Help with building pc

[stealthbox]

Ive been wanting to built my own pc for a while now, so im thinking of actually doing it right after christmas. First of all this is a the pc i use now:

Inter celeron 1.3 Ghz
512 Ram 133 bus speed
40 Gb hardrive
external cd writer
sound blaster live 5.1
15" crappy monitor that sometimes i need to bang on cause it has problems lol
no video card, onboard graphics , i think its 8mb lol
my motherboard is a crappy matsonic that dosent even have a agp slot for a video card..........

Surprisingly my pc runs pretty smooth after a few tweaks like blackvipers xp service guide.

Heres the pc im thinking of building based on a 650$ budget, which was based on this article:

Build-It: The $800 Gaming PC

http://www.extremetech.com/article2...,1675321,00.asp

All parts are from newegg.com with actuall prices from it..

Processor - Athlon 64 3000+ - 150$

Pc case - 55$

Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-K8NS Pro - 94$

Hardrive - Western Digital WD800JB 80GB - $58.00

Memory - 2x Kingston 256 MB DDR SDRAM (KVR400X64C3AK2/512) 400 MHz. Bus Clock - 87.24$

DVD-ROM / CD-RW - Around 50$

Floppy Drive - 10$

Soundcard - already have a SB Live 5.1 that i bought a few months ago - 0$

Power Supply - Free with case - 0$

Mouse - Already have a wireless optical - 0$

Keyboard - Already have one - 0$

already have winxp pro


I made some changes where i thought necesary, im not a gamer , i do play the occasional game but im not a gamer and dont need a good or even decent video card. I hopeing to fit in that budget a 17" monitor....dosent have to be the best one...

I havent picked out a video card yet cause i know from personal expierince that it can be a pain in the ass..........Im thinking of getting some 64mb one but might even settle for a 32 mb.....I was hopeing someone could recomend me a one that would go good with my motherboard............Also hopeing not to spend more then 70-80 $ for it...

These are some questions i have:

1) Is it worth building my own pc ? dell and gatewall has some decent , can i get a better PC for the money ?

2) How does the processor i selected compare to the pentium 4's and to the ones that dell and gateway are making available in the offers for the price around my budget ?

3) How well do the parts i have selected go together.......

4) Does my motherboard come with all the cables and fans im gonna need, will i have to buy anything separately ?

5) Why in AMD processor descriptions the bus speed and ghz arent clear like with intel , how am i suppose to know how they compare....

Thanks in advance

 

[stealthbox]

Forgot to mention that i use my pc mostly to surf the net, chat, bruteforcing, p2p progs like bittorent , kazaa , emule etc , photoshop, the occasional game.

also have one more question , how would the new pc im trying to build compare to the one i have now.....

 

[mechBgon]

I would make these changes:

PC Case: not just any PC case, or any cheap PSU that happens to get thrown in. Antec SLK3700AMB is an easy-to-work-with case that has a decent-quality 350W power supply, a 120mm exhaust fan and room for a lot of drives. See here for a bunch of photos of one, inside and out. Power supply quality is important, not merely the wattage, so make it a good one such as Enermax, Antec or Fortron.

I would probably get an Asus K8N if I were looking at sub-$100 Socket754 boards. Speaking of which, when shopping for the Athlon64 3000+, make sure to get the Socket754 version if you're getting a Socket754 motherboard, since there is now a 939-pin model of the 3000+ too.

The Western Digital hard drives sometimes develop a nasty bearing whine. Consider a Seagate 7200.7, which has fluid bearings and a 5-year warranty. If you're a first-timer, I suggest the ATA/100 version and not SATA.

Memory: you might as well get a single 512MB Corsair ValueSelect PC3200 module instead of a pair of 256's, for a Socket754 board where there is no dual-channel nature to worry about.

For your questions:

1) yeah, it's fun and you end up with something you can upgrade and maintain yourself. For tech support, just drop by these Forums and we will never EVAR ask for proof of purchase or read you a script. GUARANTEED. You won't get bundle deals on software like Microsoft Office, though.

2) The Athlon64 is the supercharged V8 of the CPU world, where the Pentium4 with 800MHz bus and Hyperthreading is maybe the turbocharged V6. There is no blanket comparison between A64's and Pentium4's, it depends on the tasks at hand. Read some of AnandTech's CPU reviews for a good background on this.

