Build me a computer ;)

[jimmydean723]

Alright, I'm planning on building a new computer in the next few weeks, and a friend told me this would be a good place to look for advice. There is a $2000 limit. I need a monitor along with the computer. One important thing to take into account: I am by no means a computer guru, I don't know a hell of a lot about all this and want to keep things pretty simple. Things to take into consideration:

- I want to stick mainly to newegg for buying unless there is a drastic price difference.
- For the time being this is primarily a gaming pc, it needs to be able to run at least CS:S at very close to max settings, and hopefully a game such as UT2007 in the near future at fairly good settings.
- Probably an AMD chipset, UNLESS you think that new Conroe from intel would be better spent money.
- I'm not gonna be doing any overclocking, so don't worry about that.
- I would like at least a 150 GB harddrive.
- Like I said, I don't know a whole lot about computers, so I need to be able to take care of it pretty easily.
- The case certainly doesn't need to be all fancy or anything.
- One thing I WOULD like on the case is a front temperature display.
- The quieter everything runs, the better, BUT I do not want to compromise performance for quiet-ness.
- Just a regular CD/DVD drive is fine, I don't need a DVD burner or something.

That's about all the details I can think of. I'd assume you guys know this, but post links to the parts! Thanks for replies, I really appreciate the help

Edit* P.S. Don't worry about me having setup problems, I know the basics of putting everything together, and have several friends who have done it before.

 

[ofiraltarasy]

ok give me a few min ill help you out

 

[Tsuwamono]

if its Gaming and if its for CSS you want AMD for your CPU and for GPU you want something by ATI(HL2 is works best on ATI stuff) My suggestion is a X1800XT for now until the Direct X 10 cards come out. And the CPU would be a AMD 5000+ X2(AM2) maybe? something along those lines

 

[ofiraltarasy]

ok done hold on ill post my results

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: jimmydean723
- Just a regular CD/DVD drive is fine, I don't need a DVD burner or something.

You can build a decent basic machine for under $600. For $2000, I'd expect it to include a really good DVD burner. At that price, I'd expect the OS, a couple of major aps (Office, etc.) and one hell of a monitor.

If you want to spend on a great extra, buy a matched pair of hard drives, mount one in a mobile rack, and get Norton Ghost. It's available separately or as part of Norton System Works Pro.

A mobile rack mounts in a 5.25" (CD-ROM) bay and allows you to plug and unplug the drive from the system. Ghost allows you to clone your hard drive. If your main drive gets corrupted, you can restore it from your last Ghost copy.

If the main drive completely fails, put the Ghost drive in place of the original, and keep stepping. You'll need a new drive to replace the one that failed, but you won't have to re-install anything.

When you've just run your anti-virus and spyware removal programs, power down, plug in your Ghost drive, and copy it. Then, power down, and unplug the drive. No one has written a virus that can jump an air gap.

When you do the initial setup, install Windows, and your motherboard drivers, but don't go for any updates until you also install your anti-virus, firewall and spyware removers. Also, include a registry cleaner like Win Doctor (again in System Works), Registry Mechanic, System Mechanic, etc.

Then, go online just long enough to get the updates for the AV and spyware software, etc., and run all of them, including the registry cleaner. Once that's done, and you know it's working, Ghost the drive. If the next step in your setup screws up, you can undo it and try again.

Repeat this procedure as you go, and if something really messes up the drive, you won't have to rebuild it again from the start.

Ghosting a 150 GB SATA drive takes 5 - 8 minutes which makes it a great investment of time compared to how long it would take to rebuild Windows and whatever you have already installed, again, from the ground up.

Ah... But I digress. For $2000, you should be able to get a hell of a machine.

 

[Chris1986]

Originally posted by: Tsuwamono
if its Gaming and if its for CSS you want AMD for your CPU and for GPU you want something by ATI(HL2 is works best on ATI stuff) My suggestion is a X1800XT for now until the Direct X 10 cards come out. And the CPU would be a AMD 5000+ X2(AM2) maybe? something along those lines

No offense but you're not reasoning your decision for recommending AMD. Based on benchmarks, Conroe will have the upperhand in gaming and overall performance when it hits. That's a fact.

