CDink wrote:Well, I was building a custom laptop on HP's website....I think i was doing it right...i built a pretty sweet PC for around 900....although that leaves little money for a camera.....anyway it had:
Windows 7 premium 64-bit AMD Turion(TM) II Dual-Core Processor M540 (2.4GHz, 1MB L2 Cache) 3GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) 250GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 4530 IEEE 1394 Firewire and HDMI ports included. Adobe(R) Photoshop(R) Elements 8 & Adobe Premiere(R) Elements 8
this is for 898.78.....im not too sure if thats what we need for that price though.
Seems a bit pricy. Also, get some DDR3 ram!
"Dave, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. I'm off to play Sega"-HAL 9000
CDink wrote:Well, I was building a custom laptop on HP's website....I think i was doing it right...i built a pretty sweet PC for around 900....although that leaves little money for a camera.....anyway it had:
Windows 7 premium 64-bit AMD Turion(TM) II Dual-Core Processor M540 (2.4GHz, 1MB L2 Cache) 3GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) 250GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 4530 IEEE 1394 Firewire and HDMI ports included. Adobe(R) Photoshop(R) Elements 8 & Adobe Premiere(R) Elements 8
this is for 898.78.....im not too sure if thats what we need for that price though.
Seems a bit pricy. Also, get some DDR3 ram!
1mb of L2 cache is also disappointing, I'm not a fan of AMD either. Photoshop Elements is nowhere near as good as CS.
I would have to say, scratch the Adobe software. They're gonna charge you way too much for that. Plus, can't you get that kind of software at massively discounted prices because you're a student? And isn't Elements the striped down version? Anyway, I bet HP is charging you at least $200 for that software, right? So really it's a $700 computer, and those specs seem a little weak for that kind of dough if you ask me.
My bro was just telling me that his girlfriend just got a new HP for about $800 and the specs were far better than what you listed (Core i7 CPU, 6GB RAM, 1TB hard drive).
That CPU seems a little weak, especially for what you'll be doing. You really want a fast CPU for video editing. I would recommend an Intel Core i7.
Only 3GB of RAM and it's DDR2? That's not really taking advantage of the 64-bit OS. Granted, it's always easily and cheaply upgradable, but you should get DDR3.
Speaking of the OS, I would recommend getting 7 Pro over Home Premium, if only for RDC.
250GB hard drive seems a little low by today's standards. And honestly, at the prices of hard drives today (SATA drives are SUPER cheap now), and for a computer that will cost a little under a grand, I would expect no less than 500GB.
But I mean, this is also something that is upgradable and not for too much either. It wouldn't be too bad to start off with a smaller drive, then when you start editing videos hardcore you could get new drive(s). That being said, I think it would be better to use a separate physical drive for editing than the drive your OS is on anyway. What's more, you could get TWO drives and put them in a RAID 0 array to get faster speeds. But I don't want to confuse you, I'm just thinking of future possibilities.
This is all assuming we're talking about a desktop.
Bottom line, $900 should be getting you a better computer than that.
Yeah, if you're a student you're gonna be able to get the software at vastly discounted prices. One of the things that makes Apple so attractive to students is the insane discounts on software. Take for example Logic Studio 9. To buy at retail that will cost you £408. If you are a HE student (IE at university) it costs £110. Same goes for Final Cut Studio. So you can get professional quality software for 'elements' or 'express' prices.
When I bought my first copy of Logic Studio they sent me out the Retail version, and I have a retail key that is valid for use on 2 computers at the same time instead of an EDU key that is only valid on one system. I got the full box with all the manuals for the student price.
ok...im lost guys honestly...i need a new Camera for my youtube videos and started to film projects...and a new computer for everything....honestly i can handle mid-grad...money is my concern...
But $700-900 should get you more than a mid-grade computer.
I know it's hard trying to get the most for your money when you have a limited budget you have to work with. So how about we try this: Let us know the absolute max about of money you have to spend on a computer and we'll all get links to what we think is the best "bang for you buck" and whatnot. I know I just spoke for everyone there, but that's how I would do it. That's really the only way you can do it.
Just two questions... did you decide between laptop or desktop yet? And have you considered getting a used computer?
Dad says I have to get a laptop, he says he doesn't care if all it can do is run wordpad...he wants me to have it for notes...he's giving me 800 dollars..that's all mine as long as i have a laptop by the time school starts....now i'm going to my community college for a year before film school....but I still want to be making skits and short films with my friends to use in my portfolio for my entrance to said film school.....at the moment I have no camera of my own, need a laptop that can edit some, and need some kind of editing software....besides Windows Movie Maker.
At the very moment...i have $1050 to my name, with more hopefully to come in for grad money. and this summer i'd like to have two jobs(easier said than done).
so I have 1050 dollars...but i don't want to spend it all on the computer...
If it's from a website or something that is reputable I have no problems buying used...so...send some links...i'd rather spend closer to 700...but at the same time i want a good laptop...so...
So $700 is your budget for a laptop? OK, that makes it a little easier to pick something out now.
I'm on a buy.com mailing list for refurbished products, and I usually see good deals on computers. Let's give it a few days and I'll see if something good comes up, while also browsing my usual sites for a good deal. All the while, maybe some other members can post their suggestions for a $700 (or less) laptop.
Amazing guys, remember it's bang for your buck here....and i don't even think i'll be dealing with HD videos on this computer to save money on the camera....so...if that changes things.
sorry to bump, but I thought i'd add that the camera i'm looking at is 299.99....used...but I MIGHT just settle for SD, which would mean i could get a more average computer right? i'm fine with spending money...but i plan on getting a beefed up desktop after i work for awhile so i don't want to put a lot of un needed stuff in this laptop.
Edit: After some looking this seems too be the cheapest setup i've found yet
whole thing, minus programs and a case and an SD card for the camera for $774.....although i did find a dell the same price as that one with MS Office and Student...but i think it's slightly weaker.....but i'm thinking of just getting it anyway to save money.
Last edited by CDink on Fri May 21, 2010 7:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
