Building a new pc!

[btsdev]

I'm helping my friend build a new pc for college and I was wondering if you guys could help me pick out a good mobo/processor/ram combo and a good case/psu to go with.

I've had all too many problems myself with my motherboard conflicting with sound cards and video cards and you guys are usually up-to-date with what's best for the price so here's what i'm looking for.

I'm thinking AMD just under 2gHz with 512 RAM. He already has a 64mb ati radeon he's happy with. Gonna get ram from crucial. I need a good case/psu deal if you know of any. Going to order as much as i can from newegg. I've heard SB Live! has problems where it eats power so should i avoid that card? etc etc and the questions go on. So let's fill the list if you have some extra time

And oh yea, we're trying to stay around 500 bucks.

Case/PSU: One on this page
Soundcard: Turtle Beach
Graphics Card: 64mb ati radeon (not 7000 or something, its a tad older)
Processor: AMD 1.83gHz - Barton 2500+ listed below (maybe the 2600 2gHz)
Motherboard: nForce2 rd8a+ listed below
RAM: 512MB DDR pc3200
HDD: 30 or 40gig 7200rpm
Ethernet card: netgear 10/100
Cdrw/dvd

 

[randumb]

Mobo/CPU, I'd recommend a nforce2 mobo (8RDA+ is only 90 bux) and a 2500+. I got my TBSC (sound card) for $40, and it sounds great. Get a PSU from a good company, like Antec, Enermax, Enlight, etc.

 

[Shakamaka]

Originally posted by: randumb
Mobo/CPU, I'd recommend a nforce2 mobo (8RDA+ is only 90 bux) and a 2500+. I got my TBSC (sound card) for $40, and it sounds great. Get a PSU from a good company, like Antec, Enermax, Enlight, etc.

 

[btsdev]

Thanks for the info. I will be going with the suggested Mobo/processor combo.

Mobo: 85 dollar epox on this page (Doesn't say which socket, I'm guessing A?)
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduct.asp?DEPA=&submit=Go&description=8RDA

Processor: the 90 dollar barton 2500 333 on this page, retail
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProdu...alog=343&manufactory=1028&description=&page=2

Going to get an empty chassis with a 350+ watt PSU from antec.

Would these two be good for the processor/mobo combo?

Thanks

 

[btsdev]

 

[tbates757]

yes, you're good to go

edit: i hope your ram is pc2700

 

[brettjrob]

Those two (nF2 and 2500+) would certainly be the best way to keep costs at a minimum, although if you're looking for longetivity I'd recommend a Springdale and 2.4C (which will run you about $270 for the ABIT IS7 and P4 2.4C, a significant premium over the ~$175 for the Epox and Barton). That will give you 800MHz FSB and HyperThreading, not to mention the possible (if not likely) support of the initial Prescott chips, whereas Socket A is already dead in terms of new chips being released for it. Go for high quality RAM either way, preferably PC3200... the Intel setup will require it, and the Barton will have the potential to be overclocked to 3200+ levels (a $450 chip right now) if it can run at 400MHz FSB.

 

[btsdev]

thanks for the awesome info brett but i'm afraid, looking at my budget, that i'm just a bit short of cash for that upgrade.

i will be going with 512mb ddr pc3200, though.

thanks again guys.

EDIT:: Is that EPOX motherboard socket A?

 

[Ionizer86]

Yes, the EPoX is sock A.

If you're really tight on cash, the XP1700+ is the deal you want, though you do get less cache. You get an excellent overclocker though.

If you're even shorter of cash, you'll have to make do on free after rebate PC2100 ram.

BTW there's a combo CD-RW/DVD in Hot Deals right now, I believe. Save you some $.

 

[lameaway]

Newegg has some killer deals on MSI boards right now

 

[newuser]

8RDA+ has integrated LAN and decent on-board Sound (Sound Storm)

Soundcard: Turtle Beach
Ethernet card: netgear 10/100

 

[btsdev]

Ionizer: thanks for the cd-rw/dvd combo info, i'm going to check it out.

lameaway: thanks for the MSI info...
anyone else think I should go for this instead of the EPoX? the only experience tthat i have with MSI is that i have a k7vza at home for my 1.2ghz AMD and it was Not compatible (or really really hard to get it to work) with a radeon 9500 pro that i bought, so i had to return it and get a geforce 4 4600.

So... MSI or EPoX?

and newuser: on newegg it says that the ethernet card is "barebone" -- anyone know what this means? am i better off going for a standard netgear card for 10-15 bucks? and the inboard sound -- you said it's decent but anyone else know if its worth bypassing the turtle beach?

thanks

 

[Jeff7181]

Processor: AMD 2.5gHz listed below

Just thought I'd point out that the XP2500 does not run at 2.5 Ghz... it runs at 1.83 Ghz.

 

[btsdev]

Oops. Fixed it.

Anyone have any ideas on my questions in the previous post?

 

[lameaway]

Well, all I can tell you is that I have a refurb MSI K7N2-L and it works great... I think the Epox is perhaps a marginally better board but not by much. The MSI has been great for overclocking my 1700+ TBred, perfectly stable, don't know what more I could ask for. The refurb boards, however, don't come with any accessories - you're basically just missing an IDE and Floppy cable, as well as the manual and driver CD. You (hopefully) would be downloading the latest drivers NVIDIA anyway...

I've also got a Speeze FalconRock CPU cooler on this system which is nothing short of impressive for 9 bucks - might want to check that out as well.