Talk to me about laptops vs desktops (1 Viewer)

[AcerFC]

I did a quick search but got no substantial hits back. If this has been discussed recently, please leave a link. I am very very out of date with computer info. Looking for some feedback from those in the know

My laptop is going on 6 years and is starting to lag a bit. Add in the fact that my wife bought us a gopro last year (I have a thread on that here somewhere) for me to edit videos. I enjoy creating and editing videos for my class. I use Camtasia to make my videos. Anyway, back to the gopro. The videos do not render correctly on my laptop, can not be edited in Camtasia and the gopro video editor does not work as my laptop does not have the specs it needs for the program.

Having a gopro and not being able to a) watch the videos and b) edit into one video kind of defeats the purpose. Since the laptop is lagging, time to look for a new computer

I do not want to spend a ton of money. I have a chromebook that I love and that would be my main go to for email/Internet etc

Im looking for something with specs that will run the gopro stuff

https://gopro.com/support/articles/what-are-the-minimum-system-requirements-for-gopro-studio

Am I looking at a desktop or a laptop. And about how much will this cost

 

[SWC]

the big difference is that if you try to carry a desktop around with the box and a monitor and a mouse and a keyboard to try and use it at an airport or a meeting or something people are going to think you are pretty fn wierd thats all i got brohan take that to the bank

 

[Dentist]

Video editing and the handling of that kind of data is one of the most laborious tasks for a computer requiring a lot of ram and hard drive space. Seems like a better use for a nice desktop.

 

[BowieMercs]

Video editing and the handling of that kind of data is one of the most laborious tasks for a computer requiring a lot of ram and hard drive space. Seems like a better use for a nice desktop.

+1

To use a notebook for that, max out the CPU & ram and get an SSD. But that would break your budget. Desktops are cheaper, so look there

 

[AcerFC]

Thank you guys. Is there a particular desktop that you would recommend. As I said, it has been a long time. Last desktop I bought was 10-12 years ago. It was a Compaq which wasnt great, wasnt awful

 

[AcerFC]

How would this rate?

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/lenovo-23-8-touch-screen-all-in-one-intel-core-i5-8gb-memory-1tb-hard-drive-black/2121011.p?id=1219528555416&skuId=2121011

The gopro site suggests this Intel Quad Core[SIZE=8.4px]™[/SIZE]i7 , but this computer only has

Intel Core i5

Is this a deal breaker. Also, how can you tell if a graphics card supports OpenGL 1.2 or later

 

[Kanil]

If you build your own desktop you're going to save a lot of money versus buying one prebuilt.

 

[AcerFC]

If you build your own desktop you're going to save a lot of money versus buying one prebuilt.

Unfortunately, I do not have the time or know how to do this. Wish I did.

 

[fasteddie_21]

If you build your own desktop you're going to save a lot of money versus buying one prebuilt.

Unfortunately, I do not have the time or know how to do this. Wish I did.

If money is the driving force in what you can buy, building your own rig is quite simple and it takes a few hours. If you're sweating the price, the amount you save is more than what you'd make in the few hours it'd take to learn how and to build the rig.

 

[AcerFC]

If you build your own desktop you're going to save a lot of money versus buying one prebuilt.

Unfortunately, I do not have the time or know how to do this. Wish I did.

If money is the driving force in what you can buy, building your own rig is quite simple and it takes a few hours. If you're sweating the price, the amount you save is more than what you'd make in the few hours it'd take to learn how and to build the rig.

I was thinking I can spend somewhere around $1,000. If I built one, how much would it save me AND, for someone who knows nothing about building a computer, what is the rate of difficulty? It sounds fun, but I could see myself screwing things up big time

 

[Mr. Ected]

I will start off saying I am an Apple nut, so I am biased.

If you are willing to forego the Touch screen, you have a couple of Apple options at that budget.

1) Refurbished 21.5 inch iMac - slightly slower, smaller screen, smaller HD $899. (If you need more room, buy a external HD, cheap.)

