New computer! Built it myself, now need an OS.

[jasc15]

My Dell Inspiron 8200 (or whatever) is going on 11 years old.  It still functions OK, but it is finally time to replace it.  I've wanted to build my own for a while now, and I finally took a trip to microcenter to pick up all the components.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU:  Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler:  Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($29.99)
Motherboard:  ASRock Z77 Pro4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard  ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Memory:  Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($74.08 @ TigerDirect)
Storage:  Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($94.99 @ Microcenter)
Storage:  Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($82.98 @ Outlet PC)
Case:  Fractal Design Define R4 (Titanium Grey) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply:  Corsair CX 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply  ($49.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive:  Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer  ($14.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $726.98
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-27 14:19 EDT-0400)

You'll note the absence of an operating system from that list.  I tried getting a copy of Windows 8 through DreamSpark ( I guess it used to be called MSDN ) at my school, but it's not available to graduate students.  I'm looking for other discounts, but am coming up with nothing.  I guess after all that, $100 isn't too much to pay for Windows.  So right now, it's keeping my kitchen table from blowing away.

Any other tips?  I know there are sometimes discounts for .edu email addresses.

[Sketchy]

Gentoo - free, pretty damn optimizable, very unlikely to get a virus

It's just a bit hard to get your head around and good luck trying to game on it.

[rumborak]

This post will garner a lot of hate for sure, but my personal opinion: Stay away from Linux if you want to use the machine to its full extent. Half of the stuff never works on Linux, and that seemingly never changes.

[jasc15]

I have no interest in any Linux variants (sorry Sketchy).  Windows 7, or more likely Windows 8.  Also not interested in upgrading the OS at any time in the future, which is why I am leaning to 8.

Edit: Also, please don't let this become a Linux vs. the world thread.  Thanks.

[TheVoxyn]

In case of windows; 7 > 8.

[rumborak]

In case of windows; 7 > 8.

Depends on I think. 7 if it's a regular desktop machine, 8 if it's a touch-screen device.

Somewhat related, I installed Chrome OS (well, Chromium to be exact) yesterday on an x86 table I have. Kinda cool actually. I just wish I could watch Netflix on it, which doesn't work.

[kári]

I'd just get Windows 8. I know some people who have it now and while it does take some getting used to, it works just fine IMO.

[El Barto]

XP SP2--FTW

As the company's de facto IP guy, I'm keeping us permanently grounded in the middle ages. 

[jasc15]

XP has served me well for 11 years!  I even still have the start menu in classic windows 98 style.

[kári]

Wow, post 9999 Barto

[rumborak]

XP SP2--FTW

As the company's de facto IP guy, I'm keeping us permanently grounded in the middle ages. 

I was with you on that one, until maybe 2 years ago where Windows 7 became the new "super-stable Microsoft product". MS really releases their products like Star Trek movies. One good, one crap.

[El Barto]

XP has served me well for 11 years!  I even still have the start menu in classic windows 98 style.

I'm pretty sure I cracked 10k a couple of years ago. I've probably lost about 5k due to purges over the years. Thank God my real cock makes up for my constantly shrinking E-peen.

XP SP2--FTW

As the company's de facto IP guy, I'm keeping us permanently grounded in the middle ages. 

I was with you on that one, until maybe 2 years ago where Windows 7 became the new "super-stable Microsoft product". MS really releases their products like Star Trek movies. One good, one crap.

Yeah, I've heard nothing but good things about 7, and when I'm forced to upgrade that's what I'll go to. In the mean time, I'm familiar with most of the nooks and crannies of XP and don't want to learn the ins and outs of another OS. I'm too old for that shit.

[yorost]

This post will garner a lot of hate for sure, but my personal opinion: Stay away from Linux if you want to use the machine to its full extent. Half of the stuff never works on Linux, and that seemingly never changes.

