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Kit
@108.28.157.x

Kit

Anon

Two computers

Two computers, same price and mostly the same specifications except as follows:

Computer 1 has 32GB of DDR-3 1600 total memory and NVIDIA GeForce GT 720 video GPU with 1GB of video memory.

Computer 2 has 16GB of DDR-3 1600 total memory and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 745 video with 4 GB of video memory (DDR 3).

Which would you choose? Why?


Tursiops_G
Technoid
MVM
join:2002-02-06
Brooksville, FL
ARRIS TM1602

Tursiops_G

MVM

Computer 2 is What I would choose.
a). I don't have any applications that would Actually USE all 16 GB of Memory (let alone 32GB).
b). GTX 745 w/4GB will be better with games than the 720 w/1GB.

Unless you have application(s) that WILL ACTUALLY BENEFIT from >16GB of RAM, then WHY have 32GB?

Of Course, YMMV...

My $0.02...

-Tursiops_G.
BlitzenZeus
Burnt Out Cynic
Premium Member
join:2000-01-13

BlitzenZeus to Kit

Premium Member

to Kit
Most people don't really need 32GB of memory, hell most people don't need 8, and might never need over 4GB so 16GB is still excessive.

The 720 gpu is as good, or barely better than current onboard gpus, might as well use the onboard gpu anyway since this add-on card is an extra cost, so it's gaming performance would be poor to non-existant depending on the game. The 745 is a low end gaming card apparently, annoyingly only provided to oems.

I might choose number two if I had a gun to my head, or neither of them if I had a real choice.
JoelC707
Premium Member
join:2002-07-09
Lanett, AL

JoelC707 to Kit

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to Kit
I'd drop the RAM used down to 8GB and put the excess towards a better GPU or a SSD personally. I spec'd my desktops with 8GB when I built them and have since increased mine to 16GB. The only time I use more than about 4GB is when I have VMs running or FireFox has been open for weeks with an assload of tabs and has gobbled up about 4GB by itself.

Of course all of this is really subjective without knowing the usage of either system. Will you be running a bunch of VMs and need as much RAM as you can get? Will you be gaming on it (if so, what games and what resolution)? Will you be running Photoshop or Habndbrake or something else that might need a bunch of RAM or CPU power? That will determine which one (or a different config).
asdfdfdfdfdf
Premium Member
join:2012-05-09

asdfdfdfdfdf to Kit

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to Kit
I would say what the others have said. Without more information I would generally give up an excessive 32GB ram in exchange for better video, unless you are doing something that requires really big amounts of ram(but I don't think this is likely). The 745 graphics are still pretty anemic if you are wanting to game but they are better than the 720.

Kit
@108.28.157.x

Kit

Anon

Thanks for the replies. They make sense.

Raible
join:2008-01-23
Plainfield, IN

Raible to Kit

Member

to Kit
You appear to be asking if 16GB of more RAM is worth a lesser GPU. Well, in this particular example it is not and it's because that 720 is such an ugly dog. To give you a feel for how low end it is, it is slower than a GTS 240 card which was released 5 years ago and it itself was a mid tier card when released.
BlitzenZeus
Burnt Out Cynic
Premium Member
join:2000-01-13

BlitzenZeus

Premium Member

I would guess it's only purpose is if they went really cheap on the motherboard, otherwise it was an older model with only vga as one of the outputs, and it didn't have a dvi-i and/or hdmi out. So tack on another $50 for the 720 to pad their profits, but a decent motherboard with a dvi-i, and hdmi out would have removed the need for the 720 to begin with.

With onboard video mostly standard except for boards meant for gaming that support 2-3x sli/crossover, and the few processors releases without a gpu component there's no reason to not have dvi-i and hdmi out as options on the motherboard. They can also be quite useful when you're troubleshooting problems with your expensive gaming card, and you don't have any other card to test the system with like the old days.

sweller
join:2009-04-25
Tucson, AZ

sweller to Kit

Member

to Kit
I'd start by asking myself what I'm going to use it for. I don't need all that graphics capability or all that memory.