3) The parts appear to go together fine. I would leave out the ancient SB Live! in favor of the onboard sound if it were me, and the other changes mentioned above. The Lite-On CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drives are good and come with Nero Express software, if you need a suggestion on that.

4) The motherboard will come with the cables but not fans. Get a retail-boxed Athlon64 and it will have the heatsink and fan for the processor.

5) Again, read some AnandTech CPU reviews to get a feel for the CPUs. AMD's lineup vary in several ways: the CPU's clockspeed, the amount of L2 cache, and the number of memory controllers (one or two). Intel's P4 lineup vary in clockspeed, bus speed, Hyperthreading or non-Hyperthreading, and L2 cache size.

Welcome to the Forums, hope that helped some

 

[shaowq]

to tell you the truth, i've been talking with my friends and we feel that getting a 64 bit proc right now if you just plan on gaming is really useless. If you think about it, there's almost nothing that runs at 64 bit yet, so unless you're doing video editing or somethign of that nature, it's really quite useless. There was supposed to be 64 bit version of windows coming out and that is nowhere to be found either.

There's already talk about dual core processors

Intel was going to release a 4ghz p4 but they failed. They've already tapped out the p4's, there's nothign else they can do with it except to dual core it. You can expect that with dual cores you're gonna get 64 bit as well.

I'm running an xp2800 with 512 of pc3200 ddr, radeon 9500 pro, a 60 gig primary and 120 gig 2ndary and i've been running this thing for just about 2 years almost 3. My rig can run just about anything you throw at me with relative ease.

I'm suggesting that you just go with a barton or something and save some money. Then wait for the dual cores to start coming out in the next few years.

Just imagine...a dual core 64 pentium with HT technology. *droolz* minor upgrades for me until we get into at least the 2nd generation of 64's or they actually start coming out with stuff u can actually apply the 64 to.

 

[mechBgon]

to tell you the truth, i've been talking with my friends and we feel that getting a 64 bit proc right now if you just plan on gaming is really useless. If you think about it, there's almost nothing that runs at 64 bit yet, so unless you're doing video editing or somethign of that nature, it's really quite useless. There was supposed to be 64 bit version of windows coming out and that is nowhere to be found either.

Exhibit A Whether it's in 64-bit mode or not, it's kinda clear that the A64 is wearing the pants in the AMD family here, if other factors are equal. Granted, it does cost more and that could cut into a gamer's video-card budget.

Exhibit B Ok, so the trial period is "only" 360 days

 

[flamingspinach]

mechBgon has given you some excellent advice. I agree with practically every single point, so let me just second everything he/she said:

Great case is the SLK3700AMB - it's a professional case for the user who doesn't really care about special features of their case. Nice and sturdy, no problems. Comes with a good PSU too. Asus K8N should also be good - Asus is an excellent motherboard maker, and the K8N series seems to be good from what I've heard. I'm planning to get the K8N-E Deluxe myself but if you're not a gamer the K8N should do. Seagate rocks as always, try to find a HDD from them. For a "low to medium" amount of memory like 512 MB, you probably do want to consolidate it into one stick and not two. Asus's onboard sound is pretty good, so don't think you'll need a sound card. Try them both though - I'm not familiar with the sound card you have.

As to why AMD's naming is confusing - basically they have decided to base their naming on performance, not on physical speed of the circuits, which is a good move IMHO. It started with the Athlons, which were named after what speed Pentium they could match in terms of performance. Now it is really a separate issue. You can't really compare an AMD chip to an Intel chip just by the model number. You could look at benchmark tests - I think anandtech has some - but the numbers are mainly to distinguish between chips from the same maker, i.e. you will obviously know that an AthlonXP 2400+ is not as fast as an AthlonXP 2800+, and that a Pentium 4 3.0GHz is not as fast as a Pentium 4 3.4GHz.

Have fun building your first computer, and good luck!

