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$1500 System Setup

CybDude

Member
I have around $1500 to spend on a new system setup (not including the monitor). I have put a list below of the components that I was thinking of getting, and just wanted some input on them. Also, about the ram, originally I was going to buy PC2700 which I know will be partially useless, seeing as it will step down to PC2100 because I?m running a 533MHz front speed bus processor on a Granite Bay mobo. I had thought that this would have been helpful if I upgraded to Springdale, but seeing as Intel might skip the 666MHz front speed bus processors, would it be worth it to go with PC3200? Thanks in advance for your help.

CPU: Intel Pentium 4 2.53GHz $238
Mobo: Gigabyte 8inxp ~$175
Memory: Two Corsair CMX512-3200C2 $354
Video: Sapphire ATI RADEON 9700 Atlantis PRO $314
Sound: Audigy 2 Platinum (free, Xmas gift 🙂 )
Case: SKYHAWK GALAXY $68 (Thoughts on this??)
PS: Antec 430W Power Supply TRUE430 $78
Hard Drive: WD WESTERN DIGITAL "SPECIAL EDITION" 120GB $169
CD-R: Lite On 52x24x52 CDRW $71
DVD: LITE-ON 16X DVD ROM $45
Speakers: Logitech Z640 $66

Total: $1578

PS: This system will mainly be used to game, surf, school stuff, and light video editing. Looks like I'm over by $78, but that?s ok. If anyone has any comments about how to reduce the price, please speak up. Most prices from Newegg. Thanks again.
 
I love the system...Looks like my wish list except I wioll be waiting fr the c1 2.26ghz chips to start hitting so I can hit 180-190fsb and run at my corsair pc3000 speed I have now....


Looking at your own words of this systems use I think 1gb is not needed...I do moderate video editing and tons of cadd rendering and animation and I arrely use 512mb of ram...save the money and get 2 sticks of pc3200 cas 2 now and if you need miore you can add it but likley we will be looking at something different by then anyways...that is my opinion based on your uses....

maybe just look at (2)256mb of pc3000 cas2 and the money you save get the ati 9700pro all in wonder!!! Huh??? this card is a dream with not that much of a gaming hit versus the 9700pro card alone.....kick-ass on the fly mpeg2 capturing as well as tv on demand and all the features of a tivo pvr system....

Or drop the cd-rw and the money you save plus that look at one of the cendyne dvd-r/-rw burners I saw this weekend for 170bucks after rebates!!!! Dvd burners will become the range here shortly and the -r version seems to play in most newer standalone players. that would round out my dream system
 
I really don't think you need a gig of ram.....especially since the PC3200 ram is priced so high right now since it is so new and not mass produced like PC2100 (or PC2700 for that matter, although PC2700 is not mass produced like PC2100 is). My god that is almost $400.00.

512 mb is more than enough even with light video editing. You could use the extra money and get a couple of hard drives and run them in RAID. That will help your light video editing more than another 512mb of ram would.

As far as Granite Bay goes, I am still waiting for Anandtech's review next week on how much of a real world boost you get from it, because if it something small you can get a much cheaper Intel motherboard.

The rest looks good.
 
What are you talking about??? Anandtech has already done its review.....It will be as good as a i850e setup with pc1066 rdram...the advantage will be for overclockers who can race the fsb up and run dual channel ddr at higher the pc2100 levels....
 
Thanks for the quick reply. Maby i was going a little overboard with the memory. I'll look into some 256 sticks. Do you know when the c1 chips will go retail? Thanks again

-CybDude
 
should be anytime now to hit the regular channels like newegg...dell who usually gets some of the first servings has been delivering them in new pcs for about 2-3 weeks now....I would say definietly before xmas you should start seeing tem. Maybe you will see them first in lower rated chips as they tend to sell thorugh the volume of them quicker since the price is so sweet....
 
What are you talking about??? Anandtech has already done its review.....It will be as good as a i850e setup with pc1066 rdram...the advantage will be for overclockers who can race the fsb up and run dual channel ddr at higher the pc2100 levels....

I know what is supposed to do, but Anandtech has not done their reviews yet. I learned a while back (Intel 820 MCH problem) to not jump on the newest chipsets. I can't imagine Intel would ever have a slip-up like that again, but now I wait and let others deal with all the problems. The new chipset sounds great so far, but I would wait a few weeks......thats all I am saying 🙂

 
I think C1 is coming soon. Been communicating with this one guy from egay. He has 5 c1 retail boxes: (3) 2.53 and (2) 2.4 (400fsb).
 
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