If you know what you'll be running on it, you can do a little checking to determine what's "recommended."

Mentat
Premium Member
join:2001-02-25
Houston, TX

Mentat to Kit

Premium Member

to Kit
Those specs sound like the types of computers sold at a big-box retailer; I wouldn't choose either.

Kit
@108.28.157.x

Kit to Kit

Anon

to Kit
Most of the last four comments were also helpful in different ways and I thank you for them. To clarify, I'm just an ordinary computer user without a lot of technical skills, especially when it comes to parts and components. I use a computer for web surfing, e-mail, writing (stories mostly but some spreadsheet and database work as well). I play some music, stream some videos and do some limited image editing. But I'm not into gaming, at least serious gaming.

I realize I don't need the most powerful computer in the world for what I'm doing, but I'm willing to buy above my immediate needs so I can hang on to the computer for several years and not be excessively constrained; and I've always bought from well known manufacturers (HP, Lenovo, Dell, etc.) not because they are faultless but because (a) I'm not qualified to build my own computer and (b) wouldn't know where to get it built even if you provided me with a list of the parts you would recommend for my needs.

But if anyone would like to suggest what I could get for $800 maximum, feel free. I'm sure it would help me assess what the major manufacturers are offering by comparison. I don't have a lot of prerequisites, but would like it to be able to run the next version of Windows and be able to keep it running for at least four years.
BlitzenZeus
Burnt Out Cynic
Premium Member
join:2000-01-13

BlitzenZeus

Premium Member

You have way more than enough for your needs, and won't need the entire $800 unless you really want to go with a ssd which is entirely a luxury item. In package systems people might recommend if you were to upgrade any item on the package system they might even overcharge over retail to compensate for their sale. With that said, something like this is probably all you'll need, but you definitely don't have buy from them. You'll also probably be fine with the i3 model, however based on the website sale pricing currently $50 more for an i5 over an i3 is worth it in the long run.
»www.dell.com/us/p/inspir ··· -desktop
This package only has a vga, and hdmi out for example, please pay attention to the outputs on a system, if you have a dvi monitor you'll need to get a hdmi to dvi adapter.

That money left over can be used to buy a new monitor you actually want if you need it, not just the one stuck inside a package system. The above is only the desktop, and you can reuse your current monitor.

I suggest you also check local stores, many might carry these kind of prices, or even better on similar packages. I've seen store like staples have better prices than the websites, and you don't have to wait for shipping either. Just don't let whoever you buy it locally through monkey with the system, some event want to install more useless crap on them, and might even run snake oil registry cleaners on them on top of that which have been known to cause more problems. If the box was ever opened like 'optimized by GeekScam' don't accept it, and I would avoid Worst Buy at all costs, I hate that store.

This website will help you find local sales.
»www.salescircular.com/
asdfdfdfdfdf
Premium Member
join:2012-05-09

asdfdfdfdfdf to Kit

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to Kit
I would still get the 745 and 16GB ram for your situation. That should be fine. Does the system you are looking at have a quad core or dual core cpu?

Mentat
Premium Member
join:2001-02-25
Houston, TX

Mentat to Kit

Premium Member

to Kit
For your stated uses, $800 is about twice what you need to spend.
If you are capable of turning a screwdriver and plugging wires into sockets, you are capable of building your own PC. It will be a fun and enriching experience.

For $430, you can have a quiet, efficient, and upgradeable computer that will last you for years.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD A6-5400K 3.6GHz Dual-Core Processor ($42.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI FM2-A75MA-E35 Micro ATX FM2 Motherboard ($62.78 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($34.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX100 128GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($69.93 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($53.99 @ Directron)
Case: Cougar Spike MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($29.99 @ Mwave)
Power Supply: Rosewill Capstone 450W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($13.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($88.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $431.64
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-11-21 00:46 EST-0500

norwegian
Premium Member
join:2005-02-15
Outback

norwegian to Kit

Premium Member

to Kit
If I had to pick, I'd go number 2.