-fs

 

[stealthbox]

Heres my wish list, i had to copy and paste it cause for some reason i couldnt get it work through a link

Aspire X-Dreamer II(Black) ATX Mid-Tower Case with 350W Power Supply, With Window, Model "ATXB4KLW-BK/350"
Specifications:
Case Type: Mid-Tower
Color: Black
Material: Steel
Drive Bays: 5.25" x 4,3.5"(External) x 2, 3.5"(Internal) x 4
Expansion Slots: 7
Front Ports: USB2.0 x 2,Mic x 1,Speaker x 1
Power Supply: 350W
Cooling System: 2 x 80MM fans
Motherboard Compatibility: ATX/Baby AT
Dimensions: 440 x 200 x 430mm
Special Features: Acrylic added to front panel for polished appearance;Back lighting temperature displasy LCD etc more info-> N82E16811144026 $56.00 $56.00


GIGABYTE "GA-K8NS PRO" nForce3 250 Chipset Motherboard for AMD Socket 754 CPU -RETAIL
Specifications:
Supported CPU: AMD Athlon64 Processors(1600MHz System Bus)
Chipset: NVIDIA nForce3 250
RAM: 3x DIMM for DDR400/333/266 Max 3GB
IDE: 2x ATA 133 by chipset, 2x ATA 133 w/ RAID0/1/0+1 JBOD by GigaRAID IT8212 up to 8 Devices
Slots: 1x AGP 8X/4X, 5x PCI
Ports: 2xPS/2,1xLPT,2xCOM,1xLAN,8xUSB2.0(Rear 4),Audio Ports
Onboard Audio: Realtek ALC850 8-Channel Codec
Onboard LAN: Marvell 8001 Gigabit Ethernet
Onboard SATA/RAID: 2x SATA by chipset, RAID 0/1 JBOD; 2x SATA by Sil3512, RAID 0/1
Onboard 1394: T.I. controller, 3 Ports
Form Factor: ATX more info-> N82E16813128241 $89.50 $89.50


AMD Athlon 64 3000+, 512KB L2 Cache 64-bit Processor - Retail
Specifications:
Model: AMD Athlon 64 3000+
Core: Newcastle
Operating Frequency: 2GHz
FSB: Integrated into Chip
Cache: L1/64K+64K; L2/512K
Voltage: 1.5V
Process: 0.13 Micron
Socket: Socket 754
Multimedia Instruction: MMX, SSE, SSE2, 3DNOW!, 3DNOW!+
Packaging: Retail Box (Heatsink and Fan included) more info-> N82E16819103486 $149.00 $149.00


Kingston ValueRAM Dual Kits 184 Pin 512MB(256MBx2) DDR PC-3200
Specifications:
Manufacturer: Kingston
Speed: DDR400(PC3200)
Type: 184 Pin DDR SDRAM
Error Checking: Non-ECC
Registered/Unbuffered: Unbuffered
Cas Latency: 3
Support Voltage: 2.6V
Bandwidth: 3.2GB/s
Organization: two 32M x 64 -Bit
Warranty: Lifetime more info-> N82E16820141413 $86.24 $86.24


NEC 1.44MB Black Internal Floppy Drive, OEM
Specifications:
Capacity: 1.44/0.72 MByte
Average Access Time: 3ms
Interface: 34 Pin Standard Floppy Connector
Form: 3.5"
Media Type: 3.5" double-side high density, 3.5" double-side density
Features: Maximal performance in minimum space
Packaging: OEM Drive Only more info-> N82E16821152005 $7.00 $7.00


Western Digital Special Edition 80GB 7200RPM IDE Hard Drive, Model WD800JB, OEM Drive Only
Specifications:
Capacity: 80GB
Average Seek Time: 8.9 ms
Buffer: 8MB
Rotational Speed: 7200 RPM
Interface: IDE ULTRA ATA100
Features: High-performance with 8MB Buffer
Manufacturer Warranty: 3 years
Packaging: OEM Drive Only more info-> N82E16822144122 $58.00 $58.00


MAG InnoVision 772PFb 17" Pure Flat CRT Monitor RETAIL
Specifications:
CRT Type: CRT
Dot Pitch: 0.21mm (H), 0.25mm (D)
Max Resolution: 1280 x 1024 @ 65hz
Viewable Size: 16.0"
Frequency / Bandwidth: fh: 30~70kHz; fv: 50~150Hz / 120MHz
Features: Pure FLAT picture tube, 90º deflection, Anti-glare, Anti-static, Anti-reflection
Dimensions & Weight: 16.1" x 16.7" x 16.3" (W x H x D), 37.9lbs
more info-> N82E16824191003 $109.00 $109.00


