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Help me build a computer.

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J.D.
Posts: 21362 - Karma: 5,142
I want to build a PC soon. What I want to do is grab a 46" HDTV and hook up the desktop sort of as a media PC, but also, if need be, a gaming PC. I probably won't play many games on it but it would be nice to have the option. I'll mostly use it for watching downloaded TV shows / movies, hockey games through nhl.com. Also for browsing teh interwebz when I'm not using my laptop.

I haven't really kept up to speed since I haven't built a desktop since... like 5+ years ago. So I'm not sure what I'll need processor-wise. I'm thinking I'll want 6-8 gigs of decent memory, a good but not top of the line video card (~$150-200), a blu-ray player, and... what? HD space is probably not an issue since if I max out I can always just add a 1TB external.

So my questions are, I guess,

1. Does this idea even really make sense? I think it does but maybe there's some good reason not to do it.
2. What processor should I be looking at, and what speed?
3. What do I need to know to pick the right memory setup?
4. What are good video cards for my purposes?
5. Somewhat unrelated, but anything anybody can tell me to help me pick a TV would be appreciated since I know relatively little about that, I'm trying to find a 42-46" HDTV that'll be good for ~4-5 years, but have little grasp of terms like "contrast ratio".
6. Anything else I should know?

If there's a substantial benefit to stepping up a bit in price I'm okay with that but I really am looking for something that's good value and will do the job, not something that'll develop sentient thought or support a national intelligence agency.

If anyone can help me out with this stuff I'd appreciate it. Salespeople just want you to buy shit and that'd be the other major source of info I have.

GO GO GADGET NEWSCHOOLERS
Jun 22 2010 12:16AM
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matt.s
Posts: 2502 - Karma: 93
consider a projector instead of a tv? you can get hd ones that project a larger size for cheaper than if you get a massive HD tv. im not sure about exact price
Jun 22 2010 12:27AM
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no_steeze
Posts: 23992 - Karma: 4,272
unless he has a bomb setup for a projector he will constantly be frustrated with the thing. unless you drop serious bank and have a dark room with a blank wall projectors always just get annoying, at least from my experience
Jun 22 2010 12:34AM
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ECfreeski3
Posts: 12019 - Karma: 126
yeah all i can add to this is that i played some videogames on my friend's 120" HD projector the other day and it was DOPE
Jun 22 2010 12:35AM
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Billek
Posts: 5665 - Karma: 98
give me a pricerange and I will pick everything out
Jun 22 2010 12:35AM
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BigJew
Posts: 6974 - Karma: 79
Just about any computer will play HD video as long as you have a video card in it. All newer ATI and Nvidia cards do hardware decoding of HD video so you really don't need a powerful processor at all.

Jun 22 2010 12:36AM
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ECfreeski3
Posts: 12019 - Karma: 126
idk man my friend just painted a big poster thing and uses it in a semi well-lit room and it looked amazing
Jun 22 2010 12:38AM
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cjgncjgn
Posts: 3023 - Karma: 21
i do this exactly, have an hd tv wired to multiple monitors in multiple rooms. record tv etc. too tired to write up the details right now, but i will for you tmrw. PM me if you have any particular questions.

one quick thing, the gyration media center remote is ESSENTIAL but ill tell you why more tmrw. but take a look at that
Jun 22 2010 12:43AM
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selkirks
Posts: 1978 - Karma: 59
If you are willing, consider a Mac mini. It was just updated with HDMI and is the size of an Apple TV/Airport Extreme/Time Capsule. People are really excited that it might just be the ultimate media center PC. And that's not an overestimation. Better video cards, processors, hard drives, power management; everything is new and you can custom-build one to suit your purposes at apple.com/store. I honestly think that there is no better-streamlined solution.
Jun 22 2010 12:43AM
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skier_boy26
Posts: 11295 - Karma: 502
i've bulit a few computers for myself (and friends) for architecture shit over the past year, and essentially we built powerful computers for cheap.

One was a 16 core behemoth that actually cost little in the greater scheme of things (~$2300), but shat on everything we could find.