Spoiler

Processor
1.4GHz dual- core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 2.7GHz) with 3MB shared L3 cache

Memory
8GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3 onboard memory

Storage
500GB 1 (5400-rpm) hard drive

Graphics
Intel HD Graphics 5000

Ports
SDXC card slot
Four USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps)
Two Thunderbolt ports (up to 10 Gbps)
Mini DisplayPort output with support for DVI, VGA, and dual-link DVI (adapters sold separately)
10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)
Kensington lock slot

Audio

Stereo speakers, Dual microphones, Headphone/optical digital audio output (minijack), support for Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic

Wireless

802.11ac Wi-Fi wireless networking;5 IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible; Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology

Size and Weight

Height: 17.7 inches (45.0 cm)
Width: 20.8 inches (52.8 cm)
Depth: 6.9 inches (17.5 cm) with stand
Weight: 12.5 pounds (5.68 kg)6

2) Apple Mac Mini

PC - $699

Add Monitor (23-27 inch) ~$150

Wireless Apple Keyboard/Mouse - $150

It is possible to mount mini behind monitor to save desk space.

Spoiler

Processor
2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz) with 3MB on-chip shared L3 cache
Configurable to 3.0GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 (Turbo Boost up to 3.5GHz) with 4MB on-chip shared L3 cache.

Storage
1TB (5400-rpm) hard drive
Configurable to 1TB Fusion Drive or 256GB of flash storage (SSD).

Memory
8GB of 1600MHz LPDDR3 memory
Configurable to 16GB.

Video Support
Support for up to two displays at 2560 by 1600 pixels, both at millions of colors
Thunderbolt digital video output
Native Mini DisplayPort output
DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter (sold separately)
VGA output using Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter (sold separately)
Dual-link DVI output using Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (sold separately)

HDMI video output
Support for 1080p resolution at up to 60Hz
Support for 3840-by-2160 resolution at 30Hz
Support for 4096-by-2160 resolution at 24Hz

DVI output using HDMI to DVI Adapter (sold separately)

Audio
Audio line in minijack (digital/analog)
Audio line out/3.5 mm headphone jack (digital/analog)
HDMI port supports multichannel audio output
Support for Apple iPhone headset with microphone
Built-in speaker

 

[TheAristocrat]

It's not really all that difficult to build your own rig. The worst part in most any build is getting the cooler on the CPU which can be a boatload of fun depending on case and space. Everything else is "match the shape," more or less.

A couple Gotchas:

Make sure your CPU, Motherboard, and RAM are all compatible with each other. Your MoBo manual will tell you everything you need to know but go to the site to get the most up-to-date version.

Figure out what you need from your Power Supply and add 50%. That's roughly what you need.

Get a CPU without a cooler and buy your own cooler. It's extra cost, sure, but you'll thank me later.

As for your video card, I'd look at 4GB cards. Again, yes, a bit expensive but totally worth it.

What components do you already have? Keyboard, mouse, monitor, DVD drive?

 

[TheAristocrat]

Oh, and go SSD if you can. Night and day difference in speeds against non-SSD drives.

 

[Kanil]

If you build your own desktop you're going to save a lot of money versus buying one prebuilt.

Unfortunately, I do not have the time or know how to do this. Wish I did.

If money is the driving force in what you can buy, building your own rig is quite simple and it takes a few hours. If you're sweating the price, the amount you save is more than what you'd make in the few hours it'd take to learn how and to build the rig.

I was thinking I can spend somewhere around $1,000. If I built one, how much would it save me AND, for someone who knows nothing about building a computer, what is the rate of difficulty? It sounds fun, but I could see myself screwing things up big time

Do you know anyone that can? When I used to be a tech I'd build computers for people, mark all costs up 40% and still beat the Dell/HPs of the world by 25%.

You'd save a substantial amount of money buying the parts from a place like Newegg and then paying someone $100 to put it all together. Heck, you might be able to get them to talk you through putting it together yourself.

This "combo" that Newegg put together would probably do the trick. The only things it doesn't provide are monitor/keyboard/mouse. $708 before tax/shipping.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.2451601

 

[Brony]

anyone have experience with USB-C on newer computers to see if it improves transfer speed? It would be huge for dealing with video and photo if it delivers as promised. I will be looking for this in my next PC.

 

[BoltBacker]

AcerFC, you are asking at the perfect time of year. There should be great deals for the next two months.

