Member Avatar for macaela

Hi just recently my desktop gave up on me took the the shop the guy said something wrong with the motherboard could cost £200
my previous one ram 1 GB

So now i need a new desktop my background web developer so i use alot web software, photoshops and so on, and wrking towards programming so need to do alot copiling such java, c++, visual studios and probably alot other programming tools. i need it to be fast multi-task.

I think i need to worry about the processor speed and ram size's maybe other things dnt really know much bout it but has to be fast multi-task computer so what should i be looking for to have a computer suitable for a feature programmer???
should a build or buy my budget is £400 dnt need monitor????

one of the options i thought was the following

* Dual-core Intel® Core™ i3-540 (3.06 GHz) ----------------is this fast enough????
* Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64 bit
* Memory: 3GB ------------------ is that good size for a programming???
* 500GB
* DVD writer

or which of this would u recommend???
http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/desktop-pcs/706_7021_70021_xx_xx/xx-criteria.html

or should i build from scratch????

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A short, practical summary for a web developer/photographer who compiles a lot: prioritize enough RAM for multitasking, a responsive system drive (SSD) for the OS/tools/projects, and a CPU that balances good single-thread speed with several cores for parallel builds. Replies here highlighted CPU and memory — and were right to flag those as the biggest levers; ’s suggestion to build gives you control over those choices.

Install a 64‑bit OS so you can use more than ~3–4 GB of RAM; Windows 7 x64 editions have different maximums (Home Premium x64 supports up to 16 GB). (learn.microsoft.com) Developer tools and large Photoshop files benefit from more RAM and an SSD: Microsoft’s Visual Studio guidance recommends ample RAM (16 GB is a realistic target for serious work) and installing tools on an SSD for responsiveness, and Adobe lists 8 GB minimum / 16 GB recommended for Photoshop with SSDs for scratch space. (learn.microsoft.com) Builds can be sped up by parallel compilation (GNU make’s -j, MSBuild’s /m) so extra cores help, but Amdahl’s law means returns diminish as you add cores — balance core count and single‑core speed for best real‑world results. (gnu.org) Finally, SSD vs CPU: SSDs improve overall responsiveness and remove I/O bottlenecks, but many reported compile-speed wins come from faster CPUs when I/O is not the bottleneck. Plan around both. (learn.microsoft.com)

Quick practical shopping checklist:

  • Buy/install 64‑bit Windows so extra RAM is usable. (learn.microsoft.com)
  • Aim for 8 GB minimum; 16 GB if you run VMs, many Chrome tabs, Photoshop or large solutions. (learn.microsoft.com)
  • Put OS, IDE and active projects on an SSD; use a secondary HDD for bulk storage. (learn.microsoft.com)
  • Choose a CPU with 4+ real cores and decent single‑thread clocks (balance, don’t chase core count only). (gnu.org)
  • If you don’t want to build, prebuilts buy you warranty and time; building usually gives better component quality/value and easier upgrades — weigh time vs warranty. (tomshardware.com)

This keeps the system responsive for Photoshop and multitasking, lets parallel builds scale, and leaves room to upgrade when budget allows.

Recommended Answers

All 11 Replies

Member Avatar for caperjack

i would go for at least a i5 and 4 or even 6 gig of ram,win7 64bit will use all the ram

Member Avatar for macaela

ok but are you saying i need to get one with higher on (Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64 bit) depending on the ram i dnt really know whats that should i look for ones over 64 bit ???

Member Avatar for BlackFetus

..better you go at least an i5 processor, 6 to 8 gig ram (you can upgrade it if you want to), 1 gb to 2 gb external video card..and for your OS, better you use windows 7 professional or ultimate 64 bits..i hope it helps!..^_^..

Member Avatar for macaela

ok i was also told bout quad core, the Phenom II still investigate what that is on d web but is that something i should be looking to have on my pc aswell for sure????

Member Avatar for caperjack

ok i was also told bout quad core, the Phenom II still investigate what that is on d web but is that something i should be looking to have on my pc aswell for sure????

the I5 is a Intel Processor and Phenom2 is a AMD processor ,your choice would be one or the other not both !
what i meant about the 4 gig of ram was you first post said win7 64bit ,and 3 gig ram ,win7 32 bit will only use 3.5 gig of ram ,win7 64bit will use 4 gig and over up to about 128gig or so,
So i was suggesting 4-6 gig of ram for your build .

Member Avatar for macaela

ok thanks ok another thing i'm hoping to get the highest quality within a tight budget u mention Intel Core i5 Processor

so i'm starting to look first for a motherboard and from my online research d motherboard must be compatible of something with the i5 or i7 some say it takes i5 or i7 i found this one bellow you think it would give m the same option to include a processor same capability as i7 ???

i'm trying to aim for motherboards that will take 8 GB memory and either i7 processor or amd equivalent to that which i don't know yet which one? i'm on the right track to build d ultimatium pc please check the link if motherboard good for those specification?? or if you know any other good motherboard send me the link please?

ASUS M4A78T-E Motherboard - AMD 790GX, AM3 128MB DDR2 Side-Port, ATI Hybrid, CrossFire, PCIe 2.0, DDR3 Memory USB2.0, RAID, HDMI/DVI

Member Avatar for caperjack

no, that board only supports the duel core/core 2 quad cpu's

one like this one supports the i3-5-7 cpus .it has to say in the description that it supports the intel i7 series Socket LGA1156 cpu's ,

Member Avatar for macaela

which of this would you recomend for a programmer?? use for webdeveloipng c++ csharp photoshop and maybe more

AMD Phenom II X6 1055T Processor Socket AM3 Price 158.99

Intel Core i5 650 3.20GHz Socket 1156 4MB L3 cache retail Box Processor Price 132.99

AMD Phenom II X2 560 Black Edition 3.3GHz Socket AM3 80w 7MB L2 Cache Retail Boxed Processor 77.99

AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition 3.2 GHz Socket AM3 8MB Cache Retail Boxed Processor £119.30

or a better one within those price range

Edited by macaela because: n/a
Member Avatar for caperjack

what ever you can afford ,im sure anyone in the list will do what you want it to do !

Member Avatar for BlackFetus

..yah, better you choose AMD processors for a good performance!..^_^..

Member Avatar for SarahRachel01

Build one dude it will be great ... and u will add-on hardware you like...

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