Hard Disk: Get a nice big USB one and be done with it. $100.
Graphics card: I like NVidia's, but it really doesn't matter, since you're not going for a gaming card. Don't get the cheapest one out there or you'll probably wind up regretting it in small ways, but you probably don't have to go much better than $40.
RAM: RAM is cheap, although it gets cheaper as your computer gets newer. Older RAM is still more expensive. Kingston RAM is good, reliable, and reasonably-priced.
In terms of USB Hard Disk, is that going to interfere with moving all my music to the disk and playing from it?
#1: As long as your machine is using USB 2.0, that shouldn't be a problem in theory.
#1.5: I, however, have not tested this theory. My external drive is purely backup.
#2: But you could always move all your *non-music* off the internal drive instead.
#3: Internal drives are usually cheaper than externals. And almost every computer has a spare SATA port on the MB. And almost every place where you can buy "a hard drive" will also install it for you for free, which is always kinda nice.
Yeah, not going for a gaming card makes my life a whole lot cheaper. I just had no idea what to look for.
If you're not doing gaming - like, not any gaming, at all, ever - why are you not just living with onboard video?
re the USB 2.0 Also not sure if Debian will have it's own little quirks. Actually, I can test that with an external drive at home *slaps head*
What I should do is take a backup of my windows partition, so I can blow it away and reinstall it.
Then I could use different drives for Debian and Doze.
I know I have spare ports, was initially looking at an internal drives. Either they'll install it or I'll make dinner for a geek friend to do it for me :)
In theory I may do some gaming under doze, but that's very theoretical. In practice because I've grown up with the belief it's better to have them separate, not least because the onboard card is using some of the ram. But also because separate components good if something goes down.
*grin* Yeah, the vast majority of that was overkill. The drobo in particularly is way neat, but waaaay too much storage for what lirion needs. And the airport extreme is definitely totally unnecessary for a one-computer house - I'm just pushing it for anyone that might be reading that has a home network. :-)
However, I really *do* suggest the MyBook Studio Edition II rather than a normal USB external disk.
The plot with the Studio II (as opposed to a normal USB external disk or the Studio I) is that there are actually two real disks in it, which just look like one USB disk to anything using it. If one disk fails, you have no data loss, and can replace the dead disk with a new one, and the MyBook will quietly copy everything back to the new disk.
If you have some other backup method in place, then don't worry about it, just get a normal external disk, and many people have listed good ones here already. :-)
Graphics card: I have a spare card lying around (thought it was dead, but it's not). I was going to sell it second-hand at some point, so you're welcome to it. It's PCI-Express (not AGP), so you'd need to double-check your motherboard can support that. If you wanted to Google the details, it's an ATi x1950 Pro and I think it might be worth ~$75 second hand. So, say $50. Will game quite nicely, too, if you want it to.
RAM: Kingston is good. Hynix can be hit-and-miss. Corsair is better than average, but there is usually a slight price premium accordingly.
If it turns out to be dead after all, then I'll be rather embarassed and no money shall change hands.
Corsair's "Value Select" range is on par with Kingston; their higher-end modules are well known in the overclocking / performance market, and as their VS range is made in the same factory, it's probably pretty good quality RAM for less $$$ because it's not so tweaked for performance-junkies.
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Graphics card: I like NVidia's, but it really doesn't matter, since you're not going for a gaming card. Don't get the cheapest one out there or you'll probably wind up regretting it in small ways, but you probably don't have to go much better than $40.
RAM: RAM is cheap, although it gets cheaper as your computer gets newer. Older RAM is still more expensive. Kingston RAM is good, reliable, and reasonably-priced.
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Hardware really isn't my forte, hence putting it up for the many computer people on mg friends list :)
In terms of USB Hard Disk, is that going to interfere with moving all my music to the disk and playing from it?
Yeah, not going for a gaming card makes my life a whole lot cheaper. I just had no idea what to look for.
Ah Kingston is the name I was trying to remember - I would have seen it when i started looking up stuff, but figured since I was asking anyway....
Ta for assistance.
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#1: As long as your machine is using USB 2.0, that shouldn't be a problem in theory.
#1.5: I, however, have not tested this theory. My external drive is purely backup.
#2: But you could always move all your *non-music* off the internal drive instead.
#3: Internal drives are usually cheaper than externals. And almost every computer has a spare SATA port on the MB. And almost every place where you can buy "a hard drive" will also install it for you for free, which is always kinda nice.
Yeah, not going for a gaming card makes my life a whole lot cheaper. I just had no idea what to look for.
If you're not doing gaming - like, not any gaming, at all, ever - why are you not just living with onboard video?
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Also not sure if Debian will have it's own little quirks.
Actually, I can test that with an external drive at home *slaps head*
What I should do is take a backup of my windows partition, so I can blow it away and reinstall it.
Then I could use different drives for Debian and Doze.
I know I have spare ports, was initially looking at an internal drives. Either they'll install it or I'll make dinner for a geek friend to do it for me :)
In theory I may do some gaming under doze, but that's very theoretical. In practice because I've grown up with the belief it's better to have them separate, not least because the onboard card is using some of the ram. But also because separate components good if something goes down.
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Are you using it for music? I wasn't sure if having to play music via the usb port might be pesky speedwise or something...
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Ta for the other RAM recs too.
And see above re vid card :)
Ta hon.
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I may have to employ a translator :)
Thankyou though :) *snug*
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However, I really *do* suggest the MyBook Studio Edition II rather than a normal USB external disk.
For lirion's benefit:
The plot with the Studio II (as opposed to a normal USB external disk or the Studio I) is that there are actually two real disks in it, which just look like one USB disk to anything using it. If one disk fails, you have no data loss, and can replace the dead disk with a new one, and the MyBook will quietly copy everything back to the new disk.
If you have some other backup method in place, then don't worry about it, just get a normal external disk, and many people have listed good ones here already. :-)
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Graphics card: I have a spare card lying around (thought it was dead, but it's not). I was going to sell it second-hand at some point, so you're welcome to it. It's PCI-Express (not AGP), so you'd need to double-check your motherboard can support that. If you wanted to Google the details, it's an ATi x1950 Pro and I think it might be worth ~$75 second hand. So, say $50. Will game quite nicely, too, if you want it to.
RAM: Kingston is good. Hynix can be hit-and-miss. Corsair is better than average, but there is usually a slight price premium accordingly.
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Kingston is the name I know, comparison of Corsair to Kingston? I'm already well aware Kingston isn't cheap.
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Corsair's "Value Select" range is on par with Kingston; their higher-end modules are well known in the overclocking / performance market, and as their VS range is made in the same factory, it's probably pretty good quality RAM for less $$$ because it's not so tweaked for performance-junkies.
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ta for the RAM advice too
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