barebones vs. scratch build

[siftings81]

I'm actually serious about upgrading my old pentium after I just bought a new monitor which I can not really take advantage of because of my outdated hardware. I'm hesitant about the idea of starting from scratch and think a barebones setup is the best way to go. I've only found the ones at Mwave to be satisfactory, athough I have a few reservations about cooling. Is an XP 1600 going to be ok with the retail hsf? will i have to add any more fans?

I know I may be able to get all the parts from newegg cheaper, but shipping adds up quick, and the assurance that the mb/proccessor has been tested is worth the extra bucks. I noticed the price of memory is only 46 for the mwave, which i suspect is generic right?

EPOX 8KHA+-Specs; AMD ATHLON XP 1600+; 256MB NON-ECC PC2100; NO CDROM, CDRW OR DVD; INWIN S500/300-Specs) for $361

then a 40gig 7200rpm HD, CD-RW, and video card from new egg...
I'm trying to decide between a geforce2 TI or radeon 7500... something under $130

thoughts? suggestions?

 

[grifterspawn]

I still think you get more bang for your buck with a from scratch system. As for mobo/cpu's being tested, I've never had a bad cpu or motherboard in the years I've been building (for friends/family/etc..) computers. Overall I've probably built about 15 full systems, not a huge amount, but I'm not a computer store. I recommend the Lite-on 24x10x40 cdrw from newegg, great burner. I would, if I were you, consider getting crucial ram over generic, they usually have good prices for first time customers (discounts). Check the hot deals forum for suggestions.