Watch youtube videos on installing a graphics card and hard drivedrive into a desktop computer. If those look like something you would feel comfortable doing then you can save a ton of money buying some discounted desktop(Newegg typically has great bang for your buck deals this time of year) that has a very good processor, a very good power supply, a motherboard that supports a lot of ram, and a case that is big enough you can comfortably work in and fits plent of extras especially hard drives. This is much easier than building your own computer with much of the cost savings as graphics cards, hard drives, and RAM will be cheap during the end of year deals.

If those videos still look too time consuming or intimidating just keep your eye out for a laptop with a later i7, a 4gb graphics card(it will probably be described as a "gaming laptop"), and as much RAM as you can get. I would expect to see one close to a thousand dollars before January. You will need to buy external storage later but that can be bought on sale as you need it and is completely plug and play.

Btw, I LOVE SSD drives but for video editing(and STORAGE) you probably want the biggest drives you can get. If I could get huge 7200rpm drives vs small SSD I would take the huge drive. Try to avoid hard drives slower than that no matter how big they are imo.

Latly, if you want advice on specific parts shoot a pm to MadCow.

 

[Mr. Ected]

AcerFC, you are asking at the perfect time of year. There should be great deals for the next two months.

Watch youtube videos on installing a graphics card and hard drivedrive into a desktop computer. If those look like something you would feel comfortable doing then you can save a ton of money buying some discounted desktop(Newegg typically has great bang for your buck deals this time of year) that has a very good processor, a very good power supply, a motherboard that supports a lot of ram, and a case that is big enough you can comfortably work in and fits plent of extras especially hard drives. This is much easier than building your own computer with much of the cost savings as graphics cards, hard drives, and RAM will be cheap during the end of year deals.

If those videos still look too time consuming or intimidating just keep your eye out for a laptop with a later i7, a 4gb graphics card(it will probably be described as a "gaming laptop"), and as much RAM as you can get. I would expect to see one close to a thousand dollars before January. You will need to buy external storage later but that can be bought on sale as you need it and is completely plug and play.

Btw, I LOVE SSD drives but for video editing(and STORAGE) you probably want the biggest drives you can get. If I could get huge 7200rpm drives vs small SSD I would take the huge drive. Try to avoid hard drives slower than that no matter how big they are imo.

Latly, if you want advice on specific parts shoot a pm to MadCow.

Wouldn't it make sense to get a smallish, fast SSD (< 500 GB) for main drive (OS, programs, etc) and have a big hard drive or two (one for b/u) externally for everything else?

 

[[icon]]

AcerFC, you are asking at the perfect time of year. There should be great deals for the next two months.

Btw, I LOVE SSD drives but for video editing(and STORAGE) you probably want the biggest drives you can get. If I could get huge 7200rpm drives vs small SSD I would take the huge drive. Try to avoid hard drives slower than that no matter how big they are imo.

Latly, if you want advice on specific parts shoot a pm to MadCow.

Wouldn't it make sense to get a smallish, fast SSD (< 500 GB) for main drive (OS, programs, etc) and have a big hard drive or two (one for b/u) externally for everything else?

Bingo....

C:> Samsung EVO 850 250GB SSD for $100 for the OS/APPS and whatever project you're working on.

D:> Any reputable 2TB 7200RPM HDD for $80-100 for storage of most files.

• Create a projects folder on the 2TB drive and use a separate folder for each project as you archive it.

• Store any project on the SSD that you're currently working on for fastest processing.

 

[Mr. Ected]

AcerFC, you are asking at the perfect time of year. There should be great deals for the next two months.

Btw, I LOVE SSD drives but for video editing(and STORAGE) you probably want the biggest drives you can get. If I could get huge 7200rpm drives vs small SSD I would take the huge drive. Try to avoid hard drives slower than that no matter how big they are imo.

Latly, if you want advice on specific parts shoot a pm to MadCow.

Wouldn't it make sense to get a smallish, fast SSD (< 500 GB) for main drive (OS, programs, etc) and have a big hard drive or two (one for b/u) externally for everything else?

Bingo....

C:> Samsung EVO 850 250GB SSD for $100 for the OS/APPS and whatever project you're working on.

D:> Any reputable 2TB 7200RPM HDD for $80-100 for storage of most files.