I would just look straight to an i7 processor - bitch is fast. intel i7-930 is best bang for the buck out there easy (spend $60 more, get a big heatsink, and you could have it running towards 4ghz with no trouble)

Now that the i7 processors have been out a while, there is a ton of good memory for it. Good quality ddr3, 8gb will probably run upper $100s to low $200s.

A decent graphics card is easy to come by.

As for a tv, im not really in the know on that. But if you're going that big, you could look in to a projector. They aren't too badly priced, not to mention you can go really big. Only caveat is it needs to be dark and all that.


So browsing newegg, you could get stuff like:

i7-930

motherboard (lots of options)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157163 (one of the ones I have - works really well and it's cheap)

memory

graphics
knock yourself out. tons of options.
just make sure the slot is compatible. 1gb should be fine.

harddrive
see graphics

power supply
just make sure it has more than enough for all the stuff you put in it

bluray
lots of options. can get for under $100 easy

case - just something simple with enough room for anything, and enough ventilation.

with just general terms that would probably be around $1k
Jun 22 2010 12:44AM
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Gnarshred
Posts: 5670 - Karma: 18
Im gonna sound like a bit less nerdy than I am here, but honestly, I would say buy a pre-built machine.

HP has some really nice Laptops and computers already set-up for entertainment.
I just got the DV3T- 13 in entertainment laptop. Built in blu-ray, HDMI & VGA, remote control, Comes stock with 4 gigs of ram which runs everything nice for me but upgradeable when building. I dunno what kind of software you plan to run for your media-center, but honestly Windows Media center works quite well. The only TV program with good guide listings and a DVR that I have found.

Other than that, they are upgradeable on the website like I said, but you can build a VERY decent machine for a grand.

Hope that helped, I know it wasn't typed very well.
Jun 22 2010 12:45AM
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J.D.
Posts: 21362 - Karma: 5,142
^Pre-built works for me for laptops but I'm pretty sure I want to be able to customize a desktop.

The projector thing would be cool, and I actually do have a massive wall, but I try to keep my place super well lit and it wouldn't flow with the room anyway. Plus, I don't think I need 120", you know? Maybe 6 months from now I'll pick one up just to play around with and see. But I am leaning towards a plasma right now I think.

Billek - I'm in Canada so shit will cost more but I am probably looking around 800-1000 range on the TV (42" minimum, pref 46") and the desktop about the same if it has everything I need, ie blu ray and a good vid card. I have been recommended the Radeon 5770.
Jun 22 2010 1:02AM
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J.D.
Posts: 21362 - Karma: 5,142
But then I could be totally wrong and find out that pre-built stuff just saves me a shit ton of money / I get way more for my buck.
Jun 22 2010 1:03AM
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WikiWiki
Posts: 5584 - Karma: 426
having worked since 16 as a high end audi and video sales guy(no longer do, im in school)- its Plasma hands down if your lighting conditions are right- overheads are fine- but if you have a shitload of windows the glare can detract from the picture- Stay as far away as possible from LCDS unless your walls are made from windows, they cant produce the realistic colors that a Plasma can, so they crank their brightness up to attract your attention- to give you an Idea- the best TV on the planet is a Pioneer Elite(they dont even make it anymore) it is the only TV that has a true 1 million to 1 dynamic contrast ratio, it can produce true black and true white- no other consumer tv on the planet can do that

a good 50 inch plasma should run you between 1200 and 2000- much cheaper than lcd and led

drawback with plasma are glare, they only come in 42,50, and 58 inch panels usually, and a lot of manufacturers are shitty at making them

if buying a Plasma- it Panasonic all the way, they own Pioneer, who produces their panels, and Pioneer makes the best panels in the business, meaning longer life and more realistic picture-

easiest way to tell how good a panel is at the store is to look at the darker parts of the picture- the deeper and darker the black, usually the better the picture


as for the media pcs I cant help too much because we dealt with home automation and massive media servers


