# Help me spec a computer.... **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [November 17, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246 "2009-11-17T17:11:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 5:11pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/1 "2009-11-17T17:11:35Z")
I want to build a new desktop… I have a good power supply/case already…I also have a bunch of graphics cards so I won’t need one of those. I need a fast mobo/cpu(quad core) combo and 8 gigs of ram I would like to stay under $600. Depending on costs of the above I might add a raptor drive into the mix… I will be using this for a workstation/running multiple VMs with VMware. ---
**Author:** ![psychopjv](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/psychopjv/32/7251_2.png) [@psychopjv](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/psychopjv)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/2 "2009-11-17T17:31:34Z")
just get a decent gigabyte mobo and some ocz ram. shit’s cheap right now for quads. ---
**Author:** ![ProgRocker](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/progrocker/32/5434_2.png) [@ProgRocker](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ProgRocker)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/3 "2009-11-17T17:40:09Z")
Q9550 Quad Core I like the GSkill Ram Asus Motherboard ---
**Author:** ![psychopjv](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/psychopjv/32/7251_2.png) [@psychopjv](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/psychopjv)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/4 "2009-11-17T17:40:15Z")
gigabyte mobo -110 [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128359](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128359) q9400 - 190 [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115131](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115131) 8gb (4 x 2gb) oc - 225 [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227290](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227290) $525 all from newegg ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/5 "2009-11-17T17:46:44Z")
I don’t usually build computers on the desktop side…So I don’t know what a fast combo to look for is… Thanks for the ideas. ---
**Author:** ![psychopjv](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/psychopjv/32/7251_2.png) [@psychopjv](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/psychopjv)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/6 "2009-11-17T17:52:28Z")
the shit i put up should be just fine. mine huals decent and it’s only a c2duo 8400, with 2gb ram and a gigabyte. the 8 gigs is what kills your price. ---
**Author:** ![mordak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@mordak](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/mordak)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/7 "2009-11-17T17:57:40Z")
Gigabyte mobo ($150) and i5-750 CPU (got mine for $175 new). 8gb is overkill, go with 4gb ($65) Total $390 Q9550 is crap compared to the i5, and it costs more I believe. ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/8 "2009-11-17T18:00:28Z")
> [@psychopjv](#): > > the shit i put up should be just fine. mine huals decent and it’s only a c2duo 8400, with 2gb ram and a gigabyte. the 8 gigs is what kills your price. Maybe I will roll with less ram for now… I might change my price and throw in a couple SSDs in a raid 0 for the OS 😉 ---
**Author:** ![psychopjv](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/psychopjv/32/7251_2.png) [@psychopjv](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/psychopjv)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/9 "2009-11-17T18:17:24Z")
> [@mordak](#): > > Gigabyte mobo ($150) and i5-750 CPU (got mine for $175 new). 8gb is overkill, go with 4gb ($65) > > Total $390 > > Q9550 is crap compared to the i5, and it costs more I believe. good call forgot about the i cores ---
**Author:** ![choko](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/choko/32/7240_2.png) [@choko](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/choko)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/10 "2009-11-17T18:25:11Z")
if you build it, i will hack it… ;x ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 3:33am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/11 "2009-11-18T03:33:55Z")
Good luck 🙂 Pop it client side while im surfing one of your sites :lol: ---
**Author:** ![Vile](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/vile/32/7595_2.png) [@Vile](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Vile)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 4:18am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/12 "2009-11-18T04:18:33Z")
go 6GB of triple channel… ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 6:01am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/13 "2009-11-18T06:01:32Z")
I would say 4G of ram should be enough. What OS will you run, and what types of VMs? ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 6:15am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/14 "2009-11-18T06:15:09Z")
Windows 7 I will be running Backtrack, Windows XP/Win2k3 server VMs I’m about to say screw the budget and do a SSD setup in a RAID 0 for the OS. ---
**Author:** ![boardjnky4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@boardjnky4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boardjnky4)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 6:17am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/15 "2009-11-18T06:17:34Z")
You could probably do alright on 4gb of RAM…Would be good if you could get the 8 though. Dedicate 2G to the Win Server, a gig to Backtrack, a gig for other misc. vms that you will eventually want to install. Keep the other 4 for local OS. ---
**Author:** ![Treads4Heads](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/treads4heads/32/7416_2.png) [@Treads4Heads](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Treads4Heads)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 8:50am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/16 "2009-11-18T08:50:41Z")
If you want to unload any of those gpus, you’d have a taker 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Vile](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/vile/32/7595_2.png) [@Vile](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Vile)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 3:58pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/17 "2009-11-18T15:58:02Z")
there’s is no reason in the world not to get a triple channel board … so 6GB of ram is the least you would need… no real reason to get more … too expensive. for mechanical drives… WD raptor or Black series. for SSD… intel X25… or OCZ… there’s really good reads [http://anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=3667](http://anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=3667) lots of BAD SSD’s out there… just get 1 good one… dont try to raid0. ---
**Author:** ![mordak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@mordak](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/mordak)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 4:29pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/18 "2009-11-18T16:29:05Z")
> [@Vile](#): > > there’s is no reason in the world not to get a triple channel board … so 6GB of ram is the least you would need… no real reason to get more … too expensive. Uhh yes there is. Triple channel is only 0.5% faster than dual-channel, and it costs a lot more. Trying to find the tomshardware article for this… Also, 3gb to 12gb theres no difference for gaming, encoding, or productivity. Thus 6gb is overkill. [http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/memory-module-upgrade,2264.html](http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/memory-module-upgrade,2264-3.html) ---
**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 4:30pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/19 "2009-11-18T16:30:46Z")
Would one of you please explain to me how more ram is over kill WHEN IM RUNNING MULTIPLE VIRTUAL MACHINES?! Maybe I didn’t make it clear earlier… I don’t play games on my computer I have an Xbox and big LCD TV for that… I use my desktop for building lab environments, writing some code, and surfing the web. ---
**Author:** ![ProgRocker](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/progrocker/32/5434_2.png) [@ProgRocker](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ProgRocker)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 4:53pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246/20 "2009-11-18T16:53:57Z")
More ram isn’t really overkill. I think people were unsure of your total price so going over 4GB of ram wasn’t as important. Top priority would probably be processor. If you going with the i cores do an i7. 8GB of triple channel memory and an SSD would be insane and handle your tasks with ease. You may want a decent video card too if you’re switching window to window. [Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/help-me-spec-a-computer/76246.md?page=2)