DIY computer setup help.

[basslover1]

Ok, in 2 weeks my student loan check comes in and I'm using it to buy my self a new PC and I've decided to go the DIY route and came up with this (newegg.com of course):

Cooler Master Praetorian $98.00
CHAINTECH "VNF3-250" nForce3 250 $79.00
SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9600 XT $135.00
Thermaltake Silent PurePower 420W PSU $39.00
AMD Athlon 64 3200+ OEM $208.00
Mushkin 184 Pin 512MB DDR PC-3200 x2$148.00
Seagate 200GB 7200RPM Barracuda 7200.7 SATA Hard Drive $124.99
Lite-On Black 52X32X52X16 Combo Drive $44.00
ADVUEU 723A 17" LCD Monitor $290.00
This comes out to $1165.99

Thoughts, comments?

I don't really plan to do much if any gaming...just want something that wont lag when I try to run like 4 programs at the same time...but also need it to be reliable for the next 4-5 years.

Thanks guys.

 

[mechBgon]

I would definitely switch to an Athlon64 instead of an AthlonXP, for starters.

 

[basslover1]

Hmm, I thought I put down 64...oh well. Yea, I do plan to run a 64-bit proc...thanks for pointing that out.

 

[basslover1]

First post edited...thanks.

 

[jpeyton]

Go with the MSI RX9800Pro, it's supposed to have an R360 (9800XT) core.

Rest is good. Heatsink?

 

[nick1985]

you could get a gig of ram for the price of that 512 stick. timings mean squat for the athlon64


also, if you got a cheaper case/PSU and a cheaper hard drive you could get a 6800 instead of that 9800pro.

 

[Rapsven]

Nah, this system needs a lot of work.

Switch to a 6800 non ultra. The Leadtek one has a massive heatsink, good for overclocking. They're all in the high 200s, so it won't be much more than the 9800 Pro, you'll get over 50% of a boost in most situations, well worth it.

Not to mention you need to upgrade to a full gig, programs are getting more resource hungry, and since you're using an A64, you can get the cheapest RAM and still expect great performance.

Get some Mushkin basic Green 1 gig for around 150, not much more than that rip off. Since the A64 on-die memory controller pretty much eliminates latency out of the picture, you should always get the cheapest RAM (PC3200 at least) and just go from there.

Trust me, you want this rig to last, and my two suggestions will really help. Seriously.

Edit:

Goddamnit, nick!

 

[basslover1]

Originally posted by: nick1985
you could get a gig of ram for the price of that 512 stick. timings mean squat for the athlon64


also, if you got a cheaper case/PSU and a cheaper hard drive you could get a 6800 instead of that 9800pro.

IMO for what I want...spending 300+ on a Video card is dumb. I do very little gaming...almost none, so I'm pretty sure that a 9800pro will do what I need. But thank you


As for the RAM, would I notice a huge difference going with a Gig over 512 for daily usage...remember no gaming. Cheaper is always better though.

 

[Rapsven]

Well...if you don't want it for gaming, just scrape yourself an entry level 500 USD computer. If you won't do any gaming, just get a 9200.

Edit: Damn, I really need to look at all the stuff you have in your topic.

Okay, scrap the 6800 NU, and get the gig of RAM. Trust me, it's worth it.

 

[jpeyton]

If you don't game much, drop it down to a $130 9800SE (you could possibly softmod, but not a big deal if you can't), or something even less expensive. Getting some cheaper Mushkin Green or Corsair Value Select is a good option; and I personally do notice a difference with 1GB versus 512MB while multitasking.

 

[basslover1]

So...9800pro and a gig of RAM and you think it's a worth rig?

 

[Rapsven]

Err, yes. Definitely, it'll last for quite some time, and you can always upgrade your RAM when programs get more resource hungry.

 

[nick1985]

Originally posted by: basslover1
So...9800pro and a gig of RAM and you think it's a worth rig?

9800pro for a non gamer? IMO thats a HUGE waste. i suggest a 9200SE or onboard video for a non gamer.


for RAM, get 2 of these

 

[mechBgon]

I suggest looking at an APC 1000VA uninterruptible power supply with AVR and network-cable protection (and auto-shutdown software). You may also want to get a second hard drive, even just a modest one like an 80GB Seagate, so you can periodically back up your work to it as a safety net against drive failure. Or maybe you'll have space on the school's servers for that. If it were me planning a system to last for 5 years then I'd also get a very beefy PSU that won't have to strain itself.

