How would you build your next PC?

[bupkus]

In light of recent articles about the performance of the latest motherboards and assuming you did have a limited budget as most do, which components would you assemble for your next PC? This is not a dream machine. 🙁

Shall we assume you need one before the end of September? That's the position I'm in and I could use some ideas.
Oh, one additional consideration if you're interested - you want a box that can dual boot into linux. Heh, heh, like your old reversible jacket. 😉

PS - If you like digital LCD, don't forget to match your video card.

 

[merlocka]

I'm waiting to see how the nForce2 boards look. If they will be upgradeable to Barton's, I might stay on the AMD path again.

If not, the Northwoods / 845E boards it will be.

Either way, 333MHz DDR memory.

Will be sticking with Geforce3 until it's struggling with games. That will probably line up with the release of Doom3.

 

[Lonyo]

I would get something made by Intel

 

[MacDude]

I'm in the exact same situation as you are! Lets keep this tread going, it will be very usefull to both of us 🙂 I have to buy a computer real soon for school and I'm looking into all the parts that I should buy. Here's what I've come up with so far:

(prices are in canadian $, it's probably about half the price in US $)

AMD Athlon XP 2200+ 1.80GHz, 256k, 266FSB, s462, Thoroughbred, Retail Box 284$
Gigabyte GA-7VRXP VIA KT333 Motherboard, AMD Duron & Athlon, 3xDDR333,
5xPCI, 4xAGP, ATA133, Dual BIOS, 4xUSB & 4xUSB2.0, Promise ATA133 RAID,
Realtek 10/100 LAN, Creative CT5880 PCI (4-Channel) Sound 159$


Intel Pentium 4 2.40GHz, 512k, 533FSB, s478, Northwood, Retail Box 355$
Gigabyte GA-8IEX Intel i845E chipset ATX P4 Motherboard, 400/533 FSB, s478, 3xDDR,
Creative CT5880 Audio, Intel 10/100 Network, 6xPCI, 6xUSB 2.0 169$

Logitech Cordless Freedom Optical Black wireless keyboard + mouse kit 135$

Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop ???
Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop Pro ???

Samsung SyncMaster 955DF - Flat CRT - 19" 379$
Antec SX630 Mini Tower, 300 Watt Power Supply 119$
512 MB PC2700 DDR (333MHz) CAS 2.5 214$
Maxtor DiamondMax Plus D740X - 80 GB - DMA/ATA-133 (Ultra) Fast Drives - 7200 rpm 189$
Panasonic 1.44MB Floppy Drive 19$
Sony 40x/10x/40x IDE CD-RW (CRX195A1/C1) 99$
MSI G4Ti4200-TD128 (MS-8870), GeForce 4 Ti4200, 128MB DDR (444 Mhz) 289$


I think everything in this setup would be pretty sweet. I just have to choose between pentium 4 or Athlon. I really like Athlon but I'm afraid that the technology is dated; the FSB is only 266Mhz and the cache is a measily 256MB. Fact is the Athlon is going to change a lot in the next few months and I don't really think this is the right time to buy one. The pentium 4 on the other hand is more expenssive but is now using a 533Mhz bus which shouldn't be changed for a good while. In a year if a pentium 4 3.5Ghz comes out, you will probably be able to use the same motherboard you are using now. (someone correct me if I'm wrong)

The second dilema is the graphics. I really want to get an Ati 9500 when they come out, but I'm not sure if I really can wait much longer to buy my pc. One alternative would be to pay 10$ more for a pentium 4 motherboard that uses the intel i845G chipset and use the integrated graphics for a while. 2d is more important for me than 3d so I would prefer Ati to Nvidia, but I also want my rig to kick some ass at Unreal 2003 (by the way, when the hell is that coming out! I want it now! 😉 ) I think a Geforce 4 Ti4200 would be a decent buy.

Lastly, I have to decide between a Logitec wirelless keyboard or a Microsoft one.

Keep the debate going 🙂

 

[darkmo0n]

Hey

Im in the same position as you guys are.. Im going to be buying parts in about mid october, after AMD releases another processor, to take advantage of the price drops that usually follow.

Im currently planning on:

Athlon XP 2200+ (Only if the tbred b version is available by then, it should overclock very nicely, XP 2400 otherwise)
Epox EP-8K5A2
Samsung pc2700 (or pc3200 if its a standard by then)
WD 80gb SE
Gainward ti4200 128mb
TBSC, refurbished klispch 2.1s
Antec sx835ii case
Samsung 755df crt
Lite-on 40x12x48 cdrw
Tosihba 16x dvd
Sony fdd
Ms natural keybd, optical wheel mouse
Winxp home
Thermalright ax-7 cooler

If I bought this today, it would cost me about $1300 at newegg (not including shipping) with the klipsch's for $99 (i hope that sale lasts until oct.. )

---

Yes, AMD procs are changing alot now, but most newer kt333 motherboards should support the 333mhz fsb tbreds and bartons easily.. remember, barton (512 cache) is going to be amd's next mainstream core.. so it should be around for a while before it gets replaced by clawhammers. So unless there are some major changes, your upgrade path shouldnt get cut off any time soon.

as for graphics, I think ti4200s are the best for the money atm.. most cards overclock very well, even approaching 4600 stock clock speeds and 4400 stock memory speeds.

i would get a wireless logitech keybd/mouse if it was cheaper.. $70 just seems too much, especially when you cant get an ms natural keybd and an optical mouse for about half as much.

 

[Sniper82]

One day I will have a water cooled system,window,lights and all. Thats what I would love to have mainly for my next PC.

As for speed I am running:
1.4 Athlon
256mb PC2100
Radeon 8500 OEM
Shuttle AK31
80gig Maxtor 7200/ATA133
Turtle Beach Santa Cruz
Logitech Z560's
TDK 24x burner
Hitachi 12x DVD-Rom
Crappy plain white case

My next system:
Athlon XP 2200+
Will most likely keep same ram but buy another 256
Geforce 4 Ti4600 or ATI's new Radeon of some model(when prices are in the $155 range which will be a while)
Probably the same mobo or maybe something with ATA133 support
Keep everthing else the same besides the case which will be the next thing I buy.