Business PC Build

[moodyblues100]

I have been asked to custom build a PC to be used primarily for business applications, email, and web surfing. I personally think the following specs are overkill for his needs, but he wants to be prepared if his needs change. I was seeking some opinions for the listed components. He is also interested in an all in 1 color printer that will be getting quite a bit of use, which I could use some suggestions on. Thanks in advance for any thoughts and opinions.

ABS Stealth CS-05A2BL Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower
ASUS P5K PREMIUM/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX
Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe 3.0GHz
EVGA 320-P2-N817-AR GeForce 8800GTS KO 320MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI
OCZ GameXStream OCZ700GXSSLI ATX12V 700W Power Supply
Atech Flash Xm-4U 11-in-1 USB 2.0 Black & Silver Internal card reader
CORSAIR 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb
ASUS 18X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe and 14X DVD-RAM Write Black SATA
Microsoft Windows Vista 32-Bit Business

He also has a 2nd PC and he would like to have an ongoing backup of both computers. Is an external Network Attached Storage device the way to go there?

[The Village Idiot]

For his needs if it's generally just business you have some parts that are completely overkill there, the graphics card for instance. I'll give you a quick run through

The case isn't so important so really whatever he wants, I'd always try to buy a smarter case such as the Antec P182 which offers great cooling while looking highly professional. But it's personal choice.
Antec P182 Link
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...29025&Tpk=P182

The board you have is pretty much recommended around here so you won't need to shift that.

I would personally trade in the E6850 for a Quad Core which are generally the same price. However the Q6600 offers better performance for multiple applications, basically if he was playing games you might be more inclined to get the E6850 but personally you could get the Intel Q6600 for much more usability
Intel Q6600 Link
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115017

The graphics card is complete overkill for a business system. I'd recommend something much cheaper and not the latest technology, even if the market forwards you wont need an outstanding graphics card for simple web surfing, unless he's planning to do complex calculations on his computer in which you might want to look at the NVIDIA Quadro range. But their sometimes $450 a piece. I'd recommend something more like the 7600GS which is extremely cheap and should be versatile enough for his needs.

If for whatever reason he wants the latest technology look at an NVIDIA 8800GT, not the GTS as the GT is cheaper, and performs much better.
NVIDIA 7600GS Link
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130075

I have a 600Watt GameXStream and I have found it to be more than capable of handling my computer. If you decided to go for the 7600GS you could save some cash and go down to a 600Watt Power Supply. On the other hand most people her recommend Corsair as they are ultimately the most reliable and give excellent quality. I'd probably best recommend a Corsair Power Supply as they seem to come out top trumps. I'd recommend the 520Watt version as it provides more than enough power, you could look at the 620Watt version if you needed some extra breathing space.
Corsair 520Watt Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139001

Don't know much about Card Readers, should be alright.

As again, I know little about RAM, so i'll let another member comment on that.

Good hard drive, most people would recommend Seagate so I'd stick safely with them

Most people choose Lite-On over ASUS as they are the daddies of the DVD Writer market.

You could get 64bit Business if he wanted faster render times etc as it allows for extra speed to be processed, but it could be more tricky setting up.

Hope that helps.

[shadowpr]

Maybe vista 64 would be better. That would allow windows to take advantage of the full 4gb.

[moodyblues100]

Doesn't the 64 bit version have some compatibility issues, above some that may exist just by using Vista?

[flanzig1]

Had better check to see what OS the business apps will run on. They may not be fully compatable with Vista.

[shadowpr]

Originally Posted by flanzig1 Had better check to see what OS the business apps will run on. They may not be fully compatable with Vista.

True.

But if everything is relatively new, then it should be fine. And Vista 64 can run 32 bit applications. The only issues that people had was with drivers, but since you're getting new stuff, and Vista 64 has been out for a while, it shouldn't be bad.

I'm using it now and had no problems.

But do check to make sure that the programs will be supported in Vista.

[moodyblues100]

The guy will not be using any proprietary specialized software for his particular business. Essentially your normal word processing, spreadsheet and database software. Open Office, unless he has a Windows Office disk that I can legally install on this new build.

[shadowpr]

OpenOffice works in Vista 64.

[moodyblues100]

OK, I've been convinced to look into and consider Vista 64. Any further thoughts about the hardware list I have compiled? The GT graphics card is only about $50.00 less than the GTS, so I'm still up in the air about that. I like that the cards are DirectX 10 ready. What about using the 8500 or 8600 series cards? Is there going to be a huge benefit with quad core instead of dual?

Still seeking recommendations for an ink jet color printer that will be getting heavy use. Don't need an all in one as I posted previously.

THX again for all the feedback.

[The Village Idiot]

I don't know my way around Printers very well but from reviews Canon do roughly the best.

If you want a DirectX10 card then an 8600 should do just fine, the 8500 is a little poor, the only reason I suggested a DirectX9 card is because they're ultimately cheaper, while sometimes they out perform their DX10 equivalent.

[glc]

Antec Sonata 3 case, includes a 500 watt Earthwatts PSU.
Asus P5K-V with NO video card at this time. Video cards are totally unnecessary for office computers but you can always add one later if it's needed for something.
Processor of your choice - the E6750 is a LOT more bang for the buck than the E6850.
Excelllent RAM choice.
Vista 64.
HP OfficeJet 6310 all-in-one, connected to your router. If all you want is a printer, a HP Color LaserJet 2600N connected to the router.
Two external hard drives connected with either eSATA or USB 2.0, I recommend the Apricorn DTS housings with SATA drives of your choice along with the retail version of Acronis True Image.

[moodyblues100]

I am still on the fence about whether to consider the quad core or the dual core processor. From some of the research I have done, it does not appear that the quad core is being taken full advantage of yet. It seems that in most cases the dual core performs better.

I am also still going to install a dedicated vid card
ASUS EN8600GT/HTDP/512M GeForce 8600GT 512MB 128-bit GDDR3
I think that has a good balance of price and performance. The Sonota III case also looks like a good suggestion.

Thanks for the input

[glc]

What is the purpose of the dedicated video card? The Intel 3100 GMX onboard video is better than many entry level video cards - the only reason to get a card is either for gaming or for DVI capability. You are concerned about a nonissue - video performance on a non-gaming box.

[Katreat]

I agree with GLC on the video card. Being prepaired for changing needs is one thing, but unless he is changing from work to playing games all day having a dedicated video card is just not needed. If it is really a work machine then it is not just overkill, it is a big waste of money. If it is more of a casual home system then I would agree with your choice of an 8600 video card. if he plans to give up work and game all day then go for the 8800 GT

Kat

[glc]

The P5K-V board *DOES* have a PCI-Ex16 slot in case gaming DOES become an issue. Then buy a card, the longer you wait to buy a card, the better the card you can get for the $$$.

[piasabird]

For future proofing get a dual layer dvd burner. Be surprised if you dont see software coming out in Dual Layer soon.

[glc]

A standard DVD-ROM drive can read dual layer DVD's. That's a dual layer burner anyway.