What kind of computer do I get!?

[ground zero graphics]

You can always buy a barebone package like I did.

 

[ground zero graphics]

Alien Ware, Alien Ware, Alien Ware.

Let's say I had $2000 burning a hole in my pocket, and wanted to order one within a week... what do you think would be the best way to go?

Alien Ware

 

[Bobby H]

Software no longer has to be written for SMP, this is handled at a hardware level on the newer northbridge chipsets.

Any application intended to utilize more than one CPU must be written to perform in that manner. This isn't any different from other software programming issues like the application being written in 16-bit, 32-bit or 64-bit code. A motherboard chipset is not going to do anything to recompile that code -and even if it can manage to do anything at all it would be performing a step of EMULATION which by its own nature robs performance.

As to the other comments, I sense a strong anti-Dell anti-Intel axe grinding away. Almost every PC we have in our shop is a Dell system and we have had very few problems. We have seen a lot more problems with kit built computers bought from local indie PC building shops.

BTW, when I buy a Dell system, I'll at least get a licensed WinXP operating system disc. Most kit builders install the same serial number version of Windows on many machines and keep the CD themselves. That way you can't restore the system on your own if the hard drive toasts itself.

At least with a Dell system, I know what I'm getting under the hood. Sure, it may be Samsung RAM in there. None of the kit builder guys are going to install anything better in there unless you specifically ask for it. They'll use something just as cheap or even a lot cheaper and far worse in quality.

I'm not sure why you would want to avoid an "honest custom PC builder". It seems to me that they would be the best bet.

Because there are very few "honest" ones out there. Simple as that.

I'm sure not going to just trust some guy I don't know. Any average computer customer would be best off steering far clear of such builders unless they know one really well and also know quite a bit about computers themselves.

It's similar to the problem people have when they want to build their own house. If they want the job done right, they have to do a lot of homework to understand the process and then be out there on site to watchdog the crud out of the builder and his workers. If they just assume the contractors are going to do the job right they will get shafted. The same is every bit as true when it comes to custom built PCs.

 

[Flame]

Software no longer has to be written for SMP, this is handled at a hardware level on the newer northbridge chipsets. Therefore, Dual-Core will in fact make a difference on any system in multitasking environment. This difference is probably not as noticeable on your Intel chip with its substandard memory controller configuration. If you're going Dual-Core, AMD is your only realistic option.

When I say competent system builder, I mean competent system builder. It's up to you to find one, and they're out there. A mom and pop place might have one, a best buy might have one. Neither are guaranteed to have one, that's for sure. One of the most knowledgeable people I talked to last time I was on holidays was stuck in a Visions Electronics store being completely wasted.

As a technician, I can tell you Dell most certainly does put crap in some of their machines. Not all, but I haven't seen one that impressed me. You would have a hard time convincing me parts from manufacturers like FoxConn and samsung are the highest quality available. Not to mention the fact that their so heavily in bed with Intel they're completely missing the boat on the dual-core performance. A high quality computer is made of high quality parts; it's not a single brand. Dell makes computers for cheaper than everybody else and there are sacrifices there whether or not you like it.

I'm not sure why you would want to avoid an "honest custom PC builder". It seems to me that they would be the best bet. They will take your needs/wants/desires and wrap it up in your new computer. I have seen Dell make some horrible mistakes on spec'ing a user’s new computer on FAR too many occasions to consider them a possibility.

If needed, I would be more than willing to spec a machine for whoever originated this thread. I would be comfortable in taking any criticism from the forum and in the end he could take it wherever he’s confident for the build.

Okay, I started this thread. Sorry guys... what a mess. lol.

Well, I am not an expert on computers, I've never torn one apart, I just know that I need a heckuva better one. Mine's too slow, can't hold much, and is really frustrating me. I would like atleast 2GB of RAM, and atleast 200-300 GB of hard drive. I do a lot of digital printing, and even medium files are freezing up my computer right now. I don't want to spend over $2000, but I need something that can handle large files being printed, and let me multi task and work in other programs at the same time. Not to mention SOME kind of warranty! Any suggestions?

