Comments on Build

[BigfootsMonk]

http://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Shopping/shoppingcart.asp?submit=view

This is an entire system including headphones, keyboard + mouse, monitor, and of course the tower. I still need a good TV Tuner but I'm having trouble deciding on one because I do not know much about them. Any tips would be appreciated.

Here are the parts: updated #3





NEC Black IDE DVD Burner Model ND-3540A - OEM
Model #: ND-3540A Black
$40.00

Thermaltake SViking VA4000BWS Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #: VA4000BWS
$65.00

Western Digital Caviar SE WD2500JD 250GB 7200 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: WD2500JD
$116.00

acer AL1914B Black 19" 12ms LCD Monitor - Retail
Model #: ET.1914b.000
$274.99

DFI LANPARTY UT nF4 Ultra-D Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #: LANPARTY UT nF4 Ultr
$129.00

SAPPHIRE 100105-BL Radeon X800XL 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - OEM
Model #: 100105-BL
$289.00

LITE-ON Black IDE DVD-ROM Drive Model SOHD-16P9SBLK - Retail
Model #: SOHD-16P9SBLK
$22.99

FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX500-A ATX12V 500W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: AX500-A
$91.00

Logitech Elite 967234-0403 Black USB + PS/2 Wired Standard Keyboard - Retail
Model #: 967234-0403
$32.00

Logitech MX510 931179-0403 2 tone 8 Buttons 1x Wheel USB + PS/2 Optical Mouse - Retail
Model #: 931179-0403
$28.00

ZALMAN ZM-RS6F 3.5mm Connector Real Surround Sound Headphone - Retail
Model #: ZM-RS6F
$49.49

CORSAIR ValueSelect 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model VS1GBKIT400 - Retail
Model #: VS1GBKIT400
$81.25

AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Venice Integrated into Chip FSB Socket 939 Processor Model ADA3000BPBOX - Retail
Model #: ADA3000BPBOX
$146.00

Microsoft Windows XP Professional With Service Pack 2 - OEM
Model #: E85-03013
$145.95

Subtotal: $1,510.67
Shipping
Zip Code: GO FedEx Standard Overnight -- $102.08 FedEx 2Day -- $83.08 FedEx Express Saver -- $69.76
*Enter your Zip Code and select a shipping option to determine your shipping cost. Shipping: $69.76

Redeem Gift Certificates
Claim Code:
Security Code: Redeem
Click here to add another Gift Certificate.
Gift Certificates $0.00
Apply Promo Code
Promo Code: Apply

Total: $1,580.43

 

[Bucks]

We can't view YOUR wish list

 

[Cheezeit]

Originally posted by: Bucks
We can't view YOUR wish list

yeah, just either list the parts on here or make the list public.

 

[BigfootsMonk]

Sorry about that. I can't figure out how to make the list public on newegg so I posted the parts on the first post

 

[angstsoldat]

You into Late night gaming? If so Get an Eclipse Keyboard.. 50$ or 60$ i think at Newegg.. and just some optical wireless mouse with 2 buttons and a scroller..

Edit: no, I dont look at the letters, but I do look at the #s, ctrl, F keys, etc, on occasion. I take it you arent very into gaming, so it is hard for you to understand this concept.

 

[Cheezeit]

Originally posted by: angstsoldat
You into Late night gaming? If so Get an Eclipse Keyboard.. 50$ or 60$ i think at Newegg.. and just some optical wireless mouse with 2 buttons and a scroller..

uh, why? you look at your keyboard?

 

[BigfootsMonk]

lol

This build is for a friend. He needs to have a computer at around 1500 that will last him for about 4 years without any upgrades. It will be used for light to casual gaming. He games mostly on the consoles. He will want to watch TV and movies on it.

 

[Cheezeit]

okay,

the msi board is okay, but they are not such a great company. i would reccomend the dfi ultra d

why the liteons? the NEC 3540's are better

for the HDD, get teh SATA WD's that are in the hot deals section right now. 105 for 250gigs SATA. they are better performing drives than seagate, just have 3yr instead of 5yr.

your PSU is not 24 pin. make sure you get a 24 pin becasue newer systems can be unstable without that. I reccomend the fortron blue storm 500

6600gt is good, but the msi is not. it has hsf issues. get the bfg, evga(i have this one) or leadtek

 

[BigfootsMonk]

hey I made those changes. Thanks for your tips they were great. Very helpful for a guy like me who doesn't stay updated. The HDD change was exactly what I/he needed. But I couldn't find one for 105. Is it this one?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822144154

How can I tell if a PSU is 24pin? Dual 12V? nvm I guess I can just count the blocks in the photo lol

 

[BigfootsMonk]

can anyone tell me how to make my list public?

 

[keeleysam]

get a dvd-rom isntead of a cd-rom. it is like 5 bucks more, black, and will allow you to copy dvd's directly if you ever need to.

