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Which does game site compare PC performance to game requirements?

Build a Linux PC for a Dummy

  • I'm building a PC for the first time and need someone to check my work. There was http://ask.metafilter.com/82389/Help-needed-building-a-PC on this very topic and he even has basically the same requirements that I do: Linux1, cheapish2, would like 3D3. The problem is, I already have my parts all picked out and I'm way too ignorant to be able to compare the lists. He also already had a bunch of components so it isn't a complete list. This question is really better suited for asking a knowledgeable friend of mine. And I did ask the one person I know about it, but he's so far above me I got no intelligible reply. My hand-holding questions are these: Will the below components all work together? Have I made any shockingly dumb choices (i.e. twice the speed/capacity/sexiness/brandnamitude for the same price or not much more)? Have I forgotten anything? (I have keyboard, mouse and speakers and I got a nice big digital LCD monitor for Xmas) Since I'm obviously so frightened by (and uninterested in) this process, would I be better off just buying a Dell? https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=6981811 I based these picks on http://forums.hardwareguys.com/ikonboard.cgi?act=ST;f=24;t=5408 but the Newegg reviews indicated that the MB wouldn't work well, if at all, under Linux. After spending 2 days poring over incomprehensible numbers and acronyms, I swapped it for a working MB....I think. 1I'm not at all new to Linux, but that said I don't want to have to do a bunch of crazy configuring and/or compiling to make my hardware work. Ubuntu is my most recent fave distro. 2I was originally thinking $500-$700, but my wife did our taxes last weekend and even the frugal she declared I could go higher. She didn't quite say "money is no object" but she seemed fairly upbeat...say to the tune of up to ~$300 more. This money might be best spent extending the lifetime of the performance, since I will probably have this computer for 4-5 years. 3I don't play games, but there are many non-game programs I'm barred from running because my CPU overheats trying to do the graphics, if it runs at all. Maybe I don't need hardware acceleration so much as a modern computer (my current one is from 2003)...?

  • Answer:

    http://arstechnica.com/index.ars puts out System Guides every few months where they take a look at current prices and technology and create 3 different parts recommendations; a budget system, a hot rod, and an insanely powerful and expensive system. I've been using it as a starting point for years, and it's always the first place I link people to when they ask about building a new system. The latest one is from January. I suggest you take a look at the recommendation for the budget box. Here's the link: http://arstechnica.com/guides/buyer/guide-200801.ars

DU at Ask.Metafilter.Com Visit the source

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(and, by the way if you could scrape $100 off the price of your motherboard, you could spend the money on a quad-core CPU). http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128088 has an Nvidia graphics chip and a DVI output port, and it only costs $79. That would give you what you need and save you $180 in terms of the cost of the board and the graphics card.

delmoi

Followup: I put everything together with zero trouble whatsoever and Ubuntu (7.10) recognized and configured everything. It Just Works. Oh except for one annoyance: I went with 64 bit (even though I remained at 2 GB RAM) and Flash for Linux is only 32 bit. There's a wrapper thingie that fixes that, but Flash is still unstable. Doesn't crash the browser, though, so I'll just wait until They fix that.

DU

Heh. Because of this thread I switched a motherboard from one with an ATi chip to one with an NVidia chip (apparently Asus makes two versions of the http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131214)

delmoi

Order placed, thanks everyone!

DU

"Windows-only drivers" is a bad sign, so I googled and http://ontario-geofish.blogspot.com/2008/02/linux-on-gigabyte-ga-p35-ds3l.html. Back to the original mobo.

DU

I use the http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128047R&Tpk=p35-ds3p of your GigaByte wishlist MB and while I don't have linux installed, I've used live CDs a few times without a hitch. I like this MB and it does some mad overclocking- I run a 1.6MHz dual core at 2.8 without a problem. However, GB's drivers are only for Windows. Then again, I've found recent linux distros to be significantly better at properly configuring new hardware than XP. When I was looking at building my system, I didn't go with 1066 RAM because at the time, it was more expensive and most the of the affordable RAM wasn't getting stellar reviews. Plus, I just OC it anyways. While you won't be able to use the included Win-based over-clocking software I could be wrong, but I'd assume the ds3p and ds3l offer similar BIOS which more than covers most OC needs.

jmd82

OK, I added that MB to the wishlist for comparison. Does the GigaByte mobo get a second from anyone?

DU

What you have in your list works out just fine and everything ought to work together. I just built my own machine from the mobo up and what you've listed looks very similar. In fact, you've chosen the exact same CPU and memory as my build. The memory is perfectly fine so far and the CPU has given nary a problem. Also, the CPU runs remarkably cool even with the included heatsink/fan in the retail box. If you don't mind, I would make a couple of suggestions. For the video card, you can rank up to the 8600 GTS for just a few bucks more. The EVGA model lists for $169, but http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130084. For $10 difference, you'll be getting a much more future-proof card. Also, you could possibly save some cash on your motherboard by going with the GigaByte GA-P35-DS3L that I used. Plenty of flexibility there, enough SATA ports and so on. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128059. While you won't be able to use the included Win-based over-clocking software, I don't think you'll be missing a whole heck of a lot. And the BIOS on the GigaByte is very friendly.

grabbingsand

The MB is $130, not $180. Still may be over what I need to pay, though. Switching the motherboard from the original recommended one was so daunting the first time that I'm not sure I can face a second attempt. But a specific link to something that will work with everything else I have would be welcome.

DU

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