What's The Best Computer!?

[BenP.]

I've been wondering on whether or not I should buy a new PC. Currently, I have a PII 700 mhz, 256 ram, and a 60 gig hd but when I attempt to make VCD/SVCD the process is So time consuming. I've heard people say that a P4 1.5 ghz+ and then I've heard people say that a AMD Athlon 1.2 ghz is just as good/fast. I'd appreciate it very much if anyone could answer this question for me. Thanks.

P.S. Does the front side bus speed have
any play in making the process any
faster?

[menaz]

A couple of weeks ago I was attempting to capture with a celeron 433, HORRIBLE time!

Here is my advice, get the most you can afford. I was also debating wether I should get a pentium 4 or athlon, I got a pentium 4 1.3. It gets the job done so much better than the celeron. I've never heard somebody have compatibility issues with pentium, AMD on the other hand, Ive heard of all kinds of problems.

[khai]

But remember!! With AMD, you can be sure that you can have a long upgrade life since they don't plan on switching the Socket A platform for awhile.

Intel, on the hand, keeps switching. But they do have the advantage with that new instruction set.

[tvman]

My advice--build your own--the way you want it! Buy a book if you need advice!
I bought an EPOX 8KTA3 m. board, AMD 1.4 chip, 512 ram, used drives out of my other
computer--Celeron 400---. 2 hard drives--one for windows 98SE--one for video.
I only use 8 gig for windows and stuff and 30 gig for video editing.
It is now fast! Prices will not be any lower than now!
One other point---DO NOT USE Windows ME! Windows 98SE or 2000 is best.
HT

[BenP.]

I am just weary of purchasing another AMD because the computer before last was a AMD K6-2 450 MHz and all it did was give me problem after problem. I couldn't even watch a movie on it without it locking up on me. I always received some type of weird error--something to do with a VXD error. I don't know. My only guess is that it had something to do with the motherboard itself, although I never received the problems unless I was in Windows...weird, huh? Anyway, I basically searching for a computer that will be capable of ripping an entire DVD in about 5 hours. Like I said, right now it takes a hell of a long time, 13+ hours, and that's just crazy. Thanks for any help guys.

BenP.

[khai]

Also, throw the prices into the mix. AMD is certainly much cheaper. Intel is not so cheap.

If you have a feeling that another AMD will give you problems, then don't get another AMD system. Go with your gut feeling. Because if you do get an AMD and it DOES give you problems, then you will have a big headache.

Personally, I bought and built my AMD system myself and I have never had any problems with it.

[Xtreme]

I have the best computer. =)


<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2001-08-03 17:17:09, BenP. wrote:
I've been wondering on whether or not I should buy a new PC. Currently, I have a PII 700 mhz, 256 ram, and a 60 gig hd but when I attempt to make VCD/SVCD the process is So time consuming. I've heard people say that a P4 1.5 ghz+ and then I've heard people say that a AMD Athlon 1.2 ghz is just as good/fast. I'd appreciate it very much if anyone could answer this question for me. Thanks.

P.S. Does the front side bus speed have
any play in making the process any
faster?
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

[Cannop]

I'm new to all this Dvd ripping stuff ............ I only ripped my first one yesterday, my machine was built mainly as a gaming machine but it seems to rip at a reasonable speed.
Specs:

Epox8K7A+ motherboard
Athlon 1.4 CPU (266 fsb, (2x133) its quicker at moving data to and from the cpu than 200fsb(2x100))
256mb of Crucial 2100 DDR Cas2.5 memory
2 x IBM 60GXP 7200rpm HD's running raid 0 (striped)

With this setup I ripped (backed up!) Saving Private Ryan From start to finish (Including burning 2 vcd's) in 6.5 hours, which judging from reading these boards is reasonabley quick for a film of that length.
I'd go for the Athlon solution ........ the AMD K6-2 you had was a totally different CPU, the Athlons these days perform very well. I have got nothing but praise for the setup I have got, I haven't encountered any problems with it on any tasks I have asked it to do.
Also Athlon chips are very good value at the moment.

Cannop



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Cannop on 2001-08-05 02:58:09 ]</font>

[disturbed1]

If you plan on capturing video get a P4. Every software and hardware maker optimizes and tests their products towards the Intel/Intel combo. AMD/VIA brings up the rear with this patch or that update.

I don't see where people complain about the platform change. They are the same. AMD has changed their bus speed and ram just like Intel.

The Athlon CPU is only upto 1.4. The PIII is upto 1.2, and the P4 is upto 1.8. TMPG is only optimizing it's software for the P4 for now on.

As far as the front side bus goes, it's all a gimmick. AMD's 200mhz is only 100, 266 is 133, the P4's 400 is only 100.

Most capture card makers don't recomend AMD cpu's. Pinnacle doesn't and neither does Dazzle. When you buy a full featured NLE system, it comes with Intel CPU's, AMD isn't even offered.

The Ford Escort is cheap and will get me to work and back, but I still drive a Cadillac. Maybe AMD is cheaper for a reason?



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: disturbed1 on 2001-08-05 03:08:17 ]</font>

[Cannop]

If you want a few benchmarks between Intel and AMD with their "gimmicky" fsb's look here:
www.dansdata.com/images/ddr/wintune.gif
www.dansdata.com/images/ddr/sandra.gif
As you can see the P4 1.5 with the x4 memory is faster in the memory benchmarks, but its slower in every other respect than the Athlon 1.2.
These prices are UK ones but heres the difference:

1.8GHz Intel Pentium® 4 Processor 400MHz FSB £551.08
1.4GHz (266fsb) AMD Athlon SoA CPU £149.23
256Mb Rambus (RIMM) PC-800 ECC £398.33
256Mb PC2100 DDR Memory £45.24

If you want the slower P4 and have lots of cash spare go for it

Cannop

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Cannop on 2001-08-05 03:58:40 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Cannop on 2001-08-05 04:02:28 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Cannop on 2001-08-05 04:03:57 ]</font>

[BenP.]

I think that I 've pretty much made up my mind on the computer but I need to know if it matters what motherboard I buy. I want to run DDR-ram instead of the basic or SDR-ram. I know that Athlon runs on the Socket-A type but does it matter which one? Thanks for the input!

BenP.

[Greg12]

It's best to look at your needs and build your own.

For video processing, here's what I'd recomind.

40-60Gigs of HD space. try for 60 or 80.
Pentium 4 at the highest speed you can aford.
No less than 256megs of RAM.
ATI All IN Wonder Radien.

ATI uses a soft encoder. BUt just to let you know that most hardware encoders are like $800 plus.

THe difference is that software encoders put the load on the CPU to do the transcoding.

Hardware encoders have a chip(S) on the board that is designed to do it.

ATI is soft of different. It cant' handel full hardware encoding but it does have a Radien graphics chip with takes a huge load off the CPU. Without this chip you could not watch tv and do other things. It also lets you do the great full screen.

[khai]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2001-08-05 09:57:01, BenP. wrote:
I think that I 've pretty much made up my mind on the computer but I need to know if it matters what motherboard I buy. I want to run DDR-ram instead of the basic or SDR-ram. I know that Athlon runs on the Socket-A type but does it matter which one? Thanks for the input!

BenP.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

I suggest you run over to http://www.anandtech.com and look through their older reviews and maybe even post a couple questions in their forums.