1000 USD budget max

[blipblop]

case : cooler master pratorian
hard drive : WD 36.7gig raptor

the rest of the components are up to you guys to help me. This computer will be used for occasional gaming, dvds, web surfing, office programs, photoshop, etc,.. usual overall performance. no montitor or speakers are needed. thanks

 

[amol]

you're going to have to put some more thought and effort in, you cant expect someone from AT to decide for you :roll:

do you already have that case and HDD or are you planning on buying??

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: Amol
you're going to have to put some more thought and effort in, you cant expect someone from AT to decide for you :roll:

do you already have that case and HDD or are you planning on buying??

 

[blipblop]

hmm well here goes something

mobo : chaintech vnf3-250
cpu : amd athlon 64 2800+
ram : 1 gig pc3200(no idea what brand)
video card : nvidia 6600gt/6800 nu depending on how much i have or if i can find a good deal
case : coolermaster prateorian
hard drive : WD 36.7gig raptor
soundcard : either onboard or just some kind of audigy
floppy drive : 20 bucks on a sony or something
optical drive : nec 3520A i think that's it

am i leaving out something? and is this a good way to spend about 1000 bucks? what kinda ram should I get as i won't be doing much o/cing.

 

[SrGuapo]

Just get some good old value RAM (crucial, mushkin, corsair, etc.). 2x512 MB of mushkin was only $130 on newegg the other day.

Unless you already have the HD, I would get something else. You can easily get a much larger drive for the same price. A good 7200 RPM drive will be almost as fast as that drive with much more storage.

You will also need a PSU (if the case doesn't come with one). Try to get a good name brand (Antec, Fortron, Enermax) with at leat 400 W for that system and decent reviews. You should be able to get a decent one for ~$60-70.

I would personally try and get the 6800. It has a higher bus (256 bit) and many can be softmodded to a 6800gt and overclocked to ultra speeds.

Also, if you don't already have the case, I would suggest a different one. Any case with a front and rear 120mm fan should cool that case plenty. It will also be much quieter and cheaper.

 

[blipblop]

hmm... so a raptor isn't that great of a descision after all, cuz i have a 160 external i use right now plugged into my laptop via usb 2, so a good 7200rpm drive is as fast as this raptor? interesting...

 

[SrGuapo]

Originally posted by: blipblop
hmm... so a raptor isn't that great of a descision after all, cuz i have a 160 external i use right now plugged into my laptop via usb 2, so a good 7200rpm drive is as fast as this raptor? interesting...

Well, the Raptor will still be a bit fatser, but it really isn't worth the price tag for a cheaper sytsem. I am just making a suggestion to save a bit of money and get more space with a minimal performance penalty. When I build my ystem in the next month (as soon as my nest paycheck comes), I will be getting a seagate barracuda 80GB. It isn't too big, but it is a good performer, and only around $70. 36 GB won't hold much, especially if you are going to install Windows XP, MS Office, and some games.

Also, I don't know about the speed of external drives, but they may seem slower since they have to run through a USB port (correct me if I'm wrong). They are great for backup and portability, but I wouldn't use one as a system drive.