Please Decode This Desktop Spec For This Not-Nerdy-Enough INTJ

[Usehername]

I'm getting hooked up with what I know to be a ridiculously sweet deal on a desktop (a friend is getting the parts at wholesale). But, I don't quite understand what the specs mean. Please, if you are nerdy enough to understand, translate part by part:

Intel Core 2 Duo E8200 2.66GHz 6MB L2 Cache
ASUS P5Q Next generation motherboard
4GB DDR2 800MHz RAM
500GB SATA II Hard Drive
EVGA Geforce 8400GS 512MB Video Card (supports the next generation Direct X 10)
ACER 19" Widescreen LCD Monitor 2000:1 Contrast Ratio
500Watt Power Supply
SAMSUNG DVD-RW DVD Burner
Keyboard/mouse and speakers

[Noel]

Originally Posted by Usehername

I'm getting hooked up with what I know to be a ridiculously sweet deal on a desktop (a friend is getting the parts at wholesale). But, I don't quite understand what the specs mean. Please, if you are nerdy enough to understand, translate part by part:

Intel Core 2 Duo E8200 2.66GHz 6MB L2 Cache
ASUS P5Q Next generation motherboard
4GB DDR2 800MHz RAM
500GB SATA II Hard Drive
EVGA Geforce 8400GS 512MB Video Card (supports the next generation Direct X 10)
ACER 19" Widescreen LCD Monitor 2000:1 Contrast Ratio
500Watt Power Supply
SAMSUNG DVD-RW DVD Burner
Keyboard/mouse and speakers

What do you plan on using this rig for?

[Xander]

Originally Posted by Usehername

I'm getting hooked up with what I know to be a ridiculously sweet deal on a desktop (a friend is getting the parts at wholesale). But, I don't quite understand what the specs mean. Please, if you are nerdy enough to understand, translate part by part:

Intel Core 2 Duo E8200 2.66GHz 6MB L2 Cache
ASUS P5Q Next generation motherboard
4GB DDR2 800MHz RAM
500GB SATA II Hard Drive
EVGA Geforce 8400GS 512MB Video Card (supports the next generation Direct X 10)
ACER 19" Widescreen LCD Monitor 2000:1 Contrast Ratio
500Watt Power Supply
SAMSUNG DVD-RW DVD Burner
Keyboard/mouse and speakers

I'm presuming it's running Vista on that memory.. It should have enough nuts to run most games and applications nicely. Not quite enough grunt to run things like Crysis at huge frame rates but otherwise a capable machine with plenty of headroom.

One thing though, watch you don't try to attach a hundred USB powered devices to it though. 500W is good but you may stress it if you try and add on lots of things which draw power through it.

[Usehername]

Originally Posted by Noel

What do you plan on using this rig for?

Basic student stuff + loads of music listening and uploading my digital piano stuff.

All I wanted was something quality, I had a price cap (with parts at wholesale I got more than I should have) and I wanted this to last for several years.

[Usehername]

Originally Posted by Xander

I'm presuming it's running Vista on that memory.. It should have enough nuts to run most games and applications nicely. Not quite enough grunt to run things like Crysis at huge frame rates but otherwise a capable machine with plenty of headroom.

One thing though, watch you don't try to attach a hundred USB powered devices to it though. 500W is good but you may stress it if you try and add on lots of things which draw power through it.

Good to know--thanks.

[creativeRhino]

lots of headroom for your future growth then. given that your needs and technology are both moving targets...

[Xander]

Originally Posted by Usehername

Basic student stuff + loads of music listening and uploading my digital piano stuff.

All I wanted was something quality, I had a price cap (with parts at wholesale I got more than I should have) and I wanted this to last for several years.

Errm not to spoil the party... that is still a good platform of a desktop.. but you're going to need a good sound card I'd imagine.

Whilst the top of the range cards aren't cheap there are some out there which produce professional quality at bargain prices. Not that I'm a soundcard expert but I'm willing to google a bit to aid the project...

BRB>

*A long short wait later*

Right it looks like the XFi is still king in the consumer market. They are pricey and unless you pay a lot for it, audio inputs are a swine. Also there's several models and only the top ones come with the stuff that everyone raves about.. the others are just plain jane good sound cards.

As for more professional jobs I found the Echo Mia Midi. It's no 7.1 materpiece of over cabling (try rigging up eight speakers in the corner of a room and then moving your chair!!!) but it does support multi sampling and is designed for input as well as output. Now the bonus is, it's cheaper than the XFi too.

I'd still suggest doing some research yourself, I know how picky you audiophiles can be, but I think that'd do the job. Oh and it's Vista 64 bit compatible (You didn't state which version it came with so I was playing safe ).

Anyhow, hopefully that's a good start.

[Noel]

Originally Posted by Usehername

Basic student stuff + loads of music listening and uploading my digital piano stuff.

All I wanted was something quality, I had a price cap (with parts at wholesale I got more than I should have) and I wanted this to last for several years.

Then this rig should perform beautifully for your needs well into the future. Congrats! (if/when you get it).

[sassafrassquatch]

4GB of RAM will require a 64bit OS. 64bit Win XP is a POS with poor driver support, 64bit Vista is a bit better but also a POS with poor driver support. 4 GB of ram is gross overkill unless you plan on running new games, 3D rendering, CAD or other memory intensive applications. I'd knock it down to 3GB and run 32bit XP. Or you could use some form of Unix/Linux.

[millerm277]

Originally Posted by sassafrassquatch

4GB of RAM will require a 64bit OS. 64bit Win XP is a POS with poor driver support, 64bit Vista is a bit better but also a POS with poor driver support. 4 GB of ram is gross overkill unless you plan on running new games, 3D rendering, CAD or other memory intensive applications. I'd knock it down to 3GB and run 32bit XP. Or you could use some form of Unix/Linux.

It's about a $10 difference between 4gb and 3gb, might as well get 4gb.

Anyway, the system looks to be far more than enough for your needs. If you could, you should get a bit more info on that power supply, a brand name and model number/name would be good.