Which is better - more RAM or faster CPU?

[lamboman]

Sorry if this sounds boring and annoying, but I recommend that you build the thing yourself. While you might not be confident, and you might not do the best build ever (that IS more difficult) it is going to be better quality than any OCUK system. You also get better parts for your money. No bloatware, and you gain the experience. The chance of it going wrong is basically zero.

Anyway, I would say that memory is the better choice here, but there still might be a few driver conflicts with 64 bit Vista.

[Spode]

I disagree. There won't be anything wrong with the quality of the OCUK build. But you're paying a premium for having someone else build it.

Building PC's is not hard, pretty much everything is done for you nowadays and motherboard manuals are pretty well instructed on installing CPUs (which is the trickiest bit). One can put a PC together in under half an hour, so a friend should be happy to help you. You'll spend more time getting the hardware setup.

[lamboman]

Originally Posted by Spode

I disagree. There won't be anything wrong with the quality of the OCUK build. But you're paying a premium for having someone else build it.

Building PC's is not hard, pretty much everything is done for you nowadays and motherboard manuals are pretty well instructed on installing CPUs (which is the trickiest bit). One can put a PC together in under half an hour, so a friend should be happy to help you. You'll spend more time getting the hardware setup.

Sure, the OCUK system will be decent quality, I am not denying that, but it won't be as good as buying the parts and building it yourself.

[Spode]

No, I still think you're wrong. If you get an Alienware system, or similar, they are built well. It's not as if we're talking built in a factory Dell systems here. OCUK are a small specialist shop - they will be built to a similar standard to you or I.

[Hugo]

All the Overclockers I've ever seen systems are very well built considering the relatively small premium they charge on top of the components compared to say Alienware or Vadim.

[lamboman]

Originally Posted by Spode

No, I still think you're wrong. If you get an Alienware system, or similar, they are built well. It's not as if we're talking built in a factory Dell systems here. OCUK are a small specialist shop - they will be built to a similar standard to you or I.

It really does depend on how much time you take to build. I spend a fair amount getting it quite nice. Some people don't. As I said, it would be decent, probably comparable to a relatively quick build but not a time consuming one. Anyway, it doesn't really matter, performance is first lol. I still think that he should build to gain experience.

[Spode]

Originally Posted by lamboman

It really does depend on how much time you take to build. I spend a fair amount getting it quite nice. Some people don't. As I said, it would be decent, probably comparable to a relatively quick build but not a time consuming one. Anyway, it doesn't really matter, performance is first lol. I still think that he should build to gain experience.

It's subjective. But, in this scenario, we're not talking about OCUK versus your builds, we're talking OCUK versus his builds. The OCUK build would be better. His build would be sufficient

[kged]

I appreciate your point about learning by building, Lamboman (or possibly Iamboman, hard to be sure), and the day will come when I do build a full system - but for now, I want the safety net of warranties and service contracts and all that. That's why I'm buying a full rig. You're right, it would be a good learning experience, but it's not a wise first step, I think. Do take into account my newbieness - my last PC was an Amiga...

[matttrd]

Originally Posted by Ed

Certainly in this day and age, with Windows Vista, building your own PC is indeed very easy. However, it's not for everyone. I'd start with a bought system, use it til it gets a bit slow and long in the tooth then upgrade it a bit. A new graphics card here, a faster CPU there...

When you feel more confident move onto putting a whole system together.

That is exactly how I started and is very good advice if your not confident enough yet.

[Fwibble]

Originally Posted by William

My home PC is more often in bits than it is in one piece. I have done every single alteration in my carpeted living room. I don't even use an anti-static wristband now.

Unless you are wearing nylon trousers, and moonwalking like Michael Jackson, a steel PC case is plenty capable enough to disperse whatever static you might have on you.

Anti-static wristband (£5) attached to a tap, radiator, or earthed PC case. Personally I just touch the case.

There is a lot of fear-mongering around regarding static, primarily from people who have too much free time and an overwhelming desire to think they are making a difference in the world.

As I have worked in this field I am in a position to comment.

