How do, looking for advice on a 500ish PC.

[Iccanui]

So the deal is i need a server for work to pass my MSCA tests on. I got the MCP in winXP done but the next tests i really need a lab, so....

I have a 1.1 ghz t-bird right now with 768 ram, ati radeon 9800 pro with a 20 and 40 gb HD.

I figure if i have to buy a PC i might as well make this a server and update myself a lil, though as you can see i dont really game much these days. So im looking for nudges in the direction of a 500 dollar PC to build. I do play WoW, but other then that not much and this PC runs it fine so i dont see that being a issue. So to be more to the point ...


Mobo
Chip
Ram
Maybe Vid Card
----------

$500ish.



Any suggestions? Sadly im a lil out of the loop in hardware.

 

[Iccanui]

bump

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

So, what you're saying is you need to make a new main computer for yourself and you're turning the old one into a server?

Do you need to buy a new case and powersupply for the new computer? Another Keyboard/Mouse set? You don't need a display for the server, do you?

If you don't game much, you should probably put the 9800pro in the new computer and get something really cheap for the server. It's going to be hard to find much of an upgrade from the 9800pro anyway on your budget.

You want a new hard drive for your new computer too, right?

So, if I have this right, you should keep the computer you have right now for the server except take out the radeon and put something really cheap in the server for video... anything you have laying around or buy a really cheap AGP or PCI card (like this one in the extreme case)

So, I don't know what your case situation is, but you'll probably want a new power supply for a new rig anyway so might as well go with an antec case / power supply for the new computer.

So, maybe something like this (prices at newegg)
case: antec SLK3700AMB = $64
cpu: AMD athlon 64 3000+ retail = $147
motherboard: soltek SL-K8AN2E-GR = $86
memory: corsair value select 512mb pc3200 = $62
hard drive: samsung 120gb sata = $81
floppy: whatever $8
burner: NEC 3520 DVD burner = $63

that's $511 before shipping. There's certainly room for changes in there if you want to keep the cost lower. Maybe change the processor from 3000+ to 2800+ would be the first thing to do.


Did I make any wrong assumptions on what you wanted to keep and what you didn't?