• Create a projects folder on the 2TB drive and use a separate folder for each project as you archive it.

• Store any project on the SSD that you're currently working on for fastest processing.

Buy a second, backup!!!

 

[[icon]]

C:> Samsung EVO 850 250GB SSD for $100 for the OS/APPS and whatever project you're working on.

D:> Any reputable 2TB 7200RPM HDD for $80-100 for storage of most files.

• Create a projects folder on the 2TB drive and use a separate folder for each project as you archive it.

• Store any project on the SSD that you're currently working on for fastest processing.

Buy a second, backup!!!

Ideally yes, if the budget permits... always should run a 2nd drive (USB or whatever is fine) to back up your data.

 

[BoltBacker]

C:> Samsung EVO 850 250GB SSD for $100 for the OS/APPS and whatever project you're working on.

D:> Any reputable 2TB 7200RPM HDD for $80-100 for storage of most files.

• Create a projects folder on the 2TB drive and use a separate folder for each project as you archive it.

• Store any project on the SSD that you're currently working on for fastest processing.

Buy a second, backup!!!

Ideally yes, if the budget permits... always should run a 2nd drive (USB or whatever is fine) to back up your data.

To me, ideally you install as SSD bigger than 250gb when they come down in price further. Put that money towards a second 2TB that he can store at a second location now. These are home movies that can't be replaced and I believe some cloud storage solution like carbonite only backs up the primary drive to the best of my knowledge. I just don't see a $1,000 budget for a video editing computer supporting three hard drives.

 

[cstu]

I was thinking I can spend somewhere around $1,000. If I built one, how much would it save me AND, for someone who knows nothing about building a computer, what is the rate of difficulty? It sounds fun, but I could see myself screwing things up big time

$1000 buys you a real nice desktop these days.

This is a pretty decent rig for $700.

ETA: You can add a video card if you find the graphics aren't good enough for you.

 

[Mario Kart]

the big difference is that if you try to carry a desktop around with the box and a monitor and a mouse and a keyboard to try and use it at an airport or a meeting or something people are going to think you are pretty fn wierd thats all i got brohan take that to the bank

http://cdn.trendhunterstatic.com/thumbs/elaborate-starbucks-offices.jpeg

 

[Dickies]

If you can figure out which connections plug into the back of a desktop you can figure out how each component plugs into the motherboard. I knew little about computer building and built my desktop in an hour

 

[Mr. Ected]

C:> Samsung EVO 850 250GB SSD for $100 for the OS/APPS and whatever project you're working on.

D:> Any reputable 2TB 7200RPM HDD for $80-100 for storage of most files.

• Create a projects folder on the 2TB drive and use a separate folder for each project as you archive it.

• Store any project on the SSD that you're currently working on for fastest processing.

Buy a second, backup!!!

Ideally yes, if the budget permits... always should run a 2nd drive (USB or whatever is fine) to back up your data.

To me, ideally you install as SSD bigger than 250gb when they come down in price further. Put that money towards a second 2TB that he can store at a second location now. These are home movies that can't be replaced and I believe some cloud storage solution like carbonite only backs up the primary drive to the best of my knowledge. I just don't see a $1,000 budget for a video editing computer supporting three hard drives.

I use CrashPlan, its $60/year for unlimited backup storage. You can do multiple drives. Now, I pay $150/year for their 'Family Plan' which is for 2-10 computers.

 

[[icon]]

C:> Samsung EVO 850 250GB SSD for $100 for the OS/APPS and whatever project you're working on.

D:> Any reputable 2TB 7200RPM HDD for $80-100 for storage of most files.

Create a projects folder on the 2TB drive and use a separate folder for each project as you archive it.

Store any project on the SSD that you're currently working on for fastest processing.

Buy a second, backup!!!

Ideally yes, if the budget permits... always should run a 2nd drive (USB or whatever is fine) to back up your data.

To me, ideally you install as SSD bigger than 250gb when they come down in price further. Put that money towards a second 2TB that he can store at a second location now. These are home movies that can't be replaced and I believe some cloud storage solution like carbonite only backs up the primary drive to the best of my knowledge. I just don't see a $1,000 budget for a video editing computer supporting three hard drives.

