[CLUE-Tech] Hardware Questions

[Brandon N]

--- JOEL COHEN <cjabbe at msn.com> wrote:
> Are you sure you want to build a new machine? It might not cost you
> much more to buy a new machine, and you'll save yourself a good deal
> of time. Once you figure in a new motherboard (yes, you will need to
> buy a new one), CPU, memory (yes, you will have to replace what
> you've got), and maybe a new video card, you'll end up spending just
> as much as a new system.  
> 
> If you still want to build your own, I would buy the components over
> the internet. You'll get better prices than from any local place.
> Check out pricewatch.com for some comparison shopping.  
> 
> Good sites for specs: tomshardware.com, anandtech.com,
> arstechnica.com
> 

The advantage of building your own is that you can do it incrementally,
I've been doing this for years, I have my primary workstation, my wifes
machine, and a development/testing machine.  When I feel that something
needs to be upgraded, I take it out and pass it down to one of the
other machines.  I just recently upgraded my video card to a Matrox
G450 Dual Head, and I will soon be getting a new CPU/motherboard/RAM
combo (you almost always have to buy all three at once.  

For a CPU, I would recommend looking at an AMD Duron, they save you a
few bucks and perform very well (expecially the 1.2Ghz models, see toms
hardware)  I usually buy a CPU+motherboard combo like these: 
http://www.1stclasstech.com/motcpucom.html, it tends to save you a few
bucks.  for checking out prices, use www.pricewatch.com

Incedently, Someone mentioned not being able to find a good local
source for parts, how many people on here would be interested in
participating in a COOP that among other things provides computer parts
and rackspace for servers?  It's an idea I've been tossing around for
quite a while and I've been studying up on how coops work.

Brandon

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