computer buying/building advice and help

[onearmedscissor]

i'm going to build a computer for my friend and i need some advice. i've never built a computer before, i've only bought them prebuilt. i got some ideas from the system buyers guide thread and from pc gamer, and i got the prices mostly from pricegrabber. i'm looking to build a computer for 500 dollars or less including shipping. some of the things i saw are oem and i need to know what to get to make them work. here is a list of the stuff i'm thinking of getting for the new computer. please tell me if anything is wrong or if i should get something else. all the components i need are in this list. right now, it comes to a little under 500 dollars. any advice would be greatly appreciated. thanks! (and this computer will be mostly for games).

edit: and if i'm missing anything important, please tell me. thanks again!

edit again: updated list. changes are in bold.


-case: Antec SLK3700AMB Mid-Tower Case, 350W P/S

$63.00

http://shop.upgradesource.com/...oducts_model_id=535111



-processor: Athlon XP Mobile 2400+ Processor

$103.11

http://www.mgepconline.com/pro...ls_parts.asp?PRID=2702



-motherboard: ABIT "NF7-S" nForce2 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket A CPU -RETAIL

$79.50

http://www.newegg.com/app/view...p;CMP=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r



-memory: Mushkin 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200 - Retail

$69.27

http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=20-146-219&depa=0



-dvd/cd drive: Lite-On 52X32X52X16 Combo Drive, Model SOHC-5232K, Retail

$43.00

http://www.newegg.com/app/view...p;CMP=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r



-floppy drive

$14.61

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...jsp?ProductCode=111002



-hard drive: Seagate 80GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model ST380011A, OEM

$62.00

http://www.newegg.com/app/view...p;CMP=OTC-pr1c3grabb3r



-sound card: comes on motherboard.



-video card: ati radeon 9800 pro 128mb 256bit

~$150

ebay



-speakers: LOGITECH X-530 5.1 SPEAKER 70W RMS FDD2 DUAL DRVR SUBW BLK

$64.61

http://www.thenerds.net/produc....asp?un=212766&s=1



-keyboard: COMFORT TYPE USB/ PS2 - BLACK USB ERGONOMIC 104 KEY KEYBOARD

$12.88

http://www.monarchtechnology.c...gd=341d308d319d314d316



-mouse: Logitech MX 510 Performance Optical Mouse - Red

$32.24 - $10.00 rebate = $22.24

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obi...B0/103-0841786-1224667



/*-fan/heatsink: ZALMAN CNPS3100-Plus Copper CPU Cooler for Socket 462/ A/ 370

$19.99

http://www.newegg.com/app/view...=35-118-102&depa=0



-thermal grease: Arctic Silver Premium High-Density Thermal Compound, Model "Ceramique", 2.5-gram( ~0.8 cc. ) tube

$3.99

http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=35-100-009&depa=0*/



TOTAL: $286(newegg stuff) + $103 + $63 + $15 + $65 + ~$160 + $13 + $32 - $10 rebate = ~$727

 

[drifter106]

-mouse: Logitech MX510 Performance Optical Mouse (Red) Retail

$41.13

http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...jsp?ProductCode=211035

cheaper

 

[Fern]

I can't help but think you might be better off by getting a mobile XP 2400+, everyone I have heard about will reach 3200+ speeds. They should be about $80.

I also like nForce2 mobo's. The Abit NF7-S can be had for about $80 and comes with SoundStorm so you won't need the $25 PCI sound card. This provides for all the features needed to OC the mobile 2400+ to 3200+ speeds.

The 9600pro/XT (4 pipes and 128bit) is a decent gfx card. But I much a prefer an 8 pipe 256 bit card like the 9700 or 9800 pro. Maybe a used or refurb? Or find a way to stretch the budget?

Fern

 

[backpacker]

you forgot to include a heatsink and fan. the processor is OEM so it doesnt come with one.

 

[mechBgon]

I was thinking like Fern, get nForce2. Also, I'd get a Seagate 7200.7 or maybe a Hitachi, not the Western Digital (sometimes develops bad bearing whine due to its ball-bearing motor). Seagate's got a 5-year warranty now, Hitachi has 3-year on the 8MB-cache models. Stick with ATA/100 for the most straightforward building experience, SATA setup can range from smooth to nuisance to nightmare depending on the motherboard.