Earthing yourself out against the case is OK up to a point, but it's all about potential levels of you, what you're about to install and what you are installing it into, plus the amount of potential in the atmosphere - yes it does make a difference believe me. In theory, earthing yourself against the case is enough, but the devices you're handling are incredibly ESD sensitive, some only need 300V of static and they're toast, so a lot of care is required. Bear in mind that just rubbing your hand along the sleeve of your sweater will generate 10kV static and you get the picture. It is better to earth yourself with a wristband and ensure that the connection is actually at earth potential.

I've seen the damage static does to IC's as a part of my job was to reduce the damage caused by ESD within the process and you wouldn't believe your eyes - in some cases it was almost like someone had set fire to the inside of the chip!

There is a whole misconception about the damage static discharge can do because more often than not the devices appear to work fine after installation. But the problem is that a device subjected to ESD does not always fail - it is merely damaged and therefore it's life is shortened. The fear mongering, for want of a better term, is not so bad if it makes people take more care in handling static sensitive devices. It is not so much a case of people thinking they are making a difference in the world; it is more a case of people wanting to impart their knowledge so that people understand the risks of not using ESD precautions when handling such devices.

I have talked to people who specialise in this field and it is a major concern that people do not take it seriously. Kit gets returned as DOA and it is more than apparent that it is caused by the user mishandling the product, yet they still get free of charge replacements from the shop they purchased it from even though they destroyed the device in the first place.

My take on ESD - get a wristband and make sure you're earthed - it is worth it.

[Fwibble]

In answer to the question...

Ram is the cheapest upgrade there is.

There is no point fitting a mega fast CPU if you've only installed 512Mb of memory - you will be constantly on the swap file and the hard drive is by far and away the worst place you want to be using as memory.

Memory is so cheap these days it's a no-brainer. 2Gb should be in your system - it makes the world of difference. But I would advise getting a recognised brand - they may cost a bit more but you do get the extra quality.

After that it depends on what you do with your system that dictates your next move.

[JCauthor]

Valve technology to transistor to IC I've delved into, took apart, repaired, trashed and and when it comes to em.. laughed made a buck or two and cried.. computers and memory chips ?
I agree for the sake of a small wrist band its worth it ! buy one use it !
BUT we're not talking Cmos chips nor are we talking germanium transistors or
valves with live chassis and they often did go live if the main capacitors leaked to earth you could have your shake rattle and roll quite effectively..
Touch the anode cap on a heated valve and the voltage would more than realign your teeth !
Its common sense and those we hate GEEKS who really DO know what the heck they're talking about but we have that inbred I think resentment of actually wanting to take their advice seriously... ?

[Harbinger]

Get the biggest CPU you can afford, a 64-bit OS, and you can always stick more RAM in yourself. It's cheap, you can get 2GB sticks, and something like CPU-Z can always tell you exactly what type is already present so you can match it. Or use crucial.com's, um, 'configurator' or something they call it. It's true that it's easy and very satisfying to roll your own, but there's no margins whatsoever in PCs anymore, so you won't save shitloads of money like you used to... Also, it's VERY easy to overclock the quads - I've got a Q6600 rated at 2.4GHz, and it's clocked up to 3.01GHz with the stock cooler and no vcore overvolting. There's a lot of headroom in these chips. Also, it's not that 32-bit apps can't 'use' more than 4GB - a 32-bit OS only has a - well, - 32-bit address space, ie 2^32 = 4G addresses, so it can't even 'see' any more memory. Also, certain devices like graphics cards get their on-board RAM mapped into the OS memory space (which is why they're called 'memory-mapped' devices) which has a further impact. 64-bit OSs sail imperiously past these restrictions as they have (4G)^2 addresses to play with.

[neobux]

It depends on why you want to do either. If you are running low on resources because the programs you are running are memory intensive, then more ram will help. On the other hand, if you have plenty of memory for the programs you are running, but the program is just slow due to processor speed, then more ram will do nothing.

Also, an important consideration is the usability of the ram when you do upgrade. If you are using an old computer with DDR ram, any new computer will probably use DDR2 (or possibly DDR3), which means the ram you buy now will be worthless. On the other hand, because DDR ram is quickly becoming obsolete, you could probably find some used sticks for a low price.