 

[Techman]

Most kit builders install the same serial number version of Windows on many machines and keep the CD themselves

I am afraid you do not know what your talking about. The Windows activation and the WGA prevents this from happening. Period.
And then, any builder worth his salt knows about certain microsoft bundle packages, subscriptions and incentives that make such old tricks not worth the effort.

 

[Sabre]

Any application intended to utilize more than one CPU must be written to perform in that manner. This isn't any different from other software programming issues like the application being written in 16-bit, 32-bit or 64-bit code. A motherboard chipset is not going to do anything to recompile that code -and even if it can manage to do anything at all it would be performing a step of EMULATION which by its own nature robs performance.

Correct, any single application. Open up your task manager and count how many more applications you are running than explorer. Dual-Cores are not what they used to be. Any multi-tasking environment will take great advantage of a dual-core. I'm not sure why you arguing this point.

As to the other comments, I sense a strong anti-Dell anti-Intel axe grinding away. Almost every PC we have in our shop is a Dell system and we have had very few problems. We have seen a lot more problems with kit built computers bought from local indie PC building shops.

I apologize if I simply sound stubborn with my statements. My skill is based on experience and facts.

Experience - Never seen a Dell I like. We get more Dell than any other system for repair. Dell repairs are generally troublesome, although they have come a long way from their proprietary components.
Fact - AMD outperforms Intel on any Dual-Core benchmarks for a fraction on the price. Higher performance, lower price? As a consumer why is this even a decision?

BTW, when I buy a Dell system, I'll at least get a licensed WinXP operating system disc. Most kit builders install the same serial number version of Windows on many machines and keep the CD themselves. That way you can't restore the system on your own if the hard drive toasts itself.

I sense a strong anti-custom builder theme going on here. I'm not sure how things are handled down that way, but we obviously supply the windows disc with any system we sell. As would any reputable builder.

At least with a Dell system, I know what I'm getting under the hood. Sure, it may be Samsung RAM in there. None of the kit builder guys are going to install anything better in there unless you specifically ask for it. They'll use something just as cheap or even a lot cheaper and far worse in quality.

Which may be the difference between Joe-Schmoe with his boring 9-5 job of building computers for people and an enthusiast custom-builder who's using Crucial or OCZ

I don’t want to come across as attacking you Bobby, but I very much disagree with some of your statements from a custom-builder and enthusiast point of view. You make it sound like anything with a Dell logo on it will be a good computer which is very much untrue. As for the dual-core issue, I'm extremely confident in my statements which research will support. AMD as opposed to Intel? I invite anyone whose read this far into the thread to open up Google and punch in "Dual core AMD Vs Intel" and open up any of the dozens of links and look for the conclusion to their tests. They're all the same results and they all show AMD on top by a wide margin.

This guy is looking for the best solution to his computer needs, not a misdirection into what is good enough for someone else.

 

[Flame]

Am I missing something, or is this one a good deal?




Athlon 64 3200 2GB DVDRW 250GStore ID: sys-amd-023$644

• 6 Channel Audio
• USB 2.0 ports:6
• Video:OnBoard ATI Xpress 200 128M(Shared)
• LAN:10/100
• CPU:Athlon 64 3200 939 pin
• Memory:2GB(2x1GB) DDR PC3200 Dual Channel
• Hard Drive:250G SATA II
• DVDRW:16X +-RW Dual Layer
• Case:Mid Tower 350W Power Supply with Air Guide for CPU
• Operating System:Not inlcuded(add $92 for XP Home/$147 for XP Pro)
  [*]Floppy Drive:Not included(add $12 for 1.44MB FD)
  [*]Modem:Not included(Please add $12 for 56K Fax/Modem)
  [*]Card Reader:Not Included(add $20 for 16:1 card reader)
• Warranty:1 Year Parts & Labor
  [*]NOTE:You can change any of CPU/Memory/Hard Drive/CD-DVD for the difference of the price of the item(s) only !!

