Building A New Desk Top For The First Time In My Life.

[DragonQuest]

Hello all, I play final fantasy 11 online and I want a new desk top for it, I want to panthip today but there are tons of shops, I have a few questions:

#1 Can someone tell me which shop has a good reputation to build me a great desk top, shop name and which floor.

#2 Should I get the copied version of windows or get original?

#3 My budget is 20-30k I have an idea of what I wanna get but please let me know what you guys think thank you.

#4 Which brand do you guys think I should get ? there are so many out there><

Ok here it goes:

3.0 Ghz (not sure if I should get pentium or AMD)

500 GB (Could grab a 750)

19 Inch wide screen LCD (Minimum resolution and brand I have no clue)

512 MB Nvidia or ATI?

Mother board I have no clue since Im a newbie, what is great on the market right now? Maby with a fan on it and doesnt get too hot, I would prefer the new DDR3 too but not sure If I should get 1,2 or 3.

[youngkiwi]

The shop to go to is Busitek located on the 4th floor of Pantip. Their web site is www.busitek.com. They have a constantly updated pricelist online and they specialise in building gaming systems. Many hi-so Thai students have their gaming systems built there. The shop staff also speak English.

I would recommend you purchase the fastest processor you can afford. I would go for an Intel, although AMD are known to have better overclocking capabilities. Asus motherboards are the way to go. Busitek have a very large range of high-end graphics cards, check their online pricelist for info. Good luck and let us know what you decide on.

[DragonQuest]

Thx for the info. Any shops I should stay away from? Would you say it was one of the the top 3 best shops to build a new gaming rig? Anyone else in the market for a new gaming rig and wanna combine forces to share knowledge? please contact me thank you.

[ballbreaker]

As above mentions Busitek is good shop. I buy all parts from them when building a new PC.

You can try and shop for the best price but they are pretty much the same if all the same parts are specified when talking to each shop. Remember don't let them talk you into something you don't want. Also plan on spending at the top end of your budget if not a little over if you want something good. You might take time and read: www.tomshardware.com or www.anandtech.com

I would go with the following:

Intel 3.0 Ghz CPU

Samsung monitor with low response time(5ms or under). I have 206BW and very happy.

Seagate HDD

2 Gig of RAM minimum (4 if going with Vista) I would stay XP OS

ASUS P5K motherboard

Nvidia 9600 GT 512MB

Do Not go cheap on the case and power supply

DVD drive up to you

[DragonQuest]

Ok I agree with ball, as for LCD what size is good? im thinking minimum 20 inch wide screen , do they make 20,21,22, or 23? I will definetly pay a visit to that shop and compare prices, but will buy from them eventually^^ I dont know too much about the case and power supply and you enlighten me? I want ICE COLD SUPER FREEZING CASE AND A DUAL TURBO FAN IF POSSIBLE, Im looking for high quality stuff for the case and Power.

Edited June 15, 2008 by DragonQuest

[PattayaDavid]

Ok I agree with ball, as for LCD what size is good? im thinking minimum 20 inch wide screen , do they make 20,21,22, or 23? I will definetly pay a visit to that shop and compare prices, but will buy from them eventually^^ I dont know too much about the case and power supply and you enlighten me? I want ICE COLD SUPER FREEZING CASE AND A DUAL TURBO FAN IF POSSIBLE, Im looking for high quality stuff for the case and Power.

And you think that you can get all of that for 20,000 to 30,000 baht?  I built my compute at Busitek last year and I spent a good 60,000 baht.  Check out their website to see if you can find something to fit your budget.  Personally, I would recommend that you wait until you can afford a little bit better system especially if you play games.

[Khun Jack]

I have nothing much to add but for the CPU go for the latest Intel dual core E8200 (6200 baht). My AMD desktop pc is running games fine and can be over clocked but is not as stable as my other Intel desktop.

[dotcom]

Ok I agree with ball, as for LCD what size is good? im thinking minimum 20 inch wide screen , do they make 20,21,22, or 23? I will definetly pay a visit to that shop and compare prices, but will buy from them eventually^^ I dont know too much about the case and power supply and you enlighten me? I want ICE COLD SUPER FREEZING CASE AND A DUAL TURBO FAN IF POSSIBLE, Im looking for high quality stuff for the case and Power.

I was with you right up till this statement.