I use CrashPlan, its $60/year for unlimited backup storage. You can do multiple drives. Now, I pay $150/year for their 'Family Plan' which is for 2-10 computers.

Cloud storage is in a race to zero on pricing.

For the record I have zero issues editing video and working on 2GB Photoshop files on my stock (aside from dual SSD and maxed out RAM) 2009 core 2 duo MacBook Pro

 

[[icon]]

Keep an eye on sites like tech bargains as well:

http://www.techbargains.com/category/357/computers/desktops

Example of a pretty damn beefy system:

http://www.techbargains.com/deal/386745/hp-envy-750se

Quad core i7 skylake with 12GB DDR4 ram, 2TB HDD, Nvidia GForce GTX 745 4GB graphics card, and DVD burner for under $750 shipped. Drop in a 256GB SSD, grab a monitor and keyboard and you're a go.

 

[Mr. Ected]

C:> Samsung EVO 850 250GB SSD for $100 for the OS/APPS and whatever project you're working on.

D:> Any reputable 2TB 7200RPM HDD for $80-100 for storage of most files.

Create a projects folder on the 2TB drive and use a separate folder for each project as you archive it.

Store any project on the SSD that you're currently working on for fastest processing.

Buy a second, backup!!!

Ideally yes, if the budget permits... always should run a 2nd drive (USB or whatever is fine) to back up your data.

To me, ideally you install as SSD bigger than 250gb when they come down in price further. Put that money towards a second 2TB that he can store at a second location now. These are home movies that can't be replaced and I believe some cloud storage solution like carbonite only backs up the primary drive to the best of my knowledge. I just don't see a $1,000 budget for a video editing computer supporting three hard drives.

I use CrashPlan, its $60/year for unlimited backup storage. You can do multiple drives. Now, I pay $150/year for their 'Family Plan' which is for 2-10 computers.

Cloud storage is in a race to zero on pricing.

For the record I have zero issues editing video and working on 2GB Photoshop files on my stock (aside from dual SSD and maxed out RAM) 2009 core 2 duo MacBook Pro

I somehow have a bunch of external HDs, so I have one 1T set up with TimeMachine on my Mac, just for my main HD, and use CrashPlan to b/u everything. I like having a local b/u of the main HD, so if there is a problem I can go back and get something real quick. TimeMachine is nice and easy for this, but that's just Apple.

 

[AcerFC]

I appreciate everyones input here. Unfortunately, I just dont think I can do it myself, even with that newegg link posted of all the components I need. Just dont have the confidence

 

[AcerFC]

This "combo" that Newegg put together would probably do the trick. The only things it doesn't provide are monitor/keyboard/mouse. $708 before tax/shipping.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.2451601

On second thought, how much would something like this be if I bought it in a store?

Also, would you add another ssd drive like icon and ected are talking about

The creative side in me wants to try this. The financial side in me just says buy it put together

 

[Cliff Clavin]

This "combo" that Newegg put together would probably do the trick. The only things it doesn't provide are monitor/keyboard/mouse. $708 before tax/shipping.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.2451601

On second thought, how much would something like this be if I bought it in a store?

Also, would you add another ssd drive like icon and ected are talking about

The creative side in me wants to try this. The financial side in me just says buy it put together

That has a 120GB SSD in it along with a 1TB HD. No need to buy another SSD on top of that.

 

[Hov34]

Oh, and go SSD if you can. Night and day difference in speeds against non-SSD drives.

Wanting to switch my HD for a SSD, how hard is it to "clone" your current HD to a SSD?

Or, should I just start over with the new SSD hard drive?

 

[tonydead]

It's not really all that difficult to build your own rig. The worst part in most any build is getting the cooler on the CPU which can be a boatload of fun depending on case and space. Everything else is "match the shape," more or less.

A couple Gotchas:

Make sure your CPU, Motherboard, and RAM are all compatible with each other. Your MoBo manual will tell you everything you need to know but go to the site to get the most up-to-date version.

Figure out what you need from your Power Supply and add 50%. That's roughly what you need.

Get a CPU without a cooler and buy your own cooler. It's extra cost, sure, but you'll thank me later.

As for your video card, I'd look at 4GB cards. Again, yes, a bit expensive but totally worth it.

