Building a compooper. . .need some suggestions

[edwardwilliam]

Hey all. . .I have included the shopping list on the new computer that I am building. Please let me know of any suggestions, improvements, incompatabilities, or other things I need! This is the first computer that I have ever built, so I want to be sure that I do it right! Thanks.

Best,
Ed

Cases (Computer Cases, ATX Form)
MAXTOP Model# CSX-7788KEB (BLACK) w/350W P4 READY POWER SUPPLY, FRONT USB - RETAIL
Specifications:
Bays: External 5.25" X 4 - 3.5" X 2 Internal 3.5" X 4
Expansion Slots: 7
Fans: 1 X 80mm Top-Case Fan
Power Supply: 350W
Dimensions: 7.75W x 17D x 18.75H more info> N82E16811150049 $55.00

CD/DVD Burners (RW Drives)
PLEXTOR Black PX-W4824TA/BPS-BL/ 48x24x48 CD-RW - OEM
Specifications:
Interface:E-IDE (ATAPI-4)
Speed:48x CD-Write, 24x CD-ReWrite, and 48x CD Read
Buffer:4MB Burn-Proof technology eliminates buffer underrun errors
Random Access time:65ms
MTBF 60,000 POH
Windows 98/2000/ME/XP Compatible
Mac Compatible (software not included)
OEM (Includes Manual and CDROM ) more info> N82E16827106218 $77.99

Plextor DVD+R/RW IDE Drive Model PX-504A-SW Retail
Specifications:
Interface: EIDE ATAPI
Average Access time: 140ms DVD, 120ms CD
Buffer: 2MB
Buffer Under Run Proof technology prevents errors in CD-R/RW writing
6-in-1 drive: 4X DVD+R, 2.4X DVD+RW, 12X DVD-ROM, 16X CD-R, 10X CD-RW, 40X max CD-ROM
OS Support: Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP Compatible
Retail box (see pics for details) more info> N82E16827131305 $217.00

CD/DVD ROM Drives
Samsung 16X DVD Drive (BLACK) MODEL SD-816BEPB OEM
Specifications:
Speed: 16X DVD, 48X CD
Access Time: 110ms DVD, 90ms CD Average
Interface: EIDE/ATAPI
Buffer: 512K
OEM Bulk (see pics) more info> N82E16827151027 $39.99

Floppy Drives
SAMSUNG 1.44MB BLACK FLOPPY DRIVE Model# SFD321B/LBL - OEM, DRIVE ONLY
Specifications:
Capacity: 1.44 MB Connector 34 Pin Standard Floppy
Works With All Standard 1.44MB & 72OKB 3.5 Floppy Diskettes are compatible with all industry standard 1.44MB and 72OKB 3.5 floppy diskettes.
Easy to Install! Just Plug & Play! * For IBM5 & 100% Compatible Computers .
1 Year Warranty more info> N82E16821103203 $7.00

Hard Drives
MAXTOR 120.0GB 7200RPM 2MB Cache Model # 6Y120L0
Specifications:
Size: 120 Gigabytes
Interface: IDE ULTRA ATA133
Seek time: 9.0ms
RPM:7200
Data Transfer: Ultra ATA up to: 133MB/sec
Cache 2MB
OEM(Drive alone) 1 Year Manufacturer Warranty more info> N82E16822144136 $100.50

Memory (System Memory)
CORSAIR 512MB PC3200 VALUE SELECT. VS512MB400 DDR RAM - OEM
184-Pin. CL=2.5-Unbuffered 2.5V. 64x64 Requires DDR 400 supported Motherboard - Lifetime Warranty. more info> N82E16820145026 $97.00

Motherboards - AMD
Asus Motherboard for AMD Athlon/XP/Duron Processors, Model# A7N8X (New Version, now support AMD Barton 400Mhz) Retail
Specifications:
CPU Supported: Socket A AMD Athlon/XP/Duron (600MHz - 2.8.GHz up to Barton XP3000+)Throughbred core CPU ready
Chipset: NVIDIA nForce2 SPP
FSB: 400/333/266/200MHz
IDE: 2x channel ATA133
RAM: 3x 184-pin DIMM Sockets(PC3200/PC2700/PC2100/PC1600 non-ECC DDR Ram)
Slots: 1x AGP (Pro/8X), 5x PCI
Ports: 2xPS2, 4xUSB, 1xCOM,1xLPT, and Audio Ports
Onboard Audio:Realtek® ALC650 6CH
Onboard LAN: MCP integrated NVIDIA® MAC + Realtek® 8201BL PHY
ATX Form Factor more info> N82E16813131455 $102.99