I ALWAYS use JEDI computers - on the ground floor just along from BKK Bank. Fair & reputable people.

I build a few towers each year. I would expect to pay about 33,000 for mine. btw Q9300 & Q9450 (fully unlocked 12 mb L2 cache) are the latest processors. Buy 4 gig of DDR2 ram GEIL.

I use Lian LI PC G7 all aluminum case. JEDI is THE shop for water coolers if that is what you want. The new gaming dual GPU video cards can run 12,000 baht. They will try & sell you WD hard drives. Insist on Seagate. For a main board I would choose P5K Pro Asus. You are looking at a minimum of 45,000 baht with a terrabyte of HDD. That is just the tower - no peripherals.

Q9300 is 9900 baht & Q9450 is 12,500 baht.

I have 2 Samsung LCD monitors. One 214T & one 204B. Have to try at Jet computer - Fortune Town. Thse cost over 12,000 baht apiece.

[ballbreaker]

Ok I agree with ball, as for LCD what size is good? im thinking minimum 20 inch wide screen , do they make 20,21,22, or 23? I will definetly pay a visit to that shop and compare prices, but will buy from them eventually^^ I dont know too much about the case and power supply and you enlighten me? I want ICE COLD SUPER FREEZING CASE AND A DUAL TURBO FAN IF POSSIBLE, Im looking for high quality stuff for the case and Power.

Your budget is already over so you don't need to blow cash on case thats overkill. Go with something like CoolerMaster case and Enermax power supply.

Intel CPU (3 Gig) 7000

Motherboard 4000

Graphics Card 6000

HDD 3200

DVD drive 1000

Case 2000

Pwr Sup 4000

RAM (2Gig) 2000

Monitor ?

Keyboard ?

Mouse ? (Don't go cheap)

Speakers ?

I think you need to spend 40k baht (give or take a couple) to build something good.

[dotcom]

Overlooked power supply. 400 watt Enermax Liberty.

[Wolfie]

I will second JEDI computers on the ground floor (to the right, a few shops past the K-Bank branch) if your going for a gamer computer.

Your 30k budget sounds reasonable (a little on the low side) *IF* you dont have to include a monitor. Your not going to get a kick-ass desktop for that kind of money unless you just want to "Use Office and browser websites" which, as you have already stated, isnt the case.

Personally, i'd go for a decent speed dual core, hardly anything supports quad core yet and that isnt likely to change in the next year or so (game wise im talking here). I'd also go for 3 or 4gb of Ram, you will thank me for it in the end I imagine you can pick up a Nvidia 8800 for not too much cash these days and HDD's are cheap enough also. Make sure you pick up a case thats got plenty of room inside, keep in mind if you squish everything into a small case its going to get quite warm in there and will be difficult to impliment a decent air-cool system... if you dont mind the monster of a case on the desk go for one of the big towers with the big fans in it. Powersupplies are cheap enough these days also, but your budget might be spent already I would also recomend going for a custom heatsink/fan combination as ive noticed a significant difference in temps since i threw out the Intel stock Heatsink/Fan and went with a custom one.

[Khun Jack]

Have replaced the fan that comes with the CPU with a Zalman cooler. It's unbelievable how that reduced the noise in combination with a Be Quite powersupply. Zalman cooler cost about 2500 baht.

[dotcom]

Based upon your budget you won't get much.

Not flaming you bro - reality check.

THE BEST thing you can do is go on Thai Visa classifieds & buy a second hand tower. At least you can get it from another expat.

You still won't have a gamer computer but you can avoid the hit of buying new & taking the depreciation.

The last time I looked on there I didn't see any screaming buys.

As I said above a tower & monitor would run you 60,000 (for 1600 x 1200 resolution).

[DragonQuest]

wow great info I would love to meet you guys to build my new pc, so many options so many brands, I really appreciate the advice guys, Ill definetly check out those shops to see who gives me a better deal, as for my budget Im working on it^^

[ballbreaker]

Whatever you decide to do make sure you don't buy more than 3 Gig of RAM. Even with Vista (32 bit version) and 4 Gig RAM installed you will not get to use much more than 3 Gig so save a few baht. All you 4 Gig promoters read about at the below link.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929605

[Wolfie]

I made the move to Vista x64 for this exact reason

[DragonQuest]

whats the difference between the 32 bit and 64 bit? is it like saying its a playstation 2 vs a playstation 3? I missed the computer show last week or 2 weeks ago ; ;

But I will definetly be going with windows vista since its the latest version of windows will all the new features~

again should I get the copied version or original? I could save a few thousand baht does it really make a difference???

