So really at this point, anything I buy will be worlds better than what I have now, but I really want a bang for my buck, and I don't know as much about buying computers as I did before I had a car. (as far as what's on the market and best prices)

So..

Current specs are on a 5 year old Dell e1705 laptop.

Core 2 duo T7200 (2.0ghz)
2gb (maybe 667hz) RAM
ATi X1400 (with a diy dual heat sink so I can O/C it a good 30% to keep up with LFS and minecraft.. ish)
All running Windows 7 32 bit


I don't game much on my computer; if you don't know me it's mostly photo and video, both of which are awesome system hogs on different sides of the spectrum.

I do however play minecraft and that is oddly hard on CPU core and graphics cards.


So.
Hard drive space is pretty cheap now, I'm not that interested in SSD really, as my current 160gb 5400rpm hard drive is still plenty fast for me despite .. having under 20gb open space (I have been pushing and deleting everything I can to keep it around 20gb free)
Graphics card.. well shit, I'm on a laptop here. A desktop from 8 years ago would beat this thing. However Adobe and ATi seem to hate each other, so I'm aiming for an Nvidia card
CPU.. I've always used Intels, haven't heard anything negative on AMDs (not that I have many computer nerd friends these days) in a long time (10 years ago +), so either or.

I believe the obvious solution to Windows is 64 bit. Everything I use as far as Adobe products is 64 bit compatible so that is no problem


Most important part is.. I don't want to spend over $800 (including a 22" monitor)


In short.. I need:
Intel / AMD, 3GHz+ (4 core, or more)
Nvidia graphics
Windows 7 64 bit
big HD and big RAM (which really is the easy part)
22" monitor

for under $800


My Dell laptop has been through a lot and still performs amazingly, but.. I think it's finally time for an upgrade.

I've looked at iBuyPower's website and stuff but I typically go overboard on price super fast lol!

If anyone can help me out that would be great, thanks.

I doubt it's physically possible to squish in a Win7 license in there without changing CPU to a AMD Phenom II X4.
Another option (without Win7 license) could be a Phenom II X4 955 CPU, Hyper 212 Evo cooler (to OC that CPU to 3.8 or higher) and GeForce GTX 560.

Quote from XCNuse :

However Adobe and ATi seem to hate each other, so I'm aiming for an Nvidia card

Care to elaborate? I do not have any problems with 3 machines running on AMD/ATi gpu's (even Crossfire'd system).

If I were you I'd look for a nice Intel 2500/2600k with some random motherboard (lets say a "Asrock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3" for example). Throw in some random 8GB DDR3 RAM in it (let's use "Corsair Vengeance" for example). Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB HDD no doubt. As for GPU something like a AMD 6870 would be great.

Just some quick examples. Do you have a shop you like to use? Because I don't know how much it will cost you compared to here.

edit: fff, my post is useless

Bose321, I doubt 2600K is worth those $100 over 2500K on a $800 budget build.

Quote from E.Reiljans :

Bose321, I doubt 2600K is worth those $100 over 2500K on a $800 budget build.

Yeah, I didn't read he also needs a monitor.

I took the AMD route and came up with this. I got the cooler so you can OC the 955 to 3.8/4ghz no problem. I currently use that cooler with 2 fans instead of 1 and Im at 4ghz with 53C max temp

Quote from PLAYAPIMP :

I took the AMD route and came up with this. I got the cooler so you can OC the 955 to 3.8/4ghz no problem. I currently use that cooler with 2 fans instead of 1 and Im at 4ghz with 53C max temp

Won't a 2500k be faster and more power efficiënt?

Quote from Bose321 :

Won't a 2500k be faster and more power efficiënt?

It would but maybe he wants options. AMD is more bang for buck but intel performance is better. And if he wants to game a 560 ti will beat a 550 ti in any game. And my option is $50 cheaper and a little better for gaming. Derp I forgot the PSU. -_-

You're mostly into photo and video, you're picky enough to rule out AMD because of Adobe, yet a cheap 22" TN monitor is OK? Interesting...

Well I also have my tv; but .. at any rate, any monitor (not a cheapo one, a brand name at least) will beat out my 5 year old laptop's CCFL powered LCD screen.

@Bose, Photoshop CS4+ have GPU options; which I cannot use because of my ATi card. After effects also has issues with my ATi card and comes up with random warnings and issues which.. for whatever reason can only be traced back to my graphics card for whatever reason.

Really $800 is my tower budget; if I can fit a monitor in there also, awesome, if not, no big deal.

I just don't want to cheap out on something.. which seems kind of silly that I'm asking this question to begin with lol.

Really my spending limit is out the window, I just don't want to spend a small fortune for something that will last me another very long time. I've kept my laptop in awesome running condition.. so really anything nowadays will keep me going for a while.

It's just another one of those.. oh but if I buy now.. I could save money if I buy later, but in the end it all comes out to be the same anyway.

As far as AMD / Intel I would prefer to stick with Intel though, I know it's more expensive but.. it's just what I've always been able to trust.