 

[Sabre]

Am I missing something, or is this one a good deal?
Athlon 64 3200 2GB DVDRW 250GStore ID: sys-amd-023$644

Pretty light-duty for my liking. If you have a $2000 budget, you'll be much happier with your machine if you go with something better than this one.

 

[Techman]

From the list above..

Better? as in more memory?
That is all I see that is lacking.
This chip is a good CPU.
The video is adequate.
Add in a second hard drive
I do not see a printer port
I do not see a serial port.
I would look at it a second time If I needed a machine.

 

[Cadmn]

I've heard good things about Tiger Direct. Any idea on how much your sons system cost him?

Yea wholesale Just parts He spent $1800 but then his video was 3 & he has 2 -21" moniters but without my wholesale it would have bee about $3 grand easy.the one above is a decent computer if you wanted you could upgrade to a 4800 cpu but at this time I think that the fastest made is 4800 I would not get ATI video but Nvidea is only a couple dollars more.

 

[mfarney]

Just my 2 cents

I have built many machines over the years. We have 3 RIP Machines that run Onyx Production House, two are Dual Opteron's with 4 gigs of RAM and the newest is Dual Dual-Core Opteron's with 4 gigs of RAM. The single cores are 5 times faster than our old RIP machine which was Dual Xeon 2.0ghz.

Also Stay away from Tiger Direct check the reseller ratings on them very bad news.

Go with NewEgg or ZipZoomFly.

 

[Ruddbow]

Ttt

I am at a point where this is in my near future. I appreciate all the input and would love to hear some additional info. Sounds like we have some very knowledgable tech heads on here.

so again, what is the "best choice" out there for a signmaker.

I have worked 100% in Mac for over 10 years. I do own PC's but still drive my plotter with an imac.

Thanks for letting me highjack.

:U Rock:

 

[Rhinoz]

As an ex-computer builder for many years, this is my new setup:

COMPUCASE 6A SERIES COMPUTER CASE
AMD ATHLON 64 X2 4200+ DUAL CORE
GIGABYTE K8NXP-SLI A64 939
PROMISE FASTTRAK TX2300 RAID CARD
2 x 250 GIG 16mb WESTERN DIGITAL DRIVES
2 x 400 GIG 16mb WESTERN DIGITAL DRIVES
3 GIG RAM PC3500
LITE-ON 16X DUAL LAYER CD/DVD BURNER
GIGABYTE GV-NX66256DP2 256MB VIDEO CARD
3 x STARTECH DRW110SA REMOVABLE HDD TRAYS
2 x DCL 19" FLAT PANEL LCD MONITORS (700:1 Contrast)
WINDOWS XP PRO (32bit)

Total cost is under $3k
Runs like a rocket on rails!

Reason for 4 Hard drives is very simple:

1st Hard drive is for installing main programs
2nd Hard drive is for clipart/vectors etc
3rd & 4th Hard Drives are mirrored so in the event of a hard drive failure, I can recover all the data from one and still continue to work. These drives are for customer records, image info, photo's of the work performed for them.

2nd, 3rd and 4th Hard drives are removable via front trays so that I can take them off premises at night.

This tower's data is also backed up to a 2nd basic tower that contains 2 x 400 gig drives, again mirrored. (cost for this one, under $600)

Hope this helps anyone who is looking for a computer setup. I'm not saying its for everyone, just an example.

 

[Flame]

How about this one?

A build it yourself version. Sorry if I seem to shop around for deals too much, but hey....