Jun 22 2010 1:52AM
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J.D.
Posts: 21362 - Karma: 5,142
^Yeah I am with you, not sure I want to step up to the price bracket you're quoting though. This seems really good - http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/lg-electronics-lg-50-plasma-hdtv-50pj550-50pj550/10140847.aspx?path=e7733eb936d0952be51454af34f07b11en02

But I'm not sure how crucial native resolution is.
Jun 22 2010 1:58AM
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Bukkakeskitrip
Posts: 5677 - Karma: 95
processor...

either the Intel quad core 2 Q6600
http://www.techspot.com/review/36-intel-core2-quad-q6600/

or the QX9650
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/583/1/

both top of the line, extremly fast

graphics card...

VisonTek Radeon HD 5870
http://graphics.visiontek.com/video/5000/5870.html

again, absolute top of the line. i know you asked for just the basic stuff, but i thought id give you some goodies. look into them, coz if you purchased any of these, your computer would not be one to fuck with
Jun 22 2010 2:14AM
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BigJew
Posts: 6974 - Karma: 79
That TV is garbage. You need something with at least 1920x1080 resolution. To be able to watch something in HD your TV needs to be able to display it in HD. There's no point in having everything in HD all the way except for the TV.
Jun 22 2010 3:20AM
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Mr.Luke
Posts: 2441 - Karma: 166
Go bigger. 55-60 in. Is the business. have to be HD though. Why not get a mac? They're better for life stuff. like music, editing videos, and if you really need some stuff from windows, mac comes with bootcamp already installed. Bootcamp is windows on a mac.
Jun 22 2010 7:01AM
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EthanJPAskier
Posts: 1668 - Karma: 248
I disagree on the i7, if hes just using it for an HTPC and doing some light gaming from time to time there is no need to go with an i7. I would recommend a Phenom II for the processor. The i7 might kill em in benchmarks but in real world applications there isnt much difference, not to mention the price difference is HUGE.
Jun 22 2010 8:54AM
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EthanJPAskier
Posts: 1668 - Karma: 248
Actually if your not gaming you dont even need a phenom, just go for an Athlon II x4, quad core for under $100? win.
Jun 22 2010 8:56AM
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steep
Posts: 6063 - Karma: 298
im getting a projector can not wait
Jun 22 2010 9:01AM
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WikiWiki
Posts: 5584 - Karma: 426
while a great tv it all depends on what you need

if your only going to be watching high def cable/satelite its fine- they only broadcast in 720p

however if you want to watch blu-ray or get the full resolution of your computer step up to something 1080p- in the long run it will be a thousand times better


the 50u1 by panasonic is a great tv that has been around for years- its panasonics entry level 1080p- has viera cast which is like having widgets on your tv(pandora, flickr, picasa, weather widgets)




I also found on newegg the s1- it has almost everything exactly the same except it has the newer 600hz subfield drive(no blurring on your tv whatsoever)- it is also coming with samsung entry level bluray player the bdp1600 for free

this honestly is a fucking deal right here


if you could swing one of those it will make your bluray and computer shit display at their fullest possible

heres a list of neweggs plasmas- there are some pretty good deals


now all you need is a home theater setup haha
Jun 22 2010 10:44AM
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Tasche
Posts: 5422 - Karma: 99
I start looking then I get overwhelmed, I have not bought a computer in a while but I was wondering if you can suggest a few pre-builts.

Probably around $1,000-1,500
Jun 22 2010 11:04AM
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wazzucrewskier
Posts: 2269 - Karma: 151
I just built a comp for this exact purpose.  I have it running HD video and HD bitstreaming 5.1 audio to my 50" TV and surround setup.  All told after watching for rebates it cost me $800 without a monitor.

I would definitely recommend ATI over Nvidia cards since the ATI are the only ones that can send audio over HDMI and this will definitely come in handy down the road if you are looking to run a full Hi Fi setup.  I picked up an AMD processor simply because they are a lot more bang for the buck.  I picked up a solid state hard drive since they are WAAAAAAY faster and have it run my OS and all my programs and leave my externals for storage.

