Computer numpty here needs some help…

I’ve recently started working from home and am currently using my Samsung NC10 netbook (1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 2GB RAM) with an external monitor. My company is supposed to be buying me a “real machine” still TBC whether it wil be a desktop or a grown up laptop. the netbook is surprisngly OK – not great but not as slow as I was expecting it to be.

Anyhoo. I’d like to know a bit more about what I should be getting.

Broadly speaking, it’ll be running VPN most of the time for access to the company network, but I also do a lot of Autocad – mostly in 2D, but increasingly in 3D – that’s done directly on the PC, not remotely. Also needs to be Photoshop friendly – that’s mostly for my needs rather than company work though. My office machine is dual screen and I’m missing that, so anything I get needs to have that capability. I of course WON’T be using it for browsing STW…. 🙂

So what should I be looking for? I’m pretty sure whatever happens, it will come from Amazon, so if you want to point me to a link saying “buy that one” that would be fine. Options for both desktop and laptop would be handy too…

Thanks!

Jon

How much £ you got?

Are you keeping the current monitor?

http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/ is very good if you fancy building something yourself…

£? As little as is sensible. Not cheap, but not expensive for the hell of it.

I’ll be keeping the current monitor (a very nice Samsung 1920x 1080 effort) and hopefully adding another identical one.

Personally, I’d build something myself, but then that’s cos I can, and I know I would spec it to do exactly what I want it to do.

For what you want, especially if it’s going to be a work machine, it does sound like a laptop might be more useful in the long run (though correct me if I’m wrong as a desktop will save you money) with a separate 1080HD screen also. There are a number of laptops on the market these days for not ridiculous sums of money (I mean sub £1k really) that would be able to do the job…

Ideally you really want a core i7 Quad Core processor, minimum of 4GB of RAM (pref 6 or 8), HD size to suit (probably 500GB or more), and discrete Graphics Card built in to help with running 3D graphics and a separate monitor. This is just a guideline, based around something that’s going to be able to carry on doing the job for a few years (rather than only just good enough now, and usless in 12 months), you could of course spend a lot more…

If it was my own system though, I’d buy a Z68 motherboard, Core i7-2700K processor, 8GB RAM, ATI 6870 GFX card, and build a system around that… Would knock the socks of just about anything else out there, and will probably still be classed as a “powerful” computer in 5 years time, which means the £700-800 it would probably cost to build could be considered decent value for money in the long run.

Ok I would go for an Intel Core i5 or i3 Sandybridge processor on a Gigabyte Z68AP-D3 Intel Z68 motherboard with GeForce GTX 560Ti Graphics

Add 8gb of ram, 500GB HDD, case, power supply and Windows 7, keyboard/mouse and your sorted.

Should be able to get all that for £600ish and have a fast machine.
I would head over to overclockers and ask there and they will see you right.

If you want to buy consider Overclockers or Scan for complete builds.

Laptops I know less about. I’ve recently bought a little Lenovo X series which runs nicely but only use it for travel/films/surfing so not sure how it would run autocad etc.

If it was my own system though, I’d buy a Z68 motherboard, Core i7-2700K processor, 8GB RAM, ATI 6870 GFX card, and build a system around that…

Sounds like a great machine to me! But i feel we need a little perspective:

I’ve recently started working from home and am currently using my Samsung NC10 netbook (1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 2GB RAM) with an external monitor… … the netbook is surprisngly OK – not great but not as slow as I was expecting it to be.

I don’t think the OP needs a gaming monster!

The I7 is a good shout for rendering etc, but perhaps the 2600k is more appropriate – is £30 worth it for a 100mhz speed bump?

Realistically, if the OP can live with an Atom processor, then ANYTHING will feel like an awesome machine! I’d recommend something like an I3 2100 (or even an A8-3500), with a small AMD GPU. This would give you miles more performance than you’ve got already, and wouldn’t cost the earth.

http://www.dinopc.com/

Been looking here myself, best price I can find for comparable spec.

Mac Book Pro

I’ve recently started working from home and am currently using my Samsung NC10 netbook (1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, 2GB RAM) with an external monitor… … the netbook is surprisngly OK – not great but not as slow as I was expecting it to be.

Duffer’s thought about perspective is a good one given the above statement by the OP, but below was also said:

but I also do a lot of Autocad – mostly in 2D, but increasingly in 3D – that’s done directly on the PC, not remotely.

Presumably you’re currently doing the autocad stuff on the netbook? But my question would be how much will the 3D work increase and how complex, both 2D and 3D…?

So maybe a system with a CPU based in between the i3 and i7; so shall we say an i5 based system might be a good compromise, just a thought

Check out the folk at Chillblast. Loads of their machines get excellent reviews and they do custom builds – mine rocks 🙂

If you are going to doing more 3d CAD and will be dealing with assemblies, I would get something with a decent amount of RAM & a dedicated graphics card.
We use Solidworks at work & have really meaty graphics cards to run them, coupled with a decent amount of RAM.
Most 3d CAD packages recommend specific graphics cards that are guaranteed to work with them.

If you are going to doing more 3d CAD and will be dealing with assemblies, I would get something with a decent amount of RAM & a dedicated graphics card.

This.

I don’t think the OP needs a gaming monster!

The I7 is a good shout for rendering etc, but perhaps the 2600k is more appropriate – is £30 worth it for a 100mhz speed bump?

Realistically, if the OP can live with an Atom processor, then ANYTHING will feel like an awesome machine! I’d recommend something like an I3 2100 (or even an A8-3500), with a small AMD GPU. This would give you miles more performance than you’ve got already, and wouldn’t cost the earth.

Whilst agreed it would be a monster for gaming too if required, it was the following that lead me to say what I did…

but I also do a lot of Autocad – mostly in 2D, but increasingly in 3D – that’s done directly on the PC, not remotely.

There is no way on earth that he’s managing capably on the Netbook with 3D Autocad, which is processor, RAM and GFX hungry, so why not just go all out and build/buy a machine now that’s still going to be good in 5/6 years time? IMO it’s false economy just to buy something that’s “merely better than what I’ve got already” only to have to upgrade again in 2 years time…

Or like I said, most of the current crop of Core i7 Laptops with dedicated Graphics would do nicely as well, but me, I just like to know a computer is going to deal with ANYTHING I can throw at it… I give my current Core2Quad with 4GB of RAM enough of a beasting as it is…