Systemax Venture HU2 B920I Intel Pentium D Build-to-Order Intel 945GNT Destop PC

Intel D945G Chipset ATX Case w/ 350 Watt PS
Intel Pentium D Processor 940 3.2GHz Dual Core
2GB DDR2 PC4200 Non-ECC Memory (1GB x 2)
Serial ATA (SATA) Hard Drive 300GB (7200 RPM)
160GB Serial ATA 7200RPM Hard Drive
52x32x52 CDRW Drive
52x32x52/16x CDRW/DVD Combo Drive
9-in-1 Card Reader Black
56K V.92 PCI Modem
Integrated Gigabit Network Adapter
ATI X300 128MB Graphics Card w/TV-Out PCI Express
1 Year Parts & Labor Warranty w/ 1 Year Onsite


Grand total of just under $1600. Built it on Tiger Direct. I'm not the expert here though, so I look forward to everyones critique.

 

[PMG]

I got a HP PC here is the specs.......... got it for $800 with a flat screen monitor


Motherboard description

• Motherboard manufacturer's name: ASUS P5LP-LE
• HP/Compaq name: Emery-UL8E

CPU/Processor

• Socket: 775
• Supports the following processors:
  • Pentium D 800 series (Smithfield)
  • Pentium 4 600 series (Prescott)
  • Pentium 4 HT (Prescott)

System bus

• 533 MHz, 800 MHz, 1066 MHz

Chipset

• Northbridge: Intel 945P
• Southbridge: Intel ICH7DH

BIOS features

• 4 Mb FWH EEPROM
• HP BIOS with enhanced ACPI, DMI, Green, and PnP Features Plus

Form factor

• Micro-ATX: 9.6 in X 9.6 in

Memory

• Four 240-pin DDR2 DIMM sockets
• Supports PC2 3200 (400 MHz), PC 4200 (533 MHz) and PC2 5300 (667 MHz) DDR2 DIMMs
• Maximum HP/Compaq approved memory is 4 GB*

NOTE: *Actual available memory may be less
Expansion slots

• Three PCI
• One PCI Express x16 graphics

Video graphics

• External only

Serial ATA

• 4 SATA connectors
• Each connector supports 1 serial ATA-150 disk drive

Onboard audio or audio card Integrated Intel High Definition (TM) audio (Azalia)

• Realtek ALC 882 chipset
• Supports up to 8 audio channels
• Dolby Pro Logic IIx compatible

Onboard LAN

• Intel 82562GT
• 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet

Back panel I/0

• One PS/2 keyboard port (purple)
• One PS/2 mouse port (green)
• One Parallel
• One IEEE 1394a
• One RJ-45 networking port
• Four USB 2.0
• One coaxial SPDIF in
• One coaxial SPDIF out
• Audio ports:
  • line in (light blue)
  • line out (lime)
  • microphone (pink)
  • side speaker out (gray)
  • rear speaker out (black)
  • center/subwoofer (yellow orange)

Internal connectors

• One floppy connector
• One IDE connector
• One 24-pin ATX power connector
• One 4-pin ATX 12 V power connector
• Four serial ATA connectors
• One IEEE 1394a connector
• Two USB 2.0 connectors
• One CPU fan connector
• One PC (chassis) fan connector
• Two internal audio connectors
• One front headphone connector
• One PC panel connector

Product number
ER904AA

Introduction date
22-Feb-2006

Country/region sold in:

• US
• Canada

Hardware
Base processor
PentiumD 820 (S) DC 2.8 GHz

• 800MHz front side bus
• Socket 775

Chipset
Intel 945P

Motherboard

• Manufacturer: Asus
• Motherboard Name: P5LP-LE
• HP/Compaq motherboard name: Emery-UL8E

Memory
Component Attributes Memory Installed2 GB (2 x 1 GB)Maximum allowed4 GB* (4 x 1 GB)

*Actual available memory may be lessSpeed supportedPC2-4200 MB/secType240 pin, DDR2 SDRAMDIMM slotsFourOpen DIMM slotsTwo