Processors
AMD ATHLON XP 2800 "Barton" 333 FSB PROCESSOR CPU- RETAIL
Specifications:
CPU: 2.08 GHz
Type: XP 2800 Barton Core
Cache: 512K L2, 128K L1, Total 640KB
BUS: 333MHz
Socket A
Retail Box (Comes with Heatsink and Fan) more info> N82E16819103377 $174.00

Sound Card
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 2 - PCI OEM
DVD-Audio: The only PC solution to enable the Advanced Resolution era of 24-bit music fidelity w/192kHz in stereo and 96kHz in 5.1
106dB SNR: The best Sound Blaster clarity ever, rivaling home-theater audio quality for music, games, & movies
6.1 surround sound: Experience superior multi-channel audio from MP3s, CDs, 3D games and Dolby Digital EX movies with a rear center speaker more info> N82E16829102158 $78.00

Video Cards
POWERCOLOR ATI RADEON 9200 128MB DDR VIVO AGP 8X RETAIL RADEON? 9200 series delivers a dazzling 3D experience to PC enthusiasts with the best performance in its class
Specifications:
Chipset: ATI Radeon 9200
Memory:128MB DDR
Bus:AGP 8X
SMARTSHADER supports Microsoft® DirectX® 8.1 feature sets, enabling more complex and realistic lighting effects
SMOOTHVISION delivers the sharpest, clearest textures without sacrificing frame rates
Ports:VGA + DVI + S-Video (with VIVO Video in/Out adapter)
Retail Box See pictures for details more info> N82E16814131215 $95.00


Subtotal » $1,044.47
Shipping and Handling Charge » $ 17.00

Grand Total » $ 1,061.47

 

[Cosmic_Horror]

hi,
couple of questions, :

what are you planing on using this system for?

why the 3 optical drives?


Personaly i would get rid of the cd-rw, and do all your buring with the dvd burner, and if you need to burn from cd to cd or dvd to dvd include the dvd-rom drive (or look for a black combo cdrw + dvd rom all in one unit).

If you play games i would probably replace the Readon 9200 video card with something fater.
If you are really into games i would get a sighlty slower cpu and get a much faster video card as game play will be greatly enhanced speed wise. Alot will depend on what you can spend of course.

Otherwise it looks ok.

 

[edwardwilliam]

Honestly, I really wanted the ability to burn a CD at 48X, which is what the extra CD writer is for. . .I burn lots of audio, so the saved time would be great. Is it really necessary though? I don't know. . .

On the video card front, I really don't play games too often, but should I upgrade it anyway? My biggest needs are: a DVI port and some way to in and out video.

Thanks!

Ed

 

[thorin]

Just make sure you get a good spell checker

Thorin

 

[sniperruff]

to keep this short:

case: look for chieftec

CDRW: lite-on. similar performace, save $$$

DVD: unnecessary. use DVD-R. 3 optical drives = no 2 HD setup

HD: my personal pref is WD. seagate is also good. look for 8mb cache/3 year warranty if it won't cost you an arm

memory: 2 sticks of 256mb, take advantage of dual DDR.

CPU: get barton 2500, save over $74

video card: Ti4200 with DVI, AGP 8X support, for around $80. or an oldie but goodie 8500 series for less $$$

other stuff looks good

hope i helped

 

[Jeff7181]

Yeah, I wouldn't spend that much dough on an XP2800... I'd either go with an XP2500 (barton), or an XP2600.

And ditch DVD-ROM drive... that's kinda pointless since you'll already have a CDRW drive and DVD+R/RW drive.

I agree about the video card... maybe get yourself a Gainward Ti4200 with VIVO. OR maybe consider one of ATI's All in Wonder cards. Or maybe consider a dedicated card for that so you can upgrade your video card as often as you want if you want to play newer games.

Definately don't get that hard drive. You might even consider a WD Raptor drive as your main drive, and a Western Digital 80 GB 8 meg cache drive as your storage drive. If you're gonna be burning lots of CD's and DVD's, you're most likely going to be using the "burn proof" features of those optical drives with that slow Maxtor you have listed there.

