Why is a Western Digital hard drive so much more expensive than a Toshiba? Are they that much better?

When it comes to hard drives, I always buy Western Digital because they have a full 5 year warranty. I've had Seagate and Toshibas fail, but so far, so good with Western Digital drives.

When it comes to solid state drives, I always buy Samsung Evo drives because they get the highest ratings. I just did a build for someone though where I used a Western Digital SSD. Hope it performs as well as their HDDs!

Thanks Draclvr. I should have specified that I'm looking at internal hard drives at the moment but also noticed the price difference with external hard drives.

At the moment I'm on eCollege PC, but I actually had my eye on the Corsair Vengeance 5180 Gaming PC reviewed by PC Magazine too.

What do you think about Sound Cards? Do I really need one? I have always had one but truthfully, in the computer I have now, I don't even know if the sound is coming from the sound card or the on board sound. I've never been able to figure it out. I know I have seen a game here and there that specifies needing a sound card. ??

And I was talking about internal drives too. Have fun shopping!

I recommend a lot of the eCollegePC computers for the customer service alone. A friend got a computer from them about 5 years ago. She'd forgotten that she had ordered an SSD in the computer and wondered why it didn't show up. Within hours, she was communicating with Mike who explained that back then with the SSDs were so expensive, they were using something called RAID to link the very small SSD with her HDD to use as a cache drive. It just makes things run faster, but you would no longer "see" the SSD in her drives list. I said, "Imagine getting that kind of explanation from HP or DELL five years after a sale!"

Yes, the computer I have now is from eCollege and I have emailed Mike a few times this past year about my fans and memory, as well as about future purchasing when I inquired about the video cards. What I don't like is the "building" part. I don't know what most of the stuff is or does and it just gets confusing sometimes. Really I am mostly concerned about the video card, hard drive space and memory. I start with one of his stock gaming computers and change a few things.

What do you think about a Sound Card?

That depends on how into premium sound you are and if you have some really high end speakers to take advantage or it. If you just enjoy good sound with a good set of speakers, then the on-board sound is great. I have a minor degree in music and use the on-board sound. Please feel free to post your choices and get some input here.

Did you see what I wrote above about the sound card? I don't think I need one except if some game requires a stand alone card.

Well, I just don't know. As I start "building" the price keeps going up and up and now I've just been looking at it too long tonight. I can't think straight anymore.

Just out of curiosity, did you look at that Corsair and what do you think of it? https://www.pcmag.com/roundup/256884/the-best-desktop-computers

Pros and cons?

My eCollege build was costing more.

And, when I looked a couple months ago at eCollege they didn't have any AMD Radeon card options so I pretty much resigned myself to having to get a Nvidia GeForce, but now they have some Radeons.

Decisions, decisions.

Gasp! That Corsair Vengeance is one high end gaming BEAST! That one is meant for all the high end Shooters, RPGs etc.

I have never seen a game that required a stand alone sound card.

Raedon, Nvidia... both are just excellent. You will not go wrong with either one.

Mostly, just consider what KIND of gaming you intent to do, add in your budget and then go shopping.

" eCollegePC computers for the customer service alone"...… Yep they are GREAT, that friend would be me. Mike spent quite a bit of time with me.. emails... me taking pictures of the inside of my computer and sending them to him until he figured out what was going on. I mean he responded within minutes! Never have I seen such good customer service! Mike was wonderful.. what patience he had.

When a modern game says it needs a "sound card" that doesn't necessarily mean a separate card. The onboard sound that's built into modern motherboards is a lot better than onboard sound on motherboards from the 1990's to early 2000's. Back then you often had issues with background noises, hiss, etc., and a separate sound card usually sounded clearer.

Last time I compared onboard sound with a sound card was some years ago. I could tell that the sound card gave clearer, louder sound, with maybe some sound details not coming through on the onboard sound. But it wasn't something I'd notice while playing a game.

There were also some Windows 95/98/ME/XP games that took advantage of 3D sound (EAX or A3D) in the sound card's hardware. 3D sound is something that has to be done in software now because Microsoft has blocked hardware audio acceleration in Vista/7/8/10. If you want to know more about 3D sound in software, check the Creative Alchemy video here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLj9obfMppk

I don't know of any adventure games that use 3D sound, but if you play older "Darkside" games you might be interested in the Creative Alchemy software, and would need a sound card that supports it.


The eCollege tech support is probably worth it.
If the computer started acting up, how much attention do you think Corsair would give you?
Also you may not need specs as high as that Corsair, depending on what games you play.


That's good.
flotsam is using a Radeon RX 580 with 8 GB video RAM and seems to be able to play everything.

Winfrey

Jenny, thanks for that information about the sound cards. I know I've seen once or twice a game that said it required, or maybe just recommended, a sound card. I definitely don't remember what games though.

I know I certainly don't need all the fancy lighting, nor the gaming keyboard and mouse that come with the Corsair. The computer does interest me though which is scary.

I do prefer to get more than I need in a computer though because I am not good at upgrading, neither on my own or getting somebody else to do it (as you all know from various prior posts of mine).

Regarding the video card, the fact that eCollege has some Radeon cards now is good BUT means I have to again rethink the issue that I had already resolved in my mind. The GeForce card that is in the computer I was "building" does rank higher than the Radeon card I would exchange it for and I would have to pay more money to change it so, even though I like Radeon cards I don't think it is worth doing that as I am really mostly just set in my ways (same problem with not getting a sound card since I've always had one). Make sense? I just have to argue with myself a little and then give in to the cheaper options I think, as I will most likely never notice any difference.

I do have 3 more questions though at the moment.

1) Is 16GB of memory enough going forward (keeping in mind I don't upgrade)? I know for sure that the 8GB in this computer is horrible. I would go for 24GB but the choices are 16GB or 32GB which sounds like too much.

2) I have Microsoft Office 2016 with Outlook. Is that something I can keep and download on a new computer or is it just a 'one computer' type thing and is compatibility with Windows 10 an issue. I guess this is 2 questions. Is it something I can have on the 2 computers and is it compatible? Anybody know?

3) Doesn't Windows 10 have it's own email program? The only reason I had upgraded the Microsoft package I bought with this computer was so I could get Outlook because I was worried about losing my MSN mail. I really don't care for the Outlook program. I really like my (paid for) MSN mail but I'm not sure it is the best program to have as my default email.

Most modern games require that you have sound.
They don't require that you have a separate sound card for it.
I've never encountered a Windows game that wouldn't work with onboard sound.

If you want a sound card, and your speakers are good enough, you may hear a difference with a separate card though. And as I said, if you want to use something like Creative's Alchemy program to enhance 3D effects you'll need a sound card that supports it.


It seems expensive to me, but you know better than me which games you want to play, and what features you'd simply enjoy having even though you don't "need" them.


Nothing wrong with having headroom. How much computer you need depends on what type of games you want to play and whether you want to play at maximum settings.


If you currently find 8 GB to be "horrible" you should probably go for 32 GB.
Are you sure it's lack of RAM that's causing the "horrible" though?
As opposed to something like the video card or too much bloatware running in the background?
I know some games (Quern and Xing) have 8 GB as "recommended" but they shouldn't need more than that. Maybe some Darkside game benefits from more though.


If it came installed on your current computer, it's probably meant for a single computer with no transfers.


Maybe Draclvr knows this one.

Originally Posted by oldbroad
2) I have Microsoft Office 2016 with Outlook. Is that something I can keep and download on a new computer or is it just a 'one computer' type thing and is compatibility with Windows 10 an issue. I guess this is 2 questions. Is it something I can have on the 2 computers and is it compatible? Anybody know?
I read somewhere that Microsoft was going to stop supporting old Office and only supporting the Office 365 when it stops supporting windows 7

My ears won't notice any sound difference and even when I had a good speaker system, I almost always use headphones (cheap headphones).

The Corsair is expensive but the eCollege is turning out even more expensive so far.

I do believe the 8GB of Ram is just not enough. Remember how I posted about my memory going through the roof when I'm online? Right now my physical memory is showing 68%, It will go down to 44% or so when I go offline. I do have a LOT of programs/games installed in my computer.

The Microsoft Office with Outlook is something I purchased separately from Microsoft, not what came installed on the computer (which was also paid for).

Thanks to all of you for your help!!

Oh, another thing. I use a ethernet cable for my internet BUT if at sometime I were to not want to or need to use the ethernet connection, would that be a problem with most computers? I know the Corsair said it has an ethernet port and comes with a wireless dongle.

You'll still get better volume with a separate card when using headphones.
That's been my experience anyway -- that separate cards have louder maximum volume.


People have had problems with gluttonous web browsers eating up all their memory.
You can do a search for

web browser uses too much memory

It's kind of ridiculous that a stupid web browser eats up more than a high end game, but web browser developers are all "all your memory are belong to us."


Programs don't take up memory when they're not running.
They take up hard drive space, but not RAM.
You can check Task Manager to see if something is running that you don't know about.


Then you'll have to check what you bought.
You may be able to install it on up to three computers or it may be for only one.


That won't be a problem. If the computer doesn't come with it you can always add it via an expansion slot or USB.

+_+_+_+_+_+_+

Note that that Corsair Vengeance 5180 is sort of a cube shape, and is fatter than most tower cases.

I really need to upgrade my RAM - I'm still running 8 GB, but I'm able to play games like The Witcher 3 on the highest settings with no problems.

So I put this one together at eCollegePC for $1394

Intel Core i7 8700 3.2Ghz (4.6Ghz Turbo) 12MB Cache Six-Core
Stock Intel LGA1151 Heatsink and Fan
ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming (Intel Z390, HDMI, 3xPCI-E, 2xM.2, 6xSATA, 4xDDR4, Wifi)
16GB (8GBx2) DDR4 2666Mhz Memory Lifetime Warranty (Major Brand)
1TB Solid State Drive SATA3 Inland Professional
12X LG Blu-ray Player / 16X DVD+/-RW DVD Burner SATA
8GB Radeon RX 580 GDDR5 PCI-E DVI/DP/HDMI (Major Brand)
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64bit (Includes DVD + COA)
Fractal Design Focus G Black (2 5.25, 2 3.5) 2 Fans, Audio/USB 3.0
650watt Corsair CX650 80 PLUS CERTIFIED
Onboard 1Gbit LAN included
Onboard HD 7.1 Sound included
Wires and Cables run behind case and tied up for maximum airflow
3 Year Parts and Labor Warranty
Standard processing time: Ready to ship within 5 to 7 Business Days


The more expensive processors have a "K" behind them. That means they are unlocked so you can mess with overclocking... something you don't need. I just put that higher end ROG (Republic of Gamers) Strix motherboard in a build I did with my grandson. REALLY liked that board. It also has built-in 802.11 ac WiFi. 16 GB of RAM is more than enough and something you can always add down the road. Also put in a 1 TB super speedy solid state drive - love mine - and a Blu-ray DVD player/burner. Don't know if you use Blu-ray disks, but it's there if you want it. Then added in that Radeon RX580 video card and upped the power supply to a Corsaid 650 watt. For another $50 you can get the Radeon 590. The Fractal Design case is a great one, but you can always look at other cases.

So, there is a good starting point... I will tell you the sound from the on-board sound on that Strix motherboard is incredible. Grandson is going to have to up his speakers to get the most out of it.

If you purchased that Office, you should have more than one installation available... you'd have to look at the terms that came with it. If you don't like Outlook, you really didn't need to purchase it. You can use the paid for MSN email on any computer you own if that's what you like. I use the free Outlook.com, Gmail and the old version of Microsoft Live Mail that is no longer supported. Right now I'm using all three on three different drives and systems.
Windows 10 does not come with its own email. It does have the Mail App which you can use to bring all the your email accounts into one app. When I open my Mail App, I have almost a dozen email accounts there! I monitor the email accounts for several groups at our American Legion, plus one for Mystery Manor, plus my Outlook, Gmail and other email. They are just all in one place in the app.

Okay, thank you Winfrey, Jenny, and Draclvr. I am in overload mode right now and need to review some of this information, look some more, and think.

Just one more word about the email. When I bought this computer I had the Office stuff that you can get from eCollege but it didn't include Outlook. I don't care to have Outlook but couldn't buy just Outlook. They "upgraded" me somehow though supposedly at a cheaper price than buying Office 2016 since I already had all the spreadsheet/word/power point stuff. (Something like that anyway.) One of my problems with the email was that I got so confused reading about what they were no longer going to support and not knowing/understanding what it all was. To me, Outlook, MSN, Live Mail, Hot Mail, ALL the same to me! So, I thought I better purchase the Outlook email even though I can access Outlook mail whenever I want without a purchase. They are a little different to use but I don't know why they have the two different Outlooks. (I don't even know if I'm making sense with this because that is how confused I am with it.) Please, don't try to explain. I don't really care anymore and will NEVER get it.!

My main concern is to have a "default" email for instances like if I try to email through Gameboomers here, it wants to open my "default" email and will now open the Outlook ap. I used to use MSN as my default email but got worried it was going to be cancelled/dropped/no longer supported so I was afraid to make it my default email in this computer. Also, I had to open that ap myself; it would not automatically open like Outlook will if I try to send email through Gameboomers. But the Outlook that I can access from my browser by going to outlook.com or something is not the same as the purchased Outlook and I could not set it as a default.

It takes a good while for my MSN mail to open and load but it is still the best email program I have found yet (for me).

Anyway, I need to clear my brain for awhile before I get back to looking at this stuff further!

Your brain is definitely on overload! I will just say this - none of them are the same at all! Some are web based email and some are "clients" which are programs on your computer. When your brain is rested, let us know and we can try to make it all work for you.

Thanks!

I want to throw one more thing into the mix. If you are looking at getting a high end gaming computer, you will have to be careful where you put it. I remember you said you have your current computer in very tight space in a closet with potential overheating problems. With a high end gamer like you're looking at, that would be the death of it! It will need to have wide open spaces to dissipate heat.

The review of the Corsair Vengeance Gaming PC 5180 at
https://www.pcmag.com/review/364774/corsair-vengeance-gaming-pc-5180
gives its dimensions as "13.8 by 10.9 by 15.7 inches (HWD)."

So it's 10.9 inches wide, 13.8 inches tall, and 15.7 inches deep.
As Draclvr says, you'd also want to leave plenty of room on the sides and back for air circulation if you get this particular computer.

If you're going to keep the new computer in a closet, you might want to look for one with parts that are known to run cooler rather than faster -- or find some way to cool the closet.

Yes, thanks. I am trying to figure out a place higher up. Need to rearrange/clean some stuff which is one of those things I never get to doing. That is actually one thing I like about the Corsair though Jenny. I worry about a regular tower standing anyplace the cats might knock it over. A little bigger base and less height. I think the computer I have now was kind of "high end" too when I bought it.

All of the ATX form factor cases will be nice and solid too. The Fractal Design case on the eCollegePC I put together is 8" wide x 17" high x 18" long. I have a Rosewill ATX case and my 80 pound Bloodhound bumped into it running through the house and it didn't budge!

Thanks. I'll take a look at the available cases. I usually don't care what the case looks. With the computer I have now and what I was building the other day, I just started with one of the computers they showed and added/changed a few things. I don't worry about mother boards and fans and whatever else. I just leave that to the computer people. When I bought this one I emailed Mike to just make sure there were enough fans since I don't know about that stuff.

I suggest you take a look at the one I put together for you and my accompanying comments. It gives you a good starting point and with the exception of the video card is a better computer than the Corsair for nearly $1,000 less. You just said you preferred Radeon cards, so that's what I put in it.

The one thing I don't like about the Corsair is the Micro ATX build. There is nothing wrong with a tiny little motherboard, but they are much harder to work with.