Hard drive

• 250 GB SATA
• 7200 rpm

16X DVD(+/-)R/RW (+/-)R DL LightScribe drive

• Must use Double-Layer media discs in order to take advantage of the DL technology
• Must use LightScribe-enabled media discs and supporting software in order to take advantage of the LightScribe technology

Port type Quantity DVD-R DL Write Once4XDVD+R DL Write Once2.4XDVD+R Write Once16XDVD+RW Rewritable4XDVD-R Write Once8XDVD-RW Rewritable4XDVD ROM Read16XCD-R Write Once40XCD-RW Rewritable24XCD-ROM Read40X

Modem
56K bps data/fax modem

Video Graphics
GeForce 7300LE

• 64 MB DDR memory
• I/O Ports: VGA, Composite, S-Video

Sound/Audio
Integrated High Definition audio

• Realtek ALC 882 chipset
• Supports up to 8 audio channels
• Dolby Pro Logic II compatible

Network (LAN)
Integrated 10/100 Base-T networking interface

Memory card reader

• USB interface

• Supports the following cards:
  • Compact Flash I
  • Compact Flash II
  • SmartMedia
  • Memory Stick
  • Memory Stick Pro
  • MultiMediaCard
  • Secure Digital (SD)
  • Micro Drive
  • XD Picture Card (xd = extreme digital)

External I/O ports
I/O ports on the front panel

Port type Quantity 9-in-1 (4 slot) + 1 USBOne1394OneUSBTwoHeadphoneOneLine-inOneMicrophoneOne
I/O ports on the back panel

Port type Quantity PS2 (keyboard, mouse)Two (one each)ParallelOne USBFour 1394One LANOne Audio (side speaker out, rear speaker out, center speaker out, line-in, line-out, microphone)One each

Expansion slots (available)
Slot type Quantity PCIThree (Two available)PCI Express x16One (None available)DIMM SlotsFour (Two available)

Drive bays (available)
Bay type Quantity 5.25" externalTwo (One available)3.5" externalTwo (One available)3.5" internalOne (None available)

Keyboard and mouse

• HP multimedia keyboard
• Quebec Keyboard Kit (French Canada only)
• HP PS/2 scroller mouse

 

[Sabre]

If you came to me, here's what I'd recommend. It's similar to what I'm currently running for my design rig.

Antec Sonata II Chassis w/ Truepower 2.0 450Watt PSU
Asus A8N5x Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4200
Kingston HyperX 2G Kit RAM
Western Digital Raptor 10krpm 150Gig
Dual Western Digital 320G in RAID 1 array
Matrox Millennium G550 Graphics adapter
Plextor PX-750 DVDRW
1x 120mm 1x90mm Vantec Stealth fans for chassis cooling
Windows XP Professional

All this can be had for around $2100 Canadian which puts it in the right neighborhood for the budget. The RAID array is wonderful for data integrity to ensure it wont destroy your business should a drive fail down the road but it's slower for file access. The WD Raptor will be handling the majority of data transactions with windows and swap files and should eliminate any lag you may have had by running with just the RAID Archive. The Matrox card may be up for debate as they are not a major player in the fight for supreme graphic performance. However, they are a leading choice for graphic professionals. This particular card has Dual-DVI output and is passively cooled for zero additional noise. My feelings wont be hurt if someone needs to convince you that you gotta have a modern 3D graphics chipset capable of 40 frames per second in FEAR or Oblivion, but I do think it's unnecessary.

Any questions or comments are welcome

 

[Bobby H]

I would like atleast 2GB of RAM, and atleast 200-300 GB of hard drive. I do a lot of digital printing, and even medium files are freezing up my computer right now. I don't want to spend over $2000, but I need something that can handle large files being printed, and let me multi task and work in other programs at the same time. Not to mention SOME kind of warranty! Any suggestions?