 

[Cheezeit]

Originally posted by: BigfootsMonk
hey I made those changes. Thanks for your tips they were great. The HDD change was exactly what I/he needed. But I couldn't find one for 105. Is it this one?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822144154

How can I tell if a PSU is 24pin? Dual 12V?

oops, the WD deal died.
monarch now has it for the seagates
heres the thread http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview...atid=40&threadid=1625579&enterthread=y

depends if you want pata or sata.

all dual rails are 24 pin, the only 24 pin psu's i can think of that arn't daul rail are the ocz ones and the neopower

 

[BigfootsMonk]

Anyways, I updated my list. Please let me know of any more comments/changes.

 

[BigfootsMonk]

hehe just got ur post refreshed. Okay I pretty much made all the changes. Changed the burner from beige to black......dumb mistake on my part good call. I picked an Antec PSU let me know what you think. I is 24 pin. Dual rail and I counted also. For the HDD. I found the 250gb SATA for 116. 1 buck more than what monarch has. I'll just stick with this one.

Thanks again Sam and Cheeze

List is updated again

 

[KayKay]

looks great. don't know if the video card will last 4 years? maybe you could do an SLI mod to the DFI and grab another 6600 GT down the line?

 

[nick1985]

that corsair RAM doesnt play well with that motherboard. i suggest changing the motherboard to the epox nforce4 ultra (check out anandtechs review on it). this would allow you to keep the corsair RAM and save a few bucks that you could maybe put towards a better video card

 

[BigfootsMonk]

I've had really bad experiences on Epox so I really can't recommend it to a friend. Maybe another type of RAM if that doens't work well with the DFI? About the VC lasting 4 years, I thought that it would at least run the games 4 years from now just on low to medium graphics. They're not too game intensive just wanted to play a game once in a while if they got a good one for a present or something. He's more console oriented.

 

[angstsoldat]

Bigfoot, my computer is 4 years old so far and was (well, not, but supposed to be) top of the line from Gateway when I bought it.. I can't run BF1942 with more than 22 people (sometimes less than that), and thats on the lowest settings.. trust the people here at anandtech

If Corsair doesnt work out to you I think Patriot makes good memory too.. You can get a stick of 1 gig for $113, so when the guy wants to upgrade his ram he can just get a stick of the same stuff so it can run dual-channel (assuming DDR400 isnt obsolete by then)

 

[nick1985]

Originally posted by: BigfootsMonk
I've had really bad experiences on Epox so I really can't recommend it to a friend.

"The Epox 9NPA+ is the fastest board in the roundup at stock speeds. It was also the highest overclocker at stock speeds, and the second highest overclocker when the bus was overclocked. The Epox is an incredible value whether you are looking for a board that will run fast with stability at stock speeds or a board that will satisfy almost any Athlon 64 enthusiast. The range of overclocking options and the overclocked performance are among the best that we have seen, falling short only in the memory voltage area, which tops out at 3.1V. The feature set is more or less average for Ultra boards, but the overall performance is clearly standout. Based on the standout performance and solid overclocking that we achieved with the Athlon 64, we are pleased to award the AnandTech Gold Editors Choice to the Epox 9NPA+ motherboard."

~~Anantech.com


but suit yourself...




also, there is no way a 6600GT will last 4 years, you would be lucky to get 2 more out of it. id suggest toning a few items down and getting at least a 6800 non-ultra or an X800XL.

 

[Cheezeit]

The corsair VS will work fine with the DFI. Im running those two without a hitch right now. setup went perfectly too.

you don't need to spend that much on that neopower. its not as good as the fortron bluestorm 500 which you can get at ewiz for 73. just look at some reviews at SPCR

 

[BigfootsMonk]

Yeah I know I read that review too but my old Epox 8rda+ was supposedly to be a great motherboard when it came out but ended up with nothing but headaches. I have another friend who got that same board and had problems with it too. I think Epox has some quality control problems.

 

[BigfootsMonk]

Also, how can you tell that motherboard doesn't go well with the ram? Is it by something in the specs or first/second hand experience?

 

[shortylickens]

You seemed awfully concerned about your power supply. You may wish to protect it.
I would suggest you add a UPS to your system. You can get a decent one for about $35 at Staples or OfficeMax if you like.

Its very cheap insurance for any computer.
I'm pretty sure most of the regulars will support me on this opinion.

 

[BigfootsMonk]

Updated the list again......update #3

Thanks to those who have helped. I'm getting awfully close to perfecting the list.

Things I have changed are the

PSU from Antec to Fortron
CPU from 3200+ to 3000+ ........is this wise or no? How much does CPU matter in games nowadays. Not games like flight simulator but like shooters like UT or Doom or BF2

also I took out the soundcard

I am still 80 bucks over budget. I was thinking of degrading the HDD but couldn't find a better deal in terms of how many gigs per dollar.

 

[Cheezeit]

you can get cheaper than that for the fortron at ewiz or actbuy.

the 3000+ is a good choice

you can get a 800xl at monarch for 250

does he really need xp pro? teh home is alot cheaper.

also, if you are assosicated with higher education, you can get windows for like 8 bucks