What components do you already have? Keyboard, mouse, monitor, DVD drive?

To be fair the average person that doesn't deal with computers everyday don't feel as comfortable with bios settings and installing drivers as you probably do. That's the hardest part for people building their first rig. All it takes is one "automatically update bios via internet" before your network driver is installed and something simple quickly gets more difficult.

 

[[icon]]

Oh, and go SSD if you can. Night and day difference in speeds against non-SSD drives.

Wanting to switch my HD for a SSD, how hard is it to "clone" your current HD to a SSD?

Or, should I just start over with the new SSD hard drive?

There are a lot of applications for PC and MAC that will clone drives reliably. You will likely need to re-enter some serial numbers and encounter a few other minor inconveniences (or at least I did when I cloned my HDD to SSD for my Macbook), but overall it's pretty effortless.

 

[TheAristocrat]

Oh, and go SSD if you can. Night and day difference in speeds against non-SSD drives.

Wanting to switch my HD for a SSD, how hard is it to "clone" your current HD to a SSD?

Or, should I just start over with the new SSD hard drive?

Start over with the new SSD and you will not regret it. Especially with how quickly you will get back up to speed.

 

[TheAristocrat]

It's not really all that difficult to build your own rig. The worst part in most any build is getting the cooler on the CPU which can be a boatload of fun depending on case and space. Everything else is "match the shape," more or less.

A couple Gotchas:

Make sure your CPU, Motherboard, and RAM are all compatible with each other. Your MoBo manual will tell you everything you need to know but go to the site to get the most up-to-date version.

Figure out what you need from your Power Supply and add 50%. That's roughly what you need.

Get a CPU without a cooler and buy your own cooler. It's extra cost, sure, but you'll thank me later.

As for your video card, I'd look at 4GB cards. Again, yes, a bit expensive but totally worth it.

What components do you already have? Keyboard, mouse, monitor, DVD drive?

To be fair the average person that doesn't deal with computers everyday don't feel as comfortable with bios settings and installing drivers as you probably do. That's the hardest part for people building their first rig. All it takes is one "automatically update bios via internet" before your network driver is installed and something simple quickly gets more difficult.

That's very fair. After however many builds I have under my belt, I'm probably speaking from the uber-dork range. That happens sometimes.

 

[hagmania]

I was thinking I can spend somewhere around $1,000. If I built one, how much would it save me AND, for someone who knows nothing about building a computer, what is the rate of difficulty? It sounds fun, but I could see myself screwing things up big time

$1000 buys you a real nice desktop these days.

This is a pretty decent rig for $700.

ETA: You can add a video card if you find the graphics aren't good enough for you.

$1000 buys a nicer rig if you build it yourself!

 

[Kanil]

This "combo" that Newegg put together would probably do the trick. The only things it doesn't provide are monitor/keyboard/mouse. $708 before tax/shipping.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.2451601

On second thought, how much would something like this be if I bought it in a store?

Also, would you add another ssd drive like icon and ected are talking about

The creative side in me wants to try this. The financial side in me just says buy it put together

I think with the help of youtube you should have no problem doing this. It's probably the equivalent difficulty of changing oil in a car.

*Edit*

I'm not sure exactly how much that would cost in the store but I'm guessing $1400ish.

 

[AcerFC]

Cant believe how many people do it on their own. Thanks again for all the input.

If the building of it is as easy as an oil change, how difficult is it to get it up and running. I would imagine you have to know how to turn everything "on" including operating system etc

 

[Cliff Clavin]

Cant believe how many people do it on their own. Thanks again for all the input.

If the building of it is as easy as an oil change, how difficult is it to get it up and running. I would imagine you have to know how to turn everything "on" including operating system etc

Most of the bundles do not include a copy windows so you'd have to shop around for the best deal on that. Installing windows is ridiculously easy.

 

[AcerFC]

I'm watching a newegg video on building your own conputer right now. I told my wife you guys have me inspired. She gave me the, you have a million things you can do around the house but if you want to, have fun response.

Last question since I dont want to bother you guys too much with "stupid" questions. One thing that I love is having a card reader in my laptop. Is that a difficult add on. It makes life so much easier by not connecting my camera. Where would I buy one.