You can get a very powerful system for under $2000. Just be sure to get at least 2GB of RAM installed, perhaps a 200GB or larger hard disc, a second physical hard drive for Photoshop scratch disc use and a dedicated graphics card of some decent type (Matrox is best for 2D graphics acceleration). I think you can manage that easiliy even for under $1500 whether you build your own or buy a Dell, Gateway or whatever.

I am afraid you do not know what your talking about. The Windows activation and the WGA prevents this from happening. Period.

There are hacks around the activation and authentication setup in WindowsXP, just as there are hacks around the activation features of MS Office and Adobe's applications. Russian software pirates have made a big business of that. And if the local guy can't manage using a hacked copy of WindowsXP (sometimes jokingly called "Fisher Price Windows"), he'll give you the song and dance about how WindowsXP sucks -that way he can install Windows2000 on your machine and definitely not have to give you a copy of the disc! We had exactly that sort of thing happen with the one AMD based PC we have in our shop. Occaisions came up that required with Windows2000 CD and the system builder kept giving us a song and dance about how we would give us a copy in a few days. That never happened. So we wiped the hard drive and installed a legal disc of WinXP ProSP2 instead.

I sense a strong anti-custom builder theme going on here. I'm not sure how things are handled down that way, but we obviously supply the windows disc with any system we sell. As would any reputable builder.

That's the problem, "reputable" builders aren't everywhere. Maybe folks are a lot more honest in Northern BC, but down in my region I must insist on warning buyers to beware. Most computer customers don't have lots of knowledge about what kind of hardware is going to suit their needs and many get taken advantage of over their lack of knowledge. From their perspective, it is a lot easier for them to buy a WindowsPC from a huge company like Dell -or even go one step better and just by a Apple PowerMac.

I apologize if I simply sound stubborn with my statements. My skill is based on experience and facts.

So basically, you're saying I'm lying and all of the problems our shop has had in the past with kit-built PCs from local shops never happened? I find it amazing that you could have somehow been monitoring our business for the last 15 years to see exactly what we have been doing with our computer purchases. Amazing!

Any multi-tasking environment will take great advantage of a dual-core. I'm not sure why you arguing this point.

Because I correctly stated the situation with software and multiple processors the first time I posted about it in this thread. I wrote: You can still gain some benefit of dual core machines in that WindowsXP will assign one application or process to one core and let another open application use the other core. But you don't get as huge a speed improvement as one application that can harness both cores/CPUs.

You make it sound like anything with a Dell logo on it will be a good computer which is very much untrue.

You're doing the same thing from the custom builder's point of view. You're making sound like they can do no wrong when I have clearly seen specific builders do wrong myself.

I agree Dell's machines aren't all perfect. But they're certainly not garbage at all either. We recently away a couple old Dell systems we purchased in 1999. They still worked fine. I believe one of the things that has helped us is we carefully picked out what we wanted in each machine instead of just buying whatever was the cheapest model.

AMD versus Intel? Sure, I'd buy an AMD-based system if I were configuring a gaming machine. But Adobe's PC software is specifically geared toward Intel processors. There has been activation issues lately with the CS2 and Production Studio suites installed on AMD based machines. For gaming AMD is great; for work purposes I prefer to go with Intel.

 

[Checkers]

Here's a link to what I recommend...
http://www.letterhead.com/ubb-cgi/ultimatebb.cgi/topic/1/33108.html
If you can afford more, you should spend the money.

Here's a link to what I would NOT recommend...
www.hp.com
When we have several days to kill and $1000+ worth of software to flush down the toilet, I can tell you that story

The strongest part of any system is it's weakest link. Dell builds their systems with parts that work well together, plus they will support it 24/7/365 if something goes wrong. Try to get that from your local builder or repair shop.

I also suggest a good service contract. These machines are designed to make you money, if they aren't working, you're loosing money. A service contract will insure that you're up and running as soon as possible with a minimal amount of time lost.

