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PC Build
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28. December 2006 @ 13:17 |
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Hello fellow AD'ers! Well; I guess the real time has come to where I actually have or am close to having enough money to build a computer that is suitable to run the applications an tasks that I plan on doing.
Okay; for starters; I must say that I've been searching the past 4 days ALL OVER Newegg to find to the best of my knowledge the best parts that will go together and still stay under my budget....
....Also; if anyone has owned any of the following; or even has an opinion on any of the things listed; PLEASE notify me; for I do not want to be the guy that ends up with a computer that doesn't power on at first boot up; or end up frying a cpu because a power supply wasn't suitable for the setup, etc. you get the idea;....
...So just to remind you ONCE AGAIN; I must say I'm on an extremely tight budget; so give me all of your opinions on this comp. and especially notify me about ne thing thats not compatible with one another....
...so here goes my setup [along with personal comments/questions made indicated by the parentheses]: *crosses fingers*
CPU - AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Venice 2.2GHz 512KB L2 Cache Socket 939 Processor - Retail $74.00 (I'm pretty sure this is a good CPU; heard it's very OC'able; and that it's a good core and good 'first build' component; so I decided on that one...let me know if you've got something better within my budget;))
URL for CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103533
Motherboard - ASUS A8N-SLI Premium Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail $132.99 (Okay; on this board; I decided it was a good one for a 'first build' and the features look great; although there's a few downsides; but it's not like this is going to be the only comp. I ever build. Also; I have a question about the 'Asus EZ Plug' thing on this board: Will the power supply that I've got listed below be able to provide a plugin/jack for this EZ plug; or is that something that I only have to worry about if I'm getting SLI?? i.e. Is that something that you HAVE to plugin to the Psu on this board??)
URL for Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6813131540#spec
Case w/ PSU - RAIDMAX SMILODON ATX-612WBP Black SECC STEEL ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply - Retail $89.99 (With this; I'm not so much as worried about the case as I am with the power supply; for I'm wondering as to if this is a wise choice; because otherwise; I'm worried about this thing frying some of my components; or it dying on me in like 2 months of usage or something like that......so if somebody could direct me toward a better case and included psu; then I'll appreciate it; for the psu is the thing I'm most worried about as to it not being compatible with powering my pci-e slots/i.e. other stuff like that;.....so just check out the included psu with this; and let me know if it's going to be able to correctly power everything that I need for this build:))
URL for Case w/ PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811156062
Video Card - ASUS EN7600GS SILENT/HTD/256M GeForce 7600GS 256MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail $102.99 (Okay; now I'm not necessarily worried about this; but I know that I was pretty quick as to picking which vid card; so I am definitely hoping someone can direct me toward a (better?) video card, preferably one with a S-Video TV-Out; because if my old hp monitor from 2001 randomly dies on me; I want to at least to be able to plug in my t.v. as a monitor then to do some stuff and not be stuck with a useless computer;)
URL for Vid Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814121008
Memory - CORSAIR ValueSelect 512MB (2 x 256MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit System Memory - Retail $59.99(Okay; I'm pretty sure about my choice on this one; because I heard that as far as Value RAM goes; that Corsair is one of the few brands that you can actually trust, etc.....as usual; if you've found some RAM with a better bang for your buck factor and it's in my budget; then let me know!)
URL for Memory: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820145477
HDD - Western Digital Caviar SE WD1600JSRTL 160GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - Retail $59.99 (Okay; I'm pretty sure about my choice on this one too; but I thought i'd check ne ways with you guys because some people on newegg said that Western Digital isn't a good brand and that you're better off with a Seagate; so give this a double check; and let me know what you think;)
URL for Hard Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822136036
...Okay; so that's pretty much it; except for I need someone to give me a good reccomendation on a DVD Burner; and preferably make it 36 dollars usd or under; because that way I can stay with my preferred target price;)....