Samsung 16X DVD±RW, Model TS-H552B/WBCH Black, OEM Bulk
Specifications:
Write Speed: 2.4X DVD+R DL, 16X DVD+R, 4X DVD+RW, 12X DVD-R, 4X DVD-RW, 40X CD-R, 32X CD-RW
Read Speed: 48X CD-ROM, 16X DVD-ROM
Interface: ATAPI / E-IDE
Buffer: 2MB
OS Support: Windows XP/ 2000/ ME/ 98SE
Features: Buffer Under Run Free Technology
Packaging: Bulk more info-> N82E16827151054 $57.99 $57.99


UBI SOFT FarCry - PC DVD Game - OEM Free Copy Of FarCry with purchase of any AMD 64 Bit CPU and Compatible Motherboard!

DVD-ROM (Requires DVD Drive to Operate)

THIS ITEM MUST BE PURCHASED WITH A QUALIFYING CPU AND MOTHERBOARD, IT CANNOT BE PURCHASED BY ITSELF.

more info-> N82E16837109001 $39.99 $39.99




Subtotal » $652.72



Ive decided not to buy a video card since i realized a few minutes ago that it has on board video and audio lol

 

[stealthbox]

also i will change it to s single 512 instead of two,its actually cheaper, i just figured they had 2 256's for some good reason lol

 

[Sonic587]

Originally posted by: shaowq
to tell you the truth, i've been talking with my friends and we feel that getting a 64 bit proc right now if you just plan on gaming is really useless. If you think about it, there's almost nothing that runs at 64 bit yet, so unless you're doing video editing or somethign of that nature, it's really quite useless. There was supposed to be 64 bit version of windows coming out and that is nowhere to be found either.

The AMD64 line are *the* CPUs to have when you're gaming. Period. Was that a typo?

Now is a really bad time to get an Athlon XP. Prices on them have been steadily rising for the last few months. The Retail boxed XP2800+ is $139 on Newegg, only $11 less than the CPU in the OP. The A64 3000+ will clobber the XPs in the VAST majority of programs, not just games.

In addition to the aforementioned K8N, here are some well-priced, decent motherboards I'd suggest:

http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=13-123-219&depa=0

http://www.newegg.com/app/View...=13-152-043&depa=0

 

[Sonic587]

Originally posted by: stealthbox

Ive decided not to buy a video card since i realized a few minutes ago that it has on board video and audio lol

Are you sure? I'm not seeing any onboard video on that motherboard.

 

[stealthbox]

i was just at dell , the have this offer

Dimension 4700
Enhanced Performance
Bullet Pentium® 4 Processor 530 with HT Technology (3.00GHz, 800 FSB)
Bullet Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
Bullet 256MB DDR2 SDRAM at 400MHz (1x256M)
Bullet 40GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)
Bullet FREE 2-Day Shipping - Online Only!
Bullet FREE 2nd Bay CD-Burner - Online Only!


Featured at
$799

$649
After $150 OFF Instantly!

which pc is better the one im building or that dell

 

[stealthbox]

Chipset: NVIDIA nForce3 250 isnt that it ? correct me if im wrong......im not 100% sure when i looked at the picture it looked like it had a monitor input lol

there it is

http://images10.newegg.com/pro...mage/13-128-241-07.JPG

 

[mechBgon]

which pc is better the one im building or that dell

Definitely not the Dell, not with a single channel of RAM, and only 256MB of it (minus a chunk for the onboard video). WinXP on 192MB of RAM! Run away, run away!

Stick with Plan A, is what I would do. And I put my money where my mouth is... A64 work rig :heart:

 

[stealthbox]

yeah plus the pc im building will look alot cooler lol but the prossesor seems to be better then the one im getting but maybe after christimas they will be cheaper and i'll buy the amd athlon 64 3200+

 

[Sonic587]

Originally posted by: stealthbox
i was just at dell , the have this offer

Dimension 4700
Enhanced Performance
Bullet Pentium® 4 Processor 530 with HT Technology (3.00GHz, 800 FSB)
Bullet Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
Bullet 256MB DDR2 SDRAM at 400MHz (1x256M)
Bullet 40GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)
Bullet FREE 2-Day Shipping - Online Only!
Bullet FREE 2nd Bay CD-Burner - Online Only!


