a week's worth of play.

I always like keeping poker on one window and another window for whatever else I want to do. This is IMO the best way to multitable online.



Cup

[pudley4]

[ QUOTE ]
You pretty much need one AGP card and one PCI card that both support dual monitors.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nope, just one card. This one (http://www.matrox.com/mga/products/g450_mms/home.cfm) supports up to 4 monitors. We use it at work for our traders' workstations.

[Six_of_One]

[ QUOTE ]

All the 17 inch monitors were 1280x1024. All the above posts insisted 1600x1200 was vastly superior for multi-table online play.

[/ QUOTE ]

The other posters are right. I have a 1280x1024 monitor, and while I do play 4 tables, it's extremely annoying having them overlap so much. It definitely prevents me from observing the games as well as I could if I had the monitor you're buying, and no doubt detracts from my win rate. I'm going to be buying a system very much like yours soon, except with just one monitor.

[FatOtt]

Get a CD writer if only for backup purposes. Also, be sure to get some kind of anti-virus protection when your trial period runs out. You can usually find them for way cheap or even free after rebates.

[illunious]

[ QUOTE ]
Get a CD writer if only for backup purposes. Also, be sure to get some kind of anti-virus protection when your trial period runs out. You can usually find them for way cheap or even free after rebates.


[/ QUOTE ]

A hardware firewall/router is extremely important too since you're getting a cable modem. If nothing else, ask the cable guy to enable the WindowsXP firewall before he connects you to the modem.

[Ray Zee]

sounds like a great system. so good you will spend many hours looking at your monitors and playing cards. one day you will say where did my life go. then remember back that it was spent in front of a screen. hope this isnt you.

[Dynasty]

[ QUOTE ]
sounds like a great system. so good you will spend many hours looking at your monitors and playing cards. one day you will say where did my life go. then remember back that it was spent in front of a screen. hope this isnt you.

[/ QUOTE ]

As opposed to what I would say if I remained an accountant and sitting in front of a screen?

[Hiding]

[ QUOTE ]
Because an optical mouse can be used on many different surfaces. Not only that, but it doesn't need to be cleaned like a track-ball mouse. An optical mouse is head and shoulders above a track-ball.


[/ QUOTE ]

I use an optical track ball, never needs cleaning or a surface to run. I can lean back in my chair with it on the arm rest or my knee. Love it, can't go bak to a mouse I have to roll, but it takes about a week to get used to