Also, may I suggest 1 GB of RAM... Seems like overkill now, but programs will only get bigger and require more RAM. I wouldn't run Windows XP on anything less than 512 MB even for general use, not even gaming.

Also, you don't need that Audigy 2 card unless you plan on mixing/recording/editing your own music on your computer. The sound quality even of the onboard audio on that motherboard is just fine. However, if you play games, you may want to consider a regular Audigy so you can enable EAX hardware acceleration and get better sound without much of a performance hit.

 

[jacktesterson]

I suggest ditching the CDRW drive...were talking 3 mins to burn a music CD rather than 5-6....and I would get the Radeon 9100 128MB DDR over that 9200...it has DVI..its a faster Direct X 8.1 card...but with the saved money from the CDRW drive, maybe get a 9500?

 

[modestninja]

I'd look into getting a better PS as having a cheap one can cause boatloads of problems. Look into brands like antec that offer good quality at pretty good prices. At 16x it takes 5-6mins to burn a CD, it takes 3.5mins to burn at 48x, if this decrease in time is worth it to you then I'd suggest getting the lite-on model because it is good quality and cheap. Otherwise I'd ditch the CD-RW.

Lastly for the Video Card I'd grab at least a Ti4200, if not a radeon 9500 so that if you wanted you could still play some of the newer games.

Also, since you aren't getting the A7N8X deluxe (I assume from the price), I'd stick with an add-in sound card, but I'd probably downgrade to the Audigy 1.

Thats about it for now.

 

[edwardwilliam]

Ok...I think that I am going to go with the Barton 2500 and shave off the CD-RW drive. For a video card, I want to be able to connect my monitor through a digital port, and also want to have the opportunity to in or out video from another source. Is this possible? Thanks for all of your help guys!!

Best,
Ed

 

[edwardwilliam]

Ok. . .more questions -- this time about the hard drive! Like Jeff suggested, would it be a good idea to go with a raptor as my main drive and then buy a 7200 to use as a mass storage drive? I guess it would allow me to add other drives as necessary, and that 10000 rpm speed would probably rock. . .thanks!!

Best,
Ed

 

[edwardwilliam]

Would anyone suggest a different mobo? I am looking for a pretty solid board, and this one seems to fit the bill -- but you guys know a lot more than me!! Finally, would I be better off going with the Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 card? It is $33, so that seems to be a pretty solid deals. . .plus I really can't see myself doing anything but listening to music on the computer.

Thanks!

Ed

 

[edwardwilliam]

This is where I am at right now. . .

Cases (Computer Cases, ATX Form)
MAXTOP Model# CSX-7788KEB (BLACK) w/350W P4 READY POWER SUPPLY, FRONT USB - RETAIL
Specifications:
Bays: External 5.25" X 4 - 3.5" X 2 Internal 3.5" X 4
Expansion Slots: 7
Fans: 1 X 80mm Top-Case Fan
Power Supply: 350W
Dimensions: 7.75W x 17D x 18.75H more info> N82E16811150049 $55.00

CD/DVD Burners (RW Drives)
Plextor DVD+R/RW IDE Drive Model PX-504A-SW Retail
Specifications:
Interface: EIDE ATAPI
Average Access time: 140ms DVD, 120ms CD
Buffer: 2MB
Buffer Under Run Proof technology prevents errors in CD-R/RW writing
6-in-1 drive: 4X DVD+R, 2.4X DVD+RW, 12X DVD-ROM, 16X CD-R, 10X CD-RW, 40X max CD-ROM
OS Support: Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP Compatible
Retail box (see pics for details) more info> N82E16827131305 $212.99

CD/DVD ROM Drives
Samsung 16X DVD Drive (BLACK) MODEL SD-816BEPB OEM
Specifications:
Speed: 16X DVD, 48X CD
Access Time: 110ms DVD, 90ms CD Average
Interface: EIDE/ATAPI
Buffer: 512K
OEM Bulk (see pics) more info> N82E16827151027 $39.99

Floppy Drives
SAMSUNG 1.44MB BLACK FLOPPY DRIVE Model# SFD321B/LBL - OEM, DRIVE ONLY
Specifications:
Capacity: 1.44 MB Connector 34 Pin Standard Floppy
Works With All Standard 1.44MB & 72OKB 3.5 Floppy Diskettes are compatible with all industry standard 1.44MB and 72OKB 3.5 floppy diskettes.
Easy to Install! Just Plug & Play! * For IBM5 & 100% Compatible Computers .
1 Year Warranty more info> N82E16821103203 $7.00