I say wait for Conroe. It's what 99% of current builders (including myself) are doing.

 

[ofiraltarasy]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16811129154 -- Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822148111-- HDD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16824116381 -- KICK ASS LCD AMAZING
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813131568 -- MOBO
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814150141 -- GFX Card x2 because of the price limit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16817151025 -- ONE OF THE POWER SUPPLIES ON THE MARKET
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16835100007 -- AS5 A MUST HAVE FOR ALL PC USERS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820146890 -- RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819103546 -- CPU
http://www.newegg.com/product/Product.asp?item=N82E16827106029 -- COMBO DRIVE
TOTAL: $1,928.12 Shipped to Miami

PM me if you have any questions

 

[JAG87]

Athlon X2 4200+ AM2 (358)
Corsair XMS2 2GB 6400C4 (270)
Asus M2N32SLI Deluxe (229)
BFG GeForce 7950 GX2 (599)
Creative Xfi Xtrememusic (121)
WD Raptor 74 GB 16MB (169)
Enermax Liberty 500 (104)

Total 1850

Any case you like will do. Dont go cheapo on it, you will regret it.
You would be stupid not to buy a DVD burner since the cost difference with a DVD-ROM is 20 bucks. I would go with LG or BenQ.

Dont be stupid and wait for core 2 duo. If you need the computer buy the stuff, then once core 2 duo comes out, and its tested, reviewed, and there is plenty of availability, sell your mobo and CPU, and buy an E6600 + an nVidia Intel edition SLI mobo. Believe me, you will have enough money to buy that just by selling the cpu and mobo.

 

[alimoalem]

Originally posted by: JAG87
Athlon X2 4200+ AM2 (358)
Corsair XMS2 2GB 6400C4 (270)
Asus M2N32SLI Deluxe (229)
BFG GeForce 7950 GX2 (599)
Creative Xfi Xtrememusic (121)
WD Raptor 74 GB 16MB (169)
Enermax Liberty 500 (104)

Total 1850

Any case you like will do. Dont go cheapo on it, you will regret it.
You would be stupid not to buy a DVD burner since the cost difference with a DVD-ROM is 20 bucks. I would go with LG or BenQ.

Dont be stupid and wait for core 2 duo. If you need the computer buy the stuff, then once core 2 duo comes out, and its tested, reviewed, and there is plenty of availability, sell your mobo and CPU, and buy an E6600 + an nVidia Intel edition SLI mobo. Believe me, you will have enough money to buy that just by selling the cpu and mobo.

too expensive...you forgot the monitor man

about the previous poster's build (look below):

Originally posted by: ofiraltarasy
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16811129154 -- Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822148111-- HDD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16824116381 -- KICK ASS LCD AMAZING
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813131568 -- MOBO
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814150141 -- GFX Card x2 because of the price limit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16817151025 -- ONE OF THE POWER SUPPLIES ON THE MARKET
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16835100007 -- AS5 A MUST HAVE FOR ALL PC USERS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820146890 -- RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819103546 -- CPU
http://www.newegg.com/product/Product.asp?item=N82E16827106029 -- COMBO DRIVE
TOTAL: $1,928.12 Shipped to Miami

PM me if you have any questions

- i don't think the case fits his needs...he needs a temp display
- good lcd
- mobo is good but expensive..i guess it's good for the budget
- video card: bad choice. get the 7900GT. almost as good as both SLI'ed and you can get it for like $270 or maybe less
- good power supply but i'm sure 500w will fill his needs
- ram is bad. you can 2GB of ram for $15 more. look for DDR400 ram made by G.Skill, Corsair, OCZ, or patriot (i think i forgot another good brand)
CPU: you don't need anything too powerful like that. i would go with the 6700 conroe. or 4600 AM2 (any more is a waste imo)
- just get the DVD burner. it costs $10 more

 

[Omizzle]

Im not going to look up everything specifically, these are estimates

AMD 64 X2 (or wait for conroe)
2gig corsair/ocz/hyperx ram
150 gig raptor
creative xfi plat+ (zipzoomfly.com is cheapest)
Fortron Bluestorm PSU
case of your choice
generic keyboard
good mouse
CRT MONITOR
Whatever left on video card/better proc

 

[jimmydean723]

I think I want to go with one of the Conroe's once they come out. I am in no hurry to get the thing built, but would just like to get it all ordered by the end of July. In a strange occurance, the Conroe is scheduled to release July 23rd correct? That's my birthday and I think that's a sign that I should go with that CPU

 

[dclive]

I'd suggest looking at Dell's latest deals at www.gotapex.com - typically good Dells with 19" LCDs are $739 or so (current price for 9150). For the remaining $1300, you can put it in the bank account, put it into graphics cards, or whatever you want.

