That's right, I'm FINALLY getting a new PC!
Actually, it's not the whole computer, it's just the CPU.
I haven't purchased it yet, and I can't purchase it till Monday due to unforeseen circumstances (darn! I was so psyched!). Here are the stats as I remember them (the guy wouldn't give me the quotation
):
Motherboard:
Intel DG41RQProcessor: Intel Core 2 Quad 8 Series (I think it's
Q8400)
RAM: 4GB (2 + 2) Transcend (not sure about the model, probably DDR2, hopefully 800MHz)
HDD: 500GB Seagate (not sure about the details)
Graphics Card:
GeForce 9 Series (was it 9400 or 9800? Not sure about this either)
OK. Now that all that's out of the way, here's the dilemma.
I was told that a Quad Core processor generates a lot of heat, so I should have a cabinet that has a fan which sits near to the processor (typically there's a "tunnel" connected to a fan on the inside of the cabinet). Is that true? Or is it okay to just have good ventilation (2 fans on the back)?
Oh! I almost forgot; are there any problems with the above configuration, or with any of the components? While I haven't payed the money yet, I still have the chance to make changes. Do any of you recommend any changes for the better?
OK. I got the PC. Before I install Windows, I wanted to refresh my partitioning strategies. So here are the key points:
HDD Space: 500GBMain Usage:
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Family Usage: My parents need space for their documents, photos, E-Books and tiny videos. Estimate usage is not more than 40GB.
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My sister uses the PC for checking mail, chatting and listening to music.
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As for me, I have maintained generations of "Collections" which include software, images, music, videos (clips, not movies) and other stuff like that. It gets big, that's for sure. How big? Let's say 10GB before I backup again. I also play games ranging from 1MB to 12GB. I code, so I install the Visual Studio or similar suites. I will most likely install Photoshop.
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Misc: I normally don't store movies in my "Collection" but on a separate drive. I store TV Series along with the movies.
I've been doing all this with 80GB and I suddenly jumped to 500GB, so I can't seem to estimate my needs in the future. The drastic change in space will change everything: my backup frequency, my collection size, my movie collection...
All I know right now is that I'll put aside 40GB for system drive (I plan on moving the documents to a separate partition). <---- Wait, you decide this for me too. Any help is appreciated. Cause The sooner I settle this, the sooner I can install XP on my new comp and get to enjoy it