Advice on Purchasing a Computer

[Silliw 2]

I am an aspiring illustrator/ designer who is looking to purchase his first computer. It gets old driving across town to use your parents PC...but I'm not sure what I should invest in.

I have a budget of about 12,000 (tax returns). I am poor as hell, yes I am.

My confusion is driving me insane! PC or Mac? Laptop or desktop? what kind of chip, processor, etc ? I've been researching all over the net, but have not found anything very useful. I want input from other artists, not a sales rep or a 3-year old FAQ.

I am 20 years old and still working on my associates degree. This will be my first computer and I plan to work in Photoshop, Paint, and probably Illustrator. I do not want to make a mistake and buy an insufficient machine. Any advice would help.

P.S. I love this board. I've been lurking here for a while. So many fresh ideas and nobody is an a-hole. With my new computer I hope to show some of my work soon.

[davejohnsonart1]

If you're gonna do this as a pro, and you have the cash, buy a Mac G5 Desltop or equivalent Windows machine (no expertise there) and never look back. The Apple store will help you make the right purchase. The thing about high-end machines is that the "obsolete" cycle is alot longer than with the lower-priced "intro" computers. You will use this Mac/PC a good 5-8 years before you HAVE TO upgrade it.

[tylerdurden]

Dave's got a point, but allow me to further elaborate on what he means to tailor his statement to the current situation of computers. I will emphasize the two most important components in a computer to graphic/multimedia users: the CPU and the graphics card.

There have been many recent advances in technology, and we are on the verge of seeing quite a few more in the very near future. For example, you may be hearing the buzzwords "dual core" and "per watt efficiency." What this means is that the industry at large is moving towards multi-core processors (more than one processor unit in a single CPU package) and making it so that a lower clock speed processor can do the equivalent amount of work of a current, higher-clocked processor, therefore wasting a lot less electricity and generating less heat.

Intel is 3-4 months away from completely tossing their Pentium 4 and Pentium D processor line in the garbage in favor of lower-clocked, electrically efficient, multi-core processors (the highest speed on their upcoming processor family is only 2.66 GHz, versus the fastest Pentium 4 or D which is running at 3.73 GHz). AMD has been using this high-efficiency, lower-clock-speed profile for some time, and we are about to see a similar de-emphasis on the "faster is better" from their camp when they move on to using DDR2 memory.

What's going on in the graphics cards is a somewhat different story. There has been a strong push for using multiple graphics cards in a computer system. nVidia developed the SLI (Scalable Link Interface) technology for dual graphics cards, and ATI has countered with their CrossFire technology. Each technology has the capability of splitting the load of renderin on-screen graphics, which leads to an increase of productivity. Both technologies perform very well indeed, but the major drawback is that video cards, as they become more and more powerful, they are also becoming less efficient. Many top-of-the-line graphics cards can consume up to 150 watts of power on their own, which is more than any CPU available today, and a dual-graphics card setup, obviously, will consume twice that amount.

The rest of the computer is fairly easy to figure out. In terms of storage (hard drives, memory, DVD/CD drives), bigger and faster is better.

In terms of Mac's, the move to the new Intel processors is confusing a few things simply because there's a lot of software optimization left to do. Buying anything with a G4 or a G5 processor these days is generally not recommended, just for future-proofing purposes, but buying a new Intel Mac, as it stands, doesn't quite show it's strength and superiority just yet because 95% of the software out there is still designed specifically for the previous generation of Macs. Also, if your situation isn't completely desperate for a new system now, I'd wait to see what happens to the rest of the Macintosh line (as it stands now, only the iMac, Mac Mini, and the MacBook have been switched; we're still waiting on the PowerMac and the iBook).

As far as choosing between a Mac and a Windows machine, I think it's rather simple for a graphic/multimedia user. It's a matter of preference of interface (do you like the simplicity and control of a Mac, or have you been accustomed to the ways of Windows that you see no reason to switch?), and it's also a matter of whether or not the programs you use are Mac or PC specific. 3dsMax, for example, can only be had on a Windows box, whereas Final Cut Pro is only for Mac users. These situations can pretty much make the decision for you.

I have in this tech forum price guides for custom-built PC's. They haven't been updated recently (probably something I should do for Spring), but they will give you an idea of what can be had for a certain dollar amount. Also, look outside the usual suspects for computers (Dell, Gateway, HP, etc.); Maingear PC, for example, is a botique builder where they give such specialized service, the person who makes your system is the same person who gives you tech support and fixes hardware problems (though, there is no on-site service). Lastly, a good source for reviews on custom-built systems for the demanding user is [H]ardOCP.

If you have further questions, feel free to contact me.

[mookie01]

great post mr. durden!

[RandyPanTheGoatBoy]

So having read that Tyler (many thanks btw) , any ideas on decent laptop/notebook to get?
I am willing to spend around 1500 quid or around $2600 . I'd prefer to stay in the PC camp, I'm currenty looking at the Dell 9400's (upping the dual-core processor from the "vanilla" 9400 along with a beefier gfx card and memory), the Asus line and the Acer, both of which have models I have heard good things about.
The laptop will be used for all the usual highend art packages and 3ds Mx/zbrush, if it can play a new game at decent rate with all the bells and whistles, that will be a bonus!
Cheers.

[tylerdurden]

Randy,

Laptop/desknote ("desknote" being my generic term to laptops that can easily replace a desktop) computers are harder to recommend simply on the sheer limitations of the form factor. If you get a beefy CPU or graphics card, kiss your battery life goodbye. If you go too lightweight, performance suffers dramatically. The Inspiron 9400 you refer to has all the makings of a decent desknote, but the ATI X1400 is only a half-step above having Intel's Integrated Graphics as your video processor (similar performance, and the only difference is that there's 256 MB of RAM dedicated to the X1400). That alone kills the deal, in my opinion. Since Dell prevents you from stepping up to anything within reason before hitting their anchor-like, battery-life-sucking XPS systems (once again, the graphics card is the culprit: the GeForce 7800 GTX provides decent performance, but it consumes more electricity than the CPU does), I don't think you find what you are looking for at Dell.

Here's how I'd build a laptop (oh, and you can build a laptop, almost like you can build a desktop): Start out with a reasonably paced CoreDuo processor (a 1.83 or a 2.0 GHz), put it with a system that either features an ATI Radeon X1600 or an nVidia GeForce Go 7600. Add a decent sized hard drive that spins at 5400 RPM (7200 RPM drives provide minimal gains on the laptop and cost too much), a DVD burner, 1 GB of RAM or more, and your choice of screen size (and go for the highest resolution you can get for the screen size), and you should be set. The CPU and graphics should be fast enough to get games and art stuff done without destroying potential battery life, and the overall effect should result in a portable that's mean, green, and won't cook your cobbles with heat exhaust in the process. By my calculations, building that laptop should be somewhere in the realm of $1800-2500, depending on CPU, memory, hard drive, and screen size.

Asus is a very respectable brand for computers in general (I use their motherboards all the time), and Acer has a decent selection themselves. If your looking to purchase a performance computer in the UK, I have a website just for you: Hexus.net. Even little ol' Yankee me visits their site every day for the low down (mostly because they're physically located closer to all the good trade shows, so they have the one-up on competing sites).

Hope this helps

[RandyPanTheGoatBoy]

Cheers mate, that helps a hell of a lot. Thanks for clearing up all those little (and expensive) pitfalls for those of us who are technically retarded

[Silliw 2]

I agree. Thank you very much.

[tylerdurden]

You're very welcome, guys!

As always, if you have further questions, don't hesitate to ask.