Help a n00b build a comp...

[NaveDrahcir]

Hello, I've never build my own computer before, but i really need a new machine. (currently using a P3 850 MHz ) I'm trying to build it with budget and upgradability in mind, mainly to be able to play the new games comming out, Doom3, World of Warcraft, etc...

I've tried to put together a list of affordable components, but im not good with computer hardware, so im not sure if its even compatible, or even good.

Please help me out, let me know what you think, or give any suggestions...

- Intel "springdale" motherboard (865PE, P4 upto 3.6GHz...) (dont really know what PAT is or why "canterwood" might be better, but i think it says only up to p4 3.06GHz, chose Intel brand, cuz i dont know others, heard good stuff about ABit, maybe? Abit IC7-Max3 i875PE? only up to 3.2 though?, i dont understand...)

- Intel P4 3.2 GHz (512K 800 FSB Socket 478) ( is a 1MB cache worth the extra $$?)

- ATI Radeon 9800 Pro/Xt ( how much is the cost/perfomance gain worth it? how much of a difference would the 256MB make? )

- Corsair 1024MB PC3200 400MHz 2-64x64 XMS TwinX Dual-Channel DDR Memory 184Pin (dont know the difference betweenTwinX and Pro twinX, ...but i dont know much at all, yeah go ahead and flame me )

- what Hard Drive? looking for at least 7200RPm and 80-120GB (whats scsi? and parrallel and serial ATA??)

- Fudin ATX-268WUP case w/ 350 watt power, 2x80mm cooling fans, 2USB ports...

anything im forgetting?
sound card not too importnant right now....
should i consider overclocking? is it worth it for gaming if its done safely?

the purchase probably wont be for a couple of months, so is there anything worth waiting for? like socket 754, or will the new stuff comming out, only make what i want now cheaper?

anyway, thanks for your help in advance.

 

[nick1985]

a64 > P4 in gaming, and basically everything unless all you do is encode 24 hours a day

get the 9800pro, not the XT. 256 ram isnt worth it

and dont get a cheapo PSU. i dont like the looks of the one in the case you have

 

[gistech1978]

yeah i would second the idea of getting a better case/PSU.
Antec is a good choice, imho.
ive never heard of Fudin or know anything about them, but someone more knowledgeable than myself probably has.

 

[ta2]

Originally posted by: NaveDrahcirI'm trying to build it with budget and upgradability in mind, mainly to be able to play the new games comming out, Doom3, World of Warcraft, etc...

Rules out Intel then!!!

LOL

AMD > Intel for gaming
AMD > Intel for budget
Intel > AMD for Overclocking
Intel > AMD for Encoding

Seeing as you are calling yourself a 'n00b', I guess you won't be overclocking, rules out the main benefit to intel processors. AMD is far better than Intel for gaming, but Intel is far better than AMD for encoding. By the sounds of it you are going to be gaming more than encoding.

And as for a budget system, you can't beat Athlon-XP's, and if you have the cash go straight for an Athlon64 3000+. With current graphics cards, the 3000+ is more than enough to process all you need, therefore you won't see any additional gains by buying a processor that is more expensive than that.

 

[ta2]

Originally posted by: NaveDrahcirPlease help me out, let me know what you think, or give any suggestions...

- Intel "springdale" motherboard (865PE, P4 upto 3.6GHz...) (dont really know what PAT is or why "canterwood" might be better, but i think it says only up to p4 3.06GHz, chose Intel brand, cuz i dont know others, heard good stuff about ABit, maybe? Abit IC7-Max3 i875PE? only up to 3.2 though?, i dont understand...)

- Intel P4 3.2 GHz (512K 800 FSB Socket 478) ( is a 1MB cache worth the extra $$?)

- ATI Radeon 9800 Pro/Xt ( how much is the cost/perfomance gain worth it? how much of a difference would the 256MB make? )

- Corsair 1024MB PC3200 400MHz 2-64x64 XMS TwinX Dual-Channel DDR Memory 184Pin (dont know the difference betweenTwinX and Pro twinX, ...but i dont know much at all, yeah go ahead and flame me )

- what Hard Drive? looking for at least 7200RPm and 80-120GB (whats scsi? and parrallel and serial ATA??)

- Fudin ATX-268WUP case w/ 350 watt power, 2x80mm cooling fans, 2USB ports...

Looking at it, you should probably go for something along these lines:

AMD Athlon64 3000+ (see my other post)
(Whatever MB, all the same basically, but the Asus one is good)
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128MB (almost as good as the XT, so the XT is not worth the 50% price premium.
Corsair 1024MB PC3200 (sounds good, but with Athlon64 Socket 754, you wont need the dual channel ^_^)
2xSeagate ***GB in RAID 0 (80GB? would give you 160GB of fast storage, or you could choose 120GB (240GB) or even 160GB (320GB). Seagate are cheap and are basically the fastest and quietest drives except for Raptors which have a very small capacity and cost loads, but as I said, are REALLY fast)

Case is up to you, wouldn't bother with the fans. Just get whichever case you like, and a good BRANDED PSU (Zalman are good, the 400W would be perfect).