I see people urging you to move up in the video-card area, and if you plan to play new games then that's probably not a bad idea, but if you're going to focus on scholarly pursuits, then you might start off with a $52 ECS Radeon 9200 VIVO and save the rest towards a second monitor, software, or even (gasp) food. You can always upgrade.

If you don't have a hardware firewall/router yet, Newegg has the inexpensive Netgear RP614 and I liked the one I got for my little sister. That could be a good idea at college.

So that's my 2c worth

 

[basslover1]

EDIT: nvm, you guys are too quick for me.

 

[basslover1]

Ok, I think I'm pretty much set...You'll probably call me an idiot or stupid or some bad name...but well sometimes the truth hurts I'll live

9600xt? Saves me about 65 bucks from the 9800pro to that...yay or nay?

 

[basslover1]

Updated info ^^^

 

[klah]

I still don't see a heatsink for the cpu listed.

http://www.zalmanusa.com/usa/p...p?idx=142&code=005

 

[basslover1]

I was thinking somewhere along the lines of that for a heatsink...accepts 120mm fans


http://heatsinkfactory.com/cgi...l&catalogno=HS-004

 

[WW2Planes1]

My question is, why the 3200? If you're not gaming, I doubt you'd notice much of a performance drop if you went down to a 3000 or a 2800, that'd save you a good $50+. Someone correct me if I'm wrong though.

also, perhaps instead of the Praetorian + 420W PS for $147.00, How about the Antec Sonata, with 380W PS for $98. Unless you've got a reason for the case & PS you chose. (Unless you're planning on adding more drives, hard core OCing, or getting a 6800 series card (not likely, from what you've been saying), I'd bet a 380W PS would be enough (anyone agree/disagree?).

Third, If you're really strapped for cash, but don't want to give up gaming all together, you could drop to a 9600Pro. Its not much cheaper, maybe $20 if that, but that's another option.

Overall not a bad system. Definately very solid, and likley to provide for several years. Perhaps not a full 5, but advancesments are made so quickly anymore that even a P43.6, 6800Ultra, 2GB system will seem old in 5 years. I mean, 5 years ago CPUs weren't even running at 1GHz (unless you used insane cooling).

 

[Yolner]

I dont see a point in getting all this nice stuff just for internet explorer and word. Get a nice $500 Athlon XP budget rig with integrated everything. You will not see any difference between that and the a64 in office apps.

 

[Corporate Thug]

thats too much for the ram

also, i would get something faster than a 9600XT

 

[stickybytes]

Im assuming that you already have an os and an office suite, right? If not,

1) Pick up the academic version of office xp 03 at newegg for $136
This will cover all your necessary school activities, word to type reports, excel to do calculations, etc

2) Get yourself an os. If you got a previous version of windows, save yourself some bucks and pick up xp pro upgrade academicaly priced for $84
If you don't got one, get xp pro for $141

Hope this helps.

 

[basslover1]

Originally posted by: shady06
thats too much for the ram

also, i would get something faster than a 9600XT

As of right now...everything I have is probably what I'm gonig to end up buying, and I'm still about 150 dollars under budget so I'm very content with what I've chosen, and what others have helped me with.

And, from what I can tell...for 135 bucks the 9600xt is my best bet.


Now, I see where some of you are coming from with why buy the 3200+ when I'm not going to be doing some serious gaming, well...the same reason I bought an '800' watt amp for just the front speakers in my car. It's nice to know its there...and if the chance arises that you will use the system to it's full capacity, I'd like to feel certain that my computer wont be bogged down because I didn't opt for a little higher cpu or ram.

 

[n7]

Just thought i'd throw my $0.02 in.

A DVD Writer maybe? Couldn't live w/o mine, but i guess that depends what you're doin' on the machine.

As for the video card, you mentioned no gaming?

Just grab a cheapy card then; then if you ever do decide to start gaming, you can get a good card & not worrry about money wasted on the el cheapo card.

Then again, i'm all about saving money, so if you want a better card like that 9600XT...why not.