Best AMD Machine for under $560

[Solitude]

Person uses this heatware for surfing, office, watching tv, and possible use the vga output for PS2, or decent gaming system, not like Doom 3 on high setting.

Try to beat my spec by price or hardware:

new heatware:


CPU: AMD 64 3000+ ($161.00) NewEgg.com

MOBO: ChainTech nforce3 250 or Asus nforce3 250 (NOTE: Asus has GB, ChainTech doesn't)
Verdict : Asus $94.00 (89.00 + 5.00 sh) - NewEgg.com

Memory : Corsair or Kingston pc3200 ~$80 (What do you guys recommend)

Hard-drive: Seagate 120 GB IDE for $50 (final cost after Rebate & tax ) at Fry's ele.

DVD/CD Burner : NEC 16X $73.00 (NEW EGG)

Kind of stuck here, $458, need to get a case (preferably black and a gpu) PLEASE HELP, the cpu cannot be anything else except for 3000+.

Thanks

 

[cpotter]

Won't need video card? I'm in same price range but going with AMD 64 2800+ to save a little cash.

 

[Boonesmi]

newegg has some radeon 9600LE cards for around $65 (basically a 9600np, which is a lot better then 9600se)

 

[jkresh]

You are not going to be able to pull that off. If they want to watch TV, you will need a tuner, minimum of $30; anything with quality will be closer to 100. That leaves you with about $90 for a case, psu and video card. You would want at least a 300watt good power supply probably 350-400, from antec, enermax... so look at an antec case (slk-250, 350 power supply) $65 leaving you $7 for a video card. Might be worth trying to find an old aiw (8500 or 7500) maybe you could get it close to 560. Why not drop to a 2800+ (saves $20), go with the chaintech or maybe a gigabyte k8t800 or nf3 board (not gb), saves another $30, which would leave you about $60 for your video card/tuner which is a bit more reasonable.

 

[Solitude]

to jkresh,

ur right, got a case by linkworld for 10, kind of crappy, but does comes w/ a power supply for 13 bucks. GPU == Video Card, probably a 9250, or like 9600 LE. It a mystery... The board u suggested doesn't comes w/ 250 GB, rather a reg. 250. By the 8N is better than the 8V from the Asus, right? 8v is problematic, i heard, u know via.

 

[jkresh]

8n is better then the 8v, via still has some problems, though if you dont plan on overclocking the differences arent that big. For the system you are building the 250gb is unnecessary, you dont need good raid support, you dont need gigabyte ethernet, and the built-in firewall has problems so just stick with a software one, should cut about $30 off the cost of the machine.

 

[caivoma]

are you sure that a decent power supply, if it dies and take a long everything or something, then you are the first person they will blamed.

edited: i am not saying the power supply will fail, a lot of people on this forum used cheap power supply and they are ok. I just saying that watch out for the cheap power supply.

 

[Solitude]

say if i did chain the mobo, what would u go w/ please specific, include the model and spec. By the way, u know what mobo, video and a good case/ w a good psu for, say $196.

 

[jkresh]

either the chaintech, gigabyte or epox nf3250 board would be fine (prices from 73-80, check newegg for specifics)
the antec case with 350 power supply that I recomended before should be good
leaves you with $50 for graphics
which could get a 5200 or a radeon 9200, possibly a 9600 if you were willing to go with a unknown brand

 

[caivoma]

do what jkresh said on the case. newegg has it for around 65.00 or you can check fry. If you want a decent gaming system, how much do you want to spend on a graphic card ? or the card is what left from 196 - mobo - case.
Say you get that case for 65 and chaintech mobo for 80, that left you around 50 dollars for video card. Not a lot imo, you can get the 9600se for 68 dollars but it is only 64 bits memory (bad), do they want to pay more for a decent video card ? and what kind of game they going to play ?
btw, check hot deal forum for deal on amd chip and ecs board, it usually pretty cheap but the board is nothing to write home about.

 

[caivoma]

ok, cant sleep so here it goes. in hot deal forum, search for fry and you should find they have a deal on the antec superlanboy case for 50 AR, so you can save about 10 dollars right there,