I hate it when people start posts that way. I've had people see me using Linux and offer, uninvited, how they hate Linux users because 'you' (even though you just want to mind your own business) won't stop trying to push it on them. I get it, there are some dick Linux users out there, that doesn't automatically make all of us bad.

With Linux distros and hardware it really depends, though. I find Linux a lot more of a true plug and play than Windows is, just minus the bells and whistles and possibly full potential. It's a much simpler system since if it does work you often don't have to do anything (like install drivers). ...but if it doesn't work you're very likely in for a mess to get it going. I like to say the best solution on Linux problems is to wait 3 months.

[Dimitrius]

Windows 7

[rumborak]

This post will garner a lot of hate for sure, but my personal opinion: Stay away from Linux if you want to use the machine to its full extent. Half of the stuff never works on Linux, and that seemingly never changes.

I hate it when people start posts that way. I've had people see me using Linux and offer, uninvited, how they hate Linux users because 'you' (even though you just want to mind your own business) won't stop trying to push it on them. I get it, there are some dick Linux users out there, that doesn't automatically make all of us bad.

With Linux distros and hardware it really depends, though. I find Linux a lot more of a true plug and play than Windows is, just minus the bells and whistles and possibly full potential. It's a much simpler system since if it does work you often don't have to do anything (like install drivers). ...but if it doesn't work you're very likely in for a mess to get it going. I like to say the best solution on Linux problems is to wait 3 months.

I used to be a die-hard Linux user. I was one of the sysadmins for my dorm, and I even wrote my Master Thesis under Linux.
At some point I just got soooo tired that even the slightest installation was a pain in the neck. Then you could never use the graphics card to its full power because the drivers didn't use the full features. And don't even get me started on Alsa, the audio system. A piece of shite.
And even to this day, try to watch Netflix on Linux. You have to essentially hack it to work, simply because the guys writing the Silverlight port (called Moonlight) refuse to put in DRM. Well, Netflix needs to make money, so no plug-and-play Netflix on Linux. The list goes on.

[BlobVanDam]

XP SP2--FTW

As the company's de facto IP guy, I'm keeping us permanently grounded in the middle ages. 

I was with you on that one, until maybe 2 years ago where Windows 7 became the new "super-stable Microsoft product". MS really releases their products like Star Trek movies. One good, one crap.

And I thought I was the only one nerdy enough to ever make that same comparison.

I agree with rumby. I'd go with 7 unless it's necessary to get 8. It's going to be supported for a long while yet, and will let you make full use of your hardware for programs and games. Although Windows 8 won't kill you if that's what you can get.

[rumborak]

They already put out an update anyway that makes it look like Windows 7. Which it is under the hood anyway.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

I'd just get Windows 8. I know some people who have it now and while it does take some getting used to, it works just fine IMO.

Yeah, this. I prefer it to 7 and I don't even have a touchscreen.

[jasc15]

They already put out an update anyway that makes it look like Windows 7. Which it is under the hood anyway.

I thought this was the case.  As I understand it, Windows 8 is just windows 7 with some fancy  GUIs and whatnot, with the same stability that 7 has.

[jasc15]

So anyway, whats the cheapest legitimate way to get Windows 8?

The same store i bought the PC from has it for $90.

[yorost]

This post will garner a lot of hate for sure, but my personal opinion: Stay away from Linux if you want to use the machine to its full extent. Half of the stuff never works on Linux, and that seemingly never changes.

I hate it when people start posts that way. I've had people see me using Linux and offer, uninvited, how they hate Linux users because 'you' (even though you just want to mind your own business) won't stop trying to push it on them. I get it, there are some dick Linux users out there, that doesn't automatically make all of us bad.

With Linux distros and hardware it really depends, though. I find Linux a lot more of a true plug and play than Windows is, just minus the bells and whistles and possibly full potential. It's a much simpler system since if it does work you often don't have to do anything (like install drivers). ...but if it doesn't work you're very likely in for a mess to get it going. I like to say the best solution on Linux problems is to wait 3 months.