I just priced a 9150 with Pentium D 940 for $939. Add a Radeon 1900XTX for a four hundred, and you're in business, or go with an nVidia 7900GT for $236 (newegg, after rebate) to save some $, for a total of $1170 or so.

FYI, a Dell 5150 is $839 for the same setup.

http://www.gamepc.com/labs/view_content.asp?id=pd900&page=11 shows a few gaming benchmarks. As resolution increases, you'll be more video card dependent and less CPU dependent.

...but I'd wait for Conroe. It's a major shift and significant upgrade. After it's released, I've got to believe AMD will need to reduce pricing.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: jimmydean723
I think I want to go with one of the Conroe's once they come out. I am in no hurry to get the thing built, but would just like to get it all ordered by the end of July. In a strange occurance, the Conroe is scheduled to release July 23rd correct? That's my birthday and I think that's a sign that I should go with that CPU

Big OEMs like Dell and HP are going to buy up most if not practically all of the available Core 2 Duo (Conroe) CPUs so you may not even have the option of buying one for quite a while after it's initial release.

 

[pkme2]

I recommend waiting till mid-July before spending any money on a new system. By then. all the new stuff should be out and prices should drop on many components.
This should you more options to pick from. If you're building a new system, wouldn't you like cheaper deals, I would. I look for the best for less.

 

[Tsuwamono]

Originally posted by: Chris1986

Originally posted by: Tsuwamono
if its Gaming and if its for CSS you want AMD for your CPU and for GPU you want something by ATI(HL2 is works best on ATI stuff) My suggestion is a X1800XT for now until the Direct X 10 cards come out. And the CPU would be a AMD 5000+ X2(AM2) maybe? something along those lines

No offense but you're not reasoning your decision for recommending AMD. Based on benchmarks, Conroe will have the upperhand in gaming and overall performance when it hits. That's a fact.

I say wait for Conroe. It's what 99% of current builders (including myself) are doing.

Based on benchmarks that dont take into account reverse hyperthreading. Also MOST benchmarks conroe only beats AMD by a few FPS. maybe 10 at the most. And with reverse hyperthreading AMD will replace their penis firmly up intels rectum as it should be and has been for a few years now. Sorry. but IMO Conroe is overhyped. All benchmarks are intel approved so we wont know what it can actually do until its out. I think it will underperform VS the latest AMD crop of CPUs in gaming tests.

 

[potato28]

Wait for AMD to drop their prices in July. U might be able to buy something a little better And for the case and near-silent operation, come to C&C. We'll find u a case that'll do what u need and more.

 

[Tsuwamono]

Arrr mate, ye be getting great service on our wee little forum... arr...

 

[Bobthelost]

Originally posted by: Tsuwamono

Originally posted by: Chris1986

Originally posted by: Tsuwamono
if its Gaming and if its for CSS you want AMD for your CPU and for GPU you want something by ATI(HL2 is works best on ATI stuff) My suggestion is a X1800XT for now until the Direct X 10 cards come out. And the CPU would be a AMD 5000+ X2(AM2) maybe? something along those lines

No offense but you're not reasoning your decision for recommending AMD. Based on benchmarks, Conroe will have the upperhand in gaming and overall performance when it hits. That's a fact.

I say wait for Conroe. It's what 99% of current builders (including myself) are doing.

Based on benchmarks that dont take into account reverse hyperthreading. Also MOST benchmarks conroe only beats AMD by a few FPS. maybe 10 at the most. And with reverse hyperthreading AMD will replace their penis firmly up intels rectum as it should be and has been for a few years now. Sorry. but IMO Conroe is overhyped. All benchmarks are intel approved so we wont know what it can actually do until its out. I think it will underperform VS the latest AMD crop of CPUs in gaming tests.