And I think I'm going to go with the bundle Kanil posted. Does anyone think I need anything else.

Again, much appreciated.

 

[TheAristocrat]

Kanil's bundle looks nice (NTTAWWT). Gives you room for a GPU if you want better graphics down the road. I have a similar case and it has a lot of room to work with.

Have fun!

 

[Mr. Ected]

I'm watching a newegg video on building your own conputer right now. I told my wife you guys have me inspired. She gave me the, you have a million things you can do around the house but if you want to, have fun response.

Last question since I dont want to bother you guys too much with "stupid" questions. One thing that I love is having a card reader in my laptop. Is that a difficult add on. It makes life so much easier by not connecting my camera. Where would I buy one.

And I think I'm going to go with the bundle Kanil posted. Does anyone think I need anything else.

Again, much appreciated.

This may not be the best thing on the market, but it shows what you are looking for exists.

 

[AcerFC]

Kanil's bundle looks nice (NTTAWWT). Gives you room for a GPU if you want better graphics down the road. I have a similar case and it has a lot of room to work with.

Have fun!

should I just upgrade right away since im doing it from scratch. Is the graphics card a part of the processor in that bundle. Otherwise, I just looked and didn't see it

 

[AcerFC]

I'm watching a newegg video on building your own conputer right now. I told my wife you guys have me inspired. She gave me the, you have a million things you can do around the house but if you want to, have fun response.

Last question since I dont want to bother you guys too much with "stupid" questions. One thing that I love is having a card reader in my laptop. Is that a difficult add on. It makes life so much easier by not connecting my camera. Where would I buy one.

And I think I'm going to go with the bundle Kanil posted. Does anyone think I need anything else.

Again, much appreciated.

This may not be the best thing on the market, but it shows what you are looking for exists.

perfect. Thanks

 

[cstu]

I think with the help of youtube you should have no problem doing this. It's probably the equivalent difficulty of changing oil in a car.

Oh come on. I build most of my computers and it's not the most difficult thing in the world but comparing it to changing your oil is ridiculous.

 

[Hov34]

Oh, and go SSD if you can. Night and day difference in speeds against non-SSD drives.

Wanting to switch my HD for a SSD, how hard is it to "clone" your current HD to a SSD?

Or, should I just start over with the new SSD hard drive?

Start over with the new SSD and you will not regret it. Especially with how quickly you will get back up to speed.

Could I start over with a new SSD and keep the old HD (2 TB) and just transfer over what I want?

 

[TheAristocrat]

Kanil's bundle looks nice (NTTAWWT). Gives you room for a GPU if you want better graphics down the road. I have a similar case and it has a lot of room to work with.

Have fun!

should I just upgrade right away since im doing it from scratch. Is the graphics card a part of the processor in that bundle. Otherwise, I just looked and didn't see it

The motherboard has on-board graphics. You may want to get a separate graphics card if you don't like what the MoBo comes with. I always get a separate GPU but I play graphic-intensive games frequently. It may not suit your needs, the MoBo might be plenty.

 

[TheAristocrat]

Oh, and go SSD if you can. Night and day difference in speeds against non-SSD drives.

Wanting to switch my HD for a SSD, how hard is it to "clone" your current HD to a SSD?

Or, should I just start over with the new SSD hard drive?

Start over with the new SSD and you will not regret it. Especially with how quickly you will get back up to speed.

Could I start over with a new SSD and keep the old HD (2 TB) and just transfer over what I want?

Of course. You could make it a separate HD on your "new" setup with an SSD, if you wanted. Me, I'd take the stuff off the 2TB now and put it on an external HD, wipe it, and use it as 2TB storage with your new SSD as the boot disk.

 

[Kanil]

Kanil's bundle looks nice (NTTAWWT). Gives you room for a GPU if you want better graphics down the road. I have a similar case and it has a lot of room to work with.

Have fun!

should I just upgrade right away since im doing it from scratch. Is the graphics card a part of the processor in that bundle. Otherwise, I just looked and didn't see it

From the sounds of it you're not going to be doing a lot that would require a souped up video card. I'd hold off. If you want to add a video card later it's essentially as simple as a couple screws, clicking the card into place, and installing the drivers (if they're not autofound).