....and so the total of all of this including S&H from newegg comes to about $581 usd; and right now I have close to $560; so it shouldn't be long as far as being able to place my order;)
...And Lastly; just take a good look at all the parts and my final question for you (since I'm a newb at building at the moment): With all the parts mentioned here aside from having to get a dvd/cd burner; I want to know that if I was to buy all these parts today; would I have EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING that I need to build a computer????
P.S. When I mean everything; I mean all the hardware and you know that it's compatible; and that all the tools I need come with it too; ....
...because here are the things that I already have on hand: a fresh CD of WinXP Pro; an old HP Monitor that I'm gonna jack off of our old HP Pavilion from 2001; a mouse; keyboard; and pretty much that's it.....
....So; all in all; let me know what you think; and if you guys have a totally different route that you think I should take; and if you think I'm going the wrong way with my build, then let me know;) Lastly; lets not turn this into an AMD vs. INtel thread, okay??lol
P.S.P.S. Finally; I'm building this pc so that way I'll have my own computer;); ....and let me know if I've picked good enough hardware to where I can accomplish these tasks: Moderate gaming usage; Video Encoding (With DVD Rebuilder); and general uses like internet, etc. so I'm planning on having a good all around computer; and remember; it doesn't have to be a powerhouse; it's just gotta be able to get respectable credit in those areas:) CHEERS AD & Friends!!! THANK YOU AGAIN!!!! Also; as along with following the manual that comes with the mobo on how to assemble a pc; but would you guys reccomend me using this as a good guide to as to when I'm putting it all together..?: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/tech/3452433.html
GAWWD!! finally done writing!! sorry about how long this was; but I had to squeeze it all in; because I've got A LOT of questions!!!! read it over if you feel like it!!!LOL!!!
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The_Fiend
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28. December 2006 @ 20:05 |
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Ok, to handle things in order :
The CPU : Nice pick, proper little CPU, i recently upgraded to this one from a 3200+ myself, does the job nicely for a midrange system, epsecially when on such a tight budget.
My only suggestion would be to get an AM2 instead of a socket 939 :
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103033
It's not that much more expensive.
The Mobo : One of the Asus mobo's i've handled about 150 times this year, also a nice starter, but again, i'd personally look for an AM2 equivalent, so upgrades will be more workable.
I couldn't find a comparable model here ATM *i'm at work, so can't spend too much time looking*, but there must be something in that price range, maybe lower even. As for the EZ plug, i can't be bothered to type out a whole bit, so read on here : http://www.anandtech.com/news/shownews.aspx?i=23363
The Case : Now, power supply's are NOT my forté, so i'll leave that to the experts.
Videocard : Same as above, since i only play old games, and video's.
The RAM : nice choice in itself, but if OC'ing *and since you're going to be using that X64*, i suggest at least 1024MB of RAM, cause 512 might not cut it.
The HD : I agree with the folks on newegg, get a seagate or maxtor, might even be cheaper than WD if you take a good look around *yes, i know maxtor had it's troubles, but it's owned by seagate now, hell, they come in the exact same boxes*
Some things i'm missing : a better heatsink and cooler for the CPU, some arctic silver 5 thermal paste for the CPU, maybe some extra (case)fans *all this with OC'ing in mind*.
irc://arcor.de.eu.dal.net/wasted_hate
Wanna tell me off, go ahead.
I dare ya !
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28. December 2006 @ 21:42 |
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WOW!!! Thank you for replying man; I thought nobody ever would;)...especially since I practically wrote a book;)lol....
..but anyways; I did some looking to find some AM2 boards close to the A8N SLI Premium; and I must say that I can't pick one myself, because it seems that every review I look at, there's always some sort of problem with the manufacturer; and it's especially hard to determine these people's true cause of their problems when I'm not an experienced builder; or just experienced with parts in the real world yet whatsoever;).....