Eh? Everything i've heard is that reverse hyperthreading is 1) Not present on AM2 2) Not going to be around untill at least K8L 3) A completly nonsensical bucking of the trend for SMP processing 4) Probably never going to happen because of the technical difficulties in making it function.

You're talking crap.

Also your build was really, really badly balanced, you would be spending far more on the CPU than needs be and skimped on the GPU.

 

[jimmydean723]

Let's try to keep this on topic as much as we can. There have to be plenty of other threads in which you can debate about AMD vs. Intel. I probably won't be purchasing anything till mid-July to see if there are any price drops, and also because I want to look at lots of options. I would like to see what I could get right now for this money. I'd like to see a couple more build ideas. Thanks

 

[OSX]

Originally posted by: Tsuwamono

Originally posted by: Chris1986

Originally posted by: Tsuwamono
if its Gaming and if its for CSS you want AMD for your CPU and for GPU you want something by ATI(HL2 is works best on ATI stuff) My suggestion is a X1800XT for now until the Direct X 10 cards come out. And the CPU would be a AMD 5000+ X2(AM2) maybe? something along those lines

No offense but you're not reasoning your decision for recommending AMD. Based on benchmarks, Conroe will have the upperhand in gaming and overall performance when it hits. That's a fact.

I say wait for Conroe. It's what 99% of current builders (including myself) are doing.

Based on benchmarks that dont take into account reverse hyperthreading. Also MOST benchmarks conroe only beats AMD by a few FPS. maybe 10 at the most. And with reverse hyperthreading AMD will replace their penis firmly up intels rectum as it should be and has been for a few years now. Sorry. but IMO Conroe is overhyped. All benchmarks are intel approved so we wont know what it can actually do until its out. I think it will underperform VS the latest AMD crop of CPUs in gaming tests.

w00t AMD fanboys. Core 2 X6800 vs. FX-62, the FX got it's ass handed to it on a gold platter with an Intel Inside logo on it. Also, by the time Rev-HT comes out, Intel will have it too.

 

[ofiraltarasy]

hey hey hey that build i did was perfect for that hight of a limit ya i got SLI for him its better that one 7900 and the 600w psu was for the SLI and for reliablility the case is better for cooling and he doesnt need an lcd he can just use everest or some other application to tell him the temp and hey if he can afford it why not get dual core

 

[thescreensavers]

Hold I will build a rig and will reply when I am done

 

[thescreensavers]

Got you a DVD burner Which you should have.

Case As requested has A temp display



OK heres we a got a bit havoc

10,000 RPM HD For xp apps and games

Here is a 160GB for music,movies...ect

Good LCD(getting it my self)

Mobo used it in another build works great

EVGA 7900GTX 512MB Video card

500 Watts Of power

G.Skill Ram 2GB

CPU AMD Opteron 175 Denmark 2.4ghz.

I got u no thermal past b/c the stuff on the heat sinks good and wont void your warranty you got for the CPU. Which is 3 years. the opteron is basicly an X2. and can over clock esier.
and the final price was 2058.00

Now if you cant get the 58$ remove the 2 Hard drives and put

This HD 250GB

with the single HD it comes out to 1,932

I would shell out 58 bucks. And ways I got you a very good Graphics card. I want it

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: jimmydean723
Let's try to keep this on topic as much as we can. There have to be plenty of other threads in which you can debate about AMD vs. Intel. I probably won't be purchasing anything till mid-July to see if there are any price drops, and also because I want to look at lots of options. I would like to see what I could get right now for this money. I'd like to see a couple more build ideas. Thanks

there are also plenty of threads saying "build me a computer"..... maybe try the search button?

 

[villageidiot111]

Originally posted by: bob4432

Originally posted by: jimmydean723
Let's try to keep this on topic as much as we can. There have to be plenty of other threads in which you can debate about AMD vs. Intel. I probably won't be purchasing anything till mid-July to see if there are any price drops, and also because I want to look at lots of options. I would like to see what I could get right now for this money. I'd like to see a couple more build ideas. Thanks

there are also plenty of threads saying "build me a computer"..... maybe try the search button?

Have you tried the search lately, it isn't exactly great right now...