| snakenobi said: what do dual and tripple channel ram motherboards mean? the same for pci-e slots,what do channels mean and speed mean liek 16x or 8x?
my budget is plenty around $3000-4000 but i am not looking to brag or just build a giant system and also not going for a alrite for now system and then outdated fast or apps don't run. keep in mind,i am form india where these things cost more |
Don't fuss over the differences between dual and triple channel memory. It's tied to the CPU/socket you end up buying.
The original Nehalem i7 CPUs used 1366 socket mobos that utilized triple channel memory which meant buying RAM modules in sets of 3 to utilize that function and the incremental increase in memory speed.
Dual channel memory is used in the current 1155 socket based Sandy Bridge CPUs like the 2600k and 2500k, meaning you buy RAM modules in pairs.
The difference is for all intents and purposes negligible for all but the most memory intensive functions.
LGA 2011 socket CPUs (Sandy Bridge E) is the replacement for LGA 1366 and uses quad memory channels (buy RAM sticks in sets of 4).
The PCIe channel speeds are again dependent upon the CPU/socket you buy. More memory lanes (16x VS 8x) simply means less shared memory bandwidth. You can have more PCI cards installed with fewer restrictions on shared data pipelines. For most users, it's really not a huge issue unless they are running multiple VGA cards in SLI/Xfire mode along with any other PCIe cards they may have installed.
How much you spend on a system is more or less dependent upon how long you intend for it to last or more importantly, stay current if you want/need a top of the line set up. So unless you have a consistent regular budget for updates, blowing everything on the best, most current components today might not be so great in three or so years when you find yourself needing/wanting upgrades because your $4000 system is now being matched/outperformed by a $2000 one.
Total budget should factor in for all the other components outside of the CPU case like displays, good keyboard/mouse, sound system (for entertainment systems), and of course your software licenses for any professional apps you're planning on buying, assuming you're not planning on spending everything on hardware and then just pirating all software. If you're a student, those licenses are a fraction of the cost, which doesn't seem to stop students from pirating software anyway, but the whole issue of software licences/costs still needs to be thrown out there when talking budget, assuming one doesn't have a separate budget for that as well.
But the legit concern about buying components that will be outdated in 2-3 years should be dissuaded by saying that even 3 years later, LGA 1366 based systems are more than just capable (just not cutting edge); there's just no point in building one today if starting from a blank slate since there are better options available.
If one was just spending $4000 US on components purchased in the US at US prices on the CPU only (meaning just the computer case with all installed components), you'd be building something more like the following Falcon Northwest Mach V system listed below.
http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/falcon-northwest-mach-v/4505-3118_7-35061104.html
Read the review to give you an idea of what is current cutting edge as well as measured value of buying/building such a set up.
Seeing as how you're buying parts in India, it goes without saying that your mileage per $ will vary greatly.