...and as for the step up in CPU socket; that is def. a good idea since AM2 is supposed to be the socket of their future cpu's [@ least last time I checked, that's what they said...]; but I'm afraid with that step-up in price; I'll end up with less money to spend on other parts; so I guess I'll either have to say yes to that and just keep saving money 'til I'm ready; or if you're able to find an AM2 mobo at a cheap price; then I'll be happy to go with the AM2 3500+ right away.....
...and as for the OC'ing thing; I was just throwing that in my post because that's one of those things where in the future I'll prolly end up OC'ing; I don't plan on it right away [due to the tight budget]; but it is a thing to keep in mind......but I'll try to find some low priced 2x512mb RAM since you said it's needed for today's apps.....
..also; I was looking for some Seagate or Maxtor Drives on Newegg; and I'm sorry to say I couldn't find any [any retail ones at least....]
..and as for the case + psu; I am still unsure; and I'm thinking that ppl will say it's not a wise choice due to some reviews on the net; but I guess I'll wait and see how everything plays out.....
p.s. and since I'm on such an EXTREMELY tight budget; I thought that I might mention that I've always had these two other ideas in the back of my head if I can't in fact come to a satisfying decision w/ an AMD setup [even though I should!lol]:
1. Just drop the idea of building an AMD based comp. and see what I could do with building around a Pentium D [hey, its dual core on a budget;)] and see if I could get a better bang/buck there;
OR
2. Shop around TigerDirect and Newegg for one of those Barebones computers which comes with all the 'basic stuff' you need....i.e. case, psu, cpu, mem, etc....stuff like that....but I guess that's only going to be a 'last resort'; because I could see myself having much mroe fun [that is, if I don't fry my damn components right away..lol] and having a system that suits my needs a lot better if I built it all on my own;)....
So to close; I just wanna say thanx for your help so far; and I hope that you can help me come up with a good solution for building a budget computer;)...and right now it's 1:42 a.m. ; so I think I'll do more searching tommorrow; but 'til then, Cheers mate;)
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redZoneOS
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28. December 2006 @ 22:19 |
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hey just to throw my two cents in, I've built several computers, including one using a similar motherboard (intel version tho), and I'm very happy with it. I think you should check out a few other sites though, because TIGERDIRECT usually has some really sweet bundle deals on motherboard/processor bundles... If you dont mind switching over to intel right now 'TD' has a promotion for an ASUS motherboard thats core2Duo ready and comes with a 3.0Ghz processor for 199.99 USD (probably a much better option for future upgrades)... If you chose AMD for a reason, and want to stick with it, then I agree with The_Fiend. going with the AM2 is a much better choice, while keeping the future in mind, and the prices are still very reasonable for your budget.
As far as RAM... 1GB is a must! again 'TD' (not sure if they still do) but recently had a promotion on ULTRA DDR400 PC3200 512MB RAM for 29.99 USD.. 2 sticks would give u a GB... few dollars more to double up your ram investment... Not sure about the brand "ULTRA" but that sounds like a damn good deal. maaaaybe too good? you're gonna have to check it out...
Power supply! Trust me, from everything I have read and learned based on personal experience, you DO NOT want to skimp on the power supply, or you might as well flush 6 benjamins down the drain. I would suggest you go for a case that does not include a power supply, and buy one separately... This will probably be the most expensive recommmendation I can make, but believe me, it will pay in the long run... Antec truepower PSUs are very good, but may be a bit out of your price range, when buying a PSU/case separately... Check out some other threads in here because there was an extensive PSU thread that has some really good info.
Vid card looks good... depending on which motherboard u finally end up with, just make sure u match up ATI w/ ATI and NVIDIA with NVIDIA lol :D... anyway, check out this vid card at NEWEGG, its almost the same thing but PNY brand... about 10 bucks cheaper, and has S-VIDEO....PNY VCG7600SXPB GeForce 7600GS 256MB GDDR2 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail
DVD BURNER: NEWEGG has a SAMSUNG 18X dvd burner for less then 32 dollars... I bought it a month ago, and it's pretty sweeet... No problems yet, dont know about the longevity though because it's only been a month, but I've burned well over a hundred of my DVDs/CDs and I havent had a single problem. 30 dollars, I dont think u can go wrong.