If you have a frys electronics near you seriously look at their Sunday ads, they always run mobo and processor combos and I got the processor and mobo for $10 cheaper than just the cpu would have been.

This setup can play battlefield bad company 2, dirt 2, nfs shift all at full graphics levels with absolutely no stuttering at all. 

My specs

Corsair 650 watt power supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

Kingston 64 GB Solid State Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820139133

Sapphire Vapor X Radeon 5770 1gb Graphics Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102868

Blu Ray Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106326

Cooler Master Hyper 212 CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

Gigabyte 790XTA - UD4 motherboard with Sata6.0 and USB 3.0
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128416&cm_re=790xta-_-13-128-416-_-Product

AMD Phenom ii x4 965 3.4gig quad core processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103727&cm_re=phenom_965-_-19-103-727-_-Product
Jun 22 2010 4:12PM
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Billek
Posts: 5665 - Karma: 98
DOnt forget ram! 4gb is the standard, but get 8 because ddr2 is so damn cheap.

The SSD is good, but I would get at least a 500gb SATA to go along with it
Jun 22 2010 5:39PM
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wazzucrewskier
Posts: 2269 - Karma: 151
yeah, i guess i just forgot to post my ram but it is better to look at the ram that is compatible with the motherboard rather than picking ram and finding out it wont work.  but yeah i have a tb internal and another tb external.
Jun 22 2010 6:17PM
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wazzucrewskier
Posts: 2269 - Karma: 151
yeah for sure i got my 64gb ssd on newegg for 114 after rebates and then snagged a 1tb internal drive for 60 later on sale.  ssd is the way to go for sure.  make sure to get one with TRIM support though it will make everything run much smoother
Jun 22 2010 7:02PM
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RudyGarmisch
Posts: 25443 - Karma: 13,844
My threads, I really need a laptop, but definitely will be needing a desktop for design soon.
Jun 22 2010 7:36PM
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J.D.
Posts: 21362 - Karma: 5,142
^I have a laptop but it's fucked. It's still under warrantee but I need to actually give them a good reason to fix it because the case is mangled and they don't usually fix busted cases. So I'm going to buy a bunch of stuff at the same time to give them a reason to be nice to me.

Here is my planned setup -

Living Room - 46" Plasma, media PC, Xbox360, blu ray w/ wireless keyboard and mouse.

Bedroom - desk with a 24" or 27" monitor. No desktop. When I want to use that as a desktop, I'll plug my laptop into it.

Then just use my laptop wherever. My starting bonus is $5k but that has to buy furniture, too. I am craigslisting / kijijing like mad right now.
Jun 23 2010 1:28PM
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wazzucrewskier
Posts: 2269 - Karma: 151
Nice, here are a few of the other items I got for mine. 

24" monitor with height, swivel, and tilt adjust.  I felt height adjustment was absolutely necessary since I hate hunching over to look at the screen.  I have absolutely no complaints with it at all.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236066&cm_re=asus_23.6-_-24-236-066-_-Product

Then I picked up a really sweet media keyboard with bluetooth, built in touch pad, and many other cool features for media like a play, pause, skip, volume, etc. buttons on it.  I snagged this setup brand new on craigslist for $60 and the new ones retail for about $150+, so just hit up craiglook.com which searches all of craigslist to find one.  The track pad isn't flawless but it works well enough when you are sitting on your couch to navigate folders.  It also comes with a bluetooth mouse as well.

http://www.buy.com/prod/microsoft-wireless-entertainment-desktop-7000-keyboard-wireless-mouse/q/listingid/79185712/loc/101/202871257.html

Also, if you get an ipod touch or have an iphone you can get a program called airmouse which is an amazing wireless mouse that makes your whole screen a touchpad and works much better than the touchpad on the keyboard.  I also have the remote app that lets me control itunes, and one that controls xbmc, which is much better than the integrated windows media center program.

hit me up if you have any questions on any of that stuff.  i will try to post more details about my setup when i get the chance.. just working a 60 hour week this week lol.

Jun 23 2010 1:56PM
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