Howz this look?

[hubbs]

Mobo-The new Asus one coming out next weak I believe.

Cpu-AMD Duron 700

20gig IBM UDMA/100

48x Toshiba CD ROM

Teac 1.44mb Floppy

SB LIVE! Value

Creative Labs Annihilator 2 32mb 256bit

Superpower Landmark 299 ATX 250w

128mb PC133

Total Price-$1,037

 

[Charles]

Why not a Thunderbird?

 

[Francodman]

Oh my, not again!

 

[hubbs]

The T-Bird would fit in this mobo right! Yeah ok. But, I haven't been able to find any Socket A T-Birds?

 

[Stark]

Paulson wins. Ugh. :Q

 

[hubbs]

GOD DAMNIT.......I wish I could get some replies that actually mean something. I'm looking for help and this is the whole point of the forums. RIGHT?

I don't really care if it's not AWESOME. I just wanna build one. And if I recall earlier nobody wanted me to buy a computer prebuilt so I decided to build one and you guys said you would be glad to help. I don't get it. Either offer some advice or stay the hell out of my thread.

 

[snow patrol]

Hubbs, the system looks good from where I'm standing. However, seeing as you said you weren't that keen on games, why are you spending what must amount to around $260 on the graphics card? If you're only a casual gamer, why not settle for a Voodoo 3 2000 for around $80, and put a bit more cash into the processor (thunderbird for example) or something like a DVD ROM drive...just a suggestion.

 

[Electric Amish]

Another vote for SP's suggestions, with a couple of changes...

I'd get a G400 over a Voodoo, cuz I like Matrox

Still $125 or so for the G400. Best 2D and good 3D.

I'd then save the extra money. I don't think DVD's are ready for PC's, personally.

Use the money for a nice 19" monitor.

amish

 

[HannibalX]

Where the hell are you buying all thet sheet for a 1000 bucks? One site? Local store?

 

[Bagheera]

Looks ok... the price is also fairly decent. Personally I would suggest for a Diamond MX300 instead of a SoundBlaster Live! Value tho, unless you are a musician who likes to compose musics and stuff using your computer. Because gaming wise, the A3D 2 technology MX300 offers is much better than the EAX SB Live! in games and so on.

 

[Bagheera]

Trinitron: I think he could get some very good prices on OEM dealers, if that's where he's ordering from.

 

[HannibalX]

Yeah, thats what I figured.

Oh and by the way, not to start static with you but EAX over A3D is a matter of opinion and sound tastes By the way, Aureal is out of business, and game developers aren't supporting A3D anymore, so in my opinion an SB Live is a better choice.

 

[Stark]

hubbs, you're worse than your buddy paulson. I've been one of the only people willing to help you with your system selection ("don't get the PIII 733 for a bx&quot. You better watch that attitude or you'll be respected about as much as Paulson. :|

The last system you put up for review was fine. If you want to go cheap, anand and ars technica have guides for value systems. If you want to be a duron guinea pig, be my guest. The PIII (or even Athlon) offers proven quality. Getting in line for a motherboard that hasn't been released is fine if you have your own hardware website. For a first time builder it's not smart... especially if you want people to be able to offer suggestions if you have problems.


<< 20gig IBM UDMA/100

48x Toshiba CD ROM

Teac 1.44mb Floppy

SB LIVE! Value

Superpower Landmark 299 ATX 250w

128mb PC133 >>


Those are all fine choices. You need to decide how much you want to spend on the cpu, mobo, and video card. Once you have the budget established, you'll have your answer.

Good luck. :Q

 

[HannibalX]

Bah Paulson isn't so bad, he's never done sheet to me, yeah he posts some garbage every once and a while, but not that the rest of us are perfect or some sheet.

It seems like all the Elite members like to pick on him, and the newb's follow suite

 

[hubbs]

I don't know I guess the Graphic Card is kinda for kicks I know I don't really need it. And nope I'm not getting this stuff from an OEM dealer either. It's coming from mwave.com. I have been searching there for a long time and that's how I come across these good deals.

A Duron is only $150. That is why I'm interested

 

[Adul]

Why not get a gefroce 2 MX (~120 bucks) and will be a pretty decsent game card. Especially for $$. Rest of system looks good to me.

 

[HannibalX]

Actualy, I'm not sure I understand why everyone is making such a big deal about the Nv11. The benchmarks say that it's the same speed as an SDR GF, but you can get SDR GF's for really cheap right now anyway. I think nVidia created a useless product really, they have 2 different cards for one marketing area - kind of a dumb move IMHO.

 

[Caitiff]

I would have to second the GTS MX suggestion. If you are building a 'value gamer' system, it would appear to be the absolute best value for high end gaming. Coupled w/ a 950MHz Duron (o/c of course!), that should keep you cooking WEEELLLL into the 21 century. ;P

 

[Bagheera]

The reason I prefer A3D 2.0 is because it does sound better in game. I think there's an old review at Sharky's that had a MX300 vs SB Live! Value head on, while A3D do take more CPU usage, it does offer more realistic hearing experience because of its more accurate 3D positioning technology. EAX is just an extension of Microsoft's DirectSound and frankly it does nothing to help positioning sound in 3D space more accurately, just some special effects that creates an illusion to make you &quot;feel&quot; like if it's real.

Anyways, what is the best price you can get for a SB Live! on OEM now? Because in retail stores they are STILL $99 (Which I found desturbing since the card is now like 3, 4 years old or something). I know you can get an MX300 very cheap now.

 

[HannibalX]

Just checked on price watch, Mx300's are 31 bucks, SB Live Value is 34 bucks.

As to the more realistic sound, that again is a matter of opinion and your own specific listening tastes. I have heard A3D 2.0 and EAX Liveware 3.0 both on my FPS 1000 Cambridge surround sound speakers, and I just like EAX better.

And I wouldn't believe everything you read at SE, Ross is very biased. Same guy who benched an Athlon 1 gig vs a PIII 1 gig and just happen to put Pc800 ram Vs pc 100 Ram. Hmmm.

 

[Bagheera]

*L* Oh really? Didn't know about that. I never got too familiar with the admins of the sites, so... Guess you know them better.

Strange, last time I checked PriceWatch, there were MX300 for $27.

BTW does the SB Live! on OEM has that daughter card attached to it also? Or is that eliminated in the OEMs?

 

[HannibalX]

I'm not sure if it is or not. But the cheap SB Lives on price watch aren't OEM their retail. Thats how I bought mine, although it was 50 bucks then.

The daughter card is only needed if you have digital speakers, and most speakers are all analog, except for the big 300 dollar jobs, and all regular stereo speakers are analog as well.

Yeah Ross is very biased, heh