A little direction please!

**crazyadi** · 26th March 2009

just wondering if anyone can come up with some reasonably priced bits for a pc upgrade.

basically the PC will be used to mainly.....
play solitare

watching movies (when my dad has had enough of my mum going on he retires to the front room lol)

photo manipulation using adobe etc

and transfering video (you know tapes) to the pc so they can be burnt to DVD

cant afford to be looking at quad core stuff!!!

i need a new motherbaord and processor, anyone know if anywhere are doing a really good package price? problem with the board is that it needs to have pci slots and ide ( i have only just replaced the dvd writer x 2 and the HD so i dont want to have to buy a sata one.

also i assume i will need a half decent graphics card for the manipulation? any suggestions on this? again reasonable price

memory obviously but i know that cheaps as chips these days, think aria are doing a 4gb kit for less than �20!!!!

and a video capture card...this is something i have struggled with over the last few months having purchased a couple that dont actually do what it says on the tin!!! or can i get a graphics card that had capture facility on it?

anyway thanks for readin all the way to this point!! all advice appreciated!!!

cheers

crazy

**n00bz0rd2** · 26th March 2009

I have bought at least 3 bundles from eBay. They include the CPU, mobo and RAM and a decent price.

I recommend a Core2Duo, but QuadCore wouldn't be that more expensive.
Anyhow, check this one out
Bundle 1
Slightly cheaper (lower model CPU) Bundle 2

Depending on your budget, I would get either the ATi Radeon HD4650, HD4670 or HD4850

For video capture cards, have a look at the Hauppauge make. They seem to make some good ones.

[Edit] Just for comparison, heres a QuadCore bundle. It is extremely similar to the one I have
Quad Core bundle

**Swiss Tony** · 26th March 2009

you can pick up an acer l3600 for about �220 with a screen, inbuilt digital tv card, dvd re-writer, 2GB ram 250gb HDD, may be worth a kelkoo search... 2.2 dual core intel processor.

**Greyfox** · 26th March 2009

How much you willing to spend on a graphics card m8?

**crazyadi** · 27th March 2009

Originally Posted by n00bz0rd2

I have bought at least 3 bundles from eBay. They include the CPU, mobo and RAM and a decent price.

I recommend a Core2Duo, but QuadCore wouldn't be that more expensive.
Anyhow, check this one out
Bundle 1
Slightly cheaper (lower model CPU) Bundle 2

Depending on your budget, I would get either the ATi Radeon HD4650, HD4670 or HD4850

For video capture cards, have a look at the Hauppauge make. They seem to make some good ones.

[Edit] Just for comparison, heres a QuadCore bundle. It is extremely similar to the one I have
Quad Core bundle

cheers m8 they look half decent! but would i need a graphics card with the first one because it says it has a built in one or am i being stupid??

Originally Posted by Swiss Tony

you can pick up an acer l3600 for about �220 with a screen, inbuilt digital tv card, dvd re-writer, 2GB ram 250gb HDD, may be worth a kelkoo search... 2.2 dual core intel processor.

thought about buying pre built but figured i would get a better spec for equivelant money if i built it? plus when i search for that pc i dont see anything less than �350 with some upto �550...where did you see it for that price?

Originally Posted by Greyfox

How much you willing to spend on a graphics card m8?

not really got a price in mind m8 budget for the full thing is �350ish

thanks for the input guys!

**n00bz0rd2** · 27th March 2009

You can still use a gfx card is the mobo has an on built one. Makes no difference. Using a stand along one is always better though.

**crazyadi** · 27th March 2009

Originally Posted by n00bz0rd2

You can still use a gfx card is the mobo has an on built one. Makes no difference. Using a stand along one is always better though.

cheers m8, was just thinking the one on the MB uses 512mb where i am looking at spending about �50 and they tend to be 256mb from what i have come across so thought maybe it would give better performance using the onboard and using the �50 for something else?!

crazy

**n00bz0rd2** · 27th March 2009

Well on the first bundle, it might be ok using the onboard one, but I have always known that stand alone cards perform a lot better.

**Ganty** · 27th March 2009

I've got a spare GB of memory knocking about mate if you want it.

**Greyfox** · 27th March 2009

1 gig 9600gt �57 http://www.shinytech.co.uk/product/GA-GV-N95TOC-1GI.htm

if you wanna go up a big notch performance wise thoguh you best bet is for the 9800gt

http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/805674...d/Product.html

**Ganty** · 27th March 2009

Originally Posted by crazyadi

cheers m8, was just thinking the one on the MB uses 512mb where i am looking at spending about �50 and they tend to be 256mb from what i have come across so thought maybe it would give better performance using the onboard and using the �50 for something else?!

crazy

http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/796619...+Graphics+Card

**crazyadi** · 28th March 2009

Originally Posted by Ganty

http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/796619...+Graphics+Card

cheers ganty that looks ok actually!!

**broona** · 29th March 2009

Originally Posted by Ganty

http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/796619...+Graphics+Card

I see your 4650 and raise you a 4670 for �2.50 less - http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/s....html?nov-4670

Got one in my HTPC, and it's a cracking card, and a good step up from the 4650 for games.

**ilscuro** · 29th March 2009

Not sure where in the country you are m8, but if you can get to bowlers computer fair in Manchester there are some real bargains to be had, i was there yesterday

**Ganty** · 29th March 2009

Originally Posted by broona

I see your 4650 and raise you a 4670 for �2.50 less - http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/s....html?nov-4670

Got one in my HTPC, and it's a cracking card, and a good step up from the 4650 for games.

I've been using a 4650 for the last few months, and for the price, it's an amazing piece of kit.

**crazyadi** · 29th March 2009

Originally Posted by ilscuro

Not sure where in the country you are m8, but if you can get to bowlers computer fair in Manchester there are some real bargains to be had, i was there yesterday

i live just a few miles, like about 3 Lol, from bowlers! BUT im always bloody working saturday mornings! by the time i get home everyone will be gone even with the 4pm finish!!!

crazy

**Mule** · 30th March 2009

If you're just editing photo's you really don't need an expensive video card, even onboard graphics would do. You only really need a decent graphics card for 3D stuff like games.

The IDE/SATA issue is one I'm struggling with myself as I'm also thinking of upgrading. The latest motherboards seem to have mostly abandoned IDE with most having just 1 port. Two options are a SATA to IDE converter or a PCI IDE controller.

**crazyadi** · 30th March 2009

Originally Posted by Mule

If you're just editing photo's you really don't need an expensive video card, even onboard graphics would do. You only really need a decent graphics card for 3D stuff like games.

The IDE/SATA issue is one I'm struggling with myself as I'm also thinking of upgrading. The latest motherboards seem to have mostly abandoned IDE with most having just 1 port. Two options are a SATA to IDE converter or a PCI IDE controller.

cheers mule... i was thinking that graphics were more for gaming but wasny sure if it would speedup any photo work i was doing!

well i already have a sata to ide but in all honesty i wasnt very impressed with it when i used it last, to the point i went out and purchased a new ide drive!

crazy