Advice On Possible New Computer

[Moontanman]

I am considering a new computer, $500 to $600 range, I am wondering what the groups thoughts are on Desk Top vs Lap Top, I would eventually like to do CAD like drawings of Aquarium designs as well as things like space craft or buildings to illustrate my stories maybe some you tube type videos

Most of what I want to do is writing stories and social media. 

Thoughts of the group?

[LaurieAG]

I have preferred laptops for the past 10 years as they are portable and effectively have a built in UPS even though desktops are usually a bit cheaper.

 

If you don't intend to do much high end graphics processing you can probably get away with an i3 (avoid Celeron or Dual Pentium) based laptop without a dedicated graphics card (just the Intel chip) although part of your memory will be shared for graphics processing. This means things might slow down if you have less than 4G of ram and are doing something graphics intensive. Most video's/DVD's play ok with the built in Intel graphics as this is what it was designed for.

 

While many of the leading brands also supply cheaper models that use non Intel AMD chips they do have a tendency to run hotter and can generate more cooling fan noise than Intel cpu's so once again it depends on how much graphics intensive stuff you want to do.

 

You can probably pick up an i3 or higher laptop with around 8G ram from HP or Toshiba within your price range. Depending on sales or clearances you might be able to pick up a brand new earlier model with a graphics card as the only major things that have changed with Intels i3, i5 and i7 cpu's over the past 5 years is the size of the circuits within the chips and their power consumption. 

 

Hope this helps Moontanman, on the laptop side anyway.

[superpsycho]

What's you current computer? Can you deal with the small keyboard of a laptop? Do usually work from a fixed location or would you prefer to be able to work anywhere? Is your current OS an OEM or retail version. Do you know anyone that can put a system together for you? Much cheaper if you can upgrade.

[Moontanman]

What's you current computer? Can you deal with the small keyboard of a laptop? Do usually work from a fixed location or would you prefer to be able to work anywhere? Is your current OS an OEM or retail version. Do you know anyone that can put a system together for you? Much cheaper if you can upgrade.

 

 

I wish I did know someone who could build a computer for me, maybe next time I will do so. This time I got a hp with amd quad core A6-6310 Accelerated processor, 6gb DDR3 system memory, AMD Radeon R 4 Graphics, and a 1TB hard drive. It was on sale! 

 

Probably not capable of CAD but it's pretty cool... 

[superpsycho]

I wish I did know someone who could build a computer for me, maybe next time I will do so. This time I got a hp with amd quad core A6-6310 Accelerated processor, 6gb DDR3 system memory, AMD Radeon R 4 Graphics, and a 1TB hard drive. It was on sale! 

 

Probably not capable of CAD but it's pretty cool... 

Not going to render all that fast but if you're doing something straight forward like Aquariums it might be okay. Not the lasted and greatest, which is why it was on sale, but it will probably get you by for now. 

[Moontanman]

Not going to render all that fast but if you're doing something straight forward like Aquariums it might be okay. Not the lasted and greatest, which is why it was on sale, but it will probably get you by for now. 

 

 

Yeah, this time money was the prime driving factor, I have three old hard drive i need to copy, one of them is dead, I can't get it to work at all. The other two work but are so old! I need to drop by computer repair and see what they can do. I have lost quite a bit of data, a huge file of pictures that took me years to collect. Most of the pics I managed to get permission to use, nearly every aquarium fish ever! 

 

I want to draw out some space craft and design orbiting space habitats, torus shaped, in detail but that might have to wait. 

 

Any advice on what 3d CAD programs would be best suited to my computer?  

[superpsycho]

Yeah, this time money was the prime driving factor, I have three old hard drive i need to copy, one of them is dead, I can't get it to work at all. The other two work but are so old! I need to drop by computer repair and see what they can do. I have lost quite a bit of data, a huge file of pictures that took me years to collect. Most of the pics I managed to get permission to use, nearly every aquarium fish ever! 

 

I want to draw out some space craft and design orbiting space habitats, torus shaped, in detail but that might have to wait. 

 

Any advice on what 3d CAD programs would be best suited to my computer?  

You're old drives are probably PATA interfaces and you're system doesn't have one.  You can get a USB adater for the drives and save the cost of service visit.  USB Drive Adapter  As for the bad drive, There are a copule things you can do. If you have another drive of the same model you can swap boards long enough to get the data off. It will require you get a special screw driver, which are readily available. If you don't have another drive of the of the same model, there are a few other tricks. What model is the drive? Some drives develop tarnish on some of the contacts under the board that connect to the housing. Sometimes bearings get stuck.

[superpsycho]

As far as 3D CAD programs, none that your system could handle for the work you suggest. Since you're price senitive you might check out one of the free 3D modeling programs. DAZ 3D is probably the most popular and is the program my son-in-law and grandkids use. It's not that hard to learn and it lets you do some basic stuff. If you want to do more it does cost for some add-on packages but not that much per package. A true 3D CAD package gets rather expensive, not just for the software but the hardware needed to run it. If you want to do real 3D work you'll need a sperate decnt graphics card and you're new system I'm willing to bet doesn't allow you to add one.