computer novice

[mhan80]

I am planning to buy a computer and I am on a budget so I want the best deal for the money. My budget is $1000 with CA tax and monitor.

First CPU speed? I am planning to get a AMD Thunderbird 800 or 900, is it worth to pay $50 more for a 900 when I dont play games and all I do is compile C++ and type reports, I might do some graphics and games later on.

Motherboard? I am getting mixed suggestions on a motherboard. My boss tells me to get a ASUS A7V, while my brother tells me to get a Microstar MSI k7t pro2a. which is better . If the microstar is better do you think i should wait to get the new model that is coming out the turbo version, rememebr I am on a budget of $1000

Ram? ram prices seem to vary greatly. Does the performance matter if i get generic ram, over name brand such as Kingston, Crucial. I am planning to buy 256mb


Which is a better video card? Radeaon 32mb or Geforce2 mx

Recommend a company for 40 gig HD 7200rpm?


Do you think i should wait for the Rambus tech to take over or the DDR.

 

[samoo]

the $50 is not worth it if you're not playing games, also check out the reviews on motherboards on this site, ram imo is pretty standard, and you'll have to read the other threads to figure out the rest. it all comes down to price really. and mostly if you're not playing games you don't need top of the line stuff, last years video cards are still running most of the current games out now, but may not handle some of the stuff that'll come out next year too well

 

[AC]

is it even possible to get a high caliber system for under $1000?

the moment u purchase all your parts, it's gonna depreciate whether u like it or not, so how much u want to spend depends on how long u want to hold on to it

ASUS and MSI both have quality products (check motherboard reviews on site for details), but since MSI is cheaper, u get more bang for the buck

it depends on the chips that they use on the RAM. with the budget u r on, u can't get top of the line, but u shouldn't go for bottom shelf stuff either. if u get quality components, u should get quality RAM as well ("a chain is as strong as its weakest link&quot

the hard drive: u want fast, quiet, and cool. check their specs and reviews at storagereview.com

ati's driver support is a little lacking, but they r both great cards (check video card reviews on site for details)

 

[Moonbender]

1. CPU: Get a Duron! Even more so if you're not that much into games. A Duron 800 is easily enough for office-applications.

2. Mobo: Both mobos are fine, both overclock very well should you want to do so - I'd go for the MSI one, but the Asus A7V is a proven solution.

3. RAM: If you don't want to overclock your memory, noname should be ok. But that's just my opinion, most people would say otherwise - hell probably I'd too, if the price difference were not so high here in Germany... :|

4. Video card: Considering price/performance, MX cards are better - both are great cards, however. I'd go for a MX solution because of the price.

5. Rambus vs DDR: If you intend to buy a AMD system then RAMBUS is not an option, and DDR is still some months (or at least several weeks) away. If RAMBUS will be better than DDR is a rather philosophical question for anyone wanting to buy a computer now.