Help Spec a system Edit - done! Did I do okay?

[alexandersdad]

Help me decide! It's time to upgrade.
Any pros or cons? Company to avoid?
Am I missing anything? (I already have an ext CD-RW, IEEE card).
On most of these I could swap ram/audio/hd to get a geForce3 (the compaq is configured that way)

Uses will be Web, e-mail, vb/db programming, HTML, casual gaming, DV Editing, Digital Photo Editing, DVD (not real serious here, I have two dedicated players already)
I have no real desire to overclock.
Forward compatiblity is somewhat important. Stability is very important.

I am coming from:
almost 4 yr old Micron; Pentium II 233 on LX mb; 96mb pc66 ram (upg fr 32), 10gb + 36gb 5400s (upg fr 6gb), TNT2 16mb (upg fr riva128 4mb agp), win98SE (upg fr 95).

Common to all systems:

• custom configured to ~$1000
• AMD XP 1600+
• 512 DDR SDRAM (most are Micron)
• 60gb 7200 IBM or maxtor
• 16x DVD-ROM (most are brandname)
• Integrated or generic LAN
• 5 or 6 speaker system AL or CL
• simple keyboard/mouse (some MS)
• Medium Tower case with at least 300W PS
• MS XP Home Edition
• No Monitor
• No Modem if possible

Alvio -
Soyo Dragon+ (a few others to choose from)
int 5.1 audio
Geforce 2 GTS 32mb ASUS


Boldata -
KT266A mb (don't know which one)
Audigy IEEE audio
Geforce2 MX400 64mb

Compaq -
unkown mb
only 256mb
only 40mb hd
only 2 speakers
SB Live! 5.1 Val
GeForce 3 Ti200 64mb
incl a movie package w/ IEEE


CyberPower -
Shuttle AK31 (many others to choose from)
375W PS
Audigy 5.1 X-gamer
GeForce 2 Ti200 tv 64mb LeadTek
black system


NuTrend -
ASUS A7M266 AMD761 (I can have MSI KT266A instead)
Audigy IEEE
GeForce 2Ti TV 64mb Leadtek


UnitedMicro 1 -
MSI nForce
int 5.1
int GeForce 2 MX


UnitedMicro 2 -
ECS K7S5A
Audigy IEEE
GeForce 2 Ti TV 64mb eVGA


thanks in advance
Jim J

 

[NelsonMuntz]

I like the Boldata one because it gets you the best video card without skimping on the other equipment. The Compaq gives you the GF3, but you loose out in other areas.

 

[alexandersdad]

thanks for the reply.

hmmm.

Somehow, I got the impression that the GF 2Ti was stronger than the GF2 MX400.

anyway, I somehow was able to configure a system at CyberPower for my price, with a GF 3 Ti200, the only other difference being, the Audigy is not the X-Gamer.

seems like my best bet.

 

[alexandersdad]

I ended up with this from CyberPower:

XP 1600+ on Shuttle AK31
512mb DDR PC2100
Black 2-tone Med Tower w/ 300W PS + cpu fan, heatsink + 3 case fans
16x DVD-ROM
60gb 7200 (probably maxtor)
Audigy 5.1 w/ IEEE
CL 5300 speaker set
ATI Radeon 8500 (this was a $25 premium over a GF3 Ti200, $120 less than Ti500)
PCI Lan Card, Modem
black KB and Mouse

$1008 +shipping