Checkers

 

[Sabre]

So basically, you're saying I'm lying and all of the problems our shop has had in the past with kit-built PCs from local shops never happened? I find it amazing that you could have somehow been monitoring our business for the last 15 years to see exactly what we have been doing with our computer purchases. Amazing!

That's funny. I can't help but think that your experiences lead me to believe you bought your kit built machines from a company called "Jim-Bobs Computer Warehouse" ran out of his parents basement. A company delivering the problems you had surely couldn't still remain in business?

AMD versus Intel? Sure, I'd buy an AMD-based system if I were configuring a gaming machine. But Adobe's PC software is specifically geared toward Intel processors.

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10442_7-6389077-5.html
Adobe and Intel may have to spend a little more time together before they can claim that Adobe software runs better on an Intel. I however cannot comment on the activation issues. I haven't experienced any and I dont know of any. I'm sure I could track down a forum of people complaining about it, though. But on the other hand, I could track down a forum of people complaining about any subject.

It's also at this point that I'd like to point out that the #3 finisher in that test, the AMD Athlon X2 4400 costs just about exactly half the price of the #4 finisher, the flagship Pentium 840 Extreme Edition. Care to justify that one? $1000 for a CPU is too much.

Checkers, dont get too pumped up about the 24/7 tech support. Rarely are the technicians able to help with your problem and generally advise to restore your OS to it's original state. If you are an owner of a machine that has 24/7 support that you are happy with, I would like to know what brand. We also do alot of service contract work here for several companies and they dont get any additional service over our regular customers, that's for sure.

 

[Bobby H]

That's funny. I can't help but think that your experiences lead me to believe you bought your kit built machines from a company called "Jim-Bobs Computer Warehouse" ran out of his parents basement.

Old, tired stereotype. And borderline offensive no less. The business we used had a nice office, several well dressed folks in their staff and even electricity and something better than dirt floors you may think us hillbillies are still using. Also anyone would be ridiculously stupid to assume that dishonest people only live in the south. Anyone with that view deserves to be robbed.

As for the builder, the first one we dealt with did indeed go out of business. He was operating as a Computerland franchise for awhile until that got pulled. And then things went even further downhill for him. The most recent builder we dealt with (one who would not provide a legit Win2000 install CD) is still in business. Although there are rumors about the FBI investigating him. Both operated out of nice looking offices and had enough nice eye candy on display to fool most average customers into thinking they had a professional reputation.

It's also at this point that I'd like to point out that the #3 finisher in that test, the AMD Athlon X2 4400 costs just about exactly half the price of the #4 finisher, the flagship Pentium 840 Extreme Edition. Care to justify that one? $1000 for a CPU is too much.

Unless you need a top of the line gaming PC that runs $7000, it makes no sense to buy a top of the line CPU, whether it's an overpriced Intel Pentium Extreme Edition CPU or a still overpriced AMD Althon FX-60 chip.

Money is better spent dropping a few steps on CPU speed and using the cost savings to buy more RAM, a better video card or even specialized capture cards required to deal with things like HD-quality video. An AJA Xena|HS card is necessary to use with Premiere Pro 2 for capturing 720p, 1080i and HDV video. If you're going with Avid's stuff, you need their Mojo device. Either way, you're needing $1500 to $2000 for specialized hardware functions the CPU will not provide for you.

I will also say most users have no need for RAID either and are best off avoiding it -at least in terms of the SATA version, which does suck. The hard drive connectors have an awful design and depending on the configuration if one drive toasts itself, the data on all drives in the RAID setup gets toasted as well. If someone really needs RAID (for something like HD video editing or something else highly disc intensive like that) they're better off buying a pricey U320 SCSI RAID controller and an external setup with hot swap capable drives.

I have two physical SATA drives in my computer, but thankfully not in RAID configuration. One is a straight boot disc and the other is used for Photoshop/After Effects/Premiere scratch disc work.