Hard Drives
►On Sale!
Western Digital Raptor 36GB SATA WD360GD 10,000 RPM 8MB Hard Drive OEM
Specifications:
Size: 36.7 Gigabytes
Interface: Serial ATA
Seek time: 5.2ms
RPM:10,000
Data Transfer: 150MB/sec Max
Cache:8MB
OEM(Drive alone) 5 Year Manufacturer Warranty: more info> N82E16822144200 $138.50

Memory (System Memory)
CORSAIR 512MB PC3200 VALUE SELECT. VS512MB400 DDR RAM - OEM
184-Pin. CL=2.5-Unbuffered 2.5V. 64x64 Requires DDR 400 supported Motherboard - Lifetime Warranty. more info> N82E16820145026 $96.00

Motherboards - AMD
Asus Motherboard for AMD Athlon/XP/Duron Processors, Model# A7N8X (New Version, now support AMD Barton 400Mhz) Retail
Specifications:
CPU Supported: Socket A AMD Athlon/XP/Duron (600MHz - 2.8.GHz up to Barton XP3000+)Throughbred core CPU ready
Chipset: NVIDIA nForce2 SPP
FSB: 400/333/266/200MHz
IDE: 2x channel ATA133
RAM: 3x 184-pin DIMM Sockets(PC3200/PC2700/PC2100/PC1600 non-ECC DDR Ram)
Slots: 1x AGP (Pro/8X), 5x PCI
Ports: 2xPS2, 4xUSB, 1xCOM,1xLPT, and Audio Ports
Onboard Audio:Realtek® ALC650 6CH
Onboard LAN: MCP integrated NVIDIA® MAC + Realtek® 8201BL PHY
ATX Form Factor more info> N82E16813131455 $107.99

Processors
►On Sale!
AMD ATHLON XP 2500+ "Barton" 333 FSB PROCESSOR CPU- RETAIL
Specifications:
CPU: 1.83 GHz
Type: XP 2500 Barton Core
Cache: 512K L2, 128K L1, Total 640KB
BUS: 333MHz
Socket A
Retail Box (Heatsink and Fan included)
more info> N82E16819103379 $90.00

Sound Card
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! Dolby Digital 5.1 SB0220 - OEM
PCI 32-bit, 1024-voice Environmental Audio Sound Card, now with Dolby Digital 5.1 support
EMU10K1 Digital Signal Processor provides studio quality sound reproduction for digital processing and playback of MP3, WMA, WAV, Internet Audio, MIDI, and CD audio.
EAX Environmental Audio Effects allows gamers to hear sounds coming from all around them over multiple speaker configurations with full EAX support Not Compatible with Unitek Spdif Port Adapter, more info> N82E16829102156 $33.00

Video Cards
POWERCOLOR ATI RADEON 9200 128MB DDR VIVO AGP 8X RETAIL RADEON? 9200 series delivers a dazzling 3D experience to PC enthusiasts with the best performance in its class
Specifications:
Chipset: ATI Radeon 9200
Memory:128MB DDR
Bus:AGP 8X
SMARTSHADER supports Microsoft® DirectX® 8.1 feature sets, enabling more complex and realistic lighting effects
SMOOTHVISION delivers the sharpest, clearest textures without sacrificing frame rates
Ports:VGA + DVI + S-Video (with VIVO Video in/Out adapter)
Retail Box See pictures for details more info> N82E16814131215 $95.00

Thanks!

Ed

 

[Muck]

The hard drive.

You're paying $138.50 for a 36GB WD drive. Or you could pay $110 for a 120GB, 8MB cache WD. Or $88.50 for an 80GB. The Raptor is faster. But it's very small. Personally, that's too small a drive for me. But if it's good for you, then go for it.

 

[jacktesterson]

Drop that 9200 like a pile of poop and get a 9100 for the same price with same features and its faster for gaming. or better yet, spend a a few extra bucks and pick up a ti4200 or a 9500...(i recommend u stay with ATI)

As for the Plextor, save yourself some money and buy a Samsung or Liteon drive....cheaper and good quality

and personally I dont like the Raptors....36GB just isn't enough...I'd go with a WD 80 GB drive with 8MB Cache as a 2nd drive.

 

[nick1985]

get a powersupply that DOESNT blow goats for quarters...