EDIT: You can't really build with upgradability in mind right now, since everything is about to change so that speeds can be increase, as the current standards are capable of maintaining a constantly increasing computer speed.

 

[carni]

Only real difference between the TwinX and the Pro Twin X is that teh pro comes with activity indeicator lights on the back. Supposed;ly the heat spreader is a little better, but not to the point that it would offer an appreciable improvement.

So basically, your paying 30 bucks for a light show.

 

[Budman]

mechBgon's guide to building your first PC from parts

 

[Childs]

If you want to build a PC for furture games I suggest you wait, at least until the next round of video cards are released, as it looks like they will come out before Doom. You can always get the midrange card of the next generation or this generations high end for a lot less than the equivilant card now. Also, not quite sure but BTX and PCI express are around the corner, so its almost as if you'd be buying into a dead architechture. The stuff you spec'd isn't budget.

I could care less about the AMD/Intel fanboys, but if you need something now how about something like:

*Standard Newegg prices, obviously you can hunt for better prices*

ANTEC Solution Series Mid Tower Case with 300W 54.00
Seagate 80GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model ST380011A, OEM $73.00
Corsair Value Select Dual Channel Kit 184 Pin 1G(512MBx2) DDR PC-3200 - OEM 168.00
ABIT nFORCE 2 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket A CPU, Model "NF7" -RETAIL 75.00
AMD Athlon XP 2500+ "Barton", 333 FSB, 512K Cache Processor - Retail 83.00
SAPPHIRE ATI RADEON 9600PRO Video Card, 128MB DDR, 128-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP -BULK 126.00

Total: $574

Or switch out the Barton and NFS7 for:

Intel Pentium 4/ 2.4C GHz 800MHz FSB, 512K Cache, Hyper Threading Technology - Retail 159.99
ABIT i865PE Chipset Motherboard for Intel Socket 478 CPU, Model "IS7" -RETAIL 97

Total: 677.99

Then when Doom3 comes out just buy a new Video card. If you need a bit more juice either setup would overclock well, although you should probably spend a couple more bucks on faster memory in the P4 case. In general, this is somewhat of a bad time to buy stuff.

 

[NaveDrahcir]

Thanks guys for all your advice!

I think I have a better idea of what I want now, so far...

VIEWSONIC P95F+ PRO or NEC/MITSUBISHI FE990-BK
ENERMAX Black ATX MID-TOWER CASE with 350W Power Supply -->maybe upgrade pS later on
Samsung Black 1.44MB 3.5inch Floppy
Microsoft Black Multimedia Keyboard & Wheel Mouse Optical Bundle
Lite-On Black 52X32X52 CD-RW Drive
Lite-On Black 16X DVD-ROM Drive, Model XJ-HD166, OEM
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS
Logitech Z640 5.1 Speakers ---(any good?)

ATI RADEON 9600PRO, 128MB DDR, 128-bit, DVI/TV-Out, 8X AGP
Athlon64 3000+/3200+
Asus MB
2xSeagate 80GB in RAID 0
Corsair 1024MB PC3200

 

[NaveDrahcir]

Originally posted by: Childs
If you want to build a PC for furture games I suggest you wait, at least until the next round of video cards are released, as it looks like they will come out before Doom. You can always get the midrange card of the next generation or this generations high end for a lot less than the equivilant card now. Also, not quite sure but BTX and PCI express are around the corner, so its almost as if you'd be buying into a dead architechture. The stuff you spec'd isn't budget.

...

Then when Doom3 comes out just buy a new Video card. If you need a bit more juice either setup would overclock well, although you should probably spend a couple more bucks on faster memory in the P4 case. In general, this is somewhat of a bad time to buy stuff.

Tell me if if you believe otherwise...but Im thinking ...
if i went ahead and bought the machine soon...
even though new stuff is coming out, it still would be a good machine and last me quite a while. If i wanted to upgrade, would an Athlon64 3400+ be quite an improvement?, as well as a next generation video card?, then just sell my card to a friend or something...
..if i were to do that should i make sure to get a MB that will handle upgrades?

keep in mind im running a "shop at home" p3 on windowsME. I barely even know what a good computer is. So im sure most anything new will impress me....

Thanks again

 

[Childs]

The second system you spec'd (A64) shouldn't really have any problems in the forseeable furture, except for maybe the 9600Pro when Doom/HL come out. I'm sure you'll be able to run it, just not maxed out. I'm not sure what the price difference is between the 3000 and 3400, but I dont think it realistically justifies the price difference. At those speeds its like a semantics argument about how fast instantenous is. A better upgrade would be to get a 9800Pro instead of the 9600Pro, which is about $70. $200 for a 9800Pro isnt a bad price, and then if you need more horsepower for next gen games you can upgrade it later, which always produces a more for less situation.

 

[wetcat007]

Maybe you should wait until Half-Life 2 or Doom 3 are out?

 

[NaveDrahcir]

Oh I meant the 9800Pro, sorry.

and yeah, I'd wait, except, my current computer barely runs warcraft3.