Build your system for the future

So I'm reading a review in Amazon regarding the Kaspersky 3-user internet security software. This reviewer gives it a poor rating, saying it's slow, slows down everything, etc. It was giving me pause. Then he says going from Kaspersky 2009 to 2010 is like going from XP to Vista. Umm... hmm. Then he details his computer, a P4 with 1 gig of RAM. He later comments that he's never upgraded to Vista or Win7, and that he believes in not fixing something that isn't broken. Umm... hmm.

So, the review wasn't really helpful for me. But here's the thing, he's trying to run a modern program on a dinosaur computer. My granny has him beat, she still runs the computer I got her 12 years ago. It still has Win 98 for crying out loud. But, it connects to the internet, and does everything she wants it to do. And this weekend I'm giving her an HDTV, go granny... go granny!

Anyway, here's the thing, if YOU need to update your system, or need a new system today, then think in terms of the future. Most people, I hope, want to be able to run things that come out in the future because that means not having to upgrade soon after getting a new system.

Well, that's sort of what happened to me once. You see, my first computer that I bought with my own money and all that, was a Mac. I liked it. Played a game called Myst on it, which sort of had an impact on my view of computer games. Anyway, being the loyal guy I am, my next computer was Mac too, a G3 or G4, something like that. The only thing is, shortly after buying the computer, they released another computer that had a certain something that I wanted on mine. However, the only way to get it, was to buy a whole new computer. I talked with friends on the internet about it, and they said that if they wanted to change something in their computers, all they had to do was buy the part, and stick it in. So I called a couple of Mac places and asked if they could do something like that, nope, won't fit or somesuch answer. So, I was pissed. I hadn't had the computer for more than a few months, and already needed to buy a whole new one, if I stayed with Apple.

Fool me once, shame on you. Not going to fool me twice, so I bought a Dell. And wow, cheaper and more powerful, and just more professional in every way. Sure enough, I had it a while and discovered I wanted more RAM, no problem. A new sound card, no problem. However, after a while I simply needed something more powerful, with a bigger hard drive, all sorts of stuff. Yeah, it's like 3 years old and it's time to be replaced. By this time though, I'm pretty savvy. So, I decide to build my own. I made a mistake though, and it wouldn't be the last time I make it. I didn't build it for the future, I built it for right now.

That's fine, for now, but that means it's going to be lackluster in about 2 years, more or less, definitely less if you play games. And I play games. So almost 2 years after that I build another system, use some parts of my old, later on I buy some new parts and can have 2 systems. Did that for a while, started having problems with my main system, and guess what, it's ancient. Specifically, RAM had changed, and AGP video cards were suddenly gone.

So, what I had done was partially built for the future, and added on as needed, and that worked out long enough to not know that AGP vid cards, which had been awesome before, suddenly extinct. What I remember though, was that years before, when I was building the system, that people were talking about the new pcie video cards. If I had only listened and bought that stuff back then, then I wouldn't be building a completely new system today.

So, mistake realized, this time I built for the future. Keep in mind, I did this nearly a year ago, but even now most people would be hard pressed to beat the system I built. Most of which is what I would recommend even today. The only thing I would change now is the particular video card, but they are always coming out with new ones so it's no surprise.

So, if you want a computer that will last you for more than a couple of years, then this is what you need, and you probably need to build it yourself:

1) A new quad core cpu. i7 920 at a minimum, with x58 chipset, a definite for OCing.

2) A motherboard that can fit your cpu, can handle ddr3 at a minimum of 6 gb. Onboard sound seems fine to me these days. ASRock has a couple of good ones, Asus Rampage II or one of their P6Ts are probably good.

3) At least 6 gigs of RAM, ddr3. Corsair dominator GT 2000 or 1866 should be fine.

4) A power supply of at least 750W, more if you have a lot of things to attach. I believe Corsair still has a web page where you can input all your devices and it tells you how much power you should get. However, in the future you may need more power than you use now, so anticipate. 750W minimum.

5) A pair of video cards, or something like Radeon's x2 stuff, 2-in-1 card, that can handle DirectX 12, with 2 gb of memory.

6) A non-stock CPU cooler. Be sure that it will fit in your case because they get big. Do research, do it twice to make sure you know that it'll keep your CPU cool. Take a look at the CoolerMaster V8.

7) A big case that will keep everything cool and has room for expansion. In the future, you may want dual blu-ray drives or something else that comes out. Don't go cheap on the case, it's important to get something sturdy, preferably on wheels, with slots for additional fans.

8) Additional fans

9) A 24" HD monitor. Probably don't want to go bigger than this, but to each his own. Check out the Asus MK24

10) A fast wireless N router so that you can make your future TV wireless if it has an etherport, and can wirelessly watch HD movies via a wireless bridge. Other stuff like DVD players can also be turned into wireless via the bridge, just plug the devices into the bridge, and it will relay the signals to/from the router/internet. The PS3 is already wireless, if you want to go that route.