Featured at
$799

$649
After $150 OFF Instantly!

which pc is better the one im building or that dell

I definitely would say the one you are building.

The CPUs are kind of a stalemate in a basic websurfing environment. However, WinXP would be limping with just 256MB RAM. A 40GB HDD would also fill up pretty fast if you plan to store a decent amount of data.

Chipset: NVIDIA nForce3 250 isnt that it ? correct me if im wrong......im not 100% sure when i looked at the picture it looked like it had a monitor input lol

That's 2 COM ports. The board doesn't seem to have a VGA connector.

The config you posted has a few things I'd change:

1.) Change the motherboard to the Epox/K8N/Chaintech and save a few dollars.
2.) I highly encourage you to go with the case suggested by mechBgon.
3.) As for videocard, I would pick one up right here on Anand's FS/FT. Look for a cheap Radeon 8500/9000/9100/9200 ($25-30ish).
4.) One stick of 512MB RAM as mentioned above.

 

[stealthbox]

hows this one

Chipset/Core Speed: ATI Radeon 7000/166MHz
Memory/Effective Speed: 32MB SDR/166MHz
BUS: AGP
Ports: VGA Out(15 Pin D-Sub) + TV-Out (Composite Out)
Support 3D API: DirectX 7, OpenGL 1.0
Max Resolution@32bit Color: 2048X1536
Cable/Accessories: TV-out (S-AV) adapter, Driver CD
Retail Box (See pics for details)

im really not much of a gamer , the only game i really want to play that i cant now is max payne 2 which 32 mb is the requirement

 

[stealthbox]

im checking the direct x version on some of these older video cards , and it brings back bad memories lol i had alot of problems with video cards and direct x, will the older video cards work with the lates version of direct x ...........

About the Antec SLK3700AMB case , theres no doubt it looks likea good case but its so ugly lol how can you not have a side panel with no blue lights ? is it that much better then the one i picked out ?

I know the fan is faster on the antec but the one i picked is cheaper and so much cooler looking lol i think i might stick with it , i dont have any plans of overclocking, plus alot of people picked the case i picked its a top 10 seller , it must be decent

 

[shaowq]

well, i DO stand corrected and everyone learns something new everyday. and i'll shut up now cuz im too tired to think straight to post anything else

 

[cirthix]

DIY, as prebuilt comps suck
athlon 64-m>athlon64>athlonXP-m>athlonXP>pentium>celeron

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: stealthbox
im checking the direct x version on some of these older video cards , and it brings back bad memories lol i had alot of problems with video cards and direct x, will the older video cards work with the lates version of direct x ...........

You can install an old video card on a computer that has the latest DirectX version. That doesn't mean it will magically gain DirectX 9.0C hardware features, but it will run to whatever its own capabilities allow, yeah. Heck, on my home rig I'm currently scraping along on a Voodoo3 2000 PCI card.

About the Antec SLK3700AMB case , theres no doubt it looks likea good case but its so ugly lol how can you not have a side panel with no blue lights ? is it that much better then the one i picked out ?

I built that system as an office computer, so computer must blend with surrounding like ninja in shadows! :Q

I know the fan is faster on the antec but the one i picked is cheaper and so much cooler looking lol i think i might stick with it , i dont have any plans of overclocking, plus alot of people picked the case i picked its a top 10 seller , it must be decent

If it were me, I'd go for the quality power supply even if I had to buy it separately and put it in the Aspire case. But it's your call.

One other thing, if you have (or will have) broadband Internet, try to squeeze in a router to give yourself a perimeter firewall. I like the Netgear RP614, partly because I can remember its model number and the Linksys BEFSR41 and BEFSR11 are another couple of popular ones that I happen to remember the models of

 

[stealthbox]

good advice guys thanks

 

[bfonnes]

Originally posted by: shaowq
Just imagine...a dual core 64 pentium with HT technology. *droolz* minor upgrades for me until we get into at least the 2nd generation of 64's or they actually start coming out with stuff u can actually apply the 64 to.

Intel has already stated that their dual core CPUs are not going to have HT.

BFonnes

 

[RanDum72]

Another bad thing about that Dell is that besides having only 256mb of RAM, its also DDR2, which is not only slower than regular PC3200 DDR in real world situations but also more expensive. Stick with what Mech has suggested, sounds like a really good idea.