Beyond that, I would get something better than Raidmax in the power-supply department. What about a nice Antec Sonata, with a fairly quiet 120mm-cooled 380W TruePower PSU and a 120mm rear exhaust? It isn't flashy, but flash isn't what makes the computer run stable :evil:

You might look at the Lite-On combo burner too, because it comes with Nero Express last I looked, whereas the Asus, it isn't clear what it comes with. If you get a Sonata then you can opt for black

Also... no floppy drive? Maybe one of those 7-in-1 Mitsumi floppy/memory-card readers?

 

[onearmedscissor]

thanks for the advice everyone.

but isn't a 2400 mobile for laptops?

and if i get an oem processor, what heatsink and fan should i get? do i need anything else to make it work?

i wasn't even going to get a burner because i don't think my friend will use it much; he mainly just wants to play games so i wanted to put all the money into making it better for games.

i have a floppy drive listed mechbgon:

'-floppy drive
$14.61
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...jsp?ProductCode=111002 '

thanks again. i will update the list soon.

edit: and is it a good idea to overclock? i've never done it before. will i get a big performance boost and do i have the right cooling to do it?

 

[Fern]

Originally posted by: onearmedscissor
thanks for the advice everyone.

but isn't a 2400 mobile for laptops? Yeah, but they will work in the mobo I suggested. Basically it's the same (mobile processor) as the desktop version. But better chip to perform at lower voltage/heat, which is important in lappy systems

and if i get an oem processor, what heatsink and fan should i get? do i need anything else to make it work?
Prolly depends on budget, noise concerns (but on a gaming rig may not be a concern) and if/how high you may wanna OC.

i wasn't even going to get a burner because i don't think my friend will use it much; he mainly just wants to play games so i wanted to put all the money into making it better for games.

i have a floppy drive listed mechbgon:

'-floppy drive
$14.61
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/...jsp?ProductCode=111002 '

thanks again. i will update the list soon.

edit: and is it a good idea to overclock? Yeah, I think so. Better performance for less money :0 i've never done it before. will i get a big performance boost Quite possibly, some cpu's are better OCer's than others and do i have the right cooling to do it? I don't see that you have any HS+F picked out yet?

 

[onearmedscissor]

okay, i updated the list. thanks for the help, but i still have some more questions. i don't really know anything about building a computer so i need to know what a good heatsink and fan would be to get. noise isn't really an issue, but i don't want to pay over 500 dollars in total for everything i'm getting.

also, i would like to overclock if i don't have to pay a lot of extra to buy better cooling or anything.

i looked at the case you suggested mech, but it was really expensive. i don't really want to pay that much for just a case because i want to spend the money on other stuff, and i have to stay under 500 dollars all together. what's wrong with the raidmax case, and are there any cheaper alternatives?

so for the oem processor, do i need anything else besides a heatsink and fan? and how hard are they to install?

what do i need extra for the oem hard drive?

also, is there anything else i should change or do? thanks again.

edit: i just noticed that the price is a little over what i wanted, so is there anything i can get instead of what i have that would make it less expensive but not lower performance much?

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: onearmedscissor
okay, i updated the list. thanks for the help, but i still have some more questions. i don't really know anything about building a computer so i need to know what a good heatsink and fan would be to get. noise isn't really an issue, but i don't want to pay over 500 dollars in total for everything i'm getting.

also, i would like to overclock if i don't have to pay a lot of extra to buy better cooling or anything.

i looked at the case you suggested mech, but it was really expensive. i don't really want to pay that much for just a case because i want to spend the money on other stuff, and i have to stay under 500 dollars all together. what's wrong with the raidmax case, and are there any cheaper alternatives?

so for the oem processor, do i need anything else besides a heatsink and fan? and how hard are they to install? You will need some thermal paste, generally it comes with the heatsink if you go aftermarket but some of the best stuff out there is Artic Silver 5... also look for an affordable $20-30 all copper heatsink.... that should keep you sufficiently cool... also look for maybe the ThermalTake Smart Fan 2 80 mm for hte heatsink those are fairly effective

what do i need extra for the oem hard drive? All you will need is an ATA 133 cable... it is a 40 pin conector with 80 wires... each connector has its own ground. Basically look at hte cable you get with your optical drive and the hard drive cable should have twice as many wires

also, is there anything else i should change or do? thanks again.

edit: i just noticed that the price is a little over what i wanted, so is there anything i can get instead of what i have that would make it less expensive but not lower performance much?