11) At least one fast Hard Drive. Look at Velociraptor for starters. Other HDs for storage can be slower.

12) A blu-ray read/write drive. Lots of USBs. Keyboard and mouse that "fits" you and your needs. Check out Logitech's line.

13) A 64bit operating system (OS). This is fast approaching to be the norm because you need a 64bit OS to take advantage of more than 3 gigs of RAM, and 3 gigs of RAM isn't going to cut it for very much longer. Go ahead and get Windows 7 64 bit if you don't mind potential bugs before their first service pack. Else, get Vista 64bit ultimate and you'll be happy.

14) Internet security software such as Kaspersky 2010. Don't waste time with the free stuff, they're meant to protect a Ford, you're driving something akin to a tough Mercedes.

15) Schedule your updates. Maybe once a month, every couple of months, or at least whenever things don't seem right, you need to check and update your drivers. This includes your motherboard's chipset drivers, your video card's driver, dvd driver, directX, motherboard bios, router bios, windows update, other software updates, etc. This is especially true with new products because the manufacturer figures out what needs to be fixed after the initial version has been released.

The drawback is, being on the forefront means a slightly different release of the same product might be slightly better. For instance, I got the i7 920 early on. It's a C0, and later came a D0. The D0 can handle overclocking a little better, with less heat due to slightly different architecture. So, if I had waited a little longer then I could have gotten the D0. However, the C0 is just fine, and if I ever decide I really do need that little bit more umph, well guess what, something is going be even better than the D0, or maybe I'll just stick in a i7 extreme, who knows. The difference isn't that big of deal, but because I'm set up to handle better things already, I won't have to buy a new computer to do that.

If in the future I want more umph and there's a whole new CPU that, like the i7, is a leap in technology, then I will likely only need to buy a new mobo and the CPU, as everything else should still work just fine for a number of years. That said, the i7 should be "it" for a while.

Yes, I've tried AMD. The i7 is simply a leap forward and AMD is trying to catch up now. I'm a fan of ATI though, which AMD owns. I even worked for AMD one summer and liked the people. So, it's nothing personal, and the competition is good for us all.

Now, another drawback is that this is expensive on the front end. However, a system like this, built today, should last you a lot longer than any Dell, including XPS, or HP being sold. The only thing I know of that's close, is Alienware. You won't save any money, but you'll get a good system that even has a unique look.

If you decide to build your own, beware of a couple of things. One, buy from a reputable place. If you buy parts from Newegg, that's fine. If you buy from Amazon, that's fine, as long as Amazon is the one sending the item. I would not trust 3rd parties that sell through and ship outside of Amazon. Why? Personal experience of course.

I bought a power supply from Amazon, but it was actually sold by ANTonline. Well, the power supply I received did not work... and the nightmare began. It basically took me a couple of months to get a power supply that worked. I will never ever never make that mistake again on something so vital to a project. In general, it may be in your interest to actually pay a little more to buy at a local store in case you get a bad a part. That way you can probably exchange it very quickly instead of mailing things back and forth. In my case, I received two dead power supplies before finally getting one that worked.

Two, the second thing to beware, are the specifications. Is that big fan going to fit? Is the case that's $100 cheaper really as good? (no, it isn't) Look at not only what they tell you, but what they don't tell you. And then figure out the answer anyway... looking at online manuals, etc. For instance, a motherboard may have 6 slots for ddr3 RAM, and not mention how much it can effectively utilize. The answer may be because it can only handle 6 gigs of ddr3 when you want one that can handle at least 12 for future growth. Not that 6 will be insufficient anytime soon. So, just be careful and know exactly what you're getting before you start buying. Make a list, check it twice, see what component is naughty or nice.

One more thing, have a working, internet connected computer while you're building your system so that you can refer to it with any questions, if you need to check out images, etc.

Google is your friend. Lots of people are building their own systems so there's information out there that tells you what you need to know about installing everything. Read your manuals if you're unsure, they have good info too. Don't be afraid to call support to answer a question, especially if you thing something isn't working... I had to call support about pin placement. The case wanted 3 pins but the mobo only had 2 pins. I called and emailed the support for the mobo, ASRock, and they told me they had the answer already on the web, that I never could find, and he told me that I simply needed to detach one of the leads and stick it in the empty middle slot, and then I'd have the 2-pin slots that the mobo called for. I was like, duhh, why didn't I think of that on my own?

So, do your research and go build your new system. Try not to smile too much when you're done, and know that bad boy is going to serve you well for a long time. And don't go cheap on surge protection!