 

[t0mmyb0y]

Why not get the A7N8X Deluxe for $122.99 and dump the sound card altogether? Save yourself some money, plus you get dual LAN (might be important in the future) and Serial ATA. The Soundstorm Audio on the MCP-T is fantastic. I have had a deluxe board for 5 or so months now, and I have been extremely satisfied.

I would agree with others when they tell you to upgrade the video, but I'm a gamer and a bit biased.

 

[matrixwalker2002]

i would suggest you get the Samsung DVD-ROM/CDRW combo Drive. it burns CDR's at 52x, CDRW's at 24x, reads CDROMs at 52x and DVD-ROMs at 16x. It' only costs $99 and it also has 8MB of cache. I just bought one of these a few days ago and it's absolutely one of the best. I would suggest only using your DVD burner to burn DVD's because everytime you use the DVD burner to read CD's, burn CD's, or read DVD's, you put a bit of wear on the laser, which will reduce the # of burns u get from the DVD burner on DVD's. Some other good combo drives are the sony one (just came out) 48x/24x/48x and 16x dvd for $99, or the Cendyne one which is the same speed as the sony but for 20 dollars less. both the sony and the cendyne combo drives come with a 2megabyte cache. good luck on building your computer.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: Muck
The hard drive.

You're paying $138.50 for a 36GB WD drive. Or you could pay $110 for a 120GB, 8MB cache WD. Or $88.50 for an 80GB. The Raptor is faster. But it's very small. Personally, that's too small a drive for me. But if it's good for you, then go for it.

People REALLY miss the point of the Raptor. It's not designed to find your porn and bring it to the screen as fast as possible... it's designed to be use as a boot drive... you store your porn on a separate drive.

 

[t0mmyb0y]

Originally posted by: matrixwalker2002
I would suggest only using your DVD burner to burn DVD's because everytime you use the DVD burner to read CD's, burn CD's, or read DVD's, you put a bit of wear on the laser, which will reduce the # of burns u get from the DVD burner on DVD's.

Ummm can anyone confirm this? Sounds like a bit of paranoia to me.

 

[piasabird]

Maybe you should just make a small computer with an integrated motherboard for copying music and DVD. Dont need a good video card just to copy CD/DVD disks. dont really need a good sound card either. Use it like a print server.

Then build another computer to do everything else on, like playing games, email, etc. That way while you are burning CD's and DVD's you can do other stuff.

With a computer with 4 drives the heat and the power will need to be increased. Add in a high end video card, and sound card and it just makes things more difficult. If you have to have all that I suggest a better case like an aluminum chieftec dragon. They have lots of room for all the wires and better ventilation (More fans). Then get at least a 400w power supply.

 

[sniperruff]

Cases (Computer Cases, ATX Form)
MAXTOP Model# CSX-7788KEB (BLACK) w/350W P4 READY POWER SUPPLY, FRONT USB - RETAIL

---considering that a couple of people suggested to dump the maxtop, get the chieftec aluminum. they are worth every penny and comes in different colors, and also have very nice cooling. i have probably said this many many times already in this forum, but do NOT skim on your case/PSU, you will reuse the case since it rarely breaks/wears


CD/DVD Burners (RW Drives)
Plextor DVD+R/RW IDE Drive Model PX-504A-SW Retail

---the plextor is really expensive. nec and pioneer or sony are some better brands, and cost less



Hard Drives
Western Digital Raptor 36GB SATA WD360GD 10,000 RPM 8MB Hard Drive OEM

---as others have said, if you are not intented to enroll your computer in the "fastest boot time contest" or some sort, it's ok to get a regular 7200rpm hard drive. to me this is like pay $30 and get 1/4 of the HD space. hell, you can get a 160 gig or something for around that price, and eliminate the need for a 2nd HD. you save A LOT of money, and your computer will not be screaming


Memory (System Memory)
CORSAIR 512MB PC3200 VALUE SELECT. VS512MB400 DDR RAM - OEM

----read my earlier suggestion.


Sound Card
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! Dolby Digital 5.1 SB0220 - OEM

---yes, it is a decent card, or go buy the A7N8X deluxe and ditch the sound card

Video Cards
POWERCOLOR ATI RADEON 9200 128MB DDR VIVO AGP 8X RETAIL RADEON? 9200 series delivers a dazzling 3D

---when 10 people tell you to ditch the 9200, there must be something wrong. newer/higher model video card does NOT means that it is better! read other people's usggestions



in conclusion, read other people's suggestions if you really want us to help you! we're not trying to fool you or something. otherwise, we'd all tell you to go get a gateway with a celeron...

tom

 

[Muck]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: Muck
The hard drive.