[ballbreaker]

The data bus is used to move the data around inside your computer. In a 32-bit computer, the width (or size) of the data bus is 32-bits wide. A 64-bit bus is twice as wide so the system can move twice as much data around. Being able to process more data means a faster system -- but only for specific things. Normal office productivity and web surfing will show no advantages at all, whereas graphics processing and scientific calculations will go much faster.

Now you might think about using a 64 bit OS but I do not think it is ready for the normal user for the following reasons:

1. Various and assorted application compatibility problems. This has improved considerably since release but there's still no blanket guarantee that a given piece of software, especially older software, will work in 32-bit Vista, much less 64-bit.

2. No compatibility with existing 32-bit drivers. Everything on your computer will need a new driver.

3. No support for unsigned kernel-mode drivers.

I still use Winxp and will continue to do so until 64 bit OS is ready for normal user.

[DragonQuest]

ok so the average joe like me, that likes playing onlines games and surfs the net, and maby likes to download stuff here and there wouldnt benefit greatly on the 64 bit? what is the cost difference between 32 bit and 64 bit? So which windows system would everyone prefer I get? It seems everyone is encouraging me to stick with XP still lol(that I have been using for over 4-5 years now......)

[Wolfie]

Now you might think about using a 64 bit OS but I do not think it is ready for the normal user for the following reasons:

Whilst i agree in principle with your points, i would like to say that i notice very little difference between 32bit and 64bit from a user point of view. I agree that i have to look for 64bit drivers for hardware and i also have to look out for 64bit versions of software, but having said that i have had no problem at all finding drivers for both vista32 and vista 64 and most software will run on both systems just fine. The only real exception to that is system maintenance software (i'm thinking of a specific example - registry cleaner) otherwise, from a user point of view its almost impossible to tell the difference between vista32 and vista64 they both look and feel the same

The real problem will be finding a legal copy of Vista 64bit inside Thailand... i had a h*lluva problem getting one!

[DragonQuest]

so if i cant get a legal copy of vista 64 at panthip, then Ill check stick with vista 32 with 3 gb of ram? IS THAT CONSIDERED A TOP RATE MODEL? 32 BIT VISTA WITH A 3 GIG?

[ballbreaker]

If it works for you go for it. I for one will stick with XP until 64 bit OS is ready for prime time.

[DragonQuest]

so 32bit and 64 bit is the future of computing and will surpass XP? WHATS POPular right now and whos getting what? also which brand names should I be sticking with for top of the line equiptment>?

LCD.... brand name which?

intel or amd?

HDD> which brand?

MOBO> which brand should I go with?

Nividia or ATI?

DVD- which brand?

Blu-ray...... which brand is good on the market now in panthip?

should I get a super multi drive that can burn cd'd and dvd's on the fly?

Keyboard ?

Mouse ? (Don't go cheap)

Speakers ?

Case- what material is good aluminum or plastic? lol

thank you

[ariesram74]

Because you need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers, I might consider going with a premade they sell at Panthip or one of the other IT malls.

Some things to consider: Do you want to use two graphics cards in the future? ATI or nVidia? That will determine your motherboard. It seems there are alot more Crossfire boards than SLI boards. If you only want to use one card in the next two years than CF and SLI are a moot point however if you are using an nVidia card on a Asus Crossfire board for example, when you want to upgrade to two cards you'll have to buy two ATI cards (you can use different manufactuers but the chip has to be the same- the clock speed does not.)

If you don't want to use 2 cards anytime soon - Final Fantasy will be awesome with 512mb of RAM- you can go with the Gigabyte P35-DS3L - 3190THB from Busitek.

Scroll down.

so 32bit and 64 bit is the future of computing and will surpass XP? WHATS POPular right now and whos getting what? also which brand names should I be sticking with for top of the line equiptment>? Stick with 32-bit unless you're really proficient and like searching for drivers.

LCD.... brand name which? your call.

intel or amd? not sure why but there seems to be slim pickins for AM2+ mobos here - go with Intel though AMDs are cheaper

HDD> which brand? - Segate or Western Digital

MOBO> which brand should I go with? Asus or Gigabyte

Nividia or ATI? I say ATI if you wanna go to two cards in the future coupled with a mobo that will support Crossfire.