1. Has lots of ram and a small gpu.
Too much and not enough applies, suggesting it isn't purposed for anything thing.

2. Has a overly modest amount of ram and a better gpu, suggesting it is at least aiming more at providing an all-round machine.

Hardware of both needs to be considered even before the specs you list though, and on my thoughts provided.

You should be able to do okay if you have a $800 tag and looked about for a more balanced machine than either listed, as mentioned by others.
Some specific online computer stores allow configuring your own and charging a modest $50 to build, run, test and warranty.
I'm sure you could build though, especially if you ask before what you need for the day so your not hunting parts and losing the focus and fun building can provide.

Kit
@108.28.157.x

Kit to asdfdfdfdfdf

Anon

to asdfdfdfdfdf
Thanks BlitzenZeus. I'll have to take a closer look at the links you provided as I could probably save myself some money that way.

To respond to asdfdfdfdfdf, I was actually looking at a couple of systems shown at the links below:

»www.microcenter.com/prod ··· Computer (now out of stock)

»www.costco.com/Dell-XPS- ··· 414.html

The prices are higher than what I mentioned, but I think something close to these specifications could be had for around $800 in the next couple of weeks. The specs on the first system are more detailed than those provided by Costco, but the memory and video card were the main differences I could see.

I'm sure someone more knowledgeablecould put together a better system from scratch, but I'm not the person to do that.
BlitzenZeus
Burnt Out Cynic
Premium Member
join:2000-01-13

BlitzenZeus

Premium Member

Again with the 32GB of memory, unless you have some programs that really need that much memory that's a waste imho, and if you really feel you need more than 8 for some reason then 16GB is a good place to stop, they might be charging you too much for the memory in the first place. You also likely don't need an i7, even many gamers stop at getting an i5 as most program just don't take advantage of all the cores on the processors if they need that processing power.

Are you using professional tools like the kind required to make virtual environments like on this website?
»www.digitalblasphemy.com ··· me.shtml

I have an i5 system with 8GB of ram, and most of the time the motherboard is under clocking the processor to reduce it's power usage. Outside of some games, and my virtual machines I don't use more than 2GB most of the time. I've always built middle of the road to not pay bleeding edge, and after five years of gaming is when the bottlenecks start to show, which they are still more than adequate to handle web browsing and videos for another few years at least.
asdfdfdfdfdf
Premium Member
join:2012-05-09

asdfdfdfdfdf to Kit

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to Kit
You don't really need an i7 for what you are doing and, if you are sure you aren't going to be upgrading your graphics card for gaming, you don't really need an xps system. The better power supply in an xps would be an advantage if you were likely to upgrade the graphics card.

Otherwise an inspiron should meet your needs. You can get an i5 and 8GB ram with the cpu's integrated graphics for as little as $550. I know this seems to contradict the suggestion earlier to trade ram for better graphics but intel's integrated on haswell systems is adequate for video/non gaming use. The power supply wouldn't be up to a substantial graphics card upgrade but could handle a very modest upgrade.

So, in short, if you think gaming might become an issue, I would stick with the xps series. If you are confident it won't become an issue, an inspiron should be fine, though I would not get the small form factor version.

Something like this:
»www.dell.com/us/p/inspir ··· -desktop

Kit
@108.28.157.x

Kit

Anon

Again, I thank both of you for the ideas, suggestions and links. To be honest, I probably don't need a new computer at all at this time so I'll probably try to avoid all the holiday hype and wait at least until Windows 10 comes out next year before doing anything. Although I have to admit that all the hype makes me feel like a loser if I don't end up buying SOMETHING.

I mean, think of all the savings I'm foregoing by not spending money

Kit