You could maybe lose the 6.1 system.... at that price it son't be the best system in the world anyway and most people simply don't have hte room for a proper 5.1/6.1 setup anyway... look instead for a decent 2.1 system (Altecc lansing, Logitech, Harmon kardon)

Does your friend have anything that can be salvaged from a previous system? If he does, you can save money that way as well

 

[mechBgon]

Check out this heatsink/fan unit: Speeze FalconRock Copper contact area, 80mm fan for quietness, plenty of fins. These come with a patch of thermal grease on the bottom, don't accidentally wipe it off if you have nothing to replace it with. If it were me, I'd use some long-lived thermal grease like Shin-Etsu/Coolermaster or an Arctic Silver variant.

Power supplies, I think you generally don't get what you don't pay for. When you get a windowed case with fancy LED things on it for $35, do you really think the freebie PSU they threw in is going to be anything like a separate $40-80 PSU? *shrug* Stability problems often end up rooted in low-quality power supplies in my experience here. But it's up to you guys.

Your motherboard will come with some IDE cables. It might be smart to get one additional 80-wire IDE cable in case the burner is not pleased with the 40-wire one (some burners now run UDMA/66, it appears, and need the better cables). Get the shortest length you can, officially they're supposed to not be over 18 inches long.

 

[onearmedscissor]

so if i get the speeze falconrock, i don't need any more heatsink or fans? and are there any cases that don't cost too much more but have sufficient power? thanks!

 

[onearmedscissor]

bump.

 

[onearmedscissor]

any more advice please?

 

[ts3433]

If you can't get a Sonata, try an Antec SLK3700AMB. The Falconrock looks attractive for the price, but I think I got my all-copper Zalman CNPS-3100Plus with 92mm fan for only a couple bucks more. Works great, though the design is weird.

Instead of a 128bit 9800 Pro, try and get a full 256bit one from FS/FT if you can. Or, if it must be new, sacrifice Soundstorm and drop the NF7-S for a Shuttle AN35N Ultra.

(And yes--ditch the 6.1 setup. Try just the Logitech X-230 set, or the X-530 if you absolutely must have 5.1.)

 

[onearmedscissor]

list updated.

thanks ts, but the other speakers you mentioned are almost the same price as the x620s. also, is it really that important to get a different case? is the raidmax really bad? it got good reviews...

and can someone give me a link or name of what i need exactly for the oem hard drive? thanks.

 

[ts3433]

Raidmax seems to be known for shoddy build quality. On top of that, it looks like you're overclocking, and I would certainly not trust a system like that to a generic 350W PSU (14A on the +12V is quite insufficient). An Antec mid-tower like the AMB will be much sturdier, includes a good 350W PSU (though heavy overclockers will want to eventually replace this too, with a higher-rated unit of the same quality), and, as a bonus, has a quiet 120mm exhaust fan, and a mount for another. This particular one is only ~$20 more than the Raidmax when shipping is figured in ($16 on the Raidmax, $0 on the Antec).

Also, I'm pretty sure that the X-x30 sets will have better sound than the X-620. Spec-wise, the X-530 has the same wattage, but a significantly higher SNR than the X-620. (I'm putting an ounce of faith into such a comparison solely because it isn't across manufacturers.) See which one would best suit your needs, but even for gaming, 5.1 is still what most stuff is encoded in, IIRC, and there would seem to be only marginal benefit from 6.1. (Anyone else care to check me on this? Admittedly, I'm not much of a gamer at the moment.)

 

[stevty2889]

Just don't say we didn't warn you if you get the raidmax case, and the cheap crap PSU in it takes out your motherboard with it.

 

[onearmedscissor]

thanks everyone! i updated the list.

 

[ts3433]

Just one thing that could prove to be very important... change that read-only DVD drive to a DVD/CD-RW combo, even if you end up sacrificing the floppy temporarily. The drive could come in handy for backup purposes or other things later. Try to move up to a DVD burner if really large files may need to be backed up.

Other than that, I think you're set.

 

[onearmedscissor]

ok i changed it. thanks again!

 

[onearmedscissor]

i noticed that the case i chose doesn't have a front fan. so should i get one? and if so, what kind should i get? thanks.

 

[ts3433]

It's not necessary. It may improve temps a couple degrees, but I've heard from many Sonata owners (the cases are very similar) that the extra fan wasn't worth it too much. It could prove useful as a hard drive cooler if more drives are added, though, but I'd hold off till then.

 

[onearmedscissor]

alright. thanks again!