DVD- which brand?

Blu-ray...... which brand is good on the market now in panthip? really unnecessary

should I get a super multi drive that can burn cd'd and dvd's on the fly? you would need two dvd burners for this- for the budget - no need and you can always upgrade this.

Keyboard ? see what is left in your budget... backlit keys would be nice but will run a few thousand.

Mouse ? (Don't go cheap)

Speakers ? Creative make nice stuff - you can always upgrade this later...

Case- what material is good aluminum or plastic? lol - aluminum. Plastic cracks and is a bit gimicky.

[newtronbom]

Hello all, I play final fantasy 11 online and I want a new desk top for it, I want to panthip today but there are tons of shops, I have a few questions:

#1 Can someone tell me which shop has a good reputation to build me a great desk top, shop name and which floor.

#2 Should I get the copied version of windows or get original?

#3 My budget is 20-30k I have an idea of what I wanna get but please let me know what you guys think thank you.

#4 Which brand do you guys think I should get ? there are so many out there><

Ok here it goes:

3.0 Ghz (not sure if I should get pentium or AMD)

500 GB (Could grab a 750)

19 Inch wide screen LCD (Minimum resolution and brand I have no clue)

512 MB Nvidia or ATI?

Mother board I have no clue since Im a newbie, what is great on the market right now? Maby with a fan on it and doesnt get too hot, I would prefer the new DDR3 too but not sure If I should get 1,2 or 3.

Hi there. I have always found that the best all shop in Panthip Plaza is "TK Computers" for high performance rigs. It is on the first floor, on the right side gioing in, around the middle towards the back. The owners name is Don. Ask for him (late 30s, little over weight) and tell him your budget and what you want out of your PC. He is very straight. If you want good gaming, you need a good monitor. I would suggest 19" as the minimum size. Make sure you see the specs and get a high resolution screen, with a high refresh rate. Don does not sell monitors, but he will tell you where to go, and make sure you don't get ripped off!! The cheapest place to shop, is at "Klong Tom Center" over near china town - but you will need someone who can speak Thai for you. You also need to do a lot of leg work. Panthip is the easyest way to go!! Haggle over the price with Don. Don't accept the first price he gives you, but you can't blame the man for wanting to make a living. Cheers and good hunting.

[Wolfie]

Nividia or ATI? I say ATI if you wanna go to two cards in the future coupled with a mobo that will support Crossfire.

Your correct with the crossfire thing, it does seem to be more widely supported than SLI at the moment, but i went with the Nvidia 9800DX2 1gb video ram. Its basically two 512mg cards, on the same board - Nvidia's answer to the dual core. I need to replace my motherboard and CPU next - im planning on getting a board that will support SLI and then i might go and buy another one later and SLI them together... but with the cost of these little darlings (19k at the moment) - its going to be a while before i can justify the purchase to myself

Definitely going quad core next, just not sure which one... if the NVidia boards are expected to be around 15-16k as suggested on the motherboard thread, then i wont be able to go too high on the CPU...

I need a payrise

[newtronbom]

Nividia or ATI? I say ATI if you wanna go to two cards in the future coupled with a mobo that will support Crossfire.

Your correct with the crossfire thing, it does seem to be more widely supported than SLI at the moment, but i went with the Nvidia 9800DX2 1gb video ram. Its basically two 512mg cards, on the same board - Nvidia's answer to the dual core. I need to replace my motherboard and CPU next - im planning on getting a board that will support SLI and then i might go and buy another one later and SLI them together... but with the cost of these little darlings (19k at the moment) - its going to be a while before i can justify the purchase to myself

Definitely going quad core next, just not sure which one... if the NVidia boards are expected to be around 15-16k as suggested on the motherboard thread, then i wont be able to go too high on the CPU...

I need a payrise

Take a look at the new DFI Lanparty DK X48-T2RS

Think it supports SLI. Check it out on their site. Really nice board. Put a pic on to gaze at.

[DragonQuest]

so which mother boards are future proof?, I would like to upgrade from 512MB to 1 gig MB video card in the future.

IM looking at getting 3.0 intel ghz, vista 32 bit, with 3 gig of ram. all 3's lol

Edited June 22, 2008 by DragonQuest