HDD seems to be good, but I'm not a fan of WD... I've had problems with them in the past so I wont give u my biased opinions...seagate is the way to go! :)
FINAL NOTE: I think u've got a nice setup and if you really want to stick to exactly what you have, then I dont think you should have any compatibility issues... BUT do yourself a favor and do NOT get a case/psu combo...
Also, I know it sux to hear it, but if you can wait just a little longer and scrounge up a bit more cash, the upgrade to 1GB ram, and maybe a slightly more recent motherboard/cpu would be alot better for the long haul.
Good luck!
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EricCarr
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28. December 2006 @ 22:34 |
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1 GB Ram at the least.
Also I would look at a Dual Core processor.
Everything else is great.
I use that Graphics card. AWESOME! You can use 2 if you would like.
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29. December 2006 @ 09:09 |
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Okay; well.......the odds of me finding a decent AM2 board don't seem good......
...it seems as though every board in the cheaper price range that was made recently is either poor quality/specs or the bios is buggy; and the list goes on and on.....so idk; if I'm gonna go AM2 I'd like to see if you guys could find me a good board to go with.....
...otherwise I'm gonna stick with socket 939; ....the reason why I say that is because by the time the new AMD cpu's come out; I'll prolly be ready to build a whole new computer by then; and I'll have a job, meaning I'll be able to spend like twice as much money.....
....so idk; I'm in a really mixed state of mind right now because of all the bad reviews on Newegg.......
...oh yeah; and I checked out the dual core cpus from intel; and it seems that the bundle comes w/ OEM cpu's ....and on my first build, I'm not so sure that's what I wanna buy; if I'm on a super tight budget -- It makes it really hard to purchase cpu cooler and heatsink + fan separately......
....but.....I'll keep looking through other forums and I'll keep checking out other places, scouting out parts.........
...but I feel that I'm very far from the end of coming to a uniform decision about what to get.......it's just really hard because of all the reviews from people talking about how buggy everything is, and how this memory doesn't work w/ that, and how the OC'ing abilities on some boards suck, etc., etc., the list goes ON AND ON!!!!
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29. December 2006 @ 13:25 |
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Okay; so I did some searching; and found two psu's for about fifty bucks; they aren't ne thing fancy; but it seems as though they'll hold up for my needs......but, I do want you guys to tell me which is better; otherwise; let me know if you know of a better psu for the $50 dollar range......
#1: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6817189005#spec
OR
#2: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817182017
....out of those two; I was thinking maybe #2; because I'm not too concerned about having SLI right now.....but I don't know for sure; so you be the judge.......
.....as for a case; I'm gonna have to see what ideas you guys have for a case in the $50 dollar range.....
...also; I did decide to go w/ the PNY vid card....
[ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814133192 ]
...and as for making ne other changes....I'm not sure; because I'm afraid that with socket AM2; it eventually goes over my budget when you factor in all other costs; and also; I looked at the Pentium D's; but if someone's got some good ideas; please ring in.......
EDIT: UPDATE!!!!!!
While searching, I found a few more power supplies that have good ratings, and it seems that they're pretty reliable according to reviews;.....one of them is found here....
#3: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817101021
^My only question is; is that does this psu have all the proper connections I need for installing my components???^
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 29. December 2006 @ 15:24
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Member
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29. December 2006 @ 19:07 |
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Okay; disregarding most of what I said in the past; I've kind of decided to get a 'refresh' of ALL the parts I'm thinking about.....and remember people; I don't have the kind of budget to where I feel comfortable buying an AM2 socket board/cpu; besides; I'm gonna build another computer when I get a job ne ways; and I can assure you that it WILL Be am2; so please don't take it the wrong way---so I AM still going to go with socket 939......
