menu home menu services menu help menu radio menu youtube video menu news menu friends menu search menu directions menu end cap

Click Here for the 2010 Article List.

Click Here to Return to the 2007-2009 Article List.

Click Here for the 2005-2006 Article List.

Click Here for the 2003-2004 Article List.


The Ultimate PC circia 2008

As a nerd to be on the top of the computer heap,a you want the ultimate PC. It has been three years since I built myself a computer. The last computer I built came from parts that a client was throwing away. He had purchased the gaming system which had a high performance motherboard, memory, and graphics adapters but could not get it to work to his satisfaction.

Computer games stretch PC capabilities to their utmost limits. The only game I play this solitaire which in no way stresses any PC. However, when I need to use a computer I must do a lot of work in a short period of time so I need a very responsive PC. Gaming systems are typically very responsive. Please keep in mind that most people do not need a high performance PC. If your PC works well for you, then there is no rush to upgrade it for something that's newer, faster, or fancier. Newer PCs have much greater performance than older PCs. When running Windows Vista they run at the same speed as older PCs running Windows XP because Windows Vista runs many more programs in the background than does Windows XP so it requires a much more powerful PC to duplicate the performance of Windows XP.

My ultimate PC runs Windows XP because there is no need for me to move to Windows Vista quite yet. The components of my ultimate PC are:

    AMD Phenom 2.5 GHz quad core CPU chip – this has four CPUs on one chip

    One very huge (3-inch tall) CPU heat sink with a very big fan

    MSI K982 platinum motherboard which can speed up (over-clock) the chip to 3.0 GHz

    Four gigabytes of RAM

    Three PCI express Nvidia Graphics Cards

    Several terabyte disk drives

    An Antec Nine Hundred Mid-tower chassis with several large fans

    An 850 Watt Power Supply

    Three monitors

Is this an outrageous system? Most assuredly!

The importance here is not that this is a nerd bragging rights system, but a system that can accomplish a lot of things when needed. The importance for me is that with three monitors I have an absolutely huge desktop This permits me to work on several things at the same time. The fast CPU will permit my system to do more simultaneously while not slowing down the activity that I am actively working on on my desktop.

As a nerd my life is a life of interruptions. Clients need help right away. This system allows me to easily set aside what I'm doing, help a client and then return to the work at hand. With good monitors I can see a whole page of text. This permits me to write this column at the same time I am able to do other things.

Building such a tweaked out system is not an easy task. It takes research to find the correct components and then a substantial amount of trial and error to make sure that they were reliably together. Oh yes, it cost about the same as a top of the line refrigerator to build this system.


Link to PC Magazine: "Ultimate Desktop PC Buying Guide"

P. D. Moulton and Dial A Nerd, a local Columbia, Ellicott City, Howard County, Maryland(MD) PC repair, computer repair, laptop computer repair, Wi-Fi network and wired LAN network configuration & repair, Windows XP repair, Windows Vista repair, Windows 7 repair, network server computer support, and virus & spyware removal. Dial-A-Nerd repairs PC (s), computers, networks, removes viruses & spyware and upgrades slow computers 24 hours a day 7 days a week. DialANerd provides immediate remote access as well as fixed price computer repair, network repair, virus & spyware removal services at its local Columbia, Ellicott City, Howard County, Maryland(MD) repair shop. Repair completion is typically 24-hours to 48-hours. Dial A Nerd recovers hard disk data and saves your data. Each hard disk is tested for errors for free. Dial A Nerd makes a fixed disk image, recovers and saves your data for about a 90% of the desktop computer, laptop computer, and netbook PC (s) serviced. Dial A Nerd, a local Columbia, Ellicott City, Howard County, Maryland(MD) repair business provides fast PC repair, computer repair, desktop computer repair, laptop computer repair, Wi-Fi network and wired LAN network configuration & repair, Windows XP repair, Windows Vista repair, Windows 7 repair, network server support, and virus & spyware removal services with a warranty. Dial A Nerd works on many PCs including Sony computers, Gateway computers, Hewlett Packard computers, Compaq computers, Toshiba computers, Emachines computers, Clone PCs, and Dell computers in the local Columbia, Ellicott City, Howard County, Maryland(MD). The Dial A Nerd mission is delivering the best quality, affordable cost effective PC repair, computer repair, laptop computer repair, desktop computer repair, Wi-Fi network and wired LAN network configuration & repair, Windows XP repair, Windows Vista repair, Windows 7 repair, network server support, virus & spyware removal, home PC repair, printer configuration, PC - desktop computer - laptop computer - netbook computer performance optimization & speed up service. Homes and small businesses with limited IT service and IT support budgets in the local Columbia, Ellicott City, Howard County, Maryland(MD) hire Dial A Nerd.


© 2000-2013 P. D. Moulton
DialANerd
7146 Rivers Edge Road Columbia, MD 21044 US
Phone: 410-531-5890 Website: dialanerd.com