\n(Blu-ray\/HD DVD Reader, DVD writer)<\/span><\/td>\n
As you can see, there are in fact lots of changes, and an increase in price too. But just under $300 more, we’re getting a vastly superior system, and one that can play both Blu-ray and HD DVDs, so I think it’s worth the slight increase in cost. Let’s go over each specification.<\/p>\n
CPU:<\/strong>We’re sticking with the Intel Core2Duo 6750, as it still represents the best price\/performance Intel processor. There’s a price drop too, so that’s a bonus. If you like AMD processors, then you might also look at the AMD X2 6000+ for just over $200. Those that are patient can wait for the Intel Penryn range of processors (non Extreme Editions) to come out early next year. It will the the “tick” in Intel’s “tick-tock” release schedule, which means the new 45 nm CPU will use existing architecture. For real improvement, you should wait for the “tock” release later in 2008, where a new architecture will be introduced to better take advantage of the new fabrication process.<\/p>\n RAM: <\/strong>An upgrade from PC-6400 to PC-8500. You could save money here by getting cheap DDR2 memory and upgrade to DD3 until prices are more reasonable. Price has increased as a result of the upgrade.<\/p>\n HDD: <\/strong>A slight upgrade for the same price, from 320 GB to 400 GB. The same PC Authority survey I mentioned above also gave Seagate the best overall award, so it’s an easy choice for me.<\/p>\n Sound Card: <\/strong>Still going with a on-board solution. Until HDMI audio output gets sorted out, it’s probably not worth getting a new sound-card for your PC. HDMI audio output would allow the pass-thru or decoding or several of the new HD audio formats, which is not possible through SPDIF\/optical due to insufficient bandwidth.<\/p>\n![\"Gigabyte](\"http:\/\/www.digital-digest.com\/blog\/DVDGuy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/12\/gigabyte_ga-p35c-ds3r.jpg\" "\\"Gigabyte")
<\/a>Motherboard: <\/strong>I like Gigabyte motherboards, although the sheer number of models that are available for a single chipset is a big confusing at times. Gigabyte was recently chosen as the best overall motherboard manufacturer in an Australian PC magazine survey (PC Authority<\/a>). The model I chose is one that supports both DDR2 and DDR3 memory, allowing for a smoother upgrade path when DDR3 memory pricing becomes a bit more reasonable. Despite getting a newer motherboard, the price has actually decreased. Note that the previous chosen motherboard had ATI crossfire support, which the new one does not, but since we’re going with an NVIDIA card anyway, it doesn’t really matter.<\/p>\n![\"XFX](\"http:\/\/www.digital-digest.com\/blog\/DVDGuy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/12\/xfx_8800gt.thumbnail.jpg\" "\\"XFX")
<\/a>Video Card:<\/strong> After all my blah blah-ing<\/a>\u00a0about the GeForce 8800 GT being “the card everyone’s been waiting for”, I had to choose it for this month’s selection. I chose the XFX version of the card since it’s the cheapest I could find – the Asus come highly recommended (via the PC Authority survey), while there are also “souped up” versions from XFX for a slightly higher price. We’ve done well here by upgrading to a better card, while saving money at the same time.<\/p>\n
![\"LG](\"http:\/\/www.digital-digest.com\/blog\/DVDGuy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/12\/lg_ggc-h20l.thumbnail.png\" "\\"LG")
<\/a>Optical Drive: <\/strong>This is where the big cost increase has come from. Instead of settling for a run of the mill DVD writer drive, I’ve gone out and replaced it with a state-of-the-art Blu-ray and\u00a0HD DVD dual format reader drive, which also can write to the usual DVD formats. With this drive, you can make your PC format neutral and playback both Blu-ray and HD DVD movies. The huge cost increase, especially for those that want HD movie playback right now, is therefore understandable.<\/p>\n![\"Antec](\"http:\/\/www.digital-digest.com\/blog\/DVDGuy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/sonataiii_q.thumbnail.jpg\" "\\"Antec")
<\/a>Case:<\/strong>I’m sticking with the Antec Sonata III case, because it’s good value as it comes with a high quality 500W power supply (designed for quietness), and the overall build quality of the case (and Antec cases, in general) is quite good. Building a quiet system is essential if you plan on using the machine as your Blu-ray\/HD DVD player. Of course, a quiet PC depends much on the type of cooling you have for your CPU and GPU.<\/p>\n![<\/a>Welcome to the second ever “If I were to buy a new computer today” feature. Back in September, I\u00a0first wrote\u00a0about what I would be looking for in a computer if I were buying one today, and today’s blog will see what has changed in the last few month. To get a better idea of the kind of system I’m looking for, please refer to the](\"http:\/\/www.digital-digest.com\/blog\/DVDGuy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/sonataiii_q.jpg\"){kind=link}