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help with components for first real bulid

F

forbin

Member
first time, long time as they say.

im building a new computer, which will be used primarily for gaming and watching dvds. i want to cut costs, but not to the point where im buying inferior components. im looking at the following:

a64 3200+ 90nm link

powercolor x800xl link

Gigabyte GA-K8NF-9 motherboard link


desktop (htpc) case cooler master
im pretty open about the case. i kinda want a desktop case so that i can put it on the av rack under my tv. anyone have any good suggestions ? how about the small form factor gaming boxes? im kind of clueless in this area. im willing to spend 100$ on case/ps combo.

im not sure about ram, i want 1gb though, whats a good match with what i have above (pc3200 ?)

200gb seagate sata hd link

16x NEC dvd+r link

i figure i'll stay with the onboard audio at first and see how i like it. I have klipsh 5.1ultra speakers

another thing is that i will be playing all games on a max resolution of 1280x720 so i think the 800xl will hold up pretty well and play games thru next xmas at maxed out settings. most importantly, im pretty sure it will do battlefield 2 with max details and 8x16x at 1280x720. i like the VIVO in the powercolor card, but i may hop on the compusa business deal to get an ATI one and save about 70$, i dont have a video camera yet anyway.

basically im looking for suggestions on mobo, ram, and a sleek looking case. i know you are the guys to ask, and i am very grateful for any input. i'd like to spend <130 on mobo, same on RAM, and <100 on case.


 
Drop the Athlon to 3000+? I don't know how much money that would save you, but you could always overclock it.
 
for some reason newegg doesnt have a retail 3000+ 939 listed, but the difference between the oem 939's is only ~25$, so i figured i would kick down the extra 25 for the peace of mind. i understand where youre coming from though
 
Originally posted by: DanDaMan315
I would just get the built by ATI x800xl.
Click to expand...

yea that might be a good idea. if i can get one for 275 that would be about 80$ saved, i could always buy a capture card in the future, or get a camera with firewire. its just good to see the x800xl at retail price, at 275 it is a steal.
 
how much does xp home cost if you buy a mobo and cpu from newegg ? i cant find a link.

also, does anyone have any experience with windows mce ? ive heard good things, but does it do everything xp does in terms of normal applications such as games. anyone know the price on it when buying a computer ?


so far it looks like i can squeeze in under 1050$ :

2x Corsair VS512MB400 $116
a643000+ $153
Gigabyte GA-K8NF-9 $116
seagate 200gb sata $123
x800xl $275-300
16x dvdr $61
case/psu $100
windows $80 ?

is this mobo a POS ? im not a big over clocker but i would like the option in the future

anyone with a good idea for a horizontal case or a cube ? i would really prefer not to get a tower. also, how many watts am i going to need to juice that x800xl, 2 satas hd's and another gig of ram when i upgrade ? am i going to need more than 350W ?

 
i would get a 6800GT, you are paying almost what it costs for a 6800GT for that x800XL. granted, the 6800GT is only the slightly better card, it is still overall a better card. however, if you found the x800xl for under 300, then i would spring on it
 
Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
microsoft OS products at newegg

I've only used xp home and xp pro... don't know about media center edition.

I was looking for some HTPC cases a while ago too but didn't find any I liked so I'm going to wait a while until I actually want to build one and see what's available.

The HTPC area of AVSforum might be a good place to check out case recommendations..
Click to expand...

thanks man, so 90$ for home and 131 for MCE. im tempted, very tempted. i think you get a remote with mce too, thats all i need 🙂

definitely a good call on the avs htpc forum, im a member and there is sooo much information over there, its my other favorite tech forum. ive been reading that forum almost ever day since last summer when i got my 50" samsung hdtv. adding the badass cpu is the final piece of the htpc puzzle, i cant wait to see how far cry and hl2 look maxed out. (i have a lowly gforce 4200go in a laptop now, cant even run bf42 tricked out)

while over at avs the other day i found this case which people were raving about, it looks sweet but its only 300W power supply Antec Lifestyle ARIA MicroATX Cube for 95$

paired with a MSI "RS480M2-IL microATX 939 ">http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=13-130-485&depa=1</a> for 91$

is 300W not enough for the x800xl. its min requirements are stated as 350W, which is confusing because i thought it was supposed to use less power due to smaller chip than the x800pro and xt, which are listed on newegg as requiring 300W power supply. the last thing i want is power issues, ive heard they are really frustrating

 
Antec makes some pretty high quality powersupplies.

I think you should probably be alright with only running 1 hard drive, 1 optical drive, and you're not overclocking anything.

I think the powersupplies that come in small form factor PCs tend to be pretty nice for their given wattage.
 
ok just got back from vacation, so its time for me to put my order in.

if i buy cpu, mobo, and ram from monarch i get a good deal, plus HL2, Far Cry and 4 months Napster trial for 415$

AMD Athlon 64 3000+ 512K 90nm (939) retail 156$
DDR (400) 3200 - 1 GB (2 pcs 512) OCZ 112$
DFI Lan Party UT NForce4 Ultra-D Audio/GB $149

I also will be getting the following:
Seagate 160GB Barracuda 7200RPM 8MB Cache SATA 129$
NEC ND-3520A/GNB 16X Dual Layer DVD±RW (Black) (OEM) 64$
windows xp home 93$
SilverStone Lascala SST-LC13-B HTPC Case, Black

looking for a good power supply in the 400W range for around 80$. i think i saw an antec one for 76$ which i may get

where is the best place for me to pick up an x800xl online for under 300$ now, i'd either want a built by ati one or a vivo one


i was going to go with the gigabyte ga-k8nf but i figured the DFI lanparty would be better if i wanted to OC my cpu down the road. only a 34$ difference and ive heard good things about DFI.

also, how are the thermaltake A-1770 heat sink fans , would it be good for keeping the 3000+ cool if i bumped up the speed, as oposed to the retail stock HSF ?


thanks


 
i just bought the x800xl at compusa for 300+tax. the guy tried to sell me on a 2 yr warranty for 45, which i declined. he then offered to drop the card to 280 if i bought the 45$ plan, which is a good deal, but i decided not to get the warranty. heads up to the people who are gonna buy this card and want a compusa warranty
 
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