I used to be a die-hard Linux user. I was one of the sysadmins for my dorm, and I even wrote my Master Thesis under Linux.
At some point I just got soooo tired that even the slightest installation was a pain in the neck. Then you could never use the graphics card to its full power because the drivers didn't use the full features. And don't even get me started on Alsa, the audio system. A piece of shite.
And even to this day, try to watch Netflix on Linux. You have to essentially hack it to work, simply because the guys writing the Silverlight port (called Moonlight) refuse to put in DRM. Well, Netflix needs to make money, so no plug-and-play Netflix on Linux. The list goes on.

Shit man, did you read what I wrote? What are you trying to prove to me? Did I recommend a Linux distro, say it was vest for everyone?

[rumborak]

Chalk this one up to lack of hearing intonation when reading a forum post
I read your post as a disagreement.

[Grizz]

XP SP2--FTW

As the company's de facto IP guy, I'm keeping us permanently grounded in the middle ages. 

Yeah get Win 7, 8 sucks. You know how PC users tend to find annoyances in the way Macs handle certain tasks? It's like that, but worse.

[slycordinator]

You have to essentially hack it to work, simply because the guys writing the Silverlight port (called Moonlight) refuse to put in DRM.

Wrong.

Moonlight doesn't have the DRM because Microsoft told the Moonlight people "no" when they asked them to port the DRM over. Moonlight has the other stuff, like audio codecs, because Microsoft was willing to provide them.

[cramx3]

7 if it's a regular desktop machine, 8 if it's a touch-screen device.

This.

[TL]

Definitely Windows 7 if you can get it.

Also, very important, be sure to get the 64 bit version. It looks like you're running 8GB of memory, and the 32 bit version typically only supports up to 4.

If you do end up having to use Windows 8, I'd highly recommend getting Start 8 with it. It's five dollars, and it restores the Windows 7 style start menu, as well as boots the computer into the desktop screen on startup, rather than the tile screen.

[XJDenton]

Or just wait until 8.1 comes out in a few months.

[TioJorge]

Definitely Windows 7 if you can get it.

Also, very important, be sure to get the 64 bit version. It looks like you're running 8GB of memory, and the 32 bit version typically only supports up to 4.

If you do end up having to use Windows 8, I'd highly recommend getting Start 8 with it. It's five dollars, and it restores the Windows 7 style start menu, as well as boots the computer into the desktop screen on startup, rather than the tile screen.

This guy knows what's up. I'm running 64bit Win7 with 8 gigs of RAM and it's really all you need unless you just love having crazy shit going on all the time on your desktop or want some insane navigation method. Which is fine if you do, I have a friend who has 16 gigs of RAM and absolutely has to have all this shit going on at once on his desktop and it be all fancy. If you just want a stable, reliable OS, 7 is more than fine. I tried 8 and hated it, but then again I'm pretty minimalistic with my set-up and haven't bought into touch-screen monitors just yet.

[TL]

Or just wait until 8.1 comes out in a few months.

To my understanding, 8.1 doesn't actually fix that problem (though they really want people to think that it does). With 8.1, they do put the Start button back, but all it does it bring you to the tile screen, which Microsoft considers to be the start menu for Windows 8. Modifications like Start8 give you the traditional style Start menu, while maintaining the search/archive functionality of the start menu from Vista/Windows 7.

Another bit of advice; check and double check before buying any OS to make sure that it's compatible with the hardware you're using. It shouldn't be an issue, but there are some components out there now (mostly still just in pre-built PCs/laptops at the moment) that don't have proper driver support for anything pre-Windows 8. While it wouldn't be impossible to get them working with an older OS, it may be more of a headache than it's worth.

Again, it probably won't be an issue for what you're working with, but it never hurts to double check

[Grizz]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure there's only a start button, not a start menu on Windows 8.1. You can use Classic Shell, which is free, but it feels tacky.