...as for RAM; I decided that you guys were plenty right; and upped the ante to 1 GB; and you'll also notice that I found a case and psu to go with everything....the only thing is; I need your guys' input to let me know if the Power Supply is going to be able to be compatible with all the other parts in my system; along with the case.......
..so without further ado; here's my update:
CPU - AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Venice 2.2GHz 512KB L2 Cache Socket 939 Processor - Retail $74.00
Motherboard - ASUS A8N-SLI Premium Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail $132.99
Video Card - PNY VCG7600SXPB GeForce 7600GS 256MB 128-bit GDDR2 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail $89.99
Memory - BUFFALO Select 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail $93.99
HDD - Western Digital Caviar SE WD1600JSRTL 160GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - Retail $59.99
DVD Burner - LITE-ON 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 40X CD-ROM IDE DVD Burner included extra White bezel - Retail
Power Supply - ePOWER ZU-550W ATX12V Version 2.0 / EPS12V 550W Power Supply 115/230 V UL, CE, FCC, TUV - Retail $52.99
Case - RAIDMAX Astro ATX-268WB Black 0.7mm Japanese SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $30
...With all that in mind; the grand total comes to $597 including S&H; about $30 dollars over what I have right now; but I plan to borrow that extra 30 dollars;)
...Now; you'll notice that I didn't change my choice of hard drive; my reasoning for that is that I was not able to find any retail drives by Seagate or Maxtor on Newegg that fit my needs/budget......so; I figured that I'd give the WD a whirl considering that there wasn't any 0/5 or 2/5 egg reviews.....let me know if you've found a good hdd though;)
....so; to close; I'm about 85% sure on all the compatibility of those parts; the things I'm wondering about the most are the power supply and ATX case; and whether the power supply has enough connectors/inputs on it to power all of my components......
Lastly; I just want your guys' input on how well you think the OC'ing capabilities are on this; for since I spent the extra money on RAM; I'm curious as to how well I should be able to OC this thing....
Thanx Again AD & friends; I'm sorry I didn't go with AM2; but hey, that's what I plan on doing in the future when I have more money and lee-way; but right now; I feel that this is the best way to go for me; so thanx to all and please make sure you read this carefully; because like I said like a ba-jillion times before; I'm concerned as to whether this psu will fully support all the components.....so THANK YOU GUYS!!! YOU'RE AWESOME HELP!!!! I WOULD NOT HAVE GOT THIS FAR WITHOUT YOU!!!!CHEERS MATES!!!
P.S. I'm sure some of you might think I made some crappy decisions; but I just wanna give my 2 cents and say that I'm only 15 yrs. old; and I'm REALLY tight on money; so that's the whole reason why I'm so pressed for options right now;)...
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 29. December 2006 @ 19:13
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redZoneOS
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1. January 2007 @ 00:26 |
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hey man everything looks good as far as compatibility, and your choices for parts considering your price range. Your case/psu will be compatible so dont worry about that. I wanted to say tho, based on your previous posts in this thread, dont rely too much on reviews... There are ALOT of people out there that dont know anything.... Dont get me wrong, reviews can be useful, but some dumb asses out there that cant figure out how to turn a computer on so... Anyway I think you'll be fine with what you chose. You might not need a 550W psu tho, especially if you plan on getting a more powerful pc later... seems like overkill if you dont plan on upgrading this one (and with 939 u probably wont want to later on)... Its up to you, but for a sub 600 system you'll be more then happy!
Have fun!
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1. January 2007 @ 08:03 |
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Hey Man thanx!!! Only one last question though......
...if you go to newegg and search for the psu I selected; if you look at the product pictures they have with it; you'll see that there's a '4+4 pin cpu connector'......now; I was just wondering, what's the reason behind the two 4 pin connectors????? because I couldn't find any plugin on the motherboard for those connectors; so where would they be plugged in on my mobo [if it's even necessary]????
Hope you can help;)
Jake
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