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Windows Forum / Windows XP / Hardware / July 2005Best hardware for XP?
Hello there! Currently, the PC that I'm using (Dell 4600) is a great little machine, but it has many issues: very slow (despite 3.2GHz processor and 2G RAM), has noise in its core audio, and its HDD fragments too often to be useful for video editing. No biggie - so here's my question: For XP, what would be the best machine out there for audio and video work? I feel that my current machine's bottlenecks and other difficulties coul be residing within its motherboard, hence, my consideration for a possible replacement. If there are any good experiences out there, I'd like to know of them, be they with manufactured PCs as well as ones built part by part (names of motherboard manufactures would be great). Thanks to all in advance for your time - I truly appreciate and value your opinions and experiences! I would recommend performing some computer housecleaning maintenance: Download the thirty day trial version of System Mechanic and scan your computer for 'Junk Files', then 'Find and Fix Broken Shortcuts'. http://www.iolo.com/sm/5/index.cfm System Mechanic Optimization Tools http://www.iolo.com/sm/5/index.cfm#optimize Then perform the following: Download Ad-aware SE and scan your PC for the presence of spyware: http://www.download.com/3000-2144-10045910.html?part=69274&subj=dlpage&tag=button Symantec Security Check http://security.symantec.com/ssc/home.asp?langid=ie&venid=sym&plfid=23&pkj=FTPSU QIZQVMUYTACDCO Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=321cd7a2-6a57-4c57-a8bd -dbf62eda9671&displaylang=en 3 Simple Steps to Help Ensure the Protection of Your PC http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/default.mspx Utilize the following maintenance programs, at least monthly, to maintain the optimum performance of Windows XP: Description of the Disk Cleanup Tool in Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310312&Product=winxp How to Perform Disk Error Checking in Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315265&Product=winxp HOW TO: Analyze and Defragment a Disk in Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305781&Product=winxp  SignatureCarey Frisch Microsoft MVP Windows XP - Shell/User Microsoft Newsgroups Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies: http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Hello there! | [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] | Thanks to all in advance for your time - I truly appreciate and value your | opinions and experiences! Thanks for a most informative post! Just one more thing: where can I download Windows XP Service Pack 2 as a stand-alone so that I will be able to apply it BEFORE my computer is connected to the internet (after I re-image the HDD one last time)? Thanks again! You can download the standalone installer of Windows XP SP2 here http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=049C9DBE-3B8E-4F30-8245 -9E368D3CDB5A&displaylang=en SignatureJason Tsang - Microsoft MVP Find out about the MS MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx > Thanks for a most informative post! > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Thanks again! > Thanks for a most informative post! > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Thanks again! You could also have Microsoft send you a CD with the Service Pack which makes it much easier in the future if you have to fix the computer or a friend's. There is no such thing as best hardware and or software but only *better* or *worse* ones. No matter what machine you get, it will eventually fragment; I'd say you have a pretty posh machine - Mine is a 1.5ghtz with 512 Meg RAM and it runs XP just fine. Ok so I don't do video editing on it - but it runs DVD's OK, no dramas. > Hello there! > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > Thanks to all in advance for your time - I truly appreciate and value your > opinions and experiences! Every component "looks" fine for your needs. However there are a few options that you will need to look at: 1) Run anti-virus and anti-spyware utilities. Keep then up to date and run scans periodically. 2) Run disk clean-up and defrag utilities periodically. 3) Consider replace the "core" on-board audio with a more profession grade sound card. Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum may be such a card. 4) Add SCSI hard drives in an external hard drive unit. SCSI will give you more throughput on the hard drives for video editing (since SCSI is multi-threaded for reads/writes). 5) Add additional network adapters and/or consider Gigabit networking. > Hello there! > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > Thanks to all in advance for your time - I truly appreciate and value your > opinions and experiences! |
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