You're paying $138.50 for a 36GB WD drive. Or you could pay $110 for a 120GB, 8MB cache WD. Or $88.50 for an 80GB. The Raptor is faster. But it's very small. Personally, that's too small a drive for me. But if it's good for you, then go for it.

People REALLY miss the point of the Raptor. It's not designed to find your porn and bring it to the screen as fast as possible... it's designed to be use as a boot drive... you store your porn on a separate drive.

$138.50 for a boot drive. You're right, I am missing the point.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: Muck

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: Muck
The hard drive.

You're paying $138.50 for a 36GB WD drive. Or you could pay $110 for a 120GB, 8MB cache WD. Or $88.50 for an 80GB. The Raptor is faster. But it's very small. Personally, that's too small a drive for me. But if it's good for you, then go for it.

People REALLY miss the point of the Raptor. It's not designed to find your porn and bring it to the screen as fast as possible... it's designed to be use as a boot drive... you store your porn on a separate drive.

$138.50 for a boot drive. You're right, I am missing the point.

I guess I need to put it in simpler terms so you don't miss the point... Paying $138.50 for 36 GB of storage space is idiotic... you're paying for the speed and a 5 year warranty.

 

[edwardwilliam]

Okay. . .here is the new setup, using all the suggestions that I have received. To finally finish up, I am going to go through the components one by one with my comments! I am still looking for all suggestions! Please help!

Cases (Computer Cases, ATX Form)
CHIEFTEC Server Chasis (Aluminum Workstation Tower with Plastic Front Cover) BLACK COLOR w/ 450W Power Supply, Side acrylic window and a Case Fan on Side Window **Now with 2 x Front USB2.0 and 1 x Firewire IEEE1394 ports** Model AX-01BLD Retail Weights Only 18LBs!
Specifications:
Material:Aluminum
Form Factor:ATX
Side See Through Window w/ Fan
Bays:4 x 5.25", 2 x 3.5", Internal: 4 x 3.5".
Expansion Slots:7
Fans:2rear Mounted Fan and 1 side panel Fan
450 W Power Supply more info>
N82E16811125224 $92.99

I got a lot of comments about the cheap case I had, so I picked this one out. . .it seems to be pretty solid, have a bunch of fans, and also has a 450W PS.

CD/DVD Burners (RW Drives)
Samsung CDRW/DVD Combo Drive (Beige) 8mb Cache, Model SM-352BRNS - RETAIL BOX
Specifications:
Interface: EIDE
Data Transfer Rate:
Read CD : 52X (7,800 KB/sec)
Read DVD : 16X (21,600 KB/sec)
Record CD : 52X (7,800 KB/sec)
Rewrite CD : 24X (3,600 KB/sec)
Buffer Memory Retail Pack: 8MB
Burst Transfer Rate PIO Mode 4 (16.6MB/sec) UDMA Mode 2 (33.3MB/sec)
Average Access Time DVD : 120ms CD : 110ms
Adopting Superlink (Buffer Under Run Proof Technology)
Retail box (see pics for details) more info>
N82E16827151024 $72.99

Optorite DVD+-RW Dual Retail Drive Model DD0203 BLACK Retail
Specifications:
Black Color
Drive Type: Internal
Read/Write Speed: Read (DVD+R): 4X,
DVD+RW:4X;DVD-R:4X;DVD-RW:4X;DVD-ROM:12X
CD-R:40X;CD-RW:40X WRITE
(DVD+R:4X;DVD-R:4X;DVD-RW4X,
DVD+RW:2.4X;CD-R:24X;CD-RW:12X)
STORAGE CAPACITY: UP TO 4.7GB(DVD)
Buffer Memory: 8MB
Interface: IDE/ATAPI (ULTRA DMA MODE 2)
Retail Box (See pictures for details) more info>
N82E16827182014 $197.99

I figured that I would get the combo drive so that I could burn CDs fast, but still have DVD reading capabilities out of both drives. I dropped down out of the Plextor DVD-R, but this one still has a 8MB cache. . .has anyone used it and liked it?

