Looking for feedback on my new system

Gage64 · 2008-07-21T06:11:42

I know this topic probably comes up very often, but I think the needs of every person are different so I can't really get answers from reading similar threads. I'll be buying a new computer in a few days. I've been a bit out of the loop for a few years so there are probably many things to consider that I'm not aware of, and that's basically the reason for this thread. I'm not looking to spend a lot of money. I'll be using the computer for mostly internet surfing and programming. I may occasionally want to play some old games, but I don't expect to be able to run newer games so I don't want to invest in an expensive video card. I can always do that later. Also, I will be reusing a few things from my old computer (mostly the screen). With that in mind, I think I only need the following: Case + PSU Processor Motherboard RAM HD (maybe - read on) Looking around a bit, I decided to go with a Core 2 Duo E7200 and 2GB of ram. Other than that, I'm not really sure - and now for the questions: What do you think about my processor and ram choice? I think the store I plan to buy from gives 500W PSUs by default. Is that enough? Will it be enough if I'll want to upgrade to a descent video card? Does it matter which ram I buy? Can I just buy the cheapest one? Should it be from a well known company? About the motherboard - I don't upgrade my system very often, so I think there's no point in trying to buy a board I can extend later (e.g., replace the processor) because by the time I'll want to do that, it won't be compatible with anything. Do you agree? What other features should I look for in a motherboard? About the video card - I want the motherboard to have an onboard graphics card. I don't care how slow it is, but I need it to fully support shaders. At least SM 2.0, and SM 3.0 would be nice. I've tried searching for info but I'm not sure which cards support shaders and which don't. The nVidia ones probably do, but what about the Intel ones? About the HD - I have an older HD, but it doesn't have a SATA connection (I think it has the previous generation one. Don't remember what it's called), but I've heard that some motherboards still support these connections. Is this true? I've also heard that SATA is faster, but is the difference significant? If I do decide to buy a new HD, I'll probably buy a 500GB one (seems like the sweet spot price-wise). Which company do you recommend? What companies should I stay away from? I think the disk has 7200RPM and 32MB cache. Would the difference be significant if I go with a 10000RPM? With a RAID HD (I don't know what that is but I heard it's fast)? If I do, will a 500W PSU still be enough? That's all I got so far. I appreciate any advice you can give me. Also, if there's anything else I should consider, please let me know.