If you think you can squeeze in 2500K, then do it, it's better than anything AMD has. Given that you're on budget, 2600K is not worth the price premium.
If not, then AMD. Bulldozer 61xx might be doing well on your particular apps of interests, because it has its strengths, so you may want to check it out. Overall some quad or even hex Phenom 2 is probably a better bang for the money.
I've never heard of any studies showing CPU reliability problems with either company, but it's your call. It reminds me of people who will only buy Japanese or German or American cars because that was their first car and it worked well...

As for Adobe and AMD, X1400 is a pretty old card.
http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/405/kb405711.html

You can see here that nVidia has issues with CS4 as well, in fact there are more nVidia cards there in the list of cards with problems. They are all older, I'm pretty sure that anything new from either nVidia or AMD won't have problems. In any case, I don't see any evidence for this "Adobe and AMD don't work together" view. That site is from Adobe, not like it's some fanboy site.

Quote from XCNuse :

Well I also have my tv; but .. at any rate, any monitor (not a cheapo one, a brand name at least) will beat out my 5 year old laptop's CCFL powered LCD screen.

Who says your 5 year old laptop's monitor isn't IPS panel? IPS panels appeared back in 1996.
Also, at the moment, CCFL's are superior to LED's.

But, if I were you, I'd squish in extra $125 to replace that TN monitor with a Dell U2211H, though. :3

Get amd card. Nvidia drivers are pretty much ****ed up right now on all 500 serie cards. Last 3 drivers has been shit and the 4th and later has huge loss in performance.

Quote from XCNuse :

@Bose, Photoshop CS4+ have GPU options; which I cannot use because of my ATi card. After effects also has issues with my ATi card and comes up with random warnings and issues which.. for whatever reason can only be traced back to my graphics card for whatever reason.

Isn't that because your card is like 50 years old? Works fine on all modern cards.

Quote from TamelCoe :

Get amd card. Nvidia drivers are pretty much ****ed up right now on all 500 serie cards. Last 3 drivers has been shit and the 4th and later has huge loss in performance.

+1

I have an ATi 4830 and have had problems with Photoshop's GPU acceleration.

I think it's just a driver issue, though... haven't got round to fixing it.

Quote from TamelCoe :

Get amd card. Nvidia drivers are pretty much ****ed up right now on all 500 serie cards. Last 3 drivers has been shit and the 4th and later has huge loss in performance.

True. I have a 560 ti on 285.** and performance went down from the 266.** drivers. Used to be 7.9 in WIE and get about 50/60 fps on crysis and with the 285.** its a 7.7 and getting 45 fps

lol my ATi card was the midrange for this laptop!
laptop was $1000 on the dot so.. upgrading to a higher card would've cost like another $200

it still does pretty damn good. My O/C almost doubles its power haha

@E.Reiljans I'm pretty sure they aren't IPS, but I could be wrong.
But I'm pretty damn positive it isn't. If Asus 'started' using it in 2006, then no way this laptop has it.
This laptop I have was bought in 2007, but still a year or two old by then.

@Jak I think it's a driver problem too, but it seems as though both sides are not doing so good when it comes to drivers.

Quote from XCNuse :

But I'm pretty damn positive it isn't. If Asus 'started' using it in 2006, then no way this laptop has it.

Well NEC started using it in 1996. ASUS is not the best reference point.

afaik the only laptops in the history if everything with any panel type other than tn were ibm from 5+ years ago the lenovo x220 and some hypeexpensive recent hp business laptops

Also pretty much every single MacBook Pro starting from 2004, and few other lines of few other manufacturers.

no macbook pro that ive ever heard of or seen has had anything other than a tn screen
if they had ips screens id be almost tempted to buy one
as usual youre talking out of your arse

Quote from Shotglass :

as usual youre talking out of your arse

2.2/2.4 GHz MacBook Pro 15": S-IPS panel, LED backlight. SWOP certified.

All other MacBook Pro 15": S-IPS panel, CCFL backlight. not SWOP certified because the backlight is too uneven.

MacBook Pro 17": S-IPS panel, CCFL backlight. not SWOP certified because the backlight is too uneven.

Either way.. IPS or no IPS, I've never heard of it nor seen it so it doesn't change anything, if I get it, great, if not.. it really won't change anything.

Color correction etc. is pointless to 99% of people.

The print shop I work at.. color.. if asked (and given the extra $20) to color match we will, but it doesn't matter.
Besides I don't do any printwork through my computer or have any photos printed, and if I do the color has always come out like it should anyway.
Besides, what's the point of having a "color accurate" monitor.. when no one else on the internet does...

yeah thats so clearly an ips panel on that macbook pro 17
http://www.notebookcheck.com/typo3temp/pics/526a3da266.jpg
as usually youre talking out of your arse

Quote from Shotglass :

as usually youre talking out of your arse

>implying all year MacBooks are same
gg grabbing a model that's like 9403943 years old.