Floppy Drives
SAMSUNG 1.44MB BLACK FLOPPY DRIVE Model# SFD321B/LBL - OEM, DRIVE ONLY
Specifications:
Capacity: 1.44 MB Connector 34 Pin Standard Floppy
Works With All Standard 1.44MB & 72OKB 3.5 Floppy Diskettes are compatible with all industry standard 1.44MB and 72OKB 3.5 floppy diskettes.
Easy to Install! Just Plug & Play! * For IBM5 & 100% Compatible Computers .
1 Year Warranty more info>
N82E16821103203 $7.00

Bleh.

Hard Drives
Seagate 120GB 7200rpm SATA Hard Drive Barracuda 7200.7 ST3120026AS - OEM
Specifications:
Size: 120 Gigabytes
Interface: Serial ATA
Seek time: 8.5ms
RPM:7200
Data Transfer: 150MB/sec
Cache 8MB
(OEM See pic) 1 Year Manufacturer Warranty: Requires additional Power adapter more info>
N82E16822148017 $129.00

I really thought about the Raptor, but the added performance was something unnecessary considering the price jump. . .let me know if there is a better drive for the $$ out there.

Memory (System Memory)
CORSAIR 512MB PC3200 VALUE SELECT. VS512MB400 DDR RAM - OEM
184-Pin. CL=2.5-Unbuffered 2.5V. 64x64 Requires DDR 400 supported Motherboard - Lifetime Warranty. more info>
N82E16820145026 $96.00

Is this OK? Good memory? I haven't really had any comments about it. . .except that someone said I should get 2x256. . .would that be better? Or should I upgrade to 2x512?

Motherboards - AMD
►On Sale!
Asus Motherboard for AMD Athlon XP/Duron Processors, Model# A7N8X Deluxe Retail
Socket A AMD Athlon XP/Duron (support AMD XP 3200+ "Barton")
Chipset: NVIDIA nForce2 SPP, nForce2 MCP-T
FSB: 400/333/266MHz
IDE: 2 x ATA133
RAM: 3x 184-pin DIMM Sockets (PC3200/PC2700/PC2100 non-ECC DDR)
Slots: 1x AGP (Pro/8X), 5x PCI
Ports: 6x USB2.0
Onboard Silicon Image Sil 3112A Controller w/ 2 ports
NVIDIA SoundStorm Audio Processor Unit with Dolby
MCP integrated 3Com MAC + Broadcom AC101L PHY LAN
Firewire 1394: 2 Ports MCP-T integrated IEEE 1394a + Realtek PHY 8801B
more info>
N82E16813131436 $132.99
-$10.00
(Instant Rebate)

Going with the on-board sound. . .it should be enough for my needs. Any complaints on this board?

Processors
►On Sale!
AMD ATHLON XP 2500+ "Barton" 333 FSB PROCESSOR CPU- RETAIL
Specifications:
CPU: 1.83 GHz
Type: XP 2500 Barton Core
Cache: 512K L2, 128K L1, Total 640KB
BUS: 333MHz
Socket A
Retail Box (Heatsink and Fan included)
more info>
N82E16819103379 $90.00

Awesome deal!

Video Cards
POWERCOLOR ATI RADEON 9200 128MB DDR VIVO AGP 8X RETAIL RADEON? 9200 series delivers a dazzling 3D experience to PC enthusiasts with the best performance in its class
Specifications:
Chipset: ATI Radeon 9200
Memory:128MB DDR
Bus:AGP 8X
SMARTSHADER supports Microsoft® DirectX® 8.1 feature sets, enabling more complex and realistic lighting effects
SMOOTHVISION delivers the sharpest, clearest textures without sacrificing frame rates
Ports:VGA + DVI + S-Video (with VIVO Video in/Out adapter)
Retail Box See pictures for details more info>
N82E16814131215 $95.00

I guess that I could switch cards, but this one seems to have my needs (VIVO and DVI), so unless there is something better out there, I guess I will just stick with it.

Subtotal » $903.96


Thanks for all of your help guys!!!

Ed

 

[Jeff7181]

I really thought about the Raptor, but the added performance was something unnecessary considering the price jump. . .let me know if there is a better drive for the $$ out there.

If you want it quiet, then that's a good choice, the Seagate. If you want performance, I think the Western Digital Caviar SE drives are still the leaders.... the Seagate drives are also known for getting hotter than most other drives.