PC advice needed

I know this isn't Jedi-related but I thought I'd pick your collective brains! I'm going to invest in a new PC and have narrowed down to 2 options. Due to certain discounts, the prices aren't too far apart. The problem i'm having is that one is an intel dual-core with more RAM and the other is an AMD quad-core. Specs for both are below. I'm mostly using it for graphics and video editing but like to do several things at once (like rendering video while listening to music and creating graphics). So what do you think is the better option?

Option 1:
Processor : Intel Core i3
Processor model: 530
Processor speed : 2.93 GHz
Processor cache : 4 MB
Memory (RAM) : 4 GB
Storage Capacity: 1 TB(hard drive)
Shared graphics : Dedicated: Nvidia 315,512 MB

Option 2:
Processor : AMD Athlon II X4
Processor model: 635 number
Processor speed : 2.9 GHz
Processor cache : 2 MB
Memory (RAM) : 3 GB
Storage Capacity: 640 GB(hard drive)
Shared graphics : Nvidia GF9200 1024 MB

I'd say option 1 personally. I do a little app developing, and I know how much storage my projects take up, so the terabyte could be a big thing for you in multi-media. Debugging something is tedious and repetitive. the bigger processor cache will be nice for that. I'm not big on the rich graphics scene, and I didn't find much about the vid cards. I also think, with all things considered, the quad-core may be the bells and whistles you don't really need.

This was my first thought - not too many current applications have the multi-threaded capability to make use of the extra cores so i'm thinking the extra RAM and storage space is an advantage. Option 1 is only 64GBP more in cost too.

MTFBWY

And again. Shoot!...(change something) debug...Shoot!...(change something) debug...Shoot!...(change something) debug...Shoot!...(change something) debug...Shoot!...(change something) debug...Shoot!...(change something) debug processor cache FULL.

if it was me, i'd go with the quad core...granted there aren't many apps available yet, but technology advances quickly and in a few months they will.

of course memory is rather cheap compared to other components and easy to install.

a smaller hard drive is less likely to crash prematurely due to heat/wear&tear since it doesn't have to turn as much as the larger drive. plus you can always buy an external drive if you need more space.


in the end it comes down to how much \"bang for your buck\" do you want, and how long do you plan to have the machine for. another thing to consider is the manufacturer, even though many companies use the same component suppliers, they don't assemble them the same.

i can't wait for them to come out with affordable solid state high capacity hard drives. machines will become lighter, faster, longer lasting....

if you're going to be doing alot of video option 2 would be better for the increased graphics ability...

check the price every 2 weeks, i3 now are really cheap, and I5 and I7 are at the price of i3 ...

i7 and i5 are really better

from the options

1 Tb hard drive its CRAZY, you have a lot of storage, BUT if the hard drive fail, or die, you loose everything
if is a desktop computer, its a better option to have a 200 gb or around hard drive for Operating system, and 1 or 2 extra drives, internal or external, to store data. ( thats my opinion, and is what I do for me...)

1 big drive, need to do everything on it... run the operating system, sotr your info, and also the pagefile ( a system file, that works like a ram, storing info when ram is not enough, try to think, just only to play a song a MP#, need to operate windoows, from that drive, also look for the mp3, in the same drive, also the player for that file, and then make it run....
so your drive, spin like crazy, and jump from one position to a different one... and that, in the long run make your PC run slow...

if you use 2 drives... pagefile, can be in a different drive, and also maybe the mp3, so you reduce the stress and overload on the main drive to a half
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take in mind, cache speed is important, its the speed of amount of date you can transfer, and or process
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Like it or not, Intell is much better than any other AMD athlon cpu ( in the long run, AMD start degrading...

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shared graphics, are not good, more if you don't have 8 Gb ram, try to add a cheap video card, there are some for less than $ 100

shared graphics, use, ram memory, so slow down your PC, and the interpretation of 3d graphics, are made by software, so, you have 3 process running just only because that, and the slow down, (add to the mp3 example, the ram owned now for the graphics, to show everything in your screen, also player visualizations....)
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both options say shared video, but first say dedicated... don't understand, maybe thats a video card..
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Operating system, something you didn't say
if you can, try to ask, for a windows 7 version, that you can downgrade to xp, there are some... I'll do it all the time, here, my company is xp based, and there is no way to run win 7 here yet

why?, if a computer can run smooth and fast in windows 7, that one is a supercomputer if you run windows xp

there are 2 version of win 7 or xp, 32 and 64 bit

that is the cpu process capability, but also, if you have xp 64 bit, you can use 8 Gb ram, with 32, you can use only 4, and your xp, is gonna recognize, only 3275 mb of ram, like it or not...

in windows 7 works, similar,
in the other hand, not all the software is 64 bit compatible, and some, it doesn't work at all
some printer don't work, in any 64 bit OS

you didn't say anything also about the monitor, technology change so fast, a 2 years monitor, is TOO old today.



@ RyuJin SSD are so slow, that is almost impossible to use it to run OS, and heavy apps on it... the good, it doesn't have mechanical parts, so, hopefully lives more, but right now, there are some numbers that say 1 of 4 SSD DIE... and old drives are 3 every 100

I have an alienware laptop with 2 SSD drives, and I replace it with satas
much faster

cya guys.... any questions, let me know,

Thanks for the input everyone - I went for option 1 in the end because I got a great deal, in fact it was half price, saving me around £500 (that's around 780USD). The company I used was swapping suppliers and offloading current stock cheap.

The storage actually comes in 2 drives (of around 500GB each), which sorts out some of the issues. Plus I've already got a 350GB hard drive to put in it so I can spread the load!

The PC came with a 22\" monitor and Windows 7 (Home Premium) preloaded. This will do for now and if I ever want to upgrade RAM, OS or Graphics card, I can do that at a later date (when I make enough money!).

Besides, I've been using my current PC (2GHZ AMD Sempron, 1GB RAM) for over 8 years so compared to that, this one's amazing! LOL

MTFBWY

congrats, now you are flying